Roger Vozar: Are people ready for “water made tasty” rather than sweet?
One of the basic rules to starting a successful business is to find a need that’s not being served — and fill it. Kara Goldin certainly found an untapped market when it came to Hint Water. Much of her story sounded familiar — being hooked on diet soda and finding water to be a boring […]
Going mobile: How TapSense envisions the future of portable device marketing
While consumers have flocked to smartphones and tablets, companies and advertisers have been slow to follow. TapSense Inc. CEO Ash Kumar predicted that situation would eventually change and sought to capitalize on it when he co-founded the mobile marketing cloud platform with ex-Google engineer Amit Manjhi in 2011. The San Francisco-based company raised seed money […]
Why employers today need a fiduciary liability policy for protection
A fiduciary liability policy protects the personal assets of a plan due to allegations of breach of fiduciary duties. Specifically, it protects plan sponsors and trustees from defense cost and penalties if they are sued for decisions they make for an employee benefit plan. “They may be sued by an individual who was a participant […]
Over delivering: Patrice Matamoros breathes new life into the Pittsburgh Marathon
In 2003, the Pittsburgh Marathon lost its title sponsorship. The city of Pittsburgh seemed to be heading into bankruptcy, and the city services used to support the event couldn’t be provided without payment. So, the marathon was canceled. Then, Patrice Matamoros stepped up to the challenge of resurrecting the event.
How the Affordable Care Act is affecting dental and vision benefits
Understandably, most of the attention generated in the health insurance world in the past year has concerned the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its impact on health benefits. What has gone unnoticed, however, is that the ACA also has had an impact on dental and vision benefits. “There are many misconceptions about the ACA, especially […]
How universities and businesses can build a smarter workforce
The days of earning your college degree and finding a job requiring no further education are long gone. Members of today’s workforce understand that with few exceptions, they will need additional training throughout their career to continue working in their chosen field. Companies that can provide this continuing education to employees at their place of […]
Save money, cut inefficiency with an interior design firm
Working with a commercial interior design firm produces more than just visible results. A well-managed and coordinated firm saves time and money on the physical project, and can identify inefficiencies within the workplace that are a drain on company resources. “There are endless ways to improve productivity, and it starts with functionality,” says Keith Colamarino, […]
Bill Kitson: Address a public challenge and become deeply rooted in your audience
Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” said, “Most people do not listen with intent to understand; they listen with intent to reply.” Community conversations are used when an organization decides to turn outward and develop a deep understanding of its audience and later use the findings to change how […]
Five things you should consider before starting your own business
Thinking about ditching your current job and starting a business? It may not be as easy as you think. Most people are not prepared for the amount of time, money, patience and research that starting a business entails. I recently started SupportPay, revealing the pros and cons of leaving the corporate world for entrepreneurship. Here […]
Ilana Stern: Getting tech savvy help and a strong core team can sweeten a new entrepreneur’s venture
While pursuing my master’s degree in business administration at Stanford University, I knew I had the entrepreneurial drive to want to technologically disrupt the wedding industry, but I also recognized there was so much that I did not know. Of the many challenges I faced, two of the toughest occurred when first getting Weddington Way […]