To recover from an injury, any boxer will credit being fit as critical to a speedy comeback. That’s not unlike an Arizona economy counting on being FIT to get it back to fighting form. Only this FIT stands for three pillars: franchise, invention and technology. Entrepreneurs and innovators from these three economic drivers are contributing to a new economy that is proving a … [More]
Bob Parsons, GoDaddy
One of Arizona’s economic strengths is its wealth of entrepreneurial activity. In fact, our state ranks among the highest in the nation for start-up enterprises. Businesses span the gamut from service to high-tech. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life start and develop businesses, feeding our economic engine with the fuel it needs to grow. This entrepreneurial activity … [More]
CopperPoint Mutual Emerges from SCF Arizona
“It seemed like a natural to turn the insurance business over to the people it was created for,” says Don Smith, CEO of what is now CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Company. His 14 years with the state’s workers’ compensation insurance company included leading SCF Arizona through its transition from a state fund to a private company, officially launched this past … [More]
Manage Distracted Employees
As all managers know, workday distractions are everywhere, stealing employees’ precious time and productivity. Between new technologies that beg for people’s attention to the prevalence of shortened attention spans, everyone on your team has the opportunity to be more distracted today than in the past. Of course, being distracted at work creates numerous problems, from missed … [More]
Are Teams Obsolete?
Ten years ago, the business world couldn’t stop talking about teams. Remember all those slightly cheesy posters that showed rowers rowing in perfect sync or maybe just close-ups of interlocked hands? As we saw it then, teams of smart, innovative people were how work would get done in the “organization of the future.” Well, here we are in the future, and teams — at least as we … [More]
Valley Meetings & Conventions Guide
Click here to view the entire Valley Meetings & Conventions Guide Over the past few years, Arizona has begun to rebound as a major event destination. Always a favorite among tourists and snowbirds, the Valley of the Sun is home to some of the best resorts, performance venues, conference centers and hotels. In Business Magazine presents this year’s guide, showcasing some … [More]
Business, Social Media and the First Amendment
A recent court case that upheld a business’s right to fine a customer for posting a negative review on social media may have some businesses questioning: Do we have legal recourse when someone bad-mouths us? Does the First Amendment protect people who say bad things about our company? What is often overlooked in these discussions is the fact that the First Amendment does not … [More]
Companies Must Be Open to Stakeholders Who Criticize
Now is a new age of stakeholder activism. From single billionaires seeking to disrupt boards to activist “Davids” in the field launching stones at the temple of these global Goliaths, more and more passionate — and very vocal — critics are scrutinizing how corporations handle issues like energy, water use, conservation and social justice. “‘Corporate mansions’ have taken on … [More]
Mark Russell: Translating Training to Guest Experience
“Training. It’s all about training.” So says Mark Russell, CEO and founder of Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, when asked about how he stays ahead of the pack. His office is a wonderland of street signs, old marketing signs and wooden barrels, and he’s got a pinball machine behind his desk. It’s a décor not unlike that of his restaurants — hardly surprising, as he actually decorates … [More]
Beacon Technology Application: Service Tool with Money Stream
SightCompass was conceived as a solution for blind and visually impaired individuals needing to navigate in unfamiliar locations. But in the short time since beginning to build the technology — in 2011 — founders Briggs Cunningham, Ken Hirsch and Steve Lippert have identified much broader application in the marketplace, with tremendous revenue-generating potential, and are … [More]
Medical Dispensing System Gets Boost from Marijuana
The emerging and high-profile marijuana industry — medical and otherwise — has provided a big boost to a company whose technology was initially patented for broad-scope use across the traditional pharmaceutical industry. Medbox is a biometrically controlled dispensing and storage system into which pharmacy staff places the prescribed drug and from which the patient retrieves it … [More]
Amateur Sports League Follows NBA Business Model
Calling it a “grassroots marketplace,” Jamar Johnson is bringing to Phoenix his concept of Community Basketball Leagues as a platform that connects amateur basketball players and sports-related marketing opportunities for small businesses. Basketball has always been his passion, says Johnson, who went to college on a basketball scholarship and played professionally although not … [More]
Subscription Model Makes the Cut for Barbershop
The concept of a subscription-based barbershop is modeled on NetFlix, according to co-owner Josh Thorsvik, who explains it works because it’s something people “want more of.” In fact, it was the business model itself that came first, and then “we considered what types of business would fit.” Thorsvik and Jacob Meltzer, already business partners with a Liberty Tax franchise, … [More]
Head Start for Start-ups
Mastery Media Marketing recently broadcast the first episode of “Behind the Business Card,” which focuses on introducing entrepreneurs to the show’s concept of educating start-up business owners by sharing stories from those who have built successful businesses, as well as by sharing strategies, tips and information on how to become the “go to” expert and authority in their … [More]
Get Local and Compare
Founded in 2011, Locality is a service that businesses can use to create an online profile and publish their company information for free to be accessed by services worldwide. Locality.com provides comprehensive pricing and store hours and information for more than 60 local service types in 10,000 cities across the U.S. Consumers can find and compare services like hair salons, … [More]
Don’t Track Me
From a Chicago-based technology company whose mission is to make mobile call management more efficient, CallSnap is a new Android application that provides call recipients the chance to prove that “a picture’s worth a thousand words” by responding instantly to an incoming call with a photo rather than a message. The Android app is was created to fill the growing interest by … [More]
Be FlightAware
FlightAware, the world leader in flight tracking, offers the only free flight tracking/flight status app for a personal electronic device. The app is rated as one of the best and tracks all airline flights, gate information, delays and cancellations. It also tracks charter and private aircraft, and uses GPS to see nearby aircraft flying overhead. … [More]
Success Follows Attitude
The Success Index was developed based on responses to questions regarding business growth and characteristics proven to be emblematic of high-performing entrepreneurs. Based on a 100-point scoring scale, four distinct levels emerged: “strugglers” (scoring 0-40 points), “sustainers” (scoring 41-60 points), “strivers” (scoring 61-80 points) and “high achievers,” who scored … [More]
