Podcasts about small business solutions

  5.26.25 – The Weekly Business Hour on Lone Star Community Radio Jim Dinaso, Small Business Solutions and Employee Benefits LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdinaso Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.dinaso/ Calendly: https://calendly.com/jimdinaso —– Check out past shows: http://1bestconsult.com/twbh/ Contact Rick: rick@irlonestar.com [...]

Welcome to The Leadership Launchpad Project — hosted by Susan Hobson, where we're changing the way the leadership game is played.In this inspiring episode, Chace Estes, Head of Small Business Solutions at Google Canada, reveals the leadership lessons that shaped his journey from competitive athlete to high-impact executive at one of the world's most influential tech companies.From the locker room to the boardroom — this is a masterclass in how mindset, emotional intelligence, and role models can shape elite leadership.In This Episode You'll Learn:The sports-to-corporate leadership pathHow role models influenced Chace's leadership DNAThe power of modeling, feedback, and EQ in today's workplaceHow to lead with empathy in times of uncertaintyWhat it really means to lead like a kite, not a leashThe habits that fuel daily high-performanceWhether you're an athlete transitioning into business, a corporate leader navigating change, or a rising manager ready to level up — these leadership lessons will inspire you to lead with purpose, resilience, and impact.Ready to transform your leadership mindset? Book your free consultation nowhttps://www.elitehighperformance.com/consultation/

In this quick tip episode of the My Daily Business Podcast, host Fiona Killackey explores the concept of resilience in business through a unique analogy with basketball. Drawing from her personal experiences watching her son play, Fiona highlights the importance of perseverance and team support when facing setbacks. She asks listeners to reflect on how they respond when they "miss a shot" in their business endeavors. Are you harsh on yourself, or do you allow room for another attempt? Fiona encourages small business owners to build a supportive network, akin to a sports team, that can provide encouragement and perspective when challenges arise. She also shares insights on the power of cultivating self-compassion and the understanding that there are always more opportunities ahead.Additionally, Fiona invites listeners to join her monthly AI chat, a platform designed to help small business owners harness AI tools for greater efficiency. With a focus on creating a safe space for learning, these sessions promise to be both informative and transformative. Check out mydailybusiness.com/aichat for more details. Get started on a more successful and sustainable small business with our range of free tools at mydailybusiness.com/freestuff Want to know more about AI and how to harness it for your small businesS? Join our new monthly AI chat for small business owners, starting at the end of November 2024. You can join anytime at www.mydailybusiness.com/AIchat Ever wanted to write your own book and build your brand authority or start your own podcast to connect with and grow your audience? Check out our How to Start a Podcast Course or How to Get Your Book Published Course at our courses page. Connect and get in touch with My Daily Business via our shop, freebies, award-winning books, Instagram and Tik Tok.

Today's topic on Discover Rising Tides is Strategic planning - Small Business Solutions! First, we start with our Healthy Living, Happy Life segment with Denise Stegall. Today's topic is: Stop Sabotaging Your Health Jeanne Gallagher discusses Strategic planning - Small Business Solutions with Amanda Lockhart-Davis, JAX Consulting Services.  Amanda launched JAX Consulting Services in August 2023, prior to leaving the corporate world in December of the same year. Her firm offers a broad range of consulting services, including financial management, strategic planning, and educational workshops. She also started the podcast Life Uncensored in May 2024, where she shares insights on navigating adulthood. Submit Questions hello@discoverrisingtides.com Watch episodes at: discoverrisingtides.com

In this episode, of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tomer London,Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gusto, the leading HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the US. Tomer shares his journey from coding his first inventory management system for his dad's clothing store as a teenager to building Gusto into a comprehensive payroll and HR platform serving over 300,000 small businesses. He opens up about the challenges of evolving his role as CPO, transitioning from hands-on coding to building product teams, and scaling the company while staying deeply customer-focused.In this episode, Tomer dives into the importance of embedding compliance into the core of Gusto's product, why he believes product management should be data-aware but not data-dependent, and how he fosters a culture of intuition-driven decision-making. He also shares how Gusto integrates AI to streamline processes, from payroll automation to enhancing customer support, all while maintaining the human touch that defines their success. CONTENT(00:19)

This episode of Talent Magnet features a conversation with Jessica Dunson, Business Performance Advisor at Insperity. Jessica discusses employee benefits and HR challenges for small and medium-sized businesses. She also explains how Insperity, as a Professional Employer Organization, helps businesses compete for talent with benefits packages, HR support, and risk management. This episode provides insights for business owners looking to improve HR practices and create an attractive workplace for employees.

