What business owner hasn’t dreamed about what could be done for the business with more capital. Buy new equipment? Hire more staff? Expand into a new market? When it’s time to explore putting dreams into motion, seeking financing is often the next step. Banks typically have well-documented criteria business owners must meet to qualify for a business loan. But what they may … [More]
10 Ways to Strengthen Your Next Loan Application
Demystifying decision-making — and 10 ‘red flags’ to avoid
The Burnout Battle: Why Leaders Must Lead the Charge
Close the burnout gap to improve well-being and productivity
Burnout is impacting every industry, company and role. There are no exceptions. Leaders often find themselves in the trenches, navigating through the chaos and driving their teams toward success. However, amidst the pursuit of goals and objectives, there's a lurking enemy that can undermine all efforts: burnout. In the burnout battle, we often find the great … [More]
The Future of Rebranding: Top 2024 Trends That Will Drive Business Success
Since the pandemic hit, businesses have been shifting gears, lanes and categories all in an effort to stay relevant. The result is a tsunami of rebranding that’s been shifting the landscape we all traverse every day for business and personal purchases. But there’s a problem. Some treat rebranding like slapping on a fresh coat of paint and calling it a day. Here’s what you … [More]
Let’s Make Layoffs Rare Again
The Long-Term Costs of Mass Job Cuts … and How to Avoid Them
The layoff news just keeps on coming. Many of the job cuts being reported are in the tech sector, but the hatchet is also hitting industries from air travel to healthcare to music. Nobody loves mass layoffs, but their increasing frequency seems to imply an alarming level of acceptability. This is a symptom of a bigger problem — the tendency of today’s corporate leaders to make … [More]
Implementing Vacation Time Enhances Business Operations
Restaurant owner gives evidence that the proof is in the pudding
One crucial element of running a restaurant is valuing our employees’ work-life balance. At Dolce Vita, I have made the decision to close every Monday and for a week each summer to give my staff a day of rest as well as a true vacation. Many business owners may be concerned about how this will impact their bottom line, but, by fostering a healthy work environment, they will see … [More]
Thriving in the Fast Lane: Essential Healthy Habits for Young Professionals to Beat Hustle Culture
And a healthy reminder for professionals at any stage of their career
The hustle-and-grind culture is widespread, especially in the United States, and while one needs to work to get ahead, a constant go-go-go schedule isn’t healthy for anyone. In the long run, no matter how good someone is at what they do, the exhaustion from constantly living in the fast lane will eventually slow them down. This is why young professionals can hugely impact the … [More]
Is Your Company Headed for the Commodity Death Spiral?
Turn it around with a strategy of market-facing innovation
Once upon a time in a company’s evolution, its founder would be laser-focused on delivering superior, differentiated value to customers. Those customers would have specific needs, and the company sets out to fulfill them better than anyone else. But as the years pass and the business grows, that intense focus, well … drifts. Leaders get caught up in other priorities — say, … [More]
Why ‘Influence’ Is the 2023 Word of the Year for the Business Sector
Influence is what allows us to find the opportunity hidden in the uncertainty
As 2023 drew to a close, everyone was releasing their word of the year. The Associated Press chose “AI.” Oxford chose “rizz” (short for “charisma”). Merriam-Webster chose “authentic.” Now, I’ve put my own twist on the annual tradition: I’ve zeroed in on a word that captures the zeitgeist of today’s business world — and not just for 2023, but for the foreseeable … [More]
The New and Necessary Competencies for Executive Leadership
Navigating complexity and competition
Given trends in C-suite retirement, burnout and attrition (and presented with changing markets in talent, technology and supply chain), executive succession planning is the most relevant it has ever been. The pace of disruption across industries is unrelenting and continuous adaptation is paramount. Our environment demands executive leaders who can deftly navigate complexity … [More]
Companies Focused on AI are Missing the Real Business Threat
What business leaders should add to their crisis playbook
In 2023, savvy executives added AI tools to automate time-consuming tasks and speed up customer service, but no one is talking about the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes on businesses. Celebrities were the first victims, and experts predict 2024 elections will be flooded with phony images, videos and audio clips. Fraud follows the money and businesses will be … [More]
Collaborative Leadership: The CMO, HR and Chief DE&I Officer Triad
Values alignment has a statistically high impact on an organization
In the quest for meaningful progress in corporate diversity, equity and inclusion, it becomes increasingly clear that isolated efforts fall short. Companies need collaborative leadership to make their DE&I strategy successful, especially from three key players: the CMO, HR and the Chief DE&I Officer. Together, these roles form a triad capable of weaving DE&I into … [More]
Build a Successful Veteran Transition Onboarding Program
Veterans bring a great deal of talent to the company – if the transition goes well
Over the course of my industry career, I’ve become accustomed to hearing a large number of companies brag about the number of military veterans they’ve hired. As a 26-year Navy veteran who later rose to the position of CEO of a defense company, I love to hear this. But I always ask a follow-up question: How many of those veterans are still working for the company five years … [More]
5 B2B Marketing Trends for 2024
What a difference a year makes
This time a year ago, marketers planning their 2023 budgets were bracing for a recession. A common motto might have been, “Fasten your seatbelts, folks, we’re going to be in for a bumpy ride.” The same passengers now might be viewing blue skies ahead, or at least expecting some turbulence. Either way, it's time to get airborne. The industry motto for 2024 might be: “How do we … [More]
Tech for Good: Emerging Sustainable Growth Markets
As Tech for Good becomes a wider field with broader applications, the related sustainable growth markets are being unlocked and discovered. New sustainable tech areas are popping up and growing rapidly where solutions are urgently needed. Tech areas that were not traditionally associated with sustainable objectives are now beginning to turn their focus toward Tech for Good. … [More]
Cybersecurity Risk Controls Remain Key to Risk Mitigation, Resilience & Insurability
Proactive cybersecurity strategies for business owners and C-level executives
With technology increasing in sophistication year after year, business owners and executives must stay more vigilant than ever when it comes to preventing data breaches and cybersecurity threats. A cyber-attack can cost a company millions of dollars — and, with many businesses operating on razor-thin margins in today's economy, such a large financial hit could be devastating. … [More]
Mastering Executive Presentations
Unveiling the secrets to craft a winning presentation
In the cutthroat world of business and startups, one’s ability to deliver a compelling executive presentation can be the ticket to scaling the corporate ladder. For technology professionals, where information can sometimes teeter between being technically dense and challenging to decipher, the importance of crafting a clear and engaging executive presentation cannot be … [More]
Creating a Resilient Company Culture
Navigating change and thriving amidst challenges
In an era marked by immense volatility and complexity, characterized by technological advancements, business consolidations, fierce competition and economic fluctuations, business leaders may find themselves in an unprecedented time of change. The aftermath of the pandemic continues to linger, with burnout, stress and overwhelm persisting among individuals and teams. Amidst … [More]
Retain and Recruit Employees by Offering Healthcare Benefits
Deliver affordable benefits and keep the business competitive
There is an opportunity for business owners to retain and recruit employees by providing healthcare solutions. Fifty-one percent of employees say benefits will play a significant role in talent retention, according to a 2023 study by Team Stage, “Employee Benefits Statistics 2023: How Many Have Health Insurance.” Labor pools have tightened, and gig economy jobs like Uber and … [More]
