Small Business Conversations

Barbara Crowhurst of Retail Makeover visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Barbara Crowhurst of Retail Makeover in Canada  visited with Bill and me. It was a whirlwind hour as we covered many,  but just a piece of Barbara's knowledge of retail. Barbara was our first  Canadian guest expert and we welcomed her to the program in a grand  manner. You will want to listen to this replay.

Michael Kalscheur, CFP visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Michael Kalscheur, CFP (Certified Financial Planner) of  Castle Wealth Advisors was the guest expert as we discussed the  transition of a business from the current owner to a partner, child,  employee, a competitor, or outside individual. Michael commented on 'add ons' and how to prepare  your business for the sale. He explained how far in advance you should  be making the plans to transition out of the business. This was an awesome hour with a lot of information being shared.

Gene Sower of Samson Media visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Gene Sower of Samson Media was our guest expert. Gene's area of  expertise is social media, websites and search engine optimization. Gene  gave a great explanation of the social media using the making and  consumption of a donut. We discussed what was free and what you paid for  within the social media. Gene also explained why a business should not  turn some teenager loose with handling the social media of a business  just because the teenager enjoyed the social media.

Mike McCormick, CPA visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shayu

Our favorite CPA, Mike McCormick made a repeat visit to  the e-ret@iler conversation. In addition to questions, Mike talked about  his book, "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Forming a Business Entity'. Mike  talked about the issues to be discussed when talking with your  accountant about how your business show legally be established. Mike also discussed how a business owner can  outgrow their accountant and how grey is his favorite color. (You'll  want to listen to the recording to understand t...

Steve Drake, "Mr Causeaholic" visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Steve Drake, the "causeaholic", is the guest for this e-retailer  conversation. You have likely heard of cause marketing; it is the event  in which your business joins with a non-profit to raise funds or  awareness. Steve will give some examples of how you can make a  difference in your community as well as make your business stand out  from others because of your efforts.

Bob Nelson of Power Retailing visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Need cash? Got some inventory and equipment you need to  get rid of? How about your business has multiple locations and you want  to close a location? Maybe you have decided you want to just close the  business as compared to selling it. The guest was Bob Nelson of Power Retailing. Bob's  company specializes in solving the very problems that was mentioned in  the previous paragraph. Listen in as Bob shares has dozen steps to  increasing your odds of success and his top 10 biggest mistakes t...

Shelly Brander visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Branding your business; Shelly Brander (yes, that is her real last name)  is an expert on the topic as well as being the owner of two retail  operations and Internet based business integrated with her retail  operations. During this conversation, Shelley explained how branding and  advertising are linked. She also told about logos and updating them.  This was an hour packed with lots of information that is invaluable to  those that hear the message.

Jerry Obarski, retired of May Company visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Ever think about how much your business loses, financially, because   of  theft, shoplifting, losing equipment, or just not tracking inventory and equipment properly? Jerry Obarski, a 37 year veteran of loss prevention with major department stores joined  Tom Shay to share ideas of what a business can do to eliminate this 'hole' in your business.

Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender visit Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer joined Tom Shay in a  discussion about the differences in how women and men shop. We discussed  what kind of signs are most attractive for each as well as what colors  draw the most attention. This was one hour that was packed with a lot of  information that you can put to use immediately.

Shawna Schuh visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Shawna Schuh was the guest for March. The discussion was on  professionalism. We talked about why people skills should be important  to a small business; how to network at events; name tags; hand shakes;  telephone usage and other things that you might not think your existing  and potential customers might notice about you and your business.

Mike McCormick, CPA visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

We begin a new year by inviting Mike McCormick, CPA to return to the  conversation. Mike's specialty is small business. Participants were  invited to send questions about their business, their plans to sell  their business, their retirement, and even their 'concerns' about the  accountant they are currently using. Mike has great advise and we are  thrilled to have found someone who has a specialty in small business.

Ron Friedman of Damomics visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Ron Friedman of Damomics joins Tom Shay Ron's company,  Damomics, sells point of sale systems for small businesses. During the  conversation we discussed Small Business Saturday for 2012 as well as  how to create customer loyalty programs and utilizing gift cards in a  number of unique ways to build your sales and customer base. This was a  fast paced hour as Ron was full of great ideas.

Linda Cahan visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Linda Cahan was our special guest as we spent the hour  asking Linda about visual merchandising. Not just window displays and  end caps; we talked about the social media and the presentation a person  makes when they are selling - be it in a store or as an outside  salesperson.

