Small Business Trends Radio | Small Business Advice

Goodbye Infomercials: How A 30 Year Old Brand Is Keeping With The Times

Small Business Trends — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:55:43 +0000

Hair Club is a brand with high visibility from the old-school commercials - Sy Sperling’s, “I’m not just the President, I’m also a client.” However, many people still don’t know what the Hair Club is and keeping the 30 year old brand fresh has become even more of a challenge because of the ever changing media landscape which is affecting the avenues of word of mouth about the company.

Steven Barth, CEO of a group of Hair Club licenses, is a client himself. In this episode, he joins Anita Campbell and Brent Leary to discuss the organizations current optimizing process and how the 30 year old brand is keeping up with the times and educating the consumer about themselves.

Below are the questions we asked Steven:

(2:38) First Steven, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(3:44) Tell us about yourself, in particular, and how you ended up in this position today?
(8:19) Tell us, exactly what is the Hair Club? It has the word “club” in it. Is it actually a club? What has it evolved into?
(12:57) What is different today? I assume it’s no longer limited to men?
(16:10) What is the biggest change you’ve made in the company over these past 30 years regarding how you’re marketing the Hair Club?
(21:58) Are you leveraging social media to speak to that younger audience that could be a good Hair Club prospect?
(24:18) Are you finding that your current customers, in addition to your prospects, are interested in engaging with Hair Club via the social networks? Are they looking for you out there, what are you seeing?
(27:23) As a Hair Club client yourself, how does your experience as a customer shape the way you brand the Hair Clubs that you own?
(29:24) Where can people find out more?

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Save Time & Maximize Customer Data With Integrated Business Applications

Small Business Trends — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:24:04 +0000

Many people have noted that famed dancer, Ginger Rogers, did everything Fred Astaire did – except she did it backwards and in heels. The same concept is true today for small businesses; they need to do everything the big enterprises do, but faster and with fewer resources.

Pamela O’Hara and Michelle Riggen-Ransom, Co-founders of The Small Business Web, join Anita Campbell to discuss how using integrated business applications will save you time and prevent the missteps of siloed information.

Below are the questions we asked Pamela and Michelle:

(3:11) First Pamela, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(4:43) Michelle, can you tell listeners a bit about yourself and your background?
(6:55) What is The Small Business Web? How does it work and what’s in it for small business owners?
(9:56) So there are 120 members with web based apps for the small business market that have come together to make their API’s available so that other members of the group can integrate with them, correct?
(11:28) So tell us more about The Small Business Web. How does the small business owner use it?
(13:08) Can you give us some examples of how businesses are saving time and money by finding integrated solutions and how that works for them?
(17:37) Is this a growing behavior by small businesses or is it still in its infancy? How many small businesses out there are deliberately going after applications based on whether they integrate with one another?
(18:55) Are you seeing that it’s mostly smaller businesses that have software apps that are taking the time to integrate or is the the big, big companies that happen to have an app for small businesses that are leading in this or are you not noticing any difference?
(20:39) So you think this trend will continue as we go forward in the future?
(21:51) So are there other sites out there that are similar to The Small Business Web? And how is it similar or different from the partner platform sites and/or the partner programs out there?
(24:18) So what should small businesses keep in mind when looking to integrate applications? Do you have any tips or pointers?
(28:48) Where can people find out more?

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How the Movie Twilight Can Help Your Business

Small Business Trends — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:35:52 +0000

Romance is a number one selling genre for a reason - and that reason isn’t Fabio. Many of you are familiar with the Twilight phenomenon (i.e. vampire phenomenon), correct? Surprisingly, many romance writers believe its wild success was a public gut reaction to many of the tragic events over the last decade. Romance taps into human emotions and new product developer Kimber Chin, Founder of Business Romance, uses her career as a romance writer to help clients successfully launch winning products to eager new audiences.

Kimber joins host, Anita Campbell, along with co-host, Brent Leary, to explain how the movie Twilight can actually help your business. Kimber also explains why she feels that business marketers should read romance novels and how you can market stand alone products using novels as an example.

Below are the questions we asked Kimber:

(3:45) First Kimber, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(5:20) So you’re still involved in business, but you take four months out of the year to write business books, is that correct, Kimber?
(6:03) Can you tell us about these vampire heroes and what you mean about the movie Twilight helping your business?
(9:18) So it’s the kinder, gentler, vampire?
(11:04) So who actually reads romance novels? Women?
(12:07) So are alot of them stay-at-home-moms?
(12:36) The romance novels have a certain predictable format, usually with a happy ending. If they’re so predictable, why are people still reading them?
(14:10) So no matter what business you’re in, does it have a happiness guarantee? Is that what people are looking for?
(14:32) What else are readers looking for? To escape or be provided an uplifting feeling?
(19:31) It seems like romance sells because of the aesthetics and the way people look. Sometimes, business isn’t that good looking. Can we be ourselves and still “be sexy?”
(21:48) Why is the romance space so female dominated?
(24:07) Romance novels are such best sellers, so why are literary critics unenthusiastic about them?
(25:28) What are the top two or three ways that business marketers can use this information found in romance novels and how they actually create romance novels – what kinds of things can they actually pull from romance novels? Creation and how they turn out?
(27:47) Kimber, where can people find out more?

