More than a Few Words

#137 Funding Local

Talking with entrepreneurs in Indy, I often hear complaints about the lack of local funding in the city. Today’s guest Brandon Smith is trying to change that. He is part of a new venture Localstake, which connects investors with companies looking to raise capital. The twist? This Internet-based platform focuses on micro-investments on a local scale. About Brandon Smith Before starting LocalStake, Brandon was an investment analyst at J.P. Morgan in private banking. While there, he was respons...

#136 Business and Community Responsibility

Business owner Joel Russell believes a business should do more than just produce products and services.  A business should be actively engaged in making their community a better place to live. From programs which engage employees in fundraising for charities to contributing a portion of company profits to causes he supports, Joel has built a company that does more. This week, we will talk about how you strike a balance and create a company that is a good community citizen. About Joel Russell...

#135 Creating an Active Arts Community

A vibrant artistic community will adds interest, jobs and revenue to a city. Indy is lucky to have an organization like IndyFringe at the center of our community. From modest beginnings just under a decade ago, the Indianapolis Fringe Festival has grown into an annual cultural attraction that keeps drawing record audiences. With eight different venues, 64 performing groups and 384 performances in 11 days, the festival brings performers from around the world to Indy. IndyFringe has grown to i...

#134 Branding – With Nila Nealy

A great brand is more than a great logo. Having a truly iconic brand means understanding who you are and what you offer to customers. From the pictures you chose to the words you write, every part of your business should reflect your value proposition.  This week we will be talking with brand strategist Nila Nealy about ways to make your brand memorable. About Nila Nealy Nila is a Certified Brand Strategist and owner of TwentyTwo. She helps businesses become great brands by uncovering power...

#133 Sales Strategy

If you  don’t make sales, you won’t have much of a business. While we all know that’s true, it’s easy to get distracted and focus on busy work instead of the business of sales. Sales doesn’t have to be hard or overwhelming if you work at it consistently. This week, our guest is Matt Nettleton who will share some of his best tips for making your sales efforts more productive. About Matt Nettleton Matt is my sales coach.  He teaches sales and sales management at TrustPointe, a Sandler Training...

#132 Podcasting as a Marketing Tool

Long before podcasting was cool or easy to do, our guest Alan Houser began experimenting with the medium.  Now, after more than seven years, he has racked up a library of interesting interviews and helpful tips for people just starting down this path. We will start the conversation by talking about podcasting as a marketing tool. But  Alan is a man of diverse interests.  He describes himself  as a designer, filmmaker and podcaster who lives in a barn. We’re never quite sure where the convers...

#131: Survey Say

The results are in from our 2013 Social Media Survey. We'll be releasing the white paper soon, but for now Allison and I will be talking about some of the things we learned in this year's study of social media use by small business owners. Some things we expected, but other things were definitely surprises.

#130 Radio, TV and Social Media

Throughout his twenty year career, meteorologist Paul Poteet has done one thing, consistently  - talk to people about the weather. He has been the voice of the weather on a number of local radio and television stations and in recent years he has shared his weather updates via social media. About Paul This is Paul Poteet’s 31st year of working as a media personality in the Indianapolis market.  He’s been a part of central Indiana mornings on tv and radio since 1993.

#129 Marketing the Healthy Lifestyle

It's a new year, and time for a new start to your business and your life. This year, you're going to eat healthier and exercise more, right? Our guest Pamela Reilly hopes you will.    Pamela is a naturopathic consultant in private practice providing holistic wellness services. After identifying the cause of an illness, Pamela helps clients restore wellness using a natural, integrative approach. I first met Pamela through Twitter, where she shares an interesting mix of health tips in her stre...

#128 Pros and Cons of Partnership

Go it alone or go with a partner? It’s a question many business owners have to answer as they build their company.  This week we will be chatting with serial entrepreneur Arifa Aronson about her advice and lessons learned from her positive and negative partnership experiences. About Arifah Arifah is passionate about being green. She is president and sole owner of ReHaus Inc., a residential construction company that focuses on sustainability.

#127 Using Content to Convert Visitors to Prospects

Search engine optimization and social media are an important part of driving traffic to your website, but getting prospects in the door is not enough. Once they arrive, do you have something for visitors to do? Are you capturing their email addresses to stay in touch and move them along the sales funnel? This week, we’ll be talking with Michael Reynolds about how content like white papers, reports and surveys can be powerful tools in your quest to convert visitors to customers. About Michael...

