At long last, businesses and consumers will be able to settle into their new rhythms in 2023 — but what are they? Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Let’s all cross our fingers and hope that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. Now that we’ve done it, let’s talk about what the " new normal " will look like. In the back office and out on the floor, the seismic shifts that have rocked businesses for the past three years are finally starting to stabilize. Here is how the major trends for spending and staffing are likely to shake out. Farewell to spending swings For much of the pandemic, people focused their spending on goods that could be delivered to and consumed in their homes. Going out wasn’t really an option, and even when it was, there were risks and limitations — so they ordered takeout and saved their money for better days. Those better days came last spring. With arms full of boosters and bank accounts full of savings, consumers left their homes in huge numbers to partake of restaurant meals, concerts, sporting events, and flights to sunnier climes. It was an economy-shifting combination: […]

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TOKYO, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Japanese supermarket owner Hiromichi Akiba has built his bustling business through close ties with his neighbourhood – the reason, he says, he can’t make the price hikes on his wares that would allow him to give his workers a pay rise. Steep price increases on surging raw materials costs are squeezing Japan’s workers, as years of deflation or minimal rises give way to 41-year-high inflation of 4%. And, while major companies are offering raises amid government pressure, many of the small and midsize firms that employ the vast number of Japanese workers cannot keep up. But the situation is especially hard for retail businesses like Akiba’s because the cost rises are so widespread that virtually nothing is untouched, preventing pay rises. "The fact is that we are barely making a profit," said the genial 54-year-old, who prides himself on the close ties he’s built with the customers in his western Tokyo neighbourhood over the past three decades. "If we were able to pass our costs on by raising prices, we couldn’t look our customers in the eyes." Latest Updates To a casual observer, Akiba’s business, which he began 31 years ago with a single […]

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We know millions of small and medium businesses (SMBs) and nonprofits utilize Walmart’s stores and website to purchase supplies to support their day-to-day operations. These customers are under more pressure than ever due to inflation and supply chain issues, adapting to a hybrid workforce and post-pandemic behavioral shifts. For months, we’ve been working with SMBs and nonprofits to build solutions just for them, with tools tailored to help teams run smoother, have the right items on hand and easily find products to meet their needs. These organizations want to: Save money and spend less time on business purchases Stay in control and in stock with more time to focus on their operations and staff Create efficiencies to operate and grow Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of Walmart Business as an eCommerce site and customer experience designed to empower SMB and nonprofit customers. Our focus is to remove complexity in purchasing, lower costs and give our customers more opportunities to serve their customers and communities. Walmart Business is built to leverage the very best of Walmart — our unmatched operating scale, our proximity within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population and the very best of our […]

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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) was among the 60 winning teams chosen by NASA for the second TechRise Student Challenge, a nationwide contest designed to engage students in technology, science, and space exploration. These teams will work together to build science and technology experiments in preparation for a suborbital flight test. A full list of winning teams is available on the TechRise website. “Through opportunities like the TechRise Student Challenge, young people are deepening their passion in science and technology, preparing to be the future innovators and pioneers who help humanity soar to new heights and unlock more secrets of the universe,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Each team will receive $1,500 to build their experiments and an assigned spot to test it on one of two NASA-sponsored high-altitude balloon flights scheduled for this summer. Winning teams will design, build, and prepare their payloads for flight, receiving close mentorship and support along the way. The team from TJHSST is made up of students from the Chemical Analysis Lab and Astronomy lab who worked together on their proposal. Led by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and administered by Future Engineers, TechRise offers students both hands-on experience with […]

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12 MINUTE READ The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade announces an open competition for individuals and organizations to submit applications for the Serbian-American Cooperation Grants Program . In order to submit your application please read detailed instructions: Serbian-American Cooperation Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity 2023 . All necessary forms and documents are available for download on the grants programs page . Applications, inquiries and all other questions should be sent to belgradepdsgrants@state.gov . Applications deadline April 1, 2023. Please check for information on other PAS funding opportunities here . Program Objectives: PDS welcomes proposals from non-government organizations, governmental institutions and individuals to administer creative, engaging projects that strengthen the Serbian-U.S. relationship and explain U.S. culture, society, values, and policies to Serbian audiences. The Embassy is also working with Serbia’s government, civil society, business community, and other partners on promoting economic development and fighting brain drain; strengthening democracy, including through supporting civic participation, encouraging a free press and human rights, and advancing regional stability and cooperation. Projects funded through this NOFO must include an American element. That could involve a connection or partnership between Serbian and American organizations or institutions; inviting an American expert […]

