This week’s Podcast Review is about the Franchise Interviews Podcast.

Description: Franchise Interviews is an up close and behind the scenes look at franchising. The unique format features a variety of topics on franchising as well as personal interviews with franchisees, franchisors and franchise experts. Franchise Interviews is hosted by Marty McDermott and Don Johnson.

Comments: This is another in great Podcasts (like ours) hosted and distributed through Blogtalk Radio. All franchising all the time, the hosts cover the gambit of topics for those interested in franchising.

The content is great, at times the audio quality is sketchy but the range of topics covered is broad and comprehensive ranging from the beginner to franchising to the multi-location master franchiser. Here is a sampling of some recent shows:

- Interviews with the Juice Stop
- Interview with 1st Inpection Services Franchise
- Solving The Puzzle Of Owning A Franchise
- LA Sunset Tan Franchise Opportunity

Learn more about franchising and different franchises in 30 minutes or less with this Podcast.

Pluses: As it should be the content is king with this Podcast. The web interface makes it easy to find the show you are interested in. Good show notes, RSS subscriptions, a well done podcast.

Minuses: Sometimes the recorded phone call audio quality is a barrier to hearing clearly.

Recommendation: If you are considering franchising, shopping for a franchise or trying to operate a better franchise then Franchise Interviews is for you.

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This week’s Podcast Review is about the SalesRepRadio Podcast.

Description: SalesRepRadio brings you sales tips, advice and best practices from some of some of North America’s top sales consultants. Segments are hosted by broadcast veterans and sales pro’s Dan Walker and Susan Anderson.

Comments: All sales all the time this Podcast has some very good content that is valuable to the small business sales professional. Most shows are interviews with authors or consultants.

The audio quality is good with minimal distractions of music or commercials, each Podcast is about 15 minutes in length and new shows appear just about every week. Here is a sampling of some recent show topics:

- Think Like Your Customer
- Leadership For The Self
- Winning The Pricing Game
- Controlling The Decision

Nice show notes about each show are available to help you go to just the show content you are looking for.

Pluses: Instant play, good content, show notes, neat intro bumper, professionally made. Shows as facr back as 2006.

Minuses: No RSS Feed buttons, no content categories.

Recommendation: Nothing happens in business until someone sells something, sharpen your sales skills and knowledge with SalesRepRadio.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the China Business Podcast.

Description: Is China a threat or an opportunity for your company? Are there real growth opportunities for you in the world’s fastest growing market? Expertise and insight from Technomic Asia China, a market strategy consulting firm with more than 20 years in China.

Comments: This Podcast has very credible content on all things relative to business in and with China. Professionally produced, great use of audio to set the stage, clear diction and static free audio make this an easy Podcast to listen to.

Mixing personal humor with relevant stories this show is valuable if you think China and all of its intended and unintended impacts is important to understand. Here is a sample of some recent content:

- Competitiveness in China
- M&A opportunities and challenges in China
- China’s railways and the WTO ruling on auto parts
- Talking economics: China markets and costs

As I said, all things China and business, there are over 20 Podcasts for your listening pleasure available.

Pluses: Great content, instant play, extensive show notes, subscribe buttons, categories, search, very clean site design.

Minuses: I wish there was more frequent audio content.

Recommendation: If China and business is important to you then you need to listen to the China Business Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (3) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the InfoWorld Podcast.

Description: This Podcast is really an 8-topic series of Podcasts. InfoWorld is all things information technology, large company to small, software to phones.

Comments: The Podcasts are well produced and vary in style from monologue to interviews, most have brief commercials or sponsor messages contained within.

All of the best Podcast features are available, instant play, subscriptions, show notes and archives are easily accessible in each of the 8 different segments. Here is a sampling of some recent shows:

- The Virtualization Report
- Storage Sprawl
- THE SOA REPORT
- Beef up your small business

Pluses: The great wealth of content that InfoWorld produces delivered via Podcast. Simple to use site with clean layout for ease of use.

Minuses: Different segments have a differing frequency of new available content.

Recommendation: If Information Technology is important to you then you should check out the InfoWorld Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (3) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Deloitte Insights Podcast.

Description: Deloitte Insights is a weekly audio business news podcast that delves into the business strategies that address the issues affecting your industry.

Comments: I know at first pass Deloitte Insight seems like a Podcast targeted at big business, however I would ask you to take a closer look.

This Podcast is well produced very professional and outputs some of the best thinking of the brainpower in Deloitte and their member firms. Paying attention to this thinking should give you valueable knowledge about the future of markets, technology and management thinking. Here is a sample of some recent topics:

- Best Practices for Learning and Talent Development
- Superior Customer Service in the Public Sector
- The Generational Divide in the Age of New Media
- Why Buying Online is Gaining on the Credit Card Business

In total so far there are 58 Podcasts for you to review. The typical length falls within the 30-60 minute range and most are done in an interview format.

Pluses: Heavy hitting content, great show notes, categories, great sound, instant play, subscriptions.

Minuses: The ONLY thing I think would be helpful to add would be a Podcast only search function.

Recommendation: If you like to learn from credible sources across a wide range of critical business topics then you need to listen to the Deloitte Insights Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (4) | Permalink

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

Description: StreetIQ.com is a site that aggregates multiple podcasts in one location. With over 30 categories of content most of which are centered around business topics you are sure to find some current and relevant content for your needs.

Comments: Most of the audio quality is good, this portal provides access to hundreds, yes hundreds of Podcasts so I couldn’t listen to them all but the ones I checked out are well done.

Podcasts vary in length and structure but most are done in an interview format. Here is a small sampling of some of the content categories:

- Bonds and Fixed Income Devices
- Economics
- Energy
- Small Business
- Tech News
- Venture Equity

The content covered is both deep and wide, this is what makes this a good Podcast site a good portal to visit.

Pluses: Instant play, the content, search functions, content categories, a rating and sharing system and subscriptions.

Minuses: Not much missed here but I would like to see more comprehensive show notes for the visitors use.

Recommendation: If you want your Podcast listening to be efficient and effective then the StreetIQ.com Podcast is one to check out!

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (3) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the AIIM Waves Podcast.

Description: Podcasts for information on the ECM (Enterprise Content Management) industry, technology changes, industry trends and research, and special alerts.

Comments: Professionally done primarily via an interview format with brief music intro’s all wrapped around REAL user stories.

Multiple shows available, most are 20 minutes or less, instant play, download and subscription functions are available and clearly visible. Here is a sample of some recent topics.

- James G. Davis Construction Co. Improves Project Coordination
- Focus Data Services Ltd Complies with the EU Data Retention Directive
- Oracle’s Andy MacMillan on the ECM Hot Seat
- ABBYY USA’s Dean Tang on the ECM Hot Seat

Nice photo’s of each guest and decent show notes help to gudie you to the content you need.

Pluses: Wealth of good content, nice website, instant play, browse box in the right column to find your desired content.

Minuses: No show listings by categories and some shows do a little music snippet between topics that I found distracting.

Recommendation: If you work in the ECM industry or are a user of ECM technologies you need to be listening to the AIIM Waves Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink