http://www.odeo.com/channels/2117842-Struggling-Entrepreneur no Lessons Learned and Resources For Your Success Lessons Learned and Resources For Your Success Lessons Learned and Resources for Your Success en 40 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:56:40 -0800 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:56:40 -0800 Copyright (c) Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved podcast, Business, Internet, Entrepreneur, Small, marketing, management, Entrepreneurship, online, startup, podcaster, managing, operating, overwhelm, overwhelmed Marketing podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small management online startup managing operating overwhelm http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25398601-107-Finance-for-Startups-resources-tools-and-training-for-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the announcement and the details for the web site designed to help entrepreneurs and startup-business owners in the area of finance– Finance4Startups.com. Why this Premium Seminar course? In today’s downturn economy, where layoffs and other job-loss situations are impacting the majority of experienced professionals, one strong alternative for them is to start  their own business–that is, create a startup and enter the world of Entrepreneurs . However, as you can gather from the more than 100 episodes of interviews with entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge, obstacle and issue in becoming an entrepreneur is financial .  That means addressing issues such as: capitalization; funding; financing; angel investors; venture capital, etc. And most of all, it will include the topics of helping to minimize your new business startup from failing because of a lack of financial skills, strategies, financial tools or know... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the announcement and the details for the web site designed to help entrepreneurs and startup-business owners in the area of finance– Finance4Startups.com. Why this Premium Seminar course? In today’s downturn economy, where layoffs and other job-loss situations are impacting the majority of experienced professionals, one strong alternative for them is to start  their own business–that is, create a startup and enter the world of Entrepreneurs . However, as you can gather from the more than 100 episodes of interviews with entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge, obstacle and issue in becoming an entrepreneur is financial .  That means addressing issues such as: capitalization; funding; financing; angel investors; venture capital, etc. And most of all, it will include the topics of helping to minimize your new business startup from failing because of a lack of financial skills, strategies, financial tools or knowledge. How can you minimize your risk of failure due to money? Sign up at www.finance4startups.com . You will have the experience of a finance specialist, Chris Benjamin, who is the author and presenter of the course.  Chis has helped numerous individuals and firms avoid the problems regarding finance in creating — and maintaining– their startup ventures during the critical time of planning, launching and the first year survival. Chris has also been the “CFO-on-demand” for startups that needed to have a temporary CFO to see them through the difficult beginning stages of their business. After the period of stabilization–when the business can now proceed and grow profitably–then Chris has departed, thus giving the startup firm the best skills at the lowest cost in the shortest amount of time during the most cricital period of existence. In this particular audio episode #107 of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series, we examine how the fee-based course offered by www.finance4startups.com delivers value to the Entrepreneur and those creating a startup firm. Part of the value includes the templates, worksheets, documents, slides and presentations, audio mp3 instruction files and videos, screencasts and pdf files — all delivered to you individually, so that you can have the roadmaps or guides to implementing your financial  action items and to help prevent the problems facing Entrepreneurs and Startups in the finance area._________________________________________ Tremendous value for the Entrepreneur at a great price-point . We think you will agree that the cost of this 13-module course delivered over 7 weeks can fit within the budget of the entrepreneur who is starting his business. The professional Business Builder, Mark A. Roberts , is a long-time helper to the entrepreneur community in saving small businesses from failure, as well as growing small businesses and startups to success with good marketing and strategy. He sees great benefit for the Entrepreneur with this course. You can see the details and description of each module, including all the audio and video materials in this pdf: . Click here to see the description. - Price Point:  Introductory price until Dec., 2009:   $79. US dollars ___________________________________________ Lastly, you will not be dealing with someone who is a “jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none.” You will be listening to  Chris Benjamin , whose core speciality and proven experience is finance for startups. What do you get? Just straight finance information IN PLAIN ENGLISH to help the Startup business succeed in its planning, launch and entry stages of its life. No marketing; no sales; no upsell; no cross-sell; no affiliate commissions or finance-techno-babble. . . For more information, please go to http://www.finance4startups.com . ___________________________________ A Free Podcast and Whitepaper: You can subscribe to the free podcast to get more details via audio. This will provide general information and interviews with subject-matter experts. This free podcast  includes a free audio book that contains 8 episodes to give you an overview of the financial perspective for startups for the novice. Or you can get a free whitepaper titled: S tartup Capitalization: Understanding Your Options, Choosing the Best Source for Your Needs, and How to Stand Out and Make Investors want to invest in YOU and Your Company. ________________________________________ The Premium Seminar Course: The fee-based Seminar Course with Premium Content is called Empowering Entrepreneurs to Launch Successful Startups. - The special introductory price for this is $79. US dollars. - There is a 30- day money-back guarantee for this course (no questions asked).- The course materials — including Templates, documents, spreadsheets, videos, tutorials, audio instruction mp3 files, presentations — are delivered electronically to you in a personal one-to-one communication feed weekly over the course of 7 weeks (so that you don’t get overwhelmed with a flood of content all at once); - All content is presented in a relaxed and informal method IN PLAIN ENGLISH ; The content advises you to recognize scams that don’t deliver actionable content and value; content gives you tools and materials for you to use immediately in launching your business and monitoring your startup for financial health. - The content will help you to KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW about finance for your startup to MINIMIZE your risk of failure and will help you to INCREASE your probability for SUCCESS of your startup in the area of funding, capitalization and finance. - The system that will be used to deliver the content is PremiumCast. ___________________________________________________________ Summary of Training materials and additional bonus content: 2-to-3 modules delivered weekly to your iTunes(R) program on your computer automatically : - PRICING and MONETIZATION for your startup or small business; - Creating an effective BUSINESS PLAN; - What you need for successful presentations to INVESTORS; - Ten VALUATION methods and CAPITALIZATION video walk-throughs; - Effective FINANCIAL FORECASTING and MODELING; - Effective Small Business CASH FLOW, with tutorials and walk-throughs; - VENTURE CAPITAL and ANGEL INVESTORS–their process and what you will need to approach them and have them want to invest in YOU; - Sample TERM SHEETS and EXIT STRATEGIES (e.g., IPO, M&A, MBO, etc.); - Bonus videos: PERSONAL BUDGETING and BAD DEBT RESERVES; and - RESOURCES for your startup’s financial health: available and recommended. ______________________________________ Questions? If you have any questions or wish for information about the course, please send a noteto this email id: finance4startups @ gmail.com (to prevent spam) Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Chris Benjamin Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the announcement and the details for the web site designed to help entrepreneurs and startup-business owners in the area of finance– Finance4Startups.com. Why this Premium Seminar course? In today’s downturn economy, where layoffs and other job-loss situations are impacting the majority of experienced professionals, one strong alternative for them is to start  their own business–that is, create a startup and enter the world of Entrepreneurs . However, as you can gather from the more than 100 episodes of interviews with entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge, obstacle and issue in becoming an entrepreneur is financial .  That means addressing issues such as: capitalization; funding; financing; angel investors; venture capital, etc. And most of all, it will include the topics of helping to minimize your new business startup from failing because of a lack of financial skills, strategies, financial tools or knowledge. How can you minimize your risk of failure due to money? Sign up at www.finance4startups.com . You will have the experience of a finance specialist, Chris Benjamin, who is the author and presenter of the course.  Chis has helped numerous individuals and firms avoid the problems regarding finance in creating — and maintaining– their startup ventures during the critical time of planning, launching and the first year survival. Chris has also been the “CFO-on-demand” for startups that needed to have a temporary CFO to see them through the difficult beginning stages of their business. After the period of stabilization–when the business can now proceed and grow profitably–then Chris has departed, thus giving the startup firm the best skills at the lowest cost in the shortest amount of time during the most cricital period of existence. In this particular audio episode #107 of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series, we examine how the fee-based course offered by www.finance4startups.com delivers value to the Entrepreneur and those creating a startup firm. Part of the value includes the templates, worksheets, documents, slides and presentations, audio mp3 instruction files and videos, screencasts and pdf files — all delivered to you individually, so that you can have the roadmaps or guides to implementing your financial  action items and to help prevent the problems facing Entrepreneurs and Startups in the finance area._________________________________________ Tremendous value for the Entrepreneur at a great price-point . We think you will agree that the cost of this 13-module course delivered over 7 weeks can fit within the budget of the entrepreneur who is starting his business. The professional Business Builder, Mark A. Roberts , is a long-time helper to the entrepreneur community in saving small businesses from failure, as well as growing small businesses and startups to success with good marketing and strategy. He sees great benefit for the Entrepreneur with this course. You can see the details and description of each module, including all the audio and video materials in this pdf: . Click here to see the description. - Price Point:  Introductory price until Dec., 2009:   $79. US dollars ___________________________________________ Lastly, you will not be dealing with someone who is a “jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none.” You will be listening to  Chris Benjamin , whose core speciality and proven experience is finance for startups. What do you get? Just straight finance information IN PLAIN ENGLISH to help the Startup business succeed in its planning, launch and entry stages of its life. No marketing; no sales; no upsell; no cross-sell; no affiliate commissions or finance-techno-babble. . . For more information, please go to http://www.finance4startups.com . ___________________________________ A Free Podcast and Whitepaper: You can subscribe to the free podcast to get more details via audio. This will provide general information and interviews with subject-matter experts. This free podcast  includes a free audio book that contains 8 episodes to give you an overview of the financial perspective for startups for the novice. Or you can get a free whitepaper titled: S tartup Capitalization: Understanding Your Options, Choosing the Best Source for Your Needs, and How to Stand Out and Make Investors want to invest in YOU and Your Company. ________________________________________ The Premium Seminar Course: The fee-based Seminar Course with Premium Content is called Empowering Entrepreneurs to Launch Successful Startups. - The special introductory price for this is $79. US dollars. - There is a 30- day money-back guarantee for this course (no questions asked).- The course materials — including Templates, documents, spreadsheets, videos, tutorials, audio instruction mp3 files, presentations — are delivered electronically to you in a personal one-to-one communication feed weekly over the course of 7 weeks (so that you don’t get overwhelmed with a flood of content all at once); - All content is presented in a relaxed and informal method IN PLAIN ENGLISH ; The content advises you to recognize scams that don’t deliver actionable content and value; content gives you tools and materials for you to use immediately in launching your business and monitoring your startup for financial health. - The content will help you to KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW about finance for your startup to MINIMIZE your risk of failure and will help you to INCREASE your probability for SUCCESS of your startup in the area of funding, capitalization and finance. - The system that will be used to deliver the content is PremiumCast. ___________________________________________________________ Summary of Training materials and additional bonus content: 2-to-3 modules delivered weekly to your iTunes(R) program on your computer automatically : - PRICING and MONETIZATION for your startup or small business; - Creating an effective BUSINESS PLAN; - What you need for successful presentations to INVESTORS; - Ten VALUATION methods and CAPITALIZATION video walk-throughs; - Effective FINANCIAL FORECASTING and MODELING; - Effective Small Business CASH FLOW, with tutorials and walk-throughs; - VENTURE CAPITAL and ANGEL INVESTORS–their process and what you will need to approach them and have them want to invest in YOU; - Sample TERM SHEETS and EXIT STRATEGIES (e.g., IPO, M&A, MBO, etc.); - Bonus videos: PERSONAL BUDGETING and BAD DEBT RESERVES; and - RESOURCES for your startup’s financial health: available and recommended. ______________________________________ Questions? If you have any questions or wish for information about the course, please send a noteto this email id: finance4startups @ gmail.com (to prevent spam) Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Chris Benjamin Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-11-02,25398601 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:56:40 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25361100-106A-Successful-entrepreneur-returns-to-start-new-business-Art-Borrego In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Art Borrego , the CEO of Alliance Tech.com. Art is a successful entrepreneur in that he started his initial business called TeamTech back in 1995, and he was able to build it and then sell it when a Public company acquired the firm after only 6 years. Now Art is leading his second business, AllianceTech.com , and growing it successfully. A key value for this next business comes from the lessons learned from his first venture (which are now starting to pay off for him now). What are they? Well, they are explained in this audio episode — especially in the areas of finance and capitalization, getting good people for staffing the organization, and focusing on the right core business opportunities with the proper customers and an aggessive Business Development plan. Art also recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs read the book by Michael E. Gerber called The E-Myth Revisited. He feels that there is enlightenment in unders... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Art Borrego , the CEO of Alliance Tech.com. Art is a successful entrepreneur in that he started his initial business called TeamTech back in 1995, and he was able to build it and then sell it when a Public company acquired the firm after only 6 years. Now Art is leading his second business, AllianceTech.com , and growing it successfully. A key value for this next business comes from the lessons learned from his first venture (which are now starting to pay off for him now). What are they? Well, they are explained in this audio episode — especially in the areas of finance and capitalization, getting good people for staffing the organization, and focusing on the right core business opportunities with the proper customers and an aggessive Business Development plan. Art also recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs read the book by Michael E. Gerber called The E-Myth Revisited. He feels that there is enlightenment in understanding the roles that an entrepreneur has, as well as the fact that a solo-preneur will eventually learn that he cannot do it all alone as his business grows — and that he must trust and delegate to others. Thus, this is a good summary from one entrepreneur who was successful in growing and selling his first business, and now is on the road with his next venture to meet –and exceed– his objectives. As Art mentioned, an exit strategy that he holds is to be more selective about the partnership interest in the process of possibly being acquired once his business has grown to be attractive for other firms. Art Borrego’s firm provides value in the preparation, execution and post-event marketing support and customer follow-up and marketing / nurturing in the area of events and conferences. You can find out more about the services offered at www.alliancetech.com . You may contact Art at aborrego @ alliancetech.com  (to prevent spam) Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Art Borrego , the CEO of Alliance Tech.com. Art is a successful entrepreneur in that he started his initial business called TeamTech back in 1995, and he was able to build it and then sell it when a Public company acquired the firm after only 6 years. Now Art is leading his second business, AllianceTech.com , and growing it successfully. A key value for this next business comes from the lessons learned from his first venture (which are now starting to pay off for him now). What are they? Well, they are explained in this audio episode — especially in the areas of finance and capitalization, getting good people for staffing the organization, and focusing on the right core business opportunities with the proper customers and an aggessive Business Development plan. Art also recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs read the book by Michael E. Gerber called The E-Myth Revisited. He feels that there is enlightenment in understanding the roles that an entrepreneur has, as well as the fact that a solo-preneur will eventually learn that he cannot do it all alone as his business grows — and that he must trust and delegate to others. Thus, this is a good summary from one entrepreneur who was successful in growing and selling his first business, and now is on the road with his next venture to meet –and exceed– his objectives. As Art mentioned, an exit strategy that he holds is to be more selective about the partnership interest in the process of possibly being acquired once his business has grown to be attractive for other firms. Art Borrego’s firm provides value in the preparation, execution and post-event marketing support and customer follow-up and marketing / nurturing in the area of events and conferences. You can find out more about the services offered at www.alliancetech.com . You may contact Art at aborrego @ alliancetech.com  (to prevent spam) Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-23,25361100 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:33:43 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25302002-106-Why-a-good-Marketing-Plan-is-critical-for-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , our guest Entrepreneur, Jay Ehret of The Marketing Spot , describes for us why having a good small business marketing plan is a critical success factor for the entrepreneur–and how it can save money. For this expertise, we turn to Jay Ehret, an Entrepreneur of 7 years himself, who has his own small business called The Marketing Spot . Jay is a podcaster, speaker, consultant, instructor and coach to other small businesses and startups to provide help in creating–and implementing–marketing plans. Jay first tells us what marketing for the small business really consists of–and it is more than what the majority of small business owners think it is  [Yes, more than brochures, advertising, public relations, etc–what is commonly referred to as “marcomm” or Marketing Communications]. As you will hear in this audio interview, Jay describes the four main elements that small business owners need to focus ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , our guest Entrepreneur, Jay Ehret of The Marketing Spot , describes for us why having a good small business marketing plan is a critical success factor for the entrepreneur–and how it can save money. For this expertise, we turn to Jay Ehret, an Entrepreneur of 7 years himself, who has his own small business called The Marketing Spot . Jay is a podcaster, speaker, consultant, instructor and coach to other small businesses and startups to provide help in creating–and implementing–marketing plans. Jay first tells us what marketing for the small business really consists of–and it is more than what the majority of small business owners think it is  [Yes, more than brochures, advertising, public relations, etc–what is commonly referred to as “marcomm” or Marketing Communications]. As you will hear in this audio interview, Jay describes the four main elements that small business owners need to focus on to prepare a marketing plan: 1. Branding 2.Customer Experience 3. Conversation (i.e., Word of Mouth Marketing) 4. Promotion and Advertising What is remarkable is that Jay offers for FREE the content, materials and worksheets that deliver to you the concepts of these elements to help you put together your marketing plan. This free content is available from his blog, the marketing spot. This is remarkable, because many of the Internet Marketers  today are charging–and getting–hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars from small business owners just to get the same content in either binders, CDs, DVDs, downloadable audio and video media, etc. In Jay’s case, you can decide to implement the plan by yourself or get some assistance to ensure its success. Jay also has a FREE podcast on iTunes(R), or you can visit his web site to get the episodes at http://www.themarketingspotblog.com . This podcast is called POWER TO THE SMALL BUSINESS. He interviews top minds in small business marketing, as well as some interviews with other entrepreneurs. We thank Jay for his insight and perspective for the entrepreneur, and for reminding us that a good marketing plan is critical for success–just as is having a good plan in dealing with finance for startups. If you wish to reach Jay Ehret, his contact information is on the web page of: http://www.themarketingspot.com/about/ Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , our guest Entrepreneur, Jay Ehret of The Marketing Spot , describes for us why having a good small business marketing plan is a critical success factor for the entrepreneur–and how it can save money. For this expertise, we turn to Jay Ehret, an Entrepreneur of 7 years himself, who has his own small business called The Marketing Spot . Jay is a podcaster, speaker, consultant, instructor and coach to other small businesses and startups to provide help in creating–and implementing–marketing plans. Jay first tells us what marketing for the small business really consists of–and it is more than what the majority of small business owners think it is  [Yes, more than brochures, advertising, public relations, etc–what is commonly referred to as “marcomm” or Marketing Communications]. As you will hear in this audio interview, Jay describes the four main elements that small business owners need to focus on to prepare a marketing plan: 1. Branding 2.Customer Experience 3. Conversation (i.e., Word of Mouth Marketing) 4. Promotion and Advertising What is remarkable is that Jay offers for FREE the content, materials and worksheets that deliver to you the concepts of these elements to help you put together your marketing plan. This free content is available from his blog, the marketing spot. This is remarkable, because many of the Internet Marketers  today are charging–and getting–hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars from small business owners just to get the same content in either binders, CDs, DVDs, downloadable audio and video media, etc. In Jay’s case, you can decide to implement the plan by yourself or get some assistance to ensure its success. Jay also has a FREE podcast on iTunes(R), or you can visit his web site to get the episodes at http://www.themarketingspotblog.com . This podcast is called POWER TO THE SMALL BUSINESS. He interviews top minds in small business marketing, as well as some interviews with other entrepreneurs. We thank Jay for his insight and perspective for the entrepreneur, and for reminding us that a good marketing plan is critical for success–just as is having a good plan in dealing with finance for startups. If you wish to reach Jay Ehret, his contact information is on the web page of: http://www.themarketingspot.com/about/ Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-16,25302002 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:31:53 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25251832-105-From-Solo-Preneur-to-Franchise-Empire-Fez-Ogbazion-of-ITS In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, our interview is with the CEO of Instant Tax Service ,  Fez Ogbazion. This is a success story of someone who had the burning desire to start his own small business, as he admired two icons that started their businesses at age 19– Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Fez Ogbazion saw the opportunity of providing income tax services. He saw the potential sales volume, and he took advantage of the stroke of luck that gave him the ability to secure the prior location of a previous tax preparer business. What is unusual is the method of securing sources of funds to grow his business and expand the number of locations for his tax-preparation business. And he became successful when he was able to sell his first key business (which he started as a Solo-preneur). As you will hear in this audio podcast, he has grown his current business  into a Franchise network empire. In fact, his business is listed in the Franchise 500 list within Entreprerneur... