Category Archives: Business and Finance

Outlook 2012

Posted by on January 2, 2012 Comments Off
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Jeff Thredgoldby Jeff Thredgold, CSP

The U.S. Economy

What we now call the Great Recession officially began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009.  It was the longest, the deepest, and the most painful recession since the Great Depression.

By my count, that suggests that the current U.S. economic expansion is now reaching the two-and-a-half year mark.  The current expansion has been less than satisfying both statistically and emotionally, with major headwinds still in play involving weak residential and commercial real estate markets, uncomfortably high unemployment, major European financial risk, and elevated levels of anxiety about the direction of the federal government. Read more »

Zoe Presenter Spotlight: Dan Chenoweth

Posted by on October 17, 2011 Comments Off
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Dan Chenowethby Zoe Training staff

Starting with a strong foundation in accounting, Dan Chenoweth has a broad background in American and international business. His focus on general management issues inherent in today’s changing business environment involves organization leadership; business process analysis and improvement; project management; strategic supplier relationships; team development; and change management. In every situation, Dan helps clients take their strategy to the bottom line.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

Business ethics.  It is a multi-faceted, complex topic and there is no lack of “fresh/new” material!  Ethics do count!  They are relevant and we need to have more discussion about them in these tumultuous times. Read more »

That Aging Thing

Posted by on May 2, 2011 Comments Off
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Jeff Thredgoldby Jeff Thredgold, CSP

It’s no secret that many economic and financial areas were severely impacted by what we now call the Great Recession, the worst since the Great Depression.  The changing nature of retirement would easily find a place on the list.

Millions of people who judiciously saved during their working years had visions of early retirement, with a view that diligent efforts to save money would help them meet income needs in their Golden Years.  Many people have been able to live their dream.

Unfortunately, millions of others saw their dreams either tarnished or shattered, with loss of employment, sharp declines in the value of retirement funds, and unexpected declines in home values.  Every age group, every generation, every part of the country was hurt by economic and financial developments of the past few years. Read more »

The Economy’s Ripple Effect on your Employees

Posted by on November 29, 2010 Comments Off
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acorn near oak treeby Ashley Andrus

- Is the economy finally back on track?

- Are we headed for a double-dip recession?

- Will hiring pick up again anytime soon?

These are important questions that will impact the future of your organization—however, the more immediate question is: How are the ripple effects from the ongoing tight economic conditions directly impacting your employees TODAY?

Just as an individual business functions within the tides of the economy, individual employees and team members are buffeted by the turbulence associated with the ongoing economic downturn. The “new normal” translates into longer working hours, shorter deadlines, expanded job duties and responsibilities, and increased stress levels throughout the organization—all of which directly impact morale, working conditions, and your bottom line.

What can you do from a training and development standpoint to ensure your employees have the tools they need to ride out the ripples? Read more »

Justifying Training and Development in These Troubled Times (ITTT)

Posted by on December 1, 2008 Comments Off
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squeezing moneyby Ashley Andrus, President of Zoe Training & Consulting

Even when times are good and budgets are flush, it can be easy for managers to view training and development as a cost rather than an investment towards bottom-line returns. When the economy is tight, and your boss has ordered you to cut your 2009 budget by 15 percent, and across-the-board spending freezes are the order of the day, justifying programs can feel like an uphill battle.

When done right, people development pays long-term dividends for your organization: morale is better, turnover drops, your ability to recruit qualified employees improves—and that’s all above and beyond the resulting skills enhancement and performance efficiency improvements (that result). Even in lean times, workforce development remains a “must-do” for forward-thinking organizations.

The question then becomes prioritizing possible initiatives and stretching the most that you can out of your training and development budget. Some practical suggestions for maximizing your resources include: Read more »

Good News About the U.S. Economy

Posted by on November 1, 2008 Comments Off
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Jeff Thredgoldby Jeff Thredgold, CSP

The “dismal science” of economics typically focuses on “bad” news. We clearly face significant challenges…no argument here. However, there are also many favorable developments taking place within the U.S. economy. This article focuses ONLY on the “good” news…

  • The middle and lower-middle class had stronger income gains in 2007 than did the top one-fifth of households.
  • For every dollar of U.S. economic output generated today, we burn less than half as much oil as 30 years ago.
  • The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. declined by an estimated 1.3 million (to 11.2 million) between August 2007 and May 2008. Stronger enforcement and fewer job opportunities contributed to the decline. Read more »
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