Savanna and Perry Stephens launched their career as the owners of the Phoenix, Arizona, SpeedPro Desert Valley franchise in 2020 after relocating from their home in New Mexico. While starting a business venture in a new city presented its own unique set of challenges, the Stephens were focused on something much more significant — tearing down barriers for autistic individuals. … [More]
Prep Now for Open Enrollment – 5 Steps to Ensure Success
For many, open enrollment is a dreaded time of year. With more than 20 years of open enrollment seasons under my belt, I have experienced my fair share of employers calling me in crisis because they just received their insurance renewals and do not have a good plan of action. The problem with this approach is that it leaves little time to properly plan for success. This year … [More]
New Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Avondale
ClearSky Health, an established rehabilitative healthcare provider, recently broke ground for a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Avondale, Ariz. The hospital will be located at 109th Ave. and West McDowell Road, and is expected to open in summer 2022. ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Avondale will be a 30-bed facility that is expected to treat about 650 patients … [More]
Fintech Innovations Drive Business Worldwide
Fintech startups played a significant role in the global financial industry during the pandemic. Payments companies especially have brought rapid solutions to aid the transition in commerce, which shifted from physical to digital in a matter of months. Many brick-and-mortar businesses began to offer online services, which led to a significant 26% jump in global e-commerce … [More]
RPA Can Drive Fintech Growth … Will the Industry Take Advantage of It?
Research shows that the use of robotic process automation (RPA) allows companies to cut costs and deliver a better service. However, the fintech industry needs to face up to issues that limit its most effective use. RPA is the use of software to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks using cross-application programs, also called “robots.” It is used for more than cost … [More]
The Creative Brief Blueprint
As the world of marketing communications has become more tactically complex, the strategy behind the work has suffered. Most ads don’t achieve the results the company desires. The problem is, as technology has improved, people have become better at learning just how bad they are. As brands are able to test more efficiently, they are witnessing less effective and even … [More]
Blend Out
You’re skilled, you’re smart and you know how much you can accomplish, so why aren’t prospects beating down your door? It’s because they don’t know who you are. Snappy Kraken CEO Robert Sofia dives into the marketing history of some of the world’s most successful companies, exploring the steps they took that left an unshakable impression with their target audiences and then … [More]
Positioning for Advantage
Most of us have an intuitive sense of superior branding. We prefer to purchase brands we find distinctive — that deliver on some important, relevant dimension better than other brands. These brands have typically achieved positional advantage. Yet few professionals have had the formal training that goes beyond marketing theory to bridge the “theory-doing gap” — understanding … [More]
Businesses Benefit: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire people in certain target demographics who often experience employment barriers. This includes people coming off public assistance from COVID-related layoffs. Business owners who hire individuals coming off long-term unemployment of 27 weeks are eligible for a $2,400 to $9,600 tax … [More]
Fighting Defamation
Imagine Googling your name to find that you’ve been hijacked by a computer-savvy foe, who has cleverly labeled you a convicted sex offender, drug dealer or even worse. Rather than your usual business picture and bio, what pops up is completely false — the most damaging, horrific and graphic portrayal — and threatens to destroy your business and reputation and livelihood; … [More]
Record Giving Reaches $471 Billion. What Does It Mean for 2021?
While a strong year-end stock market and record giving in response to COVID-19 and racial justice efforts drove growth in contributions, a tumultuous year created an uneven picture. Total estimated charitable giving in the United States rose 5.1% from 2019 to 2020 (3.8%, adjusted for inflation), to $471.44 billion in contributions. This increase reflects flat or positive … [More]
2022 Polestar 2
From the frameless mirrors to the LED headlights and panoramic glass roof, the Polestar 2 is a vehicle that makes a clean break from bland tradition. Polestar is raising the bar of newness up a notch. With dual electric motors, a better battery and heightened handling, the Polestar 2 delivers 408 electric horses of powerful, precise performance on an unprecedented … [More]
Vaccinated – To Be or Not to Be
Some people might call it common sense, to use a term that, when invoked in conversation, is usually in the context of discussing something we feel is so painfully obvious that it ought to be commonly — that is, universally — understood, but isn’t. We’ve got an asset that many places in the world are crying out for. But its existence has spawned a tremendous divide between … [More]
Picazzo’s: Fusion Approach to Modern Italian
Restauranteurs are an adaptable bunch. But last year was a wild ride none of us could have predicted. At Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen, we are fortunate to have a passionate and loyal customer base who continued to support us with takeout orders during the shut-down, and a seasoned staff who rolled with the unpredictability, solving each challenge that came along. I am … [More]
Flip the Pyramid – Bottom-Up Pipeline for Ideas
Innovation doesn’t just come in a box or get delivered to overnight. Like a plant, it needs to be watered and fed so it can grow. Many organizations realize this, but the pipeline of ideas can get strangled, and ideas get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day business or, worse, have no place to go to be vetted and implemented. TruWest Credit Union recognized an untapped resource … [More]
Remote Control: Changing the Channel on How Work is Structured in a Post-Pandemic World
The impact of COVID on our communities has been far reaching and continues to evolve as we move into year two of this global pandemic. It has changed forever the way we view things like human connection, safety, education and even our work. Organizations have had to quickly adapt their service delivery models to a virtual environment, and millions of employees have made their … [More]
Arizona Gives Day 2021 Raises A Record-Breaking $7.1 Million For Statewide Nonprofits
Donors in communities across the state came together once again to show their incredible collective and heartfelt support for nonprofit agencies by raising $7.1 million on Arizona Gives Day on April 6, generating $1 million more than during last year’s record-shattering event. More than 40,000 donations supported 982 nonprofit organizations, both large and small, serving … [More]
Policies, Practices and Procedures That Reflect Your Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
I am often asked by organizations, “Where do we start?” when they want to integrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into their company culture. There are a lot of places to start on your journey and reviewing your policies, practices and procedures (PPP) is a great one. Think about your employees first. The employee experience and being able to retain top talent should always … [More]
