Common issues that small businesses may encounter • Capital access. Incidents can strain a small business’s financial capacity to make payroll, maintain inventory and respond to market fluctuations (both sudden drops and surges in demand). Businesses should prepare by exploring and testing their capital access options so they have what they need when they need…
The exponential growth of big data has had a profound effect on the heavy building materials industry. Per Techjury, every person this year will generate 1.7 megabytes of data in just a second. In 2019, internet users generate about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. In addition: Large infrastructure projects are voluminous — requiring an…
In an effort to help working families experiencing financial hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Entergy Charitable Foundation has established the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. “The health and safety of our customers, employees and communities is Entergy’s top priority,” said Leo Denault, chairman and CEO of Entergy Corporation. “For more than 100…
Projections that the global middle class will increase by 1.7 billion people over the next two decades means a lot more energy will be needed in the years ahead to move planes, trains and automobiles. Specifically, the energy demand of global transport, which includes deliveries of goods and services, should increase by about 25% by…
Construction companies that don’t make trust a high priority within their organizations could be leaving millions of dollars on the table every year, according to a study released by Autodesk and management consultancy FMI Corp. this week. Authors of the “Trust Matters: The High Cost of Low Trust” found that construction organizations with very high levels of trust…
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…
