Business Brain – The Entrepreneurs’ Podcast

small business systems and gdpr compliance       Why are systems more important for your Small Business than goals? Join us today for episode 173 of the Small Business Show to learn more about this awesome technique to accelerate your success. After the systems discussion, we jump into details of the recently enacted GDPR privacy and data management laws enacted by the EU. Does your Small Business need to worry about the GDPR? You’ll want to listen in to find out if you do and how to comply. Listen in for all this and more, then join us on the Small Business Support Group to share your thoughts! 00:00:00 Small Business Show #173 for Wednesday, May 30, 2018 00:01:30 Goals vs. Systems 00:07:12 Breakthroughs come from Systems 00:07:58 Treat the carrot as the byproduct 00:12:00 Your business is not THAT business, it’s YOUR business 00:13:40 Contact Shannon and Dave: feedback@businessshow.co or Small Business Support Group 00:13:52 The GDPR Talk 00:18:38 The burden of GDPR Xero.com GDPR Small Business Guide 00:21:02 The eventual poster child 00:26:27 Act in Good Faith, Follow the Instructions 00:28:06 Passwords are insufficient FileVault 2 TrueCrypt is dead! Check VeraCrypt or CipherShed 00:30:00 Protecting Customer Data and Privacy 00:32:53 On the internet, we need speed limits, stop signs, and maybe even speed bumps 00:35:58 SBS 173 Outtro The post Small Business Systems vs. Goals and Complying with GDPR – Small Business Show 173 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What essential Small Business Tools can you not live without? Join us today on the Small Business Show to hear from Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton about the hardware, software and more they use to make their businesses run smoothly each day. Check the show notes below for a list of tools we discuss and join us to hear in detail why we believe these are essential for our success. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #172 for Wednesday, May 23, 2018 00:01:36 Small Business Support Group 00:02:30 Freedom vs. Flexibility 00:03:19 FileMaker 00:09:00 MacBook Pro and iPhone 00:11:01 Mail Act-On 00:13:29 SaneBox 00:16:31 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:20:17 Synology DiskStation Synology Drive Synology Office 00:23:38 Slack Fastmail AOL Instant Messenger (RIP) 00:28:56 Trello Trello-Slack Integration 00:31:04 Microsoft Excel (or any Spreadsheet) Google Sheets Apple’s Numbers 00:33:25 Pixelmator ImageOptim 00:35:49 Music while you work! iTunes 00:39:19 Free time 00:43:25 SBS 172 Outtro The post Essential Tools for Small Business Owners – Small Business Show 172 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

The strength of your relationships with vendors and suppliers is critically important for the success of your Small Business. What’s the best method and when is the right time for you to start these relationships? Join us on episode 171 of the Small Business Show to hear our tips about this topic and more! Listen in and you’ll hear why timing is important and ways to make a human connection with all your vendors. Learn why Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton believe that a good personality fit is important and why you should not be looking for professional help when you really need it (like in an emergency). Taking the time to find the right vendors and support partners for your Small Business can make all the difference. You’ll also hear how good communication can keep vendor relationships strong, how to leverage one good vendor to find another and the story behind why Shannon’s accountant fired him as a client! Join us today for the Small Business Show and then share your comments on the Small Business Support Group! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #171 for Wednesday, May 16, 2018 00:01:00 We want you to come on the show: feedback@businessshow.co 00:01:53 Forge Relationships with your Vendors 00:03:11 Get on their radar Use your affinity credit cards 00:07:29 When shipping: Beware the fees! 00:09:58 Find your vendors before you need them 00:12:30 Find the right vendors that fit your business 00:14:00 Create a litmus test 00:17:03 Find a good graphics person 00:17:50 SPONSOR: GoDesignerGo.com/SBS – SBS50 00:20:34 Keep your vendors up-to-date 00:23:15 Shannon Got Fired! (by his accountant) 00:24:43 Using Slack with your clients Large slack groups 00:27:07 Don’t forget the humanity 00:30:10 SBS 171 Outtro The post Forging Small Business Relationships with Vendors and Suppliers – Small Business Show 171 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Should you cut corners to speed up starting a new business? If so, what corners can you safely cut that won’t create problems for you in the future? Join us today on the Small Business Show to get our take on what you should cut and what you should not! We start this episode off with a rant from Dave about unreconciled accounts and leaving cash on your suppliers books (hint: don’t do this). Shannon discusses his experience with business people that didn’t think refunds should actually be, well refunded, and why the stuff you least enjoy doing (accounting, for example) might be just the stuff you need to pay the most attention to. Our focus on this show is all about moving things forward. Not letting problems, delays or other peoples obstacles get in the way of your Small Business. Listen in and then join us at the Small Business Support Group to share your thoughts! Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #170 for Wednesday, May 9, 2018 00:01:02 Whine: Not catching an unreconciled deposit…. For 2 years! 00:07:30 Managing Refunds 00:09:57 When accounting isn’t your favorite! Brian O’Connell on Small Business Show 00:12:03 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:14:47 Cutting Corners – Taking the Liberty of Convenience 00:20:51 Move things forward! 00:23:25 Waiting for Permission is much worse than Taking the Wrong Action 00:26:39 Our Small Business Support Group on Facebook 00:28:50 aSBS 170 Outtro The post Removing Obstacles to Your Small Business Success – Small Business Show 170 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Longtime listeners know that we believe that saying Yes more can help your personal brand and your business, but is there a point where saying No becomes more important? We think there is, and that part of your own Success Cycle is knowing when to say No and how it impacts your Small Business. Join us today as Shannon Jean and Dave Hamilton share their experiences using No to manage projects and take on just the tasks that will fuel your own achievement system. We discuss the differences between saying no in your personal life and in your Small Business and how you can easily fool yourself into thinking you’ve being productive, rather than just filling up your schedule. You’ll also hear about ways to say no to the request, not to the person making it, how to use a “conditional yes” to manage situations and we’ll help you stand strong against prioritizing other people’s emergencies. Join us today for all this and more on this episode of the Small Business Show. Then, visit the Small Business Support Group to share your thoughts, ask questions and join the conversation. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #169 for Wednesday, May 2, 2018 00:01:49 Shannon and Dave are here for the No Show 00:02:59 The Personal “No” 00:06:43 Managing your system 00:09:24 The “Fill my Schedule” trap 00:12:00 Procrastinating with Productivity 00:14:53 Harvard Business Review: “Say no to the request, not the person” 00:18:15 SPONSOR: GoDesignerGo.com/SBS – Save 50% off the start of your subscription with SBS50 00:22:04 Understanding the “Conditional Yes” 00:25:30 Is someone else going to have to do the work? 00:26:23 Do you have the confidence to say “no”? 00:27:39 Prioritizing Other People’s Emergencies 00:29:41 The Empowered “No” 00:31:01 Sometimes Exceptions become policy 00:35:55 SBS 169 Outtro The post The Power of Saying NO – Small Business Show 169 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Running your Small Business is not always glamorous and full of inspiration. There’s going to be days (weeks, months) that you have to resign yourself to slogging through the muck, solving what may seem like insurmountable problems, all the while keeping yourself and your team motivated to make it through the day. On this episode of the Small Business Show, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean discuss adversity, sharing their own stories and offering some tips on how to endeavor to persevere. On a recent episode, we focused on the Charmed Life that can be created by owning one or more Small Businesses. We got called out a bit in the Small Business Support Group from a business owner that was frustrated that we were forgetting about the struggle that many Small Business owners face each day, that living a “Charmed Life” just wasn’t an option for these folks. Based on that feedback, this episode focuses on the struggle, grinding it out each day when you need to and how to power through tough times. All the while, we remind the commenter that they were already creating their own Charmed Life by being able to make their own decisions, to control their own destiny by solving those problems, by battling through the struggle. Join us today for a special episode of the Small Business Show, then visit the Support Group to take part in the conversation! Chapters: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #168 for Wednesday, April 25, 2018 00:01:05 Shannon and Dave get called out! 00:02:04 All About that Grind 00:04:31 Parable: The Flat-Panel TV Débâcle Buy everyone’s problems 00:07:41 Tip: Be able to adapt 00:08:21 Scott, on Facebook: “Some of us haven’t gotten there yet!” 00:08:53 Parable: “This will put us out of business.” 00:12:44 When your self-worth is wrapped up in your business’s success 00:13:34 Tip: Bull-headed persistence Endeavor to Persevere 00:18:46 Parable: The sleep-aid story 00:20:14 Tip: Embrace the stress (at an acceptable level) 00:21:10 “Find other people’s Problems” (translates to Dave’s “Take People’s Headaches Away”) 00:22:48 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:26:02 The grind never ends 00:26:31 Do you want to hear Dave and Shannon whine? feedback@businessshow.co 00:28:01 Tip: Accept the definition of insanity 00:28:58 Tip: Try new things and document them 00:29:43 Tip: Force yourself to look at what’s not working 00:31:33 Tip: Accept good fortune, but don’t count on it! 00:33:53 Tip: Keep yourself mentally strong 00:38:14 Tip: Embrace small successes Create a Success List 00:42:17 Tip: Program your moist robot 00:42:54 Tip: Look in the mirror, even when things are going bad Stuart Smally By Golly People Like Me 00:44:55 SBS 168 Outtro The post Powering Through the Daily Grind of Running Your Small Business – Small Business Show 168 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

