Roei Friedberg is CEO of Aura Americas , the air purification company offering solutions that make air clean and safe. getty The phrase "back to normal" is often used by business leaders to describe how they expect their employees and businesses to operate following the significant disruptions over the past three years. Normal, however, still takes different forms compared to what the acceptable business routine was before the pandemic. Even as businesses prepare for their employees to return to the office, there are still unpredictable factors that create an even bigger challenge than predicted for the "big return." In my discussions with thousands of executives on returning to work, three factors are among the biggest hurdles to battling absenteeism in the workplace—and here are some ways executives can soothe concerns around these challenges. 1. Address child-care challenges and change expectations around working while sick. One factor preventing employees with children from regularly coming to the office is the need to look after their children. A 2021 study by McKinsey & Company shows that about one in five children missed 15 days or more of school in a year. Now, hit with the perfect storm of RSV, Covid and the […]

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A worker leaves the China Evergrande Group Royal Peak residential development in Beijing, China. Bloomberg China’s regulatory crackdowns and a property-market slump reduced the private sector’s share of the country’s big businesses for the second successive year. That’s according the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which tracked the value share of privately owned companies in the total market capitalization of China’s 100 largest listed companies going back to 2010. The private sector’s share at the end of 2022 dropped 5 percentage points from the previous year, to 42.8%. State owned companies gained ground amid property market slump Last year saw the longest-ever slump in China’s property market, following Beijing’s policies to rein in real estate credit — hitting the valuation of large privately owned companies such as China Evergrande Group and Country Garden Holdings, which had dominated that sector. The shares of private-sector tech groups continued to be affected by a regulatory tightening aimed at that industry. Part- and wholly state-owned companies account for the rest of the market capitalization measured by the PIIE. The private sector share peaked above 54% in 2020. “The data at end-2022 suggest that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ‘corporate rectification campaign’ started in the […]

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Amazon ( AMZN ) is set to report its Q4 2022 earnings on Feb. 2, as the company looks to deliver after a difficult year that rattled its stock. Here’s what Wall Street’s expecting to see from Amazon’s key numbers, as compiled by Bloomberg. Net Sales – $145.8 billion expected Online Stores Net Sales: $65.03 billion Physical Stores Net Sales: $4.93 billion Earnings Per Share (EPS): 17 cents expected Amazon Web Services (AWS) Net Sales: $21.76 billion expected Operating Income: $2.51 billion expected Amazon’s shares declined about 47% over the course of 2022, as the company found itself in the throes of a digital advertising slowdown, high inflation, and rising interest rates. After the company grew rapidly to keep up with pandemic demand, the far-reaching economic uncertainty of the last year left Amazon in a bind. To that end, Amazon announced some of Big Tech’s most notable layoffs, looking to shed 18,000 of its employees. It’s the largest layoff in the company’s history to date. This round of earnings will also tie up the year in which a unionization push at Amazon fully materialized. In April, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) won a union election at a warehouse in […]

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla., Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SouthState Bank has hired five bankers who bring years of financial expertise and relationship building to the Commercial and Wealth teams in Georgia, Virginia and Alabama. Continue Reading SouthState has hired five bankers to support business and wealth customers in Georgia, Virginia and Alabama "Across our footprint, these talented bankers will immediately make a significant contribution as they enhance SouthState’s reputation for exceptional service and client-focused relationships," said Richard Murray, SouthState president. "We look forward to leveraging their talents to help our commercial and business customers grow, as well as helping our wealth management customers optimize and expand their portfolios." Bankers joining the SouthState team include: Ryan Berry – financial consultant , Richmond, Virginia – joins SouthState having spent over a decade in Wealth Management and five years as a commercial banker, all with BB&T. He held several roles, including that of director of the Wealth Lending Group where he served on the senior leadership team of the Wealth Division and managed the team responsible for originating and servicing more than $6 billion in credit commitments. In the community, Berry has been an active leader in outreach and volunteer projects in […]

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Mayor Andre Dickens Announces ATLinBusiness Marketplace During Small Business Event Mayor’s Office of Communications 55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Mayor Andre Dickens Announces ATLinBusiness Marketplace During Small Business Event ATLANTA —Mayor Andre Dickens and Invest Atlanta announced the launch of ATLinBusiness Marketplace— a new, dedicated digital marketplace for Atlanta-based businesses to sell and market to other Atlanta-based businesses and corporations. “ATLinBusiness Marketplace will create a more equitable business-to-business environment by connecting buyers and sellers in metro Atlanta—including minority-owned, women-owned and legacy businesses, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens . “With this program, we aim to provide resources to support our local economy, create more good-paying jobs and ensure Atlanta is a city of opportunity for all.” With ATLinBusiness Marketplace, smaller, diverse suppliers will have a first destination for greater access to a wide range of buyers to help suppliers accelerate growth and generate new revenue streams. The platform will showcase participating business’s capabilities, diversity classification, certifications and more. “ATLinBusiness Marketplace will allow us another avenue to increase equity in business and access to opportunity for Atlanta’s entrepreneurs and small business owners, and to do that we must stay innovative,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO […]

