Raise It Up
Our minimum wage should leave no one behind
Improving the minimum wage and making Sacramento a better place to do business are not mutually exclusive goals. Done properly, an increase to the minimum wage targeted at Sacramento’s working poor will strengthen the economy, benefit the entire community and help create the Sacramento that we all want.
Extreme Makeover: Work Edition
Does your office need an etiquette expert?
You know That Guy. He wears too much Axe body spray, he makes loud personal calls while you’re trying to work, he chews food with his mouth open. He’s a close-talker with his shirt open one button too far. He’s also really good at his job. If you’re a manager, what do you do with That Guy?
Mind Your Manners
Top 4 etiquette schools in the Capital Region
Etiquette programs throughout Northern California cover everything you need to know, from effective communication to dining with chopsticks. Schools offer customized workshops for organizations and individuals alike.
Unpolished Problems
How to politely enforce your dresscode
“We have a male employee whose shirt buttons pop open, leaving his skin exposed. We also have a female employee whose tight clothing reveals her undergarments. This is a horribly awkward and uncomfortable situation, but their attire is not appropriate for the office. How should HR address this?”
New Year’s No’s
Let’s make a list some goals to avoid
This year, I’m focusing on “no.” It’s a magical word rarely used when it comes to answering work emails on vacation, committing to stuff you swore you would avoid and attending events that drain productivity from your day. And for what? If you count the number of really valuable nonmandatory meetings, networking mixers and fundraisers you attended in 2014, how many would you come up with?
The Good Samaritan Gets Savvy
Modern benefactors are starting younger and taking a broader view of philanthropy
We are at a critical point in history. Longstanding social issues like hunger, poverty and lack of access to quality education continue to plague the world. All the while, wealth continues to grow at a staggering rate. This global dichotomy has given rise to new philanthropists who approach their discipline in a radically different way.
Rise of the New Passionates
Entrepreneurs and retirees are creating opportunities — and even entire markets — through which to share their personal interests
Today, new passionates are creating a bigger impact than ever. Quite literally, they are changing the world in their image. And the businesses, nonprofits, community groups and governments willing to support and embrace them can also benefit.
Back Off!
Micromanaging is toxic — here are 3 tips to help you stop today
At my first full-time job after college, the office manager routinely sorted through the recycling box to ensure that tossed junk mail had been cancelled with the sender. If someone from my department did not write the cancellation clearly enough, there was a lecture. This culminated in a 20-minute rant and the ultimate request to track all incoming junk mail, date of cancellation and subsequent mail on a spreadsheet for review. I refused. And then I quit.
Startup of the Month: Pondera Solutions
Local entrepreneur uses Google Analytics to help state agencies detect fraud
In 2011, Jon Coss was on the hunt for funding. He had an idea for a system that could leverage Google Analytics to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in government programs. But this infrastructure-as-a-service model was new back then, untested and hard to explain to venture capitalists.
On the Cover: Function with Flair
These local designers make art that's user-friendly
What more can your storage cabinets do for you? How can your placemats become conversation pieces? What if sitting down to read a magazine felt a little bit like being at the carnival?