Social Business means business. Since I was a little boy, this story - above all stoires - epitomized to me the fundamental principle, the central idea, the primary purpose of ALL BUSINESS. All business is social. Social Business is the focus of my upcoming podcast. The Social Business Podcast coming soon. I hope you'll join me. Visit TheSocialBusinessPodcast.com to learn more. I've just posted the WordPress site. Its a very simple site but it does have a sign up form. You could be the very first to sign up for updates and to be notified when we post a new episode. Rob Greenlee will be our special guest for the first two episodes and he committed to be available for follow-up conversations. If you appreciate what you hear, please share it with a friend who might also appreciate - and share, share, share. See you soon on The Social Business Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Zune, BlackBerry, and everywhere podcasts can be found. The Social Business Podcast - coming soon. Jim

#SocialBusinessWins If your business is please share your Win of The Week on #SocialBusinessPodcast http://cl.ly/112l1J0j1t2L  The Social Business Podcast - coming soon!

Your Spending Plan is like the old gyroscope you’ve heard of from back in the day – before Google Maps. A budget is like a roadmap.  If you’re serious about getting to your destination (financial goal), you’ll use a map. Your Next Step to Financial Freedom Just like any journey, you should always expect some bumps in the road and a few detours along the way.  If you don’t have a plan, bumps and detours can easily get you off track and prevent you from arriving at your destination. Financial Navigation System In today’s episode, Jim shares some important principles and a simple process to create your spending plan. With a plan, you can navigate around any bumpy road and adjust for any detour on your journey to financial freedom. A successful spending plan isn’t one that never changes, it’s one that you never give up on until you reach your goal. Make Your Money Count Whether you’re a student of Personal Finance at Bauer College of Business at University of Houston or just a serious student of life, a spending plan can help you Make Your Money Count. Resources for Today’s Show Steve Stewart from MoneyPlanSOS shares “The Absoute Simplest Budget That Works” and Ed Tonini shares The Spending Plan: Simple Steps To Financial Wellness.

In today's episode, Jim Munchbach will interview Jenn Swanson and Joel Mueller. Jim will also introduce Alex to the show. Please leave your comments and let us know you're listening - and tell Jim what you think about Alex. Should we keep him around? Be sure to listen to Jenn Swanson share her strategy for an effective Financial Date Night. The first step is to put that date night on your calendar. You - along with the one you love - need to make a list of the 20 things you want. Once you each make your list, you will give each other a full five minutes to share why these things are important to YOU. Start at the bottom of the llst and work your way to #1 WHAT MATTERS MOST. Once you've had your turn to share, its your turn to listen.  Jenn suggests listening "deeply" - with your heart and your ears. One of the most precious gifts we can give another human being is the gift of "being heard". By the time your "Financial Date" is over, you will be ready to put a few items on your "Financial Calendar". It doesn't matter what type of calendar you like to use. Any calendar system will work. The more simple it is, the more powerful it will be for your future.  Remember, the main reason a Financial Calendar is better than any BUDGET is simple: Because you will use your calendar every day!! The Financial Calendar is a very simple idea that can help you manage money with a sense of purpose and contentment.  It does not matter what type of calendar you are currently using. This simple concept will make a big difference in your life. It doesn’t matter if you are The Millionaire Next Door or maybe you are BURIED IN DEBT. THE FINANCIAL CALENDAR CAN HELP YOU Make Your Money Count. Here are ten reasons why a Financial Calendar is a better way to think about managing your money than a budget is.  If you find it hard to live on a budget, please consider these ten reasons why a Financial Calendar is better than a budget for you.  1. Financial calendar is forward-looking. The best way to use a budget is as a "Rear view mirror". In fact, the best - and most common - way to use a budget effectively is as a snapshot of what you did last year.  Seeing how you spent your money last year can help you create a powerful financial calendar for 2013. 2. Your calendar can be very exciting! Budgets are almost always very very boring… 3. When it comes to your calendar, you use it. When it comes to budgets, most people avoid using it! If you will use a financial calendar, it will help you manage your money with more purpose and you will achieve better results. Guaranteed.  4. The budget feels like work but your calendar can feel more like play because your calendar includes things like lunch with a friend, a concert in Los Angeles, or a camping trip at the Grand Canyon. 5. A calendar is intuitive. A calender is not complicated. Whether you're using a simple bulletin board to keep track of the next soccer game with the kids, or you're using Outlook enterprise to manage a team of 100 superstars, the calendar is simple to use because its intuitive. The budget requires unique skills that are less intuitive for most people.  My calendar is kind of an open book that I share with lots of people including Facebook friends. Your calender is very easy to share.  I use Google calendars.  I can share my schedule and events with my team, my family, a friend across the country, or a group of people - including my students at Bauer College of Business at University of Houston.  My personal budget is very very private. I would not want to share it with you because it is very private and personal. 7. A budget feels more like a rigid diet but my calendar makes me feel like I have an unlimited menu of delicious choices for how I will spend - my life.  8. My calendar gives me a snapshot of the big picture of my life. A budget is only a microscopic view of my money.   9. My calendar makes it very easy for me to measure the cost of my activities. For example, if I go to Starbucks every day and spend five dollars on coffee and a snack - and a small tip for the nice person who prepares my favorite drink, that will cost me $25 a week. In one year I will spend $1200. In ten years that daily appointment with Starbucks will cost me $12,000.  Once I put my daily appointment with Starbucks into my calendar as a recurring event (this is very easy to do with my Apple iPhone), it's easy for me to see how my behavior impacts me over the next 20 years.  So, everyday I get to ask and answer the question: is it worth it?   On the other hand, if I had to use a budget to measure the cost of Starbucks in my lifetime, I'm sure I would avoid it.  For most people, a budget feels like painful accountability. Because it is painful, I will not be able to measure the cost of my behavior. When I put Starbucks on my calendar at 10am everyday, it helps me think about how I spend my money everyday. 10. Finally, you only have one life. Your calendar represents your life. You can only be at one place at a time. Whether you're looking at a week from now or 10 years from now, you can only be in one place at a time. A budget is not very likely to help you and your money show up at the same place at the time you need your money to be there for you. My goal is to teach you a new way to think about managing your money.  I hope you will start using your financial calendar today to make a difference for the rest of your life!

