Podcasts about small biz owners

Thanks to PodMatch for connecting the Alex Garrett Podcast Network with Chris Lautenslager. Chris and I follow up as we discuss  the vital role small businesses play in our community and our economy. Chris also discusses the upcoming golf outing featuring other small business owners, as well as how the 2024 Presidential Election will affect Small Business Owners.More on Get-Looped here: https://get-looped.com/Get-Looped Golf Outing: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-looped-into-our-upcoming-golfing-event-tickets-876624245717

Thanks to PodMatch for connecting the Alex Garrett Podcast Network with Chris Lautenslager. Chris and I follow up as we discuss  the vital role small businesses play in our community and our economy. Chris also discusses the upcoming golf outing featuring other small business owners, as well as how the 2024 Presidential Election will affect Small Business Owners.More on Get-Looped here: https://get-looped.com/Get-Looped Golf Outing: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/get-looped-into-our-upcoming-golfing-event-tickets-876624245717

Every now and then I meet someone and as we start talking we keep saying:  I can relate. Oh my gosh, YES! Same, here. That's exactly what happened when I... The post #329: Two Small Biz Owners Chatting about Identity, Change, and Expansion appeared first on Get Lively®: Health & Fitness.

I had a fascinating chat with accessibility advisor Maxwell Ivey. You likely know him as The Blind Blogger, a serial entrepreneur making waves in online business for over 15 years. In this interview, Maxwell shares tangible tips for how small business owners can tap into the power of accessibility and inclusion to grow their customer base. Here's what you'll learn: Why designing for accessibility benefits ALL users, not just those with disabilities How to leverage a huge, dedicated market of disability consumers Simple ways to implement accessibility on digital platforms An overview of common adaptive technologies and how to optimize for them A free offer to review your website homepage and provide feedback! Maxwell brings a rare empathetic voice to the accessibility conversation. He focuses on progress over perfection, meeting you where you are with sincere support. I loved his perspective on moving the needle through communication over compliance. So if you're a small business owner looking to expand your reach in an authentic way - have a listen!   #AccessibleBusinessGrowth #InclusiveEntrepreneurship #DisabilityInclusion #AccessibilityAdvantage #SmallBusinessAccessibility #InclusiveBusinessPractices #AccessibleOnlineContent #DisabilityAwareness #BusinessInclusion #AccessibleMarketingStrategy  Key Moments 00:00:03 - Introduction to Maxwell Ivey   00:02:01 - Becoming the Blind Blogger and Accessibility Expert   00:04:47 - Why Accessibility Matters   00:07:39 - Educating Business Owners on Accessibility   00:10:24 - Tips for Implementing Accessibility   00:15:43 - Building an Inclusive Team   00:16:28 - Approach to Accessibility   00:20:00 - Collaboration and Honesty   00:23:06 - Understanding Adaptive Technology   00:29:02 - Automation and Accessibility   00:32:13 - Accessibility and Technology   00:33:31 - Legal Framework and Compliance   00:35:39 - Free Website Review Offer   00:37:54 - Impact of Accessibility   00:40:03 - Tips for Alt Text and Audio Descriptions Support the Show.Resources: https://affordablebookkeepingandpayroll.com/resource-opt-in Become a supported of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1522381/support

I am so, so thankful to today's guest for completely letting me go off the rails and run wild with our conversation. Something you may not know about many interview-style podcasts is as hosts, we try to prep our guests with a list of questions they can expect during the interview. For whatever reason, I threw many of the pre-determined questions for this episode right out the window, and Julie Sellers was totally game. Often times, following your intuition and excitement yields the best results, and my conversation with Julie was no exception! Julie is the CEO of a small business advisory firm called Ellevated Outcomes, where she and her team teach and develop customized business strategy for creative entrepreneurs. They offer two paths to clarity & confidence for creative entrepreneurs who have found success in their unique skills, passion, and intuition, and who now seek a sustainable business and a balanced life. Julie was so genuine and thoughtful in her responses to my questions, (and follow up questions). If she could shout one message from the rooftops, I think it would be this: “CEO” isn't a big scary commitment, it's a mindset that can help you reach your goals, however you define them! I cannot wait for you to give our fascinating conversation a listen.MAKING GOOD SHOWNOTES:https://makinggoodpodcast.com/233CONNECT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM:https://instagram.com/laurentildenGET 100 MARKETING PROMPTS (free!):https://makinggoodpodcast.com/100promptsStuck on what to say in our marketing? Download this free resource of 100 marketing prompts: https://makinggoodpodcast.com/100prompts.

It's Tuesday and we're talking about customer loyalty coming back according to a new market study. We're also covering a Toyota engine that actually captures carbon, as well as the resilience of Small Business Owner Optimism. Owner loyalty is making a comeback as General Motors and Tesla lead the pack in S&P Global Mobility's 28th Annual Automotive Loyalty Awards, with GM capturing the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer award and Tesla shining in Overall Loyalty to Make.Tesla also walked away with awards for: Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make, Highest Conquest Percentage, Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to MakeThe Ford F-Series* took the top spot for light duty trucks, while the GMC Sierra 2500/3500 topped the heavy duty truck segmentAfter several years of steep declines, S&P's analysis of over 12.6 million new vehicle registrations signals a rise as loyalty levels have stabilized and are on the rise for the first time since 2019, as manufacturers enhance retention strategies and inventory levels improve.The Lincoln Nautilus is claiming the spotlight in the newly established Overall Loyalty to Model category, highlighting its appeal to loyal customers.S&P Global Mobility president of automotive insights Joe LaFeir said in a news release, “The past few years have shown us customers are becoming more comfortable to consider and purchase a new vehicle outside their preferred brand,” but continued that OEMs focused efforts are being effective to combat the trendToyota has been working on an engine that's actually carbon negative, introducing a groundbreaking carbon capture technology that cleans the air as you drive.Toyota is pioneering carbon capture engine technology in the GR Corolla race car, potentially making engines carbon neutral or even carbon negative.This cutting-edge hydrogen powered combustion engine actually captures carbon dioxide directly from the air through a special filter without requiring additional energyDespite the hurdles in commercialization and the technology currently removing only small amounts of CO2, but it's a great startWhen it comes to optimism about the economy, small business owners are leading the way, showing resilience in the face of inflation concerns, according to the latest CNBC SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index.Small business owners are remaining upbeat about the economic outlook, with the CNBC SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index reaching its highest level since President Biden took office.Despite ongoing inflation worries, 35% express confidence in the Federal Reserve's ability to manage inflation, and 29% believe inflation has peaked.The survey reveals a 5% increase from last quarter in those rating the economy as "excellent" or "good," signaling a robust 18% year-over-year improvement in economic optimism.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email ASOTU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/automotivestateoftheunion

