On episode 326 of Business Insanity Talk Radio, we hear from start-up expert Guy Kawasaki who evaluates the current environment for starting a business. Next, Sharon Rowlands shares what small businesses need to know about Google’s new search engine algorithm. Barbara Rozgonyi reveals the new definition of PR and her tips for a successful PR strategy. Do you hate self-storage? Sam Rosen shares how he is reinventing the industry and how people store their belongings. Finally, Nellie Akalp is back to reveal her top four tips for getting the maximum tax refund next year.

Listen and enjoy:

Check Out Business Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Barry J Moltz on BlogTalkRadio

 

Segment 1: Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. Formerly, he was an advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google and chief evangelist of Apple. He is the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and ten other books.

2:10 – What does the current environment for starting a company look like?

4:10 – Guy’s tips on how to best pitch your business.

5:03 – When’s the best time to launch a business?

6:16 – How do you know that you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur?

8:04 – How to recruit an a-list team to join your company at the beginning.

Segment 2: Sharon Rowlands is the CEO of ReachLocal. She has more than 20 years of experience leading multi-billion dollar companies serving small- and medium-sized businesses, financial markets, and enterprise customers.

15:04 – Sharon explains why businesses today need to remain constantly paranoid.

16:10 – Google’s search engine algorithm changes your small business needs to know, and the two things your small business absolutely needs to be doing as a result.

18:50 – The difference between Software as a Service and Software WITH Service models?

19:54 – The danger of tackling Google Adwords yourself.

20:25 – What is goal-based marketing?

22:16 – Why top-line growth hinders the local marketing industry.

Segment 3: Barbara Rozgonyi is the CEO of CoryWest Media, a strategic marketing consultancy. Barbara blogs at http://wiredPRworks.com and was noted as a top 50 content marketing influencer on twitter.

31:12 – Why the new PR = Personality + Reputation.

32:30 – The old adage says “any PR is good PR”. Is that still true?

33:19 – Barbara’s three tips for a successful small business PR strategy.

34:43 – The importance of being in tune with the current events.

35:30 – How to evaluate whether or not to hire a PR firm, and what to look for if you do.

Segment 4: Sam Rosen is the founder and CEO of MakeSpace. Prior to MakeSpace, Sam was Upfront Ventures’ first Entrepreneur in Residence. He was featured in Forbes’ 2015 “30 Under 30” list in the consumer tech category.

40:46 – The challenges and highlights Sam has faced during his experience with founding MakeSpace.

42:00 – What is MakeSpace’s approach to self-storage?

44:58 – The biggest challenge Sam faces in growing his business to Chicago from its launch in New York.

Segment 5: Nellie Akalp is a serial entrepreneur and small business expert. She currently serves as CEO of CorpNet.com, an online legal document filing service, where she helps entrepreneurs start a business, incorporate or form an LLC, and offers free business compliance tools.

49:40 – How to get the maximum tax refund to start a business.

50:10 – Tip #1: Hire a professional

50:27 – Tip #2: Claim all of your expenses

51:04 – Tip #3: Claim all of your charitable donations

51:24 – Tip #4: Keep accurate records

Sponsored by Sage, Nextiva and CorpNet.