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getty Each of us has the power to make a positive impact on the lives of others. When I was learning about value-creation strategies at the beginning of my postgraduate studies, I found myself thinking about how every interaction—be it with colleagues, family, mentors or even members within our wider community—is a value-creation exercise. But what is value creation? The concept in business 101 is simple: It’s a process that turns resources into something that meets the needs of others. Amazingly, I was lucky enough to not only learn about this concept in theory but could also witness it in practice from some of my mentors. My father was the first person in my life who projected an air of inspiration that I quickly picked up on. He inspired me to think big and help others do the same along the way. I also met someone early on in my career who was the embodiment of a value creator; my mentor, James D. Walton, always seemed to find a way to make a lasting impact by practicing what he preached. In his 25 years of building high-performing teams, James always said the key to his success was twofold. First, […]

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Small businesses have been throttled by the pandemic, supply-chain glitches, labor shortages and inflation, yet the category as a whole has shown a resilience that makes it ripe for new financial services. "We’ve noticed more small businesses getting formed, and they’re looking for a way to manage their business in a single location," said Gina Taylor, executive vice president and general manager of business blueprint and banking for American Express. The number of small businesses in the U.S. reached 33.2 million in 2022, according to the Small Business Administration . That’s up from 32.5 million in 2021, 31.7 million in 2020 and 30.7 million in 2019. Small businesses also do most of the hiring. Eighty percent of the 10.3 million job openings in the U.S. at the end of 2022 were at businesses with fewer than 250 employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . There are 3 million more job openings at small businesses today than before the pandemic, versus 250,000 more at large companies. Demand has been rising constantly among business owners over the last few years to be able to meet their customers where they want to make purchases, which means accepting card payments […]

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Firm announces strategic sale of title insurance business to boost offerings Finance of America Companies (FOA) has agreed to sell the title insurance businesses of Incenter, its indirect subsidiary, to mortgage insurer Essent Group. According to an 8-K filing, Essent Group will buy issued and outstanding shares of Agents National Title Holding Company (ANTIC) and the issued and outstanding membership interest of Boston National Holding (BNT) for $100 million. FOA interim CEO Graham Fleming issued a statement regarding the move, emphasizing FOA’s long-term growth initiatives that are in line with the company’s vision to expand its reach and impact. “FOA’s strategic direction and long-term growth initiatives are centered on providing an innovative suite of solutions to help Americans achieve their retirement goals through the use of their home equity,” Fleming said. “This transformation has included the decision to discontinue the operations of our forward mortgage originations segment and expand on this vision through our announcement to acquire the assets of AAG. Today’s transaction is part of our continued execution of this strategy which is supported by some of the industry’s most powerful macro themes.” FOA exited the retail and wholesale channels in 2022, closing its financially troubled mortgage origination […]

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Business Activity Index at 60.4%; New Orders Index at 60.4%; Employment Index at 50%; Supplier Deliveries Index at 50% This report reflects the recently completed annual adjustments to the seasonal factors used to calculate the indexes. TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Economic activity in the services sector grew in January after contracting in December following 30 consecutive months of growth, with the Services PMI ® registering 55.2 percent, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM ® Report On Business ® . The report was issued today by Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., A.P.P., CFPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management ® (ISM ® ) Services Business Survey Committee: "In January, the Services PMI ® registered 55.2 percent, 6 percentage points higher than December’s seasonally adjusted reading of 49.2 percent. The composite index grew in January after contracting in December for the first time since May 2020, when it registered 45.4 percent (seasonally adjusted). The Business Activity Index registered 60.4 percent, a 6.9-percentage point increase compared to the seasonally adjusted reading of 53.5 percent in December. The New Orders Index grew in January after contracting in December for the first time since May […]

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Jen Kirk serves as the Chief of Staff of Revalize , a leading software provider building the future of manufacturing technology. getty As humans, we crave connection. When we are isolated or when our social bonds are threatened, we suffer. We instinctively know we are in trouble in relationships when we aren’t “talking” to each other. Similarly, in a world where everything is enabled by information, disconnected data is a death knell to any business or organization. Recognizing all the digital signals and making sense of them gives leaders the advantage of anticipating their biggest challenges and responding to them in real time. However, to make the most of this data, businesses must eliminate the noise, identify the most important pieces and deliver that information to the people who will act on it to make a difference. This process requires fast, easy and efficient access to relevant information. Through enhanced data flow, a business can capture valuable insights to inspire the next generation of unique products and services. In turn, these innovations can generate new revenue streams and support growth within the economy. Companies can revolutionize the way they connect with customers and the market, allowing them the speed, […]