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Five Tips For Hiring A-Player Employees

Small Business Trends — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:02:58 +0000

Eric Herrenkohl, recruiting specialist and author of How to Hire A-Players, argues that hiring just one “A-Player” can save an executive’s marriage as well as add immeasurable value to his business. Given the current economic situation, he says there is no better time than the present for small business owners to build the organizations they deserve – and desire.

Eric joins host, Anita Campbell, to provide his top 5 tips and step-by-step instructions on how to find, interview, and hire the “rock star” employees that every business needs.

Below are the questions we asked Eric:

(2:01) First Eric, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(3:10) Can you tell us what an A-Player is in your estimation and how does one get to become an A-Player as an employee?
(4:17) Can you talk a little bit about the top ways that you can find and interview these “rock star” employees? How do you get them and how do you know when someone is an A-Player?
(5:27) Where do you go to find A-Players?
(6:37) You’re not saying we should pretend to have a job opening when we don’t, correct?
(7:58) If it’s not a wise idea to pretend you have a job opening when you don’t, what do you say to a candidate to explain why you’re interviewing them when you don’t have a job opening?
(9:33) What is your next tip?
(12:49) What is the A-Player profile? How do you spot an A-Player?
(14:32) What is it that puts that one candidate ahead of everyone else? How do you actually determine what those “knock out” factors are?
(19:27) Eric, how do you find an A-Player? Is there a particular background profile or set of experience that you look for to identify these A-Players?
(21:47) If you had to point out the hiring mistakes that small businesses and executives make, what would they be?
(23:05) If you had to determine what the most important questions are to ask during an interview, what would the top questions be that you recommend we ask?
(25:36) Tell us about your book, is it out?
(26:11) If you had to leave listeners with a few final points, what would they be?
(27:04) Eric, where can people find out more?

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Small Business Owners Discover App Marketing

Small Business Trends — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:49:07 +0000

Adam Boyden, President of Conduit, knows that small business owners wear many hats – one of which includes chief marketing officer. Application marketing is beginning to attract small business owners for many reasons, including affordability, ease of use, and return on investment. Small business owners are using application technology to deliver messages, content, and functionality to reach a target audience.

Early adopters stand to benefit as app marketing pays off with better customer retention, customer acquisition and brand recognition. In this episode, Adam joins host, Anita Campbell, to speak to the power of app marketing and provide you with tips on how to do so effectively in your small business.

Below are the questions we asked Adam:

(2:52) First Adam, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(4:23) What is it that Conduit does and what kind of businesses do you serve?
(6:55) What exactly is application marketing? Is it beyond what you just described?
(9:20) If you are a small business with a web site and information that readers or customers want to have available to them, how do you go about getting started with app marketing? Are there particular things you should look at or things you should stay away from? Where would you start first?
(11:06) Today, there are many do-it-yourselfers out there. That’s what Conduit helps small businesses do, correct?
(12:20) You mentioned Conduit being focused on browser apps. Do you have any plans in the future to get involved in other types of apps for mobile devices, hand held devices?
(13:31) What benefits do you get from application marketing? In terms of actual results, what benefits can a small business expect to get from application marketing?
(18:20) You’ve talked about retention, you’ve talked about acquiring new business - is it hard to figure out the magic formula for app marketing and your business? Or is just something that is discovered with very little problem?
(20:45) You raise several important points. Understanding what your customers value in the application is important. Data, measurements and usage . . . can you talk a little bit about the analytics and how it plays into app marketing?
(23:15) You also mentioned that you can go to the Conduit Marketplace and look at how other companies that have been successful with their apps are doing it. One of the best ways to figure out marketing is to find someone whose doing it well, and then deconstruct or reverse engineer what they’re doing and apply it to your own business, correct?
(24:09) I want to ask a question about Conduit’s business model, if you will. How does Conduit make money? What is your business model?
(27:43) Adam, where can people find out more?

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Build an Engaged Facebook Fan Page Base Using Multiple Channels

Small Business Trends — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:37:50 +0000

Victoria Ransom is Founder and CEO of Wildfire Interactive, a platform that enables small businesses to easily and cost-effectively manage their social media marketing needs. Victoria started Wildfire to serve her own need – she needed an affordable way to building an engaged fan base on the Facebook page of her own small business.

