Small Biz Ahead | Small Business | Starting a Business

Small Biz Ahead | Small Business | Starting a Business

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Small Biz Ahead | Small Business | Starting a Business episodes

  • Have You Ever Hired Someone On The Spot?
    Have you ever interviewed a potential job candidate and immediately knew that they would be the perfect addition to your workforce? While your first impulse might be to hire them on the spot, making such a hasty decision could also pose significant risks to you and your small business. In episode #104, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks help business owners determine whether on-the-spot hiring is appropriate for their particular staffing needs.


    Executive Summary


    0:57—Today's Topic: Should Small Business Owners Hire a New Employee on the Spot?

    1:24—Due to the level of commitment and financial risk involved, hiring any new employee on the spot is rarely advisable.

    1:49—If you decide to make an immediate hire, it should only be for a contractor or other temporary position.

    5:29—Before hiring a potential candidate, business owners need to see them in action to get a clearer idea of their current skills.

    11:03—Gene discusses why providing your employees with an appropriate outlet for their frustrations could ultimately make them more effective workers.


    Links


  • Fiverr

  • Upwork

  • Hulu

  • Amazon Prime



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    • Transcript
    Elizabeth: Welcome back to the small business head podcast, this is Elizabeth Larkin. I'm here with Gene Marks, our small business expert and owner.

    Gene: Expert and owner. Yes. That is correct.

    Elizabeth: And writer.

    Gene: We have a lot to talk about.

    Elizabeth: We have a lot to talk about. We have a great question today, this is about hiring someone on the spot and we will delve into that after we hear from our sponsor.
    Our Sponsor
    This podcast is brought to you by The Hartford. When the unexpected strikes, The Hartford strikes back for over 1 million small business customers with property, liability and worker's compensation insurance, check out The Hartford's small business insurance at TheHartford.com.
    QUESTION: Have You Ever Hired Someone On The Spot?
    Elizabeth: This question kind of caught me off guard. We got it from ... A listener submitted it. They did not give us their name, or their business, or where they're from, or any information. As always, we'll just make that up.

    Gene: Sure.

    Elizabeth: Their question for you Gene, is have you ever hired someone on the spot?

    Gene: The answer to that, we were talking about this beforehand and straight out? Yes and no. Right?

    Elizabeth: What?

    Gene: I know that's a terrible way-

    Elizabeth: That's not a yes or no question. It's yes or no.

    14 min
  • Have You Ever Hired Someone On The Spot? (Podcast) | Ep. #104
    Have you ever interviewed a potential job candidate and immediately knew that they would be the perfect addition to your workforce? While your first impulse might be to hire them on the spot, making such a hasty decision could also pose significant risks to you and your small business. In episode #104, Elizabeth Larkin and […]
    14 min
  • Why Do So Many Small Businesses Fail?
    Failure is undoubtedly one of the harshest realities of the business world and while many would like to believe that hard work and dedication are all you need to achieve success, the painful truth is that approximately 50% of small businesses will fail within their first two years. So, given these staggering odds, what can you as a small business owner do to avoid becoming a statistic? In episode #103, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss the main reasons that so many businesses fail and how you can avoid these common mistakes.


    Executive Summary


    1:22—Today's Topic: Why Do Small Businesses Fail?

    1:43—Many small businesses fail because their owners have not developed the necessary math or accounting skills to manage their finances effectively.

    5:53—Poor timing is another issue that can hinder a business's success; some small business owners do not take into account time-related factors, such as seasonal demands, when launching their businesses.

    9:19—Your small business could also fail because it does not have the proper resources to sustain it.

    10:37—Other factors that can negatively impact your business include its location, the type of products or services it offers and its rate of growth.

    17:25—Gene advocates using the “talking stick" approach when you run a meeting to help keep team members focused and to ensure that everyone is able to contribute their thoughts on a particular matter.


    Links

  • CVS

  • Rite Aid


    • Submit Your Question

  • Submit Your Question

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    • Transcript
    Elizabeth: Gene, I don't want to bum anyone out, but today we're going to be talking about why so many small businesses fail.

    Gene: Failure is my middle name.

    Elizabeth: Part of life.

    Gene: Yeah. It happens. We all fail at things. Michael Jordan said, "I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, until I succeeded."

    Elizabeth: That's very true.

    Gene: Yes.

    Elizabeth: That's a good way of looking at it.

    Gene: Yes.

    Elizabeth: I do have one question though. Do you know the stats, and I'm sorry to put you on the spot, but how many small businesses do fail?

    Gene: Well, apparently, 50% of- we talked about start-ups before- but 50% of new small businesses fail within the first two years of existence. 50%. It's a huge number. And the number even goes up over the next five years.

    Elizabeth: Wow. Okay. Well after we hear from our sponsor, we're going to talk about the three reasons why small businesses fail.
    Our Sponsor
    This podcast is brought to you by The Hartford. When the unexpected strikes, The Hartford strikes back for over 1 million small business customers with property, liability and worker's compensation insurance, check out The Hartford's small business insurance at TheHartford.com.
    QUESTION: Why Do So Many Small Businesses Fail?
    Elizabeth: Okay. We're back, and today's question is why do so many small businesses fail at the rate of 50%?

