the Best Of Business Smarts

The art of public speaking can make or break an entrepreneur. From encouraging an investor to funding your business to inspiring employees’ performance to going live on social media - the style, substance, and impact you make are crucial to your business' success. This week, we will learn the basics of becoming a great public speaker. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! https://bwm...

Are you tired of working in a corporate job? Do you dream of owning and running your own business? Most of us do, but do you have what it takes to build and sustain a successful business? Before you do that, tune in to this episode and ask yourself some questions to guide you in your decision. Being a successful business owner requires investing your money and a ton of your time and effort. Despit...

With the help of productivity tools and strategies, we can smoothly move along in this fast-paced world. Coming down for a final push, Cindy Brown covers days 13 to 21 of our productivity series. In this episode, she dives deep into batching similar tasks, scaling through the use of templates, and finding apps to enhance productivity. When you have completed all the steps from days 1 to 21, you sh...

Did you do your homework from last week? Do you have a master schedule and know the most productive parts of your day? Have you automated routine tasks? Cindy Brown shares more of her secrets in moving forward with creating a more productive life in being a more productive business owner. This week in "becoming a more productive you," we will learn tips and hacks to "skip" it o...

We hear it all the time, “Work smarter, not harder.” It's vital to make every minute count when you are a business owner. But how can you become more productive and less exhausted? Cindy Brown shares her strategy for helping you drop your exhaustion every day. In this episode of Business Smarts, we will start a 3-part series to make you more productive. If you commit to one hour per day for the ne...

As a small business owner, you already know it can be lonely at the top. Sometimes it’s alright to ask for help so that you can level up your business. Sure, as an entrepreneur you get to call all the shots. But if you’re like most business owners, there will be times when you wish you had the ear—and the wisdom—of someone who’s experienced the same entrepreneurial growing pains you’re going throu...

Understanding business deductions can be very instrumental for your business financially. As long as you have a business and your expenses are "reasonable and ordinary" for your specialty, virtually all of your expenses are tax deductible. This week, Cindy Brown goes over the most common tax-deductible expenses a business incurs and explains non-deductible business expenses and startup c...

Did you know that within your boring financial statements are five hidden secrets that could have a significant impact on your business? Never look at your statements as unnecessary paperwork anymore. Instead, give some time to dig into them and uncover golden nuggets deep within. This week we will learn those secrets - and more! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! https://bwm-cpa....

One way to recession-proof your business is to know and understand your key performance indicators. Why do KPIs matter? They help business owners achieve their short- and long-term business goals and know where to make adjustments to stay on track. They are particularly meaningful when analyzed alongside other relevant KPIs. They are the "dashboard" of your business. Join Cindy Brown as...

You are your brand. You just need to know how to tell the world who you are. This is where the brand roadmap comes into place. You need to set brand goals, define your brand, know your ideal client, and write your brand story. If you can do all those things, you'll build brand trust and loyalty. And once you have that, your brand is ready to grow. This week, Cindy Brown talks with brand builder, c...

Whether we like it or not, the “boom” has come to an abrupt end after a good run of 9 years, 5 months, and 13 days. If you look around, all the signs are pointing to it. We are in a recession. Recessions are a normal part of the business cycle. It’s going to happen sooner or later. We don’t know what this 2022 recession will look like, and we’re all feeling a little bit anxious about our businesse...

A lot of people think that investing in the stock market is just for those suits on Wallstreet. It's not. Anyone can invest now! All you need is confidence. Anyone can invest, regardless of gender or nationality. You just need to be able to reframe your mindset on investing because it can actually put you at less risk and double your returns. Diversification is one way to balance risk and reward i...

Mistakes are an everyday part of being a business owners. But it doesn’t mean we have to make all of them to learn from them. Previous entrepreneurs have already committed those mistakes, so it makes sense to just learn from their experiences. This week, Cindy Brown will review the top 20 things she learned that we should NOT do as business owners. In more than two decades of being an entrepreneur...

Most small businesses are either over-insured or improperly insured, costing money and creating risk. This week,  Adam Glenn  brings the perfect formula of "just the right" amount of insurance for your business.  With a background that includes working for a global public accounting firm and dealing with CEOs and CFOs of mid-market and Fortune 500 companies, building and subsequently sel...

Your organization holds many assets, but none more valuable than its people. This week, our guest, Lori Stohs (getyourmindon.com), bring us the fundamentals of finding and managing human capital. You will learn, as a business owner, when and how to find the right people for your organization to achieve growth. Lori is the founder of Lori Stohs Consulting Group, the author of Get Your Mind on Your...

What does it take to have a brand that resonates so much with audiences that it leaves a lasting first impression? We learn from this episode with Patrice Bisiot , celebrity stylist, author, keynote speaker, and founder of  Image Impact Index . Patrice gives us insights on what branding is all about and shares his process for building your individual brand based on how you want to be perceived. Tu...

For the first time in history, we, as business owners, are leading five generations in the workforce. Leading a diverse team can get challenging since each person has their own preferences or work ethics. This week, we will uncover the secret of leadership in the 21st century. Learn the positive and negative attributes of each of these generations and learn the tools to motivate and lead them. Lov...

Banks and lenders are not just there for transactional purposes. They actually want to build relationships with you. Those lenders are human just like you. They want to know how you're business or your family is going. Trust is the currency of relationships. Learn more about bank lending with Cindy Brown and her guest, Gus Staats . Gus is the Relationship Manager at a regional bank and he truly be...

When was the last time you sat down with your accountant and discussed your financial plan, business projections, and profitability? Are there better ways to manage your accounts and save more money? In this episode, Mitul Mehta  (mitul@bwm-cpa.com) joins Cindy Brown to talk about the strategic actions you can take to propel your business forward. Mitul Mehta is a CPA who has helped companies save...

As a business owner, you have many, many priorities. And sometimes these can really get in the way of your focus as a business. Join your host Cindy Brown as she lists the top 10 things you should focus on as a business owner. From identifying the problem to tracking your financials, this episode has all you need to know about starting your business. Don't fall into the trap other business owners...

Unlike business owners who have a 5000-foot view of their entire venture and have leeway to make various adjustments, business operators cannot even step back from their work even for a short while. Learn how to successfully transition from a simple operator to a savvy owner here at Business Smarts! Join Cindy Brown as she breaks down the necessary tools and resources to increase profitability, bu...