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Flex time for interior designers

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

In years gone by, clients hired an interior designer to execute an entire project. With some exceptions, it was generally understood that the designer would conceive, design, furnish and manage the project from start to finish — in consultation with the clients, of course. Today, that is no longer the norm. On the contrary, clients today have embraced the term "menu of services” quite literally, ordering a la carte and when they wish. This trend has been building for some time.

The real cost of settling for average when you can be the best

Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

I met with a prospect recently who asked me what the industry average was for employee turnover in high-growth companies. I responded by saying, "You want to be average? You can do much better than this. You can set the standard that others aspire to!" Think about it. When we compare ourselves to the industry average, whether it be for sales, cost per hire, or employee turnover, we do ourselves a disservice.

Avoid these 5 mistakes with your LinkedIn profile

Sheilamary Koch Marketing

Any professional can benefit from having a profile on LinkedIn. Beyond being the place to be for job seekers and recruiters, happily employed people are taking advantage of the platform to gain recognition and to network. Statistics back up claims that LinkedIn is a B2B gold mine — and is where most Fortune 500 decision-makers and executives like to spend their spare time. Over 80% of lead generation from social media comes from LinkedIn, according to Hootsuite. In 2018, 93% of B2B marketers called it the most effective social media site.

How family businesses get retail right — and what everyone can learn…

Catherine Iste Retail

Jokes about family businesses and the problems associated with the obligations to hire, promote or otherwise put the bloodline before the bottom line are common. However, there are a few principles of successful family retail operations that nonfamily organizations can incorporate effectively. For example, when leadership is forced to create succession planning to preserve owner intent, a couple of things happen.

Are we witnessing the death of Main Street, or its rebirth?

Lucy Wallwork Retail

The decline of America’s downtown "Main Streets" is nothing new. First, the rise of the automobile meant they were displaced as the nexus of community and commercial life by out-of-town malls. More recently, even the malls have fallen victim to the rise of online shopping, with 1 in 4 expected to be closed by 2022. The outlook for Main Street doesn’t look good, as the headlines tracking empty frontages keep telling us. But are we giving in to nostalgia too much? Perhaps the rebirth of Main Street might not look to the past at all, but to the future.

After months of controversy and consequences, Boeing may end 737 Max production

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

When news of the Boeing 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia spread, repercussions were immense. So far, Boeing reports an $8 billion loss. After the second crash, the company rolled production back from 52 to 42 planes per month. Recently, Boeing suggested it may even end 737 Max production, which could cause "the financial equivalent of a prolonged government shutdown or a significant natural disaster." Already, Southwest Airlines has cancelled Newark service because it cannot fly the 737 Max, for example.

For well-being, natural is almost as good as nature

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Numerous research studies have shown that people experiencing stress, fatigue, trauma, and recovery from illness respond positively to natural settings, natural elements (such as indoor plants and water features), and views of nature. But what of nature imagery or patterns similar to those found in nature? Does exposure to sensory stimuli that remind us of being in a natural setting produce a similar effect? Several recent studies indicate that they do.

By any other name: Beyond Meat grows beyond belief

Linda Popky Food & Beverage

In 2016, a Los Angeles-based company called Beyond Meat introduced the first plant-based burger to be sold in the meat section of a grocery store. Not only do these products look like a real hamburger, but they taste almost meat-like, too. The company’s revenue is expected to more than double this year, and the total market for plant-based, meat-like products is expected to shoot up to $5.2 billion by 2020. There's a lesson here for your business: Rather than continue to make incremental changes in a crowded or constricted category, try taking a leap forward with innovations so dramatic they change the category itself.

McDonald’s eliminates CMO, forms new partnership with DoorDash: Is…

Linchi Kwok Marketing

McDonald’s recently announced a new organizational structure in its marketing division and formed a new partnership with DoorDash. According to CNBC, other companies such as Uber and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) also took a similar approach to restructure their marketing division. Additionally, besides restaurants and food-delivery startups, major retailers are also getting into the delivery competitions. Walmart and Nordstrom, for example, are building physical stores that surprisingly do not sell anything.

Can financial literacy in school curricula help address college debt?

Bambi Majumdar Education

A crippling national college debt situation is bad news for the economy. Now, states are looking to tackle college indebtedness. They, along with colleges, are trying out new ways to help students manage debt. Chief among them are approaches like financial literacy counseling so that students know how to make informed decisions and read the fine print on loans and payments. Several states think that financial literacy should be a part of the K-12 curricula. The Education Commission of the States reported that Oklahoma, Nevada, and Virginia are already addressing the issue.

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