Mean Business Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:41:38 -0400 http://www.meanbusiness.io en-us © 2026 Mean Business yes 5a79a83f-d47d-5c95-bf5d-4b0ad1263192 Kathy & Keith episodic false If you're a business owner you're going to love the Mean Business podcast. You'll get the knowledge you need to find new customers. Serve those customers at the highest level. And grow your business to whatever heights you wish. Let's go!

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) local business, marketing, digital, software Kathy & Keith https://storage.buzzsprout.com/qhpenegqsou6o44va6volmwy69kh?.jpg Mean Business http://www.meanbusiness.io Keith Carpenter 92% of Sales Teams Drop Leads Every Month - Here's What to Do About It 92% of Sales Teams Drop Leads Every Month - Here's What to Do About It A new Zapier survey found that 92% of sales teams lose qualified leads every single month. But it's not because the leads are bad. It's because the follow-up is broken.

In this episode:
- 68% of reps waste 3-10 hours/week on CRM busywork
- 42% never follow up after first contact
- 37% of leads get stuck between tools

Full blog: https://go.speedmobi.com/92-percent-leads-pod

]]> A new Zapier survey found that 92% of sales teams lose qualified leads every single month. But it's not because the leads are bad. It's because the follow-up is broken.

In this episode:
- 68% of reps waste 3-10 hours/week on CRM busywork
- 42% never follow up after first contact
- 37% of leads get stuck between tools

Full blog: https://go.speedmobi.com/92-percent-leads-pod

]]> Kathy & Keith Buzzsprout-19360407 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1305 1 5 full false Google Is Silently Rejecting Your Review Replies - What to Do Now Google Is Silently Rejecting Your Review Replies - What to Do Now Google is rejecting business review replies without telling anyone. A Sterling Sky study found that owners think their replies are live, but customers never see them. We break down what triggers rejections, how to check your replies, and the new review rewards crackdown. Plus, simple rules for writing replies that actually stick.

Read the full post: https://go.speedmobi.com/review-replies-pod

]]> Google is rejecting business review replies without telling anyone. A Sterling Sky study found that owners think their replies are live, but customers never see them. We break down what triggers rejections, how to check your replies, and the new review rewards crackdown. Plus, simple rules for writing replies that actually stick.

Read the full post: https://go.speedmobi.com/review-replies-pod

]]> Kathy & Keith Buzzsprout-19360305 Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1229 1 4 full false ChatGPT Ads Are Open to Every U.S. Business - What It Means for You ChatGPT Ads Are Open to Every U.S. Business - What It Means for You OpenAI just opened self-serve advertising to every U.S. business with zero minimum spend. No agency needed. No massive budget required. Just you, your business, and a brand-new way to reach customers at the exact moment they're asking AI for help.

In this episode, we break down:

- How ChatGPT Ads actually work (it's nothing like Google or Facebook)
- Why ads inside AI conversations have the highest intent of any platform
- The $100 million in 6 weeks stat that proves this isn't hype
- The first-mover window that's open RIGHT NOW for local businesses
- A simple 4-week testing framework you can start with $15/day
- The honest risks and unknowns you need to watch for

If you run a local service business - plumber, dentist, roofer, lawyer, HVAC - this might be the biggest new advertising opportunity since Facebook Ads went mainstream.

📖 Full article with all the details: https://go.speedmobi.com/chatgpt-ads-small

🌐 Visit SpeedMobi: https://speedmobi.com

📧 Get our weekly newsletter: https://speedmobi.com/contact

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. New episodes every weekday.

]]> OpenAI just opened self-serve advertising to every U.S. business with zero minimum spend. No agency needed. No massive budget required. Just you, your business, and a brand-new way to reach customers at the exact moment they're asking AI for help.

