The business world has produced a veritable graveyard of once magnificently successful companies that came, conquered and thrived – but ultimately perished. In many cases, those businesses share a common reason for their demise: Times changed. They didn’t. “I’ve always been fond of the saying that if you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less,” says … [More]
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COVID-19 Stories: Our Journey to Safely Reopening
by John Mahlmeister
To keep employees and customers safe amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have had to alter the way they do business. As stay-at-home orders lift from state to state, these companies continue to look for ways to improve safety and sanitation in the workplace. One such company is national ice machine provider Easy Ice. Before allowing its employees to return to … [More]
Cultivating Brand Activism? Pointers to Help Businesses Decide and Plan
by Andrea Fryrear
From the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins to #BlackLivesMatter to saying goodbye to Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima, social activism is the latest must-have for brands. But should you join in? And if so, how can you do so without seeming cynical, especially if this is your first time dipping your toes into the social justice water? Brand activism is a significant … [More]
4 Factors to Consider Before Buying an Essential Business in COVID Times
inbusinessPHX.com
The shutdowns and rollbacks of businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to play havoc with the U.S. economy. But the least-affected businesses during the crisis, for the most part, have been those deemed “essential” by state and local governments, allowing those companies to remain fully operational or close to it. Meanwhile, with the idea that essential businesses … [More]
Small Business Employment Rebound Moderates in July
Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch
The latest Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch shows that employment growth moderated as new COVID-19 hot spots emerged in the South and West regions of the U.S. The national jobs index slipped 0.24 percent in July to 94.59. Hourly earnings growth also slowed slightly to 3.29 percent last month, but increasing hours worked, spurred by the shifting workforce … [More]
Restaurant Group Ensures Safety and Guidance with Triage Co. Services
Company Nurse LLC
Arizona-based restaurant group Pita Jungle utilizes local business Company Nurse LLC, the premier nurse triage and reporting service for workplace injuries, to further protect their employees, customers and vendors from COVID-19 exposures with Company Nurse's COVID-19 digital screening solution and triage guidance service. Company Nurse’s new service provides employees with … [More]
21% of Employees Are Tracked with Employee Monitoring Software; Executives Believe It’s Bad for Morale, HR Departments & Millennials Disagree
Clutch
Only 21% of employees say their employer tracks them with employee monitoring software, according to new data from Clutch, the leading B2B ratings and reviews firm. Searches for employee monitoring software have skyrocketed as a result of COVID-19, leading businesses to weigh the pros and cons of using software to track their employees' productivity. Nearly half of employees … [More]
How an Integrated Life (Not a Balanced One) Is Key to Work Satisfaction
inbusinessPHX.com
In a world where working from home, family, recreation, faith and other factors compete for our time, people speak about the need to seek a “balanced life.” But maybe “balance” is the wrong goal. “The concept of being in ‘balance’ has the potential to set us up for immediate failure,” says Michael Sipe, author of The AVADA Principle and founder of the consulting firm 10x … [More]
July Commercial Chapter 11s Increase 52% over Last Year, Total Filings Down 33%
Rick McCartney
Total commercial chapter 11 filings in July 2020 increased 52 percent from the previous year, according to data provided by Epiq. Commercial chapter 11 filings totaled 643 in July 2020, expanding from the July 2019 total of 423. Conversely, total commercial filings decreased 17 percent in July 2020, as the 2,768 filings were down from the 3,314 commercial filings registered in … [More]
Email Editing: Tips to Ensure Your Message Is Not Missed
by Dr. Julie Miller
“We are going to have a sales contest this month. The winners will get to enter next month’s contest and will have the honor to continue working with me!” It was supposed to be a joke. Frank loved to joke with people, but he usually stayed away from injecting humor into his writing, especially at work. Today was different; he thought the team could use a chuckle. He added … [More]
Nearly Half of People in the U.S. Have Not Participated in Remote Training Despite COVID-19 Remote Work Trend
Clutch
Nearly half (43%) of people in the U.S. have not taken part in remote training this year, according to a new survey report from Clutch, the leading B2B ratings and reviews platform. This is surprising as many businesses and employees have been operating remotely since March because of COVID-19. A Clutch survey published in early April found that 66% of employees were working … [More]
What Do Consumers Want Now? The Data Knows
Mike Hunter
Sign up for or log into any social media platform and you will encounter suggested buying options based on your personal interests or previous buying history. There’s a reason for that. The market is a consumers’ market. Any company that wants the chance of long-term sustainability must know as much detailed information as possible about their ideal client or consumer, says … [More]
Hiring Remote Software Developers? Consider This …
by Alister Harris
Whenever you need a software developer — whether it is to build a website, create an app, for a smartphone idea, or to enable a more integrated CRM and accounting system for your business — quotes from American companies can feel prohibitively expensive. So outsourcing the work to far-flung countries like Colombia, India, the Philippines or Vietnam for a fraction of the cost … [More]
How Businesses Are (Carefully) Promoting Their Brands during COVID-19
by Mike Hunter
Thanks to COVID-19 and social unrest, 2020 brought an unwelcome wrinkle to public relations game plans. Put out the wrong message – or even the right message with the wrong approach – and a business can end up sounding insensitive or opportunistic, driving away both the media and the potential customers they are trying to reach. Yet, despite the difficulties, many … [More]
How to Reach Out to People You Don’t Know … Yet
by Cheryl Hyatt
A healthy network is a growing network. Successful professionals are constantly cultivating new connections and keeping in touch with individuals they’ve collaborated with. When an opportunity to connect with someone new presents itself, don’t hesitate to take it. When reaching out to someone new, your approach matters. The tone you strike and method you use can make the … [More]
Is Market Concentration Leading to Fewer Startups in the U.S. Economy?
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Many economists, market analysts, and antitrust hawks claim increased market concentration over the past 30 years has stifled new business creation, leaving the U.S. economy with fewer start-ups and economic vitality. But a new report released today by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, shows … [More]
How to Help Employees Thrive, Even When Their Career Goals Are Uncertain
Mike Hunter
These uncertain times filled with racial unrest, a global pandemic, massive unemployment and economic anxiety have caused some people to reevaluate their lives and their priorities. Within that introspection, there are a few potential outcomes, whether it’s reassessing career goals, losing sight of them, or coming to the realization that some workers are happy in their job and … [More]
Are Your Favorite Companies Eco-Friendly? Even They May Not Know
Mike Hunter
Corporations around the world love to promote their environmental bona fides, touting their at-times Herculean efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. But desiring to be environmentally friendly and truly accomplishing that goal are two different things, as illustrated recently by Amazon’s acknowledgement that its carbon footprint grew 15% last year despite efforts to … [More]
