BMO Bank of Montreal and PROFIT Magazine Business Coach Podcast

In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to Claudio Popa, founder and president of Toronto-based Informatica, a provider of information security services and privacy consulting. Claudio discusses how to keep your company safe from hackers, computer viruses, malware and other IT threats that lurk in cyberspace.

In this episode, Ron Rylott, director of business development for foreign exchange products at BMO Capital Markets, explains to Ian the "art" of currency hedging and how it can help minimize currency risks in a volatile market, especially if you're importing or exporting.

Steve Cone is the New York-based author of Powerlines: Words that Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History. He talks to Ian about how small business owners can go about developing a good slogan or tagline that will put marketing efforts to good use.

In this episode, Ian talks to Gord Hotchkiss, the president and CEO of Enquiro Search Solutions, about Search Engine Optimization (SEO): the art of modifying a website to make it rank higher in search engine results. Gord discusses the massive role that web searches play today, especially for small businesses whose websites just aren't being found by the major search engines.

Though perhaps the most important move any entrepreneur can make is selling their business, many entrepreneurs leave planning the sale until it's too late. In this episode, Ian talks to Trevor Lwin, Managing Director of Mid-Market Investment Banking at BMO, about how entrepreneurs can maximize the value of their business before they have to sell.

Ian's guest in this episode is Mark Stacey, Senior Cash Management Specialist with BMO Bank of Montreal. With talk of economic troubles on the horizon, Mark chats with Ian about some of the ways in which entrepreneurs can avoid cash crunch situations and how to manage cash flow in a small business environment.

In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian chats with Dianne Buckner, host of CBC Newsworld's Fortune Hunters, a new show that explores hot business trends and the entrepreneurs who are chase them. Dianne gives Ian an overview of the show and discusses some of the best business trends to come out of Fortune Hunters.

In this episode, Ian interviews Michael Gregory, Managing Director and Senior Economist with the Economics Department at BMO Nesbitt Burns. Michael speaks to Ian from his office in Toronto about how the U.S. recession will affect Canada's businesses, and what the forecast looks like over the short- and the long-term in 2008.

In episode 18, Ian talks to Tina Di Vito, Vice-President and Managing Director of BMO Nesbitt Burns in Toronto, about how Canadian entrepreneurs can start putting their retirement plans into action and ensure they're on-track for reaching their retirement goals.

In this episode, Ian looks at how Canada's businesses need to look beyond their own backyards and reach out into foreign markets in order to tap into their full potential. Justine Hendricks, Regional Vice-President of Small Business Sales at Export Development Canada (EDC) talks to Ian about export prospects for small to mid-sized businesses and why they should engage in global trade.

Episode 16 finds Ian talking to Peter Merrick of RRSPUpgrade.com, who discusses tax and retirement planning for entrepreneurs. Peter talks about how the recent Federal mini-budget has affected entrepreneurs, how they can pay less taxes, build a bigger nest egg and plan more effectively throughout the year.

In episode 15, Ian interviews Bob Bissett, BMO Bank of Montreal Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking for the Greater Toronto Area. Bob talks to Ian about how banks come to their lending decisions and what business owners can do to help those decisions fall more often in their favour when applying for credit.

In this episode, Ian talks to Andrij Brygidyr, president of Toronto-based A&A Merchandising, a provider of various services for retailers, including merchandising, point-of-sale display design and secret shopping. Andrij takes some time to discuss trends in the industry and how retail service in Canada is stacking up compared with a decade ago.

In this episode, Ian explores the underappreciated sources of government capital with James Perly, a Toronto based government-funding consultant. Given all the struggles that private companies have with raising adequate financing, James demonstrates how there are millions of dollars available to Canadian businesses free of charge and just for the asking.

In this episode, Ian speaks with Mitch Joel, a leading blogger and podcaster on digital marketing. Mitch is the president of Montreal-based Twist Image, an award-winning digital marketing agency. Together, they discuss what defines social media and the relevance of sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Flicker and Twitter for entrepreneurs.