What businesses need to know about the Affordable Care Act
The intent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to make health insurance affordable for all and to enable those who have insurance to keep their current plans if they meet their needs and comply with the law, says Marty Hauser, CEO of SummaCare. What we’ve seen in the last year is a significant amount […]
If your team does not agree on this, you’ve got a problem
What is your business model? What aspects of your business approach are non-negotiable, regardless of changes in marketplace, customers, competition or economic environment? If you struggle to answer these questions, and/or disagree with people on your management team, your company could be suffering from a corporate identity crisis. Consistently successful businesses understand their business […]
The key to a good merger is new opportunities for both companies
Houston is a city reflective of mergers and acquisitions. Let’s take a look at how a company from Japan and one from Houston joined together and formed a strong partnership. Daikin Industries Ltd. is a leading global HVAC company that believes in the concept of manufacturing products within the country or geographic territory where […]
Houston’s urban park is a great lesson for what collaboration can do
The purpose of Discovery Green, the subject of this month’s Uniquely Houston, is “to provide an uncommonly beautiful, urban green space in the heart of Houston.” It seems clear 12 years after city officials acquired a portion of the land to be used for this space that the goal has been accomplished. Discovery Green […]
It’s going to be another spectacular season at the Hollywood Bowl
As you’ll see when you turn to our Uniquely Los Angeles feature, the legendary amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills is better and brighter than it has ever been thanks to the installation of new benches and lighting. The existing outdoor lighting, which was installed over many years, included a wide disparity of styles, light […]
OCTANe provides the tools to build better businesses
Ron Bache appears to be well on his way to taking AqueSys Inc. from the fledgling concept that it was in 2009, fresh out of the incubator, and turning it into a successful standalone business. The company is working on technology that could significantly improve the treatment options available for those who suffer from […]
Why you should take advantage of all that summer has to offer
Summer in Southern California isn’t like summer in a lot of places across the U.S. When you live in New York or Chicago or another area that gets quite cold in winter, you look forward to the time when snow melts away, the flowers bloom and the sun shines every day. The sun is […]
What makes Chicago a special place
I love to be near water. To me, there is nothing better than stepping outside on a warm summer day and feeling the cool breeze off the lake as the sunshine glistens on the water. It’s a chance to tune out the rest of the world and whatever stress I might be feeling that day […]
Putting ice cream in a cone was a blend of necessity and a bit of innovation
If your company produced 1.5 billion units a year of a particular product, you’d be pleased, let alone happy that demand is probably going to stay that high, if not increase year to year. That’s the situation of the Joy Cone Co. of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, the world’s largest baker of ice cream cones. And while […]
Effective communication is the most important strategy to achieve your business goals
Of the multitude of advice available on goal setting, one point cannot be stressed enough: Regardless of how perfectly outlined and well thought-out your goals are, if they are not effectively communicated, they almost assuredly will fail. How can you move your organization forward if your team does not know in which direction you’re headed? […]