Partnerships are like business oxygen, you know you need them but they are difficult to execute. If marketing partnerships are a key strategy of yours then it is time to get in shape and learn to do them right.

Kare Anderson is the expert when it comes to marketing partnerships. She has worked with large companies like Sony and Google all the way to the local pizza parlor in a small town.

If you have questions about how to pick the right partner, the right offering and how to make it really work for everyone then you need to check this out.

Start today by reading more and listening to Partner Smart

For a limited time Kare has also made our readers and listeners the following:

SPECIAL OFFER: Every listener who buys SmartPartnering at Kare’s online Grand Store by July 4, 2006, will get a free gift copy of Kare’s companion ebook, Make Yourself Memorable

Just send an email to kare@sayitbetter.com after you’ve ordered it at the Grand Store, with Make Yourself Memorable in the subject line and the gift book will be sent to you by email.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (0) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about another terrific small and medium business podcast.

Description: The SBS Show is a podcast whose topic is Small to Medium business IT and the business of information technology. They talk about everything that can make you a better system administrator, IT consultant, competent IT Professional or well informed business owner. While most focus on gadgets and personal computer technology, SBS Show talks about the actual business of IT.

Comments: With over 20 different shows, The SBS show is a compendium of IT information for the small and medium business. The website is a very clean design with podcasts well organized and each with an accompanying show description to help the listener.

Authored by Vlad Mazek shows vary in length and format, sometimes they highlight a live event or tradeshow and sometime just a dialogue with a subject matter expert, all very practical stuff. Warning however, there is some geeky stuff here as this is aimed primarily at IT pros and those who work with them.

Like most Podcasts who are starting to reach a decent number of shows this one has continuously improved its production, content and value to the audience.

Pluses: I think the site and its clarity of subject matter and access to the content is terrific and I like the tone of the conversations, to the point and not much bull#&*%.

Minuses: It might just be a little too techie for some small business folks but that is OK, the majority of their target audience is IT professionals.

We recommend that you add The SBS Show to your list of sources for small business information.

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When you tangle with print, radio, or visual media your name and identifiers are often going to be mangled. It is not always deliberate. Our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, says never confuse a conspiracy with incompetence.

But how can one tell the difference?

The wife of Your Business Blogger, Charmaine, appeared on Joe Scarborough’s show last night. She prepped using the 10 Tips for Your Big Show Biz Break. She was debating a recent New York Times article. It said that cheating on a spouse can be good.

Your Business Blogger advises against cheating on a spouse. Bad for the job. And small business is a jealous mistress.

Who?

Anyway, Charmaine does her homework. And provides name, rank and serial number to the producer.

MSNBC would be considered by some to be a world-class organization committed to attention to detail.

But MSNBC producer slips up on the names and by-lines. Mistakes will happen. Guaranteed.

And when the goofs go live, the professional doesn’t say die.

Whenever there is any kind of error in any form, in any forum, continue with your act. Keep talking; keep singing; keep dancing.

The show must go on.

The correct by-line, finally.

Most of the time, your audience will never see the goof-up. The audience will see and remember passion.

No matter if there is a conspiracy. Or merely incompetence.

Deliver your sound bite. Make the sale.

See the adultery clip on Scarborough Country, MSNBC.

Posted by Jack Yoest | Comments (3) | Permalink

This is part 3 of our series on ‘Productive Employees and Happy Bosses” with Michael Dees of esecurity-direct.com. Michael takes on the topic of Telecommuting, from who should do it, to the technology you need, to providing support and training.

A key word to describe telecommuting is flexibility. Telecommuting is a technology-enabled workplace alternative that allows work day freedoms, and enables valuable uninterrupted work time. It can help improve communications with nearly everyone you deal with, can help balance family and work time, and can improve overall work quality and performance.

You can benefit from telecommuting by:

Finally, telecommuting instills a feeling of implicit trust between the owner/manager and the telecommuter, empowering you with the flexibility to meet your strategic goals with maximum efficiency.

