10 Top Podcasts for Small Businesses

Owning and managing a small business can be tough. Between assuming multiple roles, you still need to find time for self-development, and being with your family.

Customer retention, marketing best-practices, and the economy itself all change so rapidly, and you need to keep up with these changes. How quickly you adapt to business evolution determines how rapidly you benefit from each shift.

Reading – newspapers, magazines, journals, books and the Internet – remains one of the best methods for learning about, and understanding, current affairs and trends. But it comes with the risk of an overload of information, and the ever-present time factor. Which is what makes podcasts such an appealing alternative, regardless of your industry.

Hundreds of podcasts are produced each week on a diverse range of subjects, with some being just five minutes long and others running for up to 90 minutes. If you have a morning commute, or normally listen to music while working, introducing a few podcasts into the mix can realign your focus and boost your knowledge.

To help get you started, below is a list of 10 great podcasts for small business owners that are sure to get you fired up! Download them onto your preferred listening device, and subscribe to your personal favorites so you never miss an episode.

Entrepreneur on Fire with John Lee Dumas (Daily)

Today’s most successful Entrepreneurs share incredible tips and insights 7-days a week! Episode length is between 30 and 40 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Keith Kranc – Dominate Facebook Advertising
  • Hugh Culver – Give Me a Break: The Art of Making Time Work For You
  • Yanik Silver – Bootstrapping Maverick

HBR IdeaCast (Weekly)

The HBR IdeaCast, from the publishers of Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Press, and hbr.org, features breakthrough ideas and commentary from the leading thinkers in business and management. Episode length is between 10 and 20 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Ram Charan – What the Best Decision Makers Do
  • Lisa Rosh – Lead Authentically, Without Oversharing
  • Joan C. Williams – Working Fathers Need Balance, Too

Breakthrough Business Strategy (Weekly)

Breakthrough Business Strategies radio delivers business advice and in-depth interviews. Episode length is between 90 and 120 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Convoluted Logic Hindering Your Business?
  • Ten Types of Innovation
  • Sales & Social Media – Boosting Year End Revenue

Small Business Big Marketing (Weekly)

Each episode offers small business marketing advice and ideas. Episode length is between 30 and 60 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • How to Use Transparency as a Marketing Strategy
  • Google Adword Tips & Tricks for 2013/2014
  • How to Promote Your Business Offline

Wall Street Journal on Small Business (Weekly)

Insights for starting and running a small business, from the Wall Street Journal and Startup Journal and experts in areas such as management and finance. Episode length is between 10 and 15 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • How to Communicate Like a Business Owner
  • Today’s Advice for Those Looking to Start Their Own Business
  • The Biggest Obstacle for Today’s Young Entrepreneurs

Accelerate Your Business Growth (Bimonthly)

This show is designed to help small business owners, salespeople, and aspiring entrepreneurs with the various aspects of business success. Episode length is between 30 and 60 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Kip Marlow – The Entrepreneurs: Success and Sacrifice
  • Employees – Can’t Live with ‘Em, Can’t Grow without ‘Em
  • Social Customer Service

Back to Work (Weekly)

Back to Work is an award-winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more. Episode length is between 60 and 90 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Learning the Wheres and Whens of Productivity
  • Etiquette, Intros and Endorsements
  • Fear of Your Own ToDo List

Business Insanity Talk Radio (Weekly)

This is a business radio show where we talk about all the craziness of small business. It’s that craziness that actually makes it exciting, interesting and totally unpredictable. Episode length is between 30 and 60 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Reinventing Your Business; How to Get Things Done
  • How to Turn a Failing Company Around; How to Keep Your Employees and Customers Engaged

The Human Business Way (Erratic, rather subscribe)

Discussions and more with today’s top authorities on sales, marketing, and much more than just business. Episode length is between 5 and 30 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • Kate White – I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This
  • Jonah Berger – Contagious
  • Kathy Buckworth – I Am So the Boss of You

Social Media Marketing (Weekly)

Discover how successful businesses employ social media, learn new strategies and tactics, and gain actionable tips to improve your social media marketing. Episode length is between 40 and 50 minutes each.

Recent Guests/Shows:

  • How to Find Your Next Customer on LinkedIn
  • How to Attract People with Content
  • Selling with Social Media

Add to the Discussion

Do you listen to podcasts? Which are your favorites and why?