The decision has come down in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case. The 5 to 4 split decision by the Supreme Court could change how auction administration is handled forever. Due to this fact, host Andy Imholte, along with guest John Schultz break down the opinion of the court, and discuss possible next steps.
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Episode Link
AuctionTax.com
SCTOUS Blog Recap
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
The decision has come down in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case. The 5 to 4 split decision by the Supreme Court could change how auction administration is handled forever. Due to this fact, host Andy Imholte, along with guest John Schultz break down the opinion of the court, and discuss possible next steps.
Subscribe on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher
Episode Link
AuctionTax.com
SCTOUS Blog Recap
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
South Dakota v. Wayfair is a case before the Supreme Court that may change the face of the entire auction industry. Due to this fact, host Andy Imholte, along with guests John Schultz and Jim Fahey break down the testimony from Tuesday, April 17, 2018. After considering the testimony, they breakdown a few points of interest.
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Episode Link
AuctionTax.com
More Perfect Podcast
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Tax law can be very complicated and frustrating, and a upcoming case before the US Supreme Court will only make it more so. In this episode, host Andy Imholte and guest John Schultz outline South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. and how it could regulate auction companies out of business.
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Episode Link
AuctionTax.com
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
For over 5 years the Fast Talking Podcast has provided great education for auction professionals so why not look back at the Top 10 lessons learned for this milestone. In this special issue host Andy Imholte, also looks back with a thanks to the many listeners and people who have helped make 200 episodes happen.
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The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
After nearly 200 episodes a few lessons how to build a successful podcast have been learned. In this episode, host Peter Gehres sits down to interview host and co-founder of the Fast Talking Podcast Andy Imholte. Along with some important lessons, he shares the number 1 tip he recommends if anyone is considering starting a podcast of their own.
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The World Automobile Auctioneers Professional Association
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. However, it can also give a platform for champions to teach and train young auctioneers to improve the profession. No description could be more true for the guest on this episode. In this episode Scott Werlein sits down with 1974 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, Ralph Wade.
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Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
A foundation of human resources is the employee handbook. As soon as your company starts to grow it is important to document the culture, standards, and expectations of all employees. In this episode host, Andy Imholte, is joined by Kaylista White of HK Keller, as she discusses the recent employee handbook they created and will soon be rolling out for their team.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Legal action is a serious, but once it is in process it is already too late. In this episode host, Andy Imholte, is joined by returning guest Mike Brandly to discuss where auction lawsuits come from. Mike presents the top 5 Auction Law Questions he gets, and how he responds.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Andy Imholte sits down with 2013 International Auctioneers Women’s Division Champion Megan McCurdy Niedens. She shares how her IAC experience has shaped her professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Every year three major titles in the world of competitive auctioneers are up for grabs. From the International Auctioneer Championship to specialized contests like the World Automobile Auctioneer Championship and the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, all serious competitors have their eyes on these titles. To discuss the 2017 Triple Crown of competitive auctioneering Andy is joined by Peter Gehres, 2015 IAC Men’s Division champion.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
We all know how important it is to close the deal, but how do convert a cold call into a hot client? In this episode, host Andy Imholte, is joined by Jenelle Taylor to breakdown her 5 steps to warm up a prospect on your next cold call.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Real Estate auctions may require an understand and marketing strategy more than any other asset class. Who is your ideal buyer, where can I find them, and how should I focus my marketing dollars? In this episode host Andy Imholte is joined once again by auction marketing expert John Schultz to discuss his approach to selling real estate assets. His 5 step process can work for any asset, but when it comes to real estate you are often working with a small targeted buyer base, and he shares his secrets.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
We all need to step outside our comfort zone from time to time and learn new and exciting lessons. This episode, host Andy Imholte, share many lessons he learned while attending the AIGA Design Conference 2017. From Facebook, to Target, to Budweiser, many major brands and designers shared incredible lessons that could change your business
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Auction professionals spend a lot of time working on their laptops and never know when disaster might strike. In this episode, host Aaron Traffas looks at preventative measures that can save both time and stress when, not if, a computer is broken or stolen.
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Global Auction Guide
Episode Links
http://www.auctioneertech.com
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
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Episode 190: Transcription
Hello and welcome to the Fast Talking Podcast. My name is Aaron Traffas and I'm excited to once again be your guest host for today's episode. We auctioneers store large amounts of important and sensitive information on our laptops. What happens to our work if our computer is broken or, worse, stolen? We'll examine two crucial preventative measures that will save us both time and stress in just a moment after a word from our sponsor.
