The skyline with its financial district is photographed on early evening in Frankfurt, Germany, September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Business climate index at 91.1 vs expected 91.2 Unexpected fall in current situation index Analyst: No reason to start partying BERLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) – German business morale improved in February for the fourth consecutive month, adding to signs that Europe’s largest economy is recovering despite the energy crisis and high inflation, a survey said on Wednesday. The Ifo institute said its business climate index stood at 91.1 following a revised reading of 90.1 in January. A Reuters poll of analysts had pointed to a February reading of 91.2. "The German economy is gradually working its way out of a period of weakness," said Ifo President Clemens Fuest. Business sentiment is forecast to continue improving in the coming months, according to Union Investment’s chief economist Joerg Zeuner. "This is because the economy is expected to brighten up towards the summer, as declining inflation and lower energy prices will no longer have such a strong impact on consumers’ purchasing power," Zeuner said, adding that this should benefit the retail sector. LBBW’s Jens-Oliver Niklasch forecasts an improvement in the economic situation, although […]

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Product to visualize complex data, giving leaders insights to optimize sales performance IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Performio, a leading incentive compensation management (ICM) provider, announced today that it has launched its new product, Analytics Studio . This powerful new product lets Performio customers get dynamic insights into their compensation data and create business recommendations. The new analytics capabilities leverage predictive artificial intelligence (AI) to generate insights into payable and attainment trends by team, territory, or products, which informs and improves territory, quota, and comp recommendations. In addition, it reports on estimated compensation payables based on the current pipeline in a customer’s CRM system to better plan and manage company-wide commissions payouts. Continue Reading Analytics Studio is the most powerful reporting and analytics package of any incentive compensation platform out there. Tweet this Performio Analytics Studio: Business Intelligence and Advanced Reporting Using Analytics Studio, Performio customers can build executive reporting visualizations, create custom views into their data, gain insights into their business instantly, and use natural language questions to explore the data and create charts easily. In addition, interactive reports and dashboards can be aggregated at any level. Drill down and data exploration capabilities enable customers to […]

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getty One of the things I’ve heard from business owners over the past few months is, “I refuse to participate in the recession.” It’s hard not to admire the can-do entrepreneurial fire behind this statement. In order to avoid the instability of a possible recession, it’s important to understand what a recession is from a practical standpoint. Economists measure a recession after the fact, but small businesses feel it in real time as it unfolds. A recession is like a traffic jam where a few people start tapping on the brakes, and the next thing you know, everything slows to a crawl. From the perspective of an entrepreneur working to drive sales, any economic downturn is defined by fear and uncertainty that paralyzes decision makers. You know it when buyers start tapping on the brakes, and deals get stuck in the pipeline. To avoid being affected by what some are predicting will be a potential recession , entrepreneurs must work harder and smarter. Here are three things you can do. 1. Understand the mindset of your ideal client. It used to puzzle me that some of the most successful companies were born during times of economic crisis. Now I […]

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getty Customer service is one of the most critical functions of any company. In short, when you go above and beyond for your customers and treat them as people and not just a number, it shows. Moreover, it goes far to differentiate you from your competition. Unfortunately, it’s not tough to find or experience instances of poor customer service . Since I started the first of my portfolio of companies, I’ve insisted my teams focus on exceptional customer service and support—and it has paid dividends for us. During the pandemic in 2020, I worried for many nights if we would survive the loss of business. But my team and I stayed the course and called on our customers to check in during a time of immense stress. Ultimately, we not only survived but thrived . Viewing every customer as the core of our business is a value for my organization’s suite of companies. Further, it’s a strategic decision we made long ago and is always part of our executive meetings and discussions. After all, if your customer support doesn’t work well or consistently enough, they won’t keep coming back to you. The good news is that creating a customer […]

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getty New technologies are changing the business world at breakneck speed. However, none are expected to make a greater impact than artificial intelligence (AI). Most people would agree that we’re approaching a future where intelligent computers complete complex work processes and drive strategic business decisions. That future may be closer than you might think. The watershed moment for AI will be when the technology reaches what is known as "the singularity," or the point where AI becomes smarter than humans. Some technology leaders like Ray Kurzweil, the director of engineering at Google, have predicted reaching the singularity by 2045 . Others have made the even bolder claim that this milestone could be reached in as little as seven years from now . Whichever the case, it’s clear that there is no stopping the future of AI. Leaders need to figure out the best ways to embrace AI technology and pivot their business models today. The good news is that you don’t have to be a technology firm to start leveraging AI. As I wrote about recently , there are several great AI tools and technologies that even small businesses can deploy to give them a competitive edge and prepare […]

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Expands restructuring and financial consulting services; Increases cross-border opportunities LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — B. Riley Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: RILY ) ("B. Riley"), a diversified financial services platform, today announced that it has acquired the corporate division of Farber Group (‘Farber") , a Toronto-based restructuring and business advisory firm. Continue Reading B. Riley has acquired the corporate division of Farber Group, a Toronto-based restructuring and business advisory firm. Tweet this Farber logo Farber provides corporate restructuring and related advisory services, M&A corporate finance, wealth management, interim management and executive search, human capital advisory, organizational and talent development and related consulting services to corporate clients, entrepreneurs, law firms, lenders, private equity firms, regulators, and investors across Canada. In connection with the acquisition, Farber’s corporate division will become part of B. Riley Advisory Services . The acquisition adds 45 staff, including 16 experienced restructuring professionals, to B. Riley’s established restructuring and turnaround management practice. The Canadian practice will operate under the name B. Riley Farber . Farber’s consumer and tax divisions are not included in this transaction and will continue to service their clients in the normal course. Ian Ratner, co-CEO of B. Riley Advisory Services , […]

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Top producers share tips ahead of industry upswing While not the best scenario in which to be working, the housing market slowdown has yielded one benefit – time for broker-owners to contemplate how to budget and plan for growth once the climate improves. Prominent industry practitioners shared their insights during last month’s Hall of AIME conference staged in Naples, Fla., designed to showcase top producers. Tactics for growth emerged during one panel discussion on how to recession-proof one’s business, which was moderated by Tom Ahles (pictured top), president of growth at AIME. How do you scale a business for growth? “Looking ahead 12 to 18 months, how are you budgeting for or planning to scale from a cost perspective?” Ahles asked the panelists. Jonathon Haddad (pictured immediately below) president of Next Door Lending, chose to answer with an anecdote illustrating the need to have the best people on one’s team. He related the story of a colleague who had begun to see growth — $120,000 one year alone, he said. Gaining industry attention, the broker began to be approached from all sides with offers from people promising to increase profit even more exponentially. Do I need an administrative assistant? […]

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Major capital investment helps expand production capabilities and scale key U.S. brands, including International Delight creamers, Silk plant-based creamers and StoK ready-to-drink coffee BROOMFIELD, Colo. and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Danone North America, a leading food and beverage company, today announced it will invest up to $65 million over the next two years to create a new bottle production line in Jacksonville, Florida. The investment will support Danone North America’s long-term growth strategy and will deliver key benefits across the U.S. business, including advancing operational excellence, enabling flexibility in bottle design, accelerating the company’s sustainability goals, and driving cost efficiencies. "We are delighted to announce this investment in our North American business, which will allow us to capitalize on consumer demand in key beverage categories including coffee creamers, plant-based creamers, and ready-to-drink coffee, while also supporting our long-term growth agenda," said Shane Grant, Group Deputy CEO, CEO Americas. "This investment will help us keep our products on our customers’ shelves and give more American consumers the Danone products they love." This multi-million-dollar investment will increase production of several of Danone’s coffee and creamer brands in the U.S., including International Delight , Silk and SToK. It […]

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BEND, Ore., Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Bend Bioscience is proud to announce the opening of their R&D and Innovation lab in Bend, Oregon. Including 4500 square feet of lab and office space and a work environment for around 20 colleagues, this facility is part of a larger planned footprint that includes process science and clinical manufacturing facilities planned to open later this year. Continue Reading The Bend Bioscience team has recently doubled in size and is made up of accomplished leaders, scientists and technicians. The team plans to add more colleagues in 2023 and beyond. With over 200 years of combined experience and an average tenure of 15 years in the pharmaceutical and drug delivery industry, this team is well equipped to help their clients find new ways to formulate & develop the next generation of therapeutics. There continues to be an unmet demand for solving tough drug delivery and bioavailability challenges. Tweet this "There continues to be an unmet demand for solving tough drug delivery and bioavailability challenges, with targets and therapies becoming more and more customized, " says Michael Grass, Bend Bioscience’s Head of Drug Delivery Innovation. " With this lab and team , we have […]

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Source: Kraft Heinz Co. BOCA RATON, FLA. — Kraft Heinz Co. executives see innovation as its chief growth driver in North America and are targeting $2 billion in incremental sales by 2027. To achieve that growth the company will focus on three trends — exploration and authenticity; quick with quality; and holistic wellness. “US retail is the core of our business,” said Miguel Patricio, chairman and chief executive officer, during a Feb. 21 presentation at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference taking place in Boca Raton Feb. 21 – 24. “Growth platforms within US retail represent about 35% of our revenue and is a place we absolutely must win.” Carlos A. Abrams-Rivera, president of North America, said the company finds itself at an “inflection point” after spending the past few years renovating Kraft Heinz’s entire product portfolio. Now management is focused on solving consumer “pain points” with innovation. “We follow a brand design to value approach with a focus on the consumer first,” he said. “We eliminate product attributes that don’t matter to them, and we add attributes that are important to them. We then connect with consumers with better quality, better presentation and better marketing.” Each […]

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