Startup BizCast - The Small Business Advice Podcast

It’s less than two months from the due date for your 2007 tax forms. Does that panic you? It shouldn’t really, but your 2007 taxes should be something that’s on your mind. Last week we spoke with tax and financial advisor June Walker about deductions and how to find a tax professional. In this week’s episode, part two of my two-parter on small business taxes, June will give us advice on business structure and how it affects your tax liability.

As I did last week, I’ve devoted the entire episode to my conversation with June, preempting BizCast Brief. The small business news segment will return next week!

Links mentioned in this weekâ€s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Tax season is quickly creeping up on us. Personally, I haven’t done anything about getting my tax information in order, but I am at least THINKING about it! Because it’s that season, I wanted to make sure you all get a heavy dose of advice about taxes for your small business. So, I’ve decided produce Startup BizCast’s first two part episode. My guest for the next two programs is June Walker, a tax and financial advisor, and author of the book Self-Employed Tax Solutions. June has been advising independent professionals for 25 years. Her clients are the owners of unincorporated small businesses, including sole proprietors, freelancers, subcontractors, free agents, and 1099 workers.

In this episode, June and I spend a good bit of time talking about how to choose a tax professional to work with you this year. We also discuss the all-important deductions that will help save you money. In the second part of our conversation, which will be available on Wednesday, February 20, we’ll talk about how to structure your business to save you money on taxes.

I’ve devoted the entire episode to talking with June, and thus there is no BizCast Brief this week. The segment will return in the future, but in the meantime please check out my Small Business Recommended Reading post for this week.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

In this episode, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Corporate and CEO Blogging and Social Media Consultant Debbie Weil, who was not only a wealth of knowledge, but was also nice enough to be patient while I recovered from a coughing fit during the interview! Debbie talked about her claim that 2008 is the year of the corporate blog, and also gave tips on how to make the most of a business blog.

In BizCast Brief this week: The 2009 budget doesn’t have much money for small businesses, a push for a “Super SBA”, and John Kerry wins during THIS election year.

Links mentioned during this week’s episode:

Technical Note: This is the first podcast recorded with my new and upgraded equipment. I’m now recording through a Samson mixer onto a Zoom H2 digital recorder. The result, I think, is a more rich and full sound. Let me know what you think!

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

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Ever wonder how news outlets decide what to report and what not to report on? In this episode of Startup BizCast I go solo, and try to give you an explanation, as well as some tips to beef up the newsworthiness of your news release or story idea. I didn’t mention this in the episode, but let’s make sure this is clear — I’m talking about traditional media. Things like new media and social media … well, that’s another episode.

In this week’s BizCast Brief: Health insurance a problem for small business owners, Wal*Mart in the SEO business, and help for your 2008 business plan.

Mentioned in this week’s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Most experts agree the United States is in an economic downturn, mostly as the result of the subprime lending fiasco. Whether you think we’re about to go into a recession, are already in a recession, or will never reach recession status, it’s safe to say that small businesses will have to change their tactics. My guest this week has some advice. Shama Hyder, co-founder of After the Launch, a marketing firm in Dallas, TX, has five tips for marketing your business in a recession.

In the BizCast Brief: Sleepworking, blogs and journalists, and BusinessWeek bashes technology.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

There’s little doubt that women are succeeding in the world of small business. Women-owned startups are popping up at twice the rate of those owned by men. And, nine out of ten female entrepreneurs plan to expand their business. My guest this week is Susan Wilson Solovic, co-founder, CEO, and chairman of the first video news and information site for America’s small businesses, SBTV.com. She also recently authored a book called The Girl’s Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business. She discusses why women are successful entrepreneurs, and provides tips for women who want to build their own business “empire”.

In this week’s BizCast Brief, I have stories about business trouble at the SBA, AllBusiness.com’s “State of the Union” for small businesses, and US News & World Report’s “diss” of small business ownership as a career.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Partnerships are a big part of small business ownership, mainly because we can’t do everything ourselves. And, whether those partnerships are alliances between supplier and retailer, or two people who agree to run a business together, it’s critical to make sure you have a solid agreement in place. The reason for this is that without that agreement, when things go south it can get quite messy. My guest this week is corporate attorney Joy Butler, who has tips on how to form partnerships and what to do when they go bad.

In this week’s BizCast Brief, I have news on President Bush’s recent comments about small businesses and taxes, a new survey about disaster preparedness among small business owners, and a survey that tells us very little about the relationship between birth order and entrepreneurship.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Happy 2008 everyone! Individuals have New Year’s resolutions, and your business should too! In this episode, I run through a few suggestions and ask for your help!

If you have suggestions for Small Business New Year’s Resolutions, please shoot me a voicemail at 206-984-0860 or send me an email at [email protected]. I’ll play the audio and read emails in a future episode! For added incentive, feel free to give a short plug for your business (name, website URL, etc.). If you have a good suggestion, I’ll make sure your business gets a plug.

Note: There is no “BizCast Brief” segment in this week’s episode, due to the lack of news during the holiday weeks. The segment will return next week!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

Have you ever been so ridiculously busy dealing with the smaller details of your business (scheduling, record keeping, etc.) that you have no idea how you’re going to get it all done? Surely it’s happened to us all. But, does it seem to happen to you frequently? If so, you may be a perfect candidate for a virtual assistant. While it sounds like something out of Star Trek, it’s actually an assistant that works from a remote location. My guest this week is Tracey Lawton, who is a virtual business manager and virtual assistant. She runs down her duties and talks about how virtual assistants can be of assistance to your small business.

On this week’s BizCast Brief — Assistance for businesses damaged in the recent California wildfires, the US small business of the year, and gift suggestions for your small business.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Listener feedback hotline: (206) 984-0860

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.

What’s going to happen to your business if a customer sues and wins? If your business is a simple sole proprietorship, they could take everything … including your house, car, and personal bank account. Scary? For sure. That’s why separating your personal assets from your business assets is so important. Forming a corporation helps solve the problem, and that’s this week’s small business advice on Startup BizCast. My guest is John Meyer from The Company Corporation, a firm that helps businesses form entities such as limited liability corporations (LLC). He gives tips on why it’s important to incorporate, and how to get it done.

In this week’s BizCast Brief, I have news on small business optimism continuing to plummet, telecommuting small business owners, and small business owner dyslexia.

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

Listener feedback hotline: (206) 984-0860

Startup BizCast is produced by EndGame PR Podcast Production. For more information on how your business can take advantage of the social media revolution, visit the podcast production page on the EndGame PR website.

Startup BizCastâ€s theme music is “Dangerous Toys” by George Fletcherâ€s Bourbon Renewal. The full version of the song, along with other music by the same artist, can be downloaded at Podsafe Music Network.