More than a Few Words

#88 Name.Com Speaks

This is a great example of a simple voice message.

#87 Social Media and Real Estate

Social media sells houses.  At least it can in the hands of a real  estate agent  who understands how to use the tools to connect and promote a business or product.  Today we will be talking with Kristie Smith the founder of Indy Homes Real Estate about marketing and social media.

#86 More than a Few Words with Scott Case

I caught up with Scott Case, CEO of Startup America  after his presentation at the launch of Startup Indiana, and he was gracious enough to share a few thoughts with me.  So even though you can't capture the energy of the event, you can get a feel for what it was about from the short podcast below.

#85 Business from the Road

Ever wonder what would happen to your business if you just “hit the road” for a month or more? Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Jon Arnold, founder of Tuitive, a truly virtual business. Last year, after more then a decade of operation, Jon shut his office, but not his business. His employees went home, and he and his family hit the road in their camper. Their goal was to spend a year touring the US before his kids were too old.

#84 What Makes the Indy Social Media Community Tick

Join us for another  episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Duncan Alney, owner of Indianapolis social media company Firebelly.  In addition to running a successful social media firm, Duncan has been a force connecting the Indianapolis social media community.  From informal breakfast meetings, to the popular social media club after hours events he has pulled us away from our computers for a series of lively face to face networking events which have helped us get to know each other a ...

#83 About Pinterest

Lately it seems like everyone is talking about Pinterst.  While we have written a few blog posts on the topic, it is hard to scratch the surface in 400 words.  So this week Allison and I will be talking about this new platform. What it is, and more importantly what we think the business applications are.

#82 Lemonade Day

How do you train young entrereneurs?   Long before the internet, budding entrepreneurs sold Lemonade.   On street corners all across the country, on sunny days, you could find them with paper cups, cardboard signs and pitchers of lemonade.   Today a national movement runs programs to bring back this old style entrepreneurship.  In Indianapolis, Lemonade Day will be  Saturday May 19th.

#81 Restaurant Marketing with Jeffrey Summers

Everyone loves to eat, and everyone loves to discuss the best (and the worst!) restaurants on Twitter. How can businesses make sure they’re taking advantage of the social media craze? Join us for tomorrow’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Jeffrey Summers about how restaurants can use marketing and social media. Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter.  Direct the comment to@roundpeg or use the hashtag #M...

#80 AroundIndy

Want to know what’s going on in Indy? Do what I do, and check out Around Indy. The local events website celebrated ten years on February 1, 2012. The site ranks in the  top 1% of all Web sites in America, according to Quantcast.com. Passing  60 million hits in December 2011, checking out their daily calendar is a regular part of my routine.   The site  is the go to resource for most of the Indianapolis social media community.

#79 Tweeting for Sharks

Social media is increasingly becoming a critical part of the television viewing experience. With many viewers now watching with a “second screen” in front of them, live tweeting and Facebook updates are changing the world of television like never before  Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk toCarolyn Baumgarten who manages the social media program for the popular TV series Shark Tank, airing Friday nights at 8:00 EST on ABC. Do you have any comments or questions? C...

#78 Leadership with Lalita Amos

I am really excited about our guest this week.  I have known Lalita Amos of Total Team Solutionsfor about nine years.  She is smart, outspoken and funny. A coach and leadership development specialist, she is an active member of the Indianapolis business community. Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter. Direct the comment to @roundpeg or use the hashtag #MTFW so we are sure to see your remarks.

#77 Talking about Entrepreneurship

Hamilton County is a great place to start a business with a strong economy and great support from local government. It is also home to the Entrepreneur Advancement Center, a relatively new 501C3 focused on fostering economic development and an entrepreneurial mindset in Hamilton County. With programs ranging from a high school business plan competition, rural small business loans, monthly networking and a community-wide celebration in the fall, the EAC is making things happen in Hamilton Cou...