Today we're talking about the clever work from Denise Duffield-Thomas. If you're struggling with slower sales at the moment, try this affirmation.  LINKS See more from Denise Duffield-Thomas here. Follow @novapodcastsofficial on Instagram    CREDITS Host: Casey Donovan @caseydonovan88 Writer: Amy Molloy @amymolloy Executive Producer: Anna HenvestEditor: Adrian Walton  Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.au   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All signs point to a relatively solid holiday season for America's small businesses. Yet, owners of these businesses appear to have a collective anxiety about the months ahead. They have their customers to thank on both counts. Americans kept up their spending over the summer, witnessing the government's estimate that the economy grew by 4.9% in the third quarter. Yet even as they open their wallets, consumers seem pessimistic about their finances. A recent AP-NORC (Associated Press-National Opinion Research Center) poll found that many Americans are concerned about their financial future. In turn, after two years of a COVID-fueled sales boost, owners fear consumers have run through their pandemic savings and might cut back this holiday season or shop online again after getting out and supporting local businesses. Inflation is still a concern and interest rates are higher. And there's no predicting the weather. “When we talk to retailers there's a lot of uncertainty,” said Max Rhodes, CEO of Faire, an online wholesale marketplace many small retailers use to buy inventory. “The combination of higher inflation and rising interest rates are making consumers nervous which in turn makes retailers nervous. It continues to be a weird economy. The data looks good, but nobody feels good about it.” Rhodes said his customers started to search for “Christmas” items starting in mid-August, compared with mid-September last year. Buying early can relieve the stress of supply-chain bottlenecks and gives owners a chance to restock if something sells out early in the season. For many retailers, the holidays can account for more than half their annual sales. Holiday retail sales are expected to increase between 3% and 4% in 2023, according to trade group the National Retail Federation. But the total value of those sales will grow more slowly because inflation has moderated. In 2022, sales jumped 5.3%, according to the NRF. Early indications are that sales have kept pace with prior holiday seasons, with consumers making purchases that help them temporarily put aside their financial concerns. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Watch the #1 PR Secrets Masterclass to get you featured for free in 30 daysJoin the Small Biz PR Facebook Group to get the best PR TipsDownload the 10 ways to get free PR for your small businessDo you ever wonder how you can get your business featured in a gift guide or product guide?My guest in this episode, Margaux Lushing, is joining me to share her expertise and answer all of your questions about it!Margaux Lushing is a freelance writer and travel startup founder who lives and breathes wellness, and has written product roundups (including gift guides, best-of lists), for Forbes.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Refinery 29, ArchitecturalDigest.com, House Beautiful, Brides.com, Well + Good, RobbReport.com, 7x7, and others. Margaux also founded the Well + Away VitalGuides, the first healthy city guidebook series, for which she has won awards in Sunset and Departures magazines. Through her work with Well + Away, Margaux has designed wellness programs for luxury hotels including Four Seasons and Viceroy, as well as Soho House San Francisco.We are digging into what founders need to know about pitching products, what the ideal timeline is for pitching, pitching do's and don'ts and so much more.If you want to get the scoop on what it really takes to get into a gift guide for any given holiday throughout the year, tune in to this episode!I would love to connect on Facebook or Instagram! You can find me @gloriachoupr.Resources Mentioned:Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou Join Gloria Chou's PR Community- https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass. Additional Resources:Get the PR Starter PackLet's connect on Instagram

The NFIB's Holly Wade explains what Congress needs to do (or stop doing) to assist small business owners in Omaha and across the country.

Ep #505 Of The Clay Edwards Show On 103.9 WYAB (05/04/23) 1. Lakeland Glass & Tint owner Jason Anderson joins the show for a segment and discusses the struggles with finding people who want to work, or even show up for their interviews. Check out my website & all of my social channels by clicking my link tree at www.solo.to/clayedwards

Financial Independence: A Better Perspective is a new podcast hosted by Lance Edwards, bestselling author of "How To Make Big Money in Small Apartments," and Randy Luebke, Founder of Lifetime Paradigm, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping clients to and through their retirement by fixing broken retirement plans, putting them back on track and making up for both lost time and insufficient savings. In this episode, Lance and Randy talk about a perfect topic for a new year – mindset and what it takes to overcome doubts and procrastination and get started on achieving your long-range goals.   Brief overview of this episode:   Your number one asset is your ability to earn an income. But what if life throws a curve ball at you that prevents you from working? What is your safety net? This episode illuminates why "safety nets" and "off-ramps" are imperative to the small entrepreneur. Lance and Randy explain how to forecast these and build them into your retirement plan, even if you are nearing retirement. While the episode focuses on the needs of entrepreneurs, it is also very relevant to W9 employees.   Highlights from the interview:   00:51 Lance paints the predicament of a person ten years away from retirement without a solid retirement plan.   02:48 Randy introduces concepts of "Safety Nets" and "Off-Ramps."   03:40 Randy explains how to insure your income if you can no longer work.   06:35 Randy defines "off-ramps" and suggests how to plan for them in advance.   09:00 Lance asks Randy for clarification of the finer points of off-ramps.   10:18 They discuss the merits of buying investments like real estate.   10:45 Lance describes the dangers and limitations of "the addiction to the cash flow" and the benefits of having a "sellable asset."   14:50 Lance depicts how buying apartments is a robust catch-up plan for both a "safety net" and an "off-ramp." He expounds that you can do this without your own money.   17:00 Randy provides two recommendations to the question, "What is your best investment?"   18:08 Lance explains that the three available roles for people wanting to invest in small apartments are based on the "ROI vs. time" consideration.   21:10 Randy summarizes the options for "safety nets" and "off-ramps."   22:00 Lance expands on his summary of these concepts.   Resources:   ●     Buy Lance's upcoming book (launching on Amazon on March 1st), "Apartment Alchemy: 50 Ways Small Apartment Owners Can Boost Their Cash Flow and Wealth." 200% of the proceeds of this book are going to the Intrepid Hero's Fund when you purchase on Launch Day, Mar 1st. ●     Go to www.FallenHeroesFund.org to learn about this fantastic charity. ●     Explore www.LanceEdwards.com to learn more about Lance's training and real estate investment opportunities. ●     Sign up for Randy's newsletter at www.LifetimeParadigm.com and learn about Randy's services and get his FREE “Financial Independence Toolkit” at www.LifetimeParadigm.com/toolkit ●     If you want to learn how to earn a high return on real estate investments, go to www.FreeApartmentsBook.com to receive a FREE copy of Lance's best-selling book, “How to Make Big Money in Small Apartments.”

Hiring can be intimidating, even if it is just hiring a contractor like a virtual assistant! It is work to get that process going -- you have to find the right fit, onboard them into your business, etc. and if you are already in a place where you feel like you need help in your business, it could feel like just another task that you need to complete. However, having a virtual assistant can dramatically change the way your business runs so it might be worth it for you to consider!In this episode, we are going to chat about 5 signs that you might be ready to hire a virtual assistant and what steps you can take to start the process! | LINKS |❊ This week's blog post: www.yourbtsbff.com/blog/areyoureadytohireava❊ Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourbehindthescenesbff❊ Learn about our VA and OBM services: www.yourbtsbff.com/workwithus❊ The BTS BFF Launch Your VA Business course: www.yourbtsbff.com/course

Scoot talks to WWL listeners about whether or not businesses built to serve the public should be able to refuse serving certain parts of the public that they dont like

In this episode, Brian introduces a brand new segment to the Small Business Edge podcast. It's called “Big Business Advice for Small Business Owners.” His guest for the first episode is Kara Hoogensen, SVP of Specialty Benefits at the Principal Financial Group. She shares a wealth of great information and stories to help business owners navigate the insurance maze and how to provide benefits that will help them hire and retain the best employees.

It's summer, and that means craft fair season is well underway. Whether you're a seasoned market veteran or about to put up shop for the first time, one thing is for certain: Accidents will happen. In this week's sponsored episode, Phoebe is joined by JoAnne Hammer of ACT Insurance for a breakdown of why all participating vendors should invest in insurance coverage in order to protect their business from a number of challenging scenarios. Tune in for the ins-and-outs of ACT's policies and learn how to customize a policy to your unique situation. Noteworthy quotes:[28:09] Regardless of how careful we are—accidents happen. Insurance is key to help build your business and protect it.  Show Notes Join the Clique Membership