#126 Social Media and Community Events

Looking for something interesting to do in Indy his weekend? Just ask Ben Risinger. He turned a passion for the city into business as the founder and on-air host of DoItIndy. Along the way, he has also learned quite a bit about using social media to market and support community events. Join us as we talk with Ben Risinger about some of the best practices of  a community event using social media.   About Ben With over 12 years experience in the communications and management fields, Ben has...

MTFW: Social Media and Community Events

Looking for something interesting to do in Indy his weekend? Just ask Ben Risinger. He turned a passion for the city into business as the founder and on-air host of DoItIndy. Along the way, he has also learned quite a bit about using social media to market and support community events. Join us as we talk with Ben Risinger about some of the best practices of  a community event using social media.

#125 Start the Year with a Plan

Hard to believe it’s a brand new year. This week on our marketing podcast, Allison and I will discuss the importance of starting the year off with a business and marketing plan that will help you achieve your goals.

#124 A Beginner’s Guide to Pay Per Click

You may have noticed recently that Google has been aggressively promoting their AdWords product. If you are trying to figure out where to get started, or even if pay-per-click is right for your business, this is is one program you don’t want to miss. Join us this week as Tamre Mullins, the newest member of the Roundpeg team, shares basic PPC tips.

#123 Trade Shows: Before and After

Are you gearing up for spring trade shows? Want to make the most out of  your investment? Whether you’re planning a booth at a conference or a massive display at a home show, you’ll find today’s program helpful. Join us as we talk with Shawn Quick Raflik of Fine Promotions about what to do before, during and after your trade show to get the biggest bang for your buck.

#122 Print in the Digital Age

The Internet has significantly changed the way we market. It begs the question, does anyone print anything anymore?  While we love internet marketing, we think there is still a place for print.  Join us on More Than a Few Words on Dec. 12th at 10:30 a.m. as we talk about the changing role of printed materials in the age of the Internet.

#121 Print in the Digital Age - Part One

What is the role of print publications in the age of the Internet,  Listen as Kyle Garago, Editor-in-Chief at the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration News shares his perspective on how he and his team are continuing to create relevant content for the contracting industry.  He talked about about finding the balance between online and offline content which keeps readers and advertisers coming back. He also shared some insights on how contractors are making the transition to the digital...

#120 Anatomy of a Perfect Landing Page

If you want people to notice your company online, give them something to look at. A great way to present information is through the use of an infographic, the equivalent of a digital poster. Infographics have skyrocketed in popularity as they are easily shared, attractive and promote brand awareness. On December 5th at 10:30 a.m., join us on More Than a Few Words as we talk with Chris Lucas about the elements that go into producing a remarkable infographic. About Chris Lucas Chris Lucas is ...

#119 : Marketing for Professional Services

There are always rules, including about what you can and can’t say in your marketing. In some industries, the rules are general suggestions, while in others, there are strict guidelines with specific legal penalties for violations. Accounting, financial services, insurance and legal services all fall into the category of “regulated industries.” Given the constraints, how do you create compelling marketing in these industries? That is just one of the many challenges marketing consultant Nancy...

#118 The Fairy Tale is Over

#117 : Tis The Season For Online Shopping

The holiday season is just heating up as retailers battle for shoppers’ mind share. As consumers create their holiday gift lists, retailers have been gearing up with innovative marketing strategies to beat the competition. Join us we chat with retail experts Eric Tobias and Rachel Modiano Johnson of iGoDigital to learn the best practices that top retailers use  to cut through the noise. About our Guests: Eric Tobias, President and Founder Eric is the Founder and President of iGoDigital wher...

#116 LinkedIN Blitz

A few years ago, I commented on a blog post about how you decide who you choose to follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The comment led to a lively online conversation with Des Walsh in which I politely disagreed with his approach. In response, he invited me to chat with him via Skype and connect on LinkedIn. While we don't talk to each other regularly, I do keep up with him via his status updates on LinkedIn. And so when he invited me to join his 30 Day LinkedIn Challenge, I was intri...

#115 The Courage to Be Profitable” and Other Marketing Tips

Joining us for MTFW, our weekly marketing podcast, is author and marketing strategist Ruth King. She is a serial entrepreneur with more than seven successful businesses on her resume. She is well respected as a leading authority on marketing in the heating and air conditioning industry. She is also the author of a new book,The Courage to Be Profitable.

