Would you agree that some of your employees are rock-star performers, some are just OK, and, for a small few, you’d like a genie to change them into statues so they stop disrupting others? Let’s take a minute and think about your workforce. How many people are engaged at work — that is, involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace? How many … [More]
How to Collaborate with a Purpose
For many of us, collaborations resemble this scenario: A team is brought together; the problem is defined; some, not all, individuals begin to participate in the discussion; a solution is developed, agreed upon and implemented. Sometimes, the solution resolves the problem, but at other times it’s only a band-aid method that merely offers a short-term solution that will need to … [More]
Business Insurance is Not a Luxury for Small-Business Owners
You are a strong, smart entrepreneur. You own your own business because you have a passion for what you do and know in your heart you are the best person to do it, whatever that passion is. Your business is your child, and you give it your all. You’d do anything for your business. You turned your dining room or basement into an office. You work evenings and weekends. Along … [More]
Strategies for a Worry-Free Vacation
Vacation is meant to be a time to reset and relax. But for some of us, letting go of the office while away proves difficult. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. With these helpful reminders, you can let go of work and have a worry-free holiday. 1. Plan for a day of re-entry. Before even packing your bags, look ahead in your calendar and block off the first day back to … [More]
Five Critical Elements that May Be Missing from Your Website Copy
You know what drives me nuts? Putting a lot of effort into something and then not getting much to show for it. I hate that, and I try to avoid it as much as possible. But sometimes it happens anyway. And I know I’m not the only one. I often hear the stories of business owners who are frustrated that their marketing isn’t getting the kind of results they want, despite the … [More]
How to Keep Good Workers: Follow the Golden Rule
Hiring good workers is a critical function for every small business, but it’s only the beginning. One of the biggest costs to small businesses, both in the outlay of actual money and in lost productivity, is worker churn. Once you hire good workers, how do you keep them? The simple answer is, follow the Golden Rule: Treat your workers the way you want to be treated. Here’s … [More]
Making the Shift to Woman-Owned, Woman-Operated Businesses
A brand-new organization known as WOWOB (Woman Owned, Woman Operated Business) got off to a rousing start last month with a spectacular launch party held at Splash Printing & Marketing in Scottsdale, which drew more than 125 guests. The idea behind WOWOB is that woman-owned and -operated businesses tend to have deep-seated characteristics that set them apart. Research … [More]
What the Sales Leader of the Year Wants You to Know About Sales
For nearly 40 years, Karla Boyles has been involved in selling one thing or another. She started her career in the fitness industry, then in 2004 moved to hotels, eventually settling into her role as director of sales for the Hampton Inn & Suites Tempe and the adjacent Red Lion Inn. Except she never settled. Now, with her being honored as the Hampton Sales Leader … [More]
Flame Broiler Aims to Bring Healthy, Affordable Food to Tempe
Southern California is known for a few distinctive things: sunny, temperate skies; health-conscious food; and miles of easygoing beaches. Unfortunately, beaches aren’t coming to Arizona. Or reasonable temperatures in the summer. What is coming, however, is a couple from California looking to bring something new to Tempe and the Valley of the Sun: healthy food at a low … [More]
Tempe Chamber’s Military Committee Honors Airman
In a ceremony honoring the bravery and service of a former airman of the 944th Fighter Wing, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce bestowed the honor to another of the base’s best. Staff Sgt. Allen J. Long, a low observable aircraft structural technician tasked with testing the Air Force’s newest hardware, the F-35 Lightning II, was awarded the Graydon Williams Award earlier this … [More]
Small Business Continues to Lead Arizona – Arizona Small Business Association is the Leader
Who creates the jobs in Arizona? Simple answer: Small businesses represent more than 99 percent of Arizona’s entire private-sector economy, with minority-owned businesses accounting for 25 percent of those businesses. And 88 percent of the state’s exporters are small businesses. Small business employs almost 1,000,000 growth of 2015. These figures come from the 2017 … [More]
Arizona’s New Paid Sick Leave Policies: It’s Time to Get Ready!
Summer is upon us and so are Arizona’s new sick time pay rules. On July 1, 2017, virtually all Arizona employers must begin providing either 25 or 40 hours per year of paid sick leave to their employees. The new sick leave requirement, which was part of a 2016 voter initiative that also increased Arizona’s minimum wage, requires Arizona employers to track both the accrual and … [More]
Have We Reached ‘Peak’ Professional Conferencing?
I would argue that we have, and yet fads continue to surprise me. Remember when the iPhone came out in 2009 and Apple’s first campaign was titled “There’s an app for that”? Today, we could substitute the word “app” for conference, summit or expo. There is little shortage of local, national or regional conferences to attend based upon an industry, field of study or trending … [More]
Why Offer Group Insurance?
Even with all the talk of changing the Health Care Reform System, the laws have not yet changed. As an individual and a business, you still have the same responsibilities that you had last year. So, you are required to have health insurance as an individual. And the reporting and compliance requirements as a business offering insurance are still the same. It’s hard, when we … [More]
SRP Delivers the Tools to Help Your Business Thrive
The early leaders of SRP understood the importance of growth in the Valley, which is why they worked to bring a reliable source of water and power to the area. Today, SRP continues to support the Valley by providing these essential services and offering tools to help you grow your business. Workshops to help your business thrive. SRP empowers your business to succeed by … [More]
5 Reasons Why a Strong Brand Is Important for Your Small Business
Small-business owners are at the leading edge of the business world. As forward- thinkers, they love the rush of turning a new idea into reality. As idea people, they sometimes lack the logistics, like marketing and branding, to get ahead of the competition. Building a solid foundation, developing key potential partnerships, and understanding how customers … [More]
The Solution for Sustainable Success: Trust Your Instincts
I work with entrepreneurs every day. The successful ones have tapped into a sort of formula that allows them to obtain success they can sustain. They’ll start by evaluating their natural strengths — their instincts — and how that impacts the way they lead a team. Here are the components: Find out how you do things. The most successful business owners I work with start by … [More]
How to Buy Word-of-Mouth Referrals?
With 68 percent of small-business owners identifying word-of-mouth as the best way to acquire a new customer, you’re not alone in wanting to understand how to increase it for your business. Unfortunately, it’s not something that can be bought. Word-of-mouth referrals require someone trusted by others to put their reputation on the line for your business. That’s why it’s such … [More]
