Podcast appearances and mentions of loren feldman

This week, Gene Marks reminds us once again that AI tools by and large still aren't ready for prime time, but he does find a handful of people doing interesting things with AI—like getting a fresh take on the risks and opportunities their business is confronting. Plus: Gene and Loren Feldman discuss whether Gene is right that his business taxes will definitely go up if Kamala Harris is elected president.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman discuss the Supreme Court's decision, released on Friday, that takes authority to interpret laws passed by Congress away from federal agencies and gives it to judges. Whatever you think of the merits of the ruling, Gene points out, it creates tremendous uncertainty for businesses trying to comply with the law. For example, a new overtime rule is supposed to go into effect today. Should businesses start following it, Gene asks? Or wait to see what happens with pending litigation?

In this episode of the Small Business Mentor podcast, host Alan Pentz turns the tables and interviews the interviewer - Lauren Feldman, a long-time business journalist who has transitioned into entrepreneurship with his niche media company 21 Hats. Lauren shares his journey in the shifting media landscape, the genesis and evolution of 21 Hats, and his learnings and challenges in monetizing a targeted media property for business owners and entrepreneurs.

This week, Gene tells Loren Feldman about a little experiment he ran recently in which he boosted a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that was designed to send people interested in his book on customer relations software to a landing page on his website. X reported that the post was a big success. But was it? Gene offers a slightly profane rebuttal. Plus: He also talks about three Jeff Bezos quotes that he believes can change how you run your business, and he explains how companies can commit wage theft without even realizing it.

That, at least, is what Gene Marks is planning to do. Gene tells Loren Feldman that the new rules, which are scheduled to take effect in March, would have a profound impact on many businesses, including his—if they are actually enforced. But Gene's not convinced that's going to happen. Before you relax, though, Gene's even more worked up about the new guidelines coming from the EEOC regarding harassment in the workplace. Very few businesses, he says, are prepared for what's coming. One warning: when Gene talks about regulation, his language tends to get a little salty.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that while he's excited about all of the great stuff we will eventually be able to do with artificial intelligence, business owners should stay away from Copilot for now. As with a lot of Microsoft products, Gene says, you just don't want to be an early adopter. Plus, Gene explains his not-completely-obvious fraud-prevention strategy: Make your people take vacations.

Well, yes, actually, but Gene Marks and Loren Feldman discuss two questions: One, what exactly is driving the boom? And, two, are the startups substantial enough to matter? Or is this just about people losing their jobs and driving for Uber. Plus: what would you do if you owned fast food locations in California where the minimum wage for fast food workers will jump to $20 an hour in April. And what are business owners to make of the case the Supreme Court heard last week about the constitutionality of federal regulation?

This week, Shawn Busse and Loren Feldman talk about some big changes coming to the world of small business. At his consulting firm, Kinesis, Shawn is already beginning to experience the impact artificial intelligence is having on his industry. He knows B2B business owners who are spending a lot of time on TikTok—and they're not just watching dancing videos. And his client base has already shifted dramatically toward women-owned businesses.

This week, John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of the advocacy group Small Business Majority, tells us that he senses considerable optimism among the many business owners in his network notwithstanding some concern for looming policy and economic issues. Among those issues, John tells Loren Feldman are: access to capital, the cost of health care and health insurance, relations between franchisors and franchisees, price discrimination against smaller businesses, the burden of the new Corporate Transparency Act, and the upcoming battle over the sunsetting of the Trump tax cuts.Show Notes:You can find more information about the Corporate Transparency Act requirement here.

In this episode of Against the Sales Odds, Lance sits down with Loren Feldman, the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of 21 Hats. Loren brings us through his journey as an editor in a newspaper, magazine, and more, from his time at Inc. to his founding of 21 Hats. He enlightens us on how to have the right mindset and how to understand your audience honestly. We can see Loren's unique ideas on how to approach challenges, ask questions, and listen to and understand feedback from others. As Lance and Loren move through the episode, we see the different engagement philosophies of being proactive in business! Learn more about Loren and 21 Hats by subscribing to his newsletter at http://21hats.substack.com.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.tysongroup.com/podcast

In our last conversation of the year, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman about the nine habits that he believes have helped him build a business. Those habits include meeting regularly with his accountant, meeting regularly with his clients, and over-paying his employees. Gene saves what he considers the most important suggestion for last: Make time to enjoy your family.

This week, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday will represent hugely important shopping days for many retailers. But Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that the sales those days generate aren't necessarily as important as the data they generate -- so long as the retailers are smart enough to capture it. Gene also talks about why business owners need to understand that when they sign their tax returns, they—and not their accountants—are responsible for what the returns show. Plus: why Gene loves shrinkflation as a pricing strategy and why it's not just for those who sell food or products. It can even work for consultants like Gene.

