FEATURE

Marketing is changing. Your company is being discovered in ways that were not the case just a few years ago. Research oftentimes no longer starts on a search engine, but they often end there. So, figure out where your prospects are and go be with them on those spaces.

Resources mentioned:

SparkToro
https://sparktoro.com/

Today’s guest is Mickey Mellen, of GreenMellen:
Mickey’s email: mickey@greenmellenmedia.com
Mickey’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickmel/
GreenMellen web page: https://www.greenmellenmedia.com/

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NEWS ROUNDUP

A persistent labor shortage continues to hamper small business growth
https://www.nfib.com/news/press-release/nfib-jobs-report-labor-shortages-continue-to-constrain-small-business-job-growth/

Small business owners are growing increasingly pessimistic about the economy
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/09/small-businesses-expect-recession-with-trump-tariffs-poll.html

Tariffs impacts owners’ decision-making to buy or sell businesses in 2025
https://www.bizbuysell.com/insight-report/

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Email me at adam@smallbizflash.com.

• Please give me feedback on the podcast.
• Please contact me for a free, comprehensive insurance policy analysis for your company.

Show web site: www.smallbizflash.com

Join us for Illuminate 2025 on April 22! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminate-spring-2025-tickets-1273764687469

Email me at adam@smallbizflash.com.

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NEWS ROUNDUP

1 – Tariffs are causing concern among small business owners.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/money/economy/survey-michigan-small-business-owners-shows-two-thirds-taking-steps-prepare-for-recession/69-dd2f9d65-c2b9-4b79-9788-b2b420fd5453

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article303397271.html

http://marketplace.org/2025/04/03/tariffs-small-businesses-taxes-imports-price-increase/

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250329/business/small-businesses-are-anxious-over-lack-of-clarity-on-tariffs/

2 – Small businesses are still actively trying to fill open positions.

https://www.nfib.com/news/press-release/nfib-jobs-report-small-businesses-actively-hiring-for-current-vacancies/

3 – A cyberattack could be lethal to a shocking 20% of small businesses.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cio/2025/04/03/cyberattacks-could-shutter-one-in-five-small-businesses-report-finds/

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!

Small business owners, have you ever tried sending out a press release about a new product or an event at your company, just to hear crickets chirping in response? On today’s show, we’ll talk with an experienced PR professional about why most press releases flop, and what you can do to actually get results the next time you send a press release out to your community.

Today’s guest is Claire Angelle, Founder of Angelle Consulting:
Claire’s email: claire@angelleconsulting.com
Claire’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-collobert-angelle-5267b4a/ Angelle Consulting web page: https://www.angelleconsulting.com/

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NEWS ROUNDUP

1 – Major credit cards announce settlement resulting in lower swipe fees for merchants
https://apnews.com/article/visa-mastercard-merchants-swipe-fee-5f2a75674d472ef95af9f6fd426f1f6e

https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/competition/nfib-statement-on-credit-card-anti-trust-settlement/

2 – Small business hiring slowed in March
https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/nfib-jobs-report-small-business-job-openings-fall-to-pre-pandemic-levels/

3 – Nearly half of new small businesses are side hustles
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/surge-small-businesses-started-side-hustles

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This podcast is sponsored by SBS Accounting & Advisors. Use the promo code FLASH and get 20% off your set up fee! Go to https://sbsaccountants.com/ today to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!

FEATURE

Small business owners, do you pay yourself a below-market wage to keep your business profitable? Or maybe you take draws, but they might be sporadic and of varying amounts? On today’s show, we’ll talk with an experienced accounting professional about how this practice is hurting your business and how you can fix your own compensation structure.