#76 Unfunded with Nick Carter

In the startup community, funding is all the craze. But what if you could build a business from scratch? What if you didn’t sell equity in the early stages? Could the business grow? Have businesses been built like this? It can, and they have. There exists a rare breed of entrepreneur, one who has what it takes to create a self-funded company—bootstrapped—and build it into a blue chip company. Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Nick Carter about his experiences...

#75 Bridging the Online/Offline Divide

Social networking is critical for forming business relationships and meeting new colleagues, prospects and customers, but don’t forget about taking the conversation offline, too. Join us for an episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Randy Clark about the importance of face-to-face networking in a digital world.

#74 More than a Few Words – It Is in the Words

Delivering great customer service is about actions and words. While it is important to coach your employees on how to resolve customer complaints and what to say,  it is also important to focus on how to say it. The same is true as you try to communicate your vision as a business owner. Effective leaders know what to say and how to say it. Guest Ellen Dunnigan

#73 Marketing in Handcuffs with Muhammad Yasin

To do marketing well is always a challenge. To do it in a heavily regulated industry can seem impossible at times. But with a little creativity and a lot of hard work, you can overcome regulatory hurdles to create innovative marketing that gets results. We’ll be joined by Muhammad Yasin, social media strategist for HCCMIS, a travel health insurance company. Learn how you can make regulations work in your favor.

#72 Networking and Sex

It is Valenties Day, and so we are sharing a special episode of our regular podcast with guests Hazel Walker and Frank De Raffele, Jr.  They are the co-authors of the book:  Business Networking and Sex, The book and our conversation will be about SEX. (Well really gender differences.)   We will talk about issues that are controversial, and possibly push some buttons. It was a very  lively conversation

#71 No Bullshit with Erik Deckers

These days, everyone is talking about social media, and almost everyone is an expert.   Well today on More Than a Few Words we will talk with someone I really think is an expert.   Our guest is Erik Deckers  one of the authors of No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing (Pearson, 2011). We talked about social media users who are serious about using this tool as part of their business marketing strategy.

#70 When Was the Last Time You Looked at Your Website.

#69 Your Baby is Ugly

In this episode of  our marketing podcast, we will be talking about graphic design To every parent, their baby is a beautiful and special angel. Many businesses feel the same way about their logos, websites and other graphic designs. How do you tactfully tell a client their design is ugly, and help guide them to a better aesthetic?

#68 Social Media Chef

Just because you are a cook, does not mean you should be a chef in a restaurant. The same is true for your business. 

#67 Email Marketing Starts with a Great List

#66 Getting Started with SEO

Identity Crisis

As some of you may know, we’ve been having a bit of an identity crisis here at Roundpeg. For years, Lorraine used the @roundpeg Twitter account as both her personal account as well as the company account. But as the company grew and evolved, that situation became more and more difficult for Lorraine and the rest of the Roundpeg team. A few months ago, Lorraine finally made a clean break and divided her persona into two distinct parts: @roundpegand @lorraineball.

#64 Finding a Way Out

Starting a business is filled with challenges. Even once you have your business up and running, the challenges don’t stop. For example, finding a way to get out of your business when you are ready to retire. There are several choices: selling the business, transferring it to employee or children, or simply shutting it down. Listen as we talk with business transition expert Chris McEvoy about things you can do now to smooth they way for your exit down the road.

#63 Start Up Experience

Startup Weekend is a global movement which brings together aspiring entrepreneurs to share ideas, form teams and most importantly, launch startups. Imagine taking an idea and turning it into a viable company within 54 hours. It can happen! Tune in to this weeks program as we talk with local organizers Jim Bartek and Denver Hutt. And if you are ready to sign up, join us this weekend at http://www.startup.weekend.org

#62 Role of Traditional PR

At Roundpeg we spend a lot of time with clients focused on using social media to “tell their story” Long before social media, there was PR. And even today, in a very wired world, there is still a role for traditional PR. In today's episode, we talk about the role of traditional public relations in your marketing mix with Jennifer Reginer, an Indianapolis Public Relations professional. As an BohlsenPR account executive, Jennifer works clients such as Rich Mullins Film, Masala Bhangra, Indy Fo...

