There are many new small businesses today. These are businesses with less than 10 employees and many are home-based businesses that are operating as “virtual offices.” At times, these businesses need staffing assistance but have no physical office space.

Our featured guest in this Episode of The Small Business Trends Radio is Gayle Buske, Founder and CEO of Team Double-Click Inc., a service offering professional virtual assistants for small and home-based businesses. Gayle explains how to set up - and staff - your virtual office.

Here’s a sampling of information from the show:

• A virtual assistant — works independently from a remote location and can help you by performing a number of different tasks required to run your small business. Having an assistant perform daily tasks that may have taken you up to 20 hours a week to perform will now allow you to spend those 20 hours focusing on clients, sales, coaching, speaking or traveling.

• The only tools you need — to receive assistance are email, instant messenger and a telephone. There are also many online sites and services available for additional communication or file sharing.

• Costs for a virtual assistant — may vary, but an average of $25 per hour can be expected and many will also work on a retainer fee or under contract.

Virtual assistants can help your business prosper by saving you time and allowing you to focus on growing your business rather than spending the bulk of it performing the mundane daily tasks required to run it. Many small or home based business owners are so busy running their businesses that the lack of time available to them to focus on growth actually inhibits it.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits a virtual assistant may be able to bring to your business, you can do so by clicking the red and yellow player below and listening to Gayle’s full interview.

Listen Now:

 How To Set Up A Virtual Office - Assistants And All [27:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (4) | Permalink

If you’re a contractor or skilled tradesman, chances are that an employee, or yourself, has left a job site and left expensive tools behind. Or maybe you’ve left for the job site and have left behind tools needed that day.

Well, Ford Motor Company and DeWALT have some good news for you. They are bringing new meaning to the term “remote office” by recently announcing a set of high-tech features for 2009 Ford F series trucks and E series vans called Ford Work Solutions, including an onboard computer and tool tracking.

Our featured guest in this Episode of The Small Business Trends Radio is Bill Frykman, Product Manager at Ford Work Solutions and Chris Allen, Vice President of Security Products Group at DeWALT. And they are here to discuss the many features that they’ve developed to assist small business owners.

Topics include:

• Who can make use of this technology? — Skilled tradesman such as contractors, painters, landscapers, plumbers, lawn care providers and many more running similar small businesses.

• How does it work? — Safety first. For starters, once you hit the road moving, the in-dash computer functions are disabled so that drivers cannot be distracted while driving. In order to use the technology, the vehicle must be at a stand still. Features include hands free phone functionality, Internet access, GPS technology, remote fleet/vehicle monitoring and performance monitoring just to name a few.

• How do the tools work? — Track tools included in your truck hrough radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. You can buy any number of RFID tags you like. Place them on your tools, register them and then associate the necessary tools to your logged jobs. The system will scan the vehicle upon start up and let you know which ones are missing and which ones are present. These tags also have personal uses. Register and tag camping items, fishing items and the like!

Click the red and yellow player below to listen to the full interview.

Listen Now:

 Ford & Dewalt Contractor Control Centers: Smart Trucks [28:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (4) | Permalink

Think it’s not? Think again because small businesses - those with less than ten employees - are ten times more likely to experience embezzlement than larger corporations. Embezzlement is running rampant in the U.S. It is estimated that one out of every three U.S. businesses have been victimized, are currently being victimized, or will be victimized by this type of crime.

Our featured guest in this Episode of The Small Business Trends Radio is Barry Webne. Barry is a respected authority on the detection and prevention of occupational fraud and white-collar crime.

What makes Barry an expert? He was convicted of bank fraud for embezzling more than $1 million dollars. And he says it’s easy to detect and prevent this crime - with tips from an expert.

Topics include:

• The typical embezzlement scheme? — This usually takes place within an accountant or controller position and lasts approximately 18 months. The average embezzlement scheme usually nets the embezzler about $150,000 and, typically, many feel that they’ll never get caught. And the truth is - many are caught by accident. Either by taking a day off or simply being careless.

• Who is the embezzler? — Surprisingly, it’s your ideal employee. The one who is always on time, churns out perfect work and is a whiz of a multitasker - this is the profile of a typical embezzler. Most feel overworked, underpaid and overwhelmed and many are suffering monetary pressures within their personal life. Sound like any of your employees?