Today’s guest is Sharon Sheekey, Accounting Division Director at SBS Accounting & Advisors:
Sharon’s email: ssheekey@sbsaccountants.com
Sharon’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-sheekey-874093b0/
SBS Accounting & Advisors’ web page: https://sbsaccountants.com/

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NEWS ROUNDUP

1 - Small Business Owner Optimism Dropped Last Month, Continuing Trend Since Last Summer
https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/optimism-on-main-street-declines-as-inflation-looms-as-top-challenge/

2 - Labor Department’s New Independent Contractor Rule Facing Lawsuits
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-admins-gig-worker-rule-facing-growing-pushback

3 - National Small Business Week is April 28 to May 4
https://www.sba.gov/national-small-business-week

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This podcast is sponsored by SBS Accounting & Advisors. Use the promo code FLASH and get 20% off your set up fee! Go to https://sbsaccountants.com/ today to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!

FEATURE

Small business owners, have you ever considered buying out a competitor to expand your own company’s capabilities and customer base? On today’s show, we’ll talk with a lending expert about how you can finance a business acquisition at up to 100% of the purchase price using an SBA loan.

Today’s guest is Laurence Leopold, SBA Senior Business Development Officer at IncredibleBank:
Laurence’s email: lleopold@incrediblebank.com
Laurence’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-leopold-4496342/IncredibleBank web page: https://www.incrediblebank.com/

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NEWS ROUNDUP

1 - Judge finds Beneficial Ownership Information unconstitutional, but ruling only applies to some businesses
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/district-court-declares-corporate-transparency-act-unconstitutional

2 - Small businesses start to see some relief in the labor market
https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/nfib-jobs-report-small-business-employment-slows/

3 - Vast majority of small firms report financial and operational challenges
https://www.fedsmallbusiness.org/reports/survey/2024/2024-report-on-employer-firms

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This podcast is sponsored by SBS Accounting & Advisors. Use the promo code FLASH and get 20% off your set up fee! Go to https://sbsaccountants.com/ today to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!

FEATURE

Google Trends is a powerful and completely free tool from Google that can help you stay ahead of the curve. It will help you understand your customers, and can inform decision making on marketing, research & development, and more.

Google Trends:
https://trends.google.com/

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NEWS ROUNDUP

1 - The economy continues to be the #1 concern among small business owners, according to the latest CNBC-SurveyMonkey Small Business Index. Immigration followed at a close second place.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbcsurveymonkey-small-business-index-q1-2024/

2 - Small businesses facing funding challenges have increasingly turned to merchant cash advances, which have posed a threat to the survival of some.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-easy-financing-source-pushes-some-small-businesses-into-bankruptcy-c2b2ad1b

3 - The National Federation of Independent Business released its top legislative priorities for Congress in 2024.
https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/nfib-announces-top-10-small-business-policy-priorities-for-congress/

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This podcast is sponsored by SBS Accounting & Advisors. Use the promo code FLASH and get 20% off your set up fee! https://sbsaccountants.com/.

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!

NEWS ROUNDUP

1 - Small business owners continue to grapple with economic uncertainty, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’ Small Business Optimism Index.
https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/economy/small-business-owners-expectations-for-higher-sales-declined-in-january/

2 - Many small businesses are still unaware of the new Beneficial Ownership rule from the Treasury Department that went into effect on 1-1-24.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/small-businesses-must-now-report-ownership-information-to-the-government-but-many-dont-know-about-it-bb13f2b6

https://www.fincen.gov/boi

3 - Nearly a year after the run on Silicon Valley Bank, small business owners aren’t panicking about their business accounts that hold than $250,000, the amount beyond which the FDIC won’t insure deposits.
https://www.marketplace.org/2024/02/12/banking-crisis-fdic-protection-businesses/

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This podcast is sponsored by SBS Accounting & Advisors. Use the promo code FLASH and get 20% off your set up fee! https://sbsaccountants.com/.

👀 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFHZqDGRbOHXjhpicWuqhg.

📧 Do you want to grow your business? I help small business owners succeed with strategy, marketing, and operations. Email me today at adam@smallbizflash.com and let’s grow your business together!