Babba Rivera, Founder & CEO of Ceremonia, is a hustler who tells it like it is. Being born in Chile and growing up in Sweden, Babba often felt like an outsider, but today, she credits that upbringing with giving her the tools she needed to become successful. Aspiring entrepreneurs and Small Biz Owners, take notes on this one! In this episode, we cover Babba's incredible brand marketing career journey at Uber, which led to a role with another well-known DTC brand. A few months in, she decided to quit this steady job despite being on a work visa and without having much savings, in order to launch her own marketing agency. When the pandemic created challenges for many of her agency's clients, she got the push she needed to launch an innovative, clean hair care brand rooted in Latina heritage, and to be the founder that other Latina girls & women could look up to.  In addition to her career journey, you'll hear about Babba's thoughts on “having it all, but not having it all at once,” the shame and double standards she faced as a new mama while her business was still early stage, and how her white husband opened her eyes to perspectives she never even thought of as a minority woman. We'll also hear from LIVELY ambassador DeAna Fierce, who teaches women how to build sustainable confidence in their lives so they can show up more confident & authentic on and offline.  Babba's LIVELY Spotlight: Ami Colé Michelle's LIVELY Spotlight: Dana's Bakery You can follow Babba on Instagram @Babba and @MyCeremonia The LIVELY Podcast is hosted by its CEO & Founder Michelle Cordeiro Grant. Produced by Ali Alquiza and edited by Amanda Kay Wang Special thanks to our LIVELY team. If you liked this episode, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to tell a friend about it! We love this community and want to make sure we reach as many friends as possible :)  For the up-to-the-minute scoop, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @wearlively Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking to People is a trend with this episode as John Briggs of Incite Tax & Accounting chats with David Strausser of Shark Bite Biz. Learn about delegating stuff that may not be your specialty as a business owner and just having open conversations. Check out John Briggs Incite Tax & Accounting here: http://incitetax.com Get Dead House Coffee to support our podcast by using code SHARK for 20% off here: https://bit.ly/3tjRbD8 Watch us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/SharkBiteBiz Make sure you visit David's article on Forbes.com: https://bit.ly/StrausserForbes Visit our NEW Merch store: https://store.sharkbitebiz.com  Join our Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/SharkBiteBiz/ Donate to our Patreon to SUPPORT this channel and get some BENEFITS and PERKS: http://patreon.com/sharkbitebiz Subscribe to the audio podcast on: http://www.SharkBiteBiz.com Find out more about the host, David Strausser: http://www.davidstrausser.com Follow David Strausser on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dstrausser83/ Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharkBiteBiz Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SharkBiteBiz Listen on Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shark-bite-biz/id1522304651 Listen on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2hhcmtiaXRlYml6LmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CZh0QdNr5Nn8CD8kInMAJ Listen on Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/shark-bite-biz/  Listen on Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shark-bite-biz Listen on iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shark-bite-biz-68819872/ Intro music courtesy of Stationary Giant: https://instagram.com/stationarygiant?igshid=1mf4umgejvpgi Connect with David Strausser on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/DavidStrausser Produced by: Francisco Strausser: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82qlvfm4mXg3C3AzqPHthw Visit David Strausser @ Vision33: http://vision33.com 

In this episode, Veronica shares 3 online courses that change the way Pod Sound School does business and have allowed us to start making a profit.The 3 Courses she talks about are from these amazing creators:https://www.instagram.com/thisisvirginiakerr/https://www.instagram.com/vanessalau.co/https://www.instagram.com/amyporterfield/Share this episode with a fellow podcaster, content creator, or podcaster. The more we share our stories the more we'll find support and clear the path for what's next.Sound design and editing were done by our talented editor Daniel Quintero.https://dzquintero.com/Say hi on Social

Today we learn a lesson or two from a record-breaking Swedish speedskater. We also talk about new privacy initiatives from Google and how they might affect advertising efforts, as well as why a Georgia Auto Dealer has a showroom packed with small business owners.“The Great Resignation” on Women Inspiring Auto in ClubhouseStop being so complicated. This gold medal speed skater from Sweden released a 65 page training manual that teaches that the simplest insights likely deliver the highest ROI“After recently dominating the 5,000 event -- and breaking a world record in the 10,000 meters -- van der Poel released his 62-page training program. Not just training splits, intervals, exercises, etc., but also his philosophy on training and success. “Larry Feldman a recruiter in Automotive recently won Pitch TankOld school simplicity, unusually great resultsHe responds fast, he always answers his phone, he is disarmingly honestAndroid users getting more privacyBeaver Toyota having 400 small business leaders in its showroom last nightMeta employees now called ‘Metamates'Listen to other episodes: https://www.asotu.com/media/podcastsSign up for our Daily Push Back email at ASOTU.com

Today at SmallBiz.CommunityPodcastShow.com, you will meet Christine of Looking Glass Adventures. This is the premier escape room in Toronto. She was one of my very first guests in 2018, before everything changed. Now we reconnect to discuss how things have changed, the ups and downs and how she has handled the challenges of keeping her business going and many local residents employed.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/torontorealestate/message

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  Welcome Back! I'm going to share with you my deeply thought out and over time values..  one to give you permission to adopt them as yours if you align and two to use them as starting points to figure out what yours are in the world. Relationships: People Matter – I matter, my people […]

How do you know who and why to collab with...? Clients are always asking me how to connect with other businesses to work together to help grow one another's businesses through referrals. Well, here's a little business motivation along with my own personal business values. I hope this helps to grow your biz! Please enjoy. xox Join us in the MOM FLAILS CLUB Facebook Group www.momflails.com.  Want to share your voice and start a podcast? Now you can for only $27! Head to www.cleverfoxpodcaststudio.com for your kit to go live in 7 days today. 

