Health care real estate outlook: Patient interaction with health care providers shapes health care real estate trends
Most everyone is aware of the seismic changes occurring in the health care industry. While the implementation of the Affordable Care Act is garnering most of the attention, a fundamental shift is occurring in the health care real estate business. Buoyed by a perfect storm — providers are receiving lower reimbursements, construction costs are rising, […]
Sequent: Why business owners need engaged employees to maximize potential
Many companies talk about the need for employee engagement, but few are taking the necessary steps to engage their workforce. “While it’s a commonly used term, it’s not common practice. For example, 75 percent of leaders have no engagement strategy, yet 90 percent consider engagement to be a critical component of a company’s success,” says […]
Brouse McDowell: How to ensure your program doesn’t present legal problems
Benjamin Franklin once stated, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” If he were alive today, he might include on his list of certainties an annual increase in health care costs for employers and employees. Smart Business spoke with Jonathan L. Stark, a partner at Brouse McDowell, regarding […]
Benefitdecisions: How hospitality businesses are addressing health care mandates
Restaurants, hotels and other hospitality companies that have not traditionally offered health insurance benefits to employees are struggling to meet the mandate to provide a plan or face penalties starting in 2015 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That need has prompted the insurance industry to respond with cost-effective strategies to help companies with low-wage […]
Dave Fazekas: As the calendar changes, take the time to really understand your customer
As you set your New Year’s business objectives and goals, the bulk of your attention is probably focused on driving revenue growth, budgeting, cost control and other operational matters. But these are all part of a greater business purpose: To serve your customer. What better time than at the beginning of a new year […]
Fueling the future – Why Cleveland rocks so much more than you might think
I first visited Ohio City in the early ’80s with my parents and six siblings to shop at the West Side Market, and I remember my immigrant mother and first-generation father sharing their love of the old-world vibrancy of the market. I also remember how dilapidated the surrounding neighborhood was — but how it had […]
Don Plusquellic: Foreign travel brings big returns on city investment in jobs and payroll
In 1990, Bob Bowman, an economic development specialist hired by the predecessor to the Greater Akron Chamber, asked me to travel with him to the Hannover Trade Fair, the world’s most important technology show. Since that time, members of our Economic Development department have attended the show every year to showcase our city and state […]
Damon Hacker: ‘Not my company!’ attitude is dangerously out-of-date
You can’t pick up a newspaper, business publication or magazine without reading about this month’s mega-data breach. “Stolen: 3.5 million credit card numbers, complete with contact information” and so on all seem like headlines detailing sizable losses coming from large corporations specifically being targeted for their treasures. Unfortunately, each of these breaches were not the […]
The 2013 Class of Power Players in Cleveland
The 2013 Class of Power Players in Cleveland We would like to recognize The 2013 Class of Power Players in Cleveland. This yearlong luncheon series featured the most influential business leaders in the region sharing their perspective on why Cleveland is such a great place to live, work and visit. Jim Bennettsenior vice […]
Lee Ellis: What’s your leadership vision for the New Year?
Starting a new year can be a time of mixed emotions. I know because I greeted six consecutive New Year’s sitting in North Vietnam prisoner of war camps. Fear was the foremost emotion in those first three years, and the others were somewhat daunting, too. Yet, we always kept hope that the new year would […]