In this episode, we break down:

- How ChatGPT Ads actually work (it's nothing like Google or Facebook)
- Why ads inside AI conversations have the highest intent of any platform
- The $100 million in 6 weeks stat that proves this isn't hype
- The first-mover window that's open RIGHT NOW for local businesses
- A simple 4-week testing framework you can start with $15/day
- The honest risks and unknowns you need to watch for

If you run a local service business - plumber, dentist, roofer, lawyer, HVAC - this might be the biggest new advertising opportunity since Facebook Ads went mainstream.

📖 Full article with all the details: https://go.speedmobi.com/chatgpt-ads-small

🌐 Visit SpeedMobi: https://speedmobi.com

📧 Get our weekly newsletter: https://speedmobi.com/contact

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. New episodes every weekday.

]]> Kathy & Keith Buzzsprout-19335864 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400 1400 1 3 full true Stop Wasting $4 to Make $1 - The Budget Mistake 63% of Businesses Are Making Stop Wasting $4 to Make $1 - The Budget Mistake 63% of Businesses Are Making
In this episode, we break down exactly what's happening, why it matters if you run a local service business, and the simple fixes that can turn this around fast. A 5% bump in retention can boost your profits up to 95%. We'll show you how.

📖 Read the full breakdown with action steps:
https://speedmobi.com/blog/marketing-budget-mistake-acquisition-retention?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notebooklm_podcast

Subscribe for weekly marketing insights that help your business grow.

]]>
In this episode, we break down exactly what's happening, why it matters if you run a local service business, and the simple fixes that can turn this around fast. A 5% bump in retention can boost your profits up to 95%. We'll show you how.

📖 Read the full breakdown with action steps:
https://speedmobi.com/blog/marketing-budget-mistake-acquisition-retention?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=notebooklm_podcast

Subscribe for weekly marketing insights that help your business grow.

]]> Kathy & Keith Buzzsprout-19330150 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1266 1 2 full true Why 50 Fresh Reviews Now Beat 500 Old Ones on Google Why 50 Fresh Reviews Now Beat 500 Old Ones on Google New data shows that a plumber with 40 reviews who gets 3 new ones every week will now outrank the plumber with 400 reviews who hasn't gotten one in months. Google's algorithm now evaluates reviews on rolling 30-day and 90-day windows instead of lifetime totals.

In this episode, we break down:

- The freshness decay curve — a review from this week carries 100% weight, but one from last year drops to 20-30%
- Sterling Sky's "18-Day Rule" — go 18 days without a review and your rankings can fall off a cliff
- Why responding to reviews within 24 hours moves you 1.6 positions higher (Flen AI study of 5,000 businesses)
- The "Magic 10" threshold that triggers your first ranking boost
- BrightLocal's 2026 finding that 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last 3 months
- A simple step-by-step system any service business can start today

Whether you're a plumber, HVAC tech, roofer, dentist, or lawyer — this is the single biggest actionable opportunity in local SEO right now.

👉 Want help getting your reviews and local rankings dialed in? Visit speedmobi.com or reach out to our team — we work with over 5,000 local service businesses.

]]> New data shows that a plumber with 40 reviews who gets 3 new ones every week will now outrank the plumber with 400 reviews who hasn't gotten one in months. Google's algorithm now evaluates reviews on rolling 30-day and 90-day windows instead of lifetime totals.

In this episode, we break down:

- The freshness decay curve — a review from this week carries 100% weight, but one from last year drops to 20-30%
- Sterling Sky's "18-Day Rule" — go 18 days without a review and your rankings can fall off a cliff
- Why responding to reviews within 24 hours moves you 1.6 positions higher (Flen AI study of 5,000 businesses)
- The "Magic 10" threshold that triggers your first ranking boost
- BrightLocal's 2026 finding that 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last 3 months
- A simple step-by-step system any service business can start today

Whether you're a plumber, HVAC tech, roofer, dentist, or lawyer — this is the single biggest actionable opportunity in local SEO right now.

👉 Want help getting your reviews and local rankings dialed in? Visit speedmobi.com or reach out to our team — we work with over 5,000 local service businesses.

]]> Kathy & Keith Buzzsprout-19319603 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400 1209 1 1 full false