As we all enjoy the Political Theatre that is our current Presidential Election, Dave and Shannon decide to focus this week’s topic on Politics and how it can (and will) impact your Small Business.

Join us as we discuss Dave’s “crazy theory of politics”, looking at the “why” instead of just the “who” when hearing a political message and how to deal with National vs. State and Local politics that might be messing with your Small Business. Of course,  no Small Business political discussing would be complete without touching on new laws about Exempt and Hourly employees and the minimum wage requirements for both.

Finally, we chat about the concept of it being better to “Ask forgiveness instead of permission” and how it is NOT a good idea when it comes to dealing with local, state or federal laws.

Join us today on the Small Business Show for these topics and more! If you enjoy the show, click over to give us a quick review on iTunes. We appreciate it!

Chapters/Timestamps:

00:00:00 Small Business Show #86 September 28th, 2016
00:00:45 Political Theater
00:01:58 Dave’s crazy theory
00:05:34 Who’s sending the message?
00:08:50 National vs. Local
00:09:46 Healthcare, Minimum Wage
00:10:00 “Exempt” employees
00:14:05 No such thing as forgiveness
00:14:41 Zenefits
00:16:08 The wheels of Congress move slowly, but they move!
00:20:10 As it gets closer to home, pay more and more attention
00:25:19 Tinfoil Hat: Unelected Bureaucrats
00:27:44 Customs can be the worst!

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As Small Business owners, when posting to public social media, what are some things you should look out for? What comments could come back (maybe years later) to cause you headaches, legal problems and money? Dave and Shannon discuss some examples of what NOT to post on social media and that leads into a discussion about Mistakes as Opportunities.

When a supplier makes a mistake, Shannon explains, there’s an opportunity to leverage that mistake into a closer relationship (if you want one), a better price and more opportunity for future business. When you are the customer, there are several ways to make the most of a mistake with your supplier or service provider.

On the flip side, when you or your business make a mistake with a customer, you have a huge opportunity to earn their trust by making things right. Customers that experience just how good you or your employees are at fixing mistakes and solving problems typically become very loyal and very happy to spread the word about just how good you are.

Join us today on episode 85 of the Small Business Show to hear about these topics and more!

Chapters:

00:00:00 Small Business Show #85 September 21st, 2016
00:01:43 Being overwhelmed … and powering through it.
00:05:36 Publicly discussing hiring and firing specifics
00:17:59 Maximizing Mistakes
00:26:57 Changing contacts
00:29:29 Offer the return first.

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Welcome to episode 84 of the Small Business Show! Join us this week as we spend some time following up with our recent interview with Small Business owner, NYTimes.com blogger and author, Paul Downs.

Dave and Shannon then jump into a discussion about being “patently unemployable” and how identifying yourself as such can give a boost to the successful launch of your Small Business.

Other topics covered on the show today include the tremendous benefit of creating a safe environment for your employees to take risks and experiment.

Listen in and then jump over to iTunes to review the Small Business Show! We appreciate your support, the reviews really help!

00:00:00 Small Business Show #84 September 14th, 2016
00:03:14 Paul Downs Recap
00:08:03 Patently unemployable people can be helpful
00:10:08 Creating a safe environment for your employees
00:16:07 “All I had to do was write the book”
00:17:33 Don’t be so suspect about good people with opportunities

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How prepared are you for the challenges of running your small business? What energizes you to make it through tough times and just how transparent are you (and should you be) to your employees and everyone else that you discuss your business with?  If you felt like your business was about to shut down, could you imagine reaching out to the New York Times with an offer to share the experience with thousands of people? Paul Downs thought it would make for a good story and he wrote for the NYTimes.com for 4-years before writing a “year in the life of my business” book: Boss Life.

You’ve never read a business book like Boss Life. The book quickly joined our list of “must reads” for all current and potential business owners. The work is the most honest and transparent business book that we have ever read and we encourage all of you to read it.

Today, Paul Downs joins Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean on the Small Business Show where they dig a bit deeper into Paul’s story, into Boss Life and into the work ethic that has kept Paul in business for over 30-years.

Listen in and then help your fellow small business owners out by doing a quick review of the Small Business Show on iTunes.

00:00:00 Small Business Show #83 September 7th, 2016
00:01:05 Boss Life author Paul Downs – “Not suited to working for other people”
00:05:15 2008 Recession – laid off half staff – sure I was about to go out of business.
00:06:00 What would it be like to drive a business into the ground?
00:07:09 Make the offer
00:09:33 (Don’t) Hide until you’re successful
00:11:25 Think through your problems by talking about them and writing them down – this is what the NYT Blog did for Paul
00:13:45 Hang onto your threads. They’re all you’ve got.
00:15:13 Define your own definition(s) of failure
00:16:12 Be a clear thinker
00:16:57 Share your problems – with real small businesses “Real Businesses” – love this.
00:21:23 The genesis of Boss Life – The experience of running a business
00:29:57 Understanding profitability
00:31:55 Being candid won’t kill you.
00:34:04 Find out about Paul Downs Custom Conference Tables

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