After a year of eating at home -- and finding escapism in the form of freshly baked bread or desserts -- home buyers want the professional features and equipment to take their cooking to the next level. New Zillow research finds buyers are willing to pay a premium for luxury kitchen amenities. From professional appliances to quartz countertops, six out of the top 10 features … [More]
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How to Sustain Flexible Thinking and Nimble Action
by Susan Robertson
To survive the pandemic, companies were forced to adapt very quickly to radically new circumstances. Even large organizations - where it’s typically difficult to shift directions quickly - managed to accomplish it. Leaders discovered that, when required, their organizations could act much more quickly and nimbly than they normally do. So, the obvious questions are 1) “What … [More]
Caregiving and Job Responsibilities Linked to Employee Mental Health Problems, Study Finds
meQuilibrium
It's been a full year since the pandemic started and many of us have experienced anxiety, stress and difficulty sleeping. For some, the pandemic has taken a serious toll on our mental health. Among the hardest hit were workers who took on additional work or caregiving responsibilities, a new meQuilibrium study of 7,500 members found. A quarter of survey respondents reported … [More]
Nearly 40% of Millennials Are Comfortable Buying a Home Online
Zillow
Tech-savvy millennials are not only driving the Zillow surfing trend, they could change the way we shop for and buy homes. A new Zillow survey1 finds the largest generation of first-time home buyers overwhelmingly want digital tools available during the home shopping process, and many are comfortable purchasing their biggest financial asset online. Nearly 40% of … [More]
Their Take: NFIB Denounces House’s Passage of PRO Act of 2021
NFIB
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, issued the following statement from Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman in response to the United States House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2021. The legislation would … [More]
A Look Back: US Mortgage Delinquency Rates Experience Record Highs and Lows in 2020, Says Report
CoreLogic
CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its monthly Loan Performance Insights Report for December 2020. On a national level, 5.8% of mortgages were in some stage of delinquency (30 days or more past due, including those in foreclosure), which represents a 2.1-percentage point increase in the overall … [More]
Americans Remain Hopeful About the Future of Their Careers Despite Turbulent Job Market and COVID-19 Challenges, Finds Career Optimism Index™
University of Phoenix
As the U.S. approaches the one-year mark of COVID-19 lockdowns, the University of Phoenix Career Institute has released the results of its first annual Career Optimism Index™, a comprehensive study measuring working Americans’ attitudes toward their careers to help identify barriers to career advancement and highlight solutions that can help all American workers accelerate … [More]
Mobile Wallets to Become $3.5T Worth Industry by 2023
Finaria.it
The global shift towards a cashless society created a huge space for mobile wallets as a safer and more convenient way of managing money. As the COVID-19 continues driving a digital transformation of payments, the entire segment witnessed impressive growth in the last year, both in the number of users and transaction value. According to data presented by Finaria.it, mobile … [More]
Data Shows Companies Do Not Prioritize Engagement of Disabled Employees
Global Disability Inclusion
Global Disability Inclusion in partnership with Mercer release findings from a 10-year study analyzing corporate survey data on the experiences of employees with disabilities compared to their non-disabled colleagues. The report finds employees with disabilities are significantly less engaged, and their employment experiences rank lower than all other diversity … [More]
Staying Limber: How Business Flexibility Is Key to Navigating Continued Pandemic Risks
by Will Spong
As we approach the pandemic’s one-year anniversary, significant challenges posed by Covid-19 remain. Even with vaccine distribution underway, infections continue to spread and new variants of the virus raise doubts as to when life may return to some version of pre-pandemic normal. For businesses, the continued uncertainty stemming from the pandemic means they must maintain a … [More]
Expanding Access to Credit Could Shrink the Homeownership Race Gap
Rick McCartney
Limited access to credit-building products and services disproportionately cuts off Black and Latinx Americans from the wealth-building advantages of homeownership that can last for generations, a new Zillow® analysis shows, shedding light on a prime barrier to entry for prospective homeowners of color. Twenty-six million Americans do not have a credit recordi and around … [More]
Productivity and Job Satisfaction Driven by Where You Live, Says Study
Nintex
Nintex, the global standard for process management and automation, today released region-specific findings from the Nintex Workplace 2021 Study which surveyed 1,000 American workers about their sentiment around their current jobs and the future of work. The study highlights a positive nationwide productivity statistic with 70 percent of those employees reporting being "more … [More]
Habits Highly Successful Business Managers Have (and How to Get Them)
PEO Leadership
According to Gallup, bad managers cost businesses billions each year, and account for at least 70% of variances in employee engagement scores. Having a highly successful business manager is crucial to the overall success of a company. The problem, however, is that not everyone knows what type of habits effective managers have. By being able to identify what those habits are, … [More]
Their Take: Hope Delivered Every 10 Seconds
by Pam Kehaly, President and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
By all accounts, Arizona has had a rough time through the COVID-19 pandemic. A staggering loss of more than 15,000 Arizonans, punctuated by devastating economic and mental health impacts, left our state reeling. Vaccinations mean that hope is here, and Arizona’s recovery has been jumpstarted with one of the highest-volume, 24/7 vaccination sites in the country at State Farm … [More]
Top Reasons Why Your Employees Should Improve Their Business Language
by Phil Cord
No matter the type of organization, efficient business communication is crucial. Unfortunately, many companies struggle to manage miscommunication and foster honest, open communication. Just as employers raise their business's competencies using professional services (like Edinburgh translation services), they can enormously benefit from adding business language training to … [More]
Three Ways to Reduce the Risk of a Tax Audit
by Tom Wheelwright, CPA
Many people fear a tax audit. So much so that they choose to give up legal tax savings in the hope of avoiding the possibility of an audit, and many times at the advice of their own tax advisor. However, when done right, identifying legal tax saving opportunities actually helps reduce your audit risk. What Are the Risks? When it comes to audit risk, there are two factors … [More]
Their Take: Harnessing One of the Biggest Marketing Movements of 2021
by Adam Witty
There is one element in particular that promises to be absolutely critical: inclusivity. This is bigger than a trend, though. In many ways, inclusivity has become a mandate. More than ever, consumers are demanding to see themselves and those they know and love reflected in the brands they buy from. if they don’t, they’re willing to spend their money somewhere else. In fact, … [More]
56% of Small Businesses Plan to Spend More Compensating Employees in 2021
Clutch
More than half of small businesses (56%) plan to spend more compensating their employees in 2021 than last year, according to a new report from Clutch , the leading B2B research and reviews firm. Clutch surveyed small business owners and managers in 2019 and 2021 to learn about what compensation and benefits they offer employees. The data reveals increased demand for health … [More]