What’s the secret to living a Charmed Life and using your Small Businesses as fuel to create it? Join us today on the Small Business Show to learn how Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have founded a multitude of Small Businesses over their lifetimes to bring them much more than profits. We’ve mentioned the Charmed Life on our show many times, in fact, it’s usually a sign-off message at the end of each show, encouraging you to “Keep living that Charmed Life!” It’s such an important part of our experience that we thought it was time to dig deep into the details and explain just what we mean with that phrase and how you can join us on this awesome journey. You’ll learn about creating a Success Cycle that keeps you moving forward, enriching your life along the way, how to create simple Working Agreements that not only keep things clear between prospective business partners, but act as a “test” when you are just at the beginning of a potential partnership. We then jump into a discussion about Freedom vs. Flexibility and why understanding the difference can, well, make all the difference in your perception of just what success is. Join us today and you’ll also gain some valuable insight on our concept of creating your own reality and why being able to write your own story is a huge part of the Charmed Life experience. During the discussion, we also touch on the financial benefits of your Small Business and why we believe that making money is secondary and that you will ultimately build more wealth with this method. We wrap up the show with a discussion about “selfishness” and why it’s a positive thing to enrich your own self so you can help others along the way. You don’t want to miss this episode of the Small Business Show!  Listen in, then come join hundreds of other Small Business owners in the Small Business Support Group. Chapters/Timestamps 00:00:00 Small Business Show #167 for Wednesday, April 18, 2018 00:02:31 You’re building a set of stairs 00:03:35 Why do you want to do this? 00:06:09 When setup right, success comes quickly 00:07:26 The nuts and bolts of that Working Agreement 00:09:29 The Success Cycle 00:10:26 Living the Charmed Life Freedom vs. Flexibility 00:11:29 Tell your own story, create your own reality 00:13:11 Time is our most precious commodity 00:14:47 Don’t feel guilty about the charmed life! 00:16:52 Flexible financial picture 00:18:38 90% of my life is tax deductible 00:20:00 Creating your second family 00:21:30 Be selfish about making yourself feel good when helping others 00:22:35 Book a trip for someone else 00:23:52 And then book a trip for yourself 00:25:17 Non-taxable income 00:25:25 Enjoy laughter “We have a great time working very hard” 00:28:00 The money is secondary 00:29:39 SBS 167 The post Enriching Your Life Beyond Profits With Your Small Business – Small Business Show 167 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Is all business risk bad? Searching for “small business risk” online and you’ll find most articles and resources are focused on minimizing or avoiding risk. Listen in to today’s episode of the Small Business Show to hear why we believe that taking risks is part of the “secret sauce” of business success. Without risk, you’re no different than the person working in the cubicle who never starts their business in the first place. Your hosts, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean have some strong ideas about risk and why you should be embracing it, turning risk into opportunity for your Small Business. During the show, you’ll hear about how taking risks can create an advantage over your competitors and how the anxiety associated with taking risks can fuel your motivation. You’ll also learn about minimizing risks and how to use successes of any size to create a Success Cycle that will propel you to even more awesomeness. Join us today on the Small Business Show for all this and much more. Then, visit our Support Group to join the conversation! Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #166 for Wednesday, April 11, 2018 00:01:01 Did Facebook get your data from Cambridge Analytica 00:02:52 How much risk is OK for you and your business? 00:03:35 Risks are Opportunities 00:06:19 Tim Cote from Commonwealth Financial on Small Business Show 00:08:11 Ideas Aren’t Worth Anything (except the paper they’re printed on… including patent paper) 00:10:14 The benefits of a Working Agreement 00:11:20 Anxiety is Motivation Fuel! 00:14:00 Describing your wheelhouse 00:16:25 “I never lose, I either win or learn” Failure Sucks 00:18:00 You’re fooling yourself I’m a Loser, Baby 00:19:05 I’m a badass! 