Seeing no other solutions on the market to easily create compelling social media campaigns, Victoria and her partner created their own. Now, 30,000 campaigns later, Wildfire has a passionate customer base. Victoria joins host, Ivana Taylor, to share some tips for building an engaged fan base of your own.

Below are the questions we asked Victoria:

(1:28) First Victoria, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(2:19) So tell me, what is Wildfire Interactive and how can it help small businesses??
(3:32) Let me see if I’m hearing you correctly. You’re saying all we have to do is go to Wildfire to develop Facebook and Twitter contests and run social media campaigns?
(5:10) Can this help me? What can I do to build my fan base and is it even worth it?
(5:42) What is a good number of fans to aim for?
(9:02) Can you talk a little bit more about contests, coupons and giveaways and how small businesses can use them or even put something like that together?
(12:05) What are some of the secrets of running a successful campaign?
(16:33) Can you tell me more about making it twice as effective?
(19:17) You’re saying that status updates are important and that we should be using our fan pages almost like a web site?
(23:31) What’s the risk versus reward of getting involved with the Facebook “Like” button?
(25:49) So there are fans of the web site that actually don’t fall within the fan page?
(26:16) Victoria, where can people find out more?

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Small Businesses Speak Out About Economy

Small Business Trends — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:42:42 +0000

Based on the findings from more than 7,000 small businesses, Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, discusses trends in the small business marketplace – particularly, how small businesses are faring in this turmoiled economy.

Gail joins host, Ivana Taylor, to give specific counsel on how to cope with a protracted economic recovery, particularly seen through the eyes of small businesses, and informs small businesses on how to make more with what they have - to navigate today’s tricky business waters.

Below are the questions we asked Gail:

(1:18) First Gail, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(2:56) You’ve recently conducted a small business survey, can you tell us a bit about that?
(3:30) Excellent, so what did you learn?
(4:24) What did you find have been the biggest challenges small business have been facing that came out in the survey?
(6:58) How are small businesses effectively reaching their audiences that you’ve learned from the survey or the work you’ve done with the extensions you’ve put out in Constant Contact regarding social media?
(9:05) Can you please say more about your acquisition of Nutshell Mail?
(10:29) You’ve talked a bit about Nutshell Mail and about coordinating social media campaigns and email campaigns. Does Constant Contact offer training, tips or advice to learn to put these things to use?
(12:04) How do I maximize my use of Constant Contact?
(13:05) Do you have any examples of how some small businesses are effectively reaching their audiences using some of the tools?
(17:21) Can you tell us a little bit about some of the ways small businesses are using Constant Contact to follow up with customers?
(19:22) What do you think are the most common mistakes that small business owners make that causes them to loose that power of email?
(24:52) Can you give us your recommendations for small businesses that want to ramp things up to integrate a direct marketing strategy in their small business?
(27:46) Gail, where can people find out more?

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Price for Profits and Growth for Your Business

Small Business Trends — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:14:12 +0000

Rafi Mohammed, Ph.D., Founder of Culture of Profit, joins host, Anita Campbell, and co-host, Ivana Taylor, to discuss ideas and concepts from his new pricing strategy book, “The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow.”

In this episode, Rafi shares pricing tips that small businesses can implement which will start reaping them new profits almost immediately and just as importantly – set a strong foundation for better pricing in your small business.

Below are the questions we asked Rafi:

(2:25) First Rafi, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(4:58) Do you see underpricing a lot in small businesses?
(6:07) Do you think pricing is more important to large businesses versus small businesses or is it the same importance - and why is it important?
(7:01) What is the difference between your two books, The Art of Pricing and The 1% Windfall?
(8:06) How should we think about our pricing strategy and where do we start?
(10:22) Where do you start with value based pricing and the value you’re providing?
(17:14) Can you tell us more about the “pick a plan” pricing strategy?
(19:54) How do you recommend that small businesses begin exploring these things? Is it a good idea to list all of the different pricing options out there and compare? How would you begin?
(21:32) So what you are saying is that you can actually increase your profits by having a variety of pricing strategies and one to suit each customer segment or want?
(22:23) How does the “back door discount” work?
(24:08) How should we start thinking about creating a comprehensive pricing strategy?
(26:41) Rafi, where can people find out more?

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Behind the Scenes at AMEX OPEN Forum

Small Business Trends — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:48:59 +0000

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Jason Rudman, Director of OPEN Forum. Jason leads the team responsible for the content strategy and development of American Express OPEN’s online community for small business owners.

