Nonprofits are businesses. That’s obvious, of course, to anyone who has served on a nonprofit organization’s board of directors. They have to operate in the black in order to continue to fulfill their mission. It’s “the mission” that takes center stage in most discussion about impact and purpose with respect to nonprofit organizations. And that’s understandable, given that … [More]
David Adame, Chicanos Por La Causa
Arizona is home to more than 21,000 nonprofits, with missions as varied as our population. And while it is recognized that these organizations serve the community through services to their various constituents — from providing the basics of food, shelter and clothing to mentoring to medical assistance and research — it is not so generally recognized that the nonprofit sector … [More]
Is Work About Time?
In this day and age of hyper connectivity and changing values, it’s a wonder that many of us still work in an office during a fixed window of hours. Of course, for airports, hospitals, shipping companies, retail stores and many other organizations to run efficiently, they need to have strict schedules and their workforce has to be there or bad things can happen. But what … [More]
Waste Not
Waste Management’s tagline for the Waste Management Phoenix Open is “The Greenest Show on Grass,” and the details in the adjoining column give testament to its commitment to that goal. The company’s dedication to “green” also extends beyond its own operations, and it hosts a forum every year alongside the Open that “gives us a chance to investigate and think more deeply about … [More]
Litigation on the Rise from Americans with Disabilities Act
Arizona is quickly joining the ranks of California, New York and Texas as a hotbed for lawsuits arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Over the past six months, a handful of serial plaintiffs — known as “testers” — have filed hundreds of lawsuits against Arizona businesses. First there was Theresa Brooke, a wheelchair-bound woman who filed more than 150 lawsuits … [More]
Powerful Strategic Planning
Annually — or every three to five years — nonprofit board members gear up for strategic planning retreats, assessing the organization’s performance over the previous year or tackling long-term planning. Some view strategic planning as nothing more than a label: Yes. We have a strategic plan. Check. Others see such planning as a waste of time or money. Still others see its value … [More]
Chuck McLane: Accounting for CBIZ Growth
A strong focus of CBIZ’s Phoenix office is its not-for-profit practice. In fact, shares lead managing director Chuck McLane, “some of our success here has led to similar approaches in other CBIZ offices.” His office’s approach includes identifying the not-for-profit organizations in the Valley that have a meaningful purpose and are able to attract to their boards the leadership … [More]
Computers ‘Good as New’
Establishing a company that takes slightly used computers and makes them “good as new,” brother and sister Ken and Linda Chan founded Ironman Refurbished Business Computers in Chandler in 2010 and recently launched a mobile-accessible e-commerce site to expand sales nationwide. IRBC specializes in the reconditioning of top-consumer-rated, business-grade Dell, Lenovo and HP … [More]
Technology as Equalizer
Mega-retailers maintain websites with information on their extensive inventory, and keep that information up to date with new products and changes in product pricing and availability. It’s a data base that smaller retailers, even with a more limited or niche-focused inventory, do not generally have the manpower to create and maintain. Brother and sister entrepreneurs James Kane … [More]
Contracting Assistance Is ‘Win-Win’ for Small Biz & Government
The Defense Logistics Agency’s Office of Small Business Programs administers a unique program designed to assist small businesses as they navigate government contracting. The Procurement Technical Assistance Program was created in 1985 to provide specialized training and assistance to small businesses to help increase their participation in government contracts at local, state … [More]
Marketing: Live from Mesa Chamber
“Mesa Morning Live” is far from your typical chamber networking event, although it does include a mix-and-mingle, breakfast and a few table presenters. But the core of this successful program that the Mesa Chamber of Commerce puts together every month is informative entertainment that’s professionally produced and broadcast live (and archived on YouTube) for the benefit of … [More]
Mentions’ Online Monetary Measure
The algorithm, called PR Value, shows the monetary value of mentions in articles on news sites, blogs and forums and in social media messages, using several real-time factors. Says Toine Verheul, CEO of Coosto, “We believe that PR Value lets professionals make better brand decisions. Until now, it wasn’t possible to soundly assess what the return on investment is for marketing … [More]
Workplace Emergency Communications
Share911.com is the world’s first workplace emergency management platform that enables communication, collaboration and continuity of operations before, during and after an emergency. Share911.com is a private and secure Web-based application that allows people who work together to share critical information during an emergency. This real-time information increases response … [More]
Tomo Connects
In today’s society, we have evolved from exchanging business cards to exchanging social media information. TOMO! Mobile Application was developed as a solution to exchange social media information more conveniently and efficiently. The app will also be utilized as a tool within small businesses and universities/colleges and will allow users to link their various social media … [More]
Leadership Makes an Impact
Graduating 50 or so candidates each year, Valley Leadership advances them to true leaders by connecting them to the community and accelerating their pursuit to become strong leaders within their organizations and for our community as a whole — to effect change and make a difference. Whether the individuals are working in the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Valley Leadership … [More]
Email and Worker Turnover
The percentage of people nationwide who don’t intend to change jobs this year is only 42. The “2016 Industry & Productivity Perspectives Report” from business operating system Bolste, which commissioned accredited research firm YouGov to poll the views of a representative sample of 2,766 American adults, shows employers are at risk with 49 percent of the … [More]
Grassroots: A Down-to-Earth Experience
From-the-ground-up is the best way to describe this family-owned eatery that is becoming a true standard for the lunch crowd. “Grassroots” is very much the mantra let alone the fare for this Southern-influenced American cuisine hot spot. All high-quality ingredients with from-scratch technique makes for an appetizing experience. Chef/owner Christopher Collins, a seasoned … [More]
Sandwich Shop-ing
The standard for a quick lunch has always been the sandwich, the art of which is ever changing. Here are some of our picks for the best choices to satisfy the sandwich lover in any group. Nocawich It’s all from scratch, using great ingredients to make bread and sweets and sauces, roasting meats in-house, and if they can’t do it themselves, then they seek the best elsewhere — … [More]