This week, Shawn Busse tells Loren Feldman why he's long been skeptical of big data, especially the data many businesses collect from their customers. What's the alternative? Shawn suggests doing something radical and having actual conversations with your customers, especially your best customers. Shawn also talks about why it seems so many businesses are struggling even as the economy is surging, at least according to the latest GDP figures. Plus: What exactly is wrong with the titans of Silicon Valley?

When Gene Marks and I recorded this episode of Dashboard on Friday, we were pretty sure the government was going to shut down. That, of course, didn't happen so you can fast-forward through our brief remarks early in the show—or perhaps you would enjoy hearing Gene state confidently that he's known all along that a shutdown was inevitable. We also discuss what Gene's been hearing from business owners as he criss-crosses the country talking to various groups. And Gene talks about the IRS's decision to suspend the ERC program and what you should do if you fear you may have been overly aggressive in your application. Plus, he explains why he hates LinkedIn but keeps using it anyway. -- Loren Feldman

Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that by almost any measure the economy continues to perform quite well. And yet, business owners don't seem to believe it. Why is that? Gene says owners have some cause for concern. In fact, he expects a slight recession or slowdown in the next three to six months—of course he's been saying that for more than a year now. “One of these days,” he says, “I'm going to be right.” Plus: Gene highlights two significant tax credits that most business owners don't know about.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman agree that artificial intelligence is becoming the biggest story in small business, with Gene highlighting a slew of AI tools that business owners can put to use right now. Gene also issues a warning that owners who do not start paying attention are taking a much bigger risk than they may realize. Plus: Gene also talks about team-building platforms that can help owners engage their employees, especially those working some or all of the time from home.

Yes, it's August, but Tracy Bech — co-author of “60 Minute CFO” — tells Loren Feldman it's not too late to assess where your business stands and take steps to hit your numbers. Tracy also talks about what prompted her to take her own financials seriously, what owners can do if their revenue isn't meeting expectations, and why she kind of likes recessions but isn't disappointed we haven't had one.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that the Silicon Valley notion that startups are threatened with extinction is ridiculous. In fact, new business openings have been surging. The real problem in Silicon Valley is the venture-backed business model. Plus: Gene also talks about a way for small businesses to help their employees get health insurance without having to actually offer health insurance. And Gene also tells us about a lesson in regulation he learned from an eight-year-old entrepreneur.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that it's hard enough trying to run a small business in 2023, but just try running one in a blue state, where he says businesses have been subjected to a tsunami of regulation mandating things like paid time off and safe working conditions. Gene also talks about what's going to happen to all of that unused commercial office space and whether there's any reason for businesses to try out the new Twitter clone, Threads.

This week, Gene Marks gives Loren Feldman a preview of what Microsoft is cooking up with a product called Copilot that Gene expects to be released before the end of year and that he promises will “rock your world.” Like ChatGPT, Copilot will access data on the internet but it will also be incorporated into all of Microsoft's existing products so that it will also be able to access data in, say, your customer relations management software. That means you'll be able to do things like ask Copilot to identify which of your customers you're actually losing money on. For those of you already experimenting with ChatGPT, here's a pro tip from Gene. To use ChatGPT well, you need to master the art of asking it prompts. Gene suggests consulting a helpful library of prompts for small businesses compiled by GoDaddy.

This episode began from the meeting we had in Portland OR this year when I got to meet with some folks thinking about going towards an ESOP.  Former senior editor of Forbes - he created the Small Giants Franchise…he now has his own podcast called 21 Hats.  Loren is a wealth of information - all of this leads to an interesting dialogue on ESOPS.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman about what he calls the “TWATS,” which is shorthand for hybrid workers who choose to work in the office only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Gene doesn't think it's a coincidence that they've chosen to work from home on Mondays and Fridays. Plus: Gene also points to what he considers the Achilles heel of artificial intelligence and says that business owners should think twice about listening to the Supreme Court when it comes to discriminating against groups of people.

This week, Lou Mosca, who runs American Management Services, a consulting firm that helps businesses improve their performance, tells Loren Feldman why he doesn't accept excuses from his clients. Whatever the economy or the labor market throws at them, Lou says, the owners control what happens within their own four walls. We also talk about why he always comes back to encouraging his clients to get in their cars and visit customers, why he thinks your best prospects just may be former customers, what he's learned recently about digital marketing, and what every business owner should be tracking in these unusual times.

