NOVEMBER 2024

Cover Story

The Business of Arts & Culture: How Growing Arts & Culture Benefits Our Economy

“Arts and culture is a significant industry in Arizona,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, citing numbers that support the statement: The sector represents 3% of the state’s total GDP, employs more … [More]

Features

Buying or Selling a Business? Look Out for Employee Benefits Issues!

When a company is bought, sold, merged or reorganized, unexpected employee benefits issues may surface that can significantly affect the structure of the deal, liabilities and future benefit plan design for the surviving entity and its … [More]

Building Resilient Teams – The Core of Organizational Agility

Organizational agility, the capacity of an organization to adapt, respond to challenges and innovate, is often viewed through a project management lens. However, Agile principles also serve as leadership principles that guide organizational agility. … [More]

Plexus Worldwide Nourishes Communities

Founded in 2008 by Tarl Robinson and Alec Clark, Plexus Worldwide has grown from selling its Breast Chek™ Kit to offering more than 20 health and wellness products, including its flagship "pink drink" Slim Microbiome Activating. Yet, beyond Plexus's … [More]

Roundtable

It’s All in Your Mind … Set

You start by opening your mind to different circumstances, different inputs, different ways forward, different people around you, and different … [More]

Economy

How Business Owners Can Optimize Their Estate Tax Plan

Entrepreneurs work tirelessly to build their companies, many with the intent to transfer their business to the next generation. But without proper … [More]

Legal

Unpaid Wages, Compensation and Tips, Oh My!

It sure seems like wage-and-hour lawsuits are flooding Arizona court dockets these days. And most of the defendants appear to be small to mid-size … [More]

Nonprofit

Upskilling Employees Is an Investment in Company Growth, Success

As technology advances and a new generation steps into the workforce, organizations face increasing pressure to provide professional growth and … [More]

From the Top

John Willenborg’s Vision of Adventure – How Owl Vans Is Changing the Game

When it comes to business innovation, John Willenborg, founder of Owl Vans, has found his stride by being a "jack of all trades" rather than a specialist. While some might see this as a disadvantage, … [More]

By The Numbers

Marketing & Security Must Work Together to Safeguard and Grow Brand Trust

The importance of collaboration between an organization’s marketing and security leaders is the focus of the recently released report from the CMO Council, in partnership with KPMG, entitled … [More]

Startups

Now Pools Innovates On-Demand Pools and Spas

Now Pools is the first “on demand” pool and spa company. As co-owner Ross Novotny explains, “Our clients get a pool or spa when they want it, and get their yard back for the rest of the year.” When … [More]

Surprise Home Improvement Aims to Raise the Bar

Surprise Home Improvement was established to meet the growing demand for professional handyman and property management maintenance services in the West Valley area. Taking his decade-plus experience … [More]

Healthcare

Chronic Condition Management: Employer Strategies for Better Health

The rising prevalence of chronic disease is causing employers to rethink their workplace healthcare benefits. A condition is considered chronic when it lasts longer than a year and requires ongoing medical attention or limits daily living activities, … [More]

Technology

Marketing Strategies in a World Of Opt-Outs

By now, the phrase “reject all cookies” is more closely associated with browsing the internet than dieting. In June, Google announced it would allow users of the Google Chrome browser to opt-in or opt-out of third-party data collection, … [More]

Semi Insights

New Legislation Clears Path for Arizona’s Expanding Chip Industry

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly’s bipartisan Building Chips in America Act — a critical piece of legislation aimed at cutting the bureaucratic red tape that slows down the construction of semiconductor factories in the U.S. while proclaiming to maintain … [More]

Down but Not Out

Intel, a key player in the global semiconductor industry and an anchor for Arizona's tech economy, is at a critical juncture. Despite financial challenges and significant layoffs announced earlier this year, Intel's future remains tied to the success … [More]

CRE

Manufacturing Construction Growth

The metro Phoenix manufacturing sector is thriving, attracting heavy-hitter industries as part of a North American surge that — between 2010 and 2023 — has tripled the nation’s average yearly manufacturing construction spend rate to $210 … [More]

Briefs

ReadyTechGo Impact for Businesses and Local Economy

Phoenix leads manufacturing job growth in the Unites States, with more than 15,000 new jobs created in 2023 alone. Driving this growth is Arizona’s strategic location in the region, robust infrastructure and business-friendly environment that … [More]

The Crumbling of DEI

The headlines tell the story: Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are being deprioritized by some of the world’s largest companies. A recent blow came from Lowe’s, which announced a pullback on its DEI initiatives aimed at LGBTQ groups, marking a … [More]

Debunking the Myth of Sales Volume in Business Valuation

When it comes to selling a business, there’s a pervasive myth that increasing sales is the golden ticket to a successful sale. Sales is not the sole determinant of a business’s attractiveness to potential buyers. There are many other factors that can … [More]