Taking housing as a barometer of the economy, Metro Phoenix is looking pretty good. Multifamily developments, especially, seem to be sprouting on every block, and one of the biggest complaints heard in development circles is there is a shortage of construction workers — a situation exacerbated by the fact that the construction sector has shown the greatest growth rate (12.7 … [More]
Jonathon Vento, True North Studio
Housing is a popular focus of economists and investors gauging the strength (or lack) of our economy — from urban towers and infill projects to sprawling master-planned communities. It’s a tremendous time for urbanization in cities across the country. The projects that we at True North Studio produce are inspired by, and contribute to, the fabric of a neighborhood and foster … [More]
Successful Succession in a Family Business
It’s wonderful to be able to work with your children and imagine them taking the reins some day. But it requires a careful strategy. Seventy percent of all businesses are family businesses in the United States, but only two thirds survive past the first generation. Why? There’s a myth surrounding family businesses that sets them up for failure. If you want your children to … [More]
Networking Is for Introverts
Why do we have a visceral reaction to the word “networking”? I often hear the mental machinations that hold us back, like, “I have nothing to say” or “They don’t want to talk to me.” The other roadblock is how it feels — yucky! I have heard people refer to networking as manipulation, pasting on a smile, schmoozing (which sounds like “oozing,” which makes me think of an open … [More]
The Marijuana Proposition
Marijuana is a booming business and all eyes are on Arizona. With an estimated $400 million in sales for 2018, medical marijuana has proven a lucrative business opportunity. Adding to the excitement, Arizona is gearing up to issue industrial hemp licenses under the Industrial Hemp Program, which is scheduled to go live this summer. Those seeking to enter these markets should be … [More]
Ted Anderson: Creativity and Relationships
Success isn’t about rigidly adhering to a plan at any cost. As Ted Anderson, president and founder of ANDERSON Advertising + PR, will tell you, building a legacy brand requires constant evolution, and so does advertising. “With the ever-changing landscape of our industry, and that of our clients’ industries, I’ve found that there is no single ‘right’ way forward,” he says. … [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]
True Salt – All-Natural and Unrefined
“While working in Mexico, I discovered this amazing salt and felt that it would be a natural substitution for what restaurants and hotels currently use,” says Brian Pierce. Taking that inspiration, he founded True Salt mid last year, bringing to market an all-natural, unrefined sea salt from the Sea of Cortez — salt with nutrients and flavor, without chemicals or … [More]
Dental Marketplace, Online
The first-ever online dental marketplace — and the only alternative to traditional dental insurance — launched its website out of Arizona a year ago, in March 2018. It was founded with the aim of helping consumers save on dental services and procedures, as well as assist dental practices in growing their client base. “Insurance options have simply become unaffordable for … [More]
Phoenix Rising: Driving Forces Behind One of America’s Fastest Growing Cities
According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2017, Phoenix edged Philadelphia out to become the fifth biggest city in the United States, with an estimated population of over 1.61 million, and is forecasted to rank at least fourth by 2020. It’s worth looking at how a flourishing flexible office market supports widespread growth. Bill Gates to Invest in the Nation’s Next Smart City in … [More]
Taylor Morrison Expands in Southeast Valley
Taylor Morrison, a leading national builder and developer, is expanding in the Southeast Valley with the grand opening of Bellaza II in Chandler. The intimate community of Bellaza II will offer 38 home sites and a selection of three large, single-story floor plans ranging in size from approximately 2,911 to 3,509 square feet with up to 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 3-car … [More]
Arizona Center Transforms into Urban-Contemporary Center
Arizona Center, Phoenix’s original downtown entertainment destination, located at Third Street and Van Buren, recently completed construction on its $25 million makeover, which includes new creative office space, outdoor work stations, shopping, entertainment and casual dining. Complementing the new modern aesthetics is a new logo, website and brand identity. Among the … [More]
Why Hospitals Must Seek Scale
Each day seems to bring a new outcry that hospitals are attempting to get bigger to raise prices. A recent article, for example, said that hospitals are “behemoths” that are “throwing their weight around”… and have “essentially banished competition and raised prices for hospital admissions.” Reading these articles, you would think it was 1985, rather than closing in on … [More]
Small Businesses Gain the Buying Power of Big Corporations in Healthcare Benefits
CarynHealth, the small-business association health plan brand of Association Health Plans of America, LLC, offers an “association in the box,” the next-generation approach to the small employer healthcare marketplace. AHPA was formed to meet the breakthrough opportunity provided by the Association Health Plan regulation recently put forth by the U.S. Department of Labor … [More]
DoL Offers New Tool to Help Employers Understand Mental Health Issues
The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a new resource that helps employers better understand mental health issues, and provides valuable information and guidance for employers on strategies for recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities in the workplace. Created in coordination with the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and its … [More]
HR Teams Use Next-Gen Technologies to Win the Talent War
Artificial Intelligence is currently revolutionizing human resources. Although seemingly contradictory, AI automates repetitive tasks and allows managers to focus on what really matters — the people. AI’s emergence in HR is bringing the human element back to human resources, as workers can now spend more time on actually dealing with people (instead of tedious tasks that can be … [More]
Fast-Food Giant Sees Potential in Decision Logic Technology
The recent announcement that McDonald’s is spending more than $300 million to acquire Dynamic Yield Ltd., a tech company that is on the cutting-edge of “decision-logic” technology, has led some folks to wonder why a company like McDonald’s would want to sink such massive funding into a tech company. “Chains like McDonald’s have been acquiring intellectual property and/or … [More]
To Better Serve the Hispanic Community, Translation Must Be More than Literal
Plexus Worldwide™, a leading direct-seller of health and wellness products worldwide and a company that focuses on health and happiness, recently announced a formal initiative to better serve the diverse Hispanic community in the United States. Doing much more than just translating literally all materials, Plexus is making sure each release is being uniquely reviewed to … [More]
