STRATEGIES TO HELP CEOS CREATE A FOCUSED AND COHESIVE COMPANY DURING AN IPO By Lois Melbourne Changes within any company – office relocation or a C-level change – create natural uncertainty among employers and employees alike. That’s a given. But a long-time private company that becomes public is filled with entirely new challenges and repercussions. [...]

6 STEP ACTION PLAN TO STRENGTHEN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT By John Casey The market for talent has turned this year in North Texas. Every day there are more new jobs and fewer quality candidates. Some company CEOs have already been affected by the growing war for talent and many more will be impacted by this change [...]

SEVEN WAYS CONTRACTORS CAN SET UP THEIR BUSINESS FOR SURETY SUCCESS By Robert Nitsche Every industry experiences highs and lows. During the lows, businesses tend to fall into three categories: those that fail, those that simply survive, and those that come out stronger than before. The most successful businesses, those that will come out ahead, [...]

TWO AFFORDABLE METHODS OF CREATING CUSTOMER INSIGHT BOARDS By Laura Patterson Here are some eye-opening statistics on customer loyalty and why customer retention can drive financial success: 98 percent of dissatisfied customers never complain Customers rarely leave because of the product Most customers switch companies because they didn’t feel appreciated 85 percent of dissatisfied customers [...]

HOW TO SELF-INSURE AN EMPLOYEE HEALTH PROGRAM By Lance Pendley Historically, employers ranging in size from 100 to 1,000 employees have been unwilling to look at self-insurance as an option. Many things have contributed to the reluctance: lack of knowledge on the functionality of a self-insured program, cash flow, or a bad claims experience in [...]

WHY AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE IS THE KEY TO TEXAS’ GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS By Sylvia Acevedo In the 21st century, globally competitive cities will be the key to economic growth, according to the McKinsey Global Institute.  And it’s not just expanding populations that will drive urban growth. To compete, grow and prosper, the cities that will be [...]

TIPS ON EVALUATING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND POTENTIAL SAVINGS By Dan Turner When a coworker makes their fifth call of the week to complain that your building is too hot or too cold, this is a signal. Obviously, it’s a signal to change the temperature. It’s also a sign of an opportunity to save 20 percent [...]

What to Expect From the Upcoming Session of the Texas Legislature  By John Pitts, Lucinda Saxon, and Stacy Armijo There is no such thing as an “easy” legislative session and that’s especially true this year. Coming off the heels of one of the most tumultuous elections in history, your Texas Legislature will consider huge issues [...]

Healthcare and insurance reform is now a reality and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but it’s estimated that costs will continue to skyrocket at over 10 percent every year. So what can business leaders do to control costs while maintaining their competitive edge? 1. Pay attention to [...]