This week’s Podcast Review is about the Kiplinger Personal Finance Podcast

Description: Updated every other Tuesday. This Podcast features audio versions of the top stories from the latest issue of the Kiplinger magazine.

Comments: With good production values, professional intro’s, narrator and excellent sound quality these Podcasts are really the written content from the magazine delivered via audio files (Podcasts).

Each is about 10-15 minutes in length and cover a wide variety of topics important to small business owners. Every other week one are article is picked to be the featured Podcast on the site. Here is a sampling of some of the show titles:

- Why Stocks Will Keep Going Up
- The Art of the E-Deal
- Retirement Saving Made Easy
- Take a Flier on a Friend?

There are dozens more in the archive section of the website. This Podcast is a good cross of personal and business financial information.

Pluses: Great content, professional website, almost instant play (seperate player pops-up), easy RSS subscriptions, links to the full transcripts and nice use of photos.

Minuses: I would like to see content come out more frequently, the existing content is not categorized and the Podcast borders precariously on the edge of almost too commercial for Kiplinger.

Recommendation: Good content is hard to ignore, Kiplinger has grown into a media powerhouse delivering relevant and valuable content to their audience. It is hard to resist the Podcast delivery of such good stuff. I suggest you check out the Kiplinger Personal Finance Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

Encountering and overcoming crises on a daily basis is a fact of life for many business owners. And many businesses walk a “tight rope” of survival during the first several years. It is during those times that staying motivated and focused becomes crucial to the survival of the business.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Rory Wilfong, Co-Founder of Get My Homes Value.com. Rory provides tips and insights to help you deal with crisis to overcome the obstacles of business ownership and successfully manage your business.

Here is a sampling from the show:

• Stick to the basics — stick to what it is that you’re good at. The recipe for success is to acknowledge the actions that you’re good at, and spend the bulk of your time performing those tasks and delegating the balance of activities to others. If delegating tasks is not an option because you’re working along, simply attempt to spend less time performing those actions by allotting yourself specific time frames. This frees you to then focus the bulk of your energies on the areas of your strength.

• Business coaches — are an emerging trend and a great asset to a business. Business coaches can become an accountability partner for you. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused when your working alone and have no one to answer to. A business coach can provide encouragement, help you to delegate responsibilities to let you focus on your strengths, and can assist you in your business education. And remember, many small businesses are started because the owner is good at something. Attempt to avoid spending the bulk of your day performing activities that are not part of your strengths.

• Be honest with yourself — when it comes to recognizing when your exhibiting signs of being lazy, scared or stupid regarding your business. Analyze yourself and your business to drill down these areas. Are you fearful of rejection? Are you putting off important tasks? Acknowledging these tendencies is the first step to success. This is where an accountability partner or coach becomes beneficial and can assist you by keeping your goals top of mind for you and holding you accountable to them. If you do not have a business coach, your spouse, friends, and family can assist you.

• Get the people — you need in place and accept that it’s OK to ask for help - because failure is not an option. Friends, family, and spouses can assist you in your business and, most likely, will be more than happy to do so. Whether it be performing mundane daily tasks such as taking phone calls, scheduling, paperwork and bills, or acting as an accountability partner to make sure your goals are being met. If you need to make 15 cold calls a day - having an accountability partner can see to it that the calls are made.

Rory has much more to share with you. To experience Rory’s upbeat energy and the tips he has provided, click the player below to listen to the full interview. And be sure to stay tuned at the end of the program for Today’s Trend: New And Emerging Trends Affecting Today’s Business.

Listen Now:

 Overcoming Being Lazy, Scared or Stupid in Your Business [53:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (2) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the MidwestBusiness.com Podcast.

Description: MidwestBusiness.com, a publication of Midwest Business, Inc., publishes daily technology and business news covering the Midwest of the USA.

Comments: Adam Fendelman and Brad Spirrison host this Podcast. They cover an incredibly wide range of topics. The shows are well produced, good audio, some humor and great topics.

Most shows are Adam and Brad discussing and debating that shows topic. Here is a sampling of some of the show titles:

- Ramifications of Web 2.0
- eCrush, Online Dating
- Cleversafe ‘Storing the World’s Data’
- Online Social Networking For Hospitals

Shows come out just about every week and are a very digestable 5 minutes in length. The shows provide interesting insight into the topics presented and most highlight a midwest business or business person.

Pluses: I like several of the topics, I like the 5-minute length, instant play, decent show notes, easy to subscribe and a basic functioning web page.

Minuses: For being labeled MidwestBusiness.com a great many of the Podcasts are Chicago centric, true that is the midwest but I would like to spread out the geographic coverage a little.

Recommendation: If staying in touch with the latest in Midwest Business, particularly technology topics is important to you then you should check out the MidwestBusiness.com Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

Many business owners may not be asking for what they deserve. They may be undervaluing their services or undercharging for their products in order to offer a good deal to their customers.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Maria Marsala, Founder of Elevating Your Business, a business strategies company that focuses on helping its clients earn more money and enjoy a quality lifestyle. Maria is a no-nonsense, bottom line, problem solver and she’s here to help you get your business back on track and begin to earn what you deserve.

Here is a sampling of some tips from the show:

• Consider offering — less for the same price. If you’re offering a consultation service, try offering less time for the same rate. If your offering a product, consider offering a smaller amount without a rate decrease. Early bird specials and introductory prices can also be used to increase sales and build clientele.

