The percentage of large companies around the world disclosing and obtaining assurance on data related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is on the rise, but the percentage of assurance provided by accounting firms is heading in the opposite direction. Ninety-five percent of companies reported some ESG information, and 64% obtained some level of assurance on that data in 2021, according to The State of Play: Sustainability Disclosure & Assurance . In 2019, 91% of companies reported some ESG information, and 51% obtained some assurance. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, co-authored the latest version of the study, which reviewed the 2021 disclosures of 1,350 of the largest companies in 21 jurisdictions. In 2021, 57% of ESG assurance engagements were conducted by audit firms, down from 63% in 2019. A joint statement in the study from IFAC and AICPA & CIMA leadership stressed that "the accountancy profession must demonstrate to stakeholders why our profession is best placed to deliver assurance." Is the US posed to reverse the trend? The United States stands out among seven jurisdictions where nonaccountancy service providers delivered the majority of ESG assurance […]

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“Facebook is a particularly effective platform for all manner of content verticals to generate click-throughs.” Highlights from a new report that compiles benchmarking data from the major social platforms. The findings will help publishers understand how they are performing with respect to their competition on these platforms and optimize their social media strategies for best results. Over 4.5B people use social media – that’s nearly 60% of the world’s population, according to a new report from Echobox. And the average growth rate of social media users globally is 3% per year. “The opportunity for reach on social media is larger than ever,” the authors note. “How can companies make the most of this moment in time?” Improving click-through traffic between social platforms and websites would help publishers attract readers and build relationships with them. “In this regard, benchmarking data is essential to understanding how different platforms perform in driving traffic back to a website,” they explain. The report, The Ultimate Collection of 2023 Social Media Benchmarks , provides benchmarks for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These are based on detailed analysis of thousands of social shares from businesses around the world – Echobox serves over 1,500 leading brands and […]

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Yoda Yee is the founder and CEO of Threecolts , an all-in-one enterprise platform that unlocks profitable growth for e-commerce businesses. getty Threecolts was formed during a pandemic and grew swiftly during inflation, consumer hesitancy and a market downturn. We’ve been remote first and global since the beginning—and this isn’t going to change. Here’s why. The benefits of a remote-first global workplace—and the shift in leadership needed to enact this successfully—far outweigh the disadvantages of business as usual. A remote workplace inspires leaders to transform their thinking to allow for better outcomes in productivity, innovation and job satisfaction. How Covid Changed The Way We Work The Covid-19 pandemic changed not only the way people work but our attitudes toward work . In 2021, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , over 47 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs. The Great Resignation highlighted workers’ dissatisfaction with stagnant wages, limited growth opportunities and feeling disrespected as motivating factors for quitting. Then there was “quiet quitting,” a movement heralded on social media and informed by workers’ dissatisfaction with grind culture. According to a Gallup survey in June 2022, at least half the U.S. workforce consider themselves quiet quitters. […]

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King Communities purchased the apartment building at 850 Dexter in January 2022 and sold it in November 2022. James King Real estate veteran and turnaround specialist James King, founder of Denver-based King Communities , has introduced a real estate investment fund, providing people with the opportunity to invest in distressed real estate assets. The Contrarian RE Fund 1, LLC, researches, identifies and acquires multifamily and manufactured home communities that are being sold at steep discounts. “These opportunities are beginning to present themselves as more distressed assets are coming online and property owners are struggling with increased debt,” said King, who along with his team of professionals has successfully owned and operated more than 2,000 units across the United States. “We are actively identifying distressed real estate assets and reviewing if they are viable options for our “Value-Add” business model. If they are, we are making purchase decisions regarding the properties and investigating the level of enhancements and improvements that need to be made for each property.” The Contrarian RE Fund 1’s “Value-Add” business model has realized significant profits since King first started implementing it in 2009. By purchasing properties with low rental rates and making substantial physical and operational […]

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Over 25 breweries had chance to serve and welcome community after two-year hiatus. Tucson Craft Beer Crawl returns downtown after being cancelled the past two years due to the pandemic. TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) -The Tucson Craft Beer Crawl returned to the downtown area after being canceled the past two years due to the pandemic. This day brings in major revenue for Tucson’s local breweries and businesses. “It just adds to the love of craft beer and just to have people out celebrating it. I think just this area, in general, is going to get a lot of extra business, people are going to be out and they’re going to be excited, and it’s going to be fun,” said Ben Vernon, co-owner of Crooked Tooth Brewery. Crooked Tooth was just one of over 25 breweries to benefit from the day’s event. In 2020, the day impacted their sales by 15%, and the owners expect to exceed that number this year. “So last time, in 2020, we looked to see about how much, and it did impact our sales by about 15%, increasing it for the day, which is wonderful,” said Julie Vernon, co-owner of Crooked Tooth Brewery. “Today, we […]