#61 Does You Blog Have Fuel?

In his presentation at Techpoint's Innovation Summit,  Michael Stelzner talked about the different types of content you needed to create for your blog.  After the program, I caught up with him for a brief interview.

#60 Your Next Hire

Searching for a new employee can be tricky. It’s time consuming and expensive, so it’s important to create the right job descriptions. Recruiting is a necessary evil so listen up as we chat with experts Jennifer Lewellen, Business Development and Human Resources Consultant at Safari Solutions.

#59 Productivity Tips with Robby and Michael

Everyone is busy, especially small business owners. It's just the nature of the beast. But it doesn't mean that you can't effectively manage your time in a way that gets things done. In fact, Robby Slaughter and Michael Reynolds are going to join the the Roundpeg crew and share their productivity suggestions. Both are experts in using time effectively.

#58 Personal Branding

Balancing multiple social media accounts can be difficult. But balancing different personalities on those accounts is even harder.  How can you manage it? Join us as we chat with Kyle Lacy, the author of  Branding Yourself about building a social media brand. Also joining us in the house will be Leilan McNally , or the Big Kahuna as he’s often referred to, about his experiences managing multiple brands. We will be talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of managing multiple brands.   ...

#57 Environmental Marketing

Developing an environmental strategy is good citizenship, but as you discussed with  our guest Jennifer Riley Simone, it can be good marketing as well. The conversation drifted from how companies incorporate green into their marketing, to how green causes can take advantage of new technology.

#56 Marketing to the Modern Homeowner.

While good marketing rules apply in all industries, there are nuances. Some tactics simply work better in some industries.  Join us this week as we look at marketing and social media tactics being used to deliver messages to modern homeowners. Our guest is Branden Fitzgerald, owner of Gicko Roofing.

#55 Community Marketing

All sorts of companies and associations need marketing support, not just consumer products.  So how do you approach marketing for community events and social causes.  Join us as we chat with Steven Shattuck, the communications director Irvington Halloween Festival, about their marketing activities.

#54 Exercise Your Marketing Muscle

While the rules for stellar marketing apply to all industries, there are nuances. And some tactics simply work better in certain industries. Join Roundpeg today as we look at marketing and social media tactics in the  fitness industry.  Even if you missed the live conversation, you can listen to the perspectives of two fitness marketing experts Drew Larison and Marcia About our guests:  People say business isn’t personal. Drew Larison says those people are wrong. Business should be the most...

#53 Niche Marketing

When people think of marketing, they typically think about creative ads to sell toothpaste or diapers, compelling campaigns to encourage donations to the humane society, or drive traffic to popular restaurants. But high profile, interesting consumers products are not the only products which require marketing. Join us on as we talk to Erin Couch and Arin Anderson of the National Retail Hardware Association as we talk about the challenges of marketing in such a specific niche.

#52 Whale Hunting

Do you have what it takes to go after the really big clients? And more importantly, should you? This week we spoke to Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith, (@thewhalehunters) founder and president of The Whale Hunters and Matt Nettleton, (@mattnettleton) my sales coach from Sandler Trustpoint about selling to big companies.

#51 Role of Traditional PR

At Roundpeg we spend a lot of time with clients focused on using social media to “tell their story” Long before social media, there was PR. And even today, in a very wired world, there is still a role for traditional PR. In today's episode, we talk about the role of traditional public relations in your marketing mix with Jennifer Reginer, an Indianapolis Public Relations professional. As an BohlsenPR account executive, Jennifer works clients such as Rich Mullins Film, Masala Bhangra, Indy Fo...

#50 Food Marketing

Joining the Roundpeg crew to talk about food: Lauren Fiedler, known by her twitter handle as @BrewhousePRLou, and Angela Patton, also known as @leftbankcafe. These two talented and passionate restaurant professionals are working to bring old school marketing strategies to new tools like social media to engage patrons, and keep customers coming back.

