Best Small Business Podcasts of 2024

Last Updated January 9, 2024

Starting a business is a venture that most people have, at some point, strongly considered; data shows that 61% of Americans have had an idea for starting a business. However, an overwhelming 92% of those respondents never followed through with their ideas.

Sometimes, all you need is a little inspiration to get going. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of 15 of the best small business podcasts that hopefully will nudge you to tap into your creativity.

Best Podcasts For Small Business Owners

After listening to a few of these podcasts, you can feel confident that you have the knowledge and tools to turn your business dream into a reality.

1. The How of Business

The How Of Business covers topics for both aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners. This is a well-rounded, generalized podcast that covers a variety of topics ranging from how to increase sales close rates to how to reduce risk. Even non-business owners, such as sales professionals, CFOs, and marketers, could learn a thing or two from tuning in to The How Of Business.

Aimed for: Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other professionals who want to round out their business and leadership expertise through advice from industry leaders.

When: Weekly (every Monday)

2. The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Even the very best business ideas might fail to come to fruition without a proper business marketing strategy.

The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast covers everything related to marketing for a new business.

One of the best aspects of this podcast is that host John Jantsch – one of America’s top business marketing experts – understands that new business owners can’t afford to break the bank. Instead, Duct-Tape Marketing focuses on marketing strategies that are cost-efficient.

Aimed for: New business owners looking for wallet-friendly marketing tips and strategies.

When: Two episodes weekly (Wednesday and Thursday)

3. This Old Marketing

While on the subject, we may as well continue with one more marketing-focused podcast for new business owners. This Old Marketing zeroes in on content marketing and the huge impact that successful content marketing can have on a small business.

Many of the 2023 episodes discuss AI, such as the lasting effects ChatGPT might have on content marketing and business marketing strategies overall.

Aimed for: Small business owners and content marketers who want to stay in the know regarding the latest content marketing trends.

When: Weekly (every Wednesday)

4. Illuminaughtii

We, as humans, learn through mistakes. But what’s more beneficial than learning through our own mistakes is learning from others’ mistakes.

Illuminaughtii spotlights business decisions turned bad. Whether these decisions were made with good intentions, or the worst of intentions (think pyramid schemes and charities stealing money), there are lessons to be learned in each episode of Illuminaughtii. Plus, they get bonus points for the creative name.

Aimed for: Business owners looking to learn what NOT to do through hearing real-world accounts of bad business decisions.

When: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

5. Tropical MBA

If you don’t enjoy working from an office and instead envy the thought of doing so while traveling the world, give Tropical MBA a listen.

Tropical MBA profiles people who have built small businesses that have a global presence. These businesses are also known as micro-multinational businesses, and they lead to a plethora of travel opportunities. It might not be easy to start a successful micro-multinational business, but it allows business owners to experience different cultures, while fulfilling their entrepreneurial dreams.

Aimed for: Aspiring digital nomad business owners.

When: Weekly (every Thursday morning)

6. This Is Small Business

This Is Small Business delves into how small businesses succeed by inviting successful small business owners to discuss their strategies that work. Recent topics include how to connect with your community to grow your brand, how to merge your small business with another business, and how to create a product without breaking the bank.

This is one of the best small business podcasts for those looking to hear about what their peers are doing to drive success.

Aimed for: Small business owners looking for inspiration and ideas from fellow small business owners.

When: Weekly (every Tuesday)

7. Making Good

Most entrepreneurs are hopefully running their businesses with the end-goal of not just making money but making an impact on the world.

Making Good targets these small business owners – the ones who want their businesses to foster positive change. Topics covered include marketing strategies, philanthropy, and building community.

Aimed for: Host Lauren Tilden, a small business owner herself, is the perfect listen for community business owners or those leading nonprofit organizations.

When: Weekly (every Tuesday)

8. Nurture Small Business

A small business-specific podcast, Denise Cagan has a no-topic-is-too-small mindset on Nurture Small Business; everything from marketing to cybersecurity to diversity and inclusion is discussed.

But Cagan – who serves on the board of Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) and the National Association of Women Business Owners Charlotte (NAWBO) – focuses mostly on one topic: managing people.

Cagan has experience running multiple small businesses over her career, which you can tell based on her thorough insight into managing people. Recent topics discussed include how to effectively manage front-facing employees, how to pay transparency laws, and leading a team through organizational change.

Aimed for: Small business owners looking for intel on how to manage people and how to master leadership.