00:19:26 Train your inner judge 00:21:19 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:24:17 Create a Success List 00:25:25 Calculated Risks Your Advisory Board: Good Insurance, Attorney, Banker, Accountant 00:26:41 “I’m doing this” vs. “What do you think?” 00:29:47 Forming an LLC is easy Dave used DelawareInc.com 00:34:12 SBS 166 Outtro The post How Much Risk is Right for Your Small Business? Episode 166 of the Small Business Show appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Ever been frustrated when you’re waiting for a service provider to show up or a product to arrive and they/it are late? Today we turn the tables and discuss this problem as it relates to your Small Business performance and the importance of setting, then meeting (ideally exceeding!) your customers expectations. It’s time for episode 165 of the Small Business Show! Both Dave and Shannon have experiences they want to share with you about not having their expectations met when working with other businesses and how that impacted them, as well as the disruption is can cause at the company performing the work. The discussion focuses on how to set the customer expectation and how to manage communication during the process, so even if you can’t fulfill that expectation, your customers will still be happy. We then jump into ways to insure that your customer feels valued and why breaking bad news early and transparently can earn you customer loyalty. Then it’s on to talk and tips about empowering your employees to solve problems without having to seek approval from you or their supervisor and why saying “Yes” more will bring on the customer love. Listen in and then join the discussion on the Small Business Support Group!     Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #165 for Wednesday, April 4, 2018 00:01:27 To-Do Lists BusyCal 00:03:43 Customer Services Tales 00:04:48 Irving 00:06:25 Set that expectation 00:10:30 Then manage to that expectation 00:13:36 Missed expectations are massively disruptive to everyone 00:15:16 Own the communication of bad news 00:16:10 Quote hours, not days 00:17:45 Make the customer feel like they matter 00:18:41 Communicate that value 00:20:59 Why do these service companies fail at this over and over again? 00:23:48 SPONSOR: Simple Contacts – Get $30 off at simplecontacts.com/sbs or enter SBS at checkout 00:28:07 Apple 00:32:28 We Screwed Up 00:36:07 The Lesson is to find an empowered employee 00:36:56 Empowerment Translates to Importance 00:38:41 When you say “Yes” The Customer Loves You 00:41:18 Shannon’s Contractor Sucked the joy out of the project 00:42:04 The moral: set expectations, empower employees 00:43:00 What would it take to change this? 00:44:16 SBS 165 Outtro The post Setting Customer Expectations and Empowering Employees to Solve Problems – Small Business Show 165 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

When there’s a disagreement with a customer, supplier or someone else, what is the best way to resolve the problem while keeping your Small Business running strong? Have you been sued or are you contemplating suing someone? Join us today on the Small Business Show where we discuss Alternative Dispute Resolution methods like Arbitration and Mediation. If you are a party to a lawsuit, either plaintiff or defendant, chances are you’ll be pushed into mediation by a judge in an attempt to keep you out of court. Dave and Shannon have both been parties to mediation and as you can imagine, they have much to talk about when it comes to making the most out of your mediation experience. Listen in to episode 164 of the Small Business Show to hear their stories and pickup some tips, including how to keep everyone’s ego out of the process, including your attorney’s, how to pick the right attorney to represent you, how the process works and why timing is so important for success. After the show, keep the conversation going by joining us at the Small Business Support Group to share your mediation story, ask questions or comment on the show. Chapters/Timestamps: 00:00:00 Small Business Show #164 for Wednesday, March 27, 2018 00:01:09 Facebook Local 00:02:00 Mediation vs. Arbitration 00:05:03 Alternative Dispute Resolution 00:07:18 Mediation brings a possibility that you can work things out 00:09:27 The (painful) process 00:10:41 Co-mingling the parties 00:13:27 Picking the right attorney 00:15:50 Finding an outcome that’s livable 00:17:08 Avoid being intimidated 00:20:59 SPONSOR: Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year. 00:23:24 SPONSOR: Visit JAMF.com/SBS to get your first 3 devices free for life! 00:27:05 Mediation leads to a lesson 00:32:19 The turning point 00:35:24 Avoid awkward elevator conversation 00:38:05 Avoiding the egos! 00:38:52 Beware the attorneys (and their egos) 00:41:01 Moving on is important 00:44:26 Focus on the resolution 00:46:07 Be aware of the lifespan 00:46:34 Dave’s Valuable Negotiation Lesson 00:48:42 SBS 164 Outtro The post Small Business Mediation Tips, Tricks and Advice from Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean – Small Business Show 164 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.