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Hey my friends! I’m Hayley Hobson and I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to the Whole You Podcast where I share tips to help women like you implement healthy hacks and habits so you can eat smarter, rest better, and get it ALL done.    Today is a super special episode.   It’s allll about that small biz owner life!   In my recent Your Whole Biz student group, I asked what the biggest challenges were for them in running their biz right now.   There were 3 biggies that popped out…   And they were pretty common across a variety of industries.   So you know they’re important -- and REAL!   If you’ve got a small biz, you’re gonna want to listen up…    ...because you might just hear yourself in today’s deep dive.   I’m gonna tell ya how to overcome the top 3 challenges of:   Lack of confidence (especially on social media)... Dealing with negativity…about your product, your service, your biz… And time-management… which is my personal fav topic to dig into. The angle we’ll be taking today is about setting expectations for mastering aspects of your biz. Because I see a lot of you out there feeling left behind… like you’re not doing well fast enough.   There’s a lot to unpack here, so I wanna jump right in.   But here’s a quick note on this.   I mentioned that these topics came from my students in the Your Whole Biz course…   And me dropping that little nugget may have thrown you, so I wanna quickly explain what I’m talking about.   Your Whole Biz is my professional business training course that helps small biz owners create a digital extension of their business.   And it literally DOES NOT matter what industry your business is in.   There’s always a digital aspect you could be adding… so you have more freedom, prosperity, and you build a biz that isn’t 100% dependent upon you and your capacity to run it.   Along with the training course comes a private membership group where I host around  24-25 coaching and implementation calls a year.   Yep, you heard that right!   Coaching entrepreneurs to grow and scale their biz online is totally my jam.    Initially I committed to do just 9 calls, but I discovered I love it so much that I’ve added more to my schedule.   The link to check out the course is https://www.hayleyhobson.com/yourwholebiz.   Ok, so in one of our most recent coaching calls for Your Whole Biz, these three big challenges were repeated over and over again.   Showing up confidently on social media…   Dealing with naysayers and negativity online…   And feeling like you’re constantly behind...    ...Whether that's due to your expectations of where you’re SUPPOSED to be… or if you actually need some time-management help.   So let’s dive right in.   So number 1… Confidence.   Let’s start by releasing the pressure… the pressure you put on YOURSELF.   Because -- spoiler alert -- you don’t have to be perfect!   You just have to show up. Consistently.   I’m all about authentic connections online…   So let me ask… are you authentically perfect?   Unless you’re Keanu Reeves, the answer is probably no.   There IS a reason he’s the internet’s boyfriend, after all. LOL   So here’s a little exercise for you to think about… and I find it works for a variety of situations, including public speaking.   Put yourself in the shoes of your audience.   When you’re scrolling through social, are you picking apart someone’s posts? Critiquing what they look like or if they seem nervous?   Are you actively thinking, “Oh she looks nervous… I would NEVER want to work with someone who is imperfect!”   Yeah… no. Unlikely, right? LOL   Or are you scrolling through until something makes you stop?    And when you do… what was it that made you stop and engage?    How much time do you actually spend evaluating other people’s content?    I bet what you’ll find is that you DON’T critique every single post you see on social.   And the ones that do catch your eye, you generally have a positive reaction to.   Unless you’re a troll, in which case… don’t be that person.   It’s not a good look and it’s super bad karma.   What I highly recommend you do is spend a little time documenting your own social media habits, including the kind of content that catches your attention.   Not only will this help you come up with ideas of things you can do for your own brand, but it’ll open your eyes to how the rest of your community likely sees you.   I know this is a hard one to get over, but next time you get in your head about showing up online… think back to this and hopefully you’ll feel a little more assured to JUST DO IT.   No one is beating you up in their heads as much as you are, I promise.   Now in terms of confidently putting yourself out there, my hot take on this is to use your strengths.   For example, maybe you’re a strong writer but super uncomfortable on camera.   There’s no hard and fast rule that says you HAVE to be going Live or recording videos every single day.   If you rock at long-form content, use your blog as your primary content driver. And pull out little pieces to use for social.   Or maybe you start a Clubhouse room or a podcast, if you’re great at talking passionately about a topic... but writing’s not your thing.   Platforms that are audio-only are great for talkers who aren’t into video.   And here’s an idea… if you DO want to stretch a little outside of your comfort zone and get into video content, then think of it as PRACTICE.   You could start by using Stories.    They go away in 24 hours anyway, so it’s a great place to practice without the risk of returning to cringe-worthy content.   One more pro tip on this confidence topic to hopefully alleviate some stress about WHAT to post.   Because I see people get in their heads about “OMG what do I even talk about? What do I have to say that anyone would even care about?”   That’s a lack of confidence pretending to be a content problem.   So think bite-sized.   Social media doesn’t have to be this daunting thing.    You can use other people’s content so long as it applies to your brand.    Quotes are popular.    Memes and gifs? Hugely viral.    In addition to pulling bits of content from your longer-form sources, you can share little bits of your life as it relates to your brand and your biz…   ...like something funny your kid said or a simple recipe using your products. Or a short tutorial!    You don’t even have to show your face if you don’t wanna! LOL   If you really wanna use social to grow your biz, you’ve gotta recognize that you DO have value.   And that there are people out there who WANT to engage with you.   You don’t have to be for everyone.   In fact, you really shouldn’t try to be.   Focus in on your niche… meaning who you can serve with excellence… and try talking to that community as if it were an actual person you’re chatting with online.   You know them… like them… and are super pumped to help them.   I’ll recap these confidence tips real quick before we move on to Challenge #2.   I know I dropped a lot on ya here, so I’ll run it down again briefly.   So to become more confident on social… and STOP hiding behind your product or service…   The first thing to do is to pay attention to how you personally consume social media.    You probably don’t nitpick or hate on other people’s content, so it’s highly unlikely people will choose to spend their time doing that to you regularly.   Remembering this fact should help get you out of your head…   ...and have you putting on your brave girl pants to show up for your community.   The second tip is to utilize your strengths.    If you’re a strong writer, focus on long form content (like a blog) that gets repurposed on social.    If you’re comfortable on camera, use that format often. Make it fun and appealing to your community.   If you’re rather talk and not be seen, choose a platform like Clubhouse as one of your main social channels and repurpose that material across your other ones.   So for example, I’ll share my Clubhouse rooms on Instagram to get people to join me over there.    And, I’ll take what I talked about on Clubhouse that day and create a post or a Story recapping what I covered.   And the final hack to feel more confident on social is to think bite-sized.    I already mentioned repurposing content, so when I say bite-sized, I mean short and specific.    You can also utilize other people’s content (like a gif, meme, or quote) so long as it relates to your brand and appeals to your community.    Ok… that’s the lack of confidence challenge being checked off the list.   On to Challenge #2: Negativity.   Ohhhhh the haters.   Here’s what I’ll tell ya…   Those keyboard warriors have been around since AOL was the internet.   Like… the WHOLE internet, LOL.   So the fact that decades later there are still a bunch of negative nellies online shouldn’t phase ya.   But… there are some best practices for managing the negativity in your social space.   The first step is to separate the legit complaints or requests from help from the negative feedback from the trolls.   Let’s start with legit issues. These could be genuine complaints from an unhappy customer.   Maybe a damaged product, bad customer service, or incorrect orders.   You should 100% respond to these kinds of comments.   The best way to do it is to acknowledge they’re experiencing a problem and that you want to resolve it.   Tell them to direct message you so you can help them personally.   Here’s why this is important.   Your community is watching.   They want to see that you take this feedback seriously and are service-oriented.   It shows that you care.   Once you have that person in your DMs, seek to resolve the issue to their satisfaction as quickly and thoroughly as possible.   9 times out of 10 the person complaining is actually a good customer…    ...it’s rare that you get someone super shady who takes the time and effort to complain online and DM you about it.    Oh, and if you aren’t actively monitoring your comments? You completely should.   If you don’t, it’s like staring blankly ahead while someone tries to talk to you.   It’s super rude and makes you look out of touch online.    And in this day and age, people aren’t really willing to put up with that kinda shiz, right?   Now the second kind of comment you may get is a question.   When will something be back in stock?   Why did you stop producing… whatever product they’re looking for.   How do I return this item?   People don’t really separate social media from the brand.   Meaning, in many companies, they don’t think about the fact that there’s probably an entire social media team that’s completely separate from the customer service team.   So it’s your job to wear multiple hats for the people on social.   So let’s go back to those negative comments…   Once you get them into your DMs, you’ll want to dive more deeply into resolving their question or putting them on the right path for a solution.   One more little personal take on this…   People HATE being passed around.   It’s really frustrating to someone who is already frustrated.   So instead of telling them they have to fill out this big long form online, see if there are ways to speed-up the process on YOUR side.   Like asking for the email address associated with the order… then YOU look it up and verify the order info.    