Host Victoria Guido chats with Jaclyn Siu, the co-founder of Starcycle, an AI platform designed as a COO for small businesses. First, Jaclyn describes her entrepreneurial journey and what led her to Starcycle, detailing her earlier ventures, such as helping to scale a men's styling app and a software platform for authenticating high-end art. Her ultimate goal is to make the tools and experiences typically reserved for startup founders accessible to small business owners, who comprise most of the global business ecosystem. She outlines how Starcycle supports crucial phases in a business's lifecycle—start-up, sale, or shutdown—by automating operations and documentation, easing burdens on business owners. Jaclyn also touches on the importance of personal connections and genuine curiosity in conducting user research and developing products that genuinely meet the needs of small businesses. She believes we can achieve this by being deeply rooted in empathy and strategically using technology like Starcycle. Starcycle (https://starcycle.ai/) Follow Starcycle on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/starcycleai/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jaclynsiu). Follow Jaclyn Siu on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclynsiu/). Visit her website: jaclynsiu.com (https://jaclynsiu.com/) Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Transcript: VICTORIA: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Victoria Guido. And with me today is Jaclyn Siu, Co-Founder of Starcycle, the AI COO for small businesses. Jaclyn, thank you for joining me. JACLYN: Thank you for having me. It's so fun to be here. VICTORIA: Great to be here with you as well. Before we get into learning more about Starcycle, can you tell me what's going on in your life outside of work that's exciting for you? JACLYN: This is a very big departure from what I do on a day-to-day basis, but I am a huge coffee fanatic. And so, I love sampling all different kinds of coffee beans from around the world. And this morning, actually, I just finished the last cup from this amazing roastery in Osaka, Japan. They're called Mel Coffee; shout out to Mel Coffee. That's what I spend a lot of my time outside of work doing is trying different coffee beans. VICTORIA: No, I love it. I love coffee as well. Actually, I am currently out of espresso beans. We have a fancy espresso machine maker. It's like our one big luxury in the house, and I don't have any coffee beans for it. So, I might need some recommendations from you [laughs] on what to get. JACLYN: My sympathies on the lack of coffee, but I have plenty of recommendations. We can absolutely jam on this afterwards. VICTORIA: Okay. Because you've traveled quite a bit, of all the places that you've been, where is the best cup of coffee that you've had? JACLYN: I mean, I definitely have my favorites. In New York where I am currently, I would say that honor belongs to The Coffee Project. Actually, it's a tie between The Coffee Project and Say Coffee. In Berlin, where I was based for the last seven years or so, I would say that honor goes to Bonanza Coffee. I used to go there every single day. And I attribute a lot of my success in Berlin to all the beautiful cups of coffee that they served me. In other places, I would say what comes to mind is for sure Mel Coffee in Osaka, Japan, also, Glitch Coffee in Tokyo. In Hong Kong, that would be Craft Coffee. Hong Kong is where I'm from originally, so I have a very big fondness for any local roasteries. And I am going to stop there because, otherwise, this would become a coffee podcast, and I don't think this is what we're here for [laughs]. VICTORIA: I think there's a pretty strong coffee interest in our listeners, but they can tell me if I'm wrong. No, I think that's great, and it tells us a little bit about yourself. So, you've lived in all these different places and all these backgrounds. Maybe you can tell us a little bit about how your background led you to starting Starcycle. JACLYN: Starcycle is my third company. I'm a three-time founder, advisor, investor, and mentor. I built my very first startup in my senior year of college, which was a men's personal styling app that surfaced shoppable outfits based on your calendar, style preferences, weather, and other things. And decided quite quickly early on, about a year in, that I wanted some real-world experience before understanding what it's like to run and build a company. I realized, hey, I need to know what it's like to be in one before I can build one. So, I spent the next decade-plus in the creative culture and tech spaces, everything from sales and partnerships to marketing growth and operations. I worked on really exciting things from album releases for Rihanna to closing brand deals with TikTok. So, that led me to New York, to Berlin, and now back to New York, which has been really fun. My second startup was co-founded over the height of the pandemic, and we built software for blue chip art galleries and working with them to authenticate blue chip and high-end physical art pieces. We authenticated $63 million worth of art in the company's lifetime. The even tide of that, so towards the end of my second venture, that kind of initially planted the seed for Starcycle because we had been facing some more difficult times, and we were facing some pretty difficult decisions. I just had this Eureka moment, so to speak, where I was like, hey, I know firsthand how difficult it is to found a business. I want to use my knowledge to help at least one person get over the finish line. And I explored so many different permutations of that. I spoke to startup founders to small business owners, spent hundreds of hours exploring different ways that I could use tech to empower founders, and eventually ended up with Starcycle, which, as you mentioned earlier, is the AI COO for small businesses. And what we do is we are supporting business owners at the mission-critical stages of their business life cycle, so the startup phase, the selling phase, which is when they're hoping to sell or get acquired, and also the shutdown phase. And so, we review and parse through key documentation and automate key operational tasks such as licensing, identifying engagement terms, drafting disclosure statements, et cetera, et cetera. So, it's very much born out of my own experience as the COO and also as an operator for many different kinds of businesses. I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family of restauranteurs. My dad runs his own practice as a doctor. And I have cousins and other extended family members who are accountants and have their own practices. Somehow, half of my generation in my family are all startup founders now, so that has been really cool just being immersed in that, and also, yeah, wanting to use tech to give back, essentially. VICTORIA: I love that connection with your family and how that mindset is a part of your culture and who you are. It's really interesting to hear and replay a little bit back of what you said about, you know, you knew you were entrepreneurial, but you wanted more experience. And then, you got to go through starting your own company several times. And now you're trying to share the experience you got from that with other founders. JACLYN: Exactly. And what drew me to small businesses, really, was that startups do have quite a lot of help. Of course, we can argue perhaps a separate episode on how this support is distributed and whether or not it's equitable, but startups do tend to hog a lot of the headlines and a lot of the glamour and the glitz of being a founder. And where I was really drawn to was the day-to-day coffee shop owners; for example, that was a big one, or just the fact that 99% of businesses around the world are considered small businesses. And I said there has to be a way to take a lot of the great tools and services that we have enjoyed as startup founders and kind of make that a lot more accessible to the people who really need it. And so, that was really the big bow on top for me to start working on Starcycle. VICTORIA: Yeah. It's interesting to think about accessibility and inclusivity, and not just access to funding, but access to tools, access to knowledge, and support, and getting your business up and off the ground. JACLYN: Exactly. I think the knowledge piece is a big one. And with knowledge, of course, comes support, as you say, and both of those things require a lot of hands-on education but also guidance. And one thing that I've learned over my career as an operator but also as a serial founder is how much that initial touch point really matters for folks. And so, when I say that, I mean, just think about the very first time you encountered a new piece of technology and the feeling that inspired in you and how you felt like that new piece of tech, for better or for worse, reinforced, or not, that feeling. I've been really lucky to be at the forefront of helping a lot of people navigate these experiences, from helping fashion brands at the very beginning of my career, helping fashion brands understand social media. This was before sponsored content was a thing. We still called them bloggers back in the day. Yeah, teaching them that social media is going to be an asset for brand marketing, and kind of being on the first wave of tech partnerships, and embracing social media as a platform, to working with artists to get them onboarded and comfortable with streaming. So, I was at Roc Nation at the time when streaming was really just starting to take off. It was the same year that Jay acquired Tidal. And so, there was a seismic shift in how the music industry as a whole was grappling with this new tech. Fast forward to working with art galleries, probably one of the most difficult technical nuts to crack, so to speak, and working with traditionally folks who reject new technology and are wary of software that doesn't offer the same level of discretion or convenience that they are used to, and working to get them excited about software solutions that are built just for them. And so, the through line, for me, you know, as I look back, is how can I take something scary, and intimidating, and difficult to understand for your person who is chronically offline, so to speak, and translate that into an experience that they look forward to that makes them see, "Oh, this is not just some sci-fi hubbub; it's not just what the Yahoo's at Silicon Valley are up to; this is going to help me and what I care about"? And that particular thought process, that particular intersection, is what really gets me going every day. VICTORIA: That's really interesting. And it reminds me of friends that I have who have really deep domain expertise in certain things like nutrition, and coaching, and early childhood intervention and development. And they're asking me, someone who has, like, a connection to founders and startups, about, like, "How do I get my thing going? Like, how do I take this knowledge and build a business around it?" So, maybe you can tell me a little more about what research you're doing with these groups of people, with these small businesses. And what kind of questions are you asking, and what kind of things are you finding? JACLYN: Sure. So, I started with a hypothesis, which was this slightly more nebulous notion that everyone will have an AI copilot. And so, I started to workshop what that could look like for a business owner, specifically because 78% of small businesses are owned and operated by one person. And my expertise or experience as a founder is having had a co-founding team where we can fill each other's gaps, and lift each other up, and work on different things. And a lot of small business owners don't have that luxury. So, I said, okay, this is a problem that I have noticed. I am going to explore this to every single nook and cranny I can possibly find. And that led me to experiment with different ways to apply AI to this particular problem. I started looking at the early stage founding stage, where business owners are identifying their next steps to get their next big thing off the ground. They're navigating bureaucracy and figuring out what licenses they need what paperwork they need to file to make certain things a reality. And that, to me, felt like an easy place to start because it is a very well-documented and well-accounted-for space. So, we quickly shipped an early beta feature just to gauge market sentiment and to see what people were really looking for. There really is no shortcut here, in my opinion. It's really about putting in the time and the effort to talk to everyone that is interested in finding a new solution for something that has deeply plagued them in some way or another. In a way, putting on different hats as a psychologist almost, like, understanding where their pain points are really stemming from. Is it, like, an operational thing? Is it an emotional thing? All the way to introducing them to something new, which involves reimagining what that user experience could look like, all the way to just being open and having a clear line of communication. I talk to our users almost every day. We're on calls; we're on emails. And I just love hearing from them, and they know that they can come to me and talk to me about things. I've consulted for some of our small business owners before who come to me with different questions like, "Hey, can you help me with this business plan?" Anyway, so, through all of those conversations, I started to stitch together a few things. The first being that AI is changing so rapidly, and, of course, this is something that is challenging but also incredibly exciting because no one really knows where it's going. We're all kind of testing out our hypotheses in real-time. We're all building towards that reality we want to see. So, noticing that a lot of co-pilot promises we were still, or at least I feel like, we're still a little bit far away from that. And so, I started examining, okay, what is AI already currently really good at and will only get better at? And how can that be applied to something that all business owners have to face? And so, I expanded my search into other life stages of a business, and I identified that over hundreds of hours of conversations as the M&A stage and the closure stage. The M&A space is very exciting. It is also very well accounted for. And, currently, I'm spending quite a lot of time looking into the bankruptcy aspect, the end of life, something that, unfortunately, a lot of businesses will have to go through. And yeah, really studying that space, deeply realizing that we can probably find a, if I may use this as a verb, a "turbo tax" for all of these different key operational moments for every small business, right? So, we can, quote, unquote, "turbo tax" starting a business. We can, quote, unquote, "turbo tax" trying to sell your business. We can turbo tax, closing down your life's work and trying to find a good place to put it to rest. VICTORIA: How do you find people to be a part of the research? And how do you make sure that you're being inclusive or, you know, going after the right groups? JACLYN: To the best of my ability. I start within my own networks. Luckily, since at this point, I have built quite a lot of friendships and relationships just within founders of all different kinds, I started by reaching out to different founders and just approached it with a lot of curiosity. I was like, "Hey, what are you working on? What is troubling you? How could I help?" And approaching it from a place of "How can I help?" as opposed to "How can you help me?" You being, of course, the founder I was speaking to. Yeah, really just being in the position of I want to learn from you, I would say, in hindsight, has been the key to a lot of folks being willing to speak with me. And then, of course, on the call itself, when I do manage to get that scheduled, when I speak to them, and doing everything to make them feel heard, to make them feel welcomed. I show up to every single call prepared about this person. I have my questions prepared. Usually, within Calendly, for example, people should fill out what their profile kind of is. So, we do a lot of that pre-work and get that out of the way. And it also helps me prepare for the call. Weirdly enough, it's almost like preparing for a podcast interview. And then, from those calls, I always ask like, "Hey, I really appreciate you spending time talking to me. Do you know one person who would be willing to do the same thing?" And I would say, nine times out of 10, the answer is "Yes." And then, I get a follow-up email being like, "I loved talking to you. Here's my friend who is also facing a similar thing. I already told them about our conversation. They would love to speak with you." And it just kind of flows from there. And so, I guess to sum it all up, it really is being thoughtful with your relationships and letting that compounding effect work itself. And at this stage, like, as an early-stage founder, you and your...I don't like the word reputation, but I can't think of a better one right now. Your reputation is really what the currency is, and people typically want to help. And they also want to feel helpful, and they want you to show that they were helpful. And yeah, that has been something that I've seen a lot of success with personally, whether it's through user interviews or approaching it from, like, a sales and partnerships perspective. VICTORIA: I agree. I think I found the same thing where, what you want to call it, and it's your reputation or your authenticity and your genuine interest in solving the problem that you're going after. I think a lot of people are, you know, of course, they want to talk about things that are bothering them, and they want to see other founders succeed, and it's part of a community. So, it's really nice to hear that's been working for you. JACLYN: I'm so lucky that this particular thing is what really excites me about being a founder is: having that opportunity to have these conversations. Also, at this point, probably my superpower that I feel like I can draw from so many different experiences to be a good sounding board for whoever it is that I'm talking to. And I remember this so clearly from my previous venture where we were building software for art galleries, and we had some of the most commercially successful artists and art galleries of modern times. And they went on record saying that, you know, they're switching their solutions, or they're coming on board for the first time. And they're