Barry shares his personal insights on the psychological traits, behaviors and tendencies of an occupational criminal and believes that no company or organization - large or small, profit or non-profit - is safe.

Think it can’t happen to you? Think again and educate yourself on what to look for by clicking the red and yellow player below and listen to Barry’s full interview for tips on how to spot this crime or avoid it altogether.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: After this radio show was recorded we learned that Barry Webne, the guest, was brought up on a new set of charges involving embezzlement. Charges are pending in Federal Court in Toledo, Ohio as of February 2008.

Listen Now:

 Confessions of an Embezzler - Is Your Business At Risk? [29:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (6) | Permalink

So you’ve just completed a daunting recruitment process and you’re excited because you’ve finally found the perfect candidate. Or did you?

Do you really know who you just hired? Have you ensured that they do not have a criminal background? Did you ask questions during the interview process that can determine the applicant’s honesty and integrity? Uh oh. . .maybe you’ve overlooked something.

Robert Morris has joined us as our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio. As Founder and Chairman of The In-House Group, Robert really cuts through to the heart of the matter when determining someone’s personality and integrity.

Robert provides detailed answers to these important questions and more:

• Are there triggers that signal trouble on the application? — Did they sign it? Did they answer criminal questions? Did they fail to explain employment gaps or provide incomplete information? Robert sheds some insight and explains what to look for.

• Are there key questions that are designed to ensure honesty and integrity? — You may be surprised. Making a few things known to the applicant right up front and posing a few deliberate questions can be beneficial. Applicant responses can be key indicators.

• Should you take body language into account? — Ask yourself: Is the applicant breaking eye contact repeatedly? Are they extremely nervous or evasive? Not everyone will be hiding something, but excessive behaviors may be indicators that something is amiss.

• What’s the importance of a reference check? — Past job performance can be an important predictor of future success. Robert has some tips for you.

Robert provided a highly informative interview that’s full of useful tips and insights. He has also been kind enough to provide a guideline for our listeners that provides a detailed outline of steps that can be taken to minimize surprises concerning your employees. Here is the link:

Safe Hiring Guideline

Don’t think your employees are hiding anything from you? Did you conduct the application and interview process correctly to properly ensure this? Find out by listening to Robert’s interview and click the player below.

For more information about Robert and The In-House Group, please contact him at 216.766.5780.

Listen Now:

 Do You Really Know Who You Just Hired? [30:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (4) | Permalink

What do you do if your industry’s prices drop over 70% for new and existing customers? Do you panic, loose sleep and worry? Maybe so but that won’t provide solutions and there’s a much more positive approach to deal with such a situation.

And in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio, we are going to find out how one company not only survived - but grew - with positive cash flows and zero debt in an industry where prices had dropped over 70% in the past 7 years.

Zane Safrit has joined us as our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio. As CEO of Conference Calls Unlimited, Zane shares his personal story of taking a company that was facing certain doom out of the darkness and into the light.

Zane provides detailed answers to these questions and more:

• What do you do first? — That’s easy. You simply begin to eliminate expenses that do not contribute to ROI. Zane discusses the importance of business decisions such as this. They are personal as they impact your family, your life and your lifestyle. Do not take them lightly.

• What’s the most important thing? — Another easy answer. Great customer service is crucial. Zane discusses how his company gave it’s employees the authority to do whatever it takes to make the customer happy - without having to run it past management first.

• What is good customer service? — For starters, it’s something as simple as answering the phones. Automated systems, time spent waiting for email responses and waiting days for solutions to problems is not customer service. The value of a live human being providing immediate solutions, attention and assistance is priceless.

• How do you make an impression? — Consider the term, “Sounds crazy, but it just might work.” That saying applies here as Zane discusses something that his company began doing for new customers and referrals - that had a huge positive impact and response from clientele.

• What’s a company snitch program? — At Zane’s company, every month a meeting is held where employees and management snitch on each other for their accomplishments over the past month that may have gone unnoticed. Achievements such as assisting a customer and solving technical problems are outed and generate positive energy that radiates throughout the company and staff.

Zane’s company overcame the darkness by thinking outside the box and shifting perspectives. Zane says listening is a key to success - listen to employees, advice, industry trends and customers. Now listen to Zane and click the player below to hear his full interview.