Dave Doucette visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

What a change of pace with our guest during this call. Dave Doucette was  our guest as we discussed business partnerships; how to pick a partner  and how to divorce yourself from one. It was a great call with a lot of  insight being shared that many people have asked about. If you missed  the call, download it now.

Jon Schallert of Destination University visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Jon Schallert, creator of the Destination University was the special  guest for our June e-retailer conversation conference call. He spoke on  his unique 14 process of making a business or community a destination; a  business or community that is different from those who are dependent on  others to bring customers in close proximity to the first business.  This was a great session that you will definitely want to listen to.

Anne Obarski of Merchandise Concepts visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

The start of our fourth year of e-retailer conversations conference  calls with our special guest, Anne Obarski.  Anne and Tom discuss shopping the competition, having your  business shopped - by professions or individuals you select, and focus  groups for your business.

Mike McCormick, CPA and CTA visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

This call is taking on two individuals. The 'taxman' and the person that  assists your business with issues of taxation. During part of the call  we are going to discuss what this 'accountant person' should be doing  for your business. In the second segment of this conference call, we are  going to look at how, and why, you should conduct an interview to find  the right person to be partnering with you regarding the accounting and  tax issues of your business. Our special guest for the eveni...

Larry Pfarr visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Larry Pfarr, who spent 24 years with Bachman's of Minnesota and is know  for being an extraordinary merchants was the guest for January as we  discussed merchandising and displays.

Dan Jablons of Retail Smart Guys visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

We are joined by Dan Jablons of Retail Smart Guys. With only one hour to  visit, we focused our conversation on marketing and staff management.

Crystal Vilkaitis shares social media ideas on Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Crystal Vilkaitis, teacher of social media was the guest on the program  for this show. The discussion focused on the strategy of using social  media; which to use and those to not use. This was an hour full of  questions and answers that will surely help any business.

Natalie Tan of Retail Excellence visits Smal Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Excellence is a word that describes our June guest from Retail  Excellence. Natalie Tan has an impressive resume of skills and using  them to make a difference in how customers see your business and more  importantly - what, and how much, they buy.

Sam Allman, master sales skill teacher visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

We think Sam Allman is the master of selling. Not just because he wrote  the book, "Heart and Mind Selling", but because he elevates selling to  another level. Sam is a student of selling which makes him a fascinating  guest; we talked about selling to the person instead of selling the  product or service

Chris Ramey, the expert on the affluent, high end, luxury market visits Small Business Conversations

Chris Ramey has been referred to as America's leading expert on selling to the affluent. As Chris has clients in over 20 countries worldwide, perhaps that reference needs to be expanded. During Chris's visit we discussed the difference in affluent, high end, and luxury.  Chris offered great insight as to how everyone finds something they place a great value on and will spend the money to purchase it; even as the purchase is inconsistent with the other possessions or services they have in the...

Mort Haaz, creator of My OTB visits Small Business Conversations to discuss inventory turn over

Mort Haaz of My OTB Plan visits. We think of Mort as the individual with  the most experience and knowledge of inventory control. We discussed  the "how", the "why" and the fine tuning of inventory control which  increases the inventory turns and the gross margin return on inventory  investment (GMROII).

Gene Sower visits Small Business Conversations to discuss where you spend your digital media dollars

Gene Sower of Samson Media returns as we discuss where you are spending  your social media dollars. We spent part of the hour looking at making  the decision based on demographics or keywords. While we focused on  Facebook and Google AdWords, we did discuss how the other social media  can and should be a part of your advertising efforts.

Thinking of getting out of business? Michael Kalscheur visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

Michael Kalscheur of Castle Wealth Advisors returns. Michael had the  highest rating of all guests to have visited the program. The discussion  for this program is getting out of business; whether it is selling to  an employee, an outside individual, or transitioning to another family  member. We also discuss partnerships and buyouts.

Harold Havard - a pro who does not know how to stop promoting his business visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

From the moment I met Harold Havard, he was always an individual with new ideas of how to promote your business. The ideas were always great because Harold had experimented with them in his business. In a previous career, he worked with Wal-Mart, Computer City and Sports Authority. Harold shares many ideas of how to use Facebook to create flash sales as well as how to build an audience. In the business he just sold, an employee who had been with Harold for only 18 months had built a Faceboo...

Sommer Leigh - digital marketing expert visits Small Business Conversations from Profits Plus and Tom Shay

A report we read recently stated the expectation that over 80% of the sales for the 2020 Christmas selling season would be online. We invited Sommer Leigh of sleighconsulting.com to visit and share her ideas and experience of how your small business should be utilizing social media to get your message to customers and gain your share of the market. We discuss the many social media; what to do and what not to do; and how to maximize your time and the dollars you are going to spend in communi...