[sponsor]
I wrote the article that inspired this episode recently for the Colorado Auctioneers Association quarterly newsletter which, this quarter, is focused on technology. After making sure we're using strong passwords, which was the topic of my last appearance on the Fast Talking Podcast, I feel that backup and encryption are the two next steps auctioneers need to make as we strive to make sure our data is secure and our work is safe.
It was 2007. NAA Conference and Show was in San Diego. My bags were packed in my truck. I swung by the office to grab my computer and other electronics that I'd need for the week in California. As I walked out the door for my two hour drive from Manhattan, Kansas, to the Kansas City airport, I realized I'd forgotten something. I sat my computer bag on the ground next to my pickup's passenger door and went back inside. When I returned, I got in my truck, cranked the wheel to the left and backed out, only to realize that my front tire just rolled over my laptop bag. My computer — and my mood — was crushed. I had unfinished work for upcoming auctions that I'd planned to do on the plane and I had no time before my flight to prep another computer. It made for an interesting and uncomfortable trip.
Broken hardware is one thing, but what if I'd lost the computer? What if instead of picking up pieces off the ground, I was instead unsure of where it was? Had it fallen into malicious hands? Were all the accounts that I'd logged in to now at risk of being compromised? It's always better to know a computer is destroyed than to wonder if someone is combing through the data.
The scenario is simple — at any time, you can suddenly lose your laptop. In order to make sure that the only cost to you is the value of the hardware, it's crucial that your computer is encrypted and backed up properly.
Encryption
Computer encryption can get very technical very quickly, but for our purposes it simply means a way of scrambling the data on the computer's hard drive so it can't be read by anyone who doesn't have the password. The password to login to Windows isn't enough, as it's fairly trivial to bypass. The correct solution is called full disk encryption, where everything on the computer is encrypted for everyone who doesn't have the password.
For many years, the right answer for encryption was a product called TrueCrypt. It was free software and the encryption was bulletproof. A few years ago, the TrueCrypt project closed down. Luckily it's successor, called VeraCrypt, is also free and based on much of the same code base as TrueCrypt. Since it's open source, third parties have been able to audit the software to make sure there aren't backdoors or other ways for criminals or governments to bypass the encryption.
Operating systems have their own versions of encryption. Windows has BitLocker and Apple has FileVault. While I'll always prefer a free and open source solution over one from an operating system provider, these solutions may be a good fit in some situations.
Many modern laptops also provide built-in encryption options on the hardware level. Many of these might work as well as VeraCrypt, though there's no way to guarantee there isn't a backdoor. Sometimes, a laptop's password simply prevents the laptop from booting up and doesn't actually encrypt the data. This means someone could simply remove the hard drive and put it in another computer to access your files. Make sure if you're using a built-in password function on your laptop that it's actually encrypting the data.
Only by using full disk encryption can you rest assured that if your computer falls into the wrong hands, all your data about your auctions, customers, clients and personal accounts won't be at risk. Entering a password every time you boot your computer is a small price to pay for that peace of mind.
Backup
Encryption prevents the bad guys from getting your data, but what about losing your work? If you drive over your laptop with the front wheel of a diesel pickup, how do you get your files off of a hard drive that's in pieces on the ground? In addition to the possibility of losing your computer, new viruses called ransomware actually encrypt your files and make you pay a ransom before giving you the key to decrypt them. A good backup solution can mitigate a ransomware infection by allowing you to restore the unencrypted versions of your files.
There is a frequently recited rule of backup called 3-2-1. You need three copies of your data, on two different mediums and one needs to be offsite. Simply buying an external hard drive and copying your files there is better than nothing, but it's also grossly insufficient and inefficient. A good backup solution will run continually in the background, copying versions of your files offsite as you create them, so you don't notice it until you need it.
In much the way that TrueCrypt was the best answer for encryption, there was also a best answer for backup called Crashplan. Crashplan allowed users to backup to friends for free. I wrote on my AuctioneerTech blog in 2012 how this was a perfect backup solution that didn't have a monthly fee like most of the backup services. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Crashplan announced that it's discontinuing its free version in October 2018. While I've been hunting for a replacement, it's unlikely that anything will be as simple as Crashplan to use without a monthly fee.
There are still myriad subscription backup services. Some of the best known are Carbonite, Backblaze and Mozy, and each has a different pricing plan based on the amount of data to store and how many computers will be using the service. As you shop around for the best deal, pay attention to the cost to get your data back. In 2011, I lost 2 terabytes of data that was backed up with Mozy. Only then did I learn that they charged $.50 per gigabyte to restore the data, and I had to come up with the $1000 within 30 days before my files were deleted.