not considering any other potential incumbents or competitors simply due to our ability or my ability to talk to them like equals, talk to them like people. They were like, "We spoke to so many founders who were building different kinds of tech solutions for the art industry or the art world. And we always really felt kind of small talking to them because they were throwing a lot of jargon at us. They essentially wanted us to operate under a cloud of confusion so that, hopefully, we would just go along with whatever they say. And you were really the only one who would sit down, take the time to explain, take the time to hear us out, and kind of meet us where we are and see us people." And I was really kind of taken aback by that. And I do think that advice applies generally, but especially when it comes to speaking to folks who identify so deeply with what they do, like small business owners, it is so key to really just treat them with respect. I mean, ultimately, that's really what it's about. Like, you respect that they know things that you don't, and you don't lord anything you know that they don't over them. VICTORIA: I really appreciate that perspective. And I'm curious if maybe there are some core values from your educational background in journalism that flows through into your being a founder and how you have these conversations with people. Are there any core values that translate from that? JACLYN: I love to listen. I'm just such a curious person. Yeah, I guess you could say that it is a journalistic approach to, you know, ask open questions and let the person feel like they are steering the conversation, and, you know, being that safe space that they know whatever it is they're saying is being taken seriously. One of my personal philosophies when it comes to founding is that I let the problem tell me how it wants to be solved. I have a general direction, right? Like, my North Star is that I want to use tech to empower founders; in the same way, you could say that you might start writing a piece with the general idea of like, hey, this is what I want to write about. And I'm open to letting my subjects kind of steer where they really care about so that, like, I end up writing something that is compelling for everybody. And so, yeah, I'm always open to finding the best way. This openness and curiosity, really, has led me to meet some really interesting people and dive through some very fascinating rabbit holes that I might not have done so otherwise. VICTORIA: Oh, that's really cool. No, I like that a lot. That's super interesting. MID-ROLL AD: Are your engineers spending too much time on DevOps and maintenance issues when you need them on new features? We know maintaining your own servers can be costly and that it's easy for spending creep to sneak in when your team isn't looking. By delegating server management, maintenance, and security to thoughtbot and our network of service partners, you can get 24x7 support from our team of experts, all for less than the cost of one in-house engineer. Save time and money with our DevOps and Maintenance service. Find out more at: tbot.io/devops. VICTORIA: So, in these conversations, you're having in your early discovery process, were there any points where you decided to pivot your strategy based on what you learned? JACLYN: I would say that the most interesting point was...I think this is probably, like, the clearest example of...whether it's a pivot, or, like, a redirection, whatever you want to call it. This was before I kind of arrived at the stage of bankruptcy or the idea of bankruptcy, which is where I'm really diving deep to at the moment. I had already spoken to a lot of founders in kind of the early stage of starting the business when I was talking to them about, like, "How can a tool like Starcycle help you on your journey?" And a lot of them were like, the ultimate milestone was, of course, to sell the business, that they want that ROI, that they want to know that, you know, something that they've worked so hard on was going to end up in great hands. And so, I started examining that side of the spectrum. So, that was, I guess, refocusing number one, which was, okay, I want to understand the buy-sell space, kind of the M&A space, to hear what success factors led people there. I spoke to everyone I could think of on that end of the spectrum, you know, people who had sold a business, people who tried to sell but didn't sell, people who acquired a business, people in private equity who are looking to buy and operate a business, you know, different buy and sell marketplaces, so on and so forth. And this one conversation with the head of M&A at a language company it was a nice chat. And he kind of mentioned as a throwaway, "Oh, by the way, like, one thing we also look at are distressed assets." That was it. And I said, "Okay, let's unpack that a bit," and just kind of left the rest of my questions. And we started going in that direction. And then, I realized it's a different side of the same coin, exploring M&A and closure, because they are, unfortunately, very closely related to one another. They are both on the ends, like, end of the life cycle. And so, that one comment which might not have occurred, you know, let's say if the person didn't feel like he had a safe space to kind of open up about his process, that has sent me on another journey to really, really dig deep into this very opaque and difficult area, where I'm actually, again, really, really excited to really unpack: How can we help people at the time of need, and how can we use tech to do a lot of the heavy lifting to free them up for very emotionally taxing tasks? Which, of course does happen at that end of the life cycle. I still very much believe in the overall idea of using AI to help small business owners end to end, but really, I found this particular wedge because I guess I was open to that. And someone dropped the crumb, and I was like, "Let's take that path. Let's talk about it. " VICTORIA: So, it had a high emotional element there, and there's a lot of tasks associated with it that would make it a good use case for AI to support that particular phase of the life cycle? JACLYN: Yeah, that's absolutely my hypothesis right now. I've been validating this with different small business owners who have, unfortunately, had to close their business. I'm also talking to bankruptcy attorneys. And so, yeah, I guess we'll see what that process looks like. By the time this episode is up and running, I might have found the right angle to tackle this problem, or I might have just found some other opening to look at. So, I guess it really is up for grabs at the moment, which is a very exciting part of being at the early stage, but, of course, also slightly terrifying [laughs]. VICTORIA: Well, we'll have to have you back on in a year to check in and see how things have progressed. But it makes sense to me. And in all of my recent experience just hearing from founders around San Diego, it sounds like if you're going to be a founder, you are going to have to shut down a business at least once [laughs]. Like, usually, you found multiple businesses and that means that you do have to close or, you know, go through this final action at least one time. You will be very lonely being a founder, and I can see having support through that time and having it be easy could be really helpful and make it seem, you know, easy and maybe even just, like, make it easier to start things up again, too. JACLYN: For sure. And I love that you touched on the starting again because founders, typically, more often than not, have this very stubborn optimism that we're like, we're going to figure it out one day, and we're going to do it. And at the risk of sounding a bit hokey, bankruptcy can be a beautiful thing. It is, of course, incredibly emotionally difficult. But what I find really incredible is the notion of bankruptcy was really born out of this idea of we recognize that you took a huge risk. And even though the risk didn't pan out in the way that we all hoped that it would, we don't want to penalize you further for having taken that risk. So, here is some protection so that when you are ready again, you can start again. And I just find that sentiment very, very powerful. And I've certainly seen that to be true in my own experience. So, this really is, like, I feel like my heart and soul problem, you know what I mean? Again, of course, I'm back to my core value I mentioned earlier. I'm open to letting the problem tell me how it wants to be solved. And so, I'm going through that process again to find, okay, what is it in this journey that I can solve with AI? And so, yeah, we can check back in however long, maybe six months, a year or so, and then see where. I would love for you to hold me to that. VICTORIA: Absolutely. I will. I'd love that. Yeah. And, well, on that note, then, what are the biggest challenges you see on the horizon in the next six months? JACLYN: I would say the biggest challenge that's coming on the horizon really is, to me, what is very exciting. I alluded to this earlier, but it really is this notion that, of course, we all recognize that AI is disrupting. It has already disrupted a lot of what we know to be true. We're all just testing out our hypotheses in real-time. No one really knows in what direction this wind is blowing. I don't think people could even agree on what AGI means, right? Like, AGI, is it, like, a very, very general thing, or is it AGI for X, AGI for Y? Like, what does that look like? And I don't think there's, like, a consensus on what this looks like, right? So, in a way, every founder building in this space, including myself, we're all just working towards what we think that reality is and what reality it is that we want to see. It's a huge challenge because we're quite literally building what has never really existed before. And it is a feeling that I'm personally, luckily, very familiar with, I get super energized by. We're in the beginning. Everyone says this, right? "We're so early," but we really, really are so early in this new wave. And I'm really looking forward to drawing on all of my experiences being at the forefront of various other big changes and applying them to this very particular change. And then, of course, I'm also a little bit nervous about this. I think anyone would be nervous knowing that the tide could change at any moment. I'm also not delusional about this per se, but I'm definitely optimistic. I think we're going to see a lot of generational companies built at every single possible intersection of AI and something. So, it's like AI for small businesses, right? Or you could even go even more granular. There's going to be an AI for hair salons. There's going to be AI for coffee roasters. There's going to be just so many ways to capture this new energy and this revolution that I am very intimidated, but I'm really excited about this. VICTORIA: So, the gravity and the size and scope of the change, and that being unknown, and also what you mentioned on the tech stack, having that variability and just knowing you might have to pivot or change very quickly, is an exciting challenge as well. JACLYN: It is. It definitely is. And, of course, it's a tough one to solve for sure. Any founder who wants to build something, really now is the time to just give it a shot because there are so many intersections up for grabs, and that doesn't come around very often. VICTORIA: That's really great. And I love your approach to that by just trying to see how can you use your expertise and follow the problem and see what solution comes up that is worth focusing on? So, I really appreciate you sharing that. I'm curious if you know what success looks like six months from now or even five years from now for Starcycle. JACLYN: I would say in six months, I would envision, at this stage, having maybe a small suite, but a suite nonetheless, of different aspects of the small business life cycle, the mission-critical stages I spoke about, having the, quote, unquote, "different turbo taxable features" live. And so, we're already able to start really moving the needle for these folks. We have our first test feature live in beta. We're already helping close to 1,200 business owners. So, I'm really looking forward to just increasing that number. In five years, I would really love for us to be at that stage where we are helping small business owners end to end. And so, I do see AI growing at a rate or the capabilities of AI growing at a rate way faster than any of us can imagine. So, I'm going to just throw this out there and say, in five years, I would love for Starcycle to be, like, a true AI COO on every single step of the way, like, a real strategic thought partner, executional partner for your small business that you otherwise wouldn't have. And you're in the trenches with your AI COO, and we're going to help you build the best business you possibly can. And we'll take care of your end to end. And that, I would say, is my ultimate grand vision. So, I guess let's check back and see what happens. VICTORIA: I like that. And, you know, that's a really awesome future vision to build towards. And in the immediate term, I'm curious to ask you more about Starcycle and how AI and people work together to give leaders confidence that the COO is giving them good answers and all that. JACLYN: One thing that we noticed while we were developing our beta and continuing to improve on our current offering is coming to the realization that we want to focus on what AI is currently already really good at and will only get better over time and, to us, that was data parsing, data optimization, formatting, data extraction. And so, that's where the next immediate stage of product development is going to go is really leaning into this data extraction aspect. And we feel like this true thought partner; strategic partner thing will happen over time once we have, like, a lot bigger pool of data of your business to work with, where we can connect dots that you might not have otherwise been able to connect, whether it's because you physically do not have the time, or you may not have the knowledge to, let's say, comb through your monthly P&Ls to draw out certain trends in the way that AI can really do for you. So, we're acknowledging the current limitations of AI while maintaining optimism on kind of the long run of what we think AI is going to do. And so, I think for the small business owners that we're currently supporting, we are very much on deck as humans to help them with some of the more strategic moments. And our users know that they can find us anytime. And for a lot of the more data operational action item-driven tasks that they need help with, then AI can step in fairly comfortably and help them in the majority of the cases. VICTORIA: That sounds really cool. I like how you broke that up. Do you have anything else you'd like to promote? JACLYN: I'm open to so many different kinds of conversations. And every single conversation is helpful. So, please reach out or sign up, try the product. We look at every single survey. I respond to every single survey personally with follow-up questions if you'll allow them. So, I really just want to help anyone who's listening. Whatever problem it is that you're dealing with on your founding journey, I'm here to help. So, in whatever way that I can help you, please let me know. I would love to hear from you. VICTORIA: I read in your background that also includes asking you questions about your time working with Rihanna. Is that right? You're open? JACLYN: [laughs] Correct. I suppose. Yes. If that is of interest, we can certainly talk about it [laughs]. VICTORIA: Oh, that's great. No, I love that, the detail on that. And then, also, we didn't get to talk everything else about your background. You also have that you're an angel investor, and you also are just a general incredible mentor and coach. So, I don't know if there's anything else you wanted to share about that. JACLYN: I think part of it is also really driven by my passion to empower folks with technology. And a lot of that component, as we've alluded to multiple times over this podcast, is the educational component. And I think I've been really lucky to be exposed to a lot of new things throughout my life. And I want to play even some small part in helping other people encounter tech in what they perceive to be a safe and gentle way. And so, that's what I'm really excited about. I do occasionally write small checks to companies and founders that I believe in. I spend time guest lecturing at colleges and also mentoring young girls and young women. And, generally, I'm an open book if you want to ask me about how I taught myself stop motion video editing to do something for Rihanna, all the way to how on earth did you find it in yourself to do a third company. I just want to help anyone and everyone who wants to make that difference in the world to be that difference that they're looking for. VICTORIA: Yeah, you know what always gets me excited about tech? Is when people use tech to solve simple problems that helps everyday people. You know, I'm from Washington D.C. I spend time on the side from doing consulting with big federal agencies. I was helping startup nonprofits that were working to end homelessness and solve communication problems with nonprofit organizations sharing their services to people who needed them and that type of tech. And I've been in California now for three years, and I've started rebuilding my networking here. And I'm starting to find those people who are working on those kinds of projects. So, I'm really excited to build a little community here in San Diego and to start giving back to some of those groups again. JACLYN: Yeah, that's really, really awesome. And that really is what keeps drawing me back to founding is knowing that whether it's founding a non-profit initiative, or a startup, or opening up a coffee shop, like, I keep coming to coffee shops because, of course, I have a deep appreciation for them. But, ultimately, it really is such a tangible way to provide and to give back. And I can't quit. VICTORIA: I mean, I could quit. I could quit and just, like, rock climb and be bad at surfing for the rest of my life, but I won't. But yes, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us here today, Jaclyn. You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on thoughtbotsocial@vguido. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See you next time. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

