As host of the Monday/Wednesday/Friday Business Next radio show on the Michigan Business Network (MichiganBusinessNetwork.com), I’ve discovered that the Lansing area has a huge concentration of experts who are eager to share their wisdom with my small business listeners. Below, I’ve excerpted interviews from shows I’ve done in the past few months, along with links that you can click through to listen to the archived programs.

Toni Talbot

HR expert Toni Talbot, owner and general partner of Human Resource Management Services, LLC in Williamston, talks about the best way to get top-notch applicants for job openings in your small business. “It is important to start with that job description and write the ad in a manner that allows to clearly set expectations that you need for the job. There are a lot of websites that I’d recommend that help you take the qualifications and identify what they are…and they will do a little bit of the screening for you. CareerBuilder is one that I use often. There are also a number of websites that are industry related. I always tell people, if you’re going to run an ad, run an ad and send it to your website and your website can be the best advertisement of all.” Listen to the entire interview with Talbot at http://tinyurl.com/tonitalbot

John Westra

John Westra, of Lansing-based NuWave Technology Partners, says that when it comes to technology planning for your small business, there’s value in finding out what your customers are using. “For example, you could ask your customers: If we provided you with the ability to check on the status of your orders, on our website, rather than calling us on the phone and having us fax you the last order that we processed, how much value would that have for you as a customer? That customer input is vital for finding out what the return on investment might be for you to implement that system.” Listen to the entire interview at http://tinyurl.com/johnwestra

Rich Feight

Okemos financial adviser Rich Feight of IAM Financial LLC talks about one of the top six financial mistakes small business owners should avoid. “An important part of your small business financial planning is to have an end in mind. If you have an end in mind, then you know how you want your business to grow. Hopefully, you have set up the correct business structure so you can maybe groom the correct people to take over so you can step down at some point in time.” Hear the entire interview with Feight at http://tinyurl.com/iamfinancial

Scott Lyon

Scott Lyon, health insurance expert for the Lansing-headquartered Small Business Association of Michigan, suggests some ways to get the most out of your health insurance premium dollar. “The first thing is to make sure the plan you are purchasing meets the needs of your staff and their families. Figure out, what’s the goal? And then communicate that with your agent. It’s a mini strategic plan, if you will. The second thing is take a hard look at your staff and make sure you are not covering employees who may be covered by another plan available through their spouse. And the third thing, review all your insurance needs with your agent. They’re the experts.” Hear the interview with Lyon at http://tinyurl.com/scottsbam

Randy Dean

Nationally famous time management expert Randy Dean, owner of East Lansing-based Randall Dean Consulting & Training, LLC, tells us how the explosion of smartphone usage has dramatically affected the way that small business owners manage their time, e-mail and staff. “With the launch of the Droid, the iPhone and the iPad, everything has changed. People who use these devices are now spending as much time using apps as they used to spend using the Internet. You and your staff can be as productive as you want to be whenever and wherever you want to be. It’s a very different world. But from a productivity standpoint, the smartphones also make it very easy for you to be drawn into playing things like Angry Birds.” Listen to the interview with Dean at http://tinyurl.com/smartphonesdean

Peter Anastor

Peter Anastor, director of policy for the Lansing-headquartered Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), updates our listeners on the new Michigan business development and community revitalization programs. “We have to have strong businesses that are creating jobs and investing in their communities. But those businesses also want to be participating in vibrant and thriving communities. And we need to do what we can to basically create a structure where these companies can come in and engage in that atmosphere and be really excited about what’s happening in our downtowns.” Hear the entire interview with Anastor at http://tinyurl.com/peteranastor

You can hear experts like these every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the Michigan Business Network (www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com). Get details on upcoming guests and topics at the Business Next showpage, www.sbam.org/radio. And remember to “like” Business Next on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BusinessNext).

		Michael Rogers is vice president communications for the Small Business Association of Michigan and host of the Business Next radio show on the Michigan Business Network. Have an idea for a show topic or guest? Contact Rogers at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .