Startup BizCast

 Startup BizCast #82 [13:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After a bit of a long hiatus, Startup BizCast is back with episode 82!  In this show, we take the pulse of entrepreneurship.  How are things going out there?  Our guest is Chris Benjamin from Rogue CFO.  He’s a contract CFO, working with companies that need someone in that position, but perhaps not full time or long term.  In this position, he talks with many different startups and small businesses from many different industries … making him uniquely qualified to discuss entrepreneurship in this weak economy.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Rogue CFO (www.roguecfo.com)

Also — don’t forget to join the Startup BizCast Group on Facebook!

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

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Tags: small business advice, small businesses, startups

small business advice, small businesses, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 70 [15:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week, I welcome a good friend and guest from the first handful of Startup BizCast episodes.  The topic of the week is SEO for press releases.  More and more people are catching on to the fact that news releases can be used for SEO purposes, but many people don’t know how to maximize the work put into writing the releases and posting them.  Jiyan Wei is a product manager at online news release presswire PRWeb.  He was my guest back in episode #7, and now he joins me for #70.  Kind of symmetrical, don’t you think?

One more note about Jiyan — for any new listeners who found this show after hearing my presentation at the PRWeb webinar … yes, this is the same Jiyan that was the moderator

Also this week, I have listener advice submitted via the “Submit YOUR Advice” form, and business news in the BizCast Brief.

Links mentioned during this week’s episode:
ROI of Online Press Releases Executive Summary (pdf)
PRWeb (www.prweb.com)
New Influencer - Jiyan’s Personal Blog (http://www.newinfluencer.com)

Also — don’t forget to join the Startup BizCast Group on Facebook!

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 69 [14:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Despite having a bigtime name behind them, businesses like McDonalds, Hair Cuttery, and Century 21 are all small businesses.  They’re franchises, and most of the time they’re owned by someone in your area.  There are challenges inherant to marketing a franchise small business, however, not the least of which is that people don’t often view them as being home grown.  This week’s guest on Startup BizCast is Sherri Fishman from Fishman PR, a public relations firm that specializes in marketing franchisees and franchisers.  She’ll have some tips on how you can work to get publicity for your franchise small business.

NOTE: There was a bit of audio difficulty in this week’s episode.  We had trouble with the interview phone line, which led to a ticking sound while Ms. Fishman talks.  I attempted to filter it out, but it only made things worse.  My apologies for the lapse in quality!

Also this week, in the BizCast Brief … help for UK small businesses, the best places in Canada to have a small business, and things aren’t as bad as they seem economically!

A word from our sponsor:
Try GotoMeeting free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/techpodcasts!

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Fishman PR (www.fishmanpr.com)

Also — don’t forget to join the Startup BizCast Group on Facebook!

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 63 [16:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

These days, if you only use your cell phone to talk to other people, you’re considered behind the times.  Today’s cell phones email, text, surf the web, and much more.  My guest this week is Mark Asnes from Wireless Zone.  He has tips for how you can use your cell phone to make your small business life easier.

Also in this episode, an announcement about the new Startup BizCast group on Facebook!  If you haven’t joined the group, head on over and do so!

In this week’s BizCast Brief, more hurricane preparedness tips, the SBA helping Florida nonprofits, and managing telecommuting workers.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Wireless Zone (www.wirelesszone.com)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, small business news, small business podcasts, startups

entrepreneurs, small business news, small business podcasts, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 62 [18:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I love it when someone emails a friend about my business.  How would you like it if thousands of people were emailing friends about something you created?  When something on the Internet gains that kind of traction and gets spread around from friend to friend, it’s said that it’s “gone viral”.  In this episode of Startup BizCast, I visit the office of Dave Saunders, president of advertising and new media firm Madison + Main, to talk about how you can use viral marketing to benefit your small business.

In BizCast Brief:  How to prepare for a disaster such as a hurricane, and problems with small business insurance subsidies in Maryland.

Also … a big thanks!

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Steps to Protect your Assets if a Hurricane Aproaches
SBA Disaster Services (http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/index.html)
Madison + Main (http://www.madisonmain.com/)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, hurricane preparedness, small business advice, small business news, startups

entrepreneurs, hurricane preparedness, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 61 [10:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It feels good to get back into the studio chair after taking a couple of weeks off this month — one due to workload and one due to vacation.  This week we’re talking about another new media tool that you can use to promote and brand your small business.  Rich Baker, CEO of Glance Networks, joins me in Startup BizCast 61 to talk about webinars, and how you can use them to your benefit.