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getty It’s incredible to think that a decade ago, issues like environmental impact and socially conscious investing were considered sidebars on any given business agenda. Now, in the last two years alone, the number of companies committed to sustainability targets has tripled due to efforts like new governmental policies and international efforts. Lack of awareness is no longer a barrier to adoption of sustainability practices; however, new challenges are faced by organizations looking to make a positive impact in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities. In my experience, the most pressing challenge is practical implementation . Sustainability experts seem to agree that the solution to this challenge rests on a business’ overall approach to core strategy . Despite the fact that there are many benefits for organizations to adopt sustainability, such as long-term cost savings, customer loyalty, risk management and innovation, actual implementation is frequently difficult owing to antiquated business practices. As a sustainability consultant, I have observed that the common reactive approach taken by many companies to maintain industry certifications, compete in the market and comply with regulations is what makes sustainability so challenging for them. Since sustainability as a business topic is still relatively new to […]

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Program stimulates business growth through capital improvements, uniting business owners and artists ATLANTA, Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. has completed two murals and a parklet as part of the Business Façade pARTnership Grant which aims to revitalize business districts along BeltLine. The work was completed this fall with projects that promote the renewal of these commercial areas by giving artists work opportunities, creating visual interest in the businesses and highlighting the accessibility of these businesses from the BeltLine. The BeltLine has invested more than $220,000 on façade improvements for local businesses as part of the Business Façade pARTnership Grant program since 2019. "These façade improvements are a signal to the community that these spaces are open for business and nurturing their communities. We hope everyone will go visit the locations to support these local businesses on the BeltLine," said Kelvin Collins, Atlanta BeltLine’s vice president of economic development. The pARTnership grant invests in capital improvements to businesses façades by pairing local artists and makers with local businesses. The program is designed to catalyze economic growth within the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD) that spans the 22-mile BeltLine corridor. Throughout the program, the selected businesses had access […]

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Ethernet cables are seen in front of Rogers Communications logo in this illustration taken, July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustrations Feb 2 (Reuters) – Canada’s Rogers Communications Inc (RCIb.TO) , beat estimates for quarterly revenue and phone subscriber growth on Thursday, benefiting from higher roaming charges and promotional offers during the holiday quarter. Rogers’ push to expand its 5G network and bundle subscriber plans has helped it win customers from rivals in a competitive market where wireless charges are among the highest in the world. The telecom operator added 193,000 monthly bill paying wireless phone subscribers in the fourth quarter, comfortably beating FactSet estimate of 146,800. It added 164,000 users in the preceding quarter. Rogers’ media business, which includes TV and radio properties, benefited from a jump in advertising during the holiday quarter, with revenue increasing 17% to C$606 million ($456 million). Revenue at its core wireless business grew 7% to C$2.58 billion, in line with estimates, as it drew more users thanks to promotional offers on latest mobile phones such as Apple iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z. Latest Updates Total revenue increased 6% to C$4.17 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, inching past analysts’ average estimate of […]

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TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, has a program focused on supporting entrepreneurs and startup businesses by connecting them with resources throughout the state. The Urban Business Innovation Initiative (UBII) is designed to support underserved early-stage companies in key urban areas in Maryland. The program’s mentors come from all backgrounds, allowing businesses access to experts from different backgrounds and expertise. Malcolm Tyson was building an innovation hub for the College of Southern Maryland while simultaneously operating his own consulting practice to provide mentorship for small and medium-sized businesses. But it still wasn’t enough; that’s when he found out about mentor opportunities at TEDCO . He signed on as an adviser in Prince George’s County for TEDCO’s UBII program last July. “It’s really rewarding to know that I’m in this space, to know that I can help them not get discouraged when their peers or colleagues that they work with and have known are getting funding for their programs and they’re not Black,” Tyson said. Getting started TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall launched the program when he officially took his position in September 2020. As part of his work with the initiative, UBII mentors work with a variety of businesses […]

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Jeff Briggs New Forests hired Jeff Briggs as managing director for North America to lead on the overall strategy for the region, the firm announced in a statement on Thursday. Mr. Briggs joined the firm on Wednesday, replacing Brian Shillinglaw who left in November to pursue other opportunities, a spokeswoman said. Mr. Briggs will focus on delivering consistent and stable investment returns for clients, while contributing to communities and livelihoods, and the circular bioeconomy, the statement said. New Forests is a Sydney-based $7 billion investment manager that specializes in nature-based real asset and natural capital strategies. Mr. Briggs will report to Mark Rogers , currently senior managing director for the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, who will become CEO in April . The statement also said that changes in the shareholdings of New Forests were finalized on Tuesday. On May 20, the firm announced that Mitsui & Co. would increase its shareholding to 49% from 23%, and that Nomura Holdings would purchase a 41% share in the company. The remaining 10% is retained by New Forests staff. Mr. Briggs has over 30 years’ experience in the investment, renewable energy, and agriculture sectors. He was chief operating officer of WasteFuel, […]

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