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, our interview is with the CEO of Instant Tax Service ,  Fez Ogbazion. This is a success story of someone who had the burning desire to start his own small business, as he admired two icons that started their businesses at age 19– Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Fez Ogbazion saw the opportunity of providing income tax services. He saw the potential sales volume, and he took advantage of the stroke of luck that gave him the ability to secure the prior location of a previous tax preparer business. What is unusual is the method of securing sources of funds to grow his business and expand the number of locations for his tax-preparation business. And he became successful when he was able to sell his first key business (which he started as a Solo-preneur). As you will hear in this audio podcast, he has grown his current business  into a Franchise network empire. In fact, his business is listed in the Franchise 500 list within Entreprerneur Magazine . It is interesting to note Fez’s recomendations and lessons learned from growing a business from the bottom-up and the traits needed to be successful. In fact, the ITS web site has his own personal testimonial of his success. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, our interview is with the CEO of Instant Tax Service ,  Fez Ogbazion. This is a success story of someone who had the burning desire to start his own small business, as he admired two icons that started their businesses at age 19– Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Fez Ogbazion saw the opportunity of providing income tax services. He saw the potential sales volume, and he took advantage of the stroke of luck that gave him the ability to secure the prior location of a previous tax preparer business. What is unusual is the method of securing sources of funds to grow his business and expand the number of locations for his tax-preparation business. And he became successful when he was able to sell his first key business (which he started as a Solo-preneur). As you will hear in this audio podcast, he has grown his current business  into a Franchise network empire. In fact, his business is listed in the Franchise 500 list within Entreprerneur Magazine . It is interesting to note Fez’s recomendations and lessons learned from growing a business from the bottom-up and the traits needed to be successful. In fact, the ITS web site has his own personal testimonial of his success. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-07,25251832 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:47:51 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25246208-104-The-%E2%80%98Necessity-Preneur%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98Accidental%E2%80%99-Entrepreneur-as-a-sign-of-the-Economy In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we comment on a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle written by Tom Abate which is called Accidental entrepreneurs a sign of the economy . It seems that this sign is actually a growing trend during this economic downturn. This article was brought to my attention from the blogpost at The Unintentional Entrepreneur . According to this article, credit for coining the term “Necessity-preneur” was given to Bay Area business analyst Carolyn Ockels. Along with the term “Accidental-preneur,” this was used to describe the people who become self-employed because regular jobs are so tough to find. As you will discover in this audio podcast summary, there are 3 examples of people who lost their jobs and, by necessity, had to find temporary means of income or try to survive just to pay the bills. In one case, the results from the contract work that was supposed to be “contingent stuff” actually develope... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we comment on a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle written by Tom Abate which is called Accidental entrepreneurs a sign of the economy . It seems that this sign is actually a growing trend during this economic downturn. This article was brought to my attention from the blogpost at The Unintentional Entrepreneur . According to this article, credit for coining the term “Necessity-preneur” was given to Bay Area business analyst Carolyn Ockels. Along with the term “Accidental-preneur,” this was used to describe the people who become self-employed because regular jobs are so tough to find. As you will discover in this audio podcast summary, there are 3 examples of people who lost their jobs and, by necessity, had to find temporary means of income or try to survive just to pay the bills. In one case, the results from the contract work that was supposed to be “contingent stuff” actually developed into something that was started as a small business–to the point where the individual gave the tip he obtained in his job search to someone else. In other cases, the results from being a “necessity-preneur” may provide additional revenue streams, even after the job seeker may land full-time employment.   Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we comment on a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle written by Tom Abate which is called Accidental entrepreneurs a sign of the economy . It seems that this sign is actually a growing trend during this economic downturn. This article was brought to my attention from the blogpost at The Unintentional Entrepreneur . According to this article, credit for coining the term “Necessity-preneur” was given to Bay Area business analyst Carolyn Ockels. Along with the term “Accidental-preneur,” this was used to describe the people who become self-employed because regular jobs are so tough to find. As you will discover in this audio podcast summary, there are 3 examples of people who lost their jobs and, by necessity, had to find temporary means of income or try to survive just to pay the bills. In one case, the results from the contract work that was supposed to be “contingent stuff” actually developed into something that was started as a small business–to the point where the individual gave the tip he obtained in his job search to someone else. In other cases, the results from being a “necessity-preneur” may provide additional revenue streams, even after the job seeker may land full-time employment.   Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   tag:odeo.com,2009-10-06,25246208 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:07:00 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25241091-103-Highly-effective-Entrepreneurs-8-Patterns In this brief episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled  “8 patterns of highly effective Entrepreneurs.”  This blogpost summarizes the 8 patterns as described in the book by the same name ( 8 Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneur s). The book’s author is Brent Bowers . The book may be purchased at www.amazon.com . In this brief audio narration, we see that these characteristics are: 1. Opportunity 2. Leadership 3. Innovative 4. Adaptation 5. Drive 6. Passion 7. Unfailing Pragmatism 8. Setbacks equal Opportunity It is interesting to note how many of these same patterns are considered uncommon traits (as was described in an earlier blogpost in this same podcast series) for an entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Social Media Today, LLC and Brent Bowers. All Rights Reserved. In this brief episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled  “8 patterns of highly effective Entrepreneurs.”  This blogpost summarizes the 8 patterns as described in the book by the same name ( 8 Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneur s). The book’s author is Brent Bowers . The book may be purchased at www.amazon.com . In this brief audio narration, we see that these characteristics are: 1. Opportunity 2. Leadership 3. Innovative 4. Adaptation 5. Drive 6. Passion 7. Unfailing Pragmatism 8. Setbacks equal Opportunity It is interesting to note how many of these same patterns are considered uncommon traits (as was described in an earlier blogpost in this same podcast series) for an entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Social Media Today, LLC and Brent Bowers. All Rights Reserved. In this brief episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled  “8 patterns of highly effective Entrepreneurs.”  This blogpost summarizes the 8 patterns as described in the book by the same name ( 8 Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneur s). The book’s author is Brent Bowers . The book may be purchased at www.amazon.com . In this brief audio narration, we see that these characteristics are: 1. Opportunity 2. Leadership 3. Innovative 4. Adaptation 5. Drive 6. Passion 7. Unfailing Pragmatism 8. Setbacks equal Opportunity It is interesting to note how many of these same patterns are considered uncommon traits (as was described in an earlier blogpost in this same podcast series) for an entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Social Media Today, LLC and Brent Bowers. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-06,25241091 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:53:51 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25202458-102A-Trust-Agency-for-Entrepreneurs-Interview-with-Chris-Brogan-Julien-Smith In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Julien Smith and Chris Brogan , who are weblebrities and co-authors of this latest book, Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust . At an event in Austin, Texas, Chris and Julien were the lunch speakers in the world of Marketing (the meeting was sponsored by the AMA). However, we asked Julien and Chris to focus on the topic Trust Agency for the Entrepreneur, within the environment of Small Business Ownership and success. As you will hear from this shorter podcast episode, some key differentiators that can help the small business owner to get  exposure and notoriety  were: - being different and unexpected (in a relevant and tasteful manner); - planning the human interactive strategy of using social media tools (such as twitter, etc.); - networking in a humanistic way without business cards. The latter suggestion can best be served by a true case-in-point: When I first met Julien Smit... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Julien Smith and Chris Brogan , who are weblebrities and co-authors of this latest book, Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust . At an event in Austin, Texas, Chris and Julien were the lunch speakers in the world of Marketing (the meeting was sponsored by the AMA). However, we asked Julien and Chris to focus on the topic Trust Agency for the Entrepreneur, within the environment of Small Business Ownership and success. As you will hear from this shorter podcast episode, some key differentiators that can help the small business owner to get  exposure and notoriety  were: - being different and unexpected (in a relevant and tasteful manner); - planning the human interactive strategy of using social media tools (such as twitter, etc.); - networking in a humanistic way without business cards. The latter suggestion can best be served by a true case-in-point: When I first met Julien Smith prior to the luncheon, I did not whip out a business card and start talking about my business or my entrepreneurship. Instead, we focused on two items– (1) His book (because I asked him to sign my copy); and (2) I had started a conversation at  the bar about a drink (Old Fashion) that has gained notoriety because it is on a current TV series ( MadMen ). Since Julien had never tried one, I offered to him the one I had just ordered. That immediately set in motion a humanistic relationship model where we forgot about business for a few moments and we both earned the trust and respect for each other. And, yes, later on, I did give Julien one of my business cards–after he asked for it. Note: in this brief interview, we had some ambient noise in the background, as we recorded this after the luncheon in the same dining area. Please forgive this background sound. As both Chris and Julien had to depart to the airport literally within minutes, we recorded this discussion in a mobile manner and before they had to be shuttled to catch their flight. Thus, you may sense the feeling that we were a bit hurried. We thank Chris and Julien for their time and contribution. Copyright (c) Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Julien Smith and Chris Brogan , who are weblebrities and co-authors of this latest book, Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust . At an event in Austin, Texas, Chris and Julien were the lunch speakers in the world of Marketing (the meeting was sponsored by the AMA). However, we asked Julien and Chris to focus on the topic Trust Agency for the Entrepreneur, within the environment of Small Business Ownership and success. As you will hear from this shorter podcast episode, some key differentiators that can help the small business owner to get  exposure and notoriety  were: - being different and unexpected (in a relevant and tasteful manner); - planning the human interactive strategy of using social media tools (such as twitter, etc.); - networking in a humanistic way without business cards. The latter suggestion can best be served by a true case-in-point: When I first met Julien Smith prior to the luncheon, I did not whip out a business card and start talking about my business or my entrepreneurship. Instead, we focused on two items– (1) His book (because I asked him to sign my copy); and (2) I had started a conversation at  the bar about a drink (Old Fashion) that has gained notoriety because it is on a current TV series ( MadMen ). Since Julien had never tried one, I offered to him the one I had just ordered. That immediately set in motion a humanistic relationship model where we forgot about business for a few moments and we both earned the trust and respect for each other. And, yes, later on, I did give Julien one of my business cards–after he asked for it. Note: in this brief interview, we had some ambient noise in the background, as we recorded this after the luncheon in the same dining area. Please forgive this background sound. As both Chris and Julien had to depart to the airport literally within minutes, we recorded this discussion in a mobile manner and before they had to be shuttled to catch their flight. Thus, you may sense the feeling that we were a bit hurried. We thank Chris and Julien for their time and contribution. Copyright (c) Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-09-28,25202458 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:21:38 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25197144-102-Successful-Entrepreneurs-7-Uncommon-traits In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration (complete and unabridged) of a blog post titled “7 Uncommon Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs.” This post was published on 20 July 2009 from the Duct Tape Marketing blog . As you will hear in this brief audio episode, the 7 uncommon traits highlighted are: 1. Curiosity 2. Risk-averse 3. Planners 4. Trusting 5. Non-judgment 6. Spatial 7. Pragmatic Thanks to Duct Tape Marketing for providing this insight into the makeup of successful entrepreneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.ducttapemarketing.com . All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration (complete and unabridged) of a blog post titled “7 Uncommon Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs.” This post was published on 20 July 2009 from the Duct Tape Marketing blog . As you will hear in this brief audio episode, the 7 uncommon traits highlighted are: 1. Curiosity 2. Risk-averse 3. Planners 4. Trusting 5. Non-judgment 6. Spatial 7. Pragmatic Thanks to Duct Tape Marketing for providing this insight into the makeup of successful entrepreneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.ducttapemarketing.com . All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration (complete and unabridged) of a blog post titled “7 Uncommon Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs.” This post was published on 20 July 2009 from the Duct Tape Marketing blog . As you will hear in this brief audio episode, the 7 uncommon traits highlighted are: 1. Curiosity 2. Risk-averse 3. Planners 4. Trusting 5. Non-judgment 6. Spatial 7. Pragmatic Thanks to Duct Tape Marketing for providing this insight into the makeup of successful entrepreneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.ducttapemarketing.com . All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-09-27,25197144 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:48:24 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25121716-101A-How-Entrepreneurs-can-validate-their-market-Branding-Backwards-with-Mark-A-Roberts In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Roberts , who has been a Small Business Owner after he was successful in the Corporate World with Frito-Lay and a Startup business. He currently has his own business, which is called Out of the Box Solutions. As you will hear in this podcast, one of the biggest obstacles to success for an Entrepreneur is not being able to sell the product or service. And how come? As Mark describes, the Entrepreneur has passion for the idea, excitement for the product or service and enthusiasm for the launch of the small business. However, the strategy and planning and research needed to see if the market was there — and if anyone would be willing to pay for the final product or service — does not exist. Mark’s current business can help the Entrepreneur to do the proper investigation to see if a real market exists and real customers who would buy the product or service. Mark is currently with a firm called ... In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Roberts , who has been a Small Business Owner after he was successful in the Corporate World with Frito-Lay and a Startup business. He currently has his own business, which is called Out of the Box Solutions. As you will hear in this podcast, one of the biggest obstacles to success for an Entrepreneur is not being able to sell the product or service. And how come? As Mark describes, the Entrepreneur has passion for the idea, excitement for the product or service and enthusiasm for the launch of the small business. However, the strategy and planning and research needed to see if the market was there — and if anyone would be willing to pay for the final product or service — does not exist. Mark’s current business can help the Entrepreneur to do the proper investigation to see if a real market exists and real customers who would buy the product or service. Mark is currently with a firm called Pragmatic Marketing .  Although we had met at the ProductCamp event in Austin, Texas, he is currently based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Mark has published a book in 2007, titled “Branding Backwards: A Brand’s Odyssey Toward Self-Discovery.” And you can get a free copy from his web site by simply requesting it on his online form. In this book, he uses the story-telling method of describing the thought process that goes in acquiring a differentiating BRAND. It is also available as an audio narration in the form of a podcast. In addition to writing a second book, Mark is also the invited keynote speaker for an events that deal with assistance for Entrepreneurs, especially with the mature and experienced workers who are going into small business ownership after being laid off from their day-jobs or because they have just retired from their corporate or public sector career. This organization is called BoomerzWork. We thank Mark for empathizing with Entrepreneurs and “how his heart goes out to them” when he sees them in trouble and tries to provide the guidance and assistance to help them save their business, then grow their business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Roberts , who has been a Small Business Owner after he was successful in the Corporate World with Frito-Lay and a Startup business. He currently has his own business, which is called Out of the Box Solutions. As you will hear in this podcast, one of the biggest obstacles to success for an Entrepreneur is not being able to sell the product or service. And how come? As Mark describes, the Entrepreneur has passion for the idea, excitement for the product or service and enthusiasm for the launch of the small business. However, the strategy and planning and research needed to see if the market was there — and if anyone would be willing to pay for the final product or service — does not exist. Mark’s current business can help the Entrepreneur to do the proper investigation to see if a real market exists and real customers who would buy the product or service. Mark is currently with a firm called Pragmatic Marketing .  Although we had met at the ProductCamp event in Austin, Texas, he is currently based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Mark has published a book in 2007, titled “Branding Backwards: A Brand’s Odyssey Toward Self-Discovery.” And you can get a free copy from his web site by simply requesting it on his online form. In this book, he uses the story-telling method of describing the thought process that goes in acquiring a differentiating BRAND. It is also available as an audio narration in the form of a podcast. In addition to writing a second book, Mark is also the invited keynote speaker for an events that deal with assistance for Entrepreneurs, especially with the mature and experienced workers who are going into small business ownership after being laid off from their day-jobs or because they have just retired from their corporate or public sector career. This organization is called BoomerzWork. We thank Mark for empathizing with Entrepreneurs and “how his heart goes out to them” when he sees them in trouble and tries to provide the guidance and assistance to help them save their business, then grow their business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-09-13,25121716 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:04:47 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25086118-101-Aftermath-of-launching-a-small-business-Elizabeth-Harrington In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return and visit Elizabeth Harrington , whom we interviewed in episodes 16 and 17 a couple of years ago (You may look in the archives for these episodes from December, 2007, on the web site). At  that time, she was in the process of getting the education and training to set up her small business venture as an entrepreneur, which she named The New Prime Time . She shared with us her dreams and goals of her future business, and we promised to check with her later to see how the launch of her business went, as well as her progress as an Entrepreneur. Well, in this audio episode, she now shares with us the aftermath of the launch–and especially the pitfalls of distractions and detours to which so many entrepreneurs fall prey when they begin the initial stages after launching their businesses.  