record this. voila. remotes you are back. the x1 voice remote is here. x1 customers get your voice remote by visiting xfinty.com/voiceremote. we're in the heat of a presidential election, but are the voices of america's small business owners on main street being heard? we're here in daytona beach, florida to find out what matters most to the small business community in this area. that's coming up next on this special edition of "your business."

hi, everyone, i'm j.j. ramberg. welcome to "your business." the show dedicated to helping your small business grow. as we went to the florida primary, we decided to spend time finding out what small business owners really think of the candidates. do they feel that any of the candidates understand the challenge that's small business owners face. is there anyone out there the owners feel will look out for them? what we found was quite surprising in this visit to daytona beach. i can't tell you whose switch i'm pulling, but i don't think i would be behind mrs.

clinton at this point at all. >> i will vote for hillary, if for no other reason, she knows how washington works. >> i'm on the trump stump. i was never a fan of his, i never watched "the apprentice." >> i'm not for trump, but i understand the frustration. >> these small business owners are divided like the rest of the country when it comes to who they're going to vote for. when it comes to issues they care about, they have one thing in common. >> people will maekibe spending and making more. >> we have guyed that come in every six to eight weeks for a haircut because that's the best

they can do. when they make more money they come in every two or three weeks. >> you know goes down, right? then it goes back up and then there is the heat. >> gary allen has been running this magic shop since 1996. >> we have some novelties. we manufacture over 500 items. >> his sales are more susceptible to whether or not consumers feel like they have dils posable income. and the famous daytona 500, the man who runs the richard petty driving experience, taking customers on runs around the speedway, feels the same way. >> we're hopefully discretionary

dollars spent. when the economy is firing, we want more people to come out, enjoy, having fun and driving race cars. >> helen humphreys and her sons own humphreys and son. >> we're often here to midnight. that's when question do the estate work, or do the paperwork, the taxes required. i mean we really don't start turning a personal profit until some time in november nap is shocking, you know? >> in case you don't believe what a burden that can be, just ask her son, sean. >> i'm here many nights until 12, my wife, too. it seems like no matter how hard you work, it doesn't seem like there is any money left over. >> omar brown started his kale

cafe a few months ago. >> it's been very difficult. it's a lot more work than i ever anticipated. there there are a so many moving parts. >> what that want out of washington is knowing our government cares about the little guys, not just big business. >> so far, the view is mixed on whether or not any of the candidates really get it. benjamin feels like no one was there to help him when his plumbing business failed. >> i think if the golf has reached out for other businesses that were tusuffering. >> he and his family have moved

on to run this tack toe shop sdplp with people hurting and the economy, we get a lot of retired people that come in. they have a small budget. you can have a nice full belly for $20 or less. >> one of the good things about my line of work is that we're kind of recess proof. >> a criminal defense attorney. his services are not discretionary, plenty of people need his services but he needs customers that can afford his fees. >> my business needs a thriving upper middle class. i can't provide legal services to people who are destitute. >> lisa, her brother tj, and her mother and brother have owned

this citrus store. >> it is so fun. >> lisa still doesn't know who she will vote for. >> when you hear them talk about wanting to help small business, do you feel like they're talking to you? >> i don't so much feel that it is getting to us. >> they're not alone in feeling disconnected from the federal government. mar mario -- >> i think small businesses fall of of the radar of national politics. >> omar says he gets small businesses are important to the economy but he is not sure how it translates. >> do you feel like any candidates are looking out for you as a small business owner? >> i'm not sure.

no, not that i can say. >> what message do you want to hear from the candidates? >> i want to help the small businessman succeed. >> at the end of the day, no matter what candidate comes into office, ben sums up with many like him are feeling. >> i hope that whoever is the next president, they just look around and care. as we just saw in that piece, owners in daytona beach like the rest of the country are divided on what candidate would be best for small business. a recent survey of over 1200 small business owners shows donald trump as the threading favorite. and we have a writer for biz

to credit. he recently wrote an around able why donald trump would be worse for small business. >> john, your survey was from your members, right? >> yes. >> can you dill into the data? >> you know, they had several reasons. the main one have that he is viewed as a a washington outsider. that and that she really a businessman, not a politician, has resonated with the group. those are the two big reasons. >> and you are arguing the exact opposite, you think he would be the worst? >> yet, we have see tremendous growth and the problems he has

with immigrants is not good. it is creating uncertainty among business owners and in what he really assistastands for. he is a businessman. and he is pro business. trump has not really -- i think most of the time it is spent up north in mexico. with american money and mexican workers. and they have are the not talked about the issues and challenges they're facing on a daily basis. >> we went down to daytona beach and we interviewed all of these small business owners. john, i wonder if you find this, we went out and said do you feel like any of the candidates understand the challenges you face. people can talk a good game of

