High-Speed Hiring

How to automate your process from start to finish

In a world with automated bill paying, direct deposits and DVR, you may be thinking “what will they automate next?” If you’re a business owner looking for seasonal help or another employee, then I have good news for you. Automating your hiring process can not only save time and headaches, but it can also help identify the best applicants easier than ever.

Oct 20, 2014 Kelly Azevedo
David Sobon in action

Sold!

David Sobon Auctions pulls serious cash for nonprofits

Cookie dough, chocolate bars, entertainment books and gift wrap — 20 years ago, the Waldorf school David Sobon’s son was attending had students peddling all of these wares, yet they couldn’t fundraise even $10,000 in a given year. Frustrated that these “ridiculously painful fundraisers” were being placed on his child’s shoulders, the then-30-something decided on a whim to host his first live auction — which eventually led him to launch David Sobon Auctions. 

Oct 16, 2014 Karen Wilkinson
(shutterstock)

Tapping into Your LinkedIn Potential

3 do’s and don'ts from a certified professional

When we’re talking about social media, LinkedIn typically takes a backseat to more leisure-friendly platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. But for professionals, particularly young professionals, that could be a mistake. We asked Catherine Fisher, LinkedIn’s director of corporate communications, for some tips to get the most out of the career-oriented networking site.

Oct 14, 2014 Allison Joy
(Zuza Hicks)

MTV Marketing

Win with gen Xers by acknowledging to their skepticism

I recently asked a gen-X friend of mine to give me her take on generational communications in the U.S. today. Her response was perfect: “In the words of MTV’s cultural phenomenon The Real World, it’s ‘The true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite — and start getting real.’”

Sep 25, 2014 Gordon Fowler
(shutterstock)

Growth and Prosperity

UC Davis is the keystone to the Capital Region’s economic success

In civic and business circles, we often hear the lament that Sacramento has never been a corporate headquarters. Many believe this hampers our ability to fully prosper and grow. But, in addition to the attractive traits Sacramento does possess, it has a powerful economic catalyst in its backyard: a top-10 public research university that can be the lifeblood of a stronger, deeper and more resilient regional economy.

Sep 18, 2014 Linda Katehi
[By Rauglothgor (own work), via Wikimedia Commons]

Cold Cash

3 marketing lessons we can learn from the ALS #IceBucketChallenge

Last summer, the ALS #IceBucketChallenge provided some of the coldest warm-fuzzies imaginable. If you’re part of nonprofit that relies on charitable giving watching these videos, you’ve probably started to pensively rub your chin, wondering if and how you could get something like this to work for you.

Sep 10, 2014 Melissa Sorcic
(shutterstoçk)

The Snowflake Strategy

To win with boomers, you’ll need individualized marketing

Let’s be honest, few generations were more aptly named than the baby boomers. While the moniker may have risen from a historically specific fertility trend, in many ways it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. As writer P.J. O’Rourke once described it: “We’re stuck with being forever described as exploding infants.”

Aug 20, 2014 Gordon Fowler
Andrew Cook, assistant manager, Utrecht Art Supplies

Browsers & Shoppers

Retailers check consumers' pulse with social media

As shopkeepers have done for thousands of years, Andrew Cook talks with his customers about what he ought to carry at the Utrecht Art Supplies store on Howe Avenue. The difference is that Cook, Utrecht’s assistant manager, holds the conversations on Facebook. The store had nearly 800 fans as of late November.

Dec 1, 2009 Robert Celaschi