
Dilemma of the Month: Drug Testing New Hires
We drug test new hires at my company. When a potential employee’s test comes back positive it’s easy enough to rescind the offer, but we had a candidate have a test returned “negative but diluted” and we rescinded the offer. The candidate had already given two weeks’ notice at his current company and they won’t take him back. Did we do the right thing?

From Youth Program Development to Nonprofit Communications
Why one local man says that it’s never too late to be intentional with your career path
Now the marketing and communications manager for Sacramento Children’s Home, Houser ended up not too far from his origin in youth development, though you could say he took the long way around.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Navigating the freelance life into 2018
As we near the end of the year, you may find yourself checking in with your freelance business to take a look at what you’ve been up to and where you want to go in the coming New Year. (hashtag New Year Things.) Honestly, I find this time of year both inspiring and empowering when it comes to navigating the freelance life.

Etsy Ain’t Easy (for Local Makers)
Local entrepreneurs get crafty for the holidays — but that doesn’t always translate to big business
There’s a pervasive myth that selling crafts is an easy way to make money, but even savvy entrepreneurs have to play the odds of a mercurial marketplace.

Lock the Business Cookie Jar
What steps did you take in October’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month?
Did you make any progress during October’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month? Did you, as I like to say, lock your business’s cookie jar?

Commonly Used Employer Interview Practices Now Prohibited by Law
By now, most employers know there are certain questions they can ask, and certain questions they must avoid when interviewing a candidate for a job. They know that anti-discrimination laws apply before a worker is even hired, and have heard stories about costly lawsuits resulting from an employer asking the wrong question of a prospective employee during a job interview.

From Professional Skiing to Design Strategy
Why finding patterns has served one design professional through a varied career path
Ethan Martin didn’t take a traditional path to his position as director of user strategy for local digital creative agency Bukwild. In his younger years, he thought he’d map and maneuver challenging ski runs around a mountain town for a living. Instead, as an adult, he finds himself navigating design challenges for a digital creative agency in Old Sacramento.

The Business of Boutique Fitness
How three sisters are spinning the wheels of specialized fitness success
Ask Elena Katnik’s advice on opening a family-run business, and she’ll caution against it. But not because it hasn’t worked at TEAMride, a popular Sacramento-based spin studio.

Is Your Mission Statement Gathering Dust?
Start anew by first thinking about the real reason your organization exists
Do your eyes roll when you hear the words “mission statement?” You are not alone.
Many of you work at organizations with a mission statement that is now gathering dust on a shelf, framed on a wall or, even worse, carved in stone above your portal. If the following sounds familiar, you’re in trouble:

5 Ways Your Family Business Can Maximize Philanthropic Giving
1. Discuss your values and motivations. Explore your family’s motivations behind your giving to better understand what you want to accomplish. By identifying core values, you’ll be able to direct your support to mirror the causes important to you.