Most financial examiners, information security analysts and computer programmers weren’t making $100,000 in the Charlotte metro before the pandemic. But they are now. Those are three of the nine occupations for which median annual salaries reached six figures between 2019 and 2021, according to a new analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by The Business Journals. The gains come as salaries have soared since the economy recovery ramped up after the initial shockwaves of the pandemic, with a tight labor market and elevated turnover rates fueling significant raises and bonuses. Locally, financial examiners — which, as described by the BLS, ensure compliance with laws that govern institutions handling monetary transactions — have seen some of the biggest pay jumps among the area’s new six-figure jobs. That occupation’s median annual salary soared 60.1% from $63,570 in 2019 to $101,760 in 2021. The slideshow below provides a look at the nine occupations in the Charlotte metro that are new to the six-figure salary club and their 2019 and 2021 salaries. These nine Charlotte-area occupations saw median annual salaries reach six figures between 2019 and 2021, according to a new analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by The Business Journals. […]

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Experienced business professionals are not hesitant to take on mentees of a different gender, but … [+] getty Experienced business professionals are not hesitant to take on mentees of a different gender, but are reluctant to meet with these mentees outside of normal business hours and locations, according to a recent study forthcoming at Accounting Horizons. In an article titled “Accounting Profession Mentoring in the #MeToo Era” researchers performed an experiment with 95 experienced accounting professionals. The professionals, both males and females, were introduced via a cover letter and resume to a fictitious prospective mentee from their firm that was either of their same gender or of a different gender. The study then asked the professionals how likely they would be to accept the request from the junior colleague, as well as their willingness to meet with the potential mentee at various the times and locations. The article is authored by Emily Etgen, Tom Downen, and Lorraine Lee, all from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The study describes how, in accounting and many other business settings, the majority of the senior professionals that can serve as mentors are male. The researchers then raise the concern that these potential […]

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CMO + Partner at LeadJig , transforming the way financial professionals identify, target, and deploy marketing. getty Today, having a website for your business isn’t enough. To truly see a return on your investment, it’s important to optimize your site for conversions. Here are five tips to help you do just that: 1. ‘Above The Fold’ Content Optimization “Above the fold” is a term that describes the portion of a website that is visible without scrolling. This content needs to catch the reader’s attention for them to stay on your website. This will directly impact your engagement and bounce rate. If your “above the fold” content is lackluster, users will be less interested in seeing what other information exists on your website. Optimize your “above the fold” content with a compelling image, then add a solid call to action (CTA) that encompasses the focal point of the page. The goal is to capture attention and engage the user to proceed through to the rest of the website. 2. Test And Measure (A/B Testing) Conversion rate optimization is an ongoing process. Continually test different elements of your website, such as headlines, CTA placement and layout to see what works best. […]

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getty Organizational leaders are being tested like never before. From the global pandemic to business model disruption and talent shortages, every day seems bring new challenges. In many cases, survival has been the name of the game. But one of the big leadership questions going forward is "How can I continue to fight fires today while lighting the touchpaper for future investment and innovation?" To reposition and prepare for the longer-term world of work evolutions, leaders should consider two important factors. The Major Areas Of Change To Focus On Looking ahead for the year, organizational leaders are taking stock of what they’ve learned from a time of constant, urgent change and unexpected external developments. They’re also wondering how they can ride the next curve of demand. What are the major areas of underlying change that future-focused leaders can track, interpret and use as a driver of innovation and competitive advantage? Societal changes mean the expectations and needs of customers and employees are evolving. Being ahead of the game will drive business resilience and growth, as well as ensure employers can be proactive in addressing skills and workforce challenges. Winning the retention and attraction game will always be important, but […]

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Looking for reasons to celebrate during the otherwise disappointing fourth-quarter profit season? A few standout S&P 500 companies just gave you some big ones . Eleven companies in the S&P 500, including Corteva ( CTVA ), Lamb Weston ( LW ) and T-Mobile US ( TMUS ), blew away analysts’ fourth-quarter profit forecasts by 30% or more, says an Investor’s Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSmith . Such massive positive surprises are a big win in this reporting season — now halfway over — which has mostly been a bust. Shares of the 11 companies to trounce earnings forecasts are up an average 13.2% this year — topping the S&P 500’s 7.7% rise. "At the midpoint of the fourth-quarter earnings season, the performance of S&P 500 companies continues to be subpar," says John Butters, analyst at FactSet. "While the percentage of S&P 500 companies reporting positive earnings surprises remained flat over the past week, the magnitude of these earnings surprises decreased during this time, mainly due to negative EPS surprises reported by a number of large technology companies." Where Are The Big S&P 500 Surprises S&P 500 companies normally top earnings estimates each […]