#114 Marketing Services People Don't Want

It's easy to write marketing plans for products people want to buy, things like cars, vacations, food products and clothes.  But what if your product is something people need, but don't want to think about - insurance or funeral services?  How can you reach potential customers in a tasteful and relevant way? We've worked with several clients in these types of industries lately, so we thought it would be fun to focus this episode of our marketing podcast on some of the things that we are test...

#113 From Hobby to Business

Generally, a hobby is defined as something you do for personal enjoyment while a job is something you do to make money. So what happens when your hobby becomes your business? Nancy Lee is a contemporary designer and award winning metalsmith working in copper, silver, brass and gold. Work sometimes includes unusual semi-precious gemstones and found objects. Techniques include etching, heat-treatments, and multiple patinas to bring warmth and color to the metal. The ancient techniques combined...

#112 Why Run a Business in Indy?

We think Indianapolis is a great place to run a business, and Ron Gifford, Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, thinks so as well. In his new position, Ron oversees public policy initiatives with a primary focus on regional transit initiatives. Join us on Wednesday, October 24 at 10:30 as we talk with Ron about the process of attracting companies to Indianapolis and the role public transportation will play in the future  success of our region.

#111 Where is Rainmakers Now?

Ten years ago, a handful of people started meeting in a bar to discuss how they could work together to grow their individual businesses.  From that humble beginning exchanging business cards, an organization emerged with groups around the globe. Rainmakers has grown its networking focus to include group consulting services for small businesses. Nikki Lewallen, our guest this week, is the Executive Director of Rainmakers. She’s been a key part in the explosive growth of the company for the pa...

#110 Social Animals

Social media is a great way to connect with prospects and clients.   It is also a terrific way to share expertise.   Dr. Greg  Magnusson,  owner of Leo's Pet Care in Carmel, Indiana and the  official vet of Roundpeg, uses both his blog and Twitter posts to help keep our pets healthy.

#109 While the Cat’s Away

Lorraine is still away so join Allison, Jenna and Peter as they chat about life in a small agency…and probably cats.

#108 Nothing New

One of our favorite guests in MTFW history is Muhammad Yasin. Director of PR and Social Media at HCCMIS, Muhammad has a great sense of humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of social media.  It’s always a great show when he drops by. Muhammad and his coauthor Ryan Brock of Metonymy Media will join us to discuss their new ebook Nothing New an Irreverent History of Storytelling and Social Media. Nothing New is the long history of people who told the right story at the right time. The book explo...

#107 Educating the Next Generation

How comfortable will you be to one day put your business in the hands of the next generation? Orr Fellowship believes in raw education and real world experience for young people. Orr Fellowship fosters recent graduates and immerses them into the world of entrepreneurship and the reality of executive-level positions. This week we will welcome Jonathon Corwin, digital marketing coordinator at Bluelock CloudSuite . He is an Orr Fellow alumni and was definitely able to showcase his talents thro...

#106 Indy on the VERGE

Indiana is a great place to start a new business. With a vibrant, supportive community, new business owners are just a meetup away from developers, founding partners and investors needed to launch their idea. At the center of the community is Verge, one of the most dynamic monthly events. We will be talking about Verge with one of the organizers, Tony Monteleon. He will give us a preview of the  upcoming PowderKeg conference as well as the  Indy startup community, tips for startups and much ...

#105 MTFW: Creating a Turnkey Business

We are excited to have  Cindy Hartman with us this week to discuss how to create a successful turnkey business package. Since 2004,  Cindy owner of Hartman Inventory has been helping people and businesses conduct inventory of their belongings in the case of a burglary or disaster. They often found themselves talking to other would be business owners about the process of creating a business like theirs.  They began offering a turnkey business package.  Join us as we talk about this interestin...

#104 Simple SEO With Andrew Gouty

Everyone wants to be on page one as customers search Google for a business like theirs. Unfortunately, there are often millions of possible options. So how do you move to the top of the page? Search engine optimization strategies help you organize information on your website and present it to the search engines in a logical manner. This is not as easy as it sounds because the search engines continually change the rules, and your competitors are working just as hard to be on page one as your...

#103 A Content Strategy for People and Robots

On a regular basis Allison and Lorraine talk about the importance of creating a content strategy which will serve two masters: search engines and people.  What do people want? We’re happy with pictures and visually pleasing things. When we’re reading, we want short, simple and to the point. Search engines, on the other hand, thrive on repetition and redundancy which, if done wrong, is really annoying to readers. This week Allison and Lorraine will discuss how to create a web content strategy...

