Jul
18
Beyond the bottom line
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns, Vince Crew columns | Leave a Comment
Where does your team need help?
By VINCE CREW
Business constantly evolves. Economies change. This is why business strategies and tactics do also.
This means you constantly need to be monitoring your staff’s expertise.
To ignore this fundamental truth puts your business in jeopardy, especially in today’s hyper-competitive times.
New team members may not be as comfortable with the subject matter necessary to achieve their goals. Long-standing members may have forgotten a lot of the basics or are in need of some advanced learning.
There are at least four areas that probably need updating right now:
Jul
18
All work, no play makes Jack a burnt-out business owner
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns | Leave a Comment
by BILL McCABE
Charlotte SCORE Counselor
When you were someone else’s employee, you had to deal with some stress. But you usually had weekends and holidays to yourself.
When you chose to go into business for yourself, you made a commitment to hard work, long hours – and a lot of stress. Weekends and holidays? You probably work those days. And let’s face it: Long scheduled vacations are most likely a thing of the past.
Now that you have risked your financial security, and are responsible for everything that happens in the business, you can easily burn out under the strain. Read more
Jul
18
The Top 10 Hiring Qualities
Filed Under Business Builders | Leave a Comment
Jul
18
Business Building Blocks
Filed Under Business Builders | Leave a Comment
Humor at Work
“Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”
– Victor Borge
There’s a harsh reality when it comes to effectively using humor in the workplace these days. What transpired in the “old boys’ network” of 30 years ago certainly does not cut it today. This “ain’t” your dad’s business. Read more
Jul
18
Study: Florida slow in meeting innovation challenges
Filed Under Economic Development, Technology, Trends | Leave a Comment
Deficiencies thwart state’s ability to
compete economically
By BOB MASSEY
Editor
If Florida wants to compete in the growing technology industry, it needs to get with the prog
ram – specifically, the one concerned with educating its own.
That’s the consensus of the recently released “Florida’s Innovation Benchmark Study,” an in-depth review of the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities associated with Florida’s efforts to build an innovation-based economy.
The goal of the study – conducted by Boyette Levy Strategic Advisors – is to identify opportunities that might accelerate Florida’s economic diversification efforts. It included interviews with economic leaders from across the state, along with an analysis of innovation programs, policies and incentives being used across the country. Florida is matched against California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina.
As expected based on other recent economic development studies, Florida comes up wanting. Read more
Jul
18
Beating the Gas-Price Blues
Filed Under Trends | Leave a Comment
Costs force employers and employees alike to find alternatives
By JOYCE SCHENK
Business Writer
Across Southwest Florida, as across the country, workers are making difficult lifestyle changes based on the soaring price of gasoline.
According to a recent survey by Robert Half International, the world’s leading staffing services firm, many workers are changing their commuting habits in order to ease the growing financial strain of fueling the family car. Employers, too, are trying to make adjustments to offset the gas price impact on their employees.
With oil now trading at the highest level in history, and gas steadily climbing over the $4 mark, workers and their employers are not only struggling to adjust to the growing problem, but are asking hard questions as well.
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