You’re leading a staff meeting or team huddle, and you ask your employees for their input and ideas. Seconds tick by, but all you hear is…crickets. No one is willing to speak up (or make eye contact, for that matter). As you wait for a response that isn’t coming, you feel increasingly uncomfortable and demoralized. We’ve all been there, says workplace management expert Jo … [More]
5 Elements That Make a Good Company Culture
Successfully attracting and keeping talent that helps your company continue to flourish is heavily influenced by one key factor: culture. Many job seekers are even placing a higher value on a company’s culture than their salary when choosing a position. This is a value Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest (BBB) holds high, not only with new employees, but every … [More]
How Does a Fraud Alert Work, and When Do You Need One?
If you’ve experienced fraud or are worried about potential identity theft, placing a fraud alert on your credit report may protect you from possible financial losses, the hassle of resolving fraudulent activities and adverse effects on your credit report. Fraud alerts are a preemptive security tool that people can implement to protect themselves, especially if they see … [More]
Black, Hispanic and Latina Women Report Increased Confidence in Investing Knowledge and Build Generational Wealth, Says Study
Black, Hispanic and Latina women have gained confidence in their investing knowledge in recent years and are investing to build generational wealth, according to new research from J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. J.P. Morgan surveyed 1,000 investors to uncover investing trends within Black, Hispanic and Latino communities. “Everyone should be building their wealth and J.P. … [More]
Is It Time to Reinvent Yourself? Four Ways to Know You’re Ready for a Career Pivot
A few short years ago, the pandemic set off a wave of soul-searching about the role work plays in our lives. Some lost their job and had to reskill, some retired early, and some left for better opportunities. In general, there’s been a collective realization that life is too short to stay in an unfulfilling job. Hopefully, the worst of COVID-19 is behind us—but here in 2023, … [More]
Caught Up in an Employee Conflict? Here’s How to Get Out of the Middle
One of your employees is butting heads with a colleague, and they’ve come to you for help solving the problem. This is what you hear: “I can’t talk to So-and-So about this; they’d blow up and make my life miserable,” or, “I tried to smooth this over, but it didn’t work,” or, “You’re our leader; can’t you help?” All of these complaints are typically accompanied by the … [More]
Monthly Housing Costs Hit All-Time High, Deterring Would-Be Buyers, Says Report
The median U.S. monthly mortgage payment hit an all-time high of $2,632 during the four weeks ending September 10. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the technology-powered real estate brokerage. What homebuyers need to know: It’s more expensive than ever to buy a home, with monthly payments at a record high due to stubbornly high rates and home prices. Although … [More]
Make It Easy: Streamlining Your Way to Customer Service Success
“Who designed this convoluted process? A monkey could have done a better job.” “Why do I have to come in and talk to someone? This whole transaction could be handled online. Frustrating!” “I dread going there. The parking lot is impossible to navigate, you fill out what seems like eight thousand forms before you see anyone, and often the staff is confused by the … [More]
Buyers Are Seeing More Options as Housing Market Hits Its Late-Summer Slowdown
An expected end-of-summer slowdown in the housing market came with a pleasant surprise for home shoppers in August. The latest market report1 from Zillow® shows an uptick of new listings. Although sellers are still listing fewer houses than pre-pandemic norms, the monthly increase gave buyers a bit of relief in the midst of a long-standing drought of inventory. "Those … [More]
What’s Behind Your Procrastination Habit? Four Unmet Needs That May Be Keeping You Stalled and Stuck
Most leaders are all too familiar with procrastination and how it manifests. Instead of tackling that tedious spreadsheet, writing that shareholder report, or instigating that tough performance conversation, we stall by answering the easy emails, cleaning out desk drawers, or (worse) falling down a social media rabbit hole. A harmless habit? Not at all. Workforce management … [More]
Elevating Leadership: The Importance of Health and Wellness on Productivity
In today's fast-paced and demanding business world, the role of leadership is paramount. Leaders are not just responsible for guiding their teams but also for setting an example in all aspects of their lives, including health and wellness. Entrepreneur Greg Lindberg suggests that there is an undeniable connection between leaders' well-being and their ability to drive … [More]
Expert Strategies for Securing Small Business Loans: Go from Surviving to Thriving
As an expert in commercial financing and cash flow management, Ambro Blackwell knows what it takes to attract financing for a new small business. He distills decades of valuable insights in his book, Small Business Loans Made Simple: Revealing Insider Secrets and Strategies For Established Businesses. “Every business can use capital, but most small business owners struggle … [More]
Business Owner Optimism Soars to 21-Year Record High while Hiring Concerns Linger, Says Survey
PNC's latest semi-annual survey of small and mid-sized businesses, which concluded Aug. 9, shows that business owner optimism about the outlook for their own business in the next six months has reached a 21-year high amid strong expectations for sales, profits and demand. Despite PNC economists' predictions for a shallow recession starting in early 2024, business leaders' … [More]
Home Equity Increases from Winter to Spring, Arizona Down $37K
CoreLogic®, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released the Homeowner Equity Report (HER) for the second quarter of 2023. The report shows that U.S. homeowners with mortgages (which account for roughly 63% of all properties) saw home equity decrease by 1.7% year over year, representing a collective loss of $287.6 billion, … [More]
Automated Lead Nurturing: An Essential Tool in Today’s Marketing Toolkit
The majority of high quality leads received through a company’s website never receive a response. Among the leads that do receive a response, 78 percent take more than an hour to respond to. Research suggests we will lose a customer’s attention unless they receive a response in 5 minutes or less. The need to respond to potential new customers and clients quickly, while you … [More]
More Than 80% of Home Shoppers Consider Climate Risks when Looking for a New Home, Says Survey
More than 4 out of 5 prospective home buyers consider climate risks as they shop, new Zillow research shows. Most say their major concern is flood risk, followed by wildfires, extreme temperatures, hurricanes and drought. "Climate risks impact where most prospective buyers shop for a home," said Zillow senior population scientist Manny Garcia. "While all generations … [More]
Don’t Get Distracted by Dazzle: Instead, Reliably and Repeatedly Deliver Good Customer Service
They’re hit or miss. Sometimes the service is marvelous. Other times it’s simply meh. I’m afraid to recommend their place because I can’t trust them to deliver. Maybe I’m just boring, but I don’t like surprises. They’re great one day and disappointing the next. I don’t need to be delighted. I just need what I need when I need it. What can I say, except every experience is … [More]
State Invests $5.4 Million in Nonprofit Arts Sector
A one-time investment of $5 million in support of Arizona’s arts sector is reaching communities throughout the state with today’s announcement of grants awarded to nonprofit organizations, festivals, and arts learning programs. On August 23, 2023, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona, announced 367 grant awards totaling $5,425,146. Grants … [More]
