Are businesses in Arizona able to get the talent they need to operate? Do we even have a sizeable-enough employment pool? In some sectors, businesses have in the past had to resort to poaching skilled employees from one another, but such a practice is, obviously, not a route to growth for the overall economy. Businesses, government and education institutions in Arizona … [More]
Keep Your Call Centers, We’ll Keep Our Tech
With excessive sales jobs cluttering the job market in Phoenix, fresh tech talent is moving away from Phoenix in search for more promising positions. Over 2017, Phoenix can expect big companies to move into the region seeking its business-friendly, affordable environment. However, rather than bringing in favorable opportunities for fresh tech talent, more back-office jobs in … [More]
Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick, Maricopa Community Colleges
Many of the attributes Arizona touts as being attractors for business — quality of life, affordability, climate — are also factors that attract workforce. At the Maricopa Community Colleges, we are proud of the work we are doing with regional and state economic development organizations such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority to … [More]
Leadership: Take the Positive Advantage
Any business leader will submit that running a world-class organization is no easy feat. It’s challenging to work toward a vision and create a positive future for oneself and one’s team, especially given the challenges, adversity, negativity and tests of all kinds guaranteed to arise along the way. But in the face of these obstacles, one’s attitude makes all the difference in … [More]
Capitalizing on a Dashboard World
As the business world becomes ever more complex (and less and less forgiving), the ability to show data in a meaningful way — without overwhelming people or leading them to the wrong conclusions — has become a foundational skill for all leaders. The good news is there are a lot of tips and tricks you can use to create easy-to-understand, high-impact dashboards. Here are nine … [More]
Healthcare Fallout on Small Business
Employers Need a Stable Individual Insurance Market by Andrew Cavenagh The Affordable Care Act’s (Obamacare) health insurance exchanges are poised to collapse. By 2018, nearly 40 percent of all counties nationwide are expected to have only one insurer participating in the exchanges. More insurers are expected to leave the exchanges in the coming weeks. Tens of thousands of … [More]
Minimum Wage Touched by Tip Pooling
The recent uptick in collective action filings against Arizona restaurants compels a Human Resources focus on the requirements of tip pooling and an employer’s decision to take the tip credit. With minimum wage reaching $15 per hour in some cities and states, restaurateurs have been forced to address the disparity in pay rates between servers who can accept tips and kitchen … [More]
Jan Wichayanuparp: Making Ice Cream Social
Jan Wichayanuparp started her career in a very different place from where she is today as co-founder and “chief ice cream hustler” for her artisan ice cream shop, Sweet Republic. Before opening the first location in 2008, Wichayanuparp served as vice president of Asia Pacific Equity Capital Markets at Citigroup, where she oversaw equity and equity-linked transactions. It was … [More]
Deal-Steady Second Half?
A deals market that started 2017 with energy — anticipating action by a seemingly business-friendly government — has calmed somewhat at the midway point. But with deals volume up over 2016, PwC’s Deals Mid-Year Review and Outlook finds the outlook for the rest of the year remains largely positive. Wading through the Uncertainty in Washington With a new presidential … [More]
Multifamily Reflects Booming Phoenix Economy
Positive forces converge and are maintaining momentum in the multifamily sector, according to Marcus & Millichap’s Multifamily Research Market Report for second quarter 2017. Vacancy is expected to fall for the eighth consecutive year as economic growth supports continued success in the Phoenix apartment market. Corporate expansions and relocations from large, international … [More]
Grocery Anchors Multifamily in Tempe
The Local, a new, mixed-use development located on an 80,938-square-foot parcel at the intersection of University Drive and Ash Avenue, broke ground last month. Developed by Denver-based Forum Real Estate Group, The Local will be a unique luxury apartment residence anchored by Whole Foods Market 365 on the ground floor, with three levels of parking directly above, then five … [More]
Major Mixed-Use in Scottsdale
The Block, a 22-acre retail mixed-use center developed by MainSpring Capital and Forum Capital that broke ground recently, is the biggest retail center constructed in Scottsdale in five years. The Block at Pima Center will contain upwards of 70,000 square feet of free-standing pad and retail shop space: four freestanding pad sites for stand-alone users, 35,000 square feet of … [More]
Spec Suites Imagine the Future
As part of the reimagining of the iconic Renaissance Square in Phoenix, Cypress Office Properties, LLC., with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., engaged four of Phoenix’s most widely recognized architecture and design firms to collaboratively design office suites of the future for various industries in what is being called “Project Future.” The four speculative … [More]
Music Platform Innovates on Innovation
Streaming music lies at the basis of Arena Music’s business operations, but its success comes from taking that technology and giving it an innovative twist in the business plan. In fact, “It’s more about doing everything opposite,” says founder Damon Evans, referring to the major subscription-based music streaming platforms. “Arena is an on-demand merchandise storefront that … [More]
Locksmithing via Cloud
KeyMe takes a new approach to locksmithing, a $7.5-billion industry, using a digital scan that is securely stored in the cloud. KeyMe comes in the form of both a kiosk and an app, and allows users to store, share and duplicate their physical keys Customers can instantly make copies of their keys at a kiosk. Or use the app to digitally scan keys from their mobile device — … [More]
Partnering in Delivery
In a strategic partnership, OnTrac, which specializes in delivery services throughout the eight western-area states, and AB&R® (American Barcode & RFID) have joined forces to address issues in mobility and route management, and package tracking. AB&R is working together with OnTrac to move their devices over to AndroidTM devices. The Android operating system is … [More]
Value-based Care: For Employers, It’s a Prescription for the Future
Delivering best-in-class products at a fair price and with stellar customer service is at the core of every company’s mission. Now, the healthcare industry is embracing these principles with a progressive model of care that rewards physicians and hospital systems for the quality of their clinical outcomes instead of the number of services they provide. Insiders call it a … [More]
Drug App for Kids with Cancer
The Purple Drug Guide, a unique drug research tool to help families dealing with pediatric cancer, combines detailed treatment information in a user-friendly format. The free mobile app offered by Scottsdale-based nonprofit The Purple Society also enables comparison of pricing information. “Knowledge is power, and this new app gives the family the ability to make educated … [More]