In the auction business, like any business, time is money. Some backup solution is better than nothing. In my search for a Crashplan replacement, I've found a lot of negative comments about Carbonite and a lot of positive comments about Backblaze, so if I were looking for a simple turn-key subscription backup service, I'd probably start with Backblaze.
In summary, disaster happens when we least expect it. We need to take steps now to ensure that when, not if, we lose a computer, it might cost us money to replace the device but it doesn't cost us time to recreate all our work or, worse, cost us sleep worrying about who might have our data and what he or she might be doing with it.
And now, here's a word from our sponsor.
[sponsor]
I'd like to thank Andy for giving me the opportunity to guest host the Fast Talking Podcast this week. The show is built for you, the fast talking nation. We're always looking for suggestions and feedback, so if you have an idea for great topic or guest you think would be a good fit, leave a comment on fasttalkingpodcast.com or find us @auctionpodcast on Twitter or facebook.com/fasttalkingpodcast. My blog is auctioneertech.com and if you'd like to contact me personally, find me on Twitter @traffas or, better yet, email aaron.traffas@purplewave.com
With that, we want to thank you for gifting us with your time. As always, be sure to like, favorite and share this podcast in whichever venue you choose to listen. We enjoy creating this podcast for you and strive to share this industry we love with more and more people each week. I'm Aaron Traffas. Thanks for listening. Now go sell something.
If you were going to hire a staff member to lead your company social media, what would the qualifications be and what would be on their job description? This question, asked on Facebook, is a perfect snapshot of the time in which we are living. Social media is so important to our brands that hiring a dedicated manager is a conversation worth asking, so that’s what host Andy Imholte did in this episode.
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Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Maintaining a social media presence is necessary for all businesses, but finding the time and resources to do it well is the real challenge. In this episode host Andy Imholte is joined by Jerry Potter to audit the available social media platforms and discuss their viability. They also outline tricks and tips auction professionals can use to aid in their success.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Competition can sharpen our skills raise the quality of those who choose to participate. It is no different for auctioneers. For this episode Peter Gehres sits down with 2011 IAC Champion, Joseph Mast. He shares how his IAC experience has shaped his professional life, and some great tips for those currently competing as well.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
The interview portion of an auctioneer contest can often be the difference between 1st and 2nd place. To breakdown the championship runs of the 2017 International Auctioneer Contest, Tim Luke joins host Andy Imholte to dig into what set the winners apart. This is a must listen for anyone considering competing in the future.
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Sharp Auction Engine
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
The interview portion of an auctioneer contest can often be the difference between 1st and 2nd place. To breakdown the championship runs of the 2017 International Auctioneer Contest, Tim Luke joins host Andy Imholte to dig into what set the winners apart. This is a must listen for anyone considering competing in the future.
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Today’s Sponsors
Sharp Auction Engine
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
As auction professionals we hang our hats on the word “AUCTION,” but is is always the right word to use? In this episode, host Andy Imholte sits down returning guest Mike Brandly to discuss the marketing advantages and disadvantages of this very powerful word.
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Today’s Sponsors
Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
The auction method of marketing has survived for thousands of years, but can it survive Facebook Live? In this episode host Andy Imholte sits down with returning guest Peter Gehres as he shares some very serious concerns he has with the current live video fad on Facebook. Is this really the end for the auction industry?
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Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
How much should I charge? This is a question all auction professionals wrestle with as some point in their careers. To discuss this question host Andy Imholte is joined by John John Genovese who recently presented this topic to a standing room only crowd at the National Auctioneers Association Conference and Show. They discuss what to consider when setting your fees and what your fees say about you as an auction professional.
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Sharp Auction Engine
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
The power of video in marketing has been proven, but how do you up your game when it comes to equipment. In this episode, host Andy Imholte welcomes back Bobby D. Ehlert to continue the conversation they started in episode 92. From cameras to drones, we talk about the latest toys and how to use them.
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Global Auction Guide
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.
Scott King tragically passes away on the 6th of July 2017. In his life he gave so much to his friends and this podcast. This replay episode was recorded in January 2017 and shows how generous he was with his secrets of success. Scott meant a great deal to so many and he will be missed.
The Fast Talking Podcast is a small business building podcast as seen through the lens of auctioneers and auction professionals. Focusing on social media, marketing strategies, finance, operations, human resources, and time management, we provide focused discussions on important topics weekly.