wanting to support small busine business, but we say do you really feel like someone understands and overwhelmingly people said no. >> what we're finding is that it is more aligning to do you know how to start a business? have you hired people? have you feared people? ov ov overwhelmingly, we feel that truch has done that. he is not career politician. so when we talk to the people throughout the primary process, we're finding that overwhelmingly, he comes out ahead of all of the candidates because. >> 35%, right? it is certainly ahead, but it is overwhelmingly ahead. but if you just look at the republican primaries, he is 6%

and ted cruz is 16. she really standing out as someone that has take an stand for developing a business. i agree with you it doesn't seem to reflect that he is a billionaire and the wealthiest candidate running. it's more about being in the trenches. >> when you talk to the people you work, do you feel like they're voting with a small hat on or something else? >> i this is will be of the faces and challenges. there is too much regulation in this country right now. i think we talk about the fact that the candidates -- basically technology is changing. we need more people who have s.t.e.m. degrees in this country, more workers, and more

business that's can help bridge the gap. >> there is a lot of talk about immigration and health care reform which is what you were talking about. >> yes, but there has been no movement in the last five years. >> do who do you think would be best? >> right now i think the best candidate would have probably been mitt rolny, and. >> but not an option, right? of the people there, is there anyone you think would be best? >> i think hillary clinton is talking the host sense. she is not talking about what to do and not to do -- i think trump is trying to say things that are damaging the country and the sentiment. >> john, are there one or two

things you feel that people want to hear as small business owners? if i heard this it would sway me? >> i think the big two that we're seeing are taxes, health care specifically, and the minimum wage. i think the republican side in particular has a focus on pulling back obama care. >> thank you. so good to talk to you. i'm sure we'll have more to say about this as the election plows forward. great to see you both. >> if you do any international business, being able to say a few words in the foreign

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languages. from the usb holding all of your documents to a chip in your cell phone, you likely use a product made by sandisk. under the current president and ceo the company has thrived. they have attracted the attention of western digital which announced their plans to acquire sandisk. we get some of his tips like knowing when to say no and why you should not fear change. >> you're working on creating the digital film. they came to sandisk and they

wanted us to make ours exclusive. we decided that we did not want to make it exclusive. it was very tempting to work with them, and to become exclusive and get the benefit, but at the time, we turned down kodak's problem suggestion. and now today you see innovations like the secure digital card, or the micro sd card. these all would not have happened at such a base if we had not decided to make it an open standard. the digital camera became big, the endorsement was coming from

the digital camera companies. it was very, very important to put in the work. to understand where we are going, where their needs are, and your needs. just have delivered that successfully. in 2008, sandisk at that time was mostly about we decided we needed to diversify. today our business is a global lead ner removeable products and also sandisk has a position in plies that go into your notebooks and computers.

so use it so diversify your business, focus on the market needs. be adaptable. it is very, very important to be taking calculated risks. take the risk, but do it in a sat cue -- calculated fashion. when we come back, how to compete against big brands when it comes to advertising. plus, why it is important to say thank you to your customers. our cosmetics line was a hit. the orders were rushing in. i could feel our deadlines racing towards us.

we didn't need a loan. we needed short-term funding fast. building 18 homes in 4 ½ months? that was a leap. but i knew i could rely on american express to help me buy those building materials. amex helped me buy the inventory i needed. our amex helped us fill the orders. just like that. another step on the journey. will you be ready when growth presents itself? realize your buying power at open.com i think in general when you're trying to compete with other companies with bigger marketing budgets, you have to ask what can i do differently than they're doing. a lot of case it's is more personal if is providing personal services or trying to create a relationship with your

customer. if you're retail, maybe you're offering early access to sales. in this particular case with this particular entrepreneur, their products are beautiful. they're handmade candles, they're gorgeous, but there is a social message behind it. this is a socially conscious company that is very important to millennials today. so you want to emphasize that you're socially active. here, every candle that is bought, some money goes to help another life, and i think we need to emphasize that, show people the difference that they're making, and when a customer feels like their money is not just buying them a product but is also making a huge difference in someone's life, they're more apt to do business with you.

we now have the top two tips you need to know to help your small business grow. let's introduce our board of director. lior arussy is the founder and director of a global customer experience research and consulting film. he's also the ceo of touchpoint dash board. and alexandra wilkis wilson has an affordable and professional beauty service. so good to see you both. >> thanks for having us. >> you've acquired companies. >> thank you very much. >> i'm a customer of yours. >> thank you. >> so let's get down to you. you started your first company 14 years ago? what's one piece of advice? >> so, in business, two things we can't have enough. one is revenue which is the other one. the other is gratitude. we are really not good with gratitude. gratitude for existing customers as part of a retention program as well as gratitude for our

employees. start your day with gratitude. don't start with e-mails. pick up the phone, call an existing customer and just simply say thank you for the business. do the same things with employees. it builds a great deal of humanity to your business, great deal of retention. and we need to start thinking about the existing employees and customers as much as we're thinking about new ones all the time. >> it's incredible how far a thank you can go, right? >> absolutely. >> just recognizing someone, i think one thing to be careful though is to make sure that it's authentic. right? you're not just saying things. if people get too many thank yous suddenly it means nothing. >> try to find a personal thing about their relationship with you. try to find a piece of information that can be useful, anniversary of their relationship with you will be a great opportunity to do that. we miss those opportunities all the time. we have customers who have been with us two, three years, simple call during the anniversary of their relationship, saying i'm recognizing it, makes it very personal. >> i do shop from a store and i get a personalized note and it means nothing. i feel like they send this to everyone because it's something they should do.