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The Bizzell Memorial Library on Nov 16, 2022. OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. released the university’s annual statement of commitment to affirmative action and equal employment opportunity Wednesday morning. In an email to OU employees, Harroz wrote that OU annually reaffirms its full commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, including the policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination throughout OU’s campus. Affirmative action requires employers to do more than ensure employment neutrality, making additional efforts to recruit, employ and promote qualified members of groups formerly limited or excluded, according to OU’s Institutional Equity Office’s website. In 2012, Oklahoma’s legislature passed the Affirmative Action Amendment , which banned affirmative action programs in the state and prohibited special treatment based on race or sex in public employment, education and contracts, according to Ballotpedia. In October, the U.S. Supreme Court held hearings on cases challenging affirmative action programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is expected to overturn or roll back affirmative action in college admissions. "It is up to all of us at the University to ensure that our commitment to Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action is in compliance with all applicable laws […]

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Walmart has offered applicants the chance to make up to $110,000 in their first year by becoming truck drivers. The retail giant is supposedly in need of people to fill that role, as they recently announced plans to expand their Associate-to-Driver training program. Some Walmart employees will have the opportunity to make six figures in a new position The retail company is reportedly expanding its Associate-to-Driver training program It is said to last 12 weeks and offers a possible six-figure payday, per Penn Live . However, the catch is that the offer is only applicable to people who are already Walmart employees. They must either be working in stores, fulfillment centers, distribution centers, or transportation offices in specific areas to apply for the program. To qualify, employees must work at one of the company’s locations within a 50-mile radius of a hiring transportation office. The program was officially announced in 2022, and Walmart has reportedly trained at least 56 employees from several "supply-chain roles." This helped the 56 people earn a commercial driver’s license to start driving full-time for Walmart. Now, the expansion will include a pool of applicants from a possible 439 Walmart stores within a 50-mile area […]

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$500,000 Available to Assist in Implementing Solid Waste Planning Obligations SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim today announced a new funding opportunity to assist counties and other units of local government in implementing their solid waste planning obligations under the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (SWPRA). A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been posted to the Illinois EPA website . “These grants provide an important resource to county and local governments as they meet their obligations to update their plans for managing solid waste disposal and recycling,” said Director Kim. “This is the second funding cycle Illinois EPA has offered, following a recommendation from the Statewide Material Management Advisory Committee to provide financial support leading to meaningful updates to these plans.” Under the SWPRA, counties and units of local government are obligated to revisit their Illinois Solid Waste Management Plans every five years and, if necessary, submit plans with significant updates to the Illinois EPA. The Illinois EPA Material Management and Compliance Section is responsible for reviewing any solid waste management plans with significant updates submitted pursuant to the SWPRA. Through this funding opportunity, Illinois EPA intends to provide interested […]

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Your Turn Elections represent voters’ choice of direction. But whether voters get what they want depends on the leaders they elect. Leadership is everything. And leaders must address the unique challenges of the moment. Where have we come in terms of our direction and leadership and where are we headed to address the challenges of this moment? I believe we are always moving in one of two fundamental directions: toward greater freedom and the opportunity it brings or away from freedom, accepting the false promises of know-it-all elites who stand ready and willing to control every aspect of our lives. On almost any issue, you can see that choice of direction in what we could call the Florida Way versus the California Way. For example, during COVID, California decided that some businesses and workers were essential, while some were not. In Florida, we said everyone is essential. California’s masking of children with little risk from COVID damaged them both academically and psychologically. Florida quickly returned students to in-person learning. The California Way says parents have no business knowing what is taught to their children in school. Florida understands that parents are responsible for raising their children and should not […]

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PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) – Severely Disabled veterans could receive assistance to get special adaptive equipment for their motor vehicle. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter finds out more about the Advancing Uniform Transportation Act, or AUTO. President Joe Biden recently signed into law provisions of the Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans Act. The legislation will reduce a financial burden for severely disabled veterans who require special adaptive equipment to drive the motor vehicle, and will help veterans be eligible to receive a grant through the Department of Veterans Affair to help purchase a new adaptive vehicle once every ten years. Heather Ainsley is the Associate Executive Director of Government Relations at Paralyzed Veterans of America, and says they were excited to hear about the news. Heather Ainsley: “Very excited to see that the President had signed the Veterans AUTO and education improvement act into law. This legislation included language that we had been advocating for a while that would provide our veterans who have disabilities related to their military service, and who received an auto grant at some point in their lifetime. If it’s been over thirty years, so for instance if they receive their grant following the […]

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