And, as she describes it, among the symptoms that called her attention to this “entrepreneur minefield” was one which dealt wi... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return and visit Elizabeth Harrington , whom we interviewed in episodes 16 and 17 a couple of years ago (You may look in the archives for these episodes from December, 2007, on the web site). At  that time, she was in the process of getting the education and training to set up her small business venture as an entrepreneur, which she named The New Prime Time . She shared with us her dreams and goals of her future business, and we promised to check with her later to see how the launch of her business went, as well as her progress as an Entrepreneur. Well, in this audio episode, she now shares with us the aftermath of the launch–and especially the pitfalls of distractions and detours to which so many entrepreneurs fall prey when they begin the initial stages after launching their businesses.  And, as she describes it, among the symptoms that called her attention to this “entrepreneur minefield” was one which dealt with the excitement and challenge of creating her own business. The symptom:  “the thrill was gone”   from running the business. You will hear from her the number of factors for this, all the way from errors in judgment of allocating financial resources, as well as challenges that can arise with business partners who may not share the same “passion” as the creating entrepreneur. However, as you will hear from this interview, Elizabeth recognized these symptoms and did her own re-assessment. She then re-strategized and re-created her plans, with  the right focus to guide her back to the real objectives for her business. She is now in the middle of a planned re-branding to get her back on track. The result? “The thrill is back!” she tells us. As you listen to this audio episode, you can see what actions she is taking and how she is following her new roadmap back to success–success for herself, personally, as well as financial success. We thank Elizabeth Harrington for sharing her story, and we hope that this will bring value to other entrepreneurs who are about to launch their businesses, so that they may be aware of the dangers of distractions and other warning signs that may eventually cause them loss of time, money and (most of all) the passion for their business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return and visit Elizabeth Harrington , whom we interviewed in episodes 16 and 17 a couple of years ago (You may look in the archives for these episodes from December, 2007, on the web site). At  that time, she was in the process of getting the education and training to set up her small business venture as an entrepreneur, which she named The New Prime Time . She shared with us her dreams and goals of her future business, and we promised to check with her later to see how the launch of her business went, as well as her progress as an Entrepreneur. Well, in this audio episode, she now shares with us the aftermath of the launch–and especially the pitfalls of distractions and detours to which so many entrepreneurs fall prey when they begin the initial stages after launching their businesses.  And, as she describes it, among the symptoms that called her attention to this “entrepreneur minefield” was one which dealt with the excitement and challenge of creating her own business. The symptom:  “the thrill was gone”   from running the business. You will hear from her the number of factors for this, all the way from errors in judgment of allocating financial resources, as well as challenges that can arise with business partners who may not share the same “passion” as the creating entrepreneur. However, as you will hear from this interview, Elizabeth recognized these symptoms and did her own re-assessment. She then re-strategized and re-created her plans, with  the right focus to guide her back to the real objectives for her business. She is now in the middle of a planned re-branding to get her back on track. The result? “The thrill is back!” she tells us. As you listen to this audio episode, you can see what actions she is taking and how she is following her new roadmap back to success–success for herself, personally, as well as financial success. We thank Elizabeth Harrington for sharing her story, and we hope that this will bring value to other entrepreneurs who are about to launch their businesses, so that they may be aware of the dangers of distractions and other warning signs that may eventually cause them loss of time, money and (most of all) the passion for their business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-09-07,25086118 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:42:53 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25034619-100-Integrity-Experience-drive-new-business-success-while-facing-adversity-New-future-for-Hollis In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview an individual who has launched his business as the gateway to a new life. Hollis Wieruscheske has had over 30 years of corporate experience, with great skills in sales, marketing, finance, pricing and negotiations. It is this wealth of experience that he brings to the table in creating his new venture, Hollis Lewis and Associates, L.L.C. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, the main determinants for success in the new world of entrepreneurship do not come from either technical skills or the ability to make profit alone. The key success  factors are:1.  Integrity that values relationships and lifestyle; 2.  Being a Problem-Solver , not a “technician” or “quick-fixer”; and 3.   Adaptation and learning, negotiation skills and plannin g. This is more than just a business to bring in revenue and profit for him. Hollis also sees this as an exciting time that will provide him the rewards of au... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview an individual who has launched his business as the gateway to a new life. Hollis Wieruscheske has had over 30 years of corporate experience, with great skills in sales, marketing, finance, pricing and negotiations. It is this wealth of experience that he brings to the table in creating his new venture, Hollis Lewis and Associates, L.L.C. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, the main determinants for success in the new world of entrepreneurship do not come from either technical skills or the ability to make profit alone. The key success  factors are:1.  Integrity that values relationships and lifestyle; 2.  Being a Problem-Solver , not a “technician” or “quick-fixer”; and 3.   Adaptation and learning, negotiation skills and plannin g. This is more than just a business to bring in revenue and profit for him. Hollis also sees this as an exciting time that will provide him the rewards of autonomy, challenge and lifestyle upon which he thrives–and this, in spite of a setback due to a health condition that impacted him during his last year in corporate America. Can the formula for success be merely product+ experience + skills? Or can it be even more than that? Can it be also the anticipation of a future filled with reaching personal goals and seeing financial accomplishment, while being his own boss? And what would be the key ingredients for what Hollis considers “real success”? In this audio episode, Hollis shares with us his planned exit strategy, how he finally left corporate America and how he became a full-time entrepreneur–while never sacrificing the personal values that allowed him to succeed during his 30 years at IBM .  And these same values are now reaping the rewards of financial success in his new Small Business. Hollis Wieruscheske can be reached via email: hollisw [at] mac.com   (to prevent spamming) Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview an individual who has launched his business as the gateway to a new life. Hollis Wieruscheske has had over 30 years of corporate experience, with great skills in sales, marketing, finance, pricing and negotiations. It is this wealth of experience that he brings to the table in creating his new venture, Hollis Lewis and Associates, L.L.C. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, the main determinants for success in the new world of entrepreneurship do not come from either technical skills or the ability to make profit alone. The key success  factors are:1.  Integrity that values relationships and lifestyle; 2.  Being a Problem-Solver , not a “technician” or “quick-fixer”; and 3.   Adaptation and learning, negotiation skills and plannin g. This is more than just a business to bring in revenue and profit for him. Hollis also sees this as an exciting time that will provide him the rewards of autonomy, challenge and lifestyle upon which he thrives–and this, in spite of a setback due to a health condition that impacted him during his last year in corporate America. Can the formula for success be merely product+ experience + skills? Or can it be even more than that? Can it be also the anticipation of a future filled with reaching personal goals and seeing financial accomplishment, while being his own boss? And what would be the key ingredients for what Hollis considers “real success”? In this audio episode, Hollis shares with us his planned exit strategy, how he finally left corporate America and how he became a full-time entrepreneur–while never sacrificing the personal values that allowed him to succeed during his 30 years at IBM .  And these same values are now reaping the rewards of financial success in his new Small Business. Hollis Wieruscheske can be reached via email: hollisw [at] mac.com   (to prevent spamming) Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-27,25034619 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:56:58 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24988914-99-Successful-Entrepreneur-in-starting%E2%80%93and-selling%E2%80%93multiple-businesses-Interview-with-Tim-Bourquin In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have a chance to catch up with Tim Bourquin for an update on his progress as a successful entrepreneur. Why do we use the term successful ? Well, for one reason, success in Entrepreneurship has been measured by the creation and subsequent profitable sale of a business (or–in Tim’s case–sales of multiple businesses for profit). In addition, as you will hear in this audio episode, the entrepreneurial spirit has Tim once again in another venture. As you will hear in this audio episode, Tim has successfully sold several businesses that he has started after his 10-year stint as a law enforcement officer with the L.A. Police Dept.  Among those which he profitably sold as part of his exit execution were Endurance Planet (podcast) and the New Media Expo (conference/event business for podcasting and new media). He currently has several new initiatives, as his main web site displays on IdeasForDownload.com . As he mentions, ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have a chance to catch up with Tim Bourquin for an update on his progress as a successful entrepreneur. Why do we use the term successful ? Well, for one reason, success in Entrepreneurship has been measured by the creation and subsequent profitable sale of a business (or–in Tim’s case–sales of multiple businesses for profit). In addition, as you will hear in this audio episode, the entrepreneurial spirit has Tim once again in another venture. As you will hear in this audio episode, Tim has successfully sold several businesses that he has started after his 10-year stint as a law enforcement officer with the L.A. Police Dept.  Among those which he profitably sold as part of his exit execution were Endurance Planet (podcast) and the New Media Expo (conference/event business for podcasting and new media). He currently has several new initiatives, as his main web site displays on IdeasForDownload.com . As he mentions, his current focus of his time is the securities trading industry with the premium content delivered in TraderInterviews.com . However, he also provides assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the creation of membership and community resources and sites with MemberCon.com . As you will hear, Tim does not hold back in the new methods and practices that he introduces in his podcasts and businesses. Some have become “best practices” for some of the pundits and luminaries within the new media and social media space. And there are a few surprises that will make the traditional entrepreneur coaches cringe–especially those who stress the importance on business plans and feasibility plans as a critical  lever for success. In addition, the main challenge that faces Tim is focusing on the main business at hand amidst all the entrepreneurial ideas and opportunities which surround him. But his “intuitive gut feel” that drives his spontaneity and direction has also been a key skill that has helped Tim to reach success as an entrepreneur who can create–and then sell for a profit –great businesses. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have a chance to catch up with Tim Bourquin for an update on his progress as a successful entrepreneur. Why do we use the term successful ? Well, for one reason, success in Entrepreneurship has been measured by the creation and subsequent profitable sale of a business (or–in Tim’s case–sales of multiple businesses for profit). In addition, as you will hear in this audio episode, the entrepreneurial spirit has Tim once again in another venture. As you will hear in this audio episode, Tim has successfully sold several businesses that he has started after his 10-year stint as a law enforcement officer with the L.A. Police Dept.  Among those which he profitably sold as part of his exit execution were Endurance Planet (podcast) and the New Media Expo (conference/event business for podcasting and new media). He currently has several new initiatives, as his main web site displays on IdeasForDownload.com . As he mentions, his current focus of his time is the securities trading industry with the premium content delivered in TraderInterviews.com . However, he also provides assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the creation of membership and community resources and sites with MemberCon.com . As you will hear, Tim does not hold back in the new methods and practices that he introduces in his podcasts and businesses. Some have become “best practices” for some of the pundits and luminaries within the new media and social media space. And there are a few surprises that will make the traditional entrepreneur coaches cringe–especially those who stress the importance on business plans and feasibility plans as a critical  lever for success. In addition, the main challenge that faces Tim is focusing on the main business at hand amidst all the entrepreneurial ideas and opportunities which surround him. But his “intuitive gut feel” that drives his spontaneity and direction has also been a key skill that has helped Tim to reach success as an entrepreneur who can create–and then sell for a profit –great businesses. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-19,24988914 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:09:17 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24976592-98A-ProductCamp-and-its-value-to-Entrepreneurs In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we bring you a bonus episode that highlights the value of an event for the Entrepreneur–the “unconference” called ProductCamp . As you may know, we have had episodes about PodCamp s and FreelanceCamp s, as well as mentions about BarCamps. This is the first time we explore the ProductCamp . This event took place in Austin. And during this audio podcast,  we describe all the sessions in the 4 tracks that were available. We also go into the assembly of a “dynamic agenda” that was used. We feel that you shouldl find this of great interest. In  addition, we interviewed the following people at the event: - Paul Young (a Product Manager with Dell, Inc. ) –Paul is the founder of the Austin ProductCamp event. - David Daniels of Pragmatic Marketing (whose blog is www.launchclinic.com ) — David is a sponsor of the event, as well as a participant and speaker; - Kristen Carney , Research Analyst at Cubit P... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we bring you a bonus episode that highlights the value of an event for the Entrepreneur–the “unconference” called ProductCamp . As you may know, we have had episodes about PodCamp s and FreelanceCamp s, as well as mentions about BarCamps. This is the first time we explore the ProductCamp . This event took place in Austin. And during this audio podcast,  we describe all the sessions in the 4 tracks that were available. We also go into the assembly of a “dynamic agenda” that was used. We feel that you shouldl find this of great interest. In  addition, we interviewed the following people at the event: - Paul Young (a Product Manager with Dell, Inc. ) –Paul is the founder of the Austin ProductCamp event. - David Daniels of Pragmatic Marketing (whose blog is www.launchclinic.com ) — David is a sponsor of the event, as well as a participant and speaker; - Kristen Carney , Research Analyst at Cubit Planning — Kristin was a volunteer, as well as participant at the event. She is also an entrepreneur. - Brad Sherman of Polycom. Brad was a corporate participant at the event. - Ross Hobbie , Product Manager at Dell, Inc. – Ross is only a participant whose objective was to learn from entrepreneurs in the methods and practices of creating and marketing products. In addition, Fred Castaneda from Matrix Solutions Corporation did present a session titled “Podcasting means Business–and Additional Revenue Streams.” The ProductCamps are a growing trend, with different cities hosting events (from the Bay Area in San Francisco to Atlanta, Georgia–and beyond). In summary, for the Entrepreneur, it is a worthwhile event that provides a SHARING of skills, Best Practices and experiences with those who want to add value (no sales pitches allowed) to help others, regardless of industry. In addition, the networking opportunities were of great value. If you want to see if a ProductCamp is scheduled near your location, you can look for the ProductCamp section or link at the wiki located at: http://www.barcamp.org . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we bring you a bonus episode that highlights the value of an event for the Entrepreneur–the “unconference” called ProductCamp . As you may know, we have had episodes about PodCamp s and FreelanceCamp s, as well as mentions about BarCamps. This is the first time we explore the ProductCamp . This event took place in Austin. And during this audio podcast,  we describe all the sessions in the 4 tracks that were available. We also go into the assembly of a “dynamic agenda” that was used. We feel that you shouldl find this of great interest. In  addition, we interviewed the following people at the event: - Paul Young (a Product Manager with Dell, Inc. ) –Paul is the founder of the Austin ProductCamp event. - David Daniels of Pragmatic Marketing (whose blog is www.launchclinic.com ) — David is a sponsor of the event, as well as a participant and speaker; - Kristen Carney , Research Analyst at Cubit Planning — Kristin was a volunteer, as well as participant at the event. She is also an entrepreneur. - Brad Sherman of Polycom. Brad was a corporate participant at the event. - Ross Hobbie , Product Manager at Dell, Inc. – Ross is only a participant whose objective was to learn from entrepreneurs in the methods and practices of creating and marketing products. In addition, Fred Castaneda from Matrix Solutions Corporation did present a session titled “Podcasting means Business–and Additional Revenue Streams.” The ProductCamps are a growing trend, with different cities hosting events (from the Bay Area in San Francisco to Atlanta, Georgia–and beyond). In summary, for the Entrepreneur, it is a worthwhile event that provides a SHARING of skills, Best Practices and experiences with those who want to add value (no sales pitches allowed) to help others, regardless of industry. In addition, the networking opportunities were of great value. If you want to see if a ProductCamp is scheduled near your location, you can look for the ProductCamp section or link at the wiki located at: http://www.barcamp.org . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-17,24976592 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:34:34 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24878088-98-Entrepreneur-in-niche-Restaurant-business In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine how a Restaurant entrepreneur with a niche target market of European cuisine has discovered and implemented some unique items and incentives to deliver superior customer service and a rich customer experience–and this, at the same time while maintaining the quality of the food to an extremely high standard of authenticity and taste (which is verified by critical and demanding customers from the original ethnic homelands of Europe). In this audio episode, Anna Zovek , the owner of the European Bistro ,  shares her never-ending attention to the customer experience. In addition to getting feedback directly from her customers, she includes new items in the menu which they requested (i.e., “enhancing the product”).  She also observes her competitors and includes best practices from other businesses that will work in her environment. And she also enriches the dining experience with live entertainment, as well as... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine how a Restaurant entrepreneur with a niche target market of European cuisine has discovered and implemented some unique items and incentives to deliver superior customer service and a rich customer experience–and this, at the same time while maintaining the quality of the food to an extremely high standard of authenticity and taste (which is verified by critical and demanding customers from the original ethnic homelands of Europe). In this audio episode, Anna Zovek , the owner of the European Bistro ,  shares her never-ending attention to the customer experience. In addition to getting feedback directly from her customers, she includes new items in the menu which they requested (i.e., “enhancing the product”).  