#102 Starting Legally

If you dream to start a small business but you’re stuck somewhere in the beginning stages, tune in this week to get advice from a legal standpoint. Matt Griffith of Indiana Business Law explains in plain terms what you can do to jump start your business and finally get it up and running. Matt works a lot with business owners and solopreneurs. He knows exactly what it’s like to start a business in Indiana; he is an entrepreneur, investor and business owner himself. He is the senior attorney ...

#101 Building Relationships Through Your Marketing

We all think we understand the importance of building business relationships with customers. But do we really know how to establish and nurture these relationships to let our business benefit? This week our guest Serina Kelly of Relevate chats with us about how to create and keep successful relationships with loyal customers that may sometimes be taken for granted.   Serina knows how to connect with past, present and potential clientele to get results. She believes in the power of consistent...

#100 What’s New in Web Design

The web has continued to expand and change.  As it does, your web design needs to change as well.  This week our extraordinary web designer Peter and I will discuss new web trends as well as the do’s and don’ts of good web design. 

#99 Five Million Emails a Month

f you have been reading our blog lately, you know we have been talking about email marketing, a lot.   Why?  Because this  often overlooked tool, when used properly can deliver some terrific results. There are definitely some right and wrong ways to use eMail and this week we are talking with someone we think can shed some light on the topic.   Join us as we talk with Jim Cota, president and creative director of Rare Bird, Inc. Rare Bird, a marketing communications firm, is an email powerhou...

#98 MTFW Legally Social

Marketing has always raised legal questions: Can you say that? Will I sue you if you do? The move of marketing to the internet has brought all of those questions to a new platform as well as raising quite a few more. Join us today as we talk with attorney Kenan Farrell about business and intellectual property issues, including copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, and privacy issues. Kenan has a broad base of expertise so don’t be surpirsed if we jump from technology and new media to t...

#97 Half Baked Marketing Ideas

It is the week of the 4th of July, so we assume most of our readers and listeners will be taking the day off.  But just in case you are craving a little dose of marketing, we thought we would share a recap of some of  our best clips from the Half Baked Marketing ideas from Steven Shattuck. If you are a regular listener of #MTFW, you know that each week, Steven joins us for the last 10 minutes of the program to kick off a conversation about one of his half baked ideas.  Allison and I, and som...

#96 Irish Business Intelligence

MTFW has gone international to find out if marketing different around the world? We are going to find out.  Our guest this week is Olwen Dawe -founder of  Irish Business Intelligence. She will be calling in and sharing her thoughts from her home in Ireland. If you want to hear more about Olwen, check out her latest webinar on small business planning.

#95 Content Strategy

You know you need to blog regularly, but how do you develop good content? This week’s we will be chatting with  TJ Furman about that topic. We will be talking about how to create good content which will serve the interests of both search engines and real people who come to your website. About TJ  has been with Marketpath since February 2008. As the business development manager, TJ is responsible for establishing strong, enduring relationships with a sole focus on client success. TJ brings ex...

#94 The Ups and Downs of a Tech Startup

From the adrenaline filled highs to the crashing lows, we will be talking about life in a Tech Startup. Our guest, Brian Deyo knows both. A serial entrepreneur, his latest venture “Last Bite” was the result of an idea pitched at a startup weekend. Join us as we talk about some of the things he has learned along the way.

#93 The Next Great Idea

Brandon Corbin is one of the most creative people I know. A tech whiz, he is also a serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and active member of the Indy Verge community. Join us as we talk to Brandon about technology, startups and more.

#92 Survey Says

The results are in from our 2012 social media survey.  We will be releasing the white paper in about a week, but for now Allison and I will be talking about some of the things we learned in this year’s study. Some things we expected, but other things were definitely surprises.   Join us for what is sure to be a lively conversation.  And stay for the whole program, because Steven Shattuck will be dropping by with another half baked marketing idea.

#91 What’s New at the ISBDC?

This week, we’ll have a conversation with Jacob Schpok, the state director for the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network (ISBDC). As state director, Schpok leads Indiana’s efforts to provide management counseling and educational services to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

#90 Computer Security for Small Business

As a small business owner, your entire business sits in that computer on your desk. What happens to your business if the computer is lost, destroyed or hacked. While online backups like Carbonite preserve your information, they don’t protect it.

#89 Social Media and Non Profit Causes

In this segment of More Than a Few Words we take a look at social media and non profit causes. We are joined by Alex Keys, Vista Corps Volunteer for Indy School on Wheels.