When: Weekly (every Monday)

9. Business Wars

In each episode, Business Wars lines up business vs. business and analyzes their competitors in-depth, focusing on strategies that elevate one over the other.

Business Wars isn’t only relevant for small business owners, as it acts as a good reminder for all business owners that business is a competition.

Profiles include Nike vs. Adidas, Netflix vs. HBO, Apple vs. Microsoft, and Disney-Pixar vs. Dreamworks. It even highlights how the outcomes of these matchups have helped shape society as we know it.

While your business might not have the global recognition that the companies listed do, the insights and strategies discussed can help your own decision-making processes, making it one of the best small business podcasts out there for learning how to think strategically.

Aimed for: The ultra-competitive business owners who are looking for inspiration from the world’s biggest corporations in order to win their own business battles.

When: Weekly (free episodes every Wednesday)

10. The Best Small Business Show

The Best Small Business Show looks to identify new challenges for small business owners each week, ultimately walking through steps for how to best navigate those challenges.

This easy-to-digest podcast (episodes tend to be 15 – 30 minutes long) has been ongoing for several years with short and to the point episodes. Episode topics are wide-ranging, including marketing and sales for small businesses, leadership tips, SMB trends, and so much more. For a holistic small business podcast, we definitely recommend checking this one out!

Aimed for: Small business owners who want quick insights and solutions to common challenges.

When: Weekly (every Monday)

11. Small Business Rundown Podcast

Small business owners who want updates on the macro-level news that can trickle down and affect their businesses should give the Small Business Rundown Podcast a listen.

Hosted by The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading advocacy group for small businesses, the information provided by NFIB VP of Advocacy Adam Temple is guaranteed to be worthwhile for small business owners.

Supreme Court cases, policy and procedure changes, and taxes and mandates are a few topics that are regularly discussed. Recent episodes have focused on tips for small business success in 2023, the health insurance affordability crisis, and wage & hour laws.

Aimed for: Small business owners who have an interest in the news and decisions made from our nation’s capital that could affect small businesses.

When: Bi-Weekly (every other Wednesday)

12. Planet Money – NPR

Small business owners should aim to become economic experts. By doing so, you can learn how to improve your cash flow and utilize better strategies for high profitability.

Planet Money is one of the most popular finance podcasts in the world. While Planet Money takes more of a macro-level view of how money works, small business owners can still have plenty of takeaways that they can apply to their own businesses.

Aimed for: People, including small business owners, who want to learn about how any topic can affect the economy.

When: Two to three episodes weekly

13. The Knowledge Project

The Knowledge Project says it best: “Master the best of what other people have already figured out so you can use their lessons in your life to create an unstoppable advantage.”

Not only for current small business owners or wannabe entrepreneurs, The Knowledge Project is a fantastic listen for those who simply want to hear from some of the most highly successful people in their fields. Host Shane Parrish is an entrepreneur himself, so you will be comforted by the fact that he provides insight from a business owner’s point of view.

Aimed for: People who want to learn lessons from professionals at the top of their respective fields.

When: Bi-weekly (every second Tuesday)

14. How I Built This

The How I Built This podcast is a great small business podcast that inspires and educates new and aspiring business owners. From NPR, the podcast’s host Guy Raz speaks to founders and well-known entrepreneurs about their journeys in starting and growing their businesses.

Through interviews with the founders of some of the most successful brands, including Instagram, Southwest Airlines, Patagonia, Atari, and so many more, Guy Raz explores entrepreneurial challenges, passion, growth, and success. If you’re looking to hear from today’s top entrepreneurs, this is the podcast for you.

Aimed for: Entrepreneurs looking to be inspired by the stories of successful and well-known startup founders.

When: Weekly (every Monday)

Podcasts About Starting A Business

Below are some of the best podcasts for new business owners, not just small business owners, or for people looking for the motivation or inspiration needed to get the ball rolling with their money-making ideas.

Even if you’re already in the beginning stages of your business, you can still hear about potentially beneficial strategies from these five podcasts about starting a business:

1. Startup Stories: Stories about how startups are made
2. My First Million: New business ideas based on market trends and opportunities
3. Dorm Room Tycoon: How to build a successful startup
4. The Small Business Radio Show (formerly “Business Insanity”): Why you should embrace the craziness of starting a business
5. Growth Everywhere (Leveling Up): Inspiration for new business owners through hearing from the world’s most successful entrepreneurs