In this week’s BizCast Brief: Stories about improving small business owner confidence and missing planks in the U.S. Democratic Party platform.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Glance (www.glance.net)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups, webinars

entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups, webinars

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 60 [12:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a packed show!

In this week’s interview segment: What if one of your customers became the victim of identity theft … and you were the cause?  Needless to say, it wouldn’t be good for your business.  This week we’re talking about protecting the personal information of your customers.  As someone who recently had his business credit card number stolen (don’t know HOW it happened) I’m particularly sensitive these days about making sure that anything that contains my personal information is shredded properly.  My guest is Joe Roberto from Shred-Tech, a company that produces shredding and recycling systems.  He provides advice on what to shred, and how to shred it.

Also in this episode: I answer a listener question about how to blog effectively for a gas station!

ALSO in this episode: The BizCast Brief, with information on the Fortune 100 fastest growing small businesses, and predicted growth in the amount of tech spending by small businesses.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Shred-Tech (www.shred-tech.com)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, identity theft, small business advice, small business news, startups

entrepreneurs, identity theft, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 59 [13:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week we’re joined by an honest-to-goodness double agent.  It’s true.  Double Agent Derek Meister is with the Geek Squad, a service that provides technology solutions for consumers through Best Buy’s retail stores.  He joins us to talk about must-have technology for different types of small business owners.  If you’re anything like me, there are certain gadgets that you just can’t do without.

No BizCast Brief this week.  Not much going on, and this week’s interview was a rather long one, so there wasn’t time to include it.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.com)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, small business technology, startups

entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, small business technology, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast #58 [15:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m back!  After a one week hiatus, Startup BizCast returns for episode 58.  This show ran a touch long, due to having listener feedback and a longish interview.  Both were so good, however, that I just couldn’t chop any more out.  So … the show is 15 seconds longer than my self-imposed limit of 15 minutes.  I think we’ll all survive

Here’s this week’s advice topic: Cold Calling

Those are some scary words aren’t they?  As small business owners, most of us at one point or another are going to need to pick up the phone, call someone we don’t know, and ask them for their business.  It’s just a fact of life.  My guest is Sam Richter, who has written a book called Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling.  He has some outstanding tips to make sure you know about your cold calling target, so you can be relevant and know what he or she wants.

In BizCast Brief this week: Blackwater under investigation for posing as a small business … a jump in the U.S. minimum wage … and small business owner optimism could be looking up.

Also … a Listener Voicemail!

Links mentioned on this week’s episode:
Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling (www.takethecold.com)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: cold calling, entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

cold calling, entrepreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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 Startup BizCast Episode 57 [12:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On this week’s episode, we’re talking about small business owners who also happen to be stay-at-home moms. My guest and her partner call them “Mompreneurs”. These moms are running service or product businesses as a source of secondary or even primary income for their household, and they’re balancing it with taking care of the kids. Pat Cobe is the co-author of two books on the subject, and is co-founder of Mompreneursonline.com, an education and community website that provides assistance for small business moms. She joins us on this episode to provide some tips for Mompreneurs.

In this week’s BizCast Brief — the U.S. Senate votes for more money for small business programs, business owners don’t believe in the U.S. federal government, and new small business laptops from Lenovo.

One thing I didn’t mention during the show is a CONTEST for Mompreneurs. Whirlpool, the company you know as making dishwashers and such, recently announced the fourth annual Mother of Invention Grant Program. The program provides seed money and guidance to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses. For prize details and an entry form, go to the Whirlpool contest page.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:
Mompreneursonline.com (www.mompreneursonline.com)

Startup BizCast’s theme music is “Entranced” by Blake Emrys. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Startup BizCast is produced by BizPodz, the corporate podcast production service from EndGame Public Relations, LLC. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, please visit www.endgamepr.com/podcasts.

Get each episode as it’s published: RSS - iTunes - Blubrry - Podcast Alley

Tags: entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, small business advice, small business news, startups

 

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