She also observes her competitors and includes best practices from other businesses that will work in her environment. And she also enriches the dining experience with live entertainment, as well as incentives for a dream vacation to visit the homeland and re-energize the roots for some 2nd- and 3rd-generation customers in America. This business, the European Bistro , is housed in a quaint and historic building that is 110 years old. What is incredible is that the value proposition to the customers is founded on the authentic taste and quality of the foods and dishes from mid- and Eastern Europe, that is, from French cuisine to the dishes of Germany, Hungary, Russia, and even the Balkans. But the “product” of the food and dishes offered is not the only ingredient in creating a dining masterpiece for the customers. A rich experience is also provided. How? With live entertainment that suits the palette of the customers. When do you get to listen to a wandering minstrel and troubadour, dressed in the native costume of the homeland,  who knows the folkloric songs in 5 different languages from the home country? And this wonderful “voyage” to the homeland is captured as the singer, Shirley Johnson , plays at the customers’ table, to heighten the nostalgia for a return to the pleasant memories. In addition, for the customers who love soft melodies of other music and ballads, there is a pianist that provides the background ambiance to allow a casual dining experience, so that the customers can have relaxed and soft conversations while enjoying their time at the European Bistro . But Anna Zovek provides additional incentives to increase the value to the customers. This can range from lunch special menu selections at very affordable prices– to the contest winner of a free week’s stay at a time-share lodging in Budapest, for those who desire to visit Hungary and actually live the experience in the homeland. Many other marketing items and best practices are also mentioned in this audio interview. One of them will definitely surprise you, as it did me–for it is an exclusive that provides care and attention to the customers. In doing the due diligence for this interview, I went to sample the dishes at the European Bistro myself. I can truthfully say that the “product” is of the highest quality–even though it may mean importing ingredients from the East coast or the Midwest, if they are not available locally. Thus, even in an economic downturn, unique values can be delivered in the customer value proposition of a rich experience–not only to heighten the brand awareness, but to gain and keep loyal customers, as well as referrals for a niche business in a terribly competitive environment. For more information, you may go to the web site at: http://www.european-bistro.com Copyright (c)  2009, MatrixSolutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine how a Restaurant entrepreneur with a niche target market of European cuisine has discovered and implemented some unique items and incentives to deliver superior customer service and a rich customer experience–and this, at the same time while maintaining the quality of the food to an extremely high standard of authenticity and taste (which is verified by critical and demanding customers from the original ethnic homelands of Europe). In this audio episode, Anna Zovek , the owner of the European Bistro ,  shares her never-ending attention to the customer experience. In addition to getting feedback directly from her customers, she includes new items in the menu which they requested (i.e., “enhancing the product”).  She also observes her competitors and includes best practices from other businesses that will work in her environment. And she also enriches the dining experience with live entertainment, as well as incentives for a dream vacation to visit the homeland and re-energize the roots for some 2nd- and 3rd-generation customers in America. This business, the European Bistro , is housed in a quaint and historic building that is 110 years old. What is incredible is that the value proposition to the customers is founded on the authentic taste and quality of the foods and dishes from mid- and Eastern Europe, that is, from French cuisine to the dishes of Germany, Hungary, Russia, and even the Balkans. But the “product” of the food and dishes offered is not the only ingredient in creating a dining masterpiece for the customers. A rich experience is also provided. How? With live entertainment that suits the palette of the customers. When do you get to listen to a wandering minstrel and troubadour, dressed in the native costume of the homeland,  who knows the folkloric songs in 5 different languages from the home country? And this wonderful “voyage” to the homeland is captured as the singer, Shirley Johnson , plays at the customers’ table, to heighten the nostalgia for a return to the pleasant memories. In addition, for the customers who love soft melodies of other music and ballads, there is a pianist that provides the background ambiance to allow a casual dining experience, so that the customers can have relaxed and soft conversations while enjoying their time at the European Bistro . But Anna Zovek provides additional incentives to increase the value to the customers. This can range from lunch special menu selections at very affordable prices– to the contest winner of a free week’s stay at a time-share lodging in Budapest, for those who desire to visit Hungary and actually live the experience in the homeland. Many other marketing items and best practices are also mentioned in this audio interview. One of them will definitely surprise you, as it did me–for it is an exclusive that provides care and attention to the customers. In doing the due diligence for this interview, I went to sample the dishes at the European Bistro myself. I can truthfully say that the “product” is of the highest quality–even though it may mean importing ingredients from the East coast or the Midwest, if they are not available locally. Thus, even in an economic downturn, unique values can be delivered in the customer value proposition of a rich experience–not only to heighten the brand awareness, but to gain and keep loyal customers, as well as referrals for a niche business in a terribly competitive environment. For more information, you may go to the web site at: http://www.european-bistro.com Copyright (c)  2009, MatrixSolutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-28,24878088 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:55:12 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24871920-97-The-%E2%80%9CUnintentional%E2%80%9D-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver to you the audio narration of a blog post from the blog The Unintentional Entrepreneur , with a complete and unabridged article titled Was Your Layoff a “Blessing in Disguise?” For those of us who have gone through the experience of a layoff, the results may have ranged from relief to frustration to anger to depression–and more. However, in this article, we find some results from a survey at SnagAJob.com that deliver more of a positive look forward to potential opportunity rather than negative gloom-and-doom. In fact, the article says that a great many of those surveyed look upon the layoff as a silver lining, or a “blessing in disguise.” In addition, the audio episode also includes the forthcoming announcement in September of Finance4Startups (at http://www.finance4startups.com). This site will provide the tools and training needed for those entrepreneurs who wish to form their own startup bus... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver to you the audio narration of a blog post from the blog The Unintentional Entrepreneur , with a complete and unabridged article titled Was Your Layoff a “Blessing in Disguise?” For those of us who have gone through the experience of a layoff, the results may have ranged from relief to frustration to anger to depression–and more. However, in this article, we find some results from a survey at SnagAJob.com that deliver more of a positive look forward to potential opportunity rather than negative gloom-and-doom. In fact, the article says that a great many of those surveyed look upon the layoff as a silver lining, or a “blessing in disguise.” In addition, the audio episode also includes the forthcoming announcement in September of Finance4Startups (at http://www.finance4startups.com). This site will provide the tools and training needed for those entrepreneurs who wish to form their own startup business, but minimize the problems with financing a startup, funding and money management. This is important, because in a free whitepaper  from this podcast series, you can see that the top three challenges which face a struggling entrepreneur are: 1.  Money, finance and capitalization; 2. Resources — which are free and fee and available; and 3. Being Overwhelmed – i.e., having too much to do and not enough time (especially for Solo-preneurs ). However, there is education and training that can deliver lifelong skills that form habits so that you can be able to: - accomplish more - in less time - with better quality, and - with reduced stress. Go to the podcast of Gain Control of Your Day for information on how to help you get these skills. However, we will deliver another podcast episode soon with all the details and links to Finance4Startups . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver to you the audio narration of a blog post from the blog The Unintentional Entrepreneur , with a complete and unabridged article titled Was Your Layoff a “Blessing in Disguise?” For those of us who have gone through the experience of a layoff, the results may have ranged from relief to frustration to anger to depression–and more. However, in this article, we find some results from a survey at SnagAJob.com that deliver more of a positive look forward to potential opportunity rather than negative gloom-and-doom. In fact, the article says that a great many of those surveyed look upon the layoff as a silver lining, or a “blessing in disguise.” In addition, the audio episode also includes the forthcoming announcement in September of Finance4Startups (at http://www.finance4startups.com). This site will provide the tools and training needed for those entrepreneurs who wish to form their own startup business, but minimize the problems with financing a startup, funding and money management. This is important, because in a free whitepaper  from this podcast series, you can see that the top three challenges which face a struggling entrepreneur are: 1.  Money, finance and capitalization; 2. Resources — which are free and fee and available; and 3. Being Overwhelmed – i.e., having too much to do and not enough time (especially for Solo-preneurs ). However, there is education and training that can deliver lifelong skills that form habits so that you can be able to: - accomplish more - in less time - with better quality, and - with reduced stress. Go to the podcast of Gain Control of Your Day for information on how to help you get these skills. However, we will deliver another podcast episode soon with all the details and links to Finance4Startups . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-27,24871920 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:30:07 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24859929-96-Top-100-non-business-books-for-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled 100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read (and found in the online blog OnlineUniversities.com ). We thank this group for the suggestion to have this blogpost in this podcast series. Thus, this blogpost is complete and unabridged.If you go to the above link for the actual blogpost, you will be able to get to each individual book and review it in detail or even order it from such places such as www.amazon.com . As you will hear in this audio episode, the major sections and categories of books are divided into the following: - Communication - Leadership - Success - Personal Development - Relationships and Personality - Psychology - Finance - Strategy and Innovation Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.onlineuniversities.com. All rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled 100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read (and found in the online blog OnlineUniversities.com ). We thank this group for the suggestion to have this blogpost in this podcast series. Thus, this blogpost is complete and unabridged.If you go to the above link for the actual blogpost, you will be able to get to each individual book and review it in detail or even order it from such places such as www.amazon.com . As you will hear in this audio episode, the major sections and categories of books are divided into the following: - Communication - Leadership - Success - Personal Development - Relationships and Personality - Psychology - Finance - Strategy and Innovation Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.onlineuniversities.com. All rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the audio narration of a blogpost titled 100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read (and found in the online blog OnlineUniversities.com ). We thank this group for the suggestion to have this blogpost in this podcast series. Thus, this blogpost is complete and unabridged.If you go to the above link for the actual blogpost, you will be able to get to each individual book and review it in detail or even order it from such places such as www.amazon.com . As you will hear in this audio episode, the major sections and categories of books are divided into the following: - Communication - Leadership - Success - Personal Development - Relationships and Personality - Psychology - Finance - Strategy and Innovation Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.onlineuniversities.com. All rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-24,24859929 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:18:12 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24836830-95-When-should-an-Entrepreneur-re-assess-the-Business In this episode of The Struggling Entrepeneur , we interview Gayle Temkin , a small business owner and entrepreneur for over 30 years, who has had several business–one for profit and the other a non-profit firm. Gayle’s web site is the Coalition for Emotional Literacy: As the Founding Director, she is focused on trying to help the adults, adolescents and children to a better life–physically and emotionally–through her contracts with the education systems and also with her therapy business. You can reach her at her email of contact@theCEL.org . We focus on the theme of re-assessing the business by an enrepreneur. We ask the question: what are the key things that should be examined that really determine the direction of the business during a re-assessment? And when is the best time for an Entrepreneur to re-assess the business, in accordance with a solid Business Plan? In this audio episode, you will hear the story from Gayle Temkin, as she presents this challe... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepeneur , we interview Gayle Temkin , a small business owner and entrepreneur for over 30 years, who has had several business–one for profit and the other a non-profit firm. Gayle’s web site is the Coalition for Emotional Literacy: As the Founding Director, she is focused on trying to help the adults, adolescents and children to a better life–physically and emotionally–through her contracts with the education systems and also with her therapy business. You can reach her at her email of contact@theCEL.org . We focus on the theme of re-assessing the business by an enrepreneur. We ask the question: what are the key things that should be examined that really determine the direction of the business during a re-assessment? And when is the best time for an Entrepreneur to re-assess the business, in accordance with a solid Business Plan? In this audio episode, you will hear the story from Gayle Temkin, as she presents this challenge in the journey of a small business owner along the way of creating a business that will be meaningful, in addition to profitable. She also gives her insights as to the value of a realistic business plan that takes into account your own aspirations, goals and values. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepeneur , we interview Gayle Temkin , a small business owner and entrepreneur for over 30 years, who has had several business–one for profit and the other a non-profit firm. Gayle’s web site is the Coalition for Emotional Literacy: As the Founding Director, she is focused on trying to help the adults, adolescents and children to a better life–physically and emotionally–through her contracts with the education systems and also with her therapy business. You can reach her at her email of contact@theCEL.org . We focus on the theme of re-assessing the business by an enrepreneur. We ask the question: what are the key things that should be examined that really determine the direction of the business during a re-assessment? And when is the best time for an Entrepreneur to re-assess the business, in accordance with a solid Business Plan? In this audio episode, you will hear the story from Gayle Temkin, as she presents this challenge in the journey of a small business owner along the way of creating a business that will be meaningful, in addition to profitable. She also gives her insights as to the value of a realistic business plan that takes into account your own aspirations, goals and values. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-20,24836830 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:30:36 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24767830-94-the-%E2%80%9CHybrid-Entrepreneur%E2%80%9D-Mark-Hernandez In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Hernandez – a 15-year veteran of the world of Academia within the University circles. He is a published author, but now is striving to become a self-made “Portfolio-Career Entrepreneur” who refers to himself as a “Hybrid Entrepreneur.” This individual has 3 years in preparing for the launch of his small business. Although having already participated in the entrepreneurial world as a part-time consultant for several businesses within the area of research, demographics and forecasting of diversity-and-inclusion topics for organizations to help with the recruitment and retention of Latino populations within the workforce, Mark  now is targeting a very niche market and customer set. As you will hear in this audio podcast, Mark is now validating his value proposition, while concurrently drawing up a written feasibility study within his launch plan (which is set within the next 4 months). T... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Hernandez – a 15-year veteran of the world of Academia within the University circles. He is a published author, but now is striving to become a self-made “Portfolio-Career Entrepreneur” who refers to himself as a “Hybrid Entrepreneur.” This individual has 3 years in preparing for the launch of his small business. Although having already participated in the entrepreneurial world as a part-time consultant for several businesses within the area of research, demographics and forecasting of diversity-and-inclusion topics for organizations to help with the recruitment and retention of Latino populations within the workforce, Mark  now is targeting a very niche market and customer set. As you will hear in this audio podcast, Mark is now validating his value proposition, while concurrently drawing up a written feasibility study within his launch plan (which is set within the next 4 months). The methods for his validation and confirmation are in-person meetings and interviews, as well as the use of social media online tools (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook , etc.).Mark’s skill set includes that of primary and secondary research, which is required by enterprise organizations and small businesses to analyze the target markets and populations that they can serve, in order to be successful in creating and marketing products suited for the consumers.  The evidence is clear in his published book, Figural Conquistadors , which is available at www.amazon.com .  As you will also note from this interview, Mark has an extensive background of experience with entrepreneurs–all the way from his own family members that have their own small businesses, to the networking circles and relationships that he is currently nurturing. Thus, his recommendations for those in Academia who want to venture out into the world of owning their small business are strong from his own experiences: know thyself and see if you are ready for what awaits the entrepreneur: - possible financial hardships; - uncertainty of future success; - unstructured and dynamic environments; - no “job security” as in a tenured academic environment. But the rewards of success are also the driving forces that will drive those in Academia to emulate the role models, such as Marshall Goldsmith , author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. (as well as other books) We will follow up with Mark A. Hernandez after his launch to see how he has crafted his value proposition and announced his entry into the world of entrepreneurs. In the meantime, you may reach Mark in the following ways: - email:   Mark.Hernandez2007 [at] gmail.com - twitter handle:  mah2020 - also on LinkedIn. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Mark A. Hernandez – a 15-year veteran of the world of Academia within the University circles. He is a published author, but now is striving to become a self-made “Portfolio-Career Entrepreneur” who refers to himself as a “Hybrid Entrepreneur.” This individual has 3 years in preparing for the launch of his small business. Although having already participated in the entrepreneurial world as a part-time consultant for several businesses within the area of research, demographics and forecasting of diversity-and-inclusion topics for organizations to help with the recruitment and retention of Latino populations within the workforce, Mark  now is targeting a very niche market and customer set. As you will hear in this audio podcast, Mark is now validating his value proposition, while concurrently drawing up a written feasibility study within his launch plan (which is set within the next 4 months). The methods for his validation and confirmation are in-person meetings and interviews, as well as the use of social media online tools (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook , etc.).Mark’s skill set includes that of primary and secondary research, which is required by enterprise organizations and small businesses to analyze the target markets and populations that they can serve, in order to be successful in creating and marketing products suited for the consumers.  The evidence is clear in his published book, Figural Conquistadors , which is available at www.amazon.com .  As you will also note from this interview, Mark has an extensive background of experience with entrepreneurs–all the way from his own family members that have their own small businesses, to the networking circles and relationships that he is currently nurturing. Thus, his recommendations for those in Academia who want to venture out into the world of owning their small business are strong from his own experiences: know thyself and see if you are ready for what awaits the entrepreneur: - possible financial hardships; - uncertainty of future success; - unstructured and dynamic environments; - no “job security” as in a tenured academic environment. But the rewards of success are also the driving forces that will drive those in Academia to emulate the role models, such as Marshall Goldsmith , author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. (as well as other books) We will follow up with Mark A. Hernandez after his launch to see how he has crafted his value proposition and announced his entry into the world of entrepreneurs. In the meantime, you may reach Mark in the following ways: - email:   Mark.Hernandez2007 [at] gmail.com - twitter handle:  mah2020 - also on LinkedIn. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-07,24767830 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:32:08 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24755152-93-Jason-Alba-From-job-seeker-to-Successful-Business-by-leveraging-%E2%80%9CWindows-of-Opportunity%E2%80%9D In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Alba , the creator and founder of the JibberJobber web site, tool and small business firm. However, as you will hear in this audio interview, Jason’s quick success is due to his mantra, which is “Leverage the WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.”  Jason’s entrepreneurial venture of JibberJobber.com was created to meet a requirement in his own experience as a job-seeker. Thus, originally developed as a system to manage relationships, follow-up and contacts during the job search environment, he has extended it to be a useful tool for anyone who wanted to manage ALL business relationships, follow-up and networking in any environment. His business model centered around a “freemium” strategy–that is, giving users free use of the tool and job-seeker relationship portal, but then providing premium content for a relatively small fee. As Jason mentions in his interview, he has leveraged other &#82... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Alba , the creator and founder of the JibberJobber web site, tool and small business firm. However, as you will hear in this audio interview, Jason’s quick success is due to his mantra, which is “Leverage the WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.”  Jason’s entrepreneurial venture of JibberJobber.com was created to meet a requirement in his own experience as a job-seeker. Thus, originally developed as a system to manage relationships, follow-up and contacts during the job search environment, he has extended it to be a useful tool for anyone who wanted to manage ALL business relationships, follow-up and networking in any environment. His business model centered around a “freemium” strategy–that is, giving users free use of the tool and job-seeker relationship portal, but then providing premium content for a relatively small fee. As Jason mentions in his interview, he has leveraged other “windows of opportunity.”  