
Startup of the Month: HomeZada
A cloud-based platform to get your house in order
HomeZada is more than digital storage for insurance purposes. The comprehensive solution helps long-time homeowners and new buyers maintain and manage their budgets, plans and possessions online.

Solano Brews
3 hot sipping spots in Solano County
Solano County hasn’t escaped the craft beer craze. Here are three local breweries you don’t want to miss:

When High Hopes Crash
What to do when a good hire makes bad on a big promise
I hired a new business development director because she promised she could bring a specific new client on board. It’s been six months, and it’s pretty clear that the client is not happening. She’s done a great job otherwise, but I feel duped. What can I do?

Turned Out
Who can meet the needs of our homeless LGBT youth?
Forty percent of homeless youth are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, compared to just 10 percent for the larger population. Across the United States, there are somewhere around 320,000 to 400,000 homeless LGBT youth. There are roughly 4,000 shelter beds total. Enough to sleep just one percent.

Chocolate with a Kick
Ramon Perez’s exotic flavors hit the sweet spot
Gochujang, as you may or may not know, is Korean chili paste. It’s surprisingly delicious in chocolate, at least when in the hands of Puur Chocolat owner Ramon Perez.

All Aboard?
With property owner support, Sacramento’s streetcar plan builds momentum
If Portland can have one, Sacramento can, too. That is the sentiment among those in favor of running a 3.3-mile trolley line through the heart of the River City.

More Asking, Less Telling
How you talk to your employees matters
Quality communication goes far beyond organizational structures, clear directives and efficient systems. Time and again, I’ve watched highly effective teams crumble due to a lack of effective dialogue. And that’s because the most successful way to engage and improve your company is not by talking. It’s by listening.

Status Check: Ygrene Energy Fund
CEO Stacey Lawson on Ygrene Works and the great green funding expansion
Lawson says Ygrene has approved $60 million in loans for energy upgrades in Sacramento, Yolo and Butte counties and estimates that installed upgrades will result in the reduction of 40,000 metric tons of CO2 over their lifetimes.

What Business Could You Be In Tomorrow?
Forward thinking in business creates huge results
When can we officially declare Sacramento as no longer being a cow town? I’m pretty sure we’ve hit that milestone. Business leaders, developers and innovators are pushing boundaries they likely wouldn’t have considered even a decade ago, as can be seen on nearly every page of this month’s magazine.

This Time, It’s Personnel
Will legislation to protect employees from workplace bullying stifle demanding managers?
Carrie Clark, a former teacher, says bullies aren’t confined to playgrounds. Sometimes, they run the whole school. And they do more than demand that work get done. They threaten, humiliate or intimidate for reasons unrelated to job performance.