• Practice — makes perfect. It’s important to learn how to properly communicate the value of your product or service to a potential customer. And many small business owners may not be comfortable with it or simply do not focus on it. If you can successfully impart the value of your offerings to a potential client, chances are that you will be equally successful in closing that sale. Start by practicing your pricing pitch in the mirror and on your friends and family to build confidence. Ask for constructive criticism and make necessary adjustments. If you project confidence to your client, they will feel confident in purchasing the services and products you have to offer.

• Don’t give away — too many freebies. Five out of ten times, when too much is offered for free upfront, the client may not call back for additional products or services. If in a service business, do not offer your advice for free. When it is requested, simply state your consultation rates and then arrange to set an appointment. This will give value and appreciation to those who are ideal clients and will sift out those who may not be. If you give away items or services for free, the client may not value it.

• Plan ahead — for things to come. Learn to handle clients who make last minute changes, want the job rushed, or require that work be performed on weekends in order to accommodate their wishes. Think and plan ahead as to what your response will be and how far you will go. Set your charges for extra rates, weekend hours, etc.

Maria has a lot more tips to share with you. To experience her no-nonsense energy and drive, click the player below to listen to the full interview.

Listen Now:

 Pricing Strategies To Help You Earn What You Deserve [53:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (4) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Entrepreneur People Podcast

Description: Real Stories about real people that teach lessons in business and in life.

Comments: Well produced content, and no messing around. Host Sherry Borzo goes straight at her guests in a fun but direct way. She gives her guest the opportunity to tell their real story in order to help her listeners get the most value from the experiences the guests share. Some sample show topics include:

- Saving the world one package at a time
- The business of films, indepent films, corporate videos.
- Get more in a talk with Kelly Moore public relations entrepreneur
- Resources that are healthy for you, the environment, and others

Her show is hosted at BlogTalkRadio so it has all of the best features, show notes, instant play, RSS Subscriptions, even the ability to call in during the live portion of the show.

Be sure to visit the show archive pages at the bottom right side of the page.

Pluses: Great content presented in a fun enjoyable manner. I also like the BlogTalk interface, it makes having a great Podcast website easier for Podcasters.

Minuses: The audio is recorded phone calls and sometimes the voice quality suffers because of it. If the callers have a crummy phone or connection it makes the audio difficult to hear.

Recommendation: If you learn best about business by hearing the stories of real entrepreneurs then the Entrepreneur People Podcast is one you should check out.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink

Harboring the effects of negative experiences, thoughts, or feelings, can result in a damaged self-perception and affect the ways in which we treat others and ourselves. This negativity can become your reality and can affect your personal and business relationships and hinder your own success.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Chris Curtis, Founder of Web Business Ownership, LLC, an online resource for small business owners. Chris helps you to strengthen your self esteem, build better business relationships, and positively market yourself online.

Here is a sampling from the show:

• Isolating yourself — behind a computer on a daily basis can create anxiety, fear of nonacceptance, and a low self-perception about your business image. As a result, many are unable to market themselves properly. Perhaps you’re overweight, balding, or fear ridicule, and this hinders you from positively networking with others. The first step to improving your self-esteem to market yourself properly is to accept that everybody is not always going to like you. And once you like yourself, others will too.

• The Law of Attraction — is always at work. Abuse, ridicule, memories from the past, and emotional baggage, need to be locked away in order for you to free yourself and reach out to network with others. Like attracts like. Speaking negatively, acting aggressively, being timid or fearful - only returns more of it to you. Flip the script. If you’re shy, be bold. If you’re aggressive, simply sit back and listen. You’ll find that you’ll connect better with others, earn respect, and receive positive responses.

• Realizing your strong points — and working on the things that you can control and change redirects your image and positively influences others. Make peace with yourself. The things that you cannot change about yourself do not matter and not everyone is good at everything. Find your strengths and focus on them.

• Paying attention — to the thoughts and feelings that influence you each day can be educational. If you feel that you can’t do something, change your mindset and tell yourself that you CAN. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t - you are usually right.”

Chris has a lot more to share with you. To experience Chris’s positive energy, insights, and tips, click the player below to listen to the full interview. And remember - The Law of Attraction is always at work.

Listen Now:

 5 Steps to Getting Over Yourself [53:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (7) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Hawaii Diner Podcast.

Description: The Hawaii Diner Podcast is all about food - whether that means eating out, cooking at home or learning something new - and it is most about celebrating the importance of food in our lives. We are blessed with the bounty of the land and the sea and a rich cultural diversity which makes food in Hawaii unique.

Comments: I had two reasons for reviewing this Podcast, one it is a great example of using audio to augment a website’s purpose and two, it does an excellent job of providing insight into dining in Hawaii.

Each Podcast starts with some very cool and mellow music (my definition) and is professional produced with great sound values and excellent interview techniques. You get the chance to learn directly from some of Hawaii most famous chef’s. Here is a sample of some show titles:

- Mi Casa, Burger Project, The Banyan Veranda and Tadashi
- Lesa Griffith’s Views of Food, Food in Hawaii and the Future of Dining in Hawaii
- An Interview with Elizabeth Andoh, Japanese Culinary Scholar

and about 20 more Podcasts are available.

Pluses: Well produced, interesting interviews. nice website integrating the podcasts into the overall site theme. Good show notes and easy subscribe links as well.

Minuses: The content is a little dated, while the whole site seems to be fairly current the Podcasts are a few months dated. I would also like ‘instant play’ to be available on the site.

Recommendation: First check this out for the Hawaiin food information and then review it as a way for a small business to use a Podcast to augment your other website content. Listen to the Hawaii Diner Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink