Business Owners` Pod Talk

Fall sports may be early in their seasons, but entrepreneurs are three-quarters of the way through their "season." The question is: How do you finish strong?  Business advisor Tom Caprel, Breakthrough Results, has some ideas, applicable to whether your business is limping toward the finish line or roaring toward another successful year.  Monthly reviews. Long-term goals.  Short-term plans.  Talking to your team.  Your system for success.

Tips from Gail Sussman-Miller on ways to overcome the nerves when it's time to ask for the order -- or ask for an introduction to a potential customer.

An employee with an MBA comes with at least a small salary premium -- but, author Brian Precious says, can be of significant help for small businesses in changing industries. . .those ready for a big step forward. . .and start-ups.  Listen in to Brian's thoughts on how small businesses can use MBAs.

  ·         A national survey of online households indicates that 45% of us are worried about credit card and banking fraud.  Here’s the kicker:  One-third of those households no longer purchase goods and services on the Internet.   ·         Same survey:  63% of us are worried about identity theft – and by a loss of control over our personal data.   ·         LinkedIn last week admitted that a 2012 data breach affected login data for more than 100 million users, not the 6.5 million originally noted.  According to the Los Angeles Times, a hacker is selling user data on the Dark Web.  LI now says users should change their passwords.   ·         The same day, the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA team) reported that players’ W-2 information (Social Security numbers, names and addresses, birthdates and compensation) reported to the IRS has been stolen.   That makes our new Business Owners' Pod Talk, When ID Theft Gets Personal, especially timely.  Listen in at www.kendallcom.com/podcast -- and sha

There’s nothing positive about ransomware attacks that cripple your computers until you pay a ransom to the perpetrator.  Ransom demands generally must be paid in untraceable bitcoin.  Our new Business Owners’ Pod Talk. . .How to Prevent Ransomware Attacks. . .is a conversation with Dave Davenport, CEO of IT support provider MotherG.   Among the suggestions:  Good SPAM filter.  Strong firewall.  User training. 

Economist and CFA Jason Thomas, CEO and chief investment officer of Savos Investments, discusses small businesses and the economy -- including the role of central banks and interest rates, investment strategies, and fundamental changes that will affect decisions made by business owners.

It’s a subject many of us are uncomfortable discussing, but workplace safety is an issue in today’s world.   ·         Productivity tends to fall when workplace attacks are highlighted in the media. ·         Most attorneys say that providing a safe workplace is a management responsibility. ·         But what does a company do?  Police-led training?  Safety drills?  What-to-do-if lists?   Behavioral psychologist Russ Riendeau shares ideas in this Business Owners’ Pod Talk, Workplace Safety:  Perception vs. Reality.

Ever wonder whether your social media efforts are good enough?  Whether Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn really are the platforms you need?  Whether there's a better way to score with social media?  Our "How to Up Your Social Media Game" conversation with Brand Strong Marketing's Sue Kirchner answers those questions -- and offers advice.

How do you respond when an employee seeks time off to provide care for a loved one?  Gerontologist Colleen Ceh Becvar discusses how employers can help.

Human error, often the result of too little (or no) workplace cyber security training, is behind most instances of ID theft-cyber fraud.  Even the smallest businesses are vulnerable.  Certified Identity Protection Advisor George Vroustouris, founder of Undo Identity Theft Inc., talks cyber solutions.

Buying a building?  Rehabbing?  Purchasing new equipment?  Karen Lennon explains why the little known Section 504 loan may be your best option for low-cost, long-term funding.

A well-drawn contract can help assure your client pays.

Time to think about selling your business?  M&A attorney Ray Horn says it could take three years to get your business ready for the market.  Listen to his thoughts during Jim Kendall's interview.

You think you have the sale wrapped up, but then your prospect starts worrying about price.  Stacia Skinner, a top sales trainer and president of Creative Training Solutions, suggests how to respond.  

Do your clients actually know what your business does?  Are they using your competitors to provide services you should be providing?  A client loyalty assessment may help you answer those questions.  Value Drivers’ Lee Eisenstaedt discusses in our newest Business Owners’ Pod Talk, How to Boost Revenue.

Because any business can be hacked, Jeff Jensen's 10 Questions to Ask Before You're Hacked is must listening.  Jensen, former FBI special agent, then a federal prosecutor and now a partner in the St. Louis law firm Husch Blackwell, suggests questions business owners, Board members and senior staff should ask about their company's cyber attack readiness.

The SBA's 7(a) loan is one of the most versatile financing options around.  There are rules, of course, and you'll want a bank comfortable in the SBA environment.  Bridgeview Banking Group's Tom Meyer shares the details.

Need a business loan?  Too small to interest the bank?  Listen in as Amy Clinton talks about loan options at Accion Chicago -- in the city, suburbs, throughout Illinois.  Indiana as well.

.  Targeting.  Networking.  Collaborating.  How to find new customers, how to keep them once you get them.

From utilizing community bulletin boards at places like Starbucks and Jimmy Johns to connecting with local college career centers and establishing employee referral programs, career consultant Bob Podgorski discusses where small businesses can find new employees.