Jason joins Anita Campbell and Brent Leary to share the in-depth story behind the growth of American Express OPEN Forum – from its roots an online companion to live events through its evolution into an award-winning educational and networking resource – and how customer feedback has contributed to that evolution.

Below are the questions we asked Jason:

(2:11) First Jason, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(3:38) How do you describe what OPEN Forum is all about?
(5:01) When did American Express and OPEN Forum start venturing into social media and what has that whole journey been like? Can you describe that, Jason?
(7:36) Can you describe how customers and the small business public can be involved in OPEN Forum? What are the ways you can get involved and what can you do over there?
(10:40) One of the things that has really impressed me about the OPEN Forum is how many people are writing articles over there and how many business professionals want to. Was that a big leap for American Express OPEN to open that up, or was that just a natural evolution?
(13:35) You have a great commercial platform as well. What are some of the customer success stories that you can share with the audience?
(16:54) What are some of the other goals you may have using social media to get the brand out there?
(19:16) You mentioned integration with other social media platforms. You mentioned LinkedIn. Are there other social media platforms that you’re using?
(21:07) What are some of the lessons that you’ve learned? Particularly, what is a lesson you’ve learned from a negative experience that’s helped propel where you are with OPEN Forum today?
(26:17) Is there anything that you’d like to wrap up with? Any words of wisdom that you want to leave for small businesses owners and small business leaders?
(27:35) Jason, where can people find out more?

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10 Creative Tips for Your Next Online Video

Small Business Trends — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:55:48 +0000

Ever thought about using online videos to help spread the word about your business and capture more sales - but couldn’t think of a topic, what equipment to use, or what to do with it after you shoot it? If that sounds like you, you’ll want to pay attention.

Derrick M. Guest, CEO of Griot’s Roll Film Production, shares 10 creative tips for those who don’t know what kind of video to create, what equipment to use, or how to market it after you shoot it. These tips are designed to spread the word, captivate prospects and turn them into customers.

Below are the questions we asked Derrick:

(1:26) First Derrick, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(2:16) You’re here today to share ten creative tips for your next online video. So let’s jump right in and get started. What is your first creative tip, Derrick?
(5:15) So simple and so easy, that’s a great tip. What is the next one?
(7:25) I never would’ve thought of that, that is so true. What’s the third tip, Derrick?
(9:56) These are such terrific ideas and none of them are as high tech as one might think. What’s the fourth tip?
(13:06) Excellent. How about taking us right into the fifth one?
(16:36) Let’s keep them coming, Derrick. What’s your sixth tip?
(20:00) So what is your seventh tip?
(21:58) These are great tips, Derrick, I’ve been taking notes. What is your eighth suggestion?
(23:28) Having a video testimonial really brings the point home. I want to make sure we get through all of these, what is your ninth suggestion?
(26:31) I love the fact that you’re giving all of these wonderful resources to go to. They will save us a lot of time and a lot of money. So, can you give us the last and final tip you’ve got for us?
(29:00) Derrick, where can people find out more?

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Is Congress Really Looking Out For Small Businesses?

Small Business Trends — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:08:28 +0000

Congress and policymakers tout their support of small businesses at the drop of a hat - but what about all this legislation they propose? Are they really looking out for small businesses?

Dan Danner, President and CEO of National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), joins Anita Campbell and Brent Leary to look at the issues impacting small businesses. Issues such as health care, taxes, spending issues and the outlook of small businesses on the economy. Dan provides the facts - and explains what they will mean to your small businesses.

Below are the questions we asked Dan:

(1:57) First Dan, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you came to be at the NFIB?
(2:41) Can you tell us a bit about the NFIB and what the organization is about?
(3:44) What is the typical or median size of the businesses that are members of the NFIB?
(4:39) One of the things on the minds of others is the general shape of the economy today. What would you say is the mood among small businesses when it comes to the economy?
(5:56) You mentioned historical lows. It seems optimism been historically low for what, about a year now?
(6:15) What is really happening? Are people just conserving their cash in small businesses?
(7:33) What is the status of this new health care bill? While there have been some good things, haven’t there been things that have taken people by surprise?
(9:38) What do you think is the potential to get some of these things undone in the new bill?
(10:54) I want to talk specifically about the tax credit in the new health care bill. What can you tell us about that new tax credit?
(12:34) Is there any potential to actually increase the impact of that tax credit and make it more widely available to small businesses?
(13:40) Are there other issues that NFIB members are concerned about?
(18:55) Where are we at when it comes to access of capital when it comes to small business? Where do we stand today with that?
(20:10) What are the main challenges? Is it revenue growth, finding new customers or simply just navigating new growth on the ground?
(21:11) Where are small businesses? Are they hiring at all or at they hunkered down? What’s it going to take for them to feel comfortable to move forward?
(23:09) Do you see any movement of your members turning towards technology to help them face challenges right now?
(24:26) What’s the proper role in government overall when it comes to the small business person?
(26:15) In the economic environment, are you seeing a lot more small businesses being created? What are the best ways to get a business started in this kind of an environment?
(28:05) When do you think things will turn around and really pick up steam for small businesses to feel comfortable about investing in their businesses?
(29:18) Dan, where can people find out more about the NFIB?

