Getting Down To Business®

Sam Silverstien is an experienced entrepreneur who concluded that accountability is the basis for a successful organizational structure.  Listen to his impassioned presentation.    EMPIRE OF WEALTH                        Wednesday, April 19, 1775 the battles of Lexington and Concord opened the Revolutionary War. It took four days for the news to reach New York City and reached London 5 ½ weeks later.  Listen as Dave talks about the beginning of electrical communication.  

Lavie Sak and Sergey Feingold share their business startup story including their experience with a Kickstarter campaign. IN THE NEWS 8 of the Biggest Business Mistakes in History   Your worst mistakes probably don't come close to these gigantic goof-ups.

Describing the concept of your business requires more than a company name.  Listen as David describes how to develop a business risk management manual.  EMPIRE OF WEALTH                        In the 1850’s Cornelius Vanderbilt entered the railroad business eventually moving completely out of the water transportation business.    

Successfully syndicating a cartoon strip take work and talent.  Robb Armstrong is writing a book list as he describes the process adding his own brand of inspiration. IN THE NEWS OPTIMISM READING FELL WELL BELOW THE LONG TERM AVERAGE   The NFIB Small Business Optimism Survey for March fell 2.8 points to 95.2 the lowest reading since June of 2014.  “It is no surprise that optimism is muted and owners’ expectations about the future are less than exuberant.

Write it down is the advice from Chris Pobieglo, Risk Management Expert, listen as he describes how to develop a business risk management manual.  Every small business owner needs to listen to Chris’s message. EMPIRE OF WEALTH                        The Civil War influenced the development of the railroad industry.  Cornelius Vanderbilt moved from water transportation to railroads at this time.  The railroad business had the same impact on society in its days as the internet today.    

Great interview with Susan Bennett vocal artist and female voice of Apple’s SIRI Belle Hilmer.  Great business story! IN THE NEWS 7 Signs You Will Fail as an Entrepreneur   You don't need the Sharks to pass judgment. Listen and make your own assessment.

Listen as Michael Ferris our Document Management Expert talks how to identify and calculate your businesses print costs. EMPIRE OF WEALTH                        In 1833 Cornelius Vanderbilt was seriously injured in a train wreck.  Despite his almost fatal experience he became a dominate figure in the railroad business, internet of its day.   

Belle Hilmer, turned her love of leather and making quality products from a small regional producer to the national stage.  Great business story! IN THE NEWS Startups Offer Unusual Reward for Investing Simple Agreement for Future Equity promises benefits later if the firm is able to move forward.  When a young Boston entrepreneur sought half-a-million dollars to launch his startup last fall, he turned his back on today’s usual tactics such as selling equity stakes or issuing convertible notes. FINAL THOUGHTS 5 Secure Apps for Running a Small Business   88 percent of cloud of mobile applications are unsanctioned or not monitored by IT.  Are you making sure your data is secure?

When Kevin Turkington founded his home healthcare business in 2002 he ran into an unexpected problem.  Listen to hear his story of fighting city hall. EMPIRE OF WEALTH                        Cornelius Vanderbilt moved from a simple steamboat company into an international steamship company.    The story about growing a small business.  

Jerry Fritz, Corporate Trainer, returns to talk about developing a successful “WOW” customer service strategy for your small business. IN THE NEWS The High Cost of Saving a Failing Business When small firms file for bankruptcy protection, the cost is often $100,000 to $300,000, and sometimes twice that.  For small businesses facing bankruptcy, the path to a fresh start isn’t cheap. FINAL THOUGHTS The 6 Best Industries You've Never Heard of    Sometimes the key to identifying a market opportunity requires looking where everyone else isn't.  

David Weatherholt has written dozens of business plans designed to obtain funding.  He believes “Executive Summary” is the most critical part of your business plan’s ability to secure capital. EMPIRE OF WEALTH   Cornelius Vanderbilt started his own steamboat line competing on price against his competitors.  The lesson is that every small business must compete on their strength. 

Find out how the primer business accelerator started.  Duncan Logan, Founder/CEO of Rocket-Space, Incorporated tells their story. IN THE NEWS Cybercriminals Are Misappropriating Businesses’ Web Addresses   As a Result, Customers Can’t Find the Real Companies on the Web.  Cybercriminals targeting businesses are stealing more than customer passwords and credit-card numbers some are misappropriating their very Web addresses.

Since the 1980’s companies have planned on going paperless and thirty years later we are still talking about the elusive paperless office.  Michael Ferris, Document Management Expert, reports on progress toward this goal in spite of paper usage increasing by 30%.   EMPIRE OF WEALTH   At the age of 16 Cornelius Vanderbilt, the entrepreneur, ferried passengers from Stanton Island to Manhattan for a fee.  This humble beginning grew into his transportation empire.  Every business does indeed start small. 

John Penton built an international corporation based on driving motorcycles off-road.  Listen to this fascinating story from the John himself.  IN THE NEWS Toy Maker Gives New Life to Old Bears   Startup designs dolls based on classic literary characters like Babar and Madeline; hitting it big with Paddington

Don Rosene started his business career as a computer programmer racing off-road motorcycles on the weekend.  Listen to Don’s story of following passion and finding a mentor.  EMPIRE OF WEALTH   Robert Fulton and his partner Robert Livingston successfully combined the steam engine and a ship.  Innovation in shipping and also a great example of government involvement in the private sector.  Listen as Dave talks about the interstate commerce clause. 

Justin Ong visits to talk about low cost online IT management tools.  Managing IT for your small business just got easier.   IN THE NEWS: SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM FALLS, BUT STILL IN NORMAL ZONE   Readings Drop after 2 Strong Months

Chris Pobieglo, Business Risk Management Expert, develop “101 Rules” for implementing a comprehensive risk management program for your small businesses.  Chris has previously covered half of these rules.  Listen as Chris recaps. EMPIRE OF WEALTH   John Jacob Astor was the first multi-millionaire in the U.S.?  Using his business acumen, hard work, and our economic system he created a financial empire.  Listen as Dave talks about his journey. 

JUMPING INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP The Starting Point Rebecca Romero dreamed of owning a business.  Listen as she talks about how she started the process.  IN THE NEWS: How to Start a Small Business in a Few Hours   Starting a business is surprisingly simple--you just need to take the first step. 

The third largest cost of your small business, printing.  Michael Ferris, Document Management Expert, provides advice on how to reduce this cost. EMPIRE OF WEALTH   The Indigo Trade was an economic causality of the Revolutionary War.  Cotton took its place but required enormous labor to extract the seeds.  America ingenuity solved the problem with the cotton gin.  Listen as Dave talks about its inventor Eli Whitney.The third largest cost of your small business, printing.  Michael Ferris, Document Management Expert, provides advice on how to reduce this cost.  

Good customer service is not enough.  Listen as Jerry Fritz, Corporate Trainer, talks about how to move from “Good” to “WOW!” customer service.     IN THE NEWS:Bootstrapped Startups Risk a Lack of Connections Financial Self-Reliance Can Come Back to Haunt Entrepreneurs if They Suddenly Need Investors More entrepreneurs in recent years have tried to bootstrap their companies, starting with very little capital and deliberately avoiding outside investors.  But as the economy improves, many of those relying solely on their personal finances—and business earnings to finance young companies are coming to grips with the downside of that strategy. FINAL THOUGHTSThe American Dream Is Dying: How Entrepreneurs Can Change That   A report from the Milstein Commission Co-chairs Steve Case and Carly Fiorina propose 5 solutions to the entrepreneurship crisis in the U.S.