In addition to the JibberJobber.com relationship-management portal, he has also authored or co-authored two books:  (1) I’m on LinkedIN–Now what?   and (2) I’m on facebook–Now what? These books are available at most book outlets, including www.amazon.com . In addition, Jason has also developed DVD content which he is providing. This DVD is training content to help the users maximize the tons of all the incredible function in his JibberJobber.com tool, which he really could not cover in his live speaking engagements or in his free overview webinars online. Moreover, he has also become a speaker that is quite in demand from Public Sector groups involved in helping job-seekers, as well as Private Sector teams that want to learn how to leverage the Social Media tools of LinkedIn and facebook. What is interesting is that part of the business plan that Jason has created already has target time frames to include an acquisition strategy.  With the focus of Jason’s core business and his successful ability to discover and leverage key windows of opportunity, we now understand his entrepreneurial energy, excitement, ambition and drive when he said that he will NEVER let a single firm or individual be responsible for all of his income–only himself.  His success story is definitely a key case study of a successful entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Alba , the creator and founder of the JibberJobber web site, tool and small business firm. However, as you will hear in this audio interview, Jason’s quick success is due to his mantra, which is “Leverage the WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.”  Jason’s entrepreneurial venture of JibberJobber.com was created to meet a requirement in his own experience as a job-seeker. Thus, originally developed as a system to manage relationships, follow-up and contacts during the job search environment, he has extended it to be a useful tool for anyone who wanted to manage ALL business relationships, follow-up and networking in any environment. His business model centered around a “freemium” strategy–that is, giving users free use of the tool and job-seeker relationship portal, but then providing premium content for a relatively small fee. As Jason mentions in his interview, he has leveraged other “windows of opportunity.”  In addition to the JibberJobber.com relationship-management portal, he has also authored or co-authored two books:  (1) I’m on LinkedIN–Now what?   and (2) I’m on facebook–Now what? These books are available at most book outlets, including www.amazon.com . In addition, Jason has also developed DVD content which he is providing. This DVD is training content to help the users maximize the tons of all the incredible function in his JibberJobber.com tool, which he really could not cover in his live speaking engagements or in his free overview webinars online. Moreover, he has also become a speaker that is quite in demand from Public Sector groups involved in helping job-seekers, as well as Private Sector teams that want to learn how to leverage the Social Media tools of LinkedIn and facebook. What is interesting is that part of the business plan that Jason has created already has target time frames to include an acquisition strategy.  With the focus of Jason’s core business and his successful ability to discover and leverage key windows of opportunity, we now understand his entrepreneurial energy, excitement, ambition and drive when he said that he will NEVER let a single firm or individual be responsible for all of his income–only himself.  His success story is definitely a key case study of a successful entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-06-23,24755152 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:58:01 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24693766-92-The-need-to-change-Entrepreneurial-strategy-Monique-Hayward In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Monique Hayward , an entrepreneur since 2005 who went into the dining/entertainment business with a cafe for beverages and desserts in the suburbs of Portland, an establishment called Dessert Noir Cafe and Bar . Although Monique still holds a full-time day-job, she admits that running an entrepreneurial venture in a “brick-and-mortar” location (instead of online Internet business) is also a full-time job. However, Monique found the time to write an eBook, as well, which is selling as a paperback at www.amazon.com : Monique has fame in being the head of the Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation. This small business venture is weathering the storm of today’s economic climate–and Monique has had to make adjustments to her Business Plan to adapt to the situation. What is interesting is that she still has her day-job in Corporate High-Tech America.  While other online and internet marketers scof... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Monique Hayward , an entrepreneur since 2005 who went into the dining/entertainment business with a cafe for beverages and desserts in the suburbs of Portland, an establishment called Dessert Noir Cafe and Bar . Although Monique still holds a full-time day-job, she admits that running an entrepreneurial venture in a “brick-and-mortar” location (instead of online Internet business) is also a full-time job. However, Monique found the time to write an eBook, as well, which is selling as a paperback at www.amazon.com : Monique has fame in being the head of the Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation. This small business venture is weathering the storm of today’s economic climate–and Monique has had to make adjustments to her Business Plan to adapt to the situation. What is interesting is that she still has her day-job in Corporate High-Tech America.  While other online and internet marketers scoff at those who still hold full time jobs and are “workin’ for the man,” it seems that this has become a favorable situation for survival during the economic downturn and has allowed Monique to continue her business, while making the adjustments. As for her eBook (above), Monique will give a free copy to the first 10 listeners in our audience who send her an email with a request for the book and a statement that they are subscribers to The Struggling Entrepreneur Podcast (see her blog at www.moniquehayward.com for contact information). Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Monique Hayward , an entrepreneur since 2005 who went into the dining/entertainment business with a cafe for beverages and desserts in the suburbs of Portland, an establishment called Dessert Noir Cafe and Bar . Although Monique still holds a full-time day-job, she admits that running an entrepreneurial venture in a “brick-and-mortar” location (instead of online Internet business) is also a full-time job. However, Monique found the time to write an eBook, as well, which is selling as a paperback at www.amazon.com : Monique has fame in being the head of the Nouveau Connoisseurs Corporation. This small business venture is weathering the storm of today’s economic climate–and Monique has had to make adjustments to her Business Plan to adapt to the situation. What is interesting is that she still has her day-job in Corporate High-Tech America.  While other online and internet marketers scoff at those who still hold full time jobs and are “workin’ for the man,” it seems that this has become a favorable situation for survival during the economic downturn and has allowed Monique to continue her business, while making the adjustments. As for her eBook (above), Monique will give a free copy to the first 10 listeners in our audience who send her an email with a request for the book and a statement that they are subscribers to The Struggling Entrepreneur Podcast (see her blog at www.moniquehayward.com for contact information). Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-06-11,24693766 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:55:49 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24661305-91-Aspiring-Entrepreneur-in-Niche-of-twitter In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast, our interview with Ricardo Guerrero (the Founder and Principal of www.Stwittergy.com) provides a look at a very niche market, niche offering and a targeted community — the social media community of twitter business users. Although Ricardo has a day-job as a full-time employee of Dell Computer , he has gained experience in setting up the twitter ids, as well as working on the twitter strategy, for the Computer giant. However, he is also a part-time entrepreneur who has launched his own firm, www.Stwittergy.com –and, yes, the tag line for the business is based on providing the “Twitter Strategy, Metrics and Consulting for business.”  As you will hear in this audio podcast, the ability to plan for launching a business and gain a foothold for your brand and your offering ahead of the possible competition can be the determining factor of success. In fact, his solution may be one of the “next big things&... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast, our interview with Ricardo Guerrero (the Founder and Principal of www.Stwittergy.com) provides a look at a very niche market, niche offering and a targeted community — the social media community of twitter business users. Although Ricardo has a day-job as a full-time employee of Dell Computer , he has gained experience in setting up the twitter ids, as well as working on the twitter strategy, for the Computer giant. However, he is also a part-time entrepreneur who has launched his own firm, www.Stwittergy.com –and, yes, the tag line for the business is based on providing the “Twitter Strategy, Metrics and Consulting for business.”  As you will hear in this audio podcast, the ability to plan for launching a business and gain a foothold for your brand and your offering ahead of the possible competition can be the determining factor of success. In fact, his solution may be one of the “next big things” for his venture to really take off. Ricardo mentions key strategies that every entrepreneur should review in the development of the part-time venture into the eventual full-time business. As you will see, he has experience in quite a few environments that have added additional revenue streams to the typical day-job. Ricardo is available on most of the social media tools: - his twitter handle is @STWITT3GY; - he is on Linked in:  Budurl.com/stwittergyLI - he is on Facebook: Budurl.com/stwittergyFB and you can reach him at via email at RG @ Stwittergy.com  [separated to avoid spam] Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast, our interview with Ricardo Guerrero (the Founder and Principal of www.Stwittergy.com) provides a look at a very niche market, niche offering and a targeted community — the social media community of twitter business users. Although Ricardo has a day-job as a full-time employee of Dell Computer , he has gained experience in setting up the twitter ids, as well as working on the twitter strategy, for the Computer giant. However, he is also a part-time entrepreneur who has launched his own firm, www.Stwittergy.com –and, yes, the tag line for the business is based on providing the “Twitter Strategy, Metrics and Consulting for business.”  As you will hear in this audio podcast, the ability to plan for launching a business and gain a foothold for your brand and your offering ahead of the possible competition can be the determining factor of success. In fact, his solution may be one of the “next big things” for his venture to really take off. Ricardo mentions key strategies that every entrepreneur should review in the development of the part-time venture into the eventual full-time business. As you will see, he has experience in quite a few environments that have added additional revenue streams to the typical day-job. Ricardo is available on most of the social media tools: - his twitter handle is @STWITT3GY; - he is on Linked in:  Budurl.com/stwittergyLI - he is on Facebook: Budurl.com/stwittergyFB and you can reach him at via email at RG @ Stwittergy.com  [separated to avoid spam] Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-06-05,24661305 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:53:29 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24634855-90C-Starting-a-Business-isn%E2%80%99t-as-crazy-and-risky-as-they-say-Jason-Cohen This is a blog post from http://blog.asmartbear.com –which is Jason Cohen’s blog about small business and entrepreneur themes. The title for this post is: “Starting a Business isn’t as crazy and risky as they say.” In this blog post, Jason describes the differences between the perceived vs. realistic risks in starting your own small business during this economic downturn. In the blog post, he also gives us the graphs and the links to the sources and footnotes in which he bases his research and draws his conclusions. For example:  and We thank Jason Cohen for his permission in allowing us to narrate in audio format his blog post at http://blog.asmartbear.com . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Smart Bear Software. All Rights Reserved. This is a blog post from http://blog.asmartbear.com –which is Jason Cohen’s blog about small business and entrepreneur themes. The title for this post is: “Starting a Business isn’t as crazy and risky as they say.” In this blog post, Jason describes the differences between the perceived vs. realistic risks in starting your own small business during this economic downturn. In the blog post, he also gives us the graphs and the links to the sources and footnotes in which he bases his research and draws his conclusions. For example:  and We thank Jason Cohen for his permission in allowing us to narrate in audio format his blog post at http://blog.asmartbear.com . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Smart Bear Software. All Rights Reserved. This is a blog post from http://blog.asmartbear.com –which is Jason Cohen’s blog about small business and entrepreneur themes. The title for this post is: “Starting a Business isn’t as crazy and risky as they say.” In this blog post, Jason describes the differences between the perceived vs. realistic risks in starting your own small business during this economic downturn. In the blog post, he also gives us the graphs and the links to the sources and footnotes in which he bases his research and draws his conclusions. For example:  and We thank Jason Cohen for his permission in allowing us to narrate in audio format his blog post at http://blog.asmartbear.com . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Smart Bear Software. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-31,24634855 Sun, 31 May 2009 19:00:14 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24613346-90-Entrepreneur%E2%80%99s-success-%E2%80%9CQuality-at-a-fair-price%E2%80%9D-David-Post In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview David Post, a multi-decade entrepreneur who has had several businesses and who is now venturing into new small business endeavors. His success in the clothing business, construction business, eBay online sales business, and design business have prepared him to venture into his next business- (NATURAL ENVIR. VENTURE IN INTERVIEW) [image] As you will hear in this audio episode, David attributes his success to several items during the years of lessons learned: - Getting a mentor and listening to the advice of those who have been in the business before your arrival; - Knowing and targeting your audience, then providing what they will be willing to pay for with Quality at a fair price ; - Seeking a passion first (instead of just focusing purely on the money) and then following that–for the money will follow; - Knowing yourself to understand what you really want out of life, since the business is a means to obtaining your ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview David Post, a multi-decade entrepreneur who has had several businesses and who is now venturing into new small business endeavors. His success in the clothing business, construction business, eBay online sales business, and design business have prepared him to venture into his next business- (NATURAL ENVIR. VENTURE IN INTERVIEW) [image] As you will hear in this audio episode, David attributes his success to several items during the years of lessons learned: - Getting a mentor and listening to the advice of those who have been in the business before your arrival; - Knowing and targeting your audience, then providing what they will be willing to pay for with Quality at a fair price ; - Seeking a passion first (instead of just focusing purely on the money) and then following that–for the money will follow; - Knowing yourself to understand what you really want out of life, since the business is a means to obtaining your lifestyle. David can be reached via email at dpost @ austin.rr.com   [separation to prevent spamming] Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview David Post, a multi-decade entrepreneur who has had several businesses and who is now venturing into new small business endeavors. His success in the clothing business, construction business, eBay online sales business, and design business have prepared him to venture into his next business- (NATURAL ENVIR. VENTURE IN INTERVIEW) [image] As you will hear in this audio episode, David attributes his success to several items during the years of lessons learned: - Getting a mentor and listening to the advice of those who have been in the business before your arrival; - Knowing and targeting your audience, then providing what they will be willing to pay for with Quality at a fair price ; - Seeking a passion first (instead of just focusing purely on the money) and then following that–for the money will follow; - Knowing yourself to understand what you really want out of life, since the business is a means to obtaining your lifestyle. David can be reached via email at dpost @ austin.rr.com   [separation to prevent spamming] Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-26,24613346 Tue, 26 May 2009 19:39:45 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24584512-90B-Smart-Bear-Software-Startup-Jason-Cohen-Realistic-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Cohen , the founder of Smart Bear Software . Although we had done a narration of one of Jason’s blog posts (see episode 89A- Why an Entrepreneur has to engage in Social Media, even though he may not want to), we go beyond the blog into Jason’s story as a founder of a firm and the entrepreneurial venture of Smart Bear Software .  As you will hear in this audio episode, Jason has a successful business that is growing because he was able to adapt and change when he realized that his original business IDEA and product really did not meet the need of his customers. But by asking his clients about their need–and then developing and delivering the software product for allowing collaboration among developers–Jason was able to discover, confirm and then serve that targeted market. Also, you will hear the recommendations that Jason gives to aspiring entrepreneurs–that is, the tough and realistic ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Cohen , the founder of Smart Bear Software . Although we had done a narration of one of Jason’s blog posts (see episode 89A- Why an Entrepreneur has to engage in Social Media, even though he may not want to), we go beyond the blog into Jason’s story as a founder of a firm and the entrepreneurial venture of Smart Bear Software .  As you will hear in this audio episode, Jason has a successful business that is growing because he was able to adapt and change when he realized that his original business IDEA and product really did not meet the need of his customers. But by asking his clients about their need–and then developing and delivering the software product for allowing collaboration among developers–Jason was able to discover, confirm and then serve that targeted market. Also, you will hear the recommendations that Jason gives to aspiring entrepreneurs–that is, the tough and realistic questions that you have to ask yourself before you venture into the small business environment. At least, you should have at least reviewed these issues with your “devil’s advocate”–so that you can enhance your chance of success. What is incredible is that Jason has already reached the pinnacle of success that most entrepreneurs are aiming for–his firm was acquired, and he is now reaping the rewards of what he called “the pain” of building your business and making it successful.  However, a true entrepreneur is driven by the lifestyle of being a “builder,” and this “pain” is worth the end of the road of having built a successful small business. Jason’s blog for Smart Bear Software also includes many posts that are helpful hints and ideas for the entrepreneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Jason Cohen , the founder of Smart Bear Software . Although we had done a narration of one of Jason’s blog posts (see episode 89A- Why an Entrepreneur has to engage in Social Media, even though he may not want to), we go beyond the blog into Jason’s story as a founder of a firm and the entrepreneurial venture of Smart Bear Software .  As you will hear in this audio episode, Jason has a successful business that is growing because he was able to adapt and change when he realized that his original business IDEA and product really did not meet the need of his customers. But by asking his clients about their need–and then developing and delivering the software product for allowing collaboration among developers–Jason was able to discover, confirm and then serve that targeted market. Also, you will hear the recommendations that Jason gives to aspiring entrepreneurs–that is, the tough and realistic questions that you have to ask yourself before you venture into the small business environment. At least, you should have at least reviewed these issues with your “devil’s advocate”–so that you can enhance your chance of success. What is incredible is that Jason has already reached the pinnacle of success that most entrepreneurs are aiming for–his firm was acquired, and he is now reaping the rewards of what he called “the pain” of building your business and making it successful.  However, a true entrepreneur is driven by the lifestyle of being a “builder,” and this “pain” is worth the end of the road of having built a successful small business. Jason’s blog for Smart Bear Software also includes many posts that are helpful hints and ideas for the entrepreneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-19,24584512 Tue, 19 May 2009 19:24:58 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24559302-90A-Running-an-Entrepreneur-Network-and-Startup-Training In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Hall Martin , the founder of the Austin Entrepreneur Network . Hall is providing a blog for the entrepreneurs in the Austin area in which he delivers some of the background and success stories of certain entrepreneurs and their tools. Case in point: In the first quarter of this year, Hall published a blog post about The Struggling Entrepreneur and how it helps other small business owners with its free content about lessons learned and resources for success ( post was on 27 March 2009 ). However, Hall also delivers fee-based training and education for those who want to create a startup firm from the ground up. However, the value of the course is in the live interaction in this classroom-centered environment. As you will hear in this audio episode, the central network for those who want to create a startup includes multiple disciplines–from funding sources to structure and other topics relevant to startup entrepreneur... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Hall Martin , the founder of the Austin Entrepreneur Network . Hall is providing a blog for the entrepreneurs in the Austin area in which he delivers some of the background and success stories of certain entrepreneurs and their tools. Case in point: In the first quarter of this year, Hall published a blog post about The Struggling Entrepreneur and how it helps other small business owners with its free content about lessons learned and resources for success ( post was on 27 March 2009 ). However, Hall also delivers fee-based training and education for those who want to create a startup firm from the ground up. However, the value of the course is in the live interaction in this classroom-centered environment. As you will hear in this audio episode, the central network for those who want to create a startup includes multiple disciplines–from funding sources to structure and other topics relevant to startup entrepreneurs.  