Shane Skwarek, owner & chief technologist of S-FX.com Small Business Solutions, stops by the show to tell us his remarkable journey of turning personal tragedy into professional triumph. Shane opens up about the impact of losing his father just as he was graduating college and how this defining moment shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. With raw honesty, he shares the challenges of leaving a secure job to build his own tech business, the lessons learned from early failures, and the resilience needed to succeed. Shane's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and finding strength in adversity, offering invaluable insights for anyone looking to overcome the complexities of personal and professional life.Chapters:00:00:00 - Welcome to the Eternal Optimist Podcast00:00:51 - Introducing Shane Skwarek: Owner & Chief Technologist of S-FX.com Small Business Solutions00:01:46 - Insights on Shane's Life and Business00:03:28 - Shane's Hobbies: Video Games and Pro Wrestling00:05:15 - The Magic of Old-School Gaming00:10:32 - Nostalgia Trip: A Deeper Dive into Video Games00:13:42 - Facing Challenges: Shane's Personal Journey00:15:30 - Shane's Father's Battle with Cancer00:18:50 - Balancing Grief and Final Exams00:21:05 - The Impact of Loss on Career Choices00:24:10 - Career Pivot: Employee to Entrepreneur00:29:00 - Learning Through Loss: A Son's Reflection00:31:36 - The Entrepreneurial Leap: Overcoming Fear00:34:07 - Business Failures and Lessons Learned00:39:21 - Client Relationships and Business Strategy00:42:57 - Embracing Failure and Learning from It00:44:42 - Inspiration from Books, Music, and OptimismLinks And Resources:Shane on LinkedInS-FX.com Small Business SolutionsBook Recommendations:The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy FerrisTuesdays with Morrie by Mitch AlbomThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Eternal Optimist? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!