Listen Now:

 In The Face of Certain Doom, One Company Finds Success [28:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (5) | Permalink

Many of us are always looking for ways to achieve a better web presence while avoiding overpaying for it. But how do you decide what’s an improvement? How do you know what’s effective and what’s not? And what are some ways to drive traffic once you have a great website?

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is John Munsell, CEO of Bizzuka. For the past 12 years John has been helping companies market their goods and services or streamline their internal communication processes by leveraging the Web. And in this episode - he’s going to help YOU.

Here is a sampling of topics discussed during this show:

• Did you know — that statistics state that 90% of initial customer interactions come through websites? And that potential customers will size up your website within first 52 milliseconds - the blink of an eye, literally.

• Websites are not — simply ads or billboards for your company. Visitors are coming to you to receive something - information, assistance, education, services, etc. It’s gone far beyond advertising or an electronic brochure so make sure you’re giving them what they are looking for.

• Don’t Make the mistake of — using splash pages with animations and a button to bypass or “Enter Here.” When you visit a company, you don’t have to knock on the door to get in - why knock on the door of a website to enter? It’s best not to place another barrier in front of them. Just open the door and let them in.

• Think through the purpose — of your website. Hold a strategy session if necessary. What are customers looking for? Place yourself in their shoes and immediately give them what it is that they want. Is it time for a redesign?

• Every 12 to 18 months — you should redesign your website and rid it of certain elements that are outdated such as flash animation, blink art, clip art, overwhelming colorful text, splash pages, etc. Clear navigation and legible text is still “king.”

Remember that technology is always changing, growing and evolving. Your website should also be living, breathing and ever-evolving in order to keep up.

John offers a lot of great advice and concepts to take into consideration when designing your website. Want to hear them all? Click the player below to listen to John’s full interview.

Listen Now:

 10 Things CEOs Should Know About Web Design [27:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (5) | Permalink

A manager may be far removed from the day to day activities - but the employee is working hands on. If you are a manager and are out of touch with what your employees are doing, posses unrealistic expectations, or simply don’t treat your employees with respect, they may conclude that you are “clueless.” Because it’s the employee who is on the front lines dealing with unhappy customers, difficult technology and problem solving. And these issues are far more prevalent in an office than one might immediately conclude.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Wayne Hurlbert, an online business commentator at BlogBusinessWorld. With a sense of humor and a tad of sarcasm, Wayne spells out the issues and occurrences that may make a manager look “clueless” in the office.

Are you a “clueless” manager?

• Are you clueless with Employees? — Clueless managers exhibit poor hiring skills that may be based on appearance and a good conversation during the interview — not abilities. And, most likely, the staff will realize it before the manager does. To continue to be clueless upon hiring do you: 1.) Provide no training whatsoever and simply show your new employees their desks? 2.) Micro-manage them to death and correct their work standing over their shoulders? 3.) Show an inability to delegate responsibilities and feel you should have yourself cloned because no one can do it as well as you can?

• Are you clueless with customers? — Clueless managers know what’s best for their customer. A clueless manager is a manager that TELLS the customer what they want - rather than LISTENING to what it is that they actually DO want. As a manager, do you: 1.) Shove products and services at customers? 2.) Alienate customers by providing no customer service and provide no training to the staff to do so either? 3.) Shift blame rather than acknowledging policies in place don’t apply and aren’t helpful.

• Are you clueless regarding internal operations? — There are so many ways to mess up here -where to begin? Do you: 1.) Have no concept of expenses or cost of goods and forget obvious expenses? 2.) Fail to include expenses in calculations? 3.) Foolishly cut costs on customer service or elsewhere to save $.03 by doing so?

• Clueless about the Internet? — A clueless manager believes that the Internet is a fad that will soon die and that there’s little to no value to it. Do you: 1.) Refuse to take advantage of all the opportunities it offers? 2.) Design a hard to navigate site, burying your products in it forcing visitors through 80 pages to buy something? 3.) Consider blogs and social networking sites useless teenage fads?

The above questions deliver a dose of sarcasm - but the stark reality is that the issues exist. Not only do they exist, they are prevalent. And good managers will recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Clueless managers feel they have none. If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you can help your staff perform their jobs, create trust, and build relationships with them by listening to Wayne’s humorous approach to clueless management.

Need a reality check? Click the player below to listen to the full interview of Wayne Hurlbert, an online business commentator at BlogBusinessWorld.

Listen Now:

 How to Avoid Being a Clueless Manager [28:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (5) | Permalink