Beth Montpas, life coach, visits Small Business Conversations to discuss bouncing back during the pandemic

Tom Shay invites Beth Montpas to visit Small Business Conversations as we discuss our observations and suggestions for small business owners who are working their way through the pandemic. We discuss those businesses who have taken a beating and have not fought back; the businesses where they have just plowed straight ahead as if nothing has happened and being totally unaware of the changes; and the "hold my beer" crowd who sees the pandemic to adapt and drive their business forward. Beth s...

The SBDC - a free source of help for your business - Tee Rowe, President and CEO visits with Tom Shay to explain

The Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides a source of information and help for your small business at no cost to you. This is a federally funded organization with over 1,000 offices and 4,000 counselors available across the USA.  Tee Rowe, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the SBDC visits to explain how to find your nearest SBDC office; how to apply for your own SBDC counselor and the variety of ways the SBDC can help your business. As compared to the many "help vul...

Your loyalty/rewards program may need a renewal; Ron Friedman visits with Tom Shay to share how to do so

Ron Friedman visits with Tom Shay to discuss what is wrong with the loyalty/reward program that many businesses offer. We share some interesting statistics of how paid loyalty/reward programs are being used by many businesses and how you can make one work for your business.

Ken Banks visits Tom Shay and Small Business Conversations to discuss marketing after the pandemic

Ken Banks is a member of the retail advertising hall of fame. As he visited with Tom Shay he discussed how businesses can market differently after the pandemic. We talked about the "retail apocalypse" and what types of businesses were a part of it. Ken shared experiences of being the head of marketing for companies like Circuit City, PetsMart, Levitz Furniture, Eckerd Drug, and as a consultant to many others.

Mike McCormick visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay to discuss how to respond to the Covid 19 pandemic

This program was recorded during the height of the spring 2020 Covid 19 period of isolation. Mike McCormick discussed how small business owners can protect themselves as well as how to utilize the assistance programs being offered by the federal government. We also discussed the challenges with selling a business at this time as well as the changes a business should make in their marketing efforts. As with Mike's previous visits, he has the unique ability to explain things in terms that we ...

Lisa Shimkat, state director for Iowa's Small Business Development Center visits Small Business Development Centers

The Small Business Development Center is a service of the Small Business Administration that far too many people know of. There is a SBDC lead center in each of the fifty states. California and Texas have multiple lead centers. On a local level there are over 1,000 local centers staffed with experts equipped to help you with your small business. Whether you see an opportunity for your existing business; you have an idea for a new business; your business faces a challenge; or you want to fin...

Small Business Conversations (Trailer)

Joe Baer, CEO of Zen Genius - merchandising experts visits Small Business Conversations

We are thrilled to have Joe Baer, the co-founder and CEO of Zen Genius, a visual merchandising design firm headquartered in Columbus, Oh. Just before Joe and his staff head to Germany for EuroShop, we ask Joe to share ideas of what a small business can learn from large businesses who have sizable budgets for merchandising and visual display work. We discussed what happens when a customer can first see your business and many of the components when a customer visits your business that can aff...

Henry Hutcheson, author of Dirty Litle Secrets of Family Business visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

While the idea of a "family business" may bring up warm feelings about a business, it can bring challenges and opportunities when the ownership is transitioning from one individual to another. Our guest expert is Henry Hutcheson, author of Dirty Little Secrets of Family Business. Whether the business is a partnership among friends, a business transitioning from one generation to the next, or a transition involving siblings, cousins and other family members, Henry's expertise is helping make ...

Gwen Bortner, a virtual Chief Operating Officer visits to discuss what a COO can do for your business

Have you ever thought your business is missing an ingredient, or person, that will help your business overcome an obstacle or grow to the next level? Gwen Bortner has created herself as a virtual chief operating officer (COO); the person who can be that missing ingredient or the person who helps you overcome the obstacle. During this program Gwen discussed the challenge of a person understanding the difference in an owner, manager and leader.  Those who find they are not getting things done...

Ron Friedman explains SCORE on Small Business Conversations with Tom Shay

Did you know there is a network of over 10,000 experts on small business management who will volunteer to help you? Ron Friedman visits to explain how SCORE works; how you can sign up to work with a mentor. Ron also explained the webinars, courses on demand, and live events that you can participate in. Why would you consider paying someone, or subscribing to some service without first investigating how SCORE can be of help to your business. Ron shares his success stores and insight to takin...

