At some point in their careers, most design professionals have either heard of claims on projects with which they’ve been involved or have been directly or indirectly involved with a claim. Disputes with the owner during a project are not uncommon. When those disputes may potentially result in a claim, architects are often well-served to…
Automatic Deferment on Existing SBA Disaster Loans Through End of 2020 The U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced changes to help borrowers still paying back SBA loans from previous disasters. By making this change, deferments through December 31, 2020, will be automatic. Now, borrowers of home and business disaster loans do not have…
In the midst of Women’s History Month, what better person to recognize than a woman who is making history of her own by breaking down all the barriers and blazing a trail through a notoriously male-dominated industry? Chyna “The Roofing Lady” Gragg is the founder and owner of Roofing Designs by JR, LLC, a…
By Cliff Robbins, MSBDC Senior Business Advisor NOW what do I do?” This is the question on every small business persons’ mind. Well, this is the time to prepare yourself for a post-coronavirus world: Especially because you have probably been forced to shutter or otherwise change your business approach. CFIMITYM – Cash Flow Is More Important…
METRO is making several significant service modifications to allow for continued safe operations of critical public transportation services amid the coronavirus COVID-19 response. Local Bus Starting Monday, March 23, to support social distancing, passengers must use the rear door when boarding and exiting a local bus. Only passengers with mobility issues will be able to request the…
These are challenging times for businesses all over the nation. The Texas Comptroller’s office knows that during periods of economic hardship, paying or remitting taxes and fees on time can feel like an extra burden when there’s so much uncertainty. We’re thankful to those businesses that were able to remit state and local sales taxes…
Author: Holly Uverity, Microsoft® Office® Specialist — Outlook® , Office Organizers You may be a work from home pro or this may be new for you but regardless, you are undoubtedly impacted in some way by COVID-19. Your clients may cancel or your company work may halt so I invite you to look at this as…
Times are changing for travelers moving between Texas’ two largest regions, Houston and North Texas. What was once either a tireless slog or a hurry-up-to-slow-down frisking is being replaced by the best travel experience the world has to offer. In short, nothing that exists today in the United States can come close to matching the…
Business and community leaders learned today how they can help move forward 500 miles of travel improvements in the $7.5 billion METRONext Moving Forward Plan. METRONext’s Business Now event attracted a wide range of vendors. Board members and staff provided an overview of future projects and explained how to do business with the Authority. “With your…
The facility spans nearly six football fields and is a part of United Airlines’ $1B investment at Bush Airport since 2013 Houston Airports and United Airlines pulled back the curtain on a Texas-sized United Technical Operations Center (UTOC) at Bush Airport that spans nearly six football fields under one roof. The new operations center is…
The use of mobile phones for wireless streaming of music, podcasts or other entertainment is everywhere. Walk down any street in the country and you’ll often see more people wearing headphones than those that aren’t. Some of these listening devices even come equipped with sound-canceling features that completely block off noises from the outside world….
Going to the Permitting Center sucks time from small contractors’ busy days that are often filled with worries about construction tasks and budgets. Many contractors will call us voicing their frustrations about delays in permitting and the challenge of going back and forth talking with Plan Reviewers that seem not to hear what they are…
Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) President Todd Staples delivered an update on the state of the Texas oil and natural gas industry today at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Energy Forum. Staples discussed the role the industry plays in powering the economies of North Texas and the entire state, as well as…
Project “Daily Reports” are some of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of a construction project. These reports serve many beneficial roles such as holding parties accountable to their obligations, providing the basis for an as-built schedule, recording manpower, documenting site conditions, and recording any other important and relevant information that happened on the job…
Robots, machinery and software promise to aid with the skilled labor shortage, or at the very least free up managers’ and other workers’ time so they can focus on more important tasks. In the next three decades, as many as 2.7 million construction jobs could become automated, according to a report from the Midwest Economic Policy…
Why are so many digital transformation efforts stalling? Because leaders remain fixated on technology, at the expense of humanity. The pressure to radically reshape organizations is only accelerating: industries keep converging, new competitors appearing, and societal and stakeholder expectations rising. Yet digital transformation efforts at many organizations are stalling. The reason? Transforming in a way…
In 2017, the world used 562 quadrillion BTUs of energy in the form of oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear and renewables. But most of us don’t understand how this statistic is reflected in what we do each day. That staggering number – 562,000,000,000,000,000 – represents the countless decisions made by the individuals, companies and communities…
Greater Houston Partnership 2020 Board Chair Bobby Tudor outlined how the organization will work to ensure Houston plays a key role in the global energy transition at the Partnership’s annual meeting on January 22. Maintaining Houston’s place as the Energy Capital of the World requires that the region’s business and civic leaders address the dual…
The AIA 2030 Commitment provides a considerable challenge for any firm willing to sign on. This is especially true for larger firms, which must find ways to reduce predicted energy use across a wide spectrum of clients, building types and climate zones. LPA was an early supporter of the 2030 Commitment, but energy efficient design…
