Business Columns
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Local independent restaurants tell a storyApr 23, 2025 9:11 am - In the first four months this year, I have been to 11 states, 20 cities and three countries, and wherever travel I ask the same question: “Can you recommend your favorite local restaurant?”
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Project Labor Agreements deliver on policymakers’ promises to taxpayers and workersApr 19, 2025 1:48 pm - With tariffs, market volatility, and mass government layoffs dominating headlines lately, much of our national economic discourse has centered around whether public policies and investments are maximizing value for taxpayers and opportunities for American workers.
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Hiring challenges persist in skilled tradesApr 16, 2025 8:44 am - A growing trend of high school counselors and parents encouraging kids to attend college instead of learning a trade or pursuing a manufacturing career can present hiring challenges for many industries.
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Cook County’s tax system is driving businesses, residents awayApr 12, 2025 1:45 pm - To the surprise of no one, Cook County property taxes went up again.
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ESPN wants to be a leader in youth sports. Can we trust the network?Apr 10, 2025 5:37 pm - ESPN plans to enter the realm of youth sports. Is that a good thing?
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Employee ownership made my retirement possible; let’s make every worker an ownerApr 10, 2025 2:47 pm - Most Americans have little to nothing saved for retirement, and retiring early, like Steven Schmidt did, is out of the question. Schmidt credits his good fortune to the employee stock ownership plan at the company where he worked for 41 years.
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How much does a beer and a hot dog cost you at Wrigley Field or the Rate? I did the mathApr 10, 2025 10:45 am - It’s not breaking news, but nothing is cheap at a professional sporting event, let alone Wrigley Field, where the Cubs pack ’em in, rain or shine, snow or sun. Starting with tickets, a parent taking a family of four to a game — or one person drinking for four — can experience losses of “biblical” proportions in their bank account.
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How tariffs will impact your dining experienceApr 09, 2025 8:51 am - Just when the restaurant industry thought it had finally recovered from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is facing new headwinds in the form of the tariffs the Trump administration imposed on imports from other countries.
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Energy and sustainability in the office settingApr 05, 2025 1:58 pm - Business owners understand the importance of being energy efficient. It’s the right thing to do. However, it may not always be top of mind to a business owner, with the day-to-day challenges of running a company in as efficient a manner as possible.
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From hidden to highlighted: Mastering the new era of generative AI searchApr 05, 2025 1:51 pm - AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini are transforming how people find information. This is where answer engine optimization (AEO) comes into play.