This week, Ami Kassar tells Loren Feldman that in running MultiFunding, which helps businesses figure out their finance needs, he frequently meets business owners who know what they need to do but are reluctant to take that next step. One way to build your confidence, Ami says, is to make sure you really understand what drives your business model, which may require bringing in a fresh set of eyes, perhaps from a fractional CFO. Ami also talks about the current state of lending, his concerns about where the SBA is headed, and why business owner peer groups are so valuable.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that he thinks the ban signed by Montana's governor is a political stunt that could do real damage to businesses that have come to rely on the app. And yet, there seems to be momentum for similar bans in other states and even at the federal level. Plus: how to avoid ERTC fraud, why bankruptcies are skyrocketing, and should the business community be doing more to warn against risking default?

This week, Shawn Busse and Loren Feldman talk to John Garrett about his contrarian approach to newspapers, marketing, and competition. Garrett has built a Texas-based chain of print newspapers that has managed to outcompete established news organizations and digital platforms for both community engagement and local advertising. Not surprisingly, when he first took out a $39,000 credit card loan in 2005 and started telling people that his business model would feature a monthly print publication that he would mail to everyone in his target communities for free, he didn't get a lot of congratulations. And not everything he's tried has worked. An expansion into Arizona, Tennessee, and Georgia, for example, failed early in the pandemic. But almost 20 years after its debut, a period during which most local publications have been in retreat, Community Impact is thriving. And from his seat as a publisher, Garrett offers a perspective on marketing that any business owner would be wise to consider.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that businesses should be making contingency plans in case there's a default, especially if they rely on government contracts. Be careful how you spend and how you stash your cash. Plus: Gene gloats a bit about the end of the age of the worker (and then has some second thoughts). He also says reports of the death of the metaverse are greatly exaggerated and that it wouldn't be so terrible if the government loses the ability to regulate.

This week, John Arensmeyer, CEO of the Small Business Majority advocacy group, and Loren Feldman talk about some of the most intractable problems confronting business owners. And John offers some reason for hope -- mostly, he says, because there's a growing, bipartisan effort to level the playing field for smaller businesses. The debt ceiling, of course, is another matter.

This week, Gene Marks takes Loren Feldman through a case study of how easy it is even for profitable businesses to get caught in a cash crunch. The problem, Gene explains, is that business owners often have to pay taxes on earnings that have yet to reach the owners. Where does the money go? To inventory, to capital expenditures, to accounts receivable among other places. How can owners avoid the crunch? By staying on top of their finances.

Yes, demand is tapering, and a recession is looming, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman, but this is a great economy and a great country and people should stop complaining! Plus: Gene explains how some business owners get the state to pay for their employee training, how restaurants are finally adopting technology, and how to make sure your employees aren't stealing from you. One tip: if you think an employee is stealing from you, send the employee on vacation.

Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman he's not seeing it yet, but there's reason to believe it's coming. Gene also discusses the best password managers for businesses and explains why addressing the mental health of employees is a financial issue as well as an ethical issue and offers some suggestions. Plus: he says he expects unlimited paid time off to remain a much-sought-after benefit for employees even though in many ways it favors employers.

In this episode- For over two decades, Loren Feldman has covered entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship for Inc. Magazine, Forbes, and the New York Times. Today he's taking everything he knows about the market and building the 21 Hats community for business owners…and it is IMPRESSIVE!

This week, Mel Gravely, CEO of Triversity Construction in Cincinnati, tells Loren Feldman why he still sees a recession looming—even though 2023 has been good so far, and he still has a solid backlog. He also talks about how he's addressing the industry's long-term labor issues, how Triversity lands new business, and what he's doing to prepare for that recession.

This week, Gene tells Loren Feldman why he hates the new Illinois law that requires businesses of any size to offer employees up to 5 days a year of paid time off — time that can be used for any purpose without explanation. Gene also suggests six things all owners should do if they have any thought of one day selling their businesses. And he explains his list of 10 tax-related numbers that he says every owner should know.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman discuss what it means for small businesses that some tax deductions are going away, some new regulations are arriving, and Joe Biden has released a budget proposal. Gene also counters the Bare Minimum Monday meme with a suggestion for what practitioners of Bare Minimum Mondays can do on Tuesday.

This week, Shawn Busse and Loren Feldman talk to Jeff Braverman about how he walked away from a career as an investment banker and went to work in the family's nut store, the Newark Nut Co. “My dad and my uncle told me I was nuts,” says Jeff. But with an instinct for taking risks—like acquiring the URL Nuts.com—Braverman has turned the family business into an internet juggernaut, unleashing years of explosive growth. And despite being a former investment banker, he's managed to do that without taking any outside capital. And he's far from finished. “To this day,” he says, “we're doing deep brand research: What is Nuts.com? What can it be? Can it scale? Can it transcend just the word nuts?”

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that too few business owners really know how their business is performing. He suggests three reports that they should be reviewing -- beyond their monthly financials -- if they want to get a better grip on managing their business. Plus: Gene explains how businesses can save money on energy and why everyone should hire a CRM consultant (like Gene, for example).