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The one-person business is on the rise in 19 countries, according to a new global report. Among 32 economies that were surveyed about this in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor from 2019 to 2022, there was an uptick in 19 countries in the percentage of people who were starting or running a new business but did not expect to add anyone to payroll within five years. Leaders of this solopreneur trend, most prevalent in Europe but also taking place in other countries, were the Slovak Republic (up from 40% in 2019 to 71% in 2022), Germany (up from 41% to 69%) and Oman (up from 48% to 71%) However, the rate of solopreneurship declined in 13 countries, with the biggest dips in Poland (from 40% in 2019 to 15% in 2022), Brazil (54% to 31%) and the Republic of Korea (38% to 20%). That isn’t necessarily a negative trend: It may be because entrepreneurs in these countries plan to hire employees. Aileen Ionescu-Somers, executive director of GEM, which documents the growth of entrepreneurship … [+] GEM The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, now it its 24 th year, offers perhaps the world’s most sweeping view of entrepreneurship, surveying 51 economies that represent […]

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Jacobs Jewelers, Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners and Cotten’s Bar-B-Que expect to shut their doors as owners retire or property is sold. Cotten’s Bar-B-Que, Jacobs Jewelers and Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners are closing their doors. As of Feb. 28, more than 275 years of entrepreneurship ends in Jacksonville, although one operator expects a few more days and another hopes to reopen elsewhere. Three businesses are slated to close this week: Jacobs Jewelers, tracing back its roots 156 years; Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners, which began as Beach Road Chicken Dinners 84 years ago; and Cotten’s Bar-B-Que, 36 years in business in Arlington. Two – Jacobs and Cotten’s – are closing as their owners retire. Beach Road Fish House owners are selling the property, as are the Cottens. Jacobs leases Downtown space that has been sold, but expects to stay open a few more days. Beach Road hopes to reopen, but has not announced where. All indicated Feb. 28 as their last day in business where they have operated for decades. Cotten’s Bar-B-Que Cotten’s Bar-B-Que owners and spouses Yvonne and Fred Cotten Jr. posted this image on their restaurant’s Facebook page. Bar-B-Que at […]

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Noah (l.) and Ari Meyerowitz with their Sproutman products. Photo courtesy of Sproutman Sproutman launches new product line tomorrow Great Barrington— Ari and Noah Meyerowitz, principals of Sproutman based in Great Barrington, have announced the introduction of Superfood Sprout Powders, which they plan to bring to market on Tuesday, February 28. Three innovative sprout powder blends are infused with thoughtfully selected superfoods and research-backed adaptogens, specially formulated to be added to plant-based lattes, smoothies, water and even foods like oatmeal. These benefit-based powders—Blue Glow, Green Fuel, and Chai Balance—represent a delicious and easy way for people to discover and enjoy the benefits of sprouts Building on the original grassroots business started by their father, they have developed a web-based enterprise that offers at-home sprouting kits and helpful resources so anyone, anywhere can grow their own organic sprouts. With sustainability at their core, they also strive to lovingly ship all their “good for you” products in a way that’s light on the planet. Sproutman, a second-generation small family business, is committed to changing the world—with spouts. Because research shows that one in six Americans struggle with food insecurity or live in a “food desert” (a place with limited access to […]

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A banking leader shares 5 benefits of this underutilized tool. Inflation has sent business expenses soaring. Rising operating costs have impacted spending power. Revenue and profits get hurt, too. Better cash management strategies can help. One underutilized tool is a business credit card. It can help manage cash flow, simplify payments and earn rewards while also adding to the bottom line. With 147 locations in the Chicago area, U.S. Bank offers business clients a flexible, customized credit card program as part of its integrated banking and payments offering. Here are five benefits to consider. 1. Create better cash flow. Think about the different ways business expenses can be paid. Often, business owners make payments with checks, debit cards, wire transfers or ACH transactions. A business credit card can free up more cash for the business and create extra purchasing power, according to M.J. Hasso, business card sales manager at U.S. Bank. When a business pays a vendor by check or via money transfer, the funds leave the company’s accounts right away, she explains. A business credit card provides flexibility and allows the company to increase their cash flow. "Business credit cards can add tremendous value to the operating cycle," […]

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Essar Group plans to spend as much as $3.6 billion on low-carbon hydrogen production in the UK and India, as well as decarbonization work at its refinery in northwest England, pending government support. The company’s first step would be a $1.2 billion investment in Britain to produce hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage, according to Prashant Ruia, director of Essar Capital. A final investment decision is expected later this year, he said by phone. Essar is seeking to capitalize on efforts by British industries to cut emissions as the UK strives to reach net zero by the middle of the century. The company’s Stanlow refinery is connected to the Hynet project, one of two industrial clusters selected by the government to get funding to capture CO2 emissions and transport them for permanent storage below the seabed. The UK aims to capture 20-30 million metric tons of carbon a year by the early 2030s. Ruia said he expects the UK to finalize a market framework later this year, which would allow the company to make a firm commitment so that its first project can be operational by 2027. The hydrogen produced by Essar would be used at […]

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