Don’t make them spend their time digging for receipts or invoices. It just causes more irritation, which reflects badly on your brand…    Now, taking this extra step is a tiny bit more work on your side, but it makes a huge difference in how people relate to your brand.   When companies make people jump through hoops, it shows they’re not really current on what people expect.   I mean, look at Starbucks.   A-level customer service.    They make it crazy easy to resolve your issues when you reach out to them.    If responding to feedback and DMs starts becoming too much work for you…    ….and the nature of the inquiries are things that would help everyone…   ...consider updating your website or social page with frequently asked questions.   Like, if your return policy isn’t clear and that’s what most people are asking about, update this on your website.    If you offer shipping, and people keep asking you about that, make sure it’s front and center online.   Most people search for info on their own before they reach out on social.    So help them help YOU by proactively giving info so they can self-serve their way out of a potential negative comment or post.   Now, let’s talk about the TROLLS.   We’ve allllll seen them.   Go to any news article online and there they are.   Breeding and feeding off each other. LOL   So what exactly IS a troll?   Hubspot defines them as “people who deliberately provoke others online.    By saying inflammatory and offensive things.    They live to make people upset and angry.”    Trolls are super annoying… because they love to cause disorder.   In fact, I’ve recently been experiencing some trolls in Clubhouse -- people who have a personal vendetta against specific industries or kinds of rooms.   Like, for no good reason.   So if you encounter a comment that’s truly a troll, try to ignore them when possible.    If you ignore them, but their comments start picking up steam and creating a negative vibe to your post or page, you might want to respond.   But, don’t give in to their negative energy.   Be calm, but firm.   Like, if this troll is spreading misinformation or outright lies, you can choose to offer the correct info… then move on.   Your followers will see that you’re setting the record straight in a professional manner.   I’d really caution against full-on deleting the comment unless it’s clearly spam.   Like I said, trolls live to create chaos and fuel negativity.   So deleting their comment might set them off even more.   You might consider hiding the comment though.   On most platforms, the rest of your community won’t see the comment anymore, but the troll will still see it.   Which means they won’t know they’ve been hidden!   Ok so those are the 3 most common types of negative feedback on social:   The unhappy customer with a legit concern… The person with a question -- which can sometimes come across as negative or accusatory… And the outright troll. Next, let’s talk about HOW to respond, ok?   First, try to respond as quickly as possible.   Social media moves fast and most people expect brands and businesses to respond in real time.   Or at least within 24 hours, if you’re a smaller biz.   The second part of this tip is something I mentioned a moment ago.   And that’s to respond PUBLICLY… and direct them to connect with you PRIVATELY.   In other words, to slide into your DMs where you can offer more 1:1 attention.   In terms of WHAT you say… I personally like to come from a place of service.   Meaning, acknowledge that they’re experiencing an issue… being sincere about it… and apologizing.   It can be as simple as “I’m sorry you’re having this problem.”   Next, let them know you want to help them.   And, be sure to sign your name to the message.   This is a little touch, but it helps remind them that you’re a REAL person on the other side of that keyboard.   They’re more apt to be kind when they realize you’re a real human interacting rather than a faceless brand who’s done them wrong, LOL.   On the flipside of this, I’m going to recommend that you also respond to POSITIVE comments.   The happy people should feel just as loved and attended to as the unhappy ones.   So give positive comments at least a heart or a like to show that you saw their note.    You can also try responding with something like “Thank you” or an emoji, if you don’t have time for a super personal response.   Ok so that wraps up Challenge #2: which is dealing with negative feedback online.   Now the third big challenge biz owners have is feeling like they SUCK at social.   Or sometimes… suck at EVERYTHING.   We’ve all had those days, right?   Now, this feeling like you suck at social seems simple, but it’s actually a bit of a tricky situation… because there could be a few reasons behind it.   If you’re someone who feels like they’re constantly behind, it’s important to start with the root cause of this feeling.   Is it because you actually are having some time management problems…   Or are you setting the wrong expectations for yourself?   If it’s the first one, well then you need to start diving into all of my time- and task-management content.   I cover these kinds of productivity hacks all the time…    ...so you can manage your schedule better through the power of time blocks and organizing your calendar more effectively.   But if it’s the second option that’s making you mad at yourself… and therefore mad at social media… we’re gonna address that right now.   The first hack I want to offer you if you feel left behind because you’re not as good at social media as you think you SHOULD be is…   Take a chill pill, babe.   LOL   What I mean is… give yourself a break!   Social media is a SKILL.   And guess what… it’s a skill that’s changing ALL THE FREAKING TIME.   Like, on the daily!   Of course you feel behind all the time…    What was current when you started listening to this podcast is now probably out of date somewhere.   So acknowledge that this is going to happen to you ALL.THE.TIME.   You can’t change how fast it goes, but you can change your response to it.   This is totally why I recommend picking 1-2 platforms as your PRIMARY channels.   You absolutely do NOT need to be on ALL of them.   Especially when you’re starting out.   As you build your success, you’ll want to start bringing on some help…    ...and if social is killing it for your biz, that’s probably where you want to put a little extra assistance with managing all.the.things.   Here’s why this is helpful.   To truly master a skill, you need to HONE it.   I mean, imagine if you went to your first yoga class and at the end of the session you were like “Why am I not perfect at this yet?”   It’s literally been… a minute. LOL   And since we’re in the gym state of mind, let’s build this out a little bit more to explain how I see people sometimes approach social…    ...especially excited newbie entrepreneurs who’ve discovered social media as a new biz toy.   So you’re at the gym, right?   And the gym as a bunch of classes.   You can take yoga.   Karate.   Pilates.   Zumba.   Ooh, kickboxing.   And a hip hop class!   This is kinda like the range of options for social media.   You’re looking at this list of classes… and you decide that you’re gonna do ALL OF THEM.   So you start taking the classes and are frustrated to find that you’re not really getting good at ANY of them.   I bet you can quickly understand why…   You’re doing too many and not often enough.   If you focus on getting good at Pilates and your hip hop class, you’re going to do them consistently.    Those are the two you pick when you decide to take class a few times a week.   And guess what?   You’ll master those skills way faster than if you spread yourself thin trying to be good at 6-7 different things.   It’s literally the same thing with social media.   You can’t spread yourself too thin. You’ll go insane. LOL   Well, maybe some days you’ll feel insane…    ...but I can virtually guarantee that you’re gonna feel like you suck at social if you keep trying to get good at everything all at once.   Actually, you can apply my habit stacking technique to mastering social media for your biz.   With habit stacking, you focus on creating ONE new habit… just one.   Once you get good at that and you’re ready for more, then you add a second habit on top of it.   Because as you know, if you try to overhaul everything all at once, odds are you’re gonna give up on it quickly.   Too much, too soon.   It totally applies with getting good with social media for your biz.   So again, remember that social media moves fast.    We’re ALL learning something new every single day.   And it’s totally ok to learn from others!   No one is judging you that you don’t know the up-to-the-minute details on every social media platform…   Unless you have an 11-year-old daughter who’s on her way to creating a Slime business using TikTok as her marketing platform.   Not naming names here… but… you know. LOL   So if you feel behind all the time on social, take a look at why that is.   Do you need a time-management shakeup?   Or are you trying to keep up with the joneses… maybe by being spread too thin.   It’s totally ok to pare back and focus your efforts where it makes sense… and where your community is.   Recently I got hacked on Twitter… SO ANNOYING.   And yes, it sucks. And yes, I lost YEARS worth of content and followers there…   But it’s not my primary platform anymore, so… shrug.   I HAVE Twitter but it’s not where the bulk of my peeps are.   I focus my efforts primarily on Clubhouse and Instagram… Facebook too for my community interactions.    And I happen to enjoy making fun videos on TikTok... but Clubhouse and Instagram are my bread and vegan butter these days.   So does that help?   I hope it does.   I know I covered A LOT today… so if you wanna grab all of these hacks and tips… and get even MORE in-depth info on how to build and grow your biz online…   You’re gonna want to check out my Your Whole Biz course that I mentioned at the top of the show.   Not only is this a professional business training course, but there are live Q+A sessions happening all year long for people who enroll.   Which means you get to ask all your burning questions… in real time.   Plus get loads of biz-building instruction, templates, and downloads to get you rockin’ your biz online super quickly.   And yes, there’s a ton of marketing info inside the course… including social media.   BUT… you’re gonna want to sign up soon because the price is going up to nearly $2500 on May 1st.   So now’s your chance to get it at the lowest rate this year… $1497.   The link to get in on this is https://www.hayleyhobson.com/yourwholebiz… and you can grab it in the show notes.   Ok, my friends, I want to leave you with this.   You CAN do this.   You CAN grow your biz online…   And you CAN overcome the three big challenges entrepreneurs face, so you’re able to:   Feel comfortable putting yourself out there for your biz... You can handle pushback, negative feedback, or those yucky trolls on social… And you can feel solid that… you got this!   You just need to approach social media from a new perspective and most of all…    ...give yourself a friggin break.    Stop beating yourself up.    Show up, be authentic, and engage meaningfully.    That’s all it takes.   Have a good week, my friends…    I’ll see ya online.

