What turned Ship Your Enemies Glitter, an angry glitter brand, into an overnight sensation? It was different.

Thinking about progressive company cultures probably brings to mind businesses like Google, Twitter, Facebook — companies with free snacks and bean bag chairs. But it’s not the toys and perks that create these cultures. Collaborative-style seating and ping pong tables are the side effects, rather than the catalysts, of enviable and innovative company cultures.

While it may be tempting to wait until next year to tally up the cards and gifts you’ll need to send clients at the end of 2015, there are ways to show your supporters that you appreciate them year round. Here’s how to develop a year-round strategy without additional headaches.

Coworking spaces in Sacramento have evolved from simple work spaces reminiscent of coffee houses to communities that offer classes, art galleries and networking events. In January, Outlet Coworking, a new coworking space at 2110 K St., will open to meet the growing demand for such spaces and services.

What images does Silicon Valley conjure? Google, Apple, Facebook, and on and on? Mainstays of the world’s hub of technology and innovation? Did a glimpse of Stockton appear in that mix? If the San Joaquin Partnership’s campaign to rebrand the area as Greater Silicon Valley works out, it soon will.

If you want to increase your earning power as an independent worker, it’s time to get creative about alternative revenue streams. If you have an expertise that people pay for when they hire you, there are other ways you can capitalize on that expertise. Here are some ideas:

Sometimes the best way to stand out is to stick to the basics and nail them. Before cooking up an elaborate six-part blog post series complete with diagrams, infographics, and a really neat flowchart on how to choose the best frozen turkey for your teen driver, take a step back and resolve to start small. The following ideas will help get you started:

At the crush pad of a custom-built winery, the 6-foot-4 winemaker in tie-dye socks shuts off the forklift, realizing he missed a call.

“I didn’t hear my phone ring,” says Layne Montgomery, 55, general manager and founding partner of m2 Vintners Inc. in Acampo.

“It’s harvest,” jests one of his volunteers. “Who has time for a phone?”

It’s easy to put off worrying about gen Z, the up-and-coming youngsters, and instead focus resources on the generations that are most active and influential in today’s economy. But doing so is a mistake.

Recently I had the opportunity to join 100 local business, nonprofit and public sector leaders on a four-day journey to Nashville, Tenn. to discover how this boot-scootin, honky-tonk city is thriving. Nashville has an identity no one can deny, and one this country girl couldn’t get enough of. But, let me tell you, it is so much more than a music town. Nashville is a thriving hub for business and forward thinking.