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The Latest Trends Driving Small Business

Small Business Trends — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:37:04 +0000

Times are changing fast – and business trends are changing even faster. Topics such as cloud computing, “green” business and mobile devices are top of mind for many small business owners and entrepreneurs. Small businesses are exploring how to take advantage of these new trends and tools and successfully incorporate them into their small businesses.

In this special episode, Anita Campbell, the host of Small Business Trends Radio, provides listeners with her top 10 list of trends driving small business, six of which she discusses in detail. To accompany this special episode, a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation was prepared titled, “2010 Small Business Trends and Opportunities.” Download the visual presentation and follow along as Anita discusses her picks for the current trends driving small business.

Below is a sampling of 6 of the trends Anita discusses:

(3:12) It’s the Cloud, Stupid - Cloud computing is a term that refers to software applications and tools that “live on the Internet” – or “in the cloud.” Google’s popular email system, Gmail, is an example of cloud computing. It’s an email application that is hosted “within the cloud.” Cloud computing is an increasingly popular form used for software applications such as accounting software, collaboration platforms, data backup services, email services and more. Cloud computing offers a reduction in complexity and can be very beneficial to your business. Speed, cost and efficiency are the true benefits. Even better – you don’t have to eat up precious memory by storing the software on your own computer.
(9:29) Do It Yourself Marketing Grows – “DIY” tools can be accessed over the web. These are tools that help you perform one or more of your marketing tasks better – by yourself. Google Adwords, Constant Contact and PRWeb are examples. DIY tools give you a lot of leverage and save you a lot of money. Anita explains, “You get a lot of capabilities from these tools that would be very expensive and would cost a lot of money to duplicate if you did this on your own.” But she warns, “You’re only as good as your knowledge of the tool. Unless you can master them, you won’t get everything out of them that you hope to. Pick and choose your tools wisely and make sure master them to get as much value as possible out of them.”
(15:18) The Color of Business is “Green” – Anita explains, “There is a very large segment of the population that is committed to sustainability and will look for that in their service providers.” However, not everyone has the same level of commitment to “green.” Keep that in mind and realize that it may not matter as much to some – as it does to others. However, Anita warns to steer clear of the practice of “green washing,” a term that relates to a business with “green” claims or techniques that really doesn’t have a strong commitment to the cause. In other words, their claims are purely for public relations purposes.
(17:36) Everyone Can Be a Celebrity – Personal branding is important today. Anita states, “With so many blogs and social media sites, everyone can have a presence online. Your name can become very well-known with enough time and enough attention.” It’s important that people recognize you. Take a lesson from some executives that use their personal brand to promote their businesses - Tony Hsieh of Zappos, Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV.
(20:55) The “Carry Your Computer” Trend – It’s no secret, computers and cell phones are getting smaller and smarter while becoming more portable. They seem to be morphing into one universal form. As Anita stated, “It may be a long time before a computer becomes as small as a cellphone, but there’s no doubt that’s the direction we’re going.” Some 80% of the population have a mobile phone – but 80% of the population does NOT have a computer. Anita suggests that you, “Install a mobile template on your website. Use the Mdot mobile domain structure for a full mobile web site and begin building a text message list because 96% of them are opened.”
(24:07) Location Based Presence Online – “There are now more and more online applications, as well as mobile applications, that tell the world where you are or provide information to you based on where you are.” Google Latitude and FourSquare are two examples. Small businesses are figuring out ways to get involved by providing loyalty rewards in the form of discounts and coupons to customers who sign up.

To see all 10 of Anita’s chosen trends driving small business, download the visual presentation titled, “2010 Small Business Trends and Opportunities.”

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How to Protect Your Online Reputation

Small Business Trends — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:00:43 +0000

Protecting your online reputation is a topic that is fast becoming of increasing importance to the business community. Michael Fertik, CEO of Reputation Defender, joins Anita Campbell and Brent Leary for an in depth discussion concerning how to protect your online reputation. Reputation Defender is a privacy and online reputation management company. In his position on the advisory board of The Internet Keepsafe Coalition (iKeepSafe), Michael is regarded as the pioneer of online reputation management and the foremost expert on issues of online privacy.