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TikTok’s footprint in the social media space exploded in 2022, as the short-from video site became the favorite of Gen-Zers and younger users. Its flexibility and popularity encourage creators and consumers to turn to the site for engaging, entertaining content spanning everything from humor to social trends to education—and beyond. Unsurprisingly, businesses are looking to tap into the platform’s popularity to reach its wide and youthful audience, including the younger generation of business leaders. But just because TikTok captures a big share of social media users doesn’t mean business marketing content posted to the site will automatically succeed; it’s still essential to tailor your message and methods to the TikTok platform and audience. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the common missteps business marketers should avoid when posting on TikTok. Members pictured from left to right. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Ignoring TikTok Culture And Style One big “don’t” when it comes to using TikTok for business marketing is ignoring the unique culture and style of the platform. Success on TikTok requires creating authentic content that resonates with the TikTok community, using catchy music and visual effects and incorporating humor and trends. Simply […]

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Photo: ©DONTREE – STOCK.ADOBE.COM SEATTLE — A strong first quarter has given Starbucks’ management team confidence the company is capable of not only weathering a global economic slowdown but continuing to grow. Brady Brewer, chief marketing officer, said during a Feb. 2 conference call to discuss first-quarter results, that relevance and resilience will be keys to growth no matter the economic conditions. “If we look at the last quarter, we have more customers in total population than ever in the US,” he said. “They’re very highly engaged. If we look at share of wallet and spend, 56% of our transactions were from our Reward members. “When we look at resilience, last quarter, we saw not only ticket growth but transaction growth, even in the face of the macroeconomic headwinds. So, in terms of momentum, we see that carrying into the quarter ahead and the year ahead.” Management also is confident in their core customer’s loyalty to the Starbucks brand. “At a time when people are generally trading down, and there’s a lot of discounting going on, we had the highest average ticket, I believe, in our history in the month of December,” said Howard D. Schultz, interim-chief executive officer. […]

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While a business may start out small with only a few products or services offered and a handful of employees, the goal for most entrepreneurs is to grow far beyond that. To have a sustainable business built for longevity, leaders need to accomplish certain tasks and set certain goals while working together with employees to make sure they’re bought into the mission. To help you achieve this, a panel of Forbes Business Council members recommend 15 effective tips for building sustainability and longevity into the foundation of your business. Follow their advice to set your company up for long-term growth and success. Members pictured from left to right. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Set Sustainability Goals I would recommend that leaders in large companies focus on building a strong corporate culture that values sustainability and long-term thinking. This can involve setting clear sustainability goals and regularly measuring progress towards these goals, as well as communicating the importance of sustainability to employees and stakeholders. – Daniel Danino , Volta Metals 2. Focus On Accountability Create a vision for the company, support it with data and then communicate where people fit in this accountability hierarchy. Once employees see where […]

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Photo: Aqua Cultured Foods CHICAGO — Food technology startup Aqua Cultured Foods has begun development on a new facility in the West Loop of Chicago, Ill. Nearly three times the size of the company’s current headquarters, the buildout project will provide necessary upgrades to the existing structure and enable Aqua to scale production of its fermentation-based protein and whole-cut, plant-based seafood. “This move is the final step on the road to commercialization of our alt-seafood, and it’s what we and our supporters have been waiting for,” said Anne Palermo, CEO of Aqua. “Since the new location already meets all the key regulations for food production, we can scale manufacturing quickly and product introductions with our go-to-market partners will follow.” The company expects to introduce its product line in the second fiscal quarter of 2023, including plant-based calamari, shrimp, scallops and tuna and whitefish fillets.

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In this article JPM Cody Mullenaux and his family. Mullenaux was the victim of a sophisticated wire fraud scheme that has resulted in $120,000 being stolen Courtesy: Cody Mullenaux Banks have spent enormous amounts on cybersecurity and fraud detection but what happens when criminal tactics are sophisticated enough to even fool bank employees? For Cody Mullenaux, it meant having more than $120,000 wired from his Chase checking account with little hope of ever recouping his stolen funds. The saga for Mullenaux, a 40-year-old small business owner from California, began on Dec. 19. While Christmas shopping for his young daughter, he received a call from a person claiming to be from the Chase fraud department and asking to verify a suspicious transaction. The 800-number matched Chase customer service so Mullenaux didn’t think it was suspicious when the person asked him to log into his account via a secured link sent by text message for identification purposes. The link looked legitimate and the website that opened appeared identical to his Chase banking app, so he logged in. "It never even crossed my mind that I was not speaking with a legitimate Chase representative," Mullenaux told CNBC. Gone are the days when […]

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