I hired Jenn Swanson because of her experience teaching college students. In today’s episode, Jenn Swanson shares her insights and a few coaching tips for me, Jim Munchbach, as I embark on my “new gig” as Professor Munchbach (sounds kind of weird) at The Bauer College of Business at The University of Houston. 2013 is the year of Strategies. That’s right, you heard it here first. So, when the year ends – for you anyway – its all about your Strategies for Success, Significance, and Satisfaction. Here’s to Your 2013 Strategies. One of my strategies in 2013 is to get to know my friends a little better. Maybe we can start by connecting… Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Sorry if you've been missing The Money Bible Radio Show. In this episode, I'll share of few of my "excuses" for being so delinquitn in my commitment to produce the show. Also, if you're wonderging why this episode has been re-posted, its just me trying to figure out how to use this new "Big-Mac" with all my new Apple apps and tools. I made a few errors. I'm still learning. Thanks for your patience. Jim

In this episode, Jim finishes a two-part interview with Cliff Ravenscraft. Jim is in the process of transitioning to Mac products and Cliff is helping Jim figure out which Apple tools will add the most productivity to Jim's business. Cliff's Top Ten Productivity Tools: - DropBox - BackBlaze - Text Expander - Plain Text documents  - Notational Velocity & Notesy - CloudApp - Spotify - WorkFlowy - Google Apps Account - Skitch Bonus Tools that enriches Cliff's life  Sorry, you'll have to listen to learn about these bonus items!

In this episode, Cliff Ravenscraft (PodcastAnswerMan.com) shares his top ten apple productivity tools with Jim Munchbach as Jim transitions from the world of the PC to Mac. Cliff's top five tools are discussed in this episode along with the unveiling of Cliff's long held SUPER-SECRET about his upcoming all new podcast. Here's a list of Cliff's top five productivity tools - in the interview Cliff gives excellent technical advice for anyone who wants to use these tools in their business or personal life to become seriously productive. 1. Dropbox 2. BackBlaze 3. Text Expander 4. Plain Text - so simple, you have to hear Cliff explain this one! 5. Get Cloud App

Smart Girl’s Guide to Life & Money Ladies, do you have too much month left at the end of your money? As independent women, we need to get our financial houses in order. Habits and behaviors can make us feel bogged down and stuck in our current situation. But the truth is you’re not! Don’t wait for “the” job or Prince Charming – start preparing now. When you are in charge of your money – you’ll be creating your own destiny for a solid financial future. Let’s get energized together and take small steps forward to reach our personal & financial goals. Join Jenny Kerr of The Jenny Pincher each week as she guides you to become purposeful in all areas of personal finance. From the basics like creating a spending plan to discovering why you should start saving NOW, Jenny will guide you on your personal finance journey. TODAY is your day; will you take action and  by Text-Enhance" id="_GPLITA_0" href="http://thejennypincher.com/radio-show/" in_rurl="http://i.trkjmp.com/click?v=VVM6MjE3MTE6MTAzNDpnZXQgc3RhcnRlZDowMmFjMTAwNmFjMmNlN2I0OTQyZDFlOWU1NGYyMmNjMDp6LTEyNDItNjMzNjQ6dGhlamVubnlwaW5jaGVyLmNvbTo5NTM4OjVhMDUzMDQ2YjI5OWVkOGVlNzA2YzFjMTZjMzBlNTdj" in_hdr="null" style="color: #53247b;">get started? Join Jenny every week for the Smart Girl’s Guide to Life & Money podcast found on WebTalkRadio.net or listen in iTunes.

