For years, conversations about supportive housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have largely centered on compassion, independence and quality of life. Those priorities remain critically important. But today, Arizona faces another consequence of its housing shortage that deserves equal attention: the growing impact on our workforce and … [More]
Why Arizona’s Supportive Housing Shortage Is Becoming a Workforce Challenge
Companies have meaningful opportunities to become part of the solution
Beyond the Rate: How to Leverage Term Loans for Growth
When most people think of a loan, they focus on a single number: the interest rate. But for small business owners, borrowing should be a much more strategic decision. A term loan is a versatile tool. Whatever its purpose, the true value of a loan comes down to protecting cash flow and scaling the business. Matching the Loan to the Need Business owners often treat an … [More]
Benefits of Cross-Border Philanthropy
Borderland synergies exist for Arizona nonprofits
It’s no secret that global philanthropy is increasing. Arizona nonprofits are developing scalable, novel products that have reached across country borders. The state’s universities are partnering with alumni around the globe for financial support and combining worldwide funds to advance joint research and educational programs. Situated in a borderland state, Arizona’s … [More]
The American Franchise Act: Seeking Clarity in the Relationship between Franchisors and Franchisees
Long-awaited federal legislation aims to bring greater certainty to franchisors and franchisees by clarifying joint-employer liability
Franchising is an important part of the Arizona economy, enabling entrepreneurs to operate independently owned businesses under established brands and to leverage the strength of proven business systems, operational support and brand recognition. Business owners, therefore. have reason to pay attention to the proposed American Franchise Act, which seeks to reduce uncertainty in … [More]
Koa Pediatric Therapy Is There for Parents As Well As Patients
Koa Pediatric Therapy is a specialized occupational therapy practice based in Scottsdale, Arizona, dedicated to supporting children’s development through a range of therapeutic services. “Rooted in the belief that play is essential to growth and learning, our approach empowers children to thrive in every stage of their journey,” says Lindsey Sandys, OTD, OTR/L, who explains the … [More]
Keep Car Seats Clean with Snap-n-Go Seat Sheet
Cre8ive Brands, LLC launched in 2024 with Snap-n-Go Seat Sheet™, the first in what President Michelle Watson envisions as a line of “functional yet creative products.” Snap-n-Go Seat Sheet protects vehicle interiors against sweat, dirt, pet messes and everyday wear. Designed for convenience without sacrificing style, Snap-n-Go Seat Sheet installs in two quick … [More]
Healthcare Staffing’s Next Challenge Isn’t Hiring. It’s Operations
The healthcare staffing industry has spent recent years focused on one urgent priority: filling critical workforce shortages. As demand for nurses and healthcare professionals continues to outpace supply, staffing firms have worked tirelessly to recruit and place qualified talent. But a less visible challenge is emerging behind the scenes. Rapid hiring creates an increase in … [More]
From Smartphones to Vital Signs – Building Arizona’s Med-Tech Future
When Mitch Foster talks about healthcare innovation, he doesn’t start with buzzwords. He starts with reality. After more than three decades in medical devices and surgical robotics — including co-founding a spine and brain surgery robotics company that successfully exited — Foster has seen firsthand how difficult it is to translate promising technology into real clinical … [More]
Why Your Business Might Be Invisible to AI Search
A growing share of the questions that used to begin on a search results page now begin in a chat window. A customer looking for a Chandler accountant or a Tempe HVAC company may ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews and act on the answer without ever seeing a list of blue links. For Phoenix-area businesses, that shift raises an uncomfortable question: When an AI … [More]
Multifamily Real Estate in the Valley: Recovery from Oversupply
Pace, success and investment opportunity vary by submarket
Across the Valley, the multifamily real estate market has faced oversupply since COVID. However, Phoenix apartment absorption is now outpacing deliverables for the first time in five years, which signals the beginning of what we expect will be a gradual recovery. It’s important to keep in mind that the pace and success of this recovery vary greatly by submarket, and … [More]
Data Centers: Changing How Arizona’s Commercial Real Estate Risk Is Insured
Arizona's emergence as a hub for semiconductor manufacturing and data center development is altering the commercial real estate landscape, and local title insurers are adapting. Increased Project Scale The scale of today's projects is unlike anything the industry has seen before. Driven by demand in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced manufacturing, data … [More]
Frances Jacquelyne Ducar, Healthcare Solutions Centers
Healthcare remains a critical issue for employers. As a tool for both attraction and retention, healthcare coverage is a high-priority benefit to employees in all age groups. But its place in a business’s profit and loss accounting has evolved beyond strictly a Human Resources concern. After more than 35 years in healthcare, I have learned that the real cost of healthcare is … [More]
Phoenix Employers Need an AI Apprenticeship Scorecard
Greater Phoenix is building a technology economy that needs both automation and a deeper talent bench. In Business Magazine’s August issue puts young workers, AI accountability and the semiconductor workforce in the same conversation. Arizona is also expanding a registered-apprenticeship system that now reaches modern sectors, including semiconductors, cybersecurity, healthcare … [More]
Phoenix Has the Entrepreneurs. They Need Better Places to Grow
Phoenix does not have a shortage of entrepreneurial ambition. What it lacks is enough flexible, professional space for businesses that have outgrown where they started but are not yet ready for the cost and commitment of a traditional commercial lease. That is the gap FlexEtc was built to fill. FlexEtc is a flexible business infrastructure platform that gives entrepreneurs, … [More]
The Power of Staying: What Hospitality Can Learn from a Culture Built for Change
In hospitality, we talk a lot about creating memorable experiences for our guests. But behind every great guest experience is something equally important: a team that feels valued, connected and invested in the place they choose to work. That has become increasingly challenging across our industry. Hospitality is a people business, yet retaining experienced employees and … [More]
Data in Constant Flux? Tech Slashes Updating Time & Effort
Our full-service marketing agency has spent the past year automating how we manage digital advertising for our retail and homebuilder clients, using Fluency, the agentic advertising operating system. Our shift to agentic automation addresses a problem familiar to many agencies: Growth has traditionally required hiring more staff as new clients are onboarded. Our … [More]
The Corporate Gift That Actually Gets Eaten
Most corporate gifts end up in a drawer. A logo mug, a fleece vest, a box of chocolates from three states away. The sender meant well. The recipient forgot by Friday. Popcorn works differently. Open a tin in a break room and people wander over, grab a handful and start talking. The gift gets shared, and the company that sent it becomes part of the conversation. That is the … [More]
Who’s Really Managing Your Healthcare Dollars?
Employers are becoming healthcare purchasers, and the old model of simply trusting the plan may be over
“Most employers know their total healthcare spend, but far fewer understand where those dollars actually go. Healthcare is one of the largest expenses on the P&L, yet it is often one of the least transparent.” Paul Pruitt, co-founder and chief growth officer at SHARx, a prescription advocacy and drug procurement program, succinctly relates what others similarly … [More]
