Government regulations can be a double-edged sword — either they cut off business from a lucrative market or they slice through red tape, enhancing the bottom line. Either way, the purported goal is to protect the public from less-than-honest merchants, but overzealous regulators can take a well-intentioned rule and use it to cause private-sector headaches. As we explore in … [More]
Regulation: Q&A with Glenn Hamer and Farrell Quinlan
Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Farrell Quinlan, Arizona state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, were interviewed regarding the state of government regulations in general and specifically in Arizona. Here are their responses to a series of questions. How do government regulations help economic … [More]
Glenn Hamer, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Regulation is a framework for business. It can be a strong support by which businesses can grow and thrive, but conversely can be a tight mesh of barriers that obstruct efforts by businesses to develop. Arizona is widely viewed as a state whose regulatory environment is conducive to business. Former Gov. Jan Brewer made regulatory reform a hallmark of her administration. One … [More]
Company-wide “Bad Mood”? Boost the Entrepreneurial Spirit
When a company is in a bad mood, the signs aren’t always overt. People aren’t biting each other’s heads off or glaring sullenly across the conference table. Instead, it feels like everyone is just … coasting. Rather than digging for solutions, they make a cursory effort and then lay the problem at their manager’s feet. They’re not cage-rattlers and idea-sharers; they’re “yes … [More]
Who Are You – What’s Your Brand?
As a professional recruiting and staffing executive, I am amazed at how few business owners and corporate executives have consciously built their personal brand. Perhaps they don’t think of themselves as a brand, but in the competitive business marketplace, they can ill afford not to do so. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, … [More]
Slander Lawsuits: Complicated and Costly
Someone is defaming you or your firm … what action should you take? Before even considering legal action, it’s important to understand what defamation is. “Defamation is making a false statement about someone that causes damage to his or her reputation,” says Daniel Barr, a partner in the Phoenix office of Perkins Coie, LLP. “Libel is written defamation and slander is spoken, … [More]
Evaluating the Nonprofit CEO’s Performance
Nonprofit boards are notorious for dragging their feet when it comes to evaluating the leaders of the nonprofits they serve. For starters, the process is perceived as a time-consuming endeavor. But mostly, boards aren’t really sure how to conduct the evaluation. Nonprofits are, after all, measured beyond profit margins to their community outreach efforts as well as their social … [More]
Marie Sullivan: Leading AWEE by Positive Example
When Marie Sullivan became president and CEO of Arizona Women’s Education & Employment (AWEE) in 1997, the nonprofit organization’s funding was holding steady in the $400,000 range. “Today it fluctuates between $2.9 million and $4.5 million,” Sullivan says. Referring to nonprofits as “curious beasts” that have to rely on a lot of sources for their funding and … [More]
The FBI’s 10 Internet Safety Tips
Use reliable anti-virus software, and set it to update. Ensure the system’s personal firewall is active. Update patches on operating systems. Use complex passwords, and make sure the system does not have default passwords. Think carefully about information shared on social networking sites. FBI Special Agent Paul Schaaf offers an example of a post not to make public: … [More]
Cyber Security or Digital Vulnerability?
The common advice — and practice — about passwords is wrong, says cyber security expert Hoyt Kesterson. The former chairman of the international committee involved in creating digital signature credential protocols, the current senior security architect for Scottsdale-based Terra Verde Services points out that oftentimes, being required to frequently change their password puts … [More]
Growing the Scottsdale Cure Corridor
The City of Scottsdale’s directed effort to expand the presence of medical-related business is focused on a T-shaped geography that runs along Scottsdale Road from the Airpark to Thomas Road and along Shea Boulevard from Scottsdale to the Mayo facility at 136th Street, which it has branded the “Cure Corridor.” The city created a YouTube video, The Scottsdale Cure Corridor, to … [More]
Primary Need for Primary Care
In its report “Advancing Primary Care Delivery: Practical, Proven and Scalable Approaches,” UnitedHealth Group’s Center for Health Reform & Modernization cites new research that shows a clear relationship between more primary care physicians practicing in a local healthcare market and lower rates of avoidable hospital admissions and emergency department visits. The … [More]
Personal Health Files
“Anywhere there’s an Internet, members can access their health records,” says Arnold Curry, M.D., MBA, who began developing Medical Records Systems about eight years ago and launched it in 2012. Although electronic health records are becoming the norm for health providers, individuals may not have access to files kept by their doctor. HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability … [More]
Diagnosis by Crowd
Spurred by his sister’s prolonged suffering with a medical condition that eluded diagnosis by top doctors, Jared Heyman founded CrowdMed to “harness the wisdom of crowds,” especially to help people with rare or difficult to diagnose conditions. He observes, “The crowd is collectively smarter than even the smartest people in the world.” Individuals complete a questionnaire … [More]
Tech Project Team Includes Kids
Software designers and developers at the Chandler offices of Pearson, a global company that provides education products and services to institutions, governments and individuals, are working on an early literacy mobile app for preschoolers — and part of the multi-generational project team are kids in grades 3 through 7. “We brainstorm with them to uncover the needs for … [More]
Construction Funding on Credit
CreditSuppliers, an Arizona-based liability company, recently developed a FinTech (finance technology) designed for the needs of the construction industry — providing revolving lines of credit to contractors, subcontractors, merchants and suppliers. The new lending platform will provide contractors with Web-based help to jump-start their business and complete development … [More]
CO+ECHANGES: Global Collaboration
CO+EXCHANGES, an Arizona nonprofit launched in September of 2014 and operating via the CO+HOOTS Foundation, is the first co-working and entrepreneurial cultural exchange program. Designed to bring together the most innovative entrepreneurs and co-workers, it is centered on a wide variety of goals, from driving economic development internationally and promoting worldwide … [More]
High Times in North Phoenix
Developed as a dynamic, mixed-use destination in the Northeast Valley, High Street is ringing in the New Year with an infusion of varied businesses. The contemporary urban streetscape fronts 628,000 square feet of retail, services, Class A office space, luxury apartment homes, and dining and nightlife that includes La Boca Wine Bar & Urban Kitchen and Kona Grill. Recent … [More]