Ready to give it a try? First go to read more and listen to: Making Telecommuting Work for You

Be sure to check out the first two parts in this great series:

Part 1: Hiring New Employees - The Technology They Need

Part 2: Employee Productivity through Technology

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There’s an old Hollywood bromide that goes, Never follow kids or animals. These are tough acts to follow.

The Dreamer on the mikes

So when your big break comes, steer clear of kids and animals. Even the professionals have trouble with this.

A few years ago, Your Business Blogger and Charmaine and the 18 month-old Dreamer kicked off a press conference for Congressman Bill Archer who was introducing tax cut legislation. As I droned waxed eloquent, the little Dreamer got distracted by the microphones. With their soft, inviting, spongy covers.

So she reached out and gave the mike cover a good squishy squeeze. And when she did, the sound guy connected to the respective mike let out a yelp, jerking his head phones off. Squeezing the mike cover pegged the audio needles. Deafening the sound man.

And then she moved to the next mike. Then the next. Working across the podium, destroying ear drums of the most expensive tech talent in your nation’s capital.

Head phones were flying.

Grown men were crying.

In pain.

Others were crying from laughter.

Nobody remembers what I said or what the Congressman said. Not that this is news.

But here’s your lesson as you prepare for radio interviews. Lock the dog away. Ignore the barking.

Lock the kids away. Ignore the screaming.

Lock the wife Send the wife to Nordstroms.

Alert Readers will recall that political consultants Mary Matalin and James Carville would sometimes conduct radio interviews from their home with their wee ones noisily playing underfoot. Distracting, and not everyone can pull this off. They are battle-hardened professionals. You’re not.

Take no chances when your big break beckons.

And as the British say, “Break a leg!”

###

PS Happy Father’s Day! Be sure to visit Father’s Day on Eternal Patrol for another speech by Your Business Blogger. This one had gun shots fired. No one was hurt.

Posted by Jack Yoest | Comments (0) | Permalink

Would you like to be cashing a 4-5 figure check from Google every month?

Are you just a beginner with Adsense or a frustrated veteran?

Then you need to listen to our guest, Joel Comm (www.adsense-secrets.com) as he provides an hours worth of highly valuable knowledge on this weeks show.

Joel has over 20 years of online experience and over 4 years of serious income from Google Adsense. He has built multiple highly trafficked sites and even sold one to Yahoo (www.classicgames.com).

He has been under the covers of Adsense and really knows the ins and outs, the tricks and shortcuts on how you can use this tool to make more money, even while you sleep.

Click and learn more Turning Google Adsense into a Goldmine for Your Website

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The recent World War II celebration of D-Day reminded Your Business Blogger that there is one thing you will never get from a reporter.

Loyalty.

But there is help. Here are three handy phrases for self-defense against an aggressive reporter: Off the Record. Deep Background. Not for Attribution. I use them to gain a second to think.

These disclaimers usually will protect a source. And because you are an influential small business owner, you will, one day, be interviewed. (I know this because you are reading this blog.)

But do these phrases always work?

The only reason a small business owner would talk with the press is to advance a marketing plan or another agenda. The source will tell his story; the reporter will write his story and seldom will they be same.

Sometimes, you might wish to remain an anonymous source.

Most of the time, it is in the interest of the reporter to protect a source.

But don’t bet on it. If you have anything — anything that would make a story, you will be compromised.

The most dangerous spot to be is between a reporter and a Pulitzer.

Ben Bradlee

For example, would you sell out the American soldier for a Pulitzer Prize? No? Ben Bradlee would.

My friend Gary Bauer tells this story:

A number of years ago at the National Press Club I had the opportunity to ask Ben Bradlee, then executive editor of The Washington Post, what he would have done if he found out ahead of time about the D-Day invasion to liberate Europe.

Would the Post have printed the story?

Bradlee’s answer took a while, but the bottom line was . . .

“yes.”

Now most of what we communicate will not rise above compromising anyone. But take no chances, because the reporter will take no prisoners.

Of course not all reporters are monsters. Some of my best friends are journalists.

But remember reporter Ben Bradlee. Would he compromise his country?

Yes. For a story.

If a reporter cannot be loyal to his country, he will not be loyal to you.

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