>> those retention opportunities are missing the human element. what i'm trying to bring here is really the missing -- the human element that is so missing in today's business, where everything is online, everything is kind of informal, and faceless, and we're trying to create a competitive differentiation through that human element. >> all right. so alexandra, now this is round two for you. you're one of the founders of gilt. now you are one of the founders of glam squad which has grown quite tremendously. what do you want along the way? >> you cannot underestimate the importance of building and maintaining relationships. i truly believe that and i think the more you can connect with people, and do acts of kindness for others, authentically, genuinely, just it's so easy to help other people out. i do believe what goes around comes around and believe in karma and there are going to be moments in your life professionally and even personally where you might need to ask others for help. it might be strategic advice.

it could be pursuing investors through your start-up if you're an entrepreneur like i am. it could be having clients in new cities. our business, glam squad, is local so we're constantly launching in new markets. and just be kind to people. because, the power of relationships, and your network, is only going to benefit you. >> and by the way there's research about how being kind benefits you, right? and it's fun. it's nice. it makes you feel better to help someone else. >> i agree with you. honestly this is something i learned from my parents when i was a little girl. i think it's important to be kind and nice and have integrity. >> i think it's also important to not feel like it's a quid pro quo. and not make someone feel like, imbeing kind to you because i'm just, you know, putting you in my debt. i think it has to be really, i'm helping you because i'm helping you. if it comes back to me, great. if not, no problem. >> it's genuine. >> all right. great advice. thanks both of you. >> thank you. we are all often scrambling

to find those extra few moments in our day to get everything done. that's why we asked our viewers to share the online and mobile tools that help them get through their to do list more efficiently. >> i use gene downscan a lot on my phone. what it allows you to do is scan documents maybe that you've got signed by people, and instead of having to photocopy them, you can scan them there and then and e-mail them straight from the app to third parties. >> we love website that allows us to do is to receive orders from sam's club, hsn and a variety of other sources, print them, print ready orders sent for us to print as and be able to ship directly. >> one app i use is insightly for google apps for business and it helps me manage my clients when they send me an e-mail i

can automatically sync their information and their profile to my insightly account to help me keep track of my conversation with those clients. >> one app i use is pdf signer. because i'm on the road all the time and i need to sign agreements and documents, fill out forms for distributors. very easy to pull it up on my mac, fill in all the documents that i need and sign everything properly and send it right back off without having a printer, a copy machine, anything like that. very helpful. >> i have an app called teller note on my phone and it's an organizer, very, very simple. and it's basically replaced all the wadded up pieces of yellow lined paper that were in the bottom of my pocketbook and my car floor, et cetera. so it's just a notes app. it has reminders in it, and it's been really, really helpful. >> this week's your biz selfie comes from suzanne who owns the bombshell beauty salon in wilmington, delaware. her business also does a lot to support her local community and nonprofit, including the special olympics. thank you, we want to see your

business, too. so take a selfie of you and your company and send it to us at yourbusiness@msnbc.com or tweet it to @msnbcyourbiz and us t the #yourbizselfie. thanks so much for joining us today. here's what i learned on today's show. if it's not enough for these candidates to just go out there and say, we want to help you small business owners. that's not enough. they have to really make people understand that they understand the challenges that small business owners are facing. the issues that are unique to small business owners. because what i heard from most of the people out there was that they don't think that anyone really when you get to the bottom of it, really understands what they're going through. now we'd love to hear from you. if you have any questions or comments about today's show, e-mail us at yourbusiness@msnbc.com. you can also click up our website, openforum.com/yourbusiness. we've posted all of today's segments on there. and a lot more.

and don't forget to connect with us on all of our digital and social media platforms, as well. next week, we look in to why so many entrepreneurs, including myself, have started meditating, and how it's helping their business. >> well, my husband always says, thank god you have a meditation studio, because you would be a disaster without it. >> the owner of a meditation studio tells us how she couldn't have launched her company without practicing what she preaches. till then i'm j.j. ramberg and remember, we make your business, our business. our cosmetics line was a hit. the orders were rushing in. i could feel our deadlines racing towards us. we didn't need a loan. we needed short-term funding fast. building 18 homes in 4 ½ months? that was a leap. but i knew i could rely on american express

to help me buy those building materials. amex helped me buy the inventory i needed. our amex helped us fill the orders. just like that. another step on the journey. will you be ready when growth presents itself? realize your buying power at open.com you know, we have he the first amendment right, we have a freedom of speech -- [ yelling and chanting ] >> unbelievable. get out of here. get him out. get him out. >> ua! usa! >> i'm going to ask that you arrest them. i'll file whatever charges you want. >> good morning. i' a