Better Business KC: Recent Episodes
Marvin Carolina
Dustin Johnson, Interim President and CEO of Better Business Bureau Kansas City, talks with local Kansas City business leaders about their organizations, from how they started their business to what legacy they want to leave.
Specializing in and serving the 50+ population, Kasey Kern with St. Anthony's Behavioral Health Hospital stops by the studio to talk about the some of the signs to look for in knowing when people might need help.
While there are many roofing companies to choose from, John Radford explains how their background in the insurance industry gives a competitive advantage when it comes to storm damaged roofs.
Tashonna and her son Cory stop by the BBB studio to talk about their cleaning company and the new opportunities presented when COVID hit.
Aaron Collins and his father own Collins Roofing and specializes in both commercial and residential roofing.
A hero goes through their own journey of learning, discovery and transformation before becoming a hero to others. That's the philosophy behind Hero Martial Arts. Jamie Neibling stops by to share why the martial arts complement the lives of their students ranging from age 4 to 74.
Ever since Matthew Porter decided to change career paths from the railroad to gutter and window cleaning, his phone has been ringing off the hook. It's that time of year to clean up from the dreary winter months and Crown Town Home Services are ready to help.
With Spring in full swing, everyone is starting up their lawnmowers that have been dormant for the winter. That's when Maxwell gets the most calls about fixing small engines.
Gina Sifers with Bella Media Services stops by to talk about all the services they provide and about what businesses need help with the most and how Bella Media Services can meet their challenges.
Having recently moved her photography business from Portland, Maine, Jenny shares her photography style with me and is looking to build her client base in Kansas City.
Goldie stops by the studio to share her enthusiasm about creating websites for her clients and also her upcoming network event.
I chat with Kristen Kramer with Girl Friday Virtual Office, LLC about the benefits of a virtual assistant especially now where more people are working from home than ever.
I chat with Jeremiah Jamison with Fountain City Family Chiropractic and discuss how business have been the past year during the pandemic and how they've adapted. Jeremiah also shares unique services that Fountain City offers, like BrainCore Neurofeedback.
Janet Lockridge of Precise Operations Management stops by our studio to discuss the importance of safety management, safety training and business continuity planning. Being prepared in the event of an emergency is not only smart business, but sometimes legally mandated.
Visit https://preciseoperations.com/ for more information.
I sit down with Angelique Weaver of Farmers Insurance to talk about insurance products and get insights about how much insurance you need.
I sit down with Dana Ward of Great Day Moving to discuss her moving business that has primarily focused on residential moves, both locally and cross country. Dana shares the challenges her and her husband have had to overcome and some of their beliefs that have helped them grow over the years.
As 2020 closes, let's talk about this year. How did your business do this year? I hear from different business owners that 2020 has been a great year while for others, 2020 has been challenging. I encourage you to take a few moments to think about this year and how you can go into 2021 with purpose and direction.
I sit down with John Theodore-Eden of Jotheode Strategies & Solutions to discuss how his firm was able to flourish during this pandemic. John started his firm during the pandemic and now has 10 employees and over 100 clients.
For more information about Jotheode and their personal and business development consultant services, visit their website at www.jotheode.com.
Today, I chat with Ryan Garoutte, a valued team member at the BBB, about what it means to be an accredited business with the BBB. Not only do we talk about the process of getting accredited, we also talk about the benefits of being an accredited business.
To reach Ryan directly, call him at 816-399-5094.
I sit down with Paul Johnson of Johnson Contracting and Design, LLC to talk about all of their general contracting work and how COVID-19 has presented challenges and opportunities. Primarily working on residential projects, Johnson Contracting can sit down with homeowners and help them design from scratch, whether it's a minor refresh or a major project.
For more information on, visit https://johnsoncd.com/
What is a doula? I sit down with Janice Ingram of Blissful Beginnings Doula Services to discuss the benefits of having a doula.
For more information, visit their website at https://blissfuldoulaservices.com/.
With some deadlines fast approaching, I invited Troy Redstone back into the studio to talk about the retirement plan deadlines. If you're looking to change your retirement plan, there are some deadlines fast approaching. Troy shares pros and cons of different plans and pros and cons of changing between plans along with the deadlines in doing so.
For more information, reach out to Troy at:
website: https://feeonly401kadvisor.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyredstone/
When I first started with the BBB, I was often asked what the BBB does. Do we take complaints from consumers? Absolutely. Do we research scams and false advertising? Absolutely. But a part of this comes with working with businesses and being proactive with businesses in making sure that we're helping our members be better businesses.
I've introduced you to many of the fine businesses we work with, but haven't introduced you to the fine people at the BBB that our businesses work with. Today, Kim Hale joins me and chat about the services we provide our members. Many people know that the BBB helps consumers and businesses resolve issues, but not many know about all of our support services in helping our member businesses grow and succeed.
I sit down with Brian Graves of ThriveOn Concepts to talk about how ThriveOn specifically focuses on helping smaller businesses thrive and develop leaders which in turn helps organizations grow and prosper. Brian also shares some insights that can help businesses during this COVID recovery phase.
