According to the National Retail Federation, the average turnover rate in the retail industry is slightly above 60%. On the other hand, it is 15% for other industries. The Leap TA: Retail event looks to tackle this problem with a two-day event addressing retail talent acquisition. Speakers from Starbucks, IKEA, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Sleep Number and other major brands will address issues that affect their hiring process along with solutions. Some of the sessions will look at how to transform traditional retail talent acquisition practices; becoming an employer of choice by overhauling your reputation; engaging candidates online and in-store and more. In addition to hiring from outside, there will also be sessions on how to boost retention by better identifying and preparing internal candidates for… [Read More...]

Companies big and small are using freelancers more than ever. And because they are classified as independent contractors, they don’t have full employee rights. In this week’s roundup, one of the articles looks at the blowback of the passage of California Assembly Bill 5 (or AB5) from freelancers and other independent contractors. The California Trucking Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Press Photographers Association some of the organizations suing the new law. And as more states are looking to pass similar bills, their independent workers and freelancers will undoubtedly also resist. Speaking of workers, another article points out the difficulty in recruiting people from social media. According to a report from Clutch, one in four companies say social media is… [Read More...]

The Associated General Contractors of America reports the construction industry employs more than 7 million people each year. Furthermore, it contributes $1.3 trillion worth of structure annually. However, the industry has been lagging when it comes to analytics, which is preventing increased efficiency across the board. Advanced Construction Analytics (ACA) 2020, looks to change that by helping construction companies of all sizes leverage analytics for smarter business decisions. Chief technology officers, software developers, project engineer data analyzers, and technology integrators will be on hand to take companies to the era of construction data. This year there will be a new and expanded two-track agenda along with a day focusing on reports and dashboards. This includes strategy, quality, visualization and Higher-Level Dashboard Possibilities with artificial intelligence, machine learning… [Read More...]

This week’s roundup starts with great job numbers and goes on to report on different aspects of the workforce. This includes the four growth industries 99designs has identified in its annual report as well as how small businesses are preparing for a possible economic downturn. The good news is January managed to create 291,000 jobs, with small businesses contributing 94,000 of those jobs. For their part, franchises chimed in with an impressive 45,100 jobs of their own. However, 90% of small business owners say they are preparing for an economic downturn. Nevertheless, they are optimistic. And more than half or 57% admit they feel better about the state of the U.S. economy than just a year ago. The reason for their optimism is being driven by their ability… [Read More...]

How you manage and optimize your digital presence will dictate the trajectory of your small business growth. Digital Growth Unleashed will be held in Las Vegas to optimize the complete customer journey for your company. This two-day event is going to bring together leading marketing directors, CEOs, founders and other experts in the field. Some of the courses the event will offer include a hands-on crash course in conversion rate optimization, triggering the customer behavior you want, A/B testing and optimizations, using behavioral intelligence, SEO for conversion, and much more. The list of courses is truly a must for anyone looking to dominate their market and competition in today’s digital world. And best of all you are learning from experts in the field… [Read More...]

It’s hard to hear of any good news coming from Washington DC these days. And that’s true no matter what side of the aisle you sit. But there was one piece of legislation that did actually get some bipartisan support. And it’s being lauded by small business advocates everywhere. It’s the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, also known as USMCA. This is the deal that replaces NAFTA, which quickly fell out of favor with much of the small business community when it was enacted in the 1990s. Perhaps the new USMCA deal could be the template for more bipartisan legislation in Washington? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, right? Instead, check out what others are saying about the new… [Read More...]