Small Business & Technology

In this special edition of "Your Business," we'll take a look some of the new technologies entrepreneurs can utilize to grow their small businesses. We'll also meet two business owners who are dealing with the dilemma of community resistance to technology.

Mike and Karl Bergey are nothing if not survivors. Today, while their Oklahoma City-based wind turbine business is booming due to interest in renewable energy sources and federal tax credits, they face resistance from local community zoning laws which restrict the use of their products. This is not the first time the Bergeys have gone through a cycle of boom and bust. Back in the 1970's during the oil crisis, alternative energy sources such as wind turbines were a promising new industry and the Bergeys' new business flourished. Then came an oil glut in the 90's and the entire industry was wiped out…everyone except for Bergey Wind Power, who found new markets overseas. The green movement has helped their business recover domestically, but they must deal with the ongoing problem community resistance to their technology. Find out how the Bergeys are dealing with this tricky issue.

Panelists

--Nell Merlino, President and CEO of Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence, a national not-for-profit provider of online business loans and resources for women to grow their businesses.

--Paul Lewis, a serial entrepreneur who has founded four businesses, two of which went public and were purchased by Fortune 500 companies.

Small Biz Tech: Best of CES

All kinds of new gadgets are being unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Lance Ulanoff, Vice President of Content and Editor-In-Chief of PC Magazine Network, shows off some of the coolest new tech tools that can help you manage your business.

Business War Chest: Google TV Ads

How can small business owners create an effective TV advertising campaign without breaking the bank on an agency or media buyer? Google TV Ads can help you do just that. For years, Jason Apfel, founder of fragrance retailer FragranceNet.com, used DRTV and found it to be very inefficient. He decided to switch to Google TV Ads and has found this method to be cheaper, easier and more effective. Apfel will show us how he creates and manages his campaigns.

2009 Wrap-up

As 2009 comes to a close, we'll take a look back at what was a very difficult year for small business owners all over the country. The credit crisis made it difficult to secure a loan. Unemployment continued to rise. The new administration made fixing the economy a top priority, and President Obama pledged his support for small businesses by guaranteeing a higher percentage of SBA backed loans and urging Congress to increase the size of the loans. We'll also see how some entrepreneurs were forced to drastically alter their business models in order to survive in these difficult economic times.

2010 Forecast

Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE, and William Dunkelberg, Chief Economist for the National Federation of Independent Business, discuss the economic outlook for 2010 and discuss the challenges small business owners will face in the new year. 

Panelists

--Rod Kurtz, Senior Editor for Inc. Magazine

--Phil Town, investment advisor and author of "Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!"

Learning from the Pros

Over the past year, we've sat down with a number of CEO's to find out how they've guided their businesses to such great success. This week, we'll take a look back at some of their most interesting pieces of advice. We'll hear from Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Stew Leonard's, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, restaurateur Bobby Flay, iRobot CEO Colin Angle, Jake Burton, CEO of Burton Snowboards, Maxine Clark, CEO of Build-A-Bear, and Dylan Lauren, CEO of Dylan's Candy Bar.

1. Loyalty programs

2. Follow up

3. Rewards for referrals

4. Coupons

5. Free giveaways

Source: Entrepreneur.com

The Soho Tools and Technology blog on Sparkplugging.com provides helpful tech news for small business owners. Check out the latest tools to help you manage your business.

Despite the economic downturn, William Panzica's Buffalo, New York based restaurant The Chocolate Bar is thriving. In fact, the unique chocolate-themed restaurant is doing so well that Panzica is now franchising the business. We'll meet Joe Novak and his wife Tammy Gunya-Novak, Panzica's first franchisees, and find out how franchising has worked out for them in these difficult economic times.

Panelists

--Dave Anderson, President of Anderson's Learn To Lead and LearnToLead.com, an international sales and leadership training and consulting company

--Jeffrey A. Carr, Executive Director of The NYU Stern Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

--Matthew R. Shay, President of the International Franchise Association

Dollars & Sense: Holiday Gifts

The holidays are almost here, so what are you getting for your-hardworking staffers? Jaclyn Adler of RedEnvelope will show us some cool gifts to give to your staff.

Elevator Pitch

Lauren Bolin and Adam Sahaar pitch their company Urban Pirates, which provides adventure cruises around Baltimore's Inner Harbor in a 52-foot custom pirate ship. They are looking for capital to build their brand and expand into new cities.

Go4Funding.com connects entrepreneurs with potential investors. Registered users can create a profile, post information about their business, and describe how much funding they are looking for. Potential investors can then contact you if they are interested in your business.

1. Lack of market research

2. Underestimating costs

3. Engaging with potential clients too late

4. Inefficient pricing

5. Hiring the wrong people

Source: FastCompany.com

The Startup Show

In a turbulent economy with a national unemployment rate that tops 10%, many people are getting into business for themselves, either by choice or necessity. In this special edition of "Your Business," we'll discuss everything you need to know to launch your own business. We'll see how Kim and Mark Benson started a bagel business two years ago with all of their remaining personal savings, and have quickly developed a loyal following. We'll also re-visit the stories of Stacey Koerner and Janice Moskoff and see how they used their professional experiences in the fashion industry to start their own businesses.

Panelists

--Erica Duignan-Minnihan, CEO of Minnihan Consulting, which provides financial advisory services to early stages companies looking to raise equity capital for expansion

--Gene Marks, President of The Marks Group, a firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium sized businesses

Dollars & Sense: Roadmap to Startup

Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation, a site that provides guidance for entrepreneurs, discusses the most important steps people can take when starting a business.

Elevator Pitch

Deborah Ross, CEO of Deborah Ross Designs, pitches her line of personalized heirloom wine bags to the panel. Deborah is looking for capital to invest in a major sales push and hire a sales force.

WBSonline.com is a great resource for a variety of issues. You can browse timely articles or read up on topics like funding, human resources and technology.

1. Negotiate terms

2. Cooperative buying

3. Automatic payments

4. Tighten spending

5. Reevaluate existing accounts

Source: Entrepreneur.com