What is particularly interesting is that Hall Martin has a full-time day-job where he is working on Intrepreneur projects for his employer firm, and he sees his role as more of a part-time entrepreneur that mentors aspiring small business owners. His current blog has been updated to include various topics of interest to the aspiring startup entrepreneur, and the network he has started is beginning to grow in the Austin area. Copyright (c)  2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Hall Martin , the founder of the Austin Entrepreneur Network . Hall is providing a blog for the entrepreneurs in the Austin area in which he delivers some of the background and success stories of certain entrepreneurs and their tools. Case in point: In the first quarter of this year, Hall published a blog post about The Struggling Entrepreneur and how it helps other small business owners with its free content about lessons learned and resources for success ( post was on 27 March 2009 ). However, Hall also delivers fee-based training and education for those who want to create a startup firm from the ground up. However, the value of the course is in the live interaction in this classroom-centered environment. As you will hear in this audio episode, the central network for those who want to create a startup includes multiple disciplines–from funding sources to structure and other topics relevant to startup entrepreneurs.  What is particularly interesting is that Hall Martin has a full-time day-job where he is working on Intrepreneur projects for his employer firm, and he sees his role as more of a part-time entrepreneur that mentors aspiring small business owners. His current blog has been updated to include various topics of interest to the aspiring startup entrepreneur, and the network he has started is beginning to grow in the Austin area. Copyright (c)  2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-13,24559302 Wed, 13 May 2009 04:19:03 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24559303-89B-Content-Marketing-for-Small-Business-Lessons-Being-Learned This is a bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur in which we have an edited recording of the meeting for the Austin Social Media Breakfast group, which was held in May, 2009. The theme of this meeting was Content Marketing — and in particular, Social Content within the Content Marketing initiatives in business– to help a small business to grow its visibility, grow its customer base, grow its trust with its customers, and grow its business by nurturing the relationship with the customers, who will then buy the goods and services from the business and become references and testimonials to others. The Social Media Breakfast meetings are coordinated by Bryan Person , who is bryan@socialmediabreakfast.com. We would like to thank Bryan and the speakers (from whom we received written permission to publish this discussion). The theme of this meeting created a very energetic response from the members–most of whom were small business owners.  The topics covered by the ... This is a bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur in which we have an edited recording of the meeting for the Austin Social Media Breakfast group, which was held in May, 2009. The theme of this meeting was Content Marketing — and in particular, Social Content within the Content Marketing initiatives in business– to help a small business to grow its visibility, grow its customer base, grow its trust with its customers, and grow its business by nurturing the relationship with the customers, who will then buy the goods and services from the business and become references and testimonials to others. The Social Media Breakfast meetings are coordinated by Bryan Person , who is bryan@socialmediabreakfast.com. We would like to thank Bryan and the speakers (from whom we received written permission to publish this discussion). The theme of this meeting created a very energetic response from the members–most of whom were small business owners.  The topics covered by the three panelists and the panel moderator included: * How to bootstrap online community with professional content; * Best practices and case studies from companies that are seeing measurable results; * Content that spans the brand content continuum: lifestyle, category and product. As Bryan Person mentioned in his web site: In an age where more and more consumers are taking a “search and click” approach to buying new products, it’s becoming harder for brands to differentiate themselves from the pack. As pricing pressures continue to mount, companies are turning to compelling online content as a way to drive ongoing, active engagement around their brands and products. The aim: increased customer loyalty. Creating user-centric content requires a shift of traditional brand/product messaging and the development of a new communication approach. The panelists * Lionel Menchaca (@LionelAtDell), chief blogger at Dell * Natanya Anderson (@NatanyaP), VP, content at Powered * Simon Salt (@IncSlinger), CEO and co-founder of IncSlingers As you will hear in this audio episode, the final request from the Moderator, Aaron Strout , is to formulate a summary of how quality content marketing can increase the beneficial relationship you have with your customers and grow your business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This is a bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur in which we have an edited recording of the meeting for the Austin Social Media Breakfast group, which was held in May, 2009. The theme of this meeting was Content Marketing — and in particular, Social Content within the Content Marketing initiatives in business– to help a small business to grow its visibility, grow its customer base, grow its trust with its customers, and grow its business by nurturing the relationship with the customers, who will then buy the goods and services from the business and become references and testimonials to others. The Social Media Breakfast meetings are coordinated by Bryan Person , who is bryan@socialmediabreakfast.com. We would like to thank Bryan and the speakers (from whom we received written permission to publish this discussion). The theme of this meeting created a very energetic response from the members–most of whom were small business owners.  The topics covered by the three panelists and the panel moderator included: * How to bootstrap online community with professional content; * Best practices and case studies from companies that are seeing measurable results; * Content that spans the brand content continuum: lifestyle, category and product. As Bryan Person mentioned in his web site: In an age where more and more consumers are taking a “search and click” approach to buying new products, it’s becoming harder for brands to differentiate themselves from the pack. As pricing pressures continue to mount, companies are turning to compelling online content as a way to drive ongoing, active engagement around their brands and products. The aim: increased customer loyalty. Creating user-centric content requires a shift of traditional brand/product messaging and the development of a new communication approach. The panelists * Lionel Menchaca (@LionelAtDell), chief blogger at Dell * Natanya Anderson (@NatanyaP), VP, content at Powered * Simon Salt (@IncSlinger), CEO and co-founder of IncSlingers As you will hear in this audio episode, the final request from the Moderator, Aaron Strout , is to formulate a summary of how quality content marketing can increase the beneficial relationship you have with your customers and grow your business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-07,24559303 Thu, 07 May 2009 19:15:12 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24559304-89A-Why-an-Entrepreneur-HAS-to-engage-in-Social-Media In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we narrate a blog post from A Smart Bear . This post goes to the heart of an issue that is still plaguing the Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs today — Why do we have to engage in Social Media, even if we don’t want to?  Jason Cohen , the author of the article and the founder of Smart Bear Software , compares in this blog post the environment today to that of the 1990’s, when the Internet was a frontier and the urgency was to publish a web site for the small business owner. In short: today, you may be able to publish your web site, but you will still be invisible to the world. What you will need is Social Media to give you the presence, exposure and visibility that your business will need. In this audio episode, Jason Cohen provides several examples of success stories that used Social Media to enhance their business (both in revenue and customer relations)– from Rubbermaid to Zappos . As you will he... In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we narrate a blog post from A Smart Bear . This post goes to the heart of an issue that is still plaguing the Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs today — Why do we have to engage in Social Media, even if we don’t want to?  Jason Cohen , the author of the article and the founder of Smart Bear Software , compares in this blog post the environment today to that of the 1990’s, when the Internet was a frontier and the urgency was to publish a web site for the small business owner. In short: today, you may be able to publish your web site, but you will still be invisible to the world. What you will need is Social Media to give you the presence, exposure and visibility that your business will need. In this audio episode, Jason Cohen provides several examples of success stories that used Social Media to enhance their business (both in revenue and customer relations)– from Rubbermaid to Zappos . As you will hear from this podcast episode narration of this blog post, the many tools that are used by different businesses can help them to become the vanguard in success within their industry. And finally, Jason asks: “Why not join the conversation?” Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Smart Bear Software. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we narrate a blog post from A Smart Bear . This post goes to the heart of an issue that is still plaguing the Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs today — Why do we have to engage in Social Media, even if we don’t want to?  Jason Cohen , the author of the article and the founder of Smart Bear Software , compares in this blog post the environment today to that of the 1990’s, when the Internet was a frontier and the urgency was to publish a web site for the small business owner. In short: today, you may be able to publish your web site, but you will still be invisible to the world. What you will need is Social Media to give you the presence, exposure and visibility that your business will need. In this audio episode, Jason Cohen provides several examples of success stories that used Social Media to enhance their business (both in revenue and customer relations)– from Rubbermaid to Zappos . As you will hear from this podcast episode narration of this blog post, the many tools that are used by different businesses can help them to become the vanguard in success within their industry. And finally, Jason asks: “Why not join the conversation?” Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Smart Bear Software. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-05,24559304 Tue, 05 May 2009 23:18:54 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24517793-89-The-iPod-Concierge-leveraging-a-niche-market In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have an interview with Jessica O’Connell , who is the “iPod Concierge” –and has started a small business with that same name. As a starting entrepreneur, Jessica explains  how she visualized a niche market for her skill set from the ecosystem brought about by the success of the Apple iPod(R) , iPhone(R) and iTunes(R) . In this audio episode, you will hear how she went from her corporate day-job to becoming a part-time entrepreneur and growing her business with very few obstacles–mainly, because she was starting at a local level and leveraging a niche market that had almost no one to provide the services that she now delivers. Jessica’s business brand and motto consists of these words: iPod and iPhone Services brought to by the iPod Concierge Jessica is now venturing out to expand her role as an entrepreneur by offering services to bring the “vinyl” world of 45-rpm and 33-rpm LP records... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have an interview with Jessica O’Connell , who is the “iPod Concierge” –and has started a small business with that same name. As a starting entrepreneur, Jessica explains  how she visualized a niche market for her skill set from the ecosystem brought about by the success of the Apple iPod(R) , iPhone(R) and iTunes(R) . In this audio episode, you will hear how she went from her corporate day-job to becoming a part-time entrepreneur and growing her business with very few obstacles–mainly, because she was starting at a local level and leveraging a niche market that had almost no one to provide the services that she now delivers. Jessica’s business brand and motto consists of these words: iPod and iPhone Services brought to by the iPod Concierge Jessica is now venturing out to expand her role as an entrepreneur by offering services to bring the “vinyl” world of 45-rpm and 33-rpm LP records into the digital world via transfer and conversion, as well as photo images of “legacy memories” for generations of families. As you can tell, the brand name of iPod Concierge delivers a meaning of service, quality, attention and customer satisfaction to those who want to exploit the power of their newly-acquired iPod s and iPhones via iTunes . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. iPod, iTunes and iPhone are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. at www.apple.com. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we have an interview with Jessica O’Connell , who is the “iPod Concierge” –and has started a small business with that same name. As a starting entrepreneur, Jessica explains  how she visualized a niche market for her skill set from the ecosystem brought about by the success of the Apple iPod(R) , iPhone(R) and iTunes(R) . In this audio episode, you will hear how she went from her corporate day-job to becoming a part-time entrepreneur and growing her business with very few obstacles–mainly, because she was starting at a local level and leveraging a niche market that had almost no one to provide the services that she now delivers. Jessica’s business brand and motto consists of these words: iPod and iPhone Services brought to by the iPod Concierge Jessica is now venturing out to expand her role as an entrepreneur by offering services to bring the “vinyl” world of 45-rpm and 33-rpm LP records into the digital world via transfer and conversion, as well as photo images of “legacy memories” for generations of families. As you can tell, the brand name of iPod Concierge delivers a meaning of service, quality, attention and customer satisfaction to those who want to exploit the power of their newly-acquired iPod s and iPhones via iTunes . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. iPod, iTunes and iPhone are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. at www.apple.com. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-28,24517793 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:05:42 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24472108-88-Entrepreneurs-who-focus-on-solely-twitter-twooting-com In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Bo Bennett and Ryan Levesque . These have their own small business with a firm called igrOOps.com . And now they have a new venture within the firm to focus priimarily on twitter as the social media tool. This venture is centered around a web site called www.twooting.com and the podcast on iTunes is called twooting . That’s right — with the tremendous growth that social media tools and networks have had recently, twitter seems to be the fastest growing application that is being used and consumed today.  And so this podcast series by Ryan and Bo deliver a daily dose of news, updates, interviews, latest applications for twitter – in other words, “all things twitter.” We are sure that you will find this of interest–how a pair of Entrepreneurs–who are currently successful in their own right with their core business of igrOOps –have now created another “business within a bu... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Bo Bennett and Ryan Levesque . These have their own small business with a firm called igrOOps.com . And now they have a new venture within the firm to focus priimarily on twitter as the social media tool. This venture is centered around a web site called www.twooting.com and the podcast on iTunes is called twooting . That’s right — with the tremendous growth that social media tools and networks have had recently, twitter seems to be the fastest growing application that is being used and consumed today.  And so this podcast series by Ryan and Bo deliver a daily dose of news, updates, interviews, latest applications for twitter – in other words, “all things twitter.” We are sure that you will find this of interest–how a pair of Entrepreneurs–who are currently successful in their own right with their core business of igrOOps –have now created another “business within a business” by leveraging a niche market in the twittersphere and the ecosystem created by twitter within the world of social media. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Bo Bennett and Ryan Levesque . These have their own small business with a firm called igrOOps.com . And now they have a new venture within the firm to focus priimarily on twitter as the social media tool. This venture is centered around a web site called www.twooting.com and the podcast on iTunes is called twooting . That’s right — with the tremendous growth that social media tools and networks have had recently, twitter seems to be the fastest growing application that is being used and consumed today.  And so this podcast series by Ryan and Bo deliver a daily dose of news, updates, interviews, latest applications for twitter – in other words, “all things twitter.” We are sure that you will find this of interest–how a pair of Entrepreneurs–who are currently successful in their own right with their core business of igrOOps –have now created another “business within a business” by leveraging a niche market in the twittersphere and the ecosystem created by twitter within the world of social media. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-19,24472108 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:02:47 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24445973-87-From-Corporate-day-job-to-part-time-small-business-then-Full-Time-Entrepreneur We would like to thank you, our audience, for all the email and correspondence about this podcast series and its positive value to you. However, we have had a lot of inquiries about the possibility of getting Entrepreneur’s story  from the show host, Fred Castaneda . That’s right–what were his struggles and obstacles, and what are his perspectives, and what are his lessons learned? Well, in this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Fred Castaneda, the host of this podcast series, where he answers exactly those questions. And to lead the discussion, we are honored to have a very experienced interviewer, Jay Ehret , an entrepreneur himself from his business, The Marketing Spot . Jay was interviewed in episode 36 back in 2008 about his experiences. But now Jay Ehret brings his professionalism from his own podcast series, Power to the Small Business , to our own episode, as he leads the discussion to get the Entrepreneur’s story from... We would like to thank you, our audience, for all the email and correspondence about this podcast series and its positive value to you. However, we have had a lot of inquiries about the possibility of getting Entrepreneur’s story  from the show host, Fred Castaneda . That’s right–what were his struggles and obstacles, and what are his perspectives, and what are his lessons learned? Well, in this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Fred Castaneda, the host of this podcast series, where he answers exactly those questions. And to lead the discussion, we are honored to have a very experienced interviewer, Jay Ehret , an entrepreneur himself from his business, The Marketing Spot . Jay was interviewed in episode 36 back in 2008 about his experiences. But now Jay Ehret brings his professionalism from his own podcast series, Power to the Small Business , to our own episode, as he leads the discussion to get the Entrepreneur’s story from Fred–and how he went from being a corporate employee to a part-time Entrepreneur, then finally a full-time Entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. We would like to thank you, our audience, for all the email and correspondence about this podcast series and its positive value to you. However, we have had a lot of inquiries about the possibility of getting Entrepreneur’s story  from the show host, Fred Castaneda . That’s right–what were his struggles and obstacles, and what are his perspectives, and what are his lessons learned? Well, in this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we have an interview with Fred Castaneda, the host of this podcast series, where he answers exactly those questions. And to lead the discussion, we are honored to have a very experienced interviewer, Jay Ehret , an entrepreneur himself from his business, The Marketing Spot . Jay was interviewed in episode 36 back in 2008 about his experiences. But now Jay Ehret brings his professionalism from his own podcast series, Power to the Small Business , to our own episode, as he leads the discussion to get the Entrepreneur’s story from Fred–and how he went from being a corporate employee to a part-time Entrepreneur, then finally a full-time Entrepreneur. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-13,24445973 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:02:13 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24424657-86-Focus-on-Business-Whitepapers-and-Social-Media-Mike-Stelzner In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , Mike Stelzner describes his success story of becoming a profitable entrepreneur by helping businesses to write successful and persuasive whitepapers , especially after he was wrongfully terminated in his day-job within Corporate America. His claim to fame came in the form of a book which he wrote. It is available on Amazon.com , and it has made him the leading authority figure worldwide and in the Search Engines about the topic of writing a business whitepaper. In addition, Mike Stelzner has moved into the Social Media Marketing space. He has completed a researched whitepaper that answers the 10 most pressing questions asked by Marketers and Small Business Owners about Social Media–e.g., what it is, which tools are effective, and how to plan to incorporate social media into your business for success.  To the amazement of many Internet Marketers and pundits, he is making it available free to marketers and entrepreneurs.  It is ca... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , Mike Stelzner describes his success story of becoming a profitable entrepreneur by helping businesses to write successful and persuasive whitepapers , especially after he was wrongfully terminated in his day-job within Corporate America. His claim to fame came in the form of a book which he wrote. It is available on Amazon.com , and it has made him the leading authority figure worldwide and in the Search Engines about the topic of writing a business whitepaper. In addition, Mike Stelzner has moved into the Social Media Marketing space. He has completed a researched whitepaper that answers the 10 most pressing questions asked by Marketers and Small Business Owners about Social Media–e.g., what it is, which tools are effective, and how to plan to incorporate social media into your business for success.  To the amazement of many Internet Marketers and pundits, he is making it available free to marketers and entrepreneurs.  It is called “Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers are using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses.” Mike has also chaired some “teleclasses” about social media, in which he discusses with industry experts and pundits the success stories of Social Media tools being used in business. What is remarkable is that Mike offers this teleclass for free in the form of both an audio mp3 file as a podcast, as well as the written transcript. It is a “gift” to the community . Now Mike is pursuing his successful path in what he calls tthe “gold rush” at present — into Social Media. He is doing this by hosting a Social Media Success Summit in May. Although this is a paid event, it will cover the entire month of May in 2009, and it will host some of the Internet Marketing gurus about video, social networks, social bookmarking and social media tools. You can check out this event at: http://www.socialmediasummit09.com/gift.html Mike believes and recommends in giving back to the community of marketers and Entrepreneurs. His suggestion to give away some of your valuable content is proven by his free whitepaper that describes how to write a successful business whitepaper. It is called “How to Write a White Paper - A White Paper on White Papers.” Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , Mike Stelzner describes his success story of becoming a profitable entrepreneur by helping businesses to write successful and persuasive whitepapers , especially after he was wrongfully terminated in his day-job within Corporate America. His claim to fame came in the form of a book which he wrote. It is available on Amazon.com , and it has made him the leading authority figure worldwide and in the Search Engines about the topic of writing a business whitepaper. In addition, Mike Stelzner has moved into the Social Media Marketing space. He has completed a researched whitepaper that answers the 10 most pressing questions asked by Marketers and Small Business Owners about Social Media–e.g., what it is, which tools are effective, and how to plan to incorporate social media into your business for success.  To the amazement of many Internet Marketers and pundits, he is making it available free to marketers and entrepreneurs.  It is called “Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers are using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses.” Mike has also chaired some “teleclasses” about social media, in which he discusses with industry experts and pundits the success stories of Social Media tools being used in business. What is remarkable is that Mike offers this teleclass for free in the form of both an audio mp3 file as a podcast, as well as the written transcript. It is a “gift” to the community . Now Mike is pursuing his successful path in what he calls tthe “gold rush” at present — into Social Media. He is doing this by hosting a Social Media Success Summit in May. Although this is a paid event, it will cover the entire month of May in 2009, and it will host some of the Internet Marketing gurus about video, social networks, social bookmarking and social media tools. You can check out this event at: http://www.socialmediasummit09.com/gift.html Mike believes and recommends in giving back to the community of marketers and Entrepreneurs. His suggestion to give away some of your valuable content is proven by his free whitepaper that describes how to write a successful business whitepaper. It is called “How to Write a White Paper - A White Paper on White Papers.” Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   tag:odeo.com,2009-04-07,24424657 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:07:33 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24402860-86A-Top-10-Questions-about-Social-Media-Marketing-an-Industry-Report In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we thank Michael Stelzne r for his approval to publish this audio mp3 of his document that was launched in March, 2009. It is called  “The Social Media Marketing Report: How Marketers are Using Social Media to GrowTheir Businesses.”    This audio narration is an abridged edition of this report–giving you the first 9 of the total 26 pages of this report. Note: we will have an in-depth interview with Mike Stelzner in the next episode (number 86) of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series. What is great about this report is that it is free to you. The author, Mike Stelzner , is giving back to the Internet Marketing Community and the Entrepreneur Community by making it available at his site for no charge. Also, the charts and the graphs and comparisons that are delivered to you in this white paper are professional, profound, up-to-date at the time of this post, and timely for the Entrepreneur who asks the questi... In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we thank Michael Stelzne r for his approval to publish this audio mp3 of his document that was launched in March, 2009. It is called  “The Social Media Marketing Report: How Marketers are Using Social Media to GrowTheir Businesses.”    This audio narration is an abridged edition of this report–giving you the first 9 of the total 26 pages of this report. Note: we will have an in-depth interview with Mike Stelzner in the next episode (number 86) of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series. What is great about this report is that it is free to you. The author, Mike Stelzner , is giving back to the Internet Marketing Community and the Entrepreneur Community by making it available at his site for no charge. Also, the charts and the graphs and comparisons that are delivered to you in this white paper are professional, profound, up-to-date at the time of this post, and timely for the Entrepreneur who asks the question: What are the top 10 Questions that Marketers and Entrepreneurs are asking about Social Media Marketing and how to leverage that in your business? The rest of the 26-page report gives the detail of the answers, as well as other questions and key points being asked–and answered. There is also a free gift from Mike Stelzner that delivers a report (in transcript and mp3 audio file format) that describes the Social Media Success stories in business from 3 of the top experts and specialists in Social Media. Click here to get the free gift and the white paper and mp3 file. We encourage you to listen to the next episode of this podcast series that will provide the success story of Mike Stelzner in the world of white papers, social media and training. It will be episode # 86. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. For your information, In this bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we thank Michael Stelzne r for his approval to publish this audio mp3 of his document that was launched in March, 2009. It is called  “The Social Media Marketing Report: How Marketers are Using Social Media to GrowTheir Businesses.”    This audio narration is an abridged edition of this report–giving you the first 9 of the total 26 pages of this report. Note: we will have an in-depth interview with Mike Stelzner in the next episode (number 86) of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series. What is great about this report is that it is free to you. The author, Mike Stelzner , is giving back to the Internet Marketing Community and the Entrepreneur Community by making it available at his site for no charge. Also, the charts and the graphs and comparisons that are delivered to you in this white paper are professional, profound, up-to-date at the time of this post, and timely for the Entrepreneur who asks the question: What are the top 10 Questions that Marketers and Entrepreneurs are asking about Social Media Marketing and how to leverage that in your business? The rest of the 26-page report gives the detail of the answers, as well as other questions and key points being asked–and answered. There is also a free gift from Mike Stelzner that delivers a report (in transcript and mp3 audio file format) that describes the Social Media Success stories in business from 3 of the top experts and specialists in Social Media. Click here to get the free gift and the white paper and mp3 file. We encourage you to listen to the next episode of this podcast series that will provide the success story of Mike Stelzner in the world of white papers, social media and training. It will be episode # 86. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. For your information, tag:odeo.com,2009-04-03,24402860 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:10:51 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24387432-85-Multiple-Roads-as-an-Entrepreneur-with-Eddie-Herrera In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, Eddie Herrera describes for us the alternatives available to those who wish to start into business for themselves: - As a Small Business Owner or Entrepreneur; - As a Consultant (who would also be an entrepreneur) who is focusing on providing services to clients in various industries for a fee through engagements; - As a Franchisee  (and possibly an eventual franchisor) that would take less risk. In this audio podcast, you will follow the discussion as Eddie relates his entrepreneurial path for all of his professional life. What is interesting is that he took the “unusual” path (at that time period) of going into business for himself after he received his MBA from the Harvard Business School –something that was almost unheard of, as most graduates were “expected” to go into the management and executive ranks of Big Business or Multinational Corporations. Eddie now provides a great service in consulting wit... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, Eddie Herrera describes for us the alternatives available to those who wish to start into business for themselves: - As a Small Business Owner or Entrepreneur; - As a Consultant (who would also be an entrepreneur) who is focusing on providing services to clients in various industries for a fee through engagements; - As a Franchisee  (and possibly an eventual franchisor) that would take less risk. In this audio podcast, you will follow the discussion as Eddie relates his entrepreneurial path for all of his professional life. What is interesting is that he took the “unusual” path (at that time period) of going into business for himself after he received his MBA from the Harvard Business School –something that was almost unheard of, as most graduates were “expected” to go into the management and executive ranks of Big Business or Multinational Corporations. Eddie now provides a great service in consulting with those individuals who were professionals in the private sector or public sector and have recently found themselves without a job during this economic downturn. He has been deluged with the amount of seasoned professionals whom he deals with and assists them with questions about going into business on their own–and he sees his near term future with this consulting firm for which he is on retainer. With decades of experience and success stories, Eddie Herrera provides food for thought. He warns the individual who may not have a job right now that starting an entrepreneurial venture is something that one should not feel forced into, just because jobs are not available currently. The risk aversion factor–as well as the passion for creating your own business–are just a few of the criteria that one should consider carefully and evaluate before venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, whether it is as a small business owner or consultant or franchisee. We thank Eddie Herrera for his words of experience and we look forward to interviewing him again in the near future. In the meantime, Eddie has offered to answer any well thought-out questions from the audience. You may contact him at: hherrera003 @ satx.rr.com [note: separation by spaces done to prevent spam] . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, Eddie Herrera describes for us the alternatives available to those who wish to start into business for themselves: - As a Small Business Owner or Entrepreneur; - As a Consultant (who would also be an entrepreneur) who is focusing on providing services to clients in various industries for a fee through engagements; - As a Franchisee  (and possibly an eventual franchisor) that would take less risk. In this audio podcast, you will follow the discussion as Eddie relates his entrepreneurial path for all of his professional life. What is interesting is that he took the “unusual” path (at that time period) of going into business for himself after he received his MBA from the Harvard Business School –something that was almost unheard of, as most graduates were “expected” to go into the management and executive ranks of Big Business or Multinational Corporations. Eddie now provides a great service in consulting with those individuals who were professionals in the private sector or public sector and have recently found themselves without a job during this economic downturn. He has been deluged with the amount of seasoned professionals whom he deals with and assists them with questions about going into business on their own–and he sees his near term future with this consulting firm for which he is on retainer. With decades of experience and success stories, Eddie Herrera provides food for thought. He warns the individual who may not have a job right now that starting an entrepreneurial venture is something that one should not feel forced into, just because jobs are not available currently. The risk aversion factor–as well as the passion for creating your own business–are just a few of the criteria that one should consider carefully and evaluate before venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, whether it is as a small business owner or consultant or franchisee. We thank Eddie Herrera for his words of experience and we look forward to interviewing him again in the near future. In the meantime, Eddie has offered to answer any well thought-out questions from the audience. You may contact him at: hherrera003 @ satx.rr.com [note: separation by spaces done to prevent spam] . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-30,24387432 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:59:15 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24361854-84A-Ian-Gordon-The-StartupDaddy In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Ian Gordon , who is known as The Startup Daddy . Ian is starting his own business by helping young fathers become small business owners, so that they may change their lives for the better by being their own masters of their entrepreneurial  aspirations. As you will hear in this audio episode, Ian is starting to create and publish podcasts in a series for free, companion episodes for his brand and his business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Ian Gordon , who is known as The Startup Daddy . Ian is starting his own business by helping young fathers become small business owners, so that they may change their lives for the better by being their own masters of their entrepreneurial  aspirations. As you will hear in this audio episode, Ian is starting to create and publish podcasts in a series for free, companion episodes for his brand and his business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we interview Ian Gordon , who is known as The Startup Daddy . Ian is starting his own business by helping young fathers become small business owners, so that they may change their lives for the better by being their own masters of their entrepreneurial  aspirations. As you will hear in this audio episode, Ian is starting to create and publish podcasts in a series for free, companion episodes for his brand and his business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-25,24361854 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:18:55 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24320638-84-How-MEETUP-helps-Entrepreneurs-%E2%80%9CCommunity-in-a-box%E2%80%9D In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Andres Glusman , who is the Vice-President of Insights and Strategy for the organization of Meetup.com . Andres took a few minutes to speak with us to discuss how the Meetup.com facility can be a helpful tool for the small business owner and entrepreneur. Andres was committed to be at another session during the Austin SXSW (South by Southwest) conference for INTERACTIVE portion (i.e., web-based and internet-based electronic themes–which is in addition to the Film and Music portions) of the conference. In this audio episode, you will see how an entrepreneur can grow a community (or audience) within the local area for sessions of in-person meetings via the Meetup.com facility. The infrastructure comes with prepared tools for scheduling meetings, sending out email to potential members, managing the membership, getting feedback–and even conducting message boards, etc. Although Andres does not want to call it a &#82... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Andres Glusman , who is the Vice-President of Insights and Strategy for the organization of Meetup.com . Andres took a few minutes to speak with us to discuss how the Meetup.com facility can be a helpful tool for the small business owner and entrepreneur. Andres was committed to be at another session during the Austin SXSW (South by Southwest) conference for INTERACTIVE portion (i.e., web-based and internet-based electronic themes–which is in addition to the Film and Music portions) of the conference. In this audio episode, you will see how an entrepreneur can grow a community (or audience) within the local area for sessions of in-person meetings via the Meetup.com facility. The infrastructure comes with prepared tools for scheduling meetings, sending out email to potential members, managing the membership, getting feedback–and even conducting message boards, etc. Although Andres does not want to call it a “blogging platform,” one of the representative organizers as the meeting for meetup organizers in Austin did describe the online service as just that. One key feature that is important to note: the email ids of the membership are NEVER compromised, as the organizer or assistant organizers do not have access to the individuals’ email IDs. Thus, an individual may join a group, receive email from the group for notices of meetings, etc. But the individual may leave the group at any time, and no one will ever have access to the individual’s email ID. This type of restricted access protects the privacy of the membership. In addition to new features, the meetup.com facility now can assist the entrepreneur with charging for dues, so that the small fee for using the service can be incidentally passed on to the membership, if that is desired by the organizers. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Andres Glusman , who is the Vice-President of Insights and Strategy for the organization of Meetup.com . Andres took a few minutes to speak with us to discuss how the Meetup.com facility can be a helpful tool for the small business owner and entrepreneur. Andres was committed to be at another session during the Austin SXSW (South by Southwest) conference for INTERACTIVE portion (i.e., web-based and internet-based electronic themes–which is in addition to the Film and Music portions) of the conference. In this audio episode, you will see how an entrepreneur can grow a community (or audience) within the local area for sessions of in-person meetings via the Meetup.com facility. The infrastructure comes with prepared tools for scheduling meetings, sending out email to potential members, managing the membership, getting feedback–and even conducting message boards, etc. Although Andres does not want to call it a “blogging platform,” one of the representative organizers as the meeting for meetup organizers in Austin did describe the online service as just that. One key feature that is important to note: the email ids of the membership are NEVER compromised, as the organizer or assistant organizers do not have access to the individuals’ email IDs. Thus, an individual may join a group, receive email from the group for notices of meetings, etc. But the individual may leave the group at any time, and no one will ever have access to the individual’s email ID. This type of restricted access protects the privacy of the membership. In addition to new features, the meetup.com facility now can assist the entrepreneur with charging for dues, so that the small fee for using the service can be incidentally passed on to the membership, if that is desired by the organizers. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-17,24320638 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:50:31 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24281717-83-Experienced-Entrepreneur-and-Business-Attorney-Adrian-Dayton In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we present an interview with Adrian Dayton , who is a current practicing attorney in the field of Corporate Law. However, Adrian has also been an entrepreneur on his own account prior to his study of law and his recent entry into his career in the legal field. Adrian has had success in several industries, especially in negotiating big deals since 2001 with Asian offshore firms. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, Adrian’s passion is in Sales — which he clearly states is one of the most important skill sets for the Entrepreneur. In addition, the old values that help to create and sustain successful businesses have made him create the equivalent of his own “mastermind group.” Couple this with a book that he is writing to highlight these themes, Adrian now finds himself as a soon-t0-be author for extolling the system and process steps of returning to the true virtues : With his legal career and occupa... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we present an interview with Adrian Dayton , who is a current practicing attorney in the field of Corporate Law. However, Adrian has also been an entrepreneur on his own account prior to his study of law and his recent entry into his career in the legal field. Adrian has had success in several industries, especially in negotiating big deals since 2001 with Asian offshore firms. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, Adrian’s passion is in Sales — which he clearly states is one of the most important skill sets for the Entrepreneur. In addition, the old values that help to create and sustain successful businesses have made him create the equivalent of his own “mastermind group.” Couple this with a book that he is writing to highlight these themes, Adrian now finds himself as a soon-t0-be author for extolling the system and process steps of returning to the true virtues : With his legal career and occupation to enhance his business and economic skills, Adrian seems well positioned to keep on networking, investigating, and pursuing the “right opportunity” that he will follow as an entrepreneur. His target will be when, as he stated, he will be the one to make the mega-million-dollar deals and be a successful small business owner once again–but this time, controlling his own destiny. This does not, however, deter Adrian from enjoying his life with his family (and prevents him from being totally consumed by the legal career or the small business world). One last item to note is that Adrian’s legal practice allows him to help other entrepreneurs in setting up their legal entities as they venture into the small business ownership arena. Adrian offers a free consultation to help the aspiring entrepreneur ask the few burning legal questions and understand the choices and directions, especially since they are burdened with capitalization.Adrian can be reached at: atdayton @ gmail.com  [to prevent spamming] or on twitter with his handle of @adriandayton. Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we present an interview with Adrian Dayton , who is a current practicing attorney in the field of Corporate Law. However, Adrian has also been an entrepreneur on his own account prior to his study of law and his recent entry into his career in the legal field. Adrian has had success in several industries, especially in negotiating big deals since 2001 with Asian offshore firms. However, as you will hear in this audio episode, Adrian’s passion is in Sales — which he clearly states is one of the most important skill sets for the Entrepreneur. In addition, the old values that help to create and sustain successful businesses have made him create the equivalent of his own “mastermind group.” Couple this with a book that he is writing to highlight these themes, Adrian now finds himself as a soon-t0-be author for extolling the system and process steps of returning to the true virtues : With his legal career and occupation to enhance his business and economic skills, Adrian seems well positioned to keep on networking, investigating, and pursuing the “right opportunity” that he will follow as an entrepreneur. His target will be when, as he stated, he will be the one to make the mega-million-dollar deals and be a successful small business owner once again–but this time, controlling his own destiny. This does not, however, deter Adrian from enjoying his life with his family (and prevents him from being totally consumed by the legal career or the small business world). One last item to note is that Adrian’s legal practice allows him to help other entrepreneurs in setting up their legal entities as they venture into the small business ownership arena. Adrian offers a free consultation to help the aspiring entrepreneur ask the few burning legal questions and understand the choices and directions, especially since they are burdened with capitalization.Adrian can be reached at: atdayton @ gmail.com  [to prevent spamming] or on twitter with his handle of @adriandayton. Copyright (C) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-09,24281717 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:57:22 -0700 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24258935-82-Successful-Referral-Marketing-for-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrpreneur podcast series, we interview Mike Coy , the head of the Referral Institute of Austin –a training firm that helps Entrpreneurs and Small Business Owners to understand, learn and internalize the tactics, tips and steps of successful referral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing. In this audio episode, you will see how Mike describes the pitfalls of the recently-launched entrepreneur when this new small business owner tries to SELL to a client in desperation (mainly due to financial pressures). Obviously, the client’s reaction is lukewarm, at best–because, as Mike points out, no one wants to be sold to. Instead, Mike explains how the buying process for a client is made easier for the entrepreneur when Referral Marketing is used properly–and then, the customer or client becomes your biggest evangelist, promoter and inside salesman. See how Mike explains how a customer wants to buy from a trusted source–that is,... In this episode of The Struggling Entrpreneur podcast series, we interview Mike Coy , the head of the Referral Institute of Austin –a training firm that helps Entrpreneurs and Small Business Owners to understand, learn and internalize the tactics, tips and steps of successful referral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing. In this audio episode, you will see how Mike describes the pitfalls of the recently-launched entrepreneur when this new small business owner tries to SELL to a client in desperation (mainly due to financial pressures). Obviously, the client’s reaction is lukewarm, at best–because, as Mike points out, no one wants to be sold to. Instead, Mike explains how the buying process for a client is made easier for the entrepreneur when Referral Marketing is used properly–and then, the customer or client becomes your biggest evangelist, promoter and inside salesman. See how Mike explains how a customer wants to buy from a trusted source–that is, from a referral. Mike’s prior successful experience in other areas such as real estate magazine sales–as well as insurance– demonstrate that just knowing how to “address objections” is not enough any more in today’s competitive market to help you make your sales objectives. The training course that Mike describes has a proven track record of helping the entrpreneur get on the correct path of increasing clients, increasing leads, increasing sales and increasing satisfied and delighted customers (who then become your best “sales force” for your business). We apologize for the ambient noise, but this interview was conducted on the show floor of a recent Entrepreneur Expo in the downtown Austin area. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrpreneur podcast series, we interview Mike Coy , the head of the Referral Institute of Austin –a training firm that helps Entrpreneurs and Small Business Owners to understand, learn and internalize the tactics, tips and steps of successful referral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing. In this audio episode, you will see how Mike describes the pitfalls of the recently-launched entrepreneur when this new small business owner tries to SELL to a client in desperation (mainly due to financial pressures). Obviously, the client’s reaction is lukewarm, at best–because, as Mike points out, no one wants to be sold to. Instead, Mike explains how the buying process for a client is made easier for the entrepreneur when Referral Marketing is used properly–and then, the customer or client becomes your biggest evangelist, promoter and inside salesman. See how Mike explains how a customer wants to buy from a trusted source–that is, from a referral. Mike’s prior successful experience in other areas such as real estate magazine sales–as well as insurance– demonstrate that just knowing how to “address objections” is not enough any more in today’s competitive market to help you make your sales objectives. The training course that Mike describes has a proven track record of helping the entrpreneur get on the correct path of increasing clients, increasing leads, increasing sales and increasing satisfied and delighted customers (who then become your best “sales force” for your business). We apologize for the ambient noise, but this interview was conducted on the show floor of a recent Entrepreneur Expo in the downtown Austin area. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-05,24258935 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:13:30 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24223059-81-Interactive-Media-Marketing-for-Entrepreneurs-Ben-Littlefield In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we take a look at an individual who has NEVER held a day job with either a public sector, private sector or non-profit organization. Always his own boss, Ben Littlefield has had nothing but entrepreneurial experiences all his life and for all the lessons he had learned. As a matter of fact, one of the key humbling experiences was realizing that he may not have known what to do from a planning standpoint. Thus, Ben went back to school to learn the academic and case-study arena of business. And, after getting his MBA , he now pursued his career in starting his own businesses with great enegy.His latest firm is called Three-Sixty Solutions at http://www.threesixtysolutions.com Ben is in the interactive media and marketing space, and he delivers value to entrepreneurs and startup firms by helping them understand what the social media, new media, Web 2.0 and other tools are on the Internet–and how the client’s firm can leverage... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we take a look at an individual who has NEVER held a day job with either a public sector, private sector or non-profit organization. Always his own boss, Ben Littlefield has had nothing but entrepreneurial experiences all his life and for all the lessons he had learned. As a matter of fact, one of the key humbling experiences was realizing that he may not have known what to do from a planning standpoint. Thus, Ben went back to school to learn the academic and case-study arena of business. And, after getting his MBA , he now pursued his career in starting his own businesses with great enegy.His latest firm is called Three-Sixty Solutions at http://www.threesixtysolutions.com Ben is in the interactive media and marketing space, and he delivers value to entrepreneurs and startup firms by helping them understand what the social media, new media, Web 2.0 and other tools are on the Internet–and how the client’s firm can leverage these tools to grow the business, increase revenue, and maximize presence on the Internet. For example, many entrepreneurs are still trying to grasp the best way to leverage their web sites, blogs and media for SEO ( S earch E ngine O ptimization).With a successful business model–reinforced with both experience in the past and mentors from his academic learning–Ben Littlefield is growing his business by providing this value to the other Small Business Owners. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we take a look at an individual who has NEVER held a day job with either a public sector, private sector or non-profit organization. Always his own boss, Ben Littlefield has had nothing but entrepreneurial experiences all his life and for all the lessons he had learned. As a matter of fact, one of the key humbling experiences was realizing that he may not have known what to do from a planning standpoint. Thus, Ben went back to school to learn the academic and case-study arena of business. And, after getting his MBA , he now pursued his career in starting his own businesses with great enegy.His latest firm is called Three-Sixty Solutions at http://www.threesixtysolutions.com Ben is in the interactive media and marketing space, and he delivers value to entrepreneurs and startup firms by helping them understand what the social media, new media, Web 2.0 and other tools are on the Internet–and how the client’s firm can leverage these tools to grow the business, increase revenue, and maximize presence on the Internet. For example, many entrepreneurs are still trying to grasp the best way to leverage their web sites, blogs and media for SEO ( S earch E ngine O ptimization).With a successful business model–reinforced with both experience in the past and mentors from his academic learning–Ben Littlefield is growing his business by providing this value to the other Small Business Owners. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-27,24223059 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:10:45 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24115578-80-FreelanceCamp-its-value-to-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting. The important thing is a mutual sharing of information and a mutual assistance of one another to help others launch their new ventures and become successful Freelancers or solo-preneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting. The important thing is a mutual sharing of information and a mutual assistance of one another to help others launch their new ventures and become successful Freelancers or solo-preneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-16,24115578 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:14:05 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200136-80-FreelanceCamp-its-value-to-the-Entrepreneur In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting. The important thing is a mutual sharing of information and a mutual assistance of one another to help others launch their new ventures and become successful Freelancers or solo-preneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we describe  the event called FreelanceCamp , as well as its value to the Entrepreneur who may want to be a Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur. The second meeting of this type of unconference called FreelanceCamp took place on January 31, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas. During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com . Craig came with interest to this unconference , as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise. Listen to Craig’s perspective about the value that a FreelanceCamp can deliver to an entrepreneur. And, by the way, like most unconferences (i.e., bar-camp or Podcamp), the cost is right–admission and participation is free , either for attending or presenting. The important thing is a mutual sharing of information and a mutual assistance of one another to help others launch their new ventures and become successful Freelancers or solo-preneurs. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-16,24200136 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:14:05 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24051714-79-Freelancer-and-Entrepreneur-Trish-Lambert%E2%80%99s-success-story In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Succe... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Success in Sweatpants. We know that you will enjoy the energy, dynamism and humor that is part of Trish Lambert’ s soul. What is very interesting is her perspective of entering the world of the entrepreneurial venture–especially because when she launched her business, she did so having recently moved into a new metropolitan area and knew absolutely no one. A bold move? Absolutely. But with the determination and character that marks the successful entrepreneur, Trish is now a role model for others that want to be on their own. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Success in Sweatpants. We know that you will enjoy the energy, dynamism and humor that is part of Trish Lambert’ s soul. What is very interesting is her perspective of entering the world of the entrepreneurial venture–especially because when she launched her business, she did so having recently moved into a new metropolitan area and knew absolutely no one. A bold move? Absolutely. But with the determination and character that marks the successful entrepreneur, Trish is now a role model for others that want to be on their own. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-05,24051714 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:31:49 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200137-79-Freelancer-and-Entrepreneur-Trish-Lambert%E2%80%99s-success-story In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Succe... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Success in Sweatpants. We know that you will enjoy the energy, dynamism and humor that is part of Trish Lambert’ s soul. What is very interesting is her perspective of entering the world of the entrepreneurial venture–especially because when she launched her business, she did so having recently moved into a new metropolitan area and knew absolutely no one. A bold move? Absolutely. But with the determination and character that marks the successful entrepreneur, Trish is now a role model for others that want to be on their own. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we examine a success story of a Freelancer who went “from-zero-to-hero” within 2 years and is making a 6-figure income from her entrepreneurial startups, including Success in Sweatpants . As you will hear in the audio episode, Trish Lambert  has spent many years in corporate America delivering high perfomance, but feeling unappreciated and unrewarded. Thus, she started her own firm and took the leap of faith to become a Solo-preneur or a Freelancer (or, as we interchangeably mention in the podcast, a Free Agent). Trish has applied her previous education and background to this relatively new venture, which is called 4rMarketing : However, her passion is really to provide the services as a coach for others. Because she now enjoys the lifestyle of working from her home and delivering these services to her clients in very, very casual attire (e.g., sweat pants and sweat shirts), she appropriately named her newest venture Success in Sweatpants. We know that you will enjoy the energy, dynamism and humor that is part of Trish Lambert’ s soul. What is very interesting is her perspective of entering the world of the entrepreneurial venture–especially because when she launched her business, she did so having recently moved into a new metropolitan area and knew absolutely no one. A bold move? Absolutely. But with the determination and character that marks the successful entrepreneur, Trish is now a role model for others that want to be on their own. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-05,24200137 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:31:49 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200138-78A3-How-to-Record-Social-Video-Part-3-of-3-Storme-Wood In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including the stability of the camera and the types of equipment. Storme Wood discusses several hints for recording the video that can help improve the quality of the viewing. In addition, Storme Wood also delivers some recommendations for conducting video interviews. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including the stability of the camera and the types of equipment. Storme Wood discusses several hints for recording the video that can help improve the quality of the viewing. In addition, Storme Wood also delivers some recommendations for conducting video interviews. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-03,24200138 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:38:08 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24035042-78A3-How-to-Record-Social-Video-Part-3-of-3-Storme-Wood In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including the stability of the camera and the types of equipment. Storme Wood discusses several hints for recording the video that can help improve the quality of the viewing. In addition, Storme Wood also delivers some recommendations for conducting video interviews. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on basic tips for shooting Social Video, including the stability of the camera and the types of equipment. Storme Wood discusses several hints for recording the video that can help improve the quality of the viewing. In addition, Storme Wood also delivers some recommendations for conducting video interviews. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-03,24035042 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:38:08 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24020836-78A2-How-to-record-Social-Video-part-2-of-3-with-Giovanni-Galluci In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, ... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, and the discussion is led by Gioavanni Galluci of www.viewzi.com . However, after his presentation, we also captured the question-answer session from the audience members and the team of video specialists. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. The final episode will be a brief one with hints and tips for both shooting video and doing interviews on video–and the discussion will be led by Storme Wood . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, and the discussion is led by Gioavanni Galluci of www.viewzi.com . However, after his presentation, we also captured the question-answer session from the audience members and the team of video specialists. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. The final episode will be a brief one with hints and tips for both shooting video and doing interviews on video–and the discussion will be led by Storme Wood . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-02,24020836 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:46:59 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200139-78A2-How-to-record-Social-Video-part-2-of-3-with-Giovanni-Galluci In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, ... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, and the discussion is led by Gioavanni Galluci of www.viewzi.com . However, after his presentation, we also captured the question-answer session from the audience members and the team of video specialists. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. The final episode will be a brief one with hints and tips for both shooting video and doing interviews on video–and the discussion will be led by Storme Wood . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the second part of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. This episode deals with the emphasis on CONTENT more than the tech in recording video, and the discussion is led by Gioavanni Galluci of www.viewzi.com . However, after his presentation, we also captured the question-answer session from the audience members and the team of video specialists. All of this makes for an interesting session, as an entrepreneur can see what the investment, focus, preparation and value of video can be to the business–but it has to be done the right way for both content and quality. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. The final episode will be a brief one with hints and tips for both shooting video and doing interviews on video–and the discussion will be led by Storme Wood . Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-02,24200139 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:46:59 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23984474-78A1-How-to-record-Social-Video-part-1-of-3 In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leverag... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-01-29,23984474 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:49:04 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200140-78A1-How-to-record-Social-Video-part-1-of-3 In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leverag... In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this bonus episode of the Struggling Entrepreneur , we deliver the first of a 3-part series. We recently had the opportunity to attend several presentations at the Austin Social Media Club . The theme centered around hints, tips and recommendations on how to record and shoot SOCIAL VIDEO . With the rising interest and drive to understand how to leverage social media for your small business, the entrepreneur may be inclined to use video in the marketing mix for promoting the business. And thus, the following 3 individuals shared their time to deliver recommendations based on their experiences in social media–especially in the creation of video content. The 3 presenters were: Tom Stagg is the manager of Interactive Media at the American Cancer Society and the presenter for this audio episode). The later episodes will have also the presentations from Storme Wood and Giovanni Gallucci. We hope that you enjoy these 3 bonus episodes, as we continue to explore the theme of leveraging social media for your own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-01-29,24200140 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:49:04 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23905448-78-Blueprint-for-success-for-Technical-Consultant-as-an-Entrepreneur-or-%E2%80%9CFrom-Geek-to-Peak%E2%80%9D In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring small business owners. Yes, you must avoid the “analysis paralysis“–but you must also be cautious of just “jumping in” because you want to be nimble and fast-moving whenever an attractive opportunity presents itself. In this episode, you will see why it is much more than just money that is so important when an IT Specialist makes the “leap of faith” to start his own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring small business owners. Yes, you must avoid the “analysis paralysis“–but you must also be cautious of just “jumping in” because you want to be nimble and fast-moving whenever an attractive opportunity presents itself. In this episode, you will see why it is much more than just money that is so important when an IT Specialist makes the “leap of faith” to start his own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-01-19,23905448 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:50:28 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24200141-78-Blueprint-for-success-for-Technical-Consultant-as-an-Entrepreneur-or-%E2%80%9CFrom-Geek-to-Peak%E2%80%9D In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring ... In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring small business owners. Yes, you must avoid the “analysis paralysis“–but you must also be cautious of just “jumping in” because you want to be nimble and fast-moving whenever an attractive opportunity presents itself. In this episode, you will see why it is much more than just money that is so important when an IT Specialist makes the “leap of faith” to start his own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur , we return to the IT industry and showcase the skilled IT or technical professional who wants to become a consultant within the industry and become a successful entrepreneur. However, how does someone who has great and valuable technical skills become a successful entrepreneur in the arena of IT Consultant or Technical Consultant? Listen to Tom Myer , the author of the book From Geek to Peak , describe his experiences, obstacles, challenges, mistakes and success stories in getting to the end-game of successful entrepreneur. Tom is an author of multiple books and has many years in the IT industry with all sorts of engagements, skills, and clients. He has charted out a path in his book for the IT Specialist–a path that gives a roadmap and process for launching a business and then avoiding the pitfalls in which many IT specialists fall. Also, he is now suggesting multiple, concurrent and automated revenue streams for these aspiring small business owners. Yes, you must avoid the “analysis paralysis“–but you must also be cautious of just “jumping in” because you want to be nimble and fast-moving whenever an attractive opportunity presents itself. In this episode, you will see why it is much more than just money that is so important when an IT Specialist makes the “leap of faith” to start his own business. Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. tag:odeo.com,2009-01-19,24200141 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:50:28 -0800 no Struggling Entrepreneur podcast podcast Business Internet Entrepreneur Small marketing management Entrepreneurship online startup podcaster managing operating overwhelm overwhelmed