This week, Shawn Busse and Loren Feldman are doing something a little different. This is the first in a series of episodes we're calling Marketing Workshops. In an attempt to confront one of the biggest pain points business owners face, we're offering a series of conversations with owner-operators about their marketing experiences: what's worked and what hasn't. We're starting with Grayson Hogard, co-founder of Grove Cookie Company. For Grayson and his wife, Marie, the company is a bootstrapped side hustle, but in a very short time they've come to some very smart conclusions about their marketing that might seem counterintuitive at first. Most importantly, they've figured out that the most effective sales channel for their cookies is, of all places, LinkedIn.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman talk about why tipping is a terrible system that we probably will never change, why Gene believes giving up a real office for a virtual office didn't save him money, and what the purchase of mens underwear can tell us about the economy. Plus: Gene says there are 27 things businesses can do with ChatGPT right now—although he does offer a few caveats.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman talk about what Gen Z values in a job. The research suggests it's not the job -- it's more about people and meaning. And that's good news for smaller businesses, because those are things they can offer. But you might want to emphasize that in your job descriptions. Plus: Is this recession happening or not? And what will ChatGPT's upending of search mean for all of the businesses who've been investing in SEO? They're not going to be happy, says Gene.

This week, 21 Hats columnist and finance expert Ami Kassar assesses the state of small business lending with Loren Feldman. Among other things, they discuss why it's important to manage your EIDL loan carefully, how much of a line of credit every business should have, how to get a zero-percent-down loan from the SBA, and how much progress Ami has made toward firing himself.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman discuss an “inconvenient truth” about Salesforce CRM, which is that it's probably not right for most non-corporate businesses. Already using it? Gene explains how to assess whether it's worth making the switch to a more affordable platform. Plus: Gene thinks the Department of Labor's new worker-classification law will be a disaster but suggests some fixes. Gene also has some thoughts about ChatGPT: real potential, not there yet.

John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business Majority, an advocacy group for entrepreneurs and businesses, talks to Loren Feldman about how businesses are faring, what issues they are most concerned about, and where his organization is focusing its energy. Among other things, they discuss access to capital, the need for immigration reform, who benefits from non-compete agreements, California's experiment in fast food regulation, and the Labor Department's approach to independent contractors.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that the politicians behind Secure 2.0 are smarter than you think. The omnibus spending bill that recently became law includes a slew of changes to the rules that govern retirement benefits. The changes are designed to encourage both employees and owners to sock away more money, and they include a $1,000 tax credit per employee for owners who match employee savings. Plus: are non-compete clauses of any value to small businesses? And the IRS blinks on its requirement that third-party payment platforms issue 1099-K forms.

In our last episode of the year, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman he actually thinks business owners will like the new law in California that will create councils to regulate the fast food industry. In fact, Gene thinks there's a chance it will succeed and spread to other regions and other industries. He also explains why he thinks businesses should be on Yelp, why he's still excited about what Elon Musk is doing with Twitter, and why he thinks interest rates will be the small business story of 2023.

This week, Gene Marks and Loren Feldman talk about how charging by the hour actually punishes you for being good at your job—but there's a good reason Gene does it anyway. Plus: Gene also discusses his one concern about hiring ex-offenders and issues a warning to business owners about their remote employees. Gene thinks they're probably stealing from you.

Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that he's concerned that not enough business owners are thinking about the future and preparing for succession. Which leads to an obvious question: Does Gene have a succession plan? Hmmm. Plus: Gene has some suggestions for how businesses can better manage their relationships with vendors and suppliers. And what lessons should we take from the rampant fraud being revealed in the PPP program?

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that he's had it with “quiet quitting,” side hustles, and employees who won't go the extra mile. It's time, he says, for them to get to work. And if they don't? Gene says they're going to be looking for work, and it could happen much sooner than they realize. On a related note, Gene is also very excited about the “hardcore” changes Elon Musk is bringing to Twitter. We'll see how that works out!

You want to negotiate with Blue Cross every year? Go ahead. Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman he's found an alternative that he believes allows him to take care of his employees without the hassle of actually buying health insurance. Plus: Why Gene doesn't discount his services for nonprofits and what he thinks is the most important takeaway for business owners from last week's midterm elections.

This week, Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that there are still lots of ways to save on taxes this year, but he also issues a warning: It's a mistake for owners to just take their financials to the same CPA every year and assume he or she knows everything. Every few years, Gene says, you should take your returns to a different accountant and see if fresh eyes spot alternative tax opportunities for you to consider. Plus: Why Gene thinks you should ignore those third-quarter GDP numbers, and why he says there are times when owners should fight back rather than accept a bad online review.