Reasons Internal Help Desks Often Fall Short

It’s common for companies to assume they know more about their products and services than anyone else, so it comes as no surprise they also assume they can do the best job of providing support to customers to need help. So why do so few internal help desks live up to expectations?... Read More

To Junior League of Indianapolis Members, Volunteering is a Way of Life

On any given day, I feel pulled in a thousand different directions at once. I’m a mom of two young kids, an attorney at Shiel Sexton and president of the Junior League of Indianapolis (JLI). But I’ve found that no matter how much I am juggling in my personal and professional life, nothing centers me like making time to volunteer.... Read More

Are You Doing Business By the Numbers?

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

Ditch the Documents

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

Cybersecurity: It’s a Mutual Responsibility in the Business Community

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

Grow Your Business: Measure Company Performance

“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

Talent, Taxes and Indiana’s Economic Toolkit

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

Inverted – What the Bond Market and Top Gun Have in Common

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

Malware: It’s Not Just in Your Inbox Anymore

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

Five Pitfalls Tripping Up Nonprofits

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

Makers and Movers: How Are You Addressing Digital Adoption?

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

Inheritors of IRAs – Proposed Changes

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

Enhancing Employee Engagement Can Lead to Better Retention and Recruitment

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