Beth Montpas, life coach, shares her "To-Be" list on Small Business Conversations with Tom Shay from Profits Plus Solutions

We read an awesome article that is applicable to every small business owner. The author was Beth Montpas, who is a life coach. The article, and our discussion for the program focused on what a life coach can do for a business owner. We also discussed how many of us have a written and/or mental to do list. Beth describes how we can and should have a "to-be" list with some 11 points of focus.  The October program was a fascinating hour with Beth and we are sure everyone can find value in wha...

Larry Pfarr visits Small Business Conversations to prep you for the holiday selling season

Larry Pfarr is a merchandiser extraordinaire. He spent 24 years with Bachman's of Minnesota; a well known retailer  with multiple locations. Bachman's is a stopping point for many tours of retailers. Larry also produces a segment on the Minneapolis ABC affiliate. This episode of Small Business Conversations has Larry sharing ideas of what you can do to get the most out of your business during the holiday season. We discussed displays, external appearance of your business, "experiential reta...

Jacinda Trask, a Wal-Mart veteran and now an independent shares lessons learned with Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

What if you could listen to someone who had years of experience working for one of the big businesses? Would you want to ask them questions that could help you do more with your business? That is exactly what happened when Jacinda Trask visited with Tom Shay and Small Business Conversations. Starting as a part time cashier, Jacinda worked her way up in Wal-Mart management. Today she oversees the operations in a multi-location small business. Listen as we ask Jacinda what she learned from ...

Mike McCormick visits with Tom Shay and Profits Plus to ask if your business is the correct legal entity

When you business you are filing your tax return based on what is your "business entity". As examples, you could be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a C corporation or a C corporation that has taken the S option. Mike McCormick, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Tax Coach (CTC), and author of "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Forming a Business Entity" visits for this hour of discussion on how to select the right one for you. In addition to providing a free download of this book...

Selling to affluent customers? Chris Ramey visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay to show how

We frequently find that businesses and sales people are intimidated by affluent customers. Chris Ramey of AffluentInsights.com visits with Tom Shay and Small Business Conversations to explain how you fascinate the affluent customer instead of trying to sell to them. This was an hour spent with a very articulate individual who demonstrated his mastery of his areas of expertise. This will be a well spent investment of your time to listen to the conversation between Chris and Tom.  Chris expl...

John Wheeler and Michael Kalscheur create a bucket list for your business

John Wheeler, CFP, CPA and Michael Kalscheur, CFP join Tom Shay in discussing a bucket list for your business. What do you expect your business to achieve for you financially? How do you make plans for when you want to get out of the business whether it be retirement or moving on to your next adventure. These two experts share their list, and the details, of how a business owner needs to converse with their accountant and their financial advisor.

Steve Drake asks if your business has a Strategic Initiative

What business are you in? What do you sell as a product or service? While most think they can easily answer the question, Steve Drake asks you to look a bit further. As an example he tells of an orthodontist. The answer to the first two questions may be "straightening teeth" for most people. The orthodontist in Steve's example says his business is "creating smiles". A business that understands this finds a much easier path to customers and profit. As another example we offer the arborist in...

The Small Business Development Center visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is an awesome free service provided to small business owners across the country. Tee Rowe, president of SBDC, and Jill Kline, executive director of Wyoming SBDC, visit with Tom Shay to tell of the many free services provided to small business owners - all for the asking. They explain how to find a SBDC center near you and how the SBDC will match a business owner with a consultant who can address their specific needs. The SBDC has live classes and...

Ron Friedman visits to explain how to not discount products and services

Ron Friedman is unique as a visitor to our program as with every visit he brings a unique business idea. This month's program brings an idea of how to use gift cards as a way to replace discounting your products and services. With his concept we have created another free calculator on the ProfitsPlus.org website - gift card vs discount calculator - to show how you get more business from existing customers, referral customers and higher margins by using Ron's idea. 

Jeff Milchin, founder of AMIBA, visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

Reading multiple online news feeds, we have frequently seen quotes from a group called AMIBA - American Independent Business Alliance. We wanted to learn more so we went to the top and invited co-founder Jeff Milchin to visit and tell us of the work of AMIBA which includes the "buy local" efforts.

Jill Kline, Wyoming SBDC visits Small Business Conversations and Tom Shay

We got to meet Jill Kline several years ago as we worked on a project with her state SBDC office. In addition to her concern for each of the clients her office works with, we were impressed by her business management knowledge. We have found that few small businesses know of the SBDC in their state and how the SBDC can help their business. Jill Kline spends an hour with us to tell the many benefits of contacting your local SBDC office.