I promised it and here it is! Our first interview & fireside chat with two talented small business owners and entrepreneurs, DeWitt Brown and Jeff Moose, owners & operators of the awesome niche outdoor company, Back Country & Beyond. We had a blast! Theirs is a great & true story of entrepreneurship & endurance. In this historic period for all of us, especially small biz owners, please join us and learn what they've done to evolve, survive & thrive in this "Age of Amazon!"

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you probably do things like reinvesting in your business. You also probably have no parachute for if your business tanks, which h has been the case for so many in 2020. Here's the most elegant solution imaginable.

So many local business owner are in between a rock and a hard place right now with the restrictions from the pandemic, and the reduced foot traffic to their businesses. So, they are spending bad money after good on marketing agencies, agencies that will do JUST ENOUGH to keep you paying them every month, churning your marketing budget needlessly. I'm going to show you how to CUT your marketing spend, while INCREASING customers through your door. BE SURE to get your free local business online presence analyses done at https://localmarketer.ca

Empowering female small business owners to protect themselves and business legally. Importance of Compliance. Trademarks. Copyrighting. Patents.

Gerri Detweiler from episode 22 is back to explain everything you need to know about PPP and EIDL for small business owners.Grab a pen and paper as she breaks down everything you need to do so you can have clarity on the government financial assistance programs for business during coverGerri Detweiler who has more than 20 years of experience guiding individuals through the confusing world of credit, and has earned a reputation as a reliable and independent source on personal and small business credit. She serves as Education Director for Nav, the only site to give business owners free access to credit reports from all three major commercial credit bureaus and tools to build financially healthy companies. At Nav, Gerri develops educational programs and content for entrepreneurs and works on advocacy issues. https://www.nav.comWatch the entire episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GUvM6mNRDh8Jason can be reached for online therapy, coaching, alternative medicine and speaking engagements at www.thefamilyroomsfl.com. Reach out to him to set up a free consultations to tackle your goals. (954) 324-3677jason@thefamilyroomsfl.comwww.thefamilyroomsfl.comInstagram @jasonwasserlmft

Many small businesses may be missing out on a great marketing opportunity - influencer marketing! That's right. Small businesses can use influencers to get their brand exposure and drive sales. And they can afford it too! Tune into this episode to learn how! Connect with Creating You on Instagram or www.creatingyouonline.com

Having a firm grasp of your finances can be a life saver in uncertain times. Winnie Sun joins Rachel on this episode of Business Bites to give you some tips on investing, contributing to 401Ks, and even teaching your kids about money.  Full show notes & links to resources mentioned: https://rachelbrenke.com/epi114  Join the Business Bites Podcast® group to chat about this episode: https://rachelbrenke.com/group

Anne reads an angry customer's email and explains why she should use her “big mouth” — her words not ours — for good! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week on Beauty, Brains and Business, Dr. Carey Yazeed is solo in the studio and the topic of discussion is Instagram removing the visibility of likes on U.S. user posts.  How will these changes affect small business owners and influencers.  Find out on today's show. Business Spotlight is on Dr. Candice Williams.  Dr. Williams is a premed coaching, assisting individuals who are interested in applying for medical school.  To learn more about her and other phenomenal female entrepreneurs, check out the Beauty, Brains & Business Virtual Directory https://www.thebeautybrainsandbusiness.com  

What did our small business owners wish they had known when they started? What have they learned? For current and future small business owners, we pull together our guests’ best advice on starting a business, developing relationships around financing, working with clients, and training and retaining a diverse workforce.

Here's your weekly accounting and bookkeeping news roundup (with a tech-focused twist). Thanks for listening! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and, if you feel like being super nice, give us a review on iTunes.

As foster care kids reach adulthood, difficulties mount; A warning to small business owners about expired URL's and how they can be commandeered; Leasing a car is getting even more costly than it has been. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/SFqDIWx69fk Last week I was standing on the roof of Africa. Me and 7 other adventurers trekked up over 19,000 feet to brave the thin air and see the clouds from the other side. While doing the journey and fighting the low oxygen, lack of appetite, lack of sleep, etc, I had time to reflect on some of the things my journey was teaching me about small business. Watch and hear the tale of my trip and the 4 things that business owners should take away from my experience: https://youtu.be/SFqDIWx69fk Sign up to learn how to buy a business using my online course and group coaching program here: www.BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com Get an Audible subscription and listen to my book Franchise Warnings: What you really need to know before you buy for FREE. Book a call with me at www.clarity.fm/davidbarnett ---Stop missing my videos and other news. Get on my mailing list and choose what interests you. http://eepurl.com/brqqjb Book you own trip to Kilimanjaro by calling Marlin Travel at 506-778-8345. Tell them you want the trip David Barnett did.

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management ServicesDate: 5 June 2018 The Cloud. We get it, we use it. We count on it. Every day when operating as a small businesses we rely heavily on the cloud and internet storage. We assume it's safe, secure and backed up SOMEWHERE. We assume it's available anytime and reliable and we assume the content we produce is ours to do with what we wish. But we’re not careful enough. But like all things (except death and taxes as they say) you can’t be sure of it. You need to be in control with this extremely important tool of your trade. What if you can’t find an important document? What if the storage you relied on suddenly wasn’t there? What if you never backed up? Well today we have on the show another great expert; Gunnar Habitz to help us navigate through the complexities of Cloud storage but like always on Small Biz we’ll make sure you have practical strategies to ensure you take control. Welcome to the show Gunnar. Topics covered in part two: Cloud in general Cloud storage vs. cloud backup comparing different tools How does a typical IT setup of Small Biz Owners looks like and who helps with IT tasks What does RPO and RTO mean and why is it important Business Continuity and Risk Management instead of just backup Cyber insurance Ransomware attacks Cyber security issues What about the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia Impact of the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia How to get attention for the topic   Cloud in general Benefits for customers: agility, flexibility, choice, PAYG Cloud is a journey instead of destination Public, Private, Hybrid cloud On-premise, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS - see the Pizza-as-a-Service example below What’s in the cloud, stays in the cloud - but getting it back is another topic   Cloud storage vs. cloud backup comparing different tools Cloud synchronisation services: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive Many of them don’t have versioning (Dropbox EVH has at least 120 days) What’s deleted on one device gets deleted on another as well upon connection Hard to get anything back from the cloud sync providers Proper cloud backup provides versioning in all possible local retention possibilities and clients can get back their data as part of the service by themselves of their partner Example Office 365 can be added by a backup solution (e.g. SkyKick) which is designed for one-click restoring data straight into the mailbox without an PST file export by maintaining the initial structure   How does a typical IT setup of Small Biz Owners looks like and who helps with IT tasks On-premises: notebook(s), printing, potentially a server for files or databases Cloud services like Office 365, Google G Suite, AWS, Xero/MYOB, CRM, specific apps Managed Service Providers (MSPs) deliver IT as a service based on SMB demands including backup, but also on-premise infrastructure from capex to opex Small Businesses should focus on the business outcome for their clients, not on technology   What does RPO and RTO mean and why is it important Two most important numbers in backup and DR before and after a disaster point Recovery Point Objective: maximum targeted period in which data might be lost Recovery Time Objective: targeted duration of time after a disaster to be fully restored back on track The requirements are included in a Business Continuity Plan and have significant effect on the IT design Every company - small or large - need to specify its risk appetite   Business Continuity and Risk Management instead of just backup Provides principles and generic guidelines on risk management Worldwide standard ISO 31000 has been created by Australia/NZ initially (2004) Example: 6% of data restored * cost of getting it back (but how to estimate?) Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery include more than IT, in the first place care about people   Cyber Insurance Some see backup like an insurance, but the reality is different The cyber insurance covers for lost revenue in a data loss, but doesn’t get the data back The backup provider gets the data back, but doesn’t cover lost revenue It is a complementing solution usually not offered together No cyber insurance without proper backup and DR solution in place   Ransomware attacks Talking about a concrete example Can arrive per email or even inside an internet connected printer or scanner Attacks not only local infrastructure, but also the cloud if not well protected 60% of SMEs went out of businesses in the next six month after a significant breach (Australian SME numbers), 80% don’t survive the second year A victim shared his story at the Australian Information Security Association (AISA): the company had a plan to be listed on the ASX within three years, instead they got a severe hack with data breach and it took the owner more than a year to consider working again due to the psychological damage   Cyber Security 46% of the world population is already connected IoT sensors and devices are expected to overtake smartphones still in 2018 Australian numbers The Government estimated the average cost of a cybercrime attack to a business is A$276,323 43% of cybercrimes attack small businesses as they can’t simply prevent it easily Largest cost factor of cybercrime are information loss (39%) and business disruption (36%) Australian Computer Society (ACS) published worldwide data from the Verizon 2016 Data Breach report 63% of breaches are caused by weak, default of stolen passwords In 93% of cases hackers took minutes to break and companies weeks or months to discover 95% of attacks are financially motivated Nearly 30% open phishing emails, 12% clink on the links or open the files (attention on smartphones) Every minute half a million attacks happening in cyberspace Cyber industry estimated US$639B spending in 2023 So what can we do? The security strategies with biggest return are adding security intelligence systems (67%) and advanced identity and access governance (63%) Top tips the Optus “Small Business Guide to effective Cyber Security”: regular backup, secure passwords and multi-factor authentication, security updates, administrative accounts control Leadership must provide a cyber-aware culture educating staff and clients ACS considers 5 pillars of cybersecurity readiness: education & awareness, planning & preparation, detection & recovery, sharing & collaboration, ethics & certification Managed Service Providers and specialists like Witz Cybersecurity (www.witzcybersecurity.com) consult Small Businesses   impact of the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia In place since 22 February 2018 to report data breaches within 30 days Most often data breaches haven’t been made public not to destroy brand reputation Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) reported that 51% of Australian SMEs found out about a data breach when alerted by customers Fines: $360K for individual and $1.8M for companies above $3M turnover if not reported in 30 days View of the Ransomware programmers: “if you don’t pay me in Bitcoin, then I will breach your data and force you to pay the fines” First quarterly report shows 63 published data breaches within six weeks, mostly health service providers, legal, finance, education and charities Half of the breaches occurred due to human errors The reality might be higher as many companies don’t report or don’t even know   Impact of the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia Most companies recently sent newsletters with updated privacy policies or partially new opt-in requests Background is the European General Data Protection Regulation binding those who are physically in the EU, not just official residents or citizens Barrister Talitha Fishburn of Wardell Chambers shows the Australian impact (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/big-data-so-what-australian-businesses-impacted-new-eu-fishburn/) GDPR covers data processing to raise more awareness Backup providers don’t see into the encrypted data about any European personal data insight, so better to be compliant Consent: continue marketing to B2C with an active opt-in for newsletters and to B2B if business customers didn’t provide a subsequent opt-out Many software vendors updated their processes, Marketo as a leader in marketing automation sees GDPR as a worldwide activity Portability: users have the right to obtain the transactional history of personal data Right to be forgotten: consumers have the right to have their information deleted (how do you know where exactly you stored their data?) Data breaches: must be reported within 48h, otherwise fines in two steps up to €20M or 4% of global annual turnover whatever is greater   How to get attention for the topic Don’t think just backup as nice to have (like regular dentist visit fixing one tooth), rather think comprehensive availability (like the winning smile when all teeth are in order) Business consultants and MSPs convince owners better than box moving IT resellers   KeepItSafe helps Small Businesses in Australia and New Zealand to protect from data loss because downtime is not an option. We consult and discover the right solution for the requirements of SMEs in a tailored approach To find out more, go to the website www.keepitsafe.com/au, contact sales@keepitsafe.com.au or call 1300 722 344