#49 Beer Marketing

As the craft beer industry has exploded over the past few decades, a new marketing niche has emerged. Many beer drinkers are no longer willing to consider their beverages or their brew a commodity. Join us as we talk with Mike Thilman, a district manager for world class beverages as he addresses how his company competes in the craft beer market. In addition to Mike, we will be joined on the show by Hazel Walker, founder of Lipstick on the Rim, a beer appreciation group created by women for w...

#48 Do You Have Klout?

Love it or hate it, Klout is one of the most widespread measures of on line influence. Reaching beyond just how many followers it looks at how often people engage you in conversations and share your content. It evaluates not just the volume of conversation, but the level of conversations you have with people who are influential. It is quite common among members of the Indianapolis social media community to compare Klout scores and tactics to improve them. Why? People with high Klout scores a...

#47 A Conversation with Entrepreneur Will Hardison

On Wednesday, August 10, we had a chance to talk to Will Hardison, founder of Mediaplug, an Indianapolis web design firm. On this episode of More Than a Few Words, Will shared some of the lessons he’s learned in the three years he’s owned his own business. He also gave business owners insights into how he utilizes Facebook ads for both Mediaplug and the company’s clients.

#46 Mom Bloggers

There is an huge  community of educated and influential women who have chosen to stay home with their young kids. Unlike previous generations, these women are not willing to disconnect from the business world.  They use social media and blogs to stay connected.

#45 Business Networking and Sex

Are men and women really that different or do we just have a tendency to just focus our differences instead of our similarities? We enjoyed chatting with Hazel M. Walker, the “Referral Strategist” on More than a Few Words. We discussed Business Networking and Sex, the subject of Hazel’s new book, coming out in 2012.

#44 The Internship experience

In today’s competitive job marketing the internship experience is becoming a requirement for college students, and they’re also becoming increasingly harder to land. Once you have an internship, being successful at it is a whole new challenge. Roundpeg’s interns Melissa, Scott and Stephanie will discuss their internship experiences as well as tips for other students who are considering an internship.

#43 Sales with Matt Nettleton

Have you sold as much this year as you were hoping to?  There is still half a year left to meet your sales goals.  If you aren’t sure how to get your small business sales activities started, tune into our sales conversation with Matt Nettleton for tips on how to get your sales process moving. About Matt: A part of the team at Trustpoint, he is my sales trainer, and is responsible for some pretty big shifts at Roundpeg.  We are currently running 60% ahead of last year in revenue, and profits...

#42 Youtube and small business

Research shows that YouTube is now the number two search engine after Google, particularly for the under thirty crowd who are in increasingly turning to YouTube over Google as their searching needs. But what do YouTube and marketing have to do with each other? This week we will be talking to special guest Rocky Walls of 12 star media about how small businesses can effectively leverage this resource to enhance their marketing and PR strategies.

#41 Social Media: 25 & 50

There are many misconceptions when it comes to age and social media. Recent studies have found that people aged 65 and older are the fastest growing age group on Facebook and that 47% of people aged 50 to 64 use social media today, proving that social media has now become anyone’s game. But the bias against age groups persist. Young professionals often have trouble demonstrating they understand the business applications of the tool, while folks in the over fifty crowd may struggle to prove t...

#40 Linkedin and Small Business

Everyone knows that Linkedin is a great tool for job hunting and networking with large companies, but what about Linkedin and small business? We will be discussing how small businesses can effectively use Linkedin as a networking tool.

#39 Favorite Wordpress Plugins

Wordpress Web Design: Last week Jay and I had a great discussion on More than a Few Words, ( our weekly podcast) about Wordpress plugins. We asked for suggestions from the community on twitter and facebook and built a great list to add to our favorites. We have been using Wordpress as the foundation of our web design business for several years and thought we had a pretty good list of standard plug ins.  But this program helped expand our list.  There were so many good suggestions, we had a h...