    Gene: Yeah. So, first of all, there are a lot of reasons why ... you can't just generalize them on all businesses that go out of business, why they went out of business.
    22 min
  • Why Do So Many Small Businesses Fail? (Podcast) | Ep. #103
    Failure is undoubtedly one of the harshest realities of the business world and while many would like to believe that hard work and dedication are all you need to achieve success, the painful truth is that approximately 50% of small businesses will fail within their first two years. So, given these staggering odds, what can […]
    22 min
  • What Are Your Favorite Books for Small Business Owners?
    Are you a small business owner who is interested in adding some books to their must-read list? While there is certainly no shortage of reading material when it comes to the topic of running a business, deciding which ones to start with can be a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, we have a few suggestions to kick off your reading list. In episode #101, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks share several of their favorite books for small business owners.


    Executive Summary


    0:22—Today's Topic: What are Your Favorite Books for Small Business Owners?

    1:24—Rather than attempting to multi-task, Deep Work by Cal Newport advocates focusing on a single assignment because doing so enables you to work more effectively.

    4:40—The E-Myth by Michael Gerber stresses the importance of developing a business that can operate independently of you.

    9:54—In Grit by Angela Duckworth, small business owners discover that passion and persistence are the primary factors in determining an individual's overall success.

    15:33— Robert Cialdini's book, Influence, teaches business owners about the psychology of persuasion and negotiation, so that they can incorporate it into their work.

    18:32—Business owners in need of inspiration should read Churchill, A Life by Martin Gilbert because it depicts all the obstacles that Winston Churchill had to overcome.

    21:30—Gene discusses a new chat bot called Spot, which can be used to record all claims of sexual harassment.


    Links

  • Deep Work

  • The E-Myth

  • Grit

  • Influence

  • Churchill, A Life

  • Spot


    • Submit Your Question

  • Submit Your Question

  • Leave Us a Review on iTunes


    • Transcript
    Elizabeth: This is Elizabeth Larkin. I'm here with Gene Marks and we're back with another episode of the Small Biz Ahead Podcast. Welcome, Gene.

    Gene: Welcome, Elizabeth. We're happy to be here. I know were talking about books today.

    Elizabeth: Yes. One of my favorite topics, dogs and books.

    Gene: Yes. We're going to talk business books, but-

    Elizabeth: We're going talk business books.

    Gene: Boy, that's all we should talk about other books. I've got a lot of other books to talk about, but this is fine.

    Elizabeth: We should start another podcast, Gene.

    Gene: I'm telling ya.

    Elizabeth: What's Gene watching and reading?

    Gene: Yeah. I'm reading a good one now. But, okay.

    Elizabeth: So, if you do want to hear about what Gene is watching and reading then listen to the end and we will discuss that, but in the next segment we're going to talk about great books for small business owners to read to further their acumen in running their businesses or even in starting a business. We'll be right back.
    Our Sponsor
    This podcast is brought to you by The Hartford. When the unexpected strikes, The Hartford strikes back for over 1 million small business customers with property, liability and worker's compensation insurance, check out The Hartford's
    26 min
  • What Are The Biggest Challenges Facing Small Business Owners Right Now?

    The business world is changing constantly and with every change comes a new set of challenges for small business owners to tackle. Fortunately, overcoming these hurdles is simply a matter of thinking ahead and equipping your small business with the proper resources and assistance. In episode #100, Elizabeth Larkin and Gene Marks discuss the most difficult obstacles facing small business owners today.













    Executive Summary




    1:29—Today's Topic: What are the Biggest Challenges Facing Small Business Owners?


    2:01—The most common mistake among small business owners is misunderstanding the role they play in their own business; they can become so preoccupied with the daily tasks that they lose sight of the larger picture.


    3:12—Stepping away from your business enables you to look at it more objectively and think ahead about its future.


    7:49—Many business owners also struggle with finding qualified employees.


    9:07—Business owners who have difficulty navigating their cash flow need to seek assistance from professionals who can help them make proper investments.


    15:12—Gene encourages businesses to be the best in their specific niche because there is an audience for every market.






    Links



    • ABC
    • Instagram




    Submit Your Question



    • Submit Your Question
    • Leave Us a Review on iTunes




    Transcript



    Elizabeth: Welcome to the 100th episode of the Small Biz Ahead Podcast. Yay.





    Gene: 100.





    Elizabeth: I know, it's crazy.





    Gene: That is crazy. That really is.





    Elizabeth: It's nuts.





    Gene: Think about that. We do one a week, right? Then, it's been more than that.





    Elizabeth: No. It's been more than that.





    Gene: Yeah.





    Elizabeth: Some weeks, we used to do one a week. Now, we do two a week.





    Gene: Yeah, yeah, yeah.





    Elizabeth: It happened pretty quickly.





    Gene: It's been a good couple of years. Crazy.





    Elizabeth: Last time when we celebrated our 50th episode, we had Kanye, Coldplay, Oprah. We had this crazy party.





    Gene: Yeah.





    Elizabeth: This time, we wanted to bring it more to like a ...





    Gene: Sort of grassroots. I mean we've got ...





    Elizabeth: We wanted to bring it to more of a grassroots level.





    Gene: Yeah, yeah.





    Elizabeth: Stripped down party.





    Gene: Bill Gates will be stopping by, Warren Buffett.





    Elizabeth: He's going to have a lot of good advice for small business owners.





    Gene: Sure. Just kidding.





    Elizabeth: Alright. We'll be right back with our question about the biggest challenges facing small business owners right now, after we hear from our sponsor.

    23 min

About Small Biz Ahead | Small Business | Starting a Business

From the publisher's feed

The Small Biz Ahead podcast is dedicated to helping small business owners succeed. Each episode focuses on specific topics that can help you bring your small business to the next level. Gene Marks, an…