You might be surprised to learn you have an emotional response to numbers. What might surprise you even more is learning that reaction is rooted in ancient attempts to understand and predict the universe.... Read More
There’s a shift happening in consumer spending and it has nothing to do with inflation. Studies show Millennial and Gen Z consumers are likely to prioritize their spending on local businesses, and many emphasize supporting those that support their communities. ... Read More
Are you buried in paper? If “junk” mail is overtaking “real” mail, maybe it’s time to take control. Opt-out of the unnecessary mailbox clutter; get bills electronically; and regularly purge your paper files.... Read More
New cybersecurity rules go into effect for banks in 2022. Starting in May, banks are required to report any major cybersecurity incident to their primary governmental regulator within 36 hours of discovery. Banks also must notify customers if an incident, with impact, lasts more than four hours. Cybersecurity is a mutual responsibility in the business community. Here are strategies recommended by our bank’s CIO to help business owners keep data and information safe.... Read More
Let’s face it, health insurance is confusing and expensive. We know medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. – and most medical debt bankruptcies are filed by individuals who actually did have insurance. ... Read More
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it,” Peter Drucker is known to have said. The objective of measuring various performance metrics for your business is to help you determine what is working well and what needs to be improved.... Read More
Back in February, Intel unveiled its intent to locate a $20 billion semiconductor manufacturing hub near Columbus, Ohio – the largest private-sector investment in state history. Company executive Keyvan Esfarjani later summarized Intel’s reasons for planting its flag in the Buckeye State: “It really comes down to three things: Land, infrastructure and, most importantly, talent,” he said. “Ohio meets all of that.” (Of course, $2.1 billion in state incentives didn’t hurt, either.)... Read More
On May 27th, the movie “Top Gun: Maverick” will be in theaters 36 years after the release of the original Top Gun. In a famous scene from the original, Tom Cruise describes how he (and Goose) were inverted and could take an up-close Polaroid that proved the government’s analysis of the enemy’s capabilities did not accurately reflect reality. What does this have to do with the bond market?... Read More
Astaroth, DarkHotel, Fireball and Echobot are all great names. But they’re malware that can create havoc in a computer. While most computer users are now savvy and tuned into how tech villains serve up malware, recent studies show malware is getting more sophisticated. Here’s the story and how to avoid getting lured into clicking with regret.... Read More
Working in various capacities with nonprofits from small to large for a few decades I’ve seen a great deal. Surprisingly, “the more things have changed the more they’ve stayed the same,” a quote from 1849 attributed to French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr. ... Read More
I’m always fascinated by company leaders who cannot grasp the value someone with a different perspective can bring to them. It reminds me of that homespun wisdom that it’s impossible to read the label from inside a jam jar.... Read More
Conexus Indiana has been charting Indiana’s digital transformation journey for the last two years with the help of Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries. By working with Conexus Indiana to report where they are on this journey and what resources they need to accelerate it, the state’s makers and movers have helped to improve Indiana’s prospects in these rapidly changing industries. ... Read More
In one of his fables, Aesop’s coined the phrase “leave well enough alone.” Though his commentary and usage of the phrase centered around a fox and a hedgehog, the expression is well-suited for the new proposed changes to the SECURE Act that will impact distributions to IRA inheritors. ... Read More
As Central Indiana employers struggle to fill open positions, there’s an often-overlooked labor pool that could help fill workforce gaps. Thousands of Hoosiers with disabilities are unemployed – and the business community can play a critical role in addressing the disparity.... Read More
A website project is not the time to bring all the bells and whistles your development and leadership teams can drum up—it's time to make strategic decisions.... Read More
While 2021 brought back some of our pre-pandemic norms, such as having employees back in offices in various forms, the pandemic continued its effects on the labor shortages and employee turnover we saw throughout 2020. Businesses across our country and globe struggled to keep their employees satisfied and engaged, or even retain them, as well as find new employees to make up their company base.... Read More
Early in 2022, Alex Morozov, Founder and CEO of Carmel-based Swan Software Solutions and a Ukrainian-American, suspected war was coming to his homeland. He sent a strong message to the nearly 150 employees who work for Swan from Ukraine, encouraging them to move to safety and offering financial help to do so.... Read More
Avoiding the urge to sell stocks during a market downturn is generally a good strategy, as downturns tend to be short-lived. The recovery can happen quickly and often when the outlook appears the worst. However, there is one tax strategy that might be useful during times like these, tax-loss harvesting. ... Read More
Do you recall how exciting it was when you turned 16 and could drive? What none of us realized at that age was how our parent’s insurance premium significantly increased when they added their newly licensed 16-year-old to their policy. If you are a parent of older teenagers, you have experienced the same shock.... Read More
You may remember playing the childhood game called “telephone.” For those who may be unfamiliar, it involved a circle of kids whispering the same message from one to another and laughing uproariously at how much it changed by the time it reached the originator. In childhood, that’s fun. In business, it’s deadly.... Read More
