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Pancakes and the value of reinvention

Tory Barringer Marketing

How do you like your pancakes? With or without butter? What kind of syrup? Beginning this spring, IHOP is betting that you'll take them to go. Late last year, the breakfast giant announced the upcoming launch of Flip'd, a new fast-casual option designed to attract the Starbucks crowd by offering the usual IHOP fare in more portable options. This latest venture is not unusual for IHOP, a franchise that notably stirred up a tempest on the internet in summer 2018. If you're looking for a way to reinvigorate your brand, you could do worse than to follow IHOP's example of rebranding. But where do you begin?

4 reasons why every spa should have its own protocols

Elizabeth Donat Retail

With so many spas and medical spas in business these days, it's hard to keep up with all the amazing menu offerings that are available on the market, including rejuvenating facials; chemical peels; dermalinfusion therapies; and treatments for the hands, neck and scalp. But as spa practitioners and owners, it's not only a good idea to offer incredible services at competitive prices, it's crucial to have the protocols for these services written down and recorded at your spa. Like a chef writes and follows carefully crafted recipes, spa owners and their staff must create and adhere to protocols.

Niche social media platforms are hidden gold mines for marketers

Lisa Mulcahy Marketing

You've thrown your marketing power heavily at Facebook — and you're far from alone. The Sprout Social 2019 Index study reports that 89% of marketers do utilize the social media giant as a brand booster. Yes, Facebook can get your brand massive exposure — as can Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest; yet, you may find your products and services getting lost in the vast sea of data flooding each of these platforms. Why not try advertising on niche social platforms?

Feeling the way to better acoustics

Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Dozens, if not hundreds, of studies have demonstrated the negative impact noise has on occupants. Yet, even with advances in materials and technology, noise continues to be a major challenge to designing today’s interior environments. Perhaps the solution lies deeper than controlling for noise. It may have to do with how we respond emotionally to the sounds around us. Much of the controversy concerning noise in interior environments has followed from the widespread adoption of open-plan and active space layouts.

Is your job affecting your sleep?

Terri Williams Medical & Allied Healthcare

Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, not getting enough sleep could negatively impact your immune system. That's in addition to other sleep-deprivation issues, such as a lack of focus and productivity. But even if you sleep the recommended number of hours each night, you may not be getting "good" sleep, especially if you're dreaming about work. A study by Healthy Sleep reveals that 79% of people have work-related dreams.

12 tips to get the most out of your bid and proposal dollars

Brenda Crist Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Every time I go shopping, I try to stretch my dollars to get the best possible products for the most favorable prices. Consider using your bid and proposal (B&P) funds in the same way. Spend just enough money to create a winning proposal and use the leftover cash to fund new bids, improve your B&P infrastructure and/or enhance your team’s skills. Through careful planning, there are measures you can take to stretch your B&P dollars, including the 12 tips listed in this article.

Year of the Rat opens possibilities to publicize a rodent

Bob Kowalski Marketing

Rats are not exactly an honored species in America, but they're about to get some attention this year. 2020 is the Year of the Rat, according to the Chinese zodiac. The Lunar New Year, also called the Chinese New Year, begins on Jan. 25, and smart marketers have figured out how to take advantage of a unique branding opportunity. The New Year kicks off 15 days of celebrations to welcome in the Year of the Rat, which last occurred in 2008. The Chinese zodiac contains 12 animals, each getting its own year in rotation.

An acquisition could be your next great business move

Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & Fixtures

Consolidation is the name of the game in the architecture and design industry these days. Firms are combining to expand into more practice areas and beef up their menu of services to appeal to a broader base of clientele. On their part, clients are looking for a "one stop shop" of design and build to simplify and speed up project delivery, pushing firms toward a more integrated business model. If you're contemplating what should be your next business move, now is a good time to consider an acquisition.

Top 10 signs of a dysfunctional board

Bob Harris and Mark Alcorn Association Management

In 2002, attorney Mark D. Alcorn pointed out the key indicators of a dysfunctional association board of directors. He said, "I believe the troubled boards outnumber focused, efficient boards by a substantial margin. When a board of directors has more than its share of trouble and struggles, it can be dysfunctional. The presence of more than a few of these signs is cause for concern," he added. I wanted to review the dysfunctions identified nearly two decades ago to check their relevance to today.

‘Opportunity zone’ tax breaks shown as duplicitous development…

Michelle R. Matisons Civil & Government

Opportunity zones are a new real estate tax scheme that government officials, city planners, and investment firms are using to convert low-income real estate or already developed areas into large tax break incentives. When Amazon announced plans to move to Long Island City, the controversial opportunity zone tax break, created from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was cited as a possible incentive for that location. This caused a flurry of controversy, and Amazon gave up the idea, which includes paying zero taxes on gains from assets held for a decade, because it’s bad public relations.

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