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]
Voice Assistants Are Redefining the Way Americans Shop
Voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri have ushered in a new era of customer interactions with technology. Individuals can use voice assistants on a range of smart devices (e.g., smart speakers, smart phones, etc.) to carry out a multitude of tasks. From asking for directions to shopping, voice assistants have enabled consumers to acquire information and make … [More]
The Future of Blockchain Technology
This article is intended to scare and be a wakeup call for anyone who considers himself a middleman, because he will soon no longer be needed. But first, let’s examine what a blockchain is, as businessfolk may as well understand the technology that is going to make some jobs redundant. What Is Blockchain/Tangle? Not to be confused with Bitcoin, as it so often is, … [More]
Autonomous Vehicles’ Real Estate Impact
CBRE recently released results of its research into potential effects of autonomous vehicles that predicts the technology will disrupt more than just transportation. By disrupting the way employees commute to work, autonomous vehicles are expected to fundamentally reshape the U.S. office market by 2030, across nearly all property types and sectors, from retail, industrial, … [More]
How to ICE-Proof Your Business in 2019
President Trump has made global headlines with his tweets which pledging to build a border wall at Mexico’s expense. Meanwhile immigration crackdowns at places of business will no doubt continue to increase during 2019. In fact, ICE reports a 650 percent surge in workplace arrests since Trump became president, according to a recent article in Newsweek. “Employment … [More]
The 5 Most Cringe-Worthy Privileged Data Breaches of 2018
Privileged attack vectors and stolen personally identifiable information (PII) obtained have been a constantly paired news item throughout 2018. In 2019, we can expect privileged attack vectors to continue to reign as the No. 1 root cause of breaches for both consumer and business data theft. Below, I have compiled my list of the top-five most noteworthy breaches for this … [More]
Top Business Challenges During Political and Economic Uncertainty
Operational efficiency, obtaining new customers and talent acquisition are the top priorities for businesses going into 2019, according to a recent Enterprise Bank & Trust Think Tank survey. Heading into 2019, business is ripe with opportunity; however, political and economic landscapes present a lot of uncertainty and angst for business owners. With privately held … [More]
IT Challenges for Growing Enterprises
Rapid business growth is a universal goal, but the inability to scale infrastructure and resources can easily become a growth inhibitor. Whether it’s e-commerce, CRM or deploying and managing employee devices, growth places strain on IT resources, with employees, endpoint devices and operating systems growing faster than IT staff. With every new period of growth or … [More]