Dive into the world of business innovation and personal growth with Brandon Davis, CEO of Interval, on the Living the Dream podcast with Curveball. Discover how Brandon's virtual AI receptionist is revolutionizing the way small businesses handle calls and learn about his journey from southern California to Brazil, and his mission to inspire others through his consulting platform, Get Over Yourself LLC. Join us for an episode that's not just about starting businesses but about starting a movement towards self-improvement and getting out of your comfort zone.

Today's topic on Discover Rising Tides is Strategic planning - Small Business Solutions! First, we start with our Healthy Living, Happy Life segment with Denise Stegall. Today's topic is: Stop Sabotaging Your Health Jeanne Gallagher discusses Strategic planning - Small Business Solutions with Amanda Lockhart-Davis, JAX Consulting Services. Amanda launched JAX Consulting Services in August 2023, prior to leaving the corporate world in December of the same year. Her firm offers a broad range of consulting services, including financial management, strategic planning, and educational workshops. She also started the podcast Life Uncensored in May 2024, where she shares insights on navigating adulthood. Submit Questions hello@discoverrisingtides.com Watch episodes at: discoverrisingtides.com

This week on AZAAZ we answered: ❓The Questions❓

In this episode, of Business Ninjas, Evan Huff, Founder and CEO of Vested Networks, joins Andrew to talk about how Vested Networks is changing the way the world thinks about phone service. “The Vested Difference” The Vested Network has a vested interest in your company's success! It's their mission that you and your team are able to easily communicate with your customers through their easy-to-use and high-quality business phone system.Their team creates a custom-tailored solution, with a hassle-free onboarding and install process. This setup includes no upfront costs as the installation and equipment are all included.Learn more: https://www.vestednetworks.com/  -----Do you want to be interviewed for your business?  Schedule time with us, and we'll create a podcast like this for your business:  https://www.WriteForMe.io/-----https://www.facebook.com/writeforme.iohttps://www.instagram.com/writeforme.io/https://twitter.com/writeformeiohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/writeforme/ https://www.pinterest.com/andysteuer/Want to be interviewed on our Business Ninjas podcast? Schedule time with us now, and we'll make it happen right away! Check out WriteForMe, more than just a Content Agency! See the Faces Behind The Voices on our YouTube Channel!

Are you an entrepreneur struggling with cash flow management in your business?  Are you unsure whether you can make this week's payroll or take your salary?  Would you like to understand exactly how to track cash flow in your business and eliminate the stress and headache related to cash management?   Today I provide a insights on how to manage cash flow for small business owners that is a must listen if you own a business! Enjoy! Tiffany   Next Steps:

Rodney's Bio:Rodney Mogen is a 20+ year veteran in the financial industry.  He graduated from Macalester College, in St Paul MN in 1999 with a double major in Economics and Finance, and minors in Psychology, History, and Art. Rodney, has proven himself as an expert in Advanced Life Insurance strategies, long Term Care, Disability Insurance, and Small Business Solutions.  He has spoken across the country in many state legislatures, and at many organizations to be able to provide up to date factual information to better serve you the client.  He actively coaches and educates advisers on these complex topics in order to make sure clients get the best service possible.With his wife of 15 years, Myrta, Rodney also runs a non profit for physically abused children and battered/trafficked women to give them outlets.  Rodney also sits on several boards including the NAIFA Texas board, the Red Cross of Austin, The National DBA Society, Insurance Industry Government Regulations, and also the Norwegian Society of Austin Board.Music in this episode obtained from Bensound.

Luke Ward is the Zapier Wiz. He helps companies automate their entire operations, saving you time, money and generating more revenue for your business. He specialises in no-code automation tools like Zapier, that can integrate all the boring business functions of your business together. In our podcast, we go deep on the growth of Luke's business, how you can automate your biz, how to go from $5K to $20K per month, marketing, sales, onboarding and fulfilment automation flows. If you enjoy this pod, please leave a 5 star rating on Spotify and a review on Apple podcasts.⏺️ Voics: https://www.voics.co/

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 1 of Meet the Expert® with Elliot Kallen!In this episode, Elliot Kallen brings on Steve Smith to discuss tax planning strategies for high-earners and business owners.  Learn more about tax loopholes, regulation changes, and charitable deduction strategies. Press play to do to get ahead of tax planning for 2023 so that you can get the most out of your money. Book Your Appointment: https://prosperityfinancialgroup.com/book-your-appointment/Learn More: https://prosperityfinancialgroup.com/services/tax-planning/

A good entrepreneur is like a serial murderer; they just can't stop. And our guest today is proving that point.   Meet Jonathan Zacks, Founder of Make It All Work and Co-Founder of GoReminders. He's on the show to discuss how his two startups are helping small business owners find solutions to two very common problems: Tech Support and No Call-No Shows.    For tech support, Make It All Work is a remote service that connects self-proclaimed “non-techy” people with the right technology solutions that are easy to use and understand. Entrepreneurs and small business owners don't always have the luxury of a go-to person on their team to help troubleshoot IT issues or make system upgrades. Make It All Work can step in to fill that gap and be a full-service solution.    And for companies struggling with wasted time and lost revenue due to No Call-No Shows, GoReminders is a fully automated solution that is helping thousands of businesses decrease the number of missed appointments…and subsequently increase their revenue. Jonathan describes the software as sort of a crystal ball - it can help determine early on who is likely to be a no-show - and has strategies in place to send well-timed text reminders and confirmation requests to reduce the overall NCNS rates.   There's a reason Luigi described him as “the best friend of small business.” Be sure to tune into this episode to learn how Jonathan can help you and your team!    What You'll Learn: How GoReminders and Make It All Work can help your small business His book recommendations for startups How the dot com bust changed all his plans of working for tech companies and led him to striking out on his own How he markets and sells his services - without a sales team or traditional sales funnel Why text reminders are more powerful (and efficient) than phone calls or emails His favorite software platforms …and much more!   Favorite Quote:  "Finding a problem to solve at one of those critical points for a business is how I've had success in my business." -Jonathan Zacks Connect with Jonathan: www.GoReminders.com www.MakeItAllWork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-zacks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnoz/     How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com.   Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

This will be the last episode of The How To Do Marketing Show that I record. In this episode, I share my three favourite interviews from the show, what I have loved along and been challenged with along the way and I also talk about the new direction I am taking in my career.  Thank you for being a listener of The How To Do Marketing Show! About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our resident Business Ninja Kelsey, together with the Co-Founder and President of Certify My Company, Heather Cox, as they talk about how connecting corporations with diverse businesses creates economic value and opportunity. Certify My Company is dedicated to the supplier diversity community as a whole as its works with companies and corporations to raise the bar. In addition to certification resources, Certify My Company assists larger companies in developing a supplier diversity program and increasing their diversity spending. Find out more about them by visiting their website at https://www.certifymycompany.org/.-----Do you want to be interviewed for your business?  Schedule time with us, and we'll create a podcast like this for your business:  https://www.WriteForMe.io/-----https://www.facebook.com/writeforme.iohttps://www.instagram.com/writeforme.io/https://twitter.com/writeformeiohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/writeforme/https://www.pinterest.com/andysteuer/Want to be interviewed on our Business Ninjas podcast? Schedule time with us now, and we'll make it happen right away! Check out WriteForMe, more than just a Content Agency! See the Faces Behind The Voices on our YouTube Channel!

Recently I surveyed 50 small business owners and asked them what the biggest challenge was when it came to creating their content marketing. The survey revealed that the biggest challenge that 60% of small business owners face is finding the time to create a consistent flow of content. They simply don't feel like they have the time or the resources to keep up. Well, we can't add extra hours into the day, but we can save the amount of time it's taking you to create this content by sharing the very system that we use to manage the content marketing, for our business as well as our clients. Our seven step content marketing system ensures that we work with epic efficiency while achieve maximum results. About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we dive into why the Postal Service is the one-stop shop for small businesses. We'll learn more about the marketing and advertising help and package and shipping services tailored for small businesses. Join us as we talk with Peter Timko, the Postal Service's Manager of Small Business Solutions, and Susan McGowan, a Marketing Specialist for Small Business Solutions, to talk about all the tools and services available to support small businesses. 

