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We have experts on the show every week to give us tips on different aspects of running a business. But how does someone become an expert who TV producers will book? In this week’s Business War Chest, Jillian Straus, Founder of Straus Strategic Communications, joins us. She tells us what to do to make sure you’re on the top of the media’s expert.

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Time and money are something all small-business owners want and need more of to meet their goals. To help with the former, you have to become more productive and use those 24 hours a day we all get to the best of your abilities. These tips may help you get more out of your day:

Pick one to three goals you want to achieve every morning.

Use shared docs and calendars as project managers.

For two more productivity tips, visit OPEN Forum.

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The 3 Things a Budget Needs to Do

1. Establish performance targets over a specified period of time.

2. Measure said performance.

3. Determine employee compensation.

Learn how you can make your budget a tool for growth on OPEN Forum.

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“If you really commit to putting a bunch of smart, passionate people together in a room to move the business forward every day, you can and will be amazed at how much progress can be made in a very short period of time.” —Adam Eskin, founder and CEO of Dig Inn

Digg Inn is a fast-casual food chain that is developing a following in New York and has plans for expanding in the next year. Eskin shares what strategies he’s used to keep his company buzzy and successful, and his customers well-fed and happy.

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If you’re in the market for new marketing blood at your company, you may have considered bringing in a community manager. (And you wouldn’t be alone—demand for community managers has grown 29 percent year over year.) But how is a community manager position different from a social media manager?

We have the answer—and how to tell which position you need—on OPEN Forum. 

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Google is making news in the world of search engine optimization. The company changed its algorithm so that it now knows whether or not your site is mobile friendly. If it’s not, you’ll be pushed down the list of results. Lance Ulanoff, chief correspondent and editor-at-large at Mashable.com, has these tips for boosting your search rankings when people are looking on mobile devices.

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For nearly two decades, Leslie Gallagher McMahon has been on a mission to help rehabilitate injured canines. Learn how she turned a love of dogs into a booming business on OPEN Forum.

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It can be frustrating if you have a product that you know a lot of people would love if you could just get it in their hands. We meet a Florida comic book store owner with a novel idea. He opened a bar and started hosting events that stealthily got his comics in front of a whole new audience.

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“What I learned was that it doesn’t matter how good the product you are selling is. If you don’t know how to operate a business efficiently, it will be difficult to succeed. To me, being efficient means using our resources in the best way possible so we don’t waste anything.” —Ann Ryan of Beachy Cream 

Organic ice cream sandwiches, savvy marketing and organic growth took Beachy Cream from farmers market cart to the brink of national grocery distribution. Learn how she did it on OPEN Forum.

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Why Having a Mobile-Friendly Site May Be More Important Than Ever

Google's latest announcement could have an effect on where your business appears in mobile users' search results. 

Google is prioritizing mobile-optimized websites in search results on smartphones, boosting sites that are mobile-friendly (e.g., loads quickly on devices, has responsive design, etc.) and demoting those that aren't. Sites that may have been on the front page of a search word may be pushed several links down on the page—if not pushed off the front page entirely.

Learn more on OPEN Forum.

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The Vice President of Community and Products at Adobe, Scott Belsky and Christiane Lemieux, the Founder of DwellStudio and Executive Creative Director of Wayfair.com, answer viewer questions about making sure you have all the bases covered with your taxes and selling versus expanding your business.

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A Few Financial Analysis Truths To Remember

No client should represent more than 10 percent of your total revenues.

When calculating revenue growth, don't include one-time revenues.

No amount of revenue growth or profits can compensate for poor liquidity.

Read on to discover the five key elements of a financial analysis on OPEN Forum.

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How does a San Francisco entrepreneur create a unique shopping experience that successfully attracts customers to his gentleman’s apparel business? We met Ami Arad, who grew Wingtip into a business that is half public retail store and half private social club, which caters to people who, like himself, appreciate the finer things in life. He says the key to his success is in the details, every single thing is telling the story of the modern gentleman.

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It’s a truth small-business owners can’t afford to ignore: online marketing and social media are key to keeping and drawing new customers. But if your online presence doesn’t follow these five tips, you may not being using these powerful tools to their full potential:

1. Make your website easy to use. 2. Pick a single interface for all users. 3. Balance your social media considerations, if you’re just getting started. 4. Focus on quality over quantity. 5. Use cost-per-conversion to determine ROI.

Read on to learn more about how you can use digital media to keep customers coming back on OPEN Forum.

Photo credit: Flickr user Erin Kohlenberg

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Sometimes you only get one chance to ask for funding or recruit new customers, and so knowing how to pitch your business is a must. Jillian Straus, the founder of Straus Strategic Communications, shares these tips for being a successful pitcher.

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A blog can be a great platform for introducing you and your small business to future clients. It’s a visible way to build awareness for your brand. Here are five tips to get people to subscribe to your blog

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Need help finding inspiration? Following these five tips may help:

1. Create the right environment.

2. No editing or critiquing.

3. Force yourself to think in new ways.

4.  The most off-the-wall idea might be the best.

5. Begin sentences even if you don’t know what you’re going to say.