Recent Articles
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Small-business owners lukewarm — or worse — on new tax law
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAt best, some owners of small firms are lukewarm about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) that Congress passed and President Trump signed. We turn to an April 10 public opinion poll from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Among 501 small-business owners who were polled March 26-27 across the U.S. who have filed their taxes or are yet to finish their filing, nearly half, or 48%, reported that the new tax law did not make their profits or firms grow. About a quarter, or 24%, said the law caused them harm.
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Pace of remodeling activity expected to pick up after slow start to 2019
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesComing off a strong period of sustained growth, demand for remodeling services softened somewhat in the first quarter of the year. Although growth remained positive, industry professionals reported lower levels of business activity and shortened periods of project backlogs compared with the previous quarter. Nonetheless, remodelers are optimistic that better business conditions in the second quarter will revive demand. Early forecasts had predicted that industry growth in 2019 would remain positive but at a more modest pace than in the past several years.
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Pediatricians key for critical early intervention in speech, language impairments
Sheilamary Koch Medical & Allied HealthcareSchool and social successes hinge more on language ability than any other factor for the vast majority of children. Pediatricians and family doctors who have regular contact with infants and their parents are uniquely positioned to help identify young children who demonstrate delayed development within the speech, language and hearing realm. A quick referral to a corresponding specialist for evaluation can make the difference between these infants and toddlers experiencing years of struggle and having the tools to navigate the normal challenges of childhood.
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First-of-its-kind report lays foundation for world food sustainability
Scott E. Rupp Food & BeverageThe EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet and Health released its scientific review in early 2019, publishing the world's first scientific targets for healthy diets and sustainable food production. It provides "targets that join civil society, public health and environmental conservation’s various goals toward health and sustainability." The purpose of the report is to provide a framework for the "urgent actions" needed from consumers, policymakers, businesses and government agencies to transform the food system. Leading scientists in nutrition and public health laid out global guidelines for a universal, healthy diet.
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5 fresh ways to reduce consumer risk aversion
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingAs a marketer, your one of your goals is to keep your demographic as reassured as possible about parting with their hard-earned cash when choosing your brand's product. Yet, consumers can be risk-adverse about spending in surprising ways. Cutting-edge research has been looking into the phenomenon of unusual reason for risk aversion. The good news is you can use these findings to make what your brand offers more appealing to your target demographic. Use the following strategies to obtain great results!
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The employee who cried wolf
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhat do we do when a whiny employee keeps whining? If we cannot move them to another department, we tend to try our best to "yes" them out of our office, ignore them or delay responding in the hopes they will go away. In many cases, while the employee may continue to be annoying, taking one of these approaches is often sufficient. However, if a legitimate issue does arise, the pattern of not addressing earlier problems can come back to bite us. Here are a couple of ways to rethink the approach to the employee crying wolf in case a wolf does actually show up.
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Alexa went to school, and now she’s HIPAA-compliant
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental Healthcare"Alexa, ask my dentist if my prescription is ready." No, really. You can do that now. Amazon announced on April 4 that its Alexa Skills Kit now enables select covered entities subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations to build Alexa skills that allow it to transmit and receive protected health information as part of an invite-only program. Cool. But what does that actually mean? It means soon you could be using your Alexa for more than weather and traffic updates and turning on music.
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Gunfight anatomy: The Richard Mendoza incident
Eric Lamberson Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityWith only nine months left on probation, Richard Mendoza was not going back to prison. When the female officer told him to get out of the car, he knew the police would discover his pistol. Mendoza also knew that surprise was on his side, so he decided to take the chance. The Los Angeles Police Department released video of the officer-involved shooting that left the suspect, Mendoza, dead and one officer wounded in the leg. The shooting happened during a traffic stop in the North Hills area of Los Angeles on the night of July 27, 2018.
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The skin cancer you don’t know about — but should
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareYou're no doubt well-aware of the potentially deadly consequences of melanoma. That's why it's so crucial that you do a monthly skin check of your moles and see a dermatologist for any changing lesions, as well as an annual full-body examination. Chances are, however, that you've never heard of the fastest-growing and most deadly form of skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) — and you need to get up to speed. The good news: with early detection and immediate evaluation by your doctor, MCC can be treatable.
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Advertising without paying for social media clicks
Catherine Iste MarketingBusinesses in the cannabis industry are not allowed to advertise on most social media platforms. Yet, with over $10 billion invested in legal markets in 2018 alone, the industry will continue to see growth. While traditional retail products may have little in common with that industry, the lessons learned from its ability to reach customers despite restrictions on social media can be valuable to any retailer. Of course, it is not that the industry is not online. It has just had to find clever ways to infiltrate social media without paying for clicks.