Tales of usurers make for enduring literature (Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is a notable example), but it’s an indisputable fact that commerce would not exist without reputable financial institutions and loan opportunity. Of course, banking has evolved to be much more than a lending resource. For instance, as Toby Day, chairman of the Arizona Bankers Association and … [More]
Diversity Trends in Small Business Investing
Maria Contreras-Sweet, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the voice of small business on President Obama’s Cabinet, last month heralded the release of “Measuring the Representation of Women and Minorities in the SBIC Program,” a groundbreaking SBA study showing the racial and gender makeup of investment boards is tied directly to investment decisions … [More]
James Lundy, Alliance Bank of Arizona
Banking is the foundation on which business and commerce are built. Persistent low interest rates, tougher regulations, capital requirements nearly double their pre-financial crisis levels, and emerging competition from “Fintech” firms are today’s challenges, but banks continue to be the critical financial intermediary from global conglomerates to small, local … [More]
The Integration of Love and Business
Driving and texting. Church and state. Love and business. At first glance, one would think these things should stay as separate from one another as possible. And, frankly, that’s how most people treat them — as combinations that simply don’t mix well, each half of the given pair to be compartmentalized and engaged with on its own. The thought of love being exercised in … [More]
Combat Social Media Mud-Slinging
Winston Churchill said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” An Internet search for “Charlotte police shooting” will pull up more than 20,000 news articles and videos littered with speculations and quotes from witnesses, family members and police. Did Keith Lamont Scott have a gun, or was it just a book? The viral nature of … [More]
SBA Awards $18.8 Million to Support Small-Business Trade Growth
Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, last month announced $18.85 million to support export growth among American small businesses. The funding was awarded through SBA’s competitive State Trade Expansion Program. The share for Arizona businesses in Fiscal Year 2016 is $299,903. Calling it a boon for America’s small businesses, … [More]
How a Breach of Trust Can Propel You Forward
It is a critical planning time of year. Your senior leadership team needs your analytical skills tuned in to improving not just capital growth but the systems underpinning that growth. What happens when the system in need of improvement is behavioral? In the September edition of In Business Magazine, Tyrone Benson, Ph.D., quality and reliability research and development … [More]
The Employer Shared Responsibility of the Affordable Care Act
After considerable fits and starts, the employer responsibility provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are now in full play. While implementing regulations and related notices can be complex, business owners should understand the basics in order to avoid penalties, identify the best-suited healthcare solutions for their workforce and remain … [More]
Donor Stewardship Done Right
Stewardship: (noun) stew·ard·ship \ˈstü-ərd-ˌship\ — the activity or job of protecting and being responsible for something. What exactly does stewardship mean to a nonprofit and its donors — and to the corporate executives sitting on the nonprofit boards they serve? Aside from assuming custody of gifts, managing them and applying those resources responsibly toward the … [More]
Be Alzheimer’s-Friendly to the Public
Enabling public-facing businesses to better serve a consumer population dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Home Instead Senior Care last month rolled out a special Alzheimer’s Friendly BusinessSM training program. “The unpredictable nature of the disease is one of the biggest deterrents to going out in public,” says Rey Graf, client care representative with the local … [More]
Healthcare IT Grows in Niche Market
Phoenix-based Topaz, a healthcare IT company that recently underwent a rebranding to support its evolution to a national provider of healthcare technology solutions, has grown since its founding in 2008 from a staff of two focused solely on the Arizona market to a staff of 43 with clients in nine states. Javier Favela, president and CEO, credits that in large part to “a shift … [More]
New Company Investing in Healthcare Startups
Trinnovate Ventures, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona that launched last year focused on accelerating healthcare innovation, aims to improve quality of life, increase efficiencies and enhance the overall healthcare experience for consumers and providers through strategic investments. The company provides business resources, offers access to capital and … [More]
Personalized Systems Enhance Fire Safety
Technology has advanced the fire alarm industry from blaring horn strobes to intelligent voice communication. The trend is to provide more information and give directions, replacing the traditional “make a lot of noise and flash some lights to drive everybody away from the fire,” says David Burns, production manager with Siemens, a multifaceted engineering company. A key … [More]
AC in e-Commerce
“E-commerce dominates our buying patterns now,” says Erik Bryan, founder and owner of newACunit.com, observing that Amazon has changed the way people buy. “People want simplicity and affordability, and want what they want now. Bringing air conditioning to that platform was only a matter of when.” Buying air conditioning units over the Internet has already been happening — … [More]
Tee Time Mobile-ized
Folla Media LLC, a Scottsdale-based holding company of leading golf brands, has launched Golfpay, a golf reservation app that offers golfers a new way to book their tee times. The Web-based app is the first in the world to allow golfers to pay and check-in from their phone, creating a time-saving, hassle-free experience that is quickly becoming the norm in other … [More]
On-Demand Access for Homebuying
Real estate company Opendoor has launched an app for iPhone and Android that gives homebuyers instant access to hundreds of homes for sale in the Phoenix area. With a few taps, buyers can find homes that match their criteria, view home details, and instantly take the next step of visiting homes on their schedule. Opendoor has seen more than 60 percent of its home visits … [More]
‘Green’-Certified Buildings Becoming the New Normal
Third annual green building adoption index shows percentage of U.S. office space “green”-certified tops 40 percent Institutional owners of office buildings continued to pursue green building certifications in the 30 largest U.S. markets during 2015. Continuing an upward trend over the past decade, green certifications are now held by 11.8 percent of all surveyed buildings, … [More]
Avoid Salary Surprises with Federal Overtime Rule Change
The U.S. Department of Labor’s changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act scheduled to go into effect on December 1 raises the federal minimum salary level for overtime pay for FLSA-covered workers to $913 per week, or $47,476 annually. The rule change announced this past spring has many companies already making preparations; the following tips will help businesses ensure they … [More]