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Leverette InSite Platform Partners hired Danny Leverette as its business development manager for the One-Tank team. In his new role, Leverette will form strategic partnerships and assist in the brand’s continued growth. InSite Platform Partners is headquartered in St. Charles, Missouri , and specializes in remote monitoring solutions for the propane, fuel and oil industries. Leverette is a U.S. Navy veteran and former mayor of Spring Hill, Tennessee , where he also served on the city council. He retired from the U.S. Post Office in 2019 after 28 years of service. InSite Platform Partners was founded in 2004. Its products include the One-Tank dashboard and the SkyTracker Unlimited satellite and cellular tank monitors.

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2020 file photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate A customer shot a woman at a St. Charles Avenue business after an argument with employees, New Orleans police said Friday. The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Thursday in the 1200 block of St. Charles Avenue, which will be busy with Mardi Gras parades starting next week. There are several businesses on the block, but authorities didn’t identify the specific one. Various people on social media, including a family member of the injured woman, said it happened at the Popeyes restaurant at the intersection with Erato Street ( map ). The person who answered the phone at the store Friday morning declined to answer questions, and the franchise owner was not immediately available. Refund, escorted out Police said the customer – a woman – was involved in an argument with employees inside the St. Charles Avenue business Thursday night. They didn’t say what caused the argument, but police said she was issued a refund and escorted out. That’s when authorities said she got a gun from her vehicle and shot through the window of the business, hitting an 18-year-old woman in the leg. It […]

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$5,000 to $50,000 Grants Will Be Available on February 3 for Small Businesses in Designated Area of East Buffalo Following Racially Motivated May 2022 Mass Murder Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that applications will be available for the East Buffalo Small Business Working Capital Grant Program from February 3 to February 17. The $3 million program will provide grants of $5,000 to $50,000 to eligible small businesses in a designated area of East Buffalo to help largely minority-owned establishments rebound from the social and economic impacts of the mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue earlier this year. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation – New York will administer the program on behalf of Empire State Development. Eligible businesses can submit pre-applications here. For more information on the program, including eligibility and FAQs, click here . "The East Buffalo Small Business Working Capital Grant Program is the latest step in the State’s long-term commitment to uplifting this community," Governor Hochul said. "As a born-and-raised Western New Yorker, I witnessed first-hand the strength, resilience, and passion that runs through this community. Now, we are addressing decades of disinvestment and neglect through programs like this Small Business Working Capital […]

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Oracle company headquarters. Inflation is increasing the cost of living and doing business around the world. The latest item to increase in price appears to be an Oracle Java SE subscription. Java is among the most popular programming languages in the world and is available in a number of ways. The most recent release of the language — Java 19 — came out in September 2022. Java 19 boasts new features designed to improve performance. Developers and organizations can choose to use the open source version of Java known as OpenJDK for free without support or get support via a commercial vendor. Oracle, a leader of the Java community, provides a fully supported and maintained version, known as Java SE, which carries a subscription cost for organizations. Oracle published its latest public pricing list for its Java SE subscriptions on Jan. 23. Among the big changes is the replacement of the prior Java SE subscription options with a new Java SE Universal subscription plan. According to an Oracle FAQ , "the Java SE Universal Subscription is a simple, low-cost monthly subscription that includes Java SE Licensing and Support for use on Desktops, Servers or Cloud deployments." A potential implication […]

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CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia’s General Revenue collections for January 2023 are $162.2 million above estimates and 8.5% ahead of prior year receipts. Year-to-date record collections are $995 million above estimate. "Without any question in the world, our continued revenue surpluses prove that we can very safely and conservatively move forward with a 50% tax cut in the state of West Virginia, especially if we do it wisely, and we do it over three years and phase it in,” Gov. Justice said. “So this is our opportunity to do something for hard-working West Virginians and put money back in their pockets.” The following is a brief summary of the major components: January General Revenue Fund Severance Tax collections totaled $90.3 million versus $81.9 million in January of last year. Monthly collections exceeded the official estimate by $64.3 million. Record year-to-date general revenue fund severance tax collections of $631.2 million were 87.8% ahead of last year and $497.8 million above estimate. The Severance Tax accounted for 50% of the total year-to-date revenue surplus. Overall collections were nearly double last year largely due to higher energy prices. January Personal Income Tax collections totaled $305.3 million. […]

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