With the holidays come carols to be sung, stockings to be hung, and decorations to be set. Every family has their own favorite holiday traditions, ranging from movies to be watched to meals to be eaten, but an overwhelming majority of family holiday traditions surround decorating for the season. One thing that most people secretly dread about the holidays is the cost involved. No one wants to be a scrooge, but the presents, family outings, and energy bills tend to add up this time of year. Read on →

If you’re like most small-business owners, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are probably not at the top of your list of priorities heading into the holiday season. Since HVAC needs don’t help bring profit into a business, they tend to be overlooked or delayed until an emergency occurs. This simply should not be the case. So, why should your business upgrade its HVAC unit? Since small businesses often operate on small budgets with minimal room for error, it’s understandable that owners are nervous about incurring an unneeded expense. Read on →

Business in the 21st century is all about the big idea—that one elusive, unsolvable, mysterious idea that always lurks just slightly out of reach. The press praises successful products, and social media glows over rising tech companies. However, somewhere in all of the hype, we have forgotten what is at the very core of a great business: good practices. Every day, businesses go unnoticed for doing the one thing that matters most: caring for their customers. Read on →

“With great power comes great electric bills.” Although these may not be the famous words from Uncle Ben, they carry a great deal of wisdom in them for small business owners. One of the greatest expenses for businesses annually is overhead costs, including money paid to maintain energy sources. It’s time for small business owners to take a second look at how they treat energy consumption. It’s easy for energy consumption to go unnoticed amongst inventory, payroll, and other operations costs, but the road to fiscal responsibility (and a greener business) starts here. Read on →