In this episode, our guest talks about mindfulness– how business owners can benefit from practicing this and how to incorporate this into your daily routine.   Connie Porazka is the Founder of Retreat to Joy, a company that creates workshops focused on mindfulness to increase awareness, creativity, and productivity for businesses and groups.   Connie has over 20 years of healthcare marketing and promotion experience. An encore entrepreneur, she believes that being present in your life is the path to more joy and less stress.

Want to win an Introduction to Mindfulness  4-week course? Tune in, Call and Win!  Listen live on May 31st 11am CST and dial the number (773) 897-6360 when prompted by Christina. The first caller wins!  **** As a business owner, you are probably operating at your maximum level, constantly juggling clients and switching between projects, running from one meeting to the next. On top of this, there’s the challenge of convincing yourself to see the value in mindfulness, both for yourself and possibly your employees. But there is this misconception that investing in mindfulness is a complex task that involves time, money and training. In this episode, our guest talks about mindfulness– how business owners can benefit from practicing this and how to incorporate this into your daily routine. Connie Porazka is the Founder of Retreat to Joy, a company that creates workshops focused on mindfulness to increase awareness, creativity, and productivity for businesses and groups.   Connie has over 20 years of healthcare marketing and promotion experience. She is an MBSR (Mindfulness based stress reduction) teacher through UCSD (provide what this stands for) Connie, an encore entrepreneur, believes that being present in your life is the path to more joy and less stress.

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management ServicesDate: 17 April 2018 The Cloud. We get it, we use it. We count on it. Every day when operating as a small businesses we rely heavily on the cloud and internet storage. We assume it's safe, secure and backed up SOMEWHERE. We assume it's available anytime and reliable and we assume the content we produce is ours to do with what we wish. But we’re not careful enough. But like all things (except death and taxes as they say) you can’t be sure of it. You need to be in control with this extremely important tool of your trade. What if you can’t find an important document? What if the storage you relied on suddenly wasn’t there? What if you never backed up? Well today we have on the show another great expert; Gunnar Habitz to help us navigate through the complexities of Cloud storage but like always on Small Biz we’ll make sure you have practical strategies to ensure you take control. Welcome to the show Gunnar.   Topics we’ll be covering: Cloud overall Cloud storage vs. cloud backup comparing different tools How does a typical IT setup of Small Biz Owners look like Who should provide help How long to keep data How and how often to get data back Why isn’t all safe in the cloud Why storing in Australia is important (Dropbox stores in the US) The CEO view: Business Continuity and Risk Management instead of just backup Cyber insurance Ransomware attacks Example case of a disaster that really happened What about the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia What to backup how Practical tips How to get attention for the topic   Cloud overall (see graphs at the bottom of this document) Benefits for customers: agility, flexibility, choice, PAYG Public, Private, Hybrid cloud Cloud is a journey instead of destination Fear, trust, proof, procedures, risk management   Cloud storage vs. cloud backup comparing different tools Cloud synchronisation services: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive Many of them don’t have versioning (Dropbox EVH has 120 days) What’s deleted on one device gets deleted on another as well upon connection Hard to get anything back from the cloud sync providers Proper cloud backup provides versioning in all possible local retention possibilities and clients can get back their data as part of the service by themselves of their partner   How does a typical IT setup of Small Biz Owners look like On-premises: notebook(s), printing, potentially a server for files or databases Cloud services like Office 365, Google G Suite, AWS, Xero/MYOB, CRM, specific apps   Who should provide help Managed Service Providers (MSPs) deliver IT as a service based on SMB demands including backup, but also on-premise infrastructure from capex to opex The Small Biz owner should focus on the business outcome, not on technology   How long to keep data? Legal companies often require 7 years, some even longer That makes moving between different backup technologies rather difficult   How and how often to get data back? User can retrieve data by themselves or via partner Restoring should be free as part of the backup pricing, not to pay extra for every restore According to a worldwide study of 2016, about 6% of restored data comes from accidently deleted files Database operation restoration is slightly less   Why isn’t all safe in the cloud Tricky balance: hard to get anything deleted when needed (e.g. wrong posting) while on the other side hard to find what has been there when needed Cloud sync providers run their own backups to provide their service with best possible availability rather than helping clients getting it back (even against $)   Why storing in Australia is important Many industries require data to be stored in Oz like healthcare for legal reasons Even NZ companies often cannot store their data in Australia The marketing departments of those companies often store data on Dropbox (no-go!) Storing data encrypted in the US is possible, but NSA might want to see on the way back Dropbox stores in the US for the premium experience vs. local law, but how to proof? Microsoft runs Azure in Australia and not in New Zealand (yet)   The CEO view: Business Continuity and Risk Management instead of just backup Worldwide standard ISO 31000 has been created by Australia/NZ initially (2004) Provides principles and generic guidelines on risk management Example: 6% of data restored * cost of getting it back (but how to estimate?)   Cyber Insurance Some see backup like an insurance, but the reality is different The cyber insurance covers for lost revenue in a data loss, but doesn’t get the data back The backup providers gets the data back, but doesn’t cover lost revenue It is a complementing solution usually not offered together   Ransomware attacks Talking about a concrete example Can arrive per email or even inside an internet connected printer or scanner   Example case of a disaster that really happened Usually we talk about statistics that 60% of SMB companies go out of businesses after a severe disaster within a year, 80% don’t survive the second year Spoken to a victim of a real story at the Australian Information Security Association (AISA)   What about the new “Notifiable Data Breach” law in Australia In place since 22 February 2018 to report data breaches within 30 days Most often data breaches haven’t been made public not to destroy brand value Fines now official: $360K for individual and $1.8M for companies if not reported on time Many IT resellers told at an ARN event that their customers are not ready yet European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from 25 May goes even beyond, it aims primarily to give control back to citizens and residents over their personal data View of the Ransomware programmers: “if you don’t pay me in Bitcoin, then I will breach your data and force you to pay the fines”   What to backup how Different areas: Cloud Backup, Cloud DR, Endpoint Backup, Cloud to Cloud On-premise server into the cloud using leading software such as Veeam Some services are already in the cloud such as Exchange into Office 365 Even Office 365 is not covered by backup, therefore it needs e.g. SkyKick   Practical tips Forget about the rotating external HDDs which often have unencrypted, easily visible files in it Most important is redundancy, even use RAID 1 in a NAS to ensure availability Guidance rule of 3-2-1: 3 copies of the data, 2 kind of media, 1 offsite location Think to fail: what happens if building gone, NAS drive stolen, computer hacked Think to be back fast not to lose revenue and keep serving customers: use Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service Use risk management to calculate the probability with the options Making sure you can not only save but extract the data   How to get attention for the topic Turning from backup (like dentist) into business continuity (winning smile) Business consultants often convince owners better than box moving IT resellers “World Backup Day” every 31 March (even backward) to raise attention to the topic Software vendor Veeam has even taken the 30 March as “Availability Day” to make the point not “you don’t have backup” but rather “you want to aim for availability”   To find out more, go to their website: www.keepitsafe.com or contact sales@cloudrecover.com.au  