Todays podcast is about how to protect your personal and business credit. We are talking about what can happen if you experience fraud or your identity or business identity has been stolen or compromised. We tell a few stories about what has happened to a few people, how we uncover the fraud and what we do to help business owners when it happens. We talk about other types of fraud that business can experience as well. We also go over how to make sure you websites, domains can remain secure as well. We talk about tools you can use that are free for business owners: Transunion Experian Credit Karma For Personal Credit For monitoring business credit, you can use NAV for free or Dun and Bradstreet Enjoy the podcast! Carpe Diem - Allen and Justin

Sometimes, as a time poor small business owner, the idea of committing to a regular (daily, weekly, monthly) content schedule can be paralysing. What if I can't stick to it? What if I can stick to it but other works starts to suffer as a result? Do I still need to show up when I'm on holiday? What if I run out of things to say? In this episode, I reassure you that there is a solution to all of this and the best thing is, the choice lies entirely with you.  If you have any questions about this episode, pop on over to @howtodomarketingacademy on Instagram and drop me a DM. I'm going to be live every Friday at 9am to answer any questions that my community have about their marketing and I'd love to hear from you. ☺ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Moser is senior vice president and leader of Small Business Solutions in MetLife's Group Benefits business. She oversees sales, strategy, underwriting, and overall P&L for businesses under 100 employees. Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. In a small business, bringing the wrong person on is almost worse than having nobody. 2. Highlight that people can also get competitive salary and benefits. But really, first and foremost, highlight the values that you have as a small business owner - that you can value your employees potentially in a way that a larger company can't. 3. There are people who will take a lower paying job to work in a company that shares their values. For additional resources on how to get a leg up in the ongoing war for talent, check out Jessica's website - MetLife Sponsors: HubSpot: Learn how to grow better by connecting your people, your customers, and your business at HubSpot.com! ZipRecruiter: Find the right employees for your workplace with ZipRecruiter, the #1 rated hiring site in the US, based on G2 ratings! Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com/fire!

Jessica Moser is senior vice president and leader of Small Business Solutions in MetLife's Group Benefits business. She oversees sales, strategy, underwriting, and overall P&L for businesses under 100 employees. Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. In a small business, bringing the wrong person on is almost worse than having nobody. 2. Highlight that people can also get competitive salary and benefits. But really, first and foremost, highlight the values that you have as a small business owner - that you can value your employees potentially in a way that a larger company can't. 3. There are people who will take a lower paying job to work in a company that shares their values. For additional resources on how to get a leg up in the ongoing war for talent, check out Jessica's website - MetLife Sponsors: HubSpot: Learn how to grow better by connecting your people, your customers, and your business at HubSpot.com! ZipRecruiter: Find the right employees for your workplace with ZipRecruiter, the #1 rated hiring site in the US, based on G2 ratings! Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com/fire!

Six of the most frequently asked questions I get asked about marketing are:   When it comes to marketing – where on earth do I start? Which marketing channel should I use? How can I ensure a consistent source of leads / customers?  When is the best time to post on social media? Do I really need a blog – do I really need to do reels? How do I know if my marketing is working?   And in this episode, I answer them all for you! If you have any questions about this episode, pop on over to @howtodomarketingacademy on Instagram and drop me a DM. I'm going to be live every Friday at 9am to answer any questions that my community have about their marketing and I'd love to hear from you. ☺   About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know that on average, for every dollar spent on email marketing, it generates a $38 return? Email marketing is a highly effective tool that can help your small business to increase sales. Here are seven steps that you will need to take to ensure that your email marketing is giving you the best bang for your marketing buck. If you have any questions about this episode, pop on over to @howtodomarketingacademy on Instagram and drop me a DM. I'm going to be live every Friday at 9am to answer any questions that my community have about their marketing and I'd love to hear from you. ☺ About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you included email marketing on your list of marketing tactics for this year?  In my experience email marketing is one of the most under-utilised marketing channels and ironically it can be one of the most effective.  Here are at least six reasons as to why your small business should be including email marketing in your marketing plan this year. If you have any questions about this episode, pop on over to @howtodomarketingacademy on Instagram and drop me a DM. I'm going to be live every Friday at 9am to answer any questions that my community have about their marketing and I'd love to hear from you. ☺ About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In season 3, we promised to open up our kimono and reveal how we do things in our businesses – both for Dragonfly Marketing and The How To Do Marketing Academy. So in this episode I am most excited to share with you – our Bloody Great Marketing Plan. Yep, this is the simple and top line marketing game plan for our business. Complete with everything from our business objective to our planned marketing tactics to what metrics we'll be measuring each month. This is how we do marketing! About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you stuck for marketing ideas for 2022? Well then, this episode has got you covered! At the conclusion of 2021, I was reflecting on all of marketing planning, implementation and measurement that we had done for our clients. In 2021, I put together 15 comprehensive small business marketing strategies, we implemented countless successful marketing campaigns and we measured hundreds and thousands of marketing metrics. From this work, we extracted exactly what we did with each project to create high impact marketing on a small budget. We came up with a list of 50 things. There's so many ideas and fantastic tips and tricks – probably too many for you to note down with a pen and paper. Instead, you can download our list of 'Fifty things you can do to create high impact marketing on a small budget' to help you with your 2022 marketing planning today. Simply click on this link: https://www.howtodomarketing.com.au/fiftythings   About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy 2022! What's on the cards for you and your small business this year? Is marketing something that you have been thinking about for a while but for whatever reason not got around to it? Well, if increasing sales is a goal for you in 2022, then this is the year to start marketing! Here are ten very good reasons why marketing needs to be on your agenda for 2022.   About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can small businesses expect to see from the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) this year? What does company culture look like post-pandemic - from working at home to transitioning back to the office? How do businesses find qualified talent to fill the positions left open? How can SBAM help businesses thrive this year? In this episode, Rob and Brian Calley, CEO of SBAM and former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, tackle answering all of these hard questions and much more! Show Links Learn more about the Brighton Chamber by visiting our website.  Guest Links Website: sbam.org  Facebook: @SmallBusinessAssociationofMichigan 

Are you sick of never knowing if your marketing is actually working or not? And it if is working, how is it plugging into your business to help you achieve your overall business goals? When it comes to marketing, the last thing you want to do is waste your hard-earned time and money on marketing that does not work. You want to know if you are going to invest in your marketing, that it's going to provide a return, right? And the best way to get this certainty is to measure your marketing. I have been doing this for years on behalf of my small business clients and know exactly which measurements can tell you if your marketing is working or not. So, in this episode I share my list of ten of the most common small business marketing measurements that you can track in order to tell if your marketing is working or not. If you'd like to work with me directly to find out how you can implement my small business marketing framework to drive successful results for your business, check out our How to do Marketing Academy Mastermind.  About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too often small business owners experience sub-optimal marketing results because they face one or more of the following challenges: They have an extreme lack of time They experience marketing overwhelm They have a fear of wasting money on marketing just in case it doesn't drive results They are bamboozled by so-called marketers with so called marketing solutions. Well, over the years we have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of small businesses and we've worked out some pretty cool solutions to these problems. In this episode, I deep dive into what these challenges can look like for small business owners and what we do as a marketing agency to help solve them. To view the video for Men at Work mentioned in the case study – click here. And if you want to hear more about that campaign in more detail, you can listen to this episode of The How to do Marketing Show where we run through this award winning campaign in more detail. If you'd like to work with me directly to find out how you can implement my small business marketing framework to drive successful results for your business, check out our How to do Marketing Academy Mastermind.  About Jane Hillsdon I'm a passionate award-winning marketer dedicated to helping small business owners make good decisions about their marketing. I am the founder and CEO of a marketing agency called Dragonfly Marketing PLUS the founder of the How to do Marketing Academy.  I'm also the author of How To Do Marketing – A Comprehensive Guide For Small Business.  It's my mission to ensure that marketing is on the agenda for every regionally based small business in Australia. Why? Because I know that when marketing is done properly, it can help your business grow. On the marketing front, I am a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), a member of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) NSW Committee and a head judge for the AMI Awards for Excellence. I was awarded the Small Budget Marketing Award at the AMI Awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we will discuss early signs in management and other leadership roles that will send you an early alert to the looming issues ahead. Link: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/3-signs-your-boss-manager-or-coworker-is-a-toxic-leader-and-you-should-quit https://hbr.org/2021/06/the-hazards-of-a-nice-company-culture?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202021-06-28%20HR%20Dive%20%5Bissue:35108%5D&utm_term=HR%20Dive Enjoy! To learn more about our services click the link below. Boss Calls: https://helpdesksuites.com/boss-calls/ HelpDesk for HR: https://helpdeskforhr.com/

