Business Rap

Find out how you can achieve more success in business, by truly becoming customer focused. Hear insights from Phil Zeller of Dale Carnegie - Michigan, and Joey Draper of Dick Scott Motor Mall.

Content marketing can help you build strong relationships with your clients and potential clients. With so many strategies and mediums to choose from, we have assembled an expert panel together to help you understand how content marketing can help you grow your business. We will hear insights from; Andrea Kerbuski, Account Executive, Martin Waymire, Blogger and Influencer, Andie Poole, Senior Account Executive, and lead Social Media and Digital Marketer for Martin Waymire, Chris Hall, Owner of Big Shot Video, and John Addis, President and Creative Director of Addis Enterprises.

It's easy to focus on ourselves. How to be a better boss, family member...the list goes on and on. But what happens when you become other-focus? Find out the impact you will be able to make by shifting your focus with expert insights from Phil Zeller of Dale Carnegie- Michigan and Mike Mitchell of Markham Oil Company.

Open houses are a great way to introduce your company and staff to clients and potential clients, while teaching your guests more about your products or services. A lot goes into planning a successful open house, so we have assembled a panel of top experts; Ashlee Willis, Owner of Michigan Premier Events, Jim McDaniels, Owner of The McDaniels Agency, Farm Bureau Insurance, and Trinea Gonczar, Chief Development Officer, Michigan Creative, together to discuss.

According to Business Directory the definition of brand positioning is “An effort to influence consumer perception of a brand or product relative to the perception of competing brands or products. It’s objective is to occupy a clear, unique and advantageous position in the consumers mind.” How well your business is positioned may determine how successful you will ultimately be. So how do you position your business for success? We have assembled a panel of top experts together to discuss. Hear insights from Camron Gnass, Founder and Creative Director of Traction Partners, Inc., Josh Hovey, Senior Vice President of Truscott Rossman, and Kim Laforet, Owner of The Laforet Team at Coldwell Banker Hubbell BriarWood.

Identity theft can and does happen to businesses often. Understanding how to prevent business identity theft and how to help your business recover after identity theft occurs may mean the difference between keeping your business open and closing the doors. We have assembled a panel of top experts together from the Michigan State Police, The McDaniels Agency, and Providence consulting to help you understand how to best protect your business.

We discuss how outsourcing employee-management tasks may save business owners a significant amount of time and money. There are many options to explore, which is why we have assembled an expert panel from Trion Solutions and Simplified Tax and Accounting​. ​

If you have thought of purchasing a franchise, or if you think your business is unique and successful enough to franchise, this will be a great show for you. Hear insights from Denise Droscha, Operations Director, Two Men and a Truck, Paul Back, Owner of six Little Caesars franchises and Biggby Coffee, and Tom Parks, Owner of Premier Franchise Solutions.

Qualified plan designs offer employers many options for helping their employees gain ownership and accumulate retirement assets while reducing their taxes. Understanding what plan design is best for your business and where to start may be overwhelming. We have assembled a panel of top experts together to explain “An Employer’s Guide to Qualified Plan Designs.”

Business owners often have the obligation of keeping up with the times. Upgrading your office may come at a cost, but it may be one that you can’t afford not to invest in. We will discuss why and how to update your office records, technology, comfort and style with insights from Andrew Ysasi, Executive Director of Kent Record Management, Mike Maddox, President and CEO of ASK, Peggy Doty, Owner of Doty Mechanical, Steve Klaver, Owner of DBI Office Interiors, and Sydney Watkins, Interior Designer, DBI Office Interiors.

“Small businesses can and do get sued, and the legal fees alone can easily approach $100,000 if your case goes all the way to trial,” according to a recent article by Legalzoom. Being proactive instead of reactive may save you a lot of time and money. We have assembled a panel of top experts; Jim McDaniels, Owner of The McDaniels Agency, Farm Bureau Insurance, Kevin O’Malley, Shareholder, Attorney, Butzel Long, and Tom Hamp, Owner of AdviCoach Mid-Michigan, to discuss measures you can take to prevent small business lawsuits.

“Intellectual property is the area of law that deals with protecting the rights of those who create original works,” according to AllLaw.com. If you created something truly unique and want to learn how to protect your invention, this is the show for you. Experts; David Fedewa, Inventor and Product Licensing Specialist, Joe Johnson, CEO of Vade Nutrition, and Mikhail Murshak, Intellectual Property Attorney at Loomis Law will help you understand what type of protection you need and how to secure it.

As leaders, you are responsible for creating a work culture that encourages your employees to be successful. When arguments, differences in goals and personal styles cause conflict within the office, it may negatively impact the synergy of your workforce and even your bottom line. We will discuss "Conflict Management in the Workplace" with top experts from Sandler Training and Neogen.

The websites that receive the highest traffic feature great content. Quality content will attract clients and potential clients to your website and will help you achieve your goals. We will discuss “Enhancing Your Website With Great Content,” with top experts from Rough Draft Solutions, Klimb Creative, and Cold Box Films.

“Happy employees are better employees and they are also better for your business,” according to Robert Half. “These workers are more loyal and motivated and they do better work, regardless of your industry or location.” So how do you create a culture that produces happy employees? Tom Hamp, owner of AdviCoach Mid-Michigan, Trisha Plovie, Regional Vice President of Robert Half and Dr. John Braccio, owner of Regional Psychological Services will discuss.

You have most likely heard the terms Internet marketing, and digital marketing, but what do they mean? The vague answer is, it’s a number of things. With so many variables to consider and so many platforms and techniques you could be using, how can you create a plan that allows you to succeed at the highest level? Experts; Courtney Maki, Owner of Glow Social Media, and Ken Seneff Founder of Local Logic Media and Restaurant Logic discuss.

To build a successful business you most likely will need a strong customer base. It may be difficult to determine how to gain attention for your services or products, and even more difficult to convert interests into sales. We have assembled a panel of top experts together to discuss prospecting clients for success.

We assembled a panel of top experts together to help you understand qualified plans and why you may want to offer them to your employees. Hear insights from Equanimity Wealth Management and The Benefit Advantage.

While occasional positions require expertise from outside your company, promoting from within may have many benefits that will help your business grow. Figuring out how to identify the right talent and how to handle the process may be difficult, which is why we have assembled an expert panel together to discuss.

We focus on the economic developments that advanced materials create in Michigan, on this episode of Entrepreneur Connect, brought to you by The Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Hear insights from top experts from Michigan Technological University, Warmilu, LIFT and Mayasil.