While new technology is blamed as a reason affordable healthcare seems a thing of the past, some Arizona organizations are using such innovations to make medical care accessible on a number of fronts: patient records available immediately, links between rural physicians and urban specialists, use of wireless devices that even patients can afford, and, yes, a life-saving … [More]
Strategic Business Structuring Can Save Assets
So you’re ready to open a business. You have 15 solid years of experience. Your first customer is waiting. A contract manufacturer is ready to start production. You’ve decided on an L.L.C. for your business structure and you’re ready to conquer the world … The best advice for someone in the above scenario is to slow down. Choosing the right entity for a business is … [More]
Can an Organization Survive the Fall of an Iconic Leader?
Recent revelations by disgraced “hero” Lance Armstrong raised speculations about the future of LiveStrong, the charity Armstrong founded to fight cancer in the aftermath of his own cancer-fighting experience. Although some anticipate a short-term drop in LiveStrong’s fundraising, many believe the nonprofit will survive because its core mission goes far beyond the image of its … [More]
Chef Eddie Matney: Restaurateur with Panache
As Chef Eddie Matney can attest, from the series of restaurants to his credit, adjusting to a new group of regular customers after opening a restaurant is important. The regulars who now frequent Eddie’s House, in downtown Scottsdale among a host of art galleries, is a much different group from those he served at Eddie Matney’s, a previous restaurant that was located in the … [More]
Mercedes Benz S550 Luxury Sedan
The standard-bearer for luxury, the Mercedes S550 is a base-model sedan by which all other luxury sedans are measured. Style and substance best describes this 4-door, 429-horsepower, technological machine. Bringing more power to this year’s model is the standard 4.6-liter, biturbo, V-8 engine with advanced twin turbocharging. Advanced design means reduced emissions, fuel … [More]
Noontime Noca is Nocawich
Spreading the techniques, flavors and culinary excellence to the lunch hour five days a week, Eliot Wexler’s Nocawich is not to be missed. This quick-fix lunch spot conjures up much of the greatness that Noca by night is known for. Dubbed by many as “the best sandwich place,” its menu and location are making Nocawich a hot spot. With its selection of sandwiches, soups, … [More]
The ROI of Corporate Training
Before long, veteran construction worker Frank Scopetti will become a division president of McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., an accelerated in-house promotion made possible by the 150-year-old, employee-owned company’s state-of-the-art training programs, last year ranked in the Top 10 nationwide by Training Magazine. In an era of economic uncertainty, increased … [More]
Entrepreneurial Truths Give Boost to Business
"Doomed from the start." Entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-hopefuls may find it difficult to keep those four words from causing them to second guess their every move as they plan and run their business — especially considering that fewer than 30 percent of businesses last more than 10 years and most failures happen within the first few years of operation. The truth is, many things … [More]
Online: Honest Businesses vs. the Fakeosphere
The fastest-growing marketing trend on the Internet is the “fakeosphere.” Yes, fake blogs (called “flogs”), fake Web news sites and fake testimonials. They look like the real thing, right down to comments posted by “bloggers” and their supposed readers. Those comments appear to be written by people discussing the pros and cons of a particular product or service, and they even … [More]
Loan Modification May Be Option if Loan Is Current
As the economy slowly turns itself around for many, small businesses that have been hanging on even if struggling may have more financing options available to them than they’re aware of. For a business to be able to get any concessions from a bank, however, it’s imperative that it start talking to the bank before getting behind in payments on its business loans. That goes … [More]
Central Bistro: Inspired French/Italian
At Central Bistro, the new modern French and Italian eatery located at 32nd Street and Camelback, it’s all about handcrafted pastas, fresh-made dishes and quality foods to please the most sophisticated palette. Built to suit its owners’ concept of a comfortable, modern space, warm with the latest in décor and an open kitchen floor plan, Central Bistro sits in the spot of the … [More]
Redesign With Style: The New Range Rover
The well-known SUV that started the craze, making it cool to own a luxury SUV that not only impresses but manages the off-road experience, has been completely re-engineered to be lighter and more fuel-efficient. Like most SUVs will become, the Range Rover uses new materials that make it lighter and stronger, offering more room with less bulk. The all-aluminum body shell has … [More]
Can’t Buy Me Like
Today’s brands face an apparent choice between two evils: continue betting on their increasingly ineffective advertising or put blind faith in the supposedly mystical power of social media, where “likes” stand in for transactions and a mass audience is maddeningly elusive. But in today’s world, where people have become desensitized — even disillusioned — by ad campaigns and … [More]
What Does the Legislature Do for Business?
As the 51st Legislature convenes its 2013 Legislative Session this month, we look back at a few of the hundreds of bills introduced and considered by the 50th Legislature during its 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions. Jobs and Business Creation H.B. 2272 Clinical Trial, Public Information Requests This bill expands the exemptions from public records laws of information … [More]
Hail to the Selfish Employee
Selfish is a word commonly used in a derisive manner. When Gordon Gekko says, “Greed is good,” we tend to not empathize with him and instead opt to scorn his “all for me” mentality. Furthermore, we have been counseled from an early age about the virtues of sharing and giving, albeit for some of us it was a forced lesson. But is this really the best lesson? There is a common … [More]
Luxury SUV: Infiniti QX56
Not like your father’s sports utility vehicle, the Infiniti QX56 was designed to impress visually and mechanically and emphasizes comfort to an extent not seen before in this class. The engine is a 5.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline V8 with 32 valves and a sophisticated valve control that slightly enhances fuel economy. Going from zero to 60 mph in nearly seven seconds, its … [More]
Financial Statements: The Crucial Monthly Close
How is your business doing lately? As an owner, you probably have a sense of how things are going, but is it right? While I have developed a great respect for an owner’s “gut feel” over my 40 years of consulting, there are many illusions and counter-intuitive aspects to business that can mislead owners. A common counter-intuitive illusion is that if sales are increasing, things … [More]
Wildhorse Grille at Talking Stick Golf Club
A new hot spot for lunch is the country club-ambience Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale near the Talking Stick Resort. A bit off of the beaten path, this Southwestern-styled dining room is a great place to do business and get a great midday meal. Chef Patrick Karvis is well known in the Valley, having worked with Eddie Matney and Michael DeMaria, among others. He has … [More]