Michael authored the forthcoming book “Wild West 2.0” and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Today, he’s going to show you how to monitor what people are saying about you and your company brand, and manage your online reputation with helpful tools.

Below are the questions we asked Michael:

(2:38) First Michael, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(6:00) Can you tell us a little bit about how you find out what people are saying about you online? How do you monitor what others are saying about you?
(10:00) If I’m operating a local business without a web presence, why should I worry about what’s being said on Facebook or some other place? Or should I worry about that?
(13:44) Once I know what’s being said, what does a small business owner or entrepreneur do at that point?
(20:39) Can you give people a full list of the products and services that Reputation Defender offers?
(22:45) You mention clearing your personal information from public databases and directories. How easily does that type of personal information get into the directories?
(25:28) How quickly can you help people get out of those databases and public directories?
(26:15) On the reputation management side, what are some of the mistakes small business owners are making in terms of not fully protecting themselves or keeping tabs on what’s going on with their reputation?
(28:18) I am assuming that the proliferation of social networks and easy content creation tools have added to that?
(29:28) Michael, where can people find out more?

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Giving Referrals: A Great Way To Do Business

Small Business Trends — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:32:36 +0000

John Jantsch, Founder of Duct Tape Marketing and author of “Duct Tape Marketing – The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide,” joins Anita Campbell for an in-depth discussion to bring focus to the act of giving referrals – and the benefits it can have for your business.

To put it simply, John feels it’s a great way to do business. He feels so strongly about this, that he has written a new book on that very topic titled, “The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself,” that is set to be released on May 13th of 2010.

Below are the questions we asked John:

(1:42) First John, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you got to be running Duct Tape Marketing?
(5:19) You’ve got a new book coming out called “The Referral Engine” so can you tell us a bit about that?
(7:00) We’re here today to talk about giving referrals. Why is giving referrals important?
(12:04) You once told me you had a really interesting way of writing a book. I wonder if you can share that approach?
(15:07) What is the single greatest factor in determining how referrals are made?
(16:32) How do we actually build quality referrals that fit our own business strategy? Where is the starting point, John?
(20:10) It seems the whole world is “social media crazy” today. Can social networking online help you build referrals and if so, how?
(22:44) How else do you generate referrals? How can you actually enhance getting referrals?
(25:05) What are some tools to “activate” your network?
(29:31) Your book is coming out very soon, isn’t it?
(30:53) The book has it’s own website, right?
(31:30) So that’s ReferralEngineBook.com?
(31:34) And, of course, your main website is DucTTapeMarketing.com, correct?

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SEO Trends: What’s New, What’s Old?

Small Business Trends — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:36:25 +0000

Aaron Wall, Founder of the SEOBook Training Program For SEOs, is a very busy man these days. Aaron and his site have been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, Wired, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Business2.0, Time Magazine, The Register, MSNBC, and The Guardian to name a few. But Aaron has graciously offered a slice of his time and joined Anita Campbell and Brent Leary to share his insights into the latest trends in search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO is a dynamic field that shifts and changes endlessly. While some things remain constant, other elements of SEO change frequently at will. In this episode, we look at some of the things that are changing the landscape of the virtual world — and what you can do to get better business results within it.

Join us for a half hour packed solid with information about the latest trends in SEO.

For this very special episode, we reached out to the virtual world of Twitter to gather questions that you had for Aaron. Below are the questions you asked him:

(3:00) First Aaron, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to create SEOBook? I know you started the site as an ebook, but it’s become much, much more than that. Can you give us the background?
(7:09) Which businesses should invest in SEO? Also, are there any businesses that should not invest in it?
(9:28) Can you tell us what has changed over the past few years? What are two or three things that have changed dramatically from the time you started SEOBook?
(11:10) Blogs are like a dime-a-dozen these days, aren’t they?
(12:20) Is there any value to being on Twitter? How would you describe the value of being on Twitter when it comes to the search engines?
(15:08) The question that people are dying to know is, what are some of the things that small businesses can do and what are some of the mistakes that they are making?
(16:53) So as small business owners, we shouldn’t be afraid of paying for a premium domain? Maybe even one that’s a pre-owned domain name?
(19:05) Are there any other mistakes worthy of mentioning?
(20:31) So don’t split up your web site into different domains? One big web site is better than five itty-bitty web sites, correct?
(23:22) Where does AdWords and PPC (pay per click) fit into the mix?
(24:48) Is it more difficult today to be successful at SEO or was it more difficult when you started?
(26:38) So if you are starting from scratch and don’t have a lot of expertise in this area, should you go ahead and hire someone to assist with that?
(28:30) Google has said that site performance will become a factor in search engine ranking. How do you feel about that Aaron?
(31:13) Aaron, where can people find out more online?