For more information on ThriveOn Concepts, visit their website at https://www.thriveonconcepts.com/.
I sit down with Mark Mansingh of Paychex to talk about all things HR. Many small businesses don't have an HR department, but still need experts in all things HR related including payroll and benefits, but Mark shares with us all the other services that Paychex has to offer including insurance and retirement needs.
For more information, email Mark at mmansingh@paychex.com or call him at 913-530-6275.
I sit down with Erin Seager of Office Evolution to discuss how they offer more than just the usual coworking office spaces and how their flexible plans can suit the needs of all sorts of different businesses or individuals.
For more information, visit their website.
I sit down with Erica Lever and talk about how they got started in the moving industry, the challenges they've faced so far during COVID and future plans for Leave It Moving.
For more information about Leave It Moving: https://leaveitmoving.com/
I sit down with Charley Fleenor of Bordner Home Improvement and talk about how this family business got started and how the business has evolved with time and with the next generation taking over. We also talk about the future of home improvement and how Bordner is prepared to meet the challenges to come.
For more information on Bordner Home Improvement, visit their website at https://www.thinkbordner.com/
I sit down and chat with Chef Esra England of KC Cajun and discuss how they went from a catering business into the food truck business. Esra shares how they've adapted over the years and future plans for expansion.
For more information on KC Cajun, visit their website at https://kansascitycajun.com
I introduced you to Isaac Wambua two weeks ago when we talked about the importance of business coaching. This week, we talk about something all business owners want...how to increase our revenues. In this time when some of us are in a panic and overly concerned about revenues, Isaac helps owners focus on how to solve the needs of clients instead of just trying to sell a product or service.
For more information on Isaac Wambua and Synergy Business Solutions, visit his website at https://synergybusinessolutions.com/.
Often some businesses are so busy focusing on their process and their product that they forget to focus on their customers. Keeping customers happy and creating a welcoming environment is key to staying in business and growing in business.
I sit down in the studio with Isaac Wambua of Synergy Business Solutions about the purpose of business coaching, both for the individual and the company. Coaches aren't there to tell you what to do, they are there to guide you.
For more information on Isaac Wambua and Synergy Business Solutions, visit his website at https://synergybusinessolutions.com/.
I sit down with Troy Redstone from Plan Health Design to talk about retirement plans and how they've changed over time. Specifically, we address retirement options for small businesses and for business owners.
For more information:
feeonly401kadvisor.com
844 PHD 401K
Now that we're trying to return back to work, we need to let customers know that we're back. Today, Aaron Fulk with Lillian James Creative, gives us several tips that we can do on social media to not only let people know we're back in business, but also how to engage with people to help convert them into customers.
As businesses are just starting to try to return back to a new normal, other national events have taken the main stage and businesses have been taking a stand. How are you handling the situation we find ourselves in now from a business owner perspective, as an employer, as a business that provides products and services to a variety of people?
Now that businesses are opening back up, it's crucial to make checklists to ensure that you're following recommendations on how to safely proceed and to best position your company to succeed in this new era, including updating services, products and procedures.
In this final episode of our five part series, I talk about the operations of your business. Understanding your costs and pricing and how competitive you are is crucial to your business. Understanding and being able to convey the value of your products and services compared to your competitors allows you to better position yourself for success. It's also vital to invite feedback from your customers so that you can better serve them.
In part four of our five part series, I look at the most valuable resource any company can have: human resources. With the economy about to open up again, it's crucial that we take a look at our most valuable resource and make sure that we not only keep our employees but keep them happy as well if we're going to come out on top.
Looking back at the past few decades, business has changed drastically in terms of how technology aides all of us in our roles and in our business. Recovering from COVID-19 will require us all to evaluate how technology can make us even more efficient or how technology can help us protect all of our health and wellness.
In this episode, a big part of making sure your business survives is knowing exactly where you stand. Many people know their products and services well, but they aren't sure just how profitable each product and service is. They're not sure how financially sound their company is. They don't have a banker who can be a resource not only for financial products but for all of these new loans that are available, and to help with the application process.
Unfortunately, many businesses will not survive this current downturn. They will either simply close or they won't recover. Today's episode is the first of a five part series talking about how to best prepare your business for recovery. This health crisis will come to an end, and when that day comes will your business be ready to hit the ground running?
In this episode, I talk with Austin Hall with Pro Athlete about how they went from a traditional brick and mortar store to becoming a nationwide leader in bats and gloves.
In this episode, I speak with Mary Ricketts with Wealth On Purpose about planning both personal and business goals and how to meet them using financial fitness, planning and coaching.
In this episode, I sit down with Renata Pinto with Spotless KC Cleaning, LLC. Born and raised in Brazil, Renata came to the U.S. at age 16 and immediately started her own business. Now living the American Dream, Renata has her own staff in a fleet of cars cleaning residences and offices all over the Kansas City metro area.
For more information about Spotless KC Cleaning, visit their website at https://spotlesskc.com/.