How is your negotiating strategy connected to your small business strategic planning process? Peter Johnston talks with Jim Blasingame about how to tie these two critical management tasks together to become a better negotiator with your customers.

How important is a first impression? Dianne Legro explains to Jim Blasingame why a good first impression is critical and offers several tips and tools that will help you put your best foot forward when you meet someone for the first time. They also talk about the business benefits of doing public speaking.

Would you like to go after larger customers? Tom Searcy talks with Jim Blasingame talk about how small businesses can find and sell larger customers, including several tried and proven tips, tools and best practices.

In tough times, one of the most important things to focus on is the concept of personal character. Tim Irwin talks with Jim Blasingame about how to define character and why it matters so much.

What is your mission and purpose of your small business? After he reports on his most recent trip to Russia, and what he found there, Jim Camp talks with Jim Blasingame about why your mission and purpose is important.

As he has done for more than 11 years, Jim Blasingame discusses several public policy issues being debated that directly impact small businesses, like the dangers of universal health care, protectionism and unionism.

Resilience, versatility and adaptability are the keys to small business success in 2009. Jeff Zbar joins Jim Blasingame to talk about how to be competitive and actually grow sales in the middle of a recession.

Jim Blasingame describes two different attitudes he thinks small business owners should assume in 2009: the "Small Business Survival Attitude" and the "Somebody is buying something from someone somewhere right now, it might as well be you" attitude.

What is REALLY in the stimulus package for small businesses?Giovanni Coratolo talks with Jim Blasingame about the good the bad and the ugly part of this legislation for small business. Unfortunately, it's mostly bad.

What's the most important thing to remember when talking to customers - especially in a recession? Mike Stewart says it's discovery as he talks with Jim Blasingame about classic sales practices that are also important survival strategies.