The legalization of marijuana in Arizona has created an exciting buzz in this State. Medical marijuana has proven itself a unique, and potentially lucrative, business endeavor. Medical marijuana has also caused some serious frustrations; this is especially so for employers. Many employers find themselves confused as to whether they can still drug test and, particularly, how to … [More]
Suicide in the Workplace
The suicide rate in the United States has increased to more than 33 percent within 20 years. Trends have shown a surge in workplace suicide, with the most recent count recording more than 280 deaths. Suicide is not a-spur-of-the-moment decision but is likely the result of ongoing suffering or struggle that the victim feels to be undefeatable. The highest rates of suicide for … [More]
Blue Light Could Be a Big Problem for Corporate America
Last fall, Arick Wierson, writing for the New York Observer, posed a simple but highly provocative question: “Is Blue Light the Tobacco of the Digital Age?”. Wierson was referring to the energy being emitted from digital devices in increasingly higher and more potent doses. Today, the average American is staring into some device on average 12 hours a day; from the screens of … [More]
The Compounding Effect of Community Carry
It’s in the headlines on a daily basis — yet another startup secures major investment from one venture capital firm or another. On the surface, this appears to only be great news for the investors and the ones on the receiving end of those funds, but the impact actually reaches far beyond that. Funding a startup sets off a ripple effect. It’s not just an investment into that … [More]
Ditch the Techie Jargon – Improve Your Organization’s Cybersecurity
An office memo that tosses around terms like “DRM,” “botnet,” “FTP,” “spear phishing” and “worm” could be a quick, easy read for the head of the IT department. But for everyone else in the organization, it may be one big mass of confusion. And with that bewilderment comes potential danger. There’s a serious gap in communication skills between cybersecurity pros and their … [More]
What Business Owners Should Know about Lobbying
What do you picture when you think of a lobbyist? Perhaps an older gentleman, with a slick suit, power walking down a marble hallway in Washington, D.C., flanked by a team of big-money corporate executives congratulating each other on the deal they made on the golf course? Most people have a Hollywood idea of what lobbyists do; they have no idea what the day-to-day work of a … [More]
Building an Alliance to Help Arizona
In today’s economy, being a good corporate citizen has taken on a greater meaning than ever before. And the practice of respectable corporate citizenship has become increasingly more prevalent. Businesses understand that they can leverage what they do in order to positively impact society, and they are taking steps to activate these resources and help the communities where they … [More]
Employee or Independent Contractor?
Imagine this: A business having difficulty attracting and retaining talent posts a job on its website and publicizes the opening on social media. Then, the post is viewed thousands of times, and hundreds of users comment. This sounds like a good outcome — except that the reason the post went viral was that the job was for a “full-time freelancer,” and users began criticizing … [More]
Businesses: Recruit Talent Amid Tight Labor Market
Over the past year, small-business owners have expressed record confidence in their local economies and many are looking for new talent as they grow. However, with the April 2019 jobs report showing the unemployment rate at a record low, and Arizona sitting at just 5 percent, it’s critical for entrepreneurs to stand out from the crowd in order to attract talent. Here are some … [More]
The Instagram Aesthetic: Is It In or Out?
Instagram is the one social media platform consistently creating engagement and sales. Businesses want to be part of this increased brand recognition that also offers active conversion but are often unsure of how to get into the Instagram game. To “win” on Instagram, pretty has always mattered. Presenting a beautifully curated feed of pictures and videos has traditionally … [More]
The Marijuana Proposition
Marijuana is a booming business and all eyes are on Arizona. With an estimated $400 million in sales for 2018, medical marijuana has proven a lucrative business opportunity. Adding to the excitement, Arizona is gearing up to issue industrial hemp licenses under the Industrial Hemp Program, which is scheduled to go live this summer. Those seeking to enter these markets should be … [More]
Marketers: Don’t Forget the Human Connection
For many organizations, the race to master data and harness the power of the marketing technology stack has resulted in the customer and, perhaps, an understanding of human relationships being lost. In a recent research study from the CMO Council, in partnership with Harte Hanks, 41 percent of respondents acknowledged that focusing on the relationship being built, instead … [More]
DoL Offers New Tool to Help Employers Understand Mental Health Issues
The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a new resource that helps employers better understand mental health issues, and provides valuable information and guidance for employers on strategies for recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities in the workplace. Created in coordination with the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and its … [More]
Staying Local during Multimillion-Dollar Marijuana Buyouts
I like to think that we’re in an era when the small business rules the roost. Being a small business in 2019 not only allows for versatility, mobility and scalability, but it also allows business owners to be in total control of their creative direction, expansion plans and advertising initiatives. What’s most important to me, though, is that maintaining a small size gives me … [More]
5G Will Mark New Era for Businesses
Not long ago, 4G LTE arrived in Arizona and unleashed the power of our mobile devices with a massive boost in wireless speeds. Businesses seized on this revolution as LTE allowed them to grow and streamline their operations in ways never imagined before. Now it’s the start of a new era. 5G is the next leap in mobile technology. It promises to ultimately transform the way … [More]
Influencer Marketing: More than a Pretty Face
Evaluating how companies are evolving influencer marketing strategies in 2019, leading social listening and analytics platform Talkwalker conducted a global survey of more than 800 marketing and PR professionals. The 2019 Influencer Marketing report illustrates findings that point to an inevitable maturing of influencer marketing, but finds that many experts suggest that brands … [More]
Age and Workforce: Valuing Experienced Workers
The demographics of an aging population are well-known, although you might not remember the numbers. The Census Bureau forecasts that individuals 65 years and older will account for more than 21 percent of the U.S. population in 2030, up from 15 percent in 2016. Census also expects that the number of people over 65 years of age will outnumber children under age 18 for the first … [More]
Business Buyers & Sellers Beware in 2019
A word of caution as you scan the business horizon for 2019. Depending on which side of a judgment you land on, it’s either a significant asset or obligation. Like a statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit, judgments in Arizona have a lifespan during which they can be enforced. When the enforcement period runs out, a judgment expires and is forevermore unenforceable — … [More]
