Microsoft’s Business Hub is dedicated to helping small business thrive through business products, support and resources. Microsoft is supporting the Braddock’s Procurement Opportunities Guide online as an e-Guide. A key tool in helping small businesses secure government contracts, it provides information on how to compete with large corporations. … [More]
Healthcare Cost Calculator
The new healthcare reform law allows small businesses to purchase healthcare coverage at group rates from the new Health Insurance Exchanges and provides significant tax credits to help small businesses pay for this coverage. Businesses can use the link below to find out how they will be affected by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. … [More]
Knowing Asian Business
Asiagate, a leader in Asian corporate credit information, offers members a one-stop shop for Asian business intelligence with a dozen national credit information agencies across Asia to provide a searchable database of nearly 13 million business records, from China to Vietnam, for those doing global business in that region. Membership fees apply. … [More]
Visualize This: FIRE & ICEE
Colliers International, a leading commercial real estate firm in the Valley, offers a series of videos on our local market. The “Colliers Market Insight” videos are relevant commentaries on the latest market trends and insights by Bob Mulhern, managing director for Greater Phoenix. To sign up for these weekly videos and market information, visit www.colliers.com. … [More]
Meeting a Uniform Need to Build Sales
Making custom “one offs” for neighbor businesses on Tempe’s Mill Avenue, Brand X CEO Charles Goffnet recognized a new market for his six-year-old T-shirt business. B.Y.O.U. (Buy Your Own Uniform), newly launched out of Brand X, aims to give business owners a solution for brand control. To its standard stock of T-shirts, tank tops and polo shirts it has added button-downs, … [More]
Hot Growth in Flexible Office Space Solutions
In a commercial office market still posting high vacancy rates, executive offices leader Regus recently opened its 15th full-service business center in the Greater Phoenix area at Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. and Scottsdale Road. This is up from eight centers last year, and on the way to 20 by the end of 2013. Demand is coming from Fortune 500 companies down to start-ups, according … [More]
Slowing Down Pays Off in Franchise Expansion
The first thing Rissy Sutherland and Jack Keilt did when they bought into the Honest-1 Auto Care franchise in 2008 was have the company take a year-and-a-half hiatus from expanding its franchise network. Drawing on their experience as owners of individual franchises, Sutherland says, “We looked at what was important to us as franchisees, from our franchisors … and chose to take … [More]
Small Business Prospers in the Global Village
Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) engaged in international markets are twice as likely to be successful as those operating only domestically, according to a recently completed study by IHS that was commissioned by DHL Express. IHS studied SMEs in the blocks of countries referred to as G7 (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan) and BRICM … [More]
Bytes: March 2013
A Source for Bids BidSource is a one-stop connection to an aggregate of procurement bid opportunities available with the federal government, Arizona government agencies and school districts plus government bid opportunities available in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Denver. The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce … [More]
Loan Modification May Be Option if Loan Is Current
As the economy slowly turns itself around for many, small businesses that have been hanging on even if struggling may have more financing options available to them than they’re aware of. For a business to be able to get any concessions from a bank, however, it’s imperative that it start talking to the bank before getting behind in payments on its business loans. That goes … [More]
Critical Time Window for Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives
The IRS tax code that provides federal tax incentives on energy improvement investments, §179D, expires at the end of 2013. While energy efficiency upgrades need to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013, to qualify, opportunities exist in two areas: accelerating future projects into 2013 and reviewing projects dating back to Jan. 1, 2006, that resulted in energy savings. Either of … [More]
What’s in a Name? Arizona Law Firms Gain Marketable Options
As of last month, law firms in Arizona have the option to name themselves a trade name rather than being required to use the attorney’s surname, with the limitation that the trade name must be truthful and accurate and not be misleading, such as implying an affiliation with a government office. This brings Arizona in conformity with a majority of the other states nationwide on … [More]
Manufacturing Company Expands, Works with Schools to Fill Void in Work Force
Anticipation of increased market demand drove the decision by LAI International — a strategic supplier of precision components and subassemblies for original equipment manufacturers — to consolidate its three Arizona manufacturing plants and expand its Arizona presence into a 32,400-square-foot facility in Tempe. “It’s a ‘perfect storm’ when customers are telling you, ‘You need … [More]
Bytes: February 2013
Find More Like This A new, simple-to-use website helps find business books and articles with its “what business books to read” search engine. Have a problem? Curiosity piqued about something read elsewhere? Copy content (up to 10,000 words) into the search box and Epi-Biz will do the rest. It is a free service by the Institute for the Study of Coherence and … [More]
Alliance Creates Resource to Fund Business Growth
Expected to help kick-start the flow of capital to businesses for loans they need to grow, At Work for Arizona Business Loan Alliance launched last month with $12 million committed to fund loans of $50,000 to $500,000 to businesses that lack adequate equity investment or sufficient collateral for a conventional loan but are otherwise creditworthy. Forging this groundbreaking … [More]
Council Launched to Address Fraud, Security and Identity Theft in Digital Age
Identity theft comes in many unexpected guises that can harm a business, a realization that prompted LifeLock to sponsor the recently launched Council for Identity Protection. Says Todd Davis, chairman and CEO of LifeLock, “It is our belief that challenges in the digital age are not independent, but must be viewed with a more integrated view of the problem and ultimate … [More]
Diamond Wholesaler Creates New Supply and Demand
Businesses are built on the idea of supply and demand. But what if there is not a supply? In Jana Hadany’s case, even the demand was not assured when she conceptualized Avilan Storied Diamonds to be a sustainable diamond business. The business concept was sparked by conversations in 2010 Hadany heard between her husband, Avi Hadany, and his partner, Ilan Wexsler, about … [More]
Local Bank Offers Import/Export Financing
Businesses are increasingly involved in export commerce, but loans on their foreign receivables are not as readily available as on domestic receivables. “That restricts the amount a business can leverage,” says Greg Lehmann, managing director of Biltmore Bank of Arizona, explaining the decision is made from a risk standpoint. Helping to fill that void, Biltmore Bank recently … [More]
