The gig economy, once characterized by blue-collar contingent employees, has recently grown with online options: drivers working part-time for Uber, nannies for hire through Care.com, and repairmen contracted by online home improvement sites. As the gig workforce evolves, so do the industries who find them useful. Gig workers are temporary contractors who have a series… Read more »
Just as it’s difficult to turn a large ship, it’s challenging for oil and gas companies to make adjustments to quick-changing industry-wide regulations. Every time they approach a turn, strategic remapping is required. Organizational costs can be considerable for petrochemical services companies that face continual regulatory revisions. Eighty percent of the domestic oil and gas… Read more »
The advancement of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is not artificial at all. It is quite real. AI technology has been working behind the scenes to bring convenience and aid to many areas of our lives. Based on past choices, Netflix algorithms predict what movies we like. Expedia provides an expansive alternative to travel agents…. Read more »
When shopping for furniture, bedding, rugs and home decor, modern customers want their items quick and they want them cheap. In general, shoppers aren’t visiting multiple showrooms to make comparisons before custom-ordering a room full of furniture and then waiting months for delivery. Today’s shoppers pick up occasional pieces and grab-and-go items like accent chairs… Read more »
Reinventing retail shopping markets for apparel and footwear sales As shopping malls and traditional brick-and-mortar stores devolve, retailers are reinventing themselves. Mass store closures have a significant downstream effect on other businesses related to fashion, apparel, footwear, distribution, manufacturing, wholesalers and secondary industries. If they haven’t already adapted to online marketplaces, businesses are scrambling to… Read more »
Reliance on renewable sources of energy is no longer a pie-in-the-sky vision for the future; it is going mainstream. The energy needs of the United States are being met using sustainable, clean forms of fuel, like solar and wind. In the last decade, great progress has been made in creating markets for clean, renewable fuels…. Read more »
The sun and wind are free in their natural state; but the equipment and technology needed to convert that energy into electricity or heat can be costly. The U.S. government offers financing resources and incentives to promote clean energy development. Because solar and other renewable energy systems do not emit harmful pollutants, they help protect… Read more »
Truck drivers will soon scrap their handwritten mileage journals for electronic logging devices (ELDs). Far more accurate than pen and paper, an ELD connects to the vehicle’s engine to electronically record hours on the road. A mandate from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires ELD installation in an estimated 3.4 million commercial trucks… Read more »
The U.S. manufacturing sector represents 30 percent of Crestmark’s clients, according to Dave Tull, Crestmark founder and CEO. In Crestmark’s 20-year history, it has provided financing to scores of American manufacturing companies – often those that could not get funding from traditional banks. Crestmark is helping manufacturers from a range of industries get the funding… Read more »
Entrepreneurs and visionaries of all kinds can be easily confused about the best options for getting the financial backing they need. Now, there are more options than ever — some unimaginable only a few years ago. One of these is Kickstarter, self-described as an online platform for funding creative projects. Since Kickstarter was founded in… Read more »