Archive for January, 2010
Managing the Numbers
“FINANCIAL NUMBERS“. Even the mention of the phrase can frustrate the most intrepid entrepreneur. The sheer abundance and sources of critical financially-relevant data in (and around a) business is often difficult to identify, never mind interpret. But, entrepreneurs need to acquire some dexterity in financial numbers to be successful. So where do you begin? After all, you’re running your business, looking for growth opportunities, putting out fires, establishing strategic partnerships and constantly updating your business strategies.
That’s where our special guest comes in for BusinessCast episode #139. Intuit’s senior marketer Barb Anderson provides insight on the first step of successfully working with financial data: managing the numbers. Barb taps into a wide community of growth-focused companies of all shapes, sizes, ages and industries. She shares very practical tips on how to get a handle on your financial data so that you can make better and faster decisions.
Complimenting Barb’s insights on how to manage the numbers, check out BusinessCast episode #98 — Financial Intelligence — where we interview the author of the book for quickly getting comfortable with interpreting financial data. Together, these two episodes give you insights and resources that will increase your financial skills and confidence.
Ensuring Client Retention
Customer acquisition — it’s often considered a strong indicator of a company’s growth and success. After all, securing new customers/clients gets considerable glamor and fanfare. However, while it is essential to initiate, plan for and track efforts targeted at bringing on new customers, it can’t be done without understanding the critical (and dependent) relationship it has with your efforts to retain your existing customers.
That’s why for BusinessCast #138 — Ensuring Client Retention — Robert and I sat down with Benjamin McAlister, Vice President of Account Management at Thindata 1:1. Benjamin shares with us the “nuts ‘n’ bolts” of keeping customers — and keeping them wanting more of your products/services. That means we cover topics including short- and long-term steps as well as key metrics — beyond customer turnover rates — that can help you quickly identify/reduce the risk of customers abandoning you for your competitors.
Another useful resource: A previous BusinessCast guest and leading entrepreneur, Thindata 1:1’s President, Chris Carder has a powerfully focused list, that works in tandem with Benjamin’s approach, to help ensure your customer retention is optimized.
If you are in a competitive industry, listen to BusinessCast #138 — Ensuring Client Retention and you’ll get some practical steps that will see your top line grow — even without acquiring new customers.
Leaders, Managers and Challenges
For the last 10 years, John Turley-Ewart has contributed to and edited the Financial Post — making him one of Canada’s most respected business and political commentators.
So, for BusinessCast episode #137, Robert and I sit down with John to discuss some of today’s most pressing issues facing business executives — as well as the essential skills that business executives need to ensure their success.
Social Media – Part 5
Social media remains an important topic for leaders/managers of growth companies. That’s what you, our listeners are telling us. And, that’s exactly what the research says too. While we’ve covered social media from several angles in previous episodes, in BusinessCast #136, we sit down with the founders of Biz Launch — known country-wide as the trainers for new businesses — who have recently conducted “state-of-the-nation” research on social media.
Listen to BusinessCast #136 and you’ll get some practical tips that you can use tomorrow to begin or hone your social media strategy. At the same time, you’ll also get a sense of where most companies like yours are today — as far as their social media plans, initiatives and successes.
Also check out the following BusinessCast episodes that focus on social media:
#130 – Choosing the Right Social Media Tools – Robert and I speak with social media guru Michael Seaton. He shares with us the social media essentials for all entrepreneurs.
#104 – Leveraging LinkedIn - Robert and I chat with Doyle Slayton on how to cost-effectively leverage the Internet’s most popular online social networking tool. See this episode’s blogpost for useful LinkedIn-related links.
#101 – Leveraging the Groundswell - Robert and I talk with Charlene Li, co-author of the Groundswell – which has become the ‘Bible’ for many social media marketers — about how entrepreneurs can effectively leverage social media.
#64 – Blogging for Business - Robert and I get practical advice for new and experienced bloggers from Matthew Vernhout — a digital media veteran and an up-and-coming social media maven.