Andy and Jessica welcome you to another episode of The Deal Board Podcast. In today's episode, they are joined by the experts to dive deep into small business solutions and some of the most relevant issues business owners are facing nowadays.   Devin Miller, from Miller IP Law, is sharing about his own business and how he decided to disrupt the IP Law arena. Tracey Bissett, from Bissett Financial Fitness, is talking about books and records, which is the number one trending topic in regards to business success. Mark Tremblay, from Transworld's office, located in Boston, is sharing his knowledge about labor at a small business, which can be the biggest headache for business owners.   Listing of the week: Justin Lefebure (Central Florida) is selling a roofing repair business that has been in business for about 30 years and has a great reputation. This business does $800,000 in sales, has an SDE: $250,000, and the asking price is $550,000. The seller offers to finance, but it also has pre-approval from three different banks through SBA. Call Justin at (772) 925-2675 or email jlefebure@tworld.com.   Key takeaways: [3:42] Devin Miller, from Miller IP Law. [4:00] Devin shares tips for small business owners about IP (Intellectual Property). [6:28] Devin explains the possible consequences of not paying attention to copyrights and trademarks. [9:00] Devin speaks about the difference between copyrights and trademarks. [10:28] How does Miller IP Law help people? [13:47] Deal of the week: Aaron Fox (North Boston) sold a daycare after solving many challenges imposed by the strike of COVID-19. Sold at 2.1 multiple of the SDE, with a total price of $1 million. [19:20] Tracey Bissett, from Bissett Financial Fitness. [20:37] What are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when it comes to their finances? [21:44] If you have delegated all your financial information and decisions, what is the first step to start getting involved? [22:44] Tracey explains how to really start making money in your business. [25:46] Can you articulate the big numbers in your business? [26:34] Tracey talks about what really matters in a financial statement. [29:54] Tracey shares the areas in which entrepreneurs tend to excel. [32:18] What do business entrepreneurs need to be accountable for when it comes to their finances? [34:20] EBITDA cannot be a true reflection of a business. [36:00] Tracey gives advice to all business owners that want to start to straighten up their finances. [38:19] Listing of the week: Justin Lefebure (Central Florida). Roofing repair business that has been in business for about 30 years and has a great reputation. This business does $800,000 in sales, has an SDE: $250,000, and the asking price is $550,000. The seller offers to finance, but it also has pre-approval from three different banks through SBA. [41:22] Mark Tremblay (Boston) talks about his previous business and how he overcame the issue of labor. [44:16] How to assure you are giving remarkable service. [45:36] Mark recommends young people to get into a small business.   Mentioned in this Episode: The Deal Board Podcast United Franchise Group Transworld Business Advisors Transworld on Linkedin Transworld on Facebook Call us — (888) 711-9018 Email us thedealboard@tworld.com Call Aaron Fox at (781) 773-8922 or email afox@tworld.com Call Justin Lefebure at (772) 925-2675 or email jlefebure@tworld.com Call Mark Tremblay at (617) 299-9796   Miller IP Law Fee Strategy Meeting Meet Devin Miller   Bissett Financial Fitness Money Meeting Agenda Tracey Bissett on Linkedin

Business Hero Vanessa Giannos, one of Australia's leading #HR & #OD Experts. Her company has worked with 1000's of clients across the globe and locally in a variety of industries. She's the CEO and founder of HR-Xperts and she says they are "no fluff, direct, straight talking, empathetic & compassionate". https://hr-xperts.com/ Don't forget to #Subscribe

Just because your business is considered “small” or “medium” sized, it doesn't mean you need less from your technology than “big” businesses. In fact, you probably need more. You need more support, more efficiency and more flexibility precisely because your business isn't big. That's why Lenovo has created Small Business Solutions.Please join me in welcoming Colin McIsaac, Executive & General Manager at Lenovo Canada. Where Colin shares information on some of the future projects or initiatives that Lenovo has planned that can benefit small and medium-sized business ownersColin's 23 years of experience spans multiple roles, opportunities, and experiences in the technology business. He has held numerous key leadership positions in both Canada and the US at both Lenovo and IBM. He is passionate about driving broad market engagement and has a strong desire to help enable the customer journey to successful business outcomes.At CES® 2021 Lenovo unveiled its vision to redefine meaningful innovation in technologies, Lenovo is predicting that the next decade will be defined by smarter technology for all,In this podcast, learn more about  Colin's thoughts on this vision and when it comes to running small and medium-sized businesses through advancing technology, what is the number one benefit for entrepreneurs using the Lenovo brand

For small businesses that need a sales manager but are unable to attract the right talent, then an outsourced sales manager is what you need. Outsourced sales management is the solution for small businesses that need a strong leader in their sales team but are unable to offer the salaries expected. In this episode of The Kind Boss podcast, Linh Podetti, founder of Outsourcing Angel, speaks to Rene Zamora, founder of Sales Manager Now and author of Part-Time Sales Management for Small Business Sales Team. Rene specifically helps small business owners find the right solutions for their sales dilemma. His sales outsourcing company was specifically founded because of his love for salespeople and his desire to facilitate sales team growth that resulted in lasting positive changes In this interview, you will learn about: · Outsourced sales and marketing strategies · The effective role a part-time sales manager can play in your business · The benefits of outsourcing sales management · Tips to improve small business sales For more small business solutions, visit salesmanagernow.com. Order Rene's book-https://salesmanagernow.com/book-part-time-sales-management/ and learn how to lead your sales team effectively and efficiently.

We have the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), the African-American International Chamber of Commerce (AAICC) and the Hispanic-American International Chamber of Commerce (HAICC) - we are a Coalition! Businesses are suffering; they have not gotten the kind of assistance they need. Currently, the Feds' Small Business Loan Program has $128B left. Yet City's minority owners still struggle to get their share. Attorney Brian Figeroux explains how we can help.

We have the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), the African-American International Chamber of Commerce (AAICC) and the Hispanic-American International Chamber of Commerce (HAICC) - we are a Coalition! Businesses are suffering; they have not gotten the kind of assistance they need. Currently, the Feds' Small Business Loan Program has $128B left. Yet City's minority owners still struggle to get their share. Attorney Brian Figeroux explains how we can help.

Kyle Gough joins to preview the new weekend show Small Business Solutions at 10 a.m. Saturdays on WOWO. 8-6-2020 Pat Miller Program

SEGMENT 1: In the past, businesses rarely took sides on social issues. Nowadays, in this highly divided world, more small businesses are taking a strong stance on at least one particular issue. In fact, my guest Mike Goldman says you MUST take a side, and he's here to explain why.SEGMENT 2: How are small businesses handling the ups and downs of the COVID 19 pandemic? A good place to begin to understand this is the Small Business Coronavirus Impact Poll by MetLife and the US Chamber of Commerce. Here to tell us the results is Jessica Moser who is Senior Vice President, Small Business Solutions at MetLife.SEGMENT 3: In small business, you want to be able to identify problems and find solutions quickly, but you need to be careful; jumping to conclusions (and solutions) can actually damage your organization and waste resources. Here to help us identify the right problem to solve is Dan Markovitz who makes organizations more profitable by improving operations and execution.Sponsored by HR Direct and Nextiva

Dr. Will Butler, the Financial Physio, and host of the Why Bother with Will Podcast, joins Jared to discuss small business solutions, i.e. the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), during the COVID-19 pandemic.... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/duck-legs/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/duck-legs/support

Breakfast! It’s the most important meal of the day. Especially if you’re Matt and Rich, and you’ve got plenty of hot IT topics to discuss with guest host Bob Nitrio, CEO of Ranvest Associates. Items on the menu today include HPE’s compact new micro-server for SMBs, Nerdio’s new Windows Virtual Desktop deployment and administration system, WatchGuard’s acquisition of Panda Security, and Axcient’s new backup protection technology. There’s also some talk about Kaseya’s campaign to drive awareness of its IT Complete suite for MSPs and the trend toward security vendors using two-S MSSPs as a distribution vehicle for reaching one-S MSP. Don’t miss Bob’s story about the famous drummer he played with in high school either. Like the rest of the show, it’s crunchy goodness from start to finish! Topics and Related Links Mentioned:  HPE Unveils Compact Micro Server for SMBs and Small Business Solutions  Nerdio Launches Windows Virtual Desktop Deployment and Management Tool  WatchGuard Buys Panda Security Axcient Unveils Backup Protection Technology  Kaseya Investing in “IT Complete” as Name to Know in Managed Services Software  Security Vendors Eye MSSPs as Key Route to Landing MSPs   Matt's Museum Pick: Lucent Fw323-04 Matt's Tech Pick: ASRock Thunderbolt 3 AIC R2.0 Rich's ICYMI plug and quickie preview of the week ahead 

