Business Columns
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The race to pass legislation next year already has begunAug 18, 2024 5:25 am - With all the lip service directed at the small business community, one would expect good, common-sense policies that support small businesses to sail through the Illinois legislature. That is not the case, however.
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Today’s employees are different — and not in a good wayAug 14, 2024 7:51 am - Hospitality is a tough industry, no question about it. But it’s being made tougher by a new breed of employees, more of whom are coming to us post-COVID with unrealistic expectations and a sense of entitlement — even if they have zero experience.
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Time for the Fed to cut interest ratesAug 11, 2024 6:02 am - While the Fed’s initial decision to hike interest rates was a policy intervention designed to slow inflation, a decision to keep rates high creates real headwinds for the housing market
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After ‘The Great Resignation,’ is ‘The Big Stay’ here to stay?Aug 07, 2024 9:56 am - For most employers, turnover is closer to pre-pandemic levels and finding a reasonable supply of applicants to fill most positions is less challenging. So now, a new trend, coined “The Big Stay” by labor economists, is sweeping the country.
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Trust pros to help cut red tape, build more suburban housingJul 31, 2024 9:24 am - As Cook County property taxes hit Aug. 1, businesses and residents inevitably will see tax hikes. These rising bills, along with burdensome government regulations, make I...
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O'Donnell: Inconvenient NFL history indicates “Hard Knocks” really can be a dragJul 28, 2024 10:47 am - DESPITE THE STRONG SUGGESTION of George McCaskey, the sports gods have yet to officially proclaim that “Hard Knocks” is a curse. But the Bears chairman may have been ...
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BBB tips to cutting costs for businessJul 28, 2024 5:52 am - When the topic of cost reduction arises in business discussions, it may conjure images of workforce downsizing. However, it’s important to recognize that small businesse...
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The cost of a ‘free’ basket of chips at your favorite Mexican restaurantJul 24, 2024 8:43 am - I’m starting to lose patience with guests whose constant whining is that “prices are going up” and “I don’t get anything for free anymore.” These are guests I would like to talk to directly and find out where they are getting their free gas and where they are shopping at stores that still have 2019 prices.
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The Corporate Transparency Act and its impact on commercial real estate associations — are you covered?Jul 21, 2024 5:42 am - You may have heard recent talk about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which went into effect Jan. 1, 2024, that requires Beneficial Ownership Information reporting f...
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The small business community’s crucial role in shaping politicsJul 21, 2024 5:32 am - Elections often are abrasive, divisive, and uncivil, but clearly we are in uncharted waters. Hyperbole is off the charts and name-calling has been normalized. Politician...