As a business owner, no one knows your business better than you do. That's why you need to know the basics of income taxes.  I know. I know. It's annoying. It's complicated.  It's worse than a root canal. So is paying too much in taxes because you don't know the rules. Yeah, that hurts, too.  For complete show notes check out the podcast on SmallBizLife.com NOTE: This post contains affiliate links Links ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Visit Show notes ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.smallbizlife.com/blog/episode-122-2018-small-biz-tax-questions-asked-and-answered   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Mentions links ))))))))))))))))))))))))) Focus Planner updated for 2018 https://www.smallbizlife.com/Focus Join Small Biz HQ https://www.smallbizlife.com/HQ Tax Webinar for Small Biz Owners https://www.smallbizlife.com/HQ   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Rate and Review us in iTunes ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/small-biz-life/id1039595496 Small Biz HQ   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Like our Facebook Page ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/smallbizlifepodcast/   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Join our Facebook Group ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/groups/SmallBizLife/     ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Twitter  ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://twitter.com/JefferyWIngram https://twitter.com/KristinLIngram https://twitter.com/SBLPodcast

As small business owners we need to shift the way we do things as our business grows. Getting to 1M requires a different set of skills than what it requires to take a business to 5M, 10M and so on. On the Business Breakthroughs Radio Show, Ted shares 7 insights for small business owners and the skills they absolutely need to successfully and consistently grow their business. [audio mp3="https://tedmiller3.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/7-Tips-for-Small-Biz-Owners.mp3"][/audio]

There is one simple step that small business owners can do to automatically maximize profit and quality of life.  In this episode, we will talk about six major budget areas that small business owners are completely missing out on and what you can do to fix it.  Full show notes & links to resources mentioned: https://rachelbrenke.com/epi14/  Join the Business Bites Podcast® group to chat about this episode: https://rachelbrenke.com/group

Melinda Chen is a sales coach helping female entrepreneurs sell to big clients. She is also a sales executive with an impressive sales track record of 8 figures. Her company, Women Making Big Sales, allows female entrepreneurs to start connecting and sell to big clients in 5 weeks. Melinda grew up in an entrepreneurial family. When she first started her sales career after university, she wanted to know everything about selling. So, she spent years reading over 20 books in sales, made over 5,000 cold calls and worked with agents, reps and corporate clients around the world. Since then, she has mastered the art of selling to big companies and made sales in Americas, Europe and Asia covering a wide range of industries. She is inspired to help women take control of their lives by going for big clients, closing important deals and dramatically expand their business. Website: www.womenmakingbigsales.com

After working for over 16 years as an executive assistant to major International Business leaders such as Rupert Murdoch and Chase Carey, Tricia Stewart Shiuhad a front row seat to observe, absorb and learn leadership techniques that made these power players so successful. As a recognized clairvoyant, and 33 time award-winning author of 7 books ranging from inspirational mysticism to deepening the power of intuition, she shows people how they can tap into their own intuitive skills.Randi Busse is a Customer Service Speaker, Trainer and Author of "Turning Rants Into Raves: Turn Your Customers On Before They Turn On YOU!" John H. Johnson, PhD is an internationally renowned speaker, consultant and author who helps consumers and some of the world's largest companies understand how to interpret data. He is the author of “EVERYDATA™: The Misinformation Hidden in the Little Data You Consume Every Day”.Author, Speaker, Trainer, and Executive Coach Steve Sisgoldhas spent the past 25 years studying and teaching the relationship between beliefs held in the body and success, how the body “billboard” sends micro messages that affect authentic communication and how self-awareness lowers stress and boosts peak performance. He is also the author of the book “Whole Body Intelligence”.Sponsored by Nextiva and Microsoft.

The Start-Up Speakeasy Episode #038Show notes: http://kristyoustalet.com/38Guest: Kendrick Shope   Kendrick Shope has blended years of selling experience in a corporate environment with modern marketing to create an online course named Authentic Selling.  Today, she shares some amazing advice on how we can sell our offerings and ourselves without being pushy or sleazy. Online Biz Myth: as long as you have an online offer, people will buy it. Kendrick believes that in order to sell your offer to ideal clients, its important to focus on three things: 1. Tell people why you’re here2. Let the know why they should trust you3. They’re time is super valuable + why they should part with it for you (even for a freebie offer) #1 reason why people don’t buy is: lack of ENGAGEMENT The best way to overcome the engagement barrier is to have individual conversations with your (potential) audience and talk to as many people for free as you can.   This not only helps you understand your clients better than anything else, but naturally circles back to engaging your customers. At first, it can be intimating to reach out to potential clients, but the rewards quickly become obvious.Here’s what happens: - You become even more confident in your ability to serve your clients. An ‘I can do this!’ attitude shines through.- The human connection factor kicks in, and a personal touch is an important part of the online sales process.- It opens up an opportunity to follow-up, which is where 50% of all sales are closed … Which brings us to an incredible sales lesson here- Quick, where’s my highlighter?Let’s think about this for a sec, if 50% of sales happen during the follow-up process, how would following up change your business? What would 2x the amount of sales bring to you and your business? Apparently, less than 10% of people follow up with their clients more than two times. If you’re one of the ones in that small pool of service providers taking the time to following up, you’re in a whole other league than your competition. Chew on that.   Do you see where this is going?  Following-up = more money. I’m convinced, are you?   Now, take action!  Kendrick’s Follow-Up Tips: Create a simple Excel spreadsheet labeled with four rows:  (Name | Date | Last Communication | Notes) Color code your leads according to how likely they are to purchase an offer (for example: a hot lead = blue and a warm lead = purple). Keep track of when you follow up and continue to check in and engage with your (potential) clients. Having this list of interested people gives you a set of possible clients that you can always fall back on and check back in with when you need a couple of new clients or add a new offer. It also gives you a way to establish a relationship + trust with for long term success.  

Have you jumped from corporate to freelancing, small biz ownership or entrepreneurship? Solo pro expert Barbara Saunders gives great tips to help you stop charging less than you deserve, build a solid business model, create great content and develop good credibility online.