Have you ever wanted to know the right time to take your social security benefits? Dr Don has some great insights about Social Security benefits. Listen as Dr Don from BankRate.com offers the perspective of an expert. Also, Dr Don will unpack the issues related to paying off your mortgage early. Jim and Don also talk about their experience at FinCon12 in Denver earlier this year. Until next time - Make Your Money Count! Jim

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes . . . but no plans.” —Peter Drucker When we talk about financial plans, some people roll their eyes and think, Good grief. That sounds so boring! But having a workable plan is essential to a life of peace, contentment, and fulfillment. Blundering along in life without a plan is a sure way to raise levels of anxiety, fear, confusion, and tension between family members. It takes a little work, but the benefits are enormous! Before you can take the first step to meeting your goals in life, it’s more than a good idea to take a “fearless financial inventory”.   As you read Steven and Suzanne’s stories, think about your own journey.  Feel free to call or email and share your story or just let me know you’re listening.  Buried in Debt, Diapers, and Cigarette Butts Suzanne is a single mom who was buried in debt. She was raising two children on a job that didn’t pay well. She came to my office and shared her hopes and dreams. As we talked, I asked her about her goals as well as her assets, liabilities, and expenses. One of the things she really wanted to do was to take her sons on a nice vacation to Europe. That was her dream, but she didn’t see any way that could happen. Her first goal was to get out of debt.             One of Suzanne’s expenses was smoking cigarettes. We calculated that she was spending $40 a week on cigarettes. “I’ve tried to quit,” she told me, “but I guess I haven’t been too motivated.” I showed her that by saving the $40 a week, she’d have over $2000 in a year. For some reason, this reality had never dawned on her. Actually, we found several other expenses that she could eliminate, like cable television and some magazine subscriptions, and in the end, she chose to keep cable but drop the magazines.             As the year went by, Suzanne was able to pay off $1500 in debts, and a year after she came to see me, she took her boys on a vacation to the beach in Florida. When she got back, she called to tell me, “Jim, it wasn’t Europe, but we had a great time together. And I feel even better because I’m not in debt any more. Thank you!” Committing Financial Suicide Six years ago, Steven was in his mid-30s, and he had a dream. He always had a knack for technology, and he had been tinkering with a new device that would make offset printing cheaper but with higher quality. He patented his invention, and he took his concept to investment bankers in New York. They loved the idea, and they backed him in creating a new company.             Steven was, to say the least, dedicated to his new company. He flew all over the country meeting with printing companies, and he often flew to New York to meet with his investors. When he was in town, he regularly worked 16- or 18-hour days, 6 or 7 days a week. His company was doing well . . . very well.             When Steven came to see me, his company was five years old. That year, it had grossed over $100 million, and his personal net worth had skyrocketed to $50 million. But the day before, his wife had contacted an attorney to start divorce proceedings, and his children despised him so much they refused to talk to him. Steven was distraught, but he was so immersed in running his business, his cell phone never stopped ringing during the hour we talked. From the look on his face, I realized he needed more than a little financial advice. He needed a complete change in his life’s priorities.             I met with Steven several times to talk about what matters most to him. He realized that his preoccupation with his career and money was costing him the people he loved most. The reality of their hostility shattered him, and one day, he called to tell me he was thinking of taking his life. A few minutes later, we met, and I took him to see a counselor. In the weeks that followed, some amazing things happened. Steven mustered the courage to make changes—not superficial ones, but drastic ones. He hired someone to take over his business as the CEO, and he became the board chairman with far fewer responsibilities. He asked his wife and children for forgiveness, and he made it his aim to earn their trust and respect again. That road had many ups and downs, but eventually, his marriage was restored. One of his children now cherishes her father, but the other hasn’t yet found the faith to trust him.             No amount of money and no level of business success could fill the hole in Steven’s soul. He had almost lost everything, but a hard look at his life enabled him to make decisions to reclaim what mattered most to him.  Sometimes Hope is a Strategy From time to time, people come to my office who inspire me. When I ask them the questions about their life’s purpose, their eyes light up, and they tell me about the passion that gets them up each morning and keeps them from sleeping at night because they are so excited about it. Charles and Diane are like that. When I met with them, they told me about their work with the homeless. They don’t just donate money. They give generously. Not just money, but they give even more of their time and their hearts. Diane told me, “Jim, you have no idea how it thrills me to be able to help a young mother on the street who desperately needs food and medical care for her baby.”   Until next time – Make Your Money Count   Jim