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SEO Trends with Aaron Wall of SEOBook

Small Business Trends — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:30:42 +0000

Aaron Wall, the super-smart founder of the SEOBook.com training program for SEOs, joins us for a half hour packed with information about the latest trends in search engine optimization (SEO) and what they mean for your small business. Aaron has graciously offered 30 minutes of his time (he’s a very busy guy– thank you, Aaron!) to share some his insights.

SEO is a dynamic field that shifts and changes. While some things remain constant, other elements of SEO change frequently. We’re going to look specifically at some of the things that are changing the online landscape — and what you can and should do about them to get better business results.

Here are the questions that we plan to ask. What would you suggest we ask Aaron?

Question: How has SEO changed over the past few years?
Question: What businesses should invest in SEO, and what businesses shouldn’t?
Question: Can you share some of the most useful tactics for small business owners and bloggers regarding SEO?
Question: What are some of the biggest mistakes small business owners and bloggers make when it comes to SEO?
Question: Are there any new SEO tactics that small business owners should be aware of?
Question: How important is long tail SEO for small business owners and bloggers?
Question: How important are domain names in SEO?
Question: How do AdWords and SEO play off each other?
Question: What should you do in house before considering outsourcing SEO?
Question: How do you make a boring ecommerce site link worthy?
Question: How important are branding, public relations, & offline networking to SEO?

I’ve had the chance to get to know Aaron online through his members-only forums at SEOBook.com, where I am a Moderator. I’ve personally learned a lot, and made valuable connections with other smart people there. The more I learn, the more I realize how much I have yet to learn. But I’ve never regretted the amount of time I’ve invested in learning about SEO. If you run an online business, or get a significant portion of your leads and business online, you’ll be much more effective if you know more about SEO.

I’m really looking forward to sharing some of Aaron’s wisdom with you. Leave a comment below with what you’d like to know from Aaron and be sure to tune into the Small Business Trends Radio Show at 1:30 PM EST on BlogTalkRadio for Aaron’s interview.

The Future of Small Business: Legislative Outlook

Small Business Trends — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:21:25 +0000

Karen Kerrigan, CEO of the SBE Council, an advocacy and research organization dedicated to promoting small business, joins Anita Campbell for another quarterly in-depth discussion on the legislative outlook for small business.

Many small business owners are wondering whether Congress and President Obama will move forward with policies that will help small businesses grow, create jobs and compete successfully in this challenging economic environment. If you’ve asked yourself, “Is Washington listening?” Find out now as Karen sheds some light onto the matter.

Below are the questions we asked Karen:

(2:22) First Karen, can you tell us a bit about yourself and the SBE Council?
(7:08) How active are the regulatory agencies when it comes to developing regulations that affect the small business sector?
(13:57) Seven thousand dollars per employee is the cost of regulation on small businesses. Can you tell us, how was that figure arrived at?
(15:57) If you had to pick the top 5 or 6 regulatory agencies that have the biggest impact on small businesses, what would they be?
(18:33) What does the new health care bill mean to small businesses? Can you give us an overview of some of the key highlights of that bill and how it will affect small business owners?
(24:25) When does required information reporting go into effect?
(26:58) If we’re being told one thing about costs and it turns out to be another, that doesn’t bode well for trust, does it?
(31:25) What are the things that small business owners should be looking at and paying close attention to?
(34:07) Karen, where can people find out more online?

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Attach Emotion: Move From Commodity to Experience

Small Business Trends — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:44:11 +0000

Shane Ketterman asked himself, “How do you get businesses and potential entrepreneurs motivated and inspired by rethinking how business is – and how it will be in the future?” The answer to Shane’s question unveiled itself and he likes to call it “rewire.”

Shane Ketterman is the Founder of Gorilla-Force and he started his businesses based on years of experience as an IT professional and his passion for marketing, social media, and being a change agent. Shane is working on an e-book on this very topic and he has appropriately titled it “Rewire.” Shane shares his insights on how to move from commodity to experience. In other words, how to take a service or product that is viewed as a commodity – and make it an extremely valuable experience.

