David La Piana: How focusing on early adopters, who are ready for change, strengthens your efforts
Most organizational change efforts, large or small, life-saving or mundane, are destined to fail. Generally, they don’t fail because of a weak concept but because of poor execution, often stemming from a lack of buy-in from the people who have to actually change their attitudes or behavior — your employees. In this inaugural column on […]
Staying ahead of the curve: Innovation has been a core part of Lundberg Family Farms since it was founded
After witnessing the Dust Bowl’s impact on the Midwest, the founders of Lundberg Family Farms decided they needed to take care of the soil and treat it as a living organism when establishing the Sacramento Valley business in 1937. “When they arrived here, they started to farm using cover crops that would produce nitrogen from […]
Perseverance pays off for pair of pet lovers pitching benefits of pet insurance
Chris and Natasha Ashton risked a lot to get Petplan off the ground. “Two years of funding the business on credit cards and taking cash out on the credit cards to pay off student loans at Wharton,” says Natasha, the pet insurance company’s co-founder, co-CEO and CMO. “Two years of sleepless nights. But it proved […]
How businesses can benefit from banking with smaller institutions
Finding a bank for your business is different than applying for a car loan. Instead of just needing a source of capital, you also need a partner that can help your business grow. “You’re looking for a relationship that will allow your business to prosper,” says Andrew M. Phillips, vice president, relationship manager at Bridge […]
Why now is the time to get your team up to speed on what analytics can do
Ask 10 practitioners to explain analytics and you’ll get 10 different answers. The field is still evolving as people come at it from different backgrounds. But at its core, analytics is about replacing gut-based decisions with ones that are fact-based. The challenge is that today’s “facts” are buried in enormous data sets. Leaders must work […]
Roger Vozar: ShareThis made its mark by separating from the pack
“The most innovative ideas come from conditions that are constrained or set.” I’ve always thought of myself as more of a task manager than an innovative, creative person, and those words from ShareThis CEO Tim Schigel, subject of this month’s cover story, resonated with me because not knowing where to start is a familiar experience. […]
Roger Vozar: The Mütter Museum has public interested in medical science
When considering what to showcase for the new “Uniquely Philadelphia” feature in Smart Business Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum instantly came to mind. It’s known worldwide and certainly has many items that can be considered unique. But, as Communications Director J. Nathan Bazzel is quick to point out, the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians […]
Words of caution on additional insured agreements: The rules have changed
Additional insured — it’s a standard practice in most industries to require vendors to protect you under their insurance policies. These insurance transfers occur most frequently when hiring companies to do construction, maintenance or security, or if you’re leasing space. “The concept is if I hire you to do work for me, I don’t want […]
How to ensure that you keep your top executive talent
As the economy moves away from recession, many privately held companies are finding themselves with available cash and are deciding how it can be best utilized. “They’re calling and asking, ‘Do I acquire a business, or start a new product line? Or do we further incentivize our top performers?’” says Tyler A. Ridgeway, director of […]
Rodolpho Cardenuto and SAP Americas are helping companies gain a competitive edge
The movie “Moneyball” depicted how baseball executives use statistics to predict outcomes and allocate resources. Rodolpho Cardenuto, president of SAP Americas, foresees a similar approach in the business world with big data.