The year 2020 can’t end quickly enough for most small business owners. Across the country, the pandemic forced many of them to close their operations temporarily – or permanently – and the continued economic uncertainty threatens to kill the ambitions of entrepreneurs who planned to launch businesses but now must put their dreams on hold. None of that bodes well for the … [More]
Why Do I Have to Praise Someone Just for Doing Their Job? And 4 Other Questions Leaders Have about Appreciation
Do you ever feel like there is way too much appreciation going on in your workplace? If you said no, you’re not alone. Your team would probably say the same thing. A Gallup survey revealed that 65% of employees haven’t received recognition in the last year. This directly correlates to the studies that consistently report that two-thirds of American workers are … [More]
Five Tips for Success in a Multi-Cultural Workplace
By standards relating to both morality and money, a diverse workplace is a successful workplace. In a brick-and-mortar office, diversity in the workplace is generally limited by the demographics of a given locale. As most know, COVID-19 forced many companies to start working completely remotely, and a lot of those companies are expected to continue this style of work, at least … [More]
Keeping Your Career Goals On Track, Even in a Remote World
Is remote work and a lack of face-to-face time with the boss derailing career advancement for ambitious employees? Possibly, but even when working from home, savvy individuals can find ways to demonstrate they possess what it takes to move up in the organization, says Kimberly Roush, founder of All-Star Executive Coaching and co-author of Who Are You… When You Are … [More]
Enterprise Bank Publishes First-Ever Community Impact Report
Enterprise Bank & Trust, the banking subsidiary of Enterprise Financial Services Corp (NASDAQ: EFSC), published its first-ever Community Impact Report. The report details Enterprise’s various programs, activities and contributions to the communities it serves - St. Louis, Kansas City, Phoenix, and the New Mexico communities of Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Albuquerque. The … [More]
New SBA Web Tool Helps with Market Research for Businesses
Small business owners and start-ups across the country can now take advantage of a new business tool to help them compete and grow. The free tool, called SizeUp, helps businesses identify new customers and compare their performance against other businesses in their industry with data collected from hundreds of private and public sources. "Market research and analysis is … [More]
500 U.S. Companies File for Bankruptcy and More Expected, says GlobalData

Amid the financial and economic crisis triggered by COVID-19, around 500 businesses have filed for bankruptcy since March 2020 and the trend is only set to persist in the coming months, says GlobalData, a leading data analytics company. Bindi Patel, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, says: “An increasing number of US companies are filing for bankruptcy. Various … [More]
Gaining Strategic Clarity when Your Crystal Ball Is Cloudy
Today’s business climate continues to be exceptionally complex and volatile. Even as we move into this “new normal” environment, we no longer have the luxury of being able to take for granted that shifting trends will be visible or that customer needs will be stable. Now is the time to clarify what is required to ensure your future success. Take advantage of any emerging … [More]
Communication Tips for Working from Distributed Locations
Increasing work in the home office offers a variety of opportunities, but also risks. According to a survey among 500 office workers, the vast majority (83 percent) believe that the corona crisis has opened up a new business trend towards more digitalization and home office usage. A clear majority (61 percent) is also in favor of a law establishing a right to work from a home … [More]
Dos and Don’ts That Can Save Millions when Selling a Business
My own experience working with many buyers and sellers — as well as learning from his own mistakes as a buyer and seller — have helped me recognize some major points that business owners should consider if they are serious about putting money into their pocket rather than having it taken out. If at all possible, always sell your business when it is doing well. By doing good, … [More]
Global Hiring Experiences Mixed Recovery as Demand Patterns Impacted by COVID-19
COVID-19 has impacted hiring across all industries globally according to the latest findings by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. While trends were positive for most of Q1 2020, the severe impacts of COVID-19 in Q2 have resulted in job posting declines. While Q3 brought some respite with a resurgence in hiring, the trends are not consistent across sectors, … [More]
The Essential Guide to Low-Cost COVID-19 Care
Until a vaccine is developed and distributed, COVID-19 will remain a substantial threat of rapidly transmitting from human to human. As a result, addressing cost concerns surrounding testing is essential. Cost is a fundamental component to care access, and Arizonans need to feel that seeking a test isn’t financially prohibitive. A Gallup study published in late April noted … [More]
How to Prevent Political Discussions from Polarizing Your Workplace
Much has been written about political polarization in the U.S. and how a heated political climate has drawn a line in the sand between voters. But heading into the 2020 presidential election, self-censorship also is on the rise – including at the workplace, where some people fear sharing their political views. Nearly a third of employed Americans worry they could lose their … [More]
How Strong Is Your C-Suite Bullpen? Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
About $350 billion a year is spent on leadership development, but many companies aren’t getting much bang out of their buck. Studies indicate that lots of senior executives don’t think the next wave is prepared well enough to assume larger leadership roles. With many companies in a transitional phase, either due to people retiring or radical changes prompted by the COVID-19 … [More]
How to Stop Toxic Leadership from Spreading a Virus in Your Company
Toxic workplaces sometimes start at the top. Difficult, abrasive leaders can create a culture of tension, fear, and abusive behavior at every organizational level. Those types of leaders may produce results, but their actions also lead to dysfunction and employee turnover. Ending the pattern of toxicity starts with companies recognizing red flags, coming up with new … [More]
5 Tips to Focus Your Company’s Transformation as COVID Forces Change
While the recession caused by COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on businesses of all sizes and industries, some are finding new ways to run daily operations, reach customers, re-shape their business, and stay relevant. But others are still trying to figure out how to transform, and an expert in the field says that launching a transformation begins with setting the right … [More]
Their Take: Failure to Adjust for Inflation Makes Prop. 208 Destructive
The threat to Arizona small businesses posed by Proposition 208’s 77.7% income tax increase will only grow each year due to the initiative’s failure to adjust to annual inflation increases, warned the state’s leading small-business association today. “Without an annual inflation adjustment, Proposition 208 goes from bad to worse,” said Chad Heinrich, Arizona state director … [More]
How to Learn a Company’s Unwritten Office Rules when There’s No Office
Not every workplace rule, tradition or general way of doing things appears in the employee handbook. Newly hired employees often must figure out on their own how a company’s culture really operates, and how to maneuver within “unwritten rules” to move up in the organization. Now, with remote work that COVID-19 forced on so many businesses, that daunting transition from … [More]













