Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's business podcast, I am going to ask YOU, the listener, to talk to ME about an the Online Community Magazine project I have been telling you about, in particular, AroundCherokeeCounty.com.

I've just been so busy removing my sites from GoDaddy (I don't know WHERE they went wrong - greed maybe - but they are just a lost cause as far as I'm concerned) that I haven't had time to do anything else. Hence this explanation for why the regularly schedule Brain Storm Podcast is delayed.

In the meanwhile, I'd love for you to check out the site and give me your feedback on it.

I've started meeting with local community members through the Chamber of Commerce (if you have a local business but aren't a part of a Chamber, you are missing out on some great business opportunities), and I'm getting great feedback. People can't believe how inexpensive - and how fun - it is.

If you know of anyone that might be interested in opening up an Online Community Magazine in their own community, please send them my way - and earn $500!

People don't buy into these magazines with one red cent of their own - they just have to pre-sell a certain amount of listings. This shows us that they can do the job (network and get businesses involved), and also shows them that they are well-suited for it.

So thanks for being patient with me this week - I'm just overloaded, staying up until 3am in the morning (it's 1:10am right now!) working on these sites. I'll hopefully be back with a great brainstorming session next week.

And remember the Online International Podcasting Expo, April 20-21, 2007!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Digital Business Books

In today's episode of Brain Storm! Business Podcast, I interview the most fascinating and well-spoken woman, Pam Slim of http://www.EscapeFromCubicleNation.com, who wrote an open letter to CEOs, CFOs, etc. about their bad business protocols that brought in 20,000 hits!

Pam definitely struck a nerve, to say the least! Anna Farmery, of The Engaging Brand, pointed her post out to me because it was so much like what I had been talking about in Brain Storm! Pam and I had a great discussion about her specialty area, which is helping people move from their "prisoner" status in a cubicle into owning their own business.

Define the live you want to live, and then build a business around it.

Words to live by, if ever there were any! Pam shared this, and it expands on my process of defining your vision and mission statement before you start a project or a podcast. I think her instructions should preface my process - how do you want your life to be? Then pick a business that can make that a reality, and then create your vision and mission statements to define your business parameters and how you will achieve it.

Want to make a change in your life and make those ideas and brainstorms a reality, but scared to make the change?

We discuss the things that keep you from moving ahead, implementing your brainstorms, and creating a new life for yourself with a new business idea. Pam is great about detailing the steps you need to take to make the move. She has great business resources you can take advantage of, so I hope you will make the most of them.

And if you are interested in business podcasting, then join us at the Online International Podcasting Expo, and learn how to do it successfully.

35+ sessions, free software, $5000 of giveaways, and a great time had by all. Get your ticket at http://www.InternationalPodcastingExpo.com.

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & DigitalBusinessBooks.com

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's business podcast, we will start a series about the 100 most admired businesses in America and the world, and brainstorm about what we can learn from them to apply to our own businesses.

Fortune has put out a list of their Top 100 Most Admired businesses, and today is an overview of some of those businesses, and why they are admired. The key word for these businesses seems to be "green", and that's not just for money. They are environmentally green, and people are appreciating that more and more.

General Electric, a business which we have profiled before regarding their green status, started out as an EPA nightmare, but has applied their green philosophy to running their own business now.

They are also working on developing products that make the rest of the world green, which is obviously winning them points. GE has made many modifications to their business over the years to keep up with the many changes in the world. Listening to people below top management has been one of those changes, showing that GE has moved into the forefront of the new model of doing business.

Starbucks is at #2, and they are not only a green business, but they are 3rd World Nation friendly.

I never knew that Starbucks pays fair market prices to 3rd World coffee growers. They don't take advantage of the farmers, like many of the other large companies. Such good will must not go unnoticed, and makes Starbucks that much more lovable in its customers' eyes.

Toyota is also at the top of the list, and I never knew that they had started in the US Car Industry back in 1957 with a horrible flop of a car that they took off of the market in 1960.

Everyone expected Toyota to just go home with their tail between their legs. Obviously, everyone was wrong. Toyota has forced the car industry to refer to GM, Chevy and Ford as the "Detroit 3" instead of the "Big 3" carmakers. I also loved the blunt honesty of Toyota when they said they are racing Camrys in the Nascar Nextel Cup to sell Tundras - because that's where their Tundra clientele is.

Now, as a side note, my podcast sounds very rough today - due to a week from hell and stupidity on my end.

This is made worse from the fact that someone left a very negative comment on one of my other sites about a poor sounding podcast (it was an interview, and the other person's connection was just plain bad). So please excuse the fact that the 2nd half sounds bad - I tried to clean it up so it was at least listenable, but I just didn't have time to do it again, with PodCamp Atlanta coming up this weekend. I also lost my internet connections for a day, and am so far behind.

Lastly, I will again invite you to join us for the Online International Podcasting Expo, April 20-21, 2007. Lots of freebies, including up to $5000 in business services, vacations and more.

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's business podcast, we will discuss what I have termed the "Salon Business Strategy", or how beauty salons make great money by giving away "free" services.

Today's brainstorming session revolves around actual personal experience, instead of business news. A friend gave me a coupon for a "free" cut and color, which the beautician had given to her when she had the same service done for herself. I went in for a pre-coloring consultation and walked out with $100+ of hair treatments to "prepare" for the coloring. I knew what was happening, but was intrigued with the business process I was participating in. (Plus, it was all money-back guaranteed if I wasn't happy with it, so I could take it all back if I wanted.)

I realized the power of getting your clients to bring you new clients by offering something of value for free, and making your money back by products instead of services.

So I wondered how this could be applied to the Brain Storm! Business Podcast listeners, as well as myself. The bottom line was a multi-step strategy that, if thought through, could be helpful for many of us. The abbreviated version is:

• Offer something of REAL value for free.
• Get your present clients to find new customers by giving this freebie away.
• Offer consumables that are peripheral to or required for your service.

We also return to the "passion" part of business, and the truth that people will pay for things they are passionate about.

I used my late birthday jaunt to Circuit City as an example of passionate purchasing. Whether it is car parts for a 56 Chevy or some new gadget for your computer, everyone has a hot spot, and they are willing to pay money for it. For others it is clothes, shoes, nails and hair. Find the right passionate target market, and things will go well for you.

As the Eagles asked, "Did you do it for love? Did you do it for money?"

The hot spots are money, love and health. If your business is in one of these areas, then it should be easier to convince people if your product or service is real and effective. Take the sales classes I bought because they were created by a guy with a 100% sales call success rate. Convince me you have the answer to my problem, and I'll fork over money, hand over foot!

So listen in as we brainstorm about what you can give away, how to get clients to give it away, and what you can sell them while they're takin' what you're givin'.

In the meanwhile, if you are interested in possibly getting some of the $5000 worth of goods and services being given away at the Online International Podcasting Expo, then head on over to the site and get yourself a ticket. What could you do for your business with $1000 worth of business services, like advertising or administrative help? Or what about a $1000 vacation? Yes, I'm not kidding...

Until next week, this is
Penny Haynes, of 1st Podcast Publishing.