Below are the questions we asked Shane:

(2:36) First Shane, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
(3:39) When you were an IT professional, what did you actually do in that role?
(4:44) When did you start Gorilla Force?
(5:15) Tell us about “experience vs. commodity” and how creating an experience is different from good customer service?
(7:10) So the idea is that you’re adding value in other ways?
(11:49) Shane, how does a business go about creating an “experience” for the customer to gain a competitive advantage?
(15:11) So how do you specifically create that “wow” factor?
(17:30) How is creating this experience for the customer impacting the bottom line and customer retention for businesses?
(18:42) How important is it to incorporate an offline strategy into the experience?
(22:06) What are some of the easiest ways for businesses to include customers into the experience?
(23:53) How does a company make sure they’re on the right track when creating an experience? What are some of the biggest mistakes companies make?
(25:26) How easy is it to tweak the experience so that you’re doing the right thing but not going overboard?
(27:05) Is there any time frame that companies can use to gauge their progress on creating the customer experience?
(28:13) If we create the right kind of experience, how does that charge up the customer? Does the right experience give them enough incentive to spread word-of-mouth?
(29:45) Shane, where can people find out more online?

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How To Deal With Multiple System Chaos

Small Business Trends — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:42:51 +0000

It seems that today, small business owners and entrepreneurs are faced with a multitude of challenges, one being the fact that they have to deal with piecemeal solutions to keep their company running. Separate tools and applications for email marketing, CRM, e-commerce shopping carts, IT infrastructure, and more keep the company from economizing and growing.

Tyler Garns, VP of marketing at Infusionsoft, speaks to best practices around making your business more efficient and scalable, focusing in on the importance of implementing technology to grow through email marketing and automated outreach.

Below are the questions we asked Tyler:

(3:00) First Tyler, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and how you ended up at Infusionsoft?
(4:44) For a small business owner, what does multiple system chaos mean?
(6:26) So are you talking primarily about technology systems or does this go well beyond that?
(7:37) How do we find ourselves in this mess? Because no matter how hard you try to stay organized, the larger your business gets, any little issue seems to get magnified?
(10:18) If you had to say which systems are the most critical ones for success in a small business, which ones would they be?
(12:04) If your systems are disjointed, what does that actually mean for your business? What are the consequences for that?
(17:24) Can you tell us a little bit about the backstory about those Infusionsoft tips on growing a small business?
(20:44) Is it my imagination, or are these system chaos situations different in large businesses versus small businesses?
(22:41) It’s not easy to get systems to “talk” to one another, is it? It’s not easy to get systems to integrate. Is that what you have seen?
(24:12) What can small business owners do about this? What are their options?
(27:26) If you had to choose between writing scripts to marry together individual softwares or going with an all-in-one solution, is there an advantage to one over the other? Or do you have to look at it as a case-by-case situation?
(29:50) Here I am, as a small business owner, and I’m in the middle of multiple system chaos. Where would you say is the very first place to start to get you out of this multiple system chaos?
(32:38) Tyler, where can people find out more about Infusionsoft online?

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Customer Service: New Marketing For Small Business

Small Business Trends — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:07:43 +0000

Barry Moltz, Founder of Barry J. Moltz: Crazy About Business, Insane for Your Success joins Anita Campbell for an in-depth discussion on customer service. More specifically, customer service as a new way of marketing for small business.

Barry has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years. He has also founded an angel investor group, an angel fund, and is a former advisory member of the board of the Angel Capital Education Foundation. Barry’s third book, “BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self Service World“ talks about how customer service is the new marketing in a social media world.

Below are the questions we asked Barry:

(2:22) First Barry, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background and what kind of businesses you’ve run?
(4:02) You wrote a book titled, “BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self Service World.” Tell us, what does BAM stand for?
(5:36) Getting back to your book specifically, what drove you to write a book about customer service specifically in that way.
(7:05) Can you tell us how social media, specifically, has changed the dynamics of customer service?
(8:42) Let’s talk specifically about social media. What, specifically, are people doing with social media?
(10:21) Are you finding that people are running to social media platforms right away versus contacting the company directly first for the opportunity to address their complaint or problem?
(11:28) So why is it that many companies do not offer good customer service? Why is that?
(12:22) So one things small business owners should be doing is taking a look at what their paying their customer services representatives and giving prestige to the position?
(13:19) If a company doesn’t have much money to pay their customer service representatives, how do you respond to that?
(17:27) In the book, you say that a monopoly doesn’t have to provide customer service. Why is that?
(19;16) Can you tell us about some of the myths about customer service that company’s are still engaging in?
(20:51) “The customer is always right.” You say that is a myth. Can you explain the difference between the view that the customer is always right versus the customer is wrong?
(21:54) How do you actually fire a customer and what does that mean, to fire a customer?
(23:20) Isn’t a small businesses success really based on having a narrow enough vision that you carry it out well?
(24:29) What is your “customer manifesto” referenced in the book?
(25:38) So, a manifesto is literally a document that you can lay out and deliver to every employee within the company?
(26:39) Hi Barry, we have a caller, can you take a caller?
(26:54) As a business entrepreneur, how can I expand my business?
(2:39) What would you suggest for small business owners that they do?
(28:42) Barry, where can people find out more?

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