Information technology (IT) employment in Arizona grew by estimated 8,000 net new jobs in 2019, capping a decade in which the state’s tech-related labor force expanded by more than 52,400 workers, according to Cyberstates 2020™, the definitive guide to the U.S. tech industry, occupations and trends published annually by CompTIA, the leading trade association for the global IT … [More]
Coronavirus on Commerce: Survey Takes Pulse of Small Business
It’s probably no surprise that roughly 87 percent of small-business owners say their businesses are hurting from the coronavirus, a figure reported in WalletHub’s new Coronavirus Small Business Survey, released this month. This survey, which follows WalletHub’s report on State Economies Most Exposed to Coronavirus, shows some of the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted business … [More]
The Rise of a New Customer Support Experience
There’s no denying that the invention of the smartphone revolutionized nearly everything, especially the way we communicate with each other. Think about how you communicate today with friends and family. You call them directly, but you also send text messages, chat through apps, and share photos and videos. Sometimes, you do all of this within the same interaction. In UJET’s … [More]
Recruitment Practices Fall Short
With unemployment rates hitting all-time lows, the tables have turned on employers. It’s a job seeker’s market and they get to choose. One bad experience, and it’s the hiring company who’ll get the “thank you, next” treatment. So, what do the candidates expect of the potential employer? Zety asked 1,010 Americans about their experiences and expectations for the recruitment … [More]
Are We Becoming an Automation Nation?
Of increasing interest to commerce today is automation of the workforce — either heralded or bemoaned. What Henry Ford’s assembly line started in reducing individuals to replaceable cogs in a replicable process, robots seem poised to finish in replacing humans completely. At least in some jobs. As Kempler Industries reports, “From automotive manufacturing to cashiers, … [More]
The Best States to Launch a Startup
Uber, Snapchat and even Facebook — these each started as a small startup, some with hardly any financing behind them. A simple business idea can often blossom into something much greater and successful; however, sometimes it can seem that the odds are against it. After all, 20 percent of businesses fail in their first year, 30 percent in the second and 50 percent within … [More]
The Ascension of Arizona’s 21st Century Healthcare Economy
An advanced, diverse, and thriving healthcare industry is critical to Arizona, serving both as a magnet for attracting new residents, and providing world-class medical care to a state population that surpassed 7 million last year. The expansion of the Arizona healthcare sector is necessary to serve a population that continues to expand faster than the national average while … [More]
Small-Business Lending: Arizona Entrepreneurs on a Fast Track for Growth
In spite of growing concerns, the economy remains strong. As a result, entrepreneurs continue to seek fresh capital to help grow their businesses. According to a recent SMB economic insights report from Lendio, the demand for small-business loans is on the rise nationwide. In Q2 2019, the number of small-business loan inquiries increased 27 percent over the previous … [More]
Email Efficacy in the Workplace
A It’s commonly assumed email is the best way to reach people in the workplace, but the numbers are starting to tell a different story. In a recent survey SlickText conducted on workplace communication preferences, 60.8 percent of respondents said they ignore emails at work — whether from HR or another sender — and almost one out of two respondents said receiving fewer emails … [More]
Arizona Companies Score on LBGTQ-Inclusive Workplace Policies
America’s leading companies and law firms are meeting strengthened criteria to meet the evolving needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community around the world, according to the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) recently released by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. The … [More]
Do Employers Care about #MeToo?
In the first major study of its kind to look at both the employer and individual employee perspectives on the most important issues surrounding work today, the recent Workplace Intelligence Report from Greenhouse identified troubling gaps in employer-based programs that address diversity and inclusion (D&I) and sexual harassment. According to the report, talent is often … [More]
Marketers: Don’t Forget the Human Connection
For many organizations, the race to master data and harness the power of the marketing technology stack has resulted in the customer and, perhaps, an understanding of human relationships being lost. In a recent research study from the CMO Council, in partnership with Harte Hanks, 41 percent of respondents acknowledged that focusing on the relationship being built, instead … [More]
Influencer Marketing: More than a Pretty Face
Evaluating how companies are evolving influencer marketing strategies in 2019, leading social listening and analytics platform Talkwalker conducted a global survey of more than 800 marketing and PR professionals. The 2019 Influencer Marketing report illustrates findings that point to an inevitable maturing of influencer marketing, but finds that many experts suggest that brands … [More]
Voice Assistants Are Redefining the Way Americans Shop
Voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri have ushered in a new era of customer interactions with technology. Individuals can use voice assistants on a range of smart devices (e.g., smart speakers, smart phones, etc.) to carry out a multitude of tasks. From asking for directions to shopping, voice assistants have enabled consumers to acquire information and make … [More]
GDPR Is Path to Trust and Improved Customer Experience
Marketers from organizations who took the lead in preparing to meet and exceed GDPR data standards have noted increased trust and engagement levels with customers, according to data from the CMO Council, collected in partnership with SAP Customer Experience, that it reported in “GDPR: Impact and Opportunity — How Marketing Leaders Addressed GDPR Readiness and Compliance.” While … [More]
Employee Financial Wellness and the Company Bottom Line
New research quantifies the improvements in employee retirement preparedness which generate ROI for an employer by reducing the costs of delayed retirements. The “Special Report: The ROI of Improving Employee Retirement Preparedness,” from Financial Finesse’s Financial Wellness Think Tank, found that, for a 50,000-employee company, this could lead to a savings of $65 million or … [More]
Top Business Challenges During Political and Economic Uncertainty
Operational efficiency, obtaining new customers and talent acquisition are the top priorities for businesses going into 2019, according to a recent Enterprise Bank & Trust Think Tank survey. Heading into 2019, business is ripe with opportunity; however, political and economic landscapes present a lot of uncertainty and angst for business owners. With privately held … [More]
Even Mobile Shoppers Prefer Live Consumer Support
Mobile shopping is booming in the U.S. as we prepare to enter 2019. According to the 2018 Internet Trends Report from Kleiner Perkins, mobile shopping app sessions grew 54 percent year-over-year — the fastest growth of any mobile activity. In addition to shaking up traditional monetization models for brands and retailers, this is driving how consumers expect to interact with … [More]