Breakfast! It’s the most important meal of the day. Especially if you’re Matt and Rich, and you’ve got plenty of hot IT topics to discuss with guest host Bob Nitrio, CEO of Ranvest Associates. Items on the menu today include HPE’s compact new micro-server for SMBs, Nerdio’s new Windows Virtual Desktop deployment and administration system, WatchGuard’s acquisition of Panda Security, and Axcient’s new backup protection technology. There’s also some talk about Kaseya’s campaign to drive awareness of its IT Complete suite for MSPs and the trend toward security vendors using two-S MSSPs as a distribution vehicle for reaching one-S MSP. Don’t miss Bob’s story about the famous drummer he played with in high school either. Like the rest of the show, it’s crunchy goodness from start to finish! Subscribe to ChannelPro Weekly! ​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​ Look for us in your favorite podcast app. If you don't see us (yet) then you can subscribe via RSS in almost any podcast app using this link: http://www.channelpronetwork.com/rss/cpw Show Information: Episode #: 137Title: Honey Netbooks with NutsDuration: 1:56:42File size: 53.4MBRegulars: Rich Freeman - Executive Editor, Matt Whitlock - Technology EditorGuest Host: Bob Nitrio, CEO of Ranvest Associates Video of ChannelPro Weekly #137 - Honey Netbooks with Nuts Topics and Related Links Mentioned:  HPE Unveils Compact Micro Server for SMBs and Small Business Solutions  Nerdio Launches Windows Virtual Desktop Deployment and Management Tool  WatchGuard Buys Panda Security Axcient Unveils Backup Protection Technology  Kaseya Investing in “IT Complete” as Name to Know in Managed Services Software  Security Vendors Eye MSSPs as Key Route to Landing MSPs   Matt's Museum Pick: Lucent Fw323-04 Matt's Tech Pick: ASRock Thunderbolt 3 AIC R2.0 Rich's ICYMI plug and quickie preview of the week ahead 

We're continuing our conversation on the tools and solutions that Small businesses need to keep operations running without having to micro - manage.  Ready to make your life easier too?  Listen to part 2 of our interview with Workwave's Kerry McCane.  Find out why Ed asked; Where were you in 1974? This is a detailed walk through of the product that can revolutionize the way your small business operates. A total game changer, Are you ready?

Ed calls it turning a corner, just think of it as Levelling up for your small business.  This episode packs another installment of tech info  that you can use to automate and optimize your Pest Control start-up.    

Whether you're just starting out in Pest Control with fewer than five technicians or you have a Multi million dollar company with hundreds of team members.  We all agree on the importance of better productivity. Getting your routes properly organized is a key step in Optimizing your Business Operations.   Of course you already have enough on your plate, so let's learn how you can get it all done with the magic of science and technology.

Jessica is senior vice president and leader of Small Business Solutions in MetLife’s Group Benefits business. She oversees sales, strategy, underwriting, and overall P&L for businesses under 100 employees. Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. In a small business, bringing the wrong person on is almost worse than having nobody. 2. Highlight that people can also get competitive salary and benefits. But really, first and foremost, highlight the values that you have as a small business owner that you can value your employees potentially in a way that a larger company can’t. 3. There are people who will take a lower paying job to work in a company that shares their values. Jessica’s website - Met Life Sponsor: Klaviyo: Growing your ecommerce business starts with creating amazing customer experiences. To learn how Klaviyo can help you build high-value customer relationships — and make more money for your business — visit Klaviyo.com/fire! Peloton: Get a great cardio workout in the convenience of your own home! Limited-time offer: Get $100 off accessories when you purchase the Peloton Bike! Visit OnePeloton.com, and use promo code FIRE to get started today!

Segment 1: Ryan Berman is the author of RETURN ON COURAGE, the Founder of Courageous, a creative consultancy that develops Courage Brands® and trains organizations through Courage Boot Camp. He has helped brands such as Caesars Entertainment, Major League Baseball, Puma, Qualcomm, and Subway. We dive deep into courage. It's a word that is thrown around small business and our society a lot these days - you need to have courage to start a business, you need to have courage to say what you stand for. But what really is courage? What does it take and do any of us really have it? Segment 2: Jessica Moser is senior vice president and the leader of Small Business Solutions in MetLife's U.S. Group Benefits business. She oversees sales, strategy, underwriting, and overall P&L for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and does the same for Specialty Markets, which includes Professional Employer Organization and Association businesses. We talk about how small businesses can attract and retain the best employees by offering attractive ancillary benefits.Segment 3: Bill Furlong is a serial entrepreneur and currently serves as a mentor and investor in a variety of adata and b2b centric companies. He is Founder/CEO of SquareStack. He is also the author of Appify Your Business: Harness the Power of Apps to Save 10 Hours a Week and Reinvent Your Business. We talk about how it can be a challenge to manage all the technology it takes to run a small business these days but we show you a solution that can simplify it for you.Sponsored by Nextiva and Corporate Direct

Totally stoked about today's guest. Jessica Moser is senior vice president and the leader of Small Business Solutions in MetLife's U.S. Group Benefits business. Jessica oversees sales, strategy, underwriting, and overall P&L for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, which is pretty much everyone listening to The Nice Guys. As a guy that owns a few businesses of my own, I don't have time to focus on stuff other than running my business. Jessica's amazing team at MetLife allows me to keep my vision on my bottom line while MetLife delivers a focused solution, exceptional service and a great value when it comes to getting benefits RIGHT, without the hassle. Jessica's team does the same for Specialty Markets, including General Agent and Third Party channels, as well as Professional Employer Organization and Association businesses.   Show notes by show producer/podcastologist: One of the Taylor Sisters     Connect with Jessica Moser: Website: https://www.metlife.com/MySmallBusiness Email: dhammarstrom@metlife.com   Reach The Nice Guys Here: Doug- @DJDoug Strickland- @NiceGuyonBiz   Nice Guys Links:  Subscribe to the Podcast Niceguysonbusiness.com TurnkeyPodcast.com - You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. Podcast Production, Concept to Launch   Book Doug and/or Strick as a speaker at your upcoming event. Amazon #1 Best selling book Nice Guys Finish First. Doug's Business Building Bootcamp (10 Module Course)   Survey: Take our short survey so The Nice Guys know what you like.     Partner Links: Amazon.com: Click before buying anything. Help support the podcast. Acuity Scheduling: Stop wasting time going back and forth scheduling appointments     Promise Statement: To provide an experience that is entertaining and adds value to your life.   Never underestimate the Power of Nice.

Jessica Moser, senior vice president, Small Business Solutions at MetLife sits down with Ramon Ray to discuss the results of the Small Business Index. This is a survey done in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and focuses on the small business economy.

Let’s make your business more efficient! This month’s Entrepreneur Exchange welcomes Nathaniel Holmes from Small Business Solutions, who shares low-cost and no-cost technology solutions to operate your business more efficiently. Plus hosts Jeff Neuville and Gary Muller discuss why new businesses struggle to secure capital, and the guys share their Small Businesses of the Month. Get it now while it’s hot, this month’s Entrepreneur Exchange is on The MESH podcast network!

Rodolpho Cardenuto, President, GP Operations at SAP: INSIGHTS MATTER: SMALL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Frictionless Experiences

President, Small Business Solutions and Human Resources Outsourcing, ADP To hear Women to Watch™ Media’s interview with Maria and learn more about her story, listen below. Full Biography Maria Black is President of Small Business Solutions and Human Resources Outsourcing, where she leads a team focused on helping small business owners manage their most important asset, […]

Tough Talk with Tony Gambone and His Guest Patty DeDominic Patty DeDominic is an extremely successful entrepreneur who in 1979 founded PDQ Careers, an HR consulting company that provided executive search and staffing solutions to organizations like AT&T, USC, Children's Hospitals, The Automobile Clubs of California, Arizona and Texas and many smaller enterprises and government. In 1991 she acquired CT engineering and grew it into one of California's top employers with over 600 staff in 30 states. In 2006, she sold her businesses to a privately held firm that is now over one billion dollars in annual sales and one of the nation's largest human resources/staffing firms. She's been named CEO of the year by LA Business Journal, was inducted into the Women's Business Owners Hall of Fame, is the former Chairperson of the Foundation for SCORE, and was the former President of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

A business that doesn’t take advantage of cloud computing and the ability to manage office functions and customer communication through the cloud is losing out on a huge opportunity. In this segment host Tom D’Auria speaks with Brian Donahoo, CEO of AppFolio a company that creates easy-to-use, web-based software that helps small and mid-sized businesses more effectively market, manage and grow their business.