Splash Mob 2012 - Off to a Great Start

In the state of Arizona alone, there are 29,611 homeless children - 4,000 of which are in Maricopa County. It's a devastating statistic that unfortunately dirupts the children's family life, and physical & emotional health.

Children First Academy currently provides specialized education, as well as individual care and attention to over 300 homeless and at-risk students. Making a difference in the lives of others they provide stability, hope, and self-determination.

The Splash Mob 5k run will raise money, desperately needed clothing, and awareness for Children First Academy. This fun run & walk will take place on July 21st, as children from the school and community help keep us cool in the Arizona heat by using their Super Soakers and water balloons to splash the participants.

Last night was the Phoenix Business Owners' first organizational meeting for Splash Mob volunteers. We are getting the ball rolling with a great group of enthusiastic and passionate people. If, however, you were unable to make it to the meeting or have a newfound interest in volunteering, we would love to have you next time! We will meet on Wednesday, February 15th to continue the process of planning a fantastic event.

We are looking for help of all kinds, including: pre-race preparations, race day volunteers, and event sponsors. Join us in organizing an incredible event for an even more incredible cause. Visit the official website at www.splashmob5k.com for more information.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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SOPA, PIPA, and Small Business

The recent controversy over the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Senate’s Protect Intellectual Property Act has been building. Yesterday, major web-companies like Wikipedia and Reddit decided to blackout their websites for 24 hours in protest of the bills. While the entertainment industry is in support of the new legislation, large web companies aren’t the only ones in opposition.

If the bills were to go into effect, it could take a huge toll on small businesses all over the world. Consider your company’s blog, Twitter or Facebook account, or just the website in general- if someone from that company posted a licensed picture or certain bit of information without obtaining the proper permission, your entire corporate website could be shut down.

Social media networks have been an especially useful resource in today’s business market. Bills like these could be detrimental to how a company is able to manipulate these social media sites to their advantage. It would be hard for a business to post frequent links, photos, or other short statements without having to worry about unintentionally infringing on someone else’s copyright.

What company has the time to actually check every statement, link, photograph to ensure that it’s safe to use? The intention of such legislation seems positive, however the actual execution of such bills could take a negative toll on companies world-wide. Yesterday was only a brief (and limited) preview of what the web would look like if sites like Facebook, Wikipedia, and Google were shut down.


Thursday, January 19, 2012
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Most Stressful Jobs of 2012

We all have those days where we feel overwhelmed. There never seems to be enough time in a day or enough hours in a week to get everything done, but on the days when you think a job couldn’t get much more stressful than your own, check out this short list of the most stressful jobs of 2012.

CareerCast.com’s annual survey declared the nation’s most stressful to be the enlisted military soldier. The survey measures work environment, job competitiveness, risk and related factors, so it’s no surprise that the military takes number one. What’s an average yearly income for such a gut-wrenching position? Just a little over $35,500.

Firefighter takes number two as the nation’s most stressful career. Every shift involves making life or death decisions and putting the lives of others before their own. Members of the Spokane fire department in Washington note that firefighters will likely live 20 years less than the people they protect in their community.

Third on the list is the airline pilot. Not only are they expected to ensure the safety of hundreds of daily passengers, but they’re also expected to keep to a tight schedule. Flights need to be kept on time, even when dealing with rough weather. Commercial pilots are also constantly dealing with irregular work hours, time away from home, and jet lag.

The list continues with Military General at number four, Police Officer at number five, and Event Coordinator at number six. This may sound like all parties and celebrations, but in most cases, the events these people are responsible for are extremely important to the people involved. The stakes are high when planning a wedding, for example, as most of us hope to only have one.

Number ten on the list is the Taxi Driver, following Public Relations Executive, Corporate Executive, and Photo Journalist. Making just a little over $22,000 a year on average, taxi drivers have to put up with traffic on a daily basis. The passengers are a handful all their own to deal with, not to mention that cab drivers are the number one target for crime in most cities.

So the next time you’re having a rough day at the office, take a deep breath and consider the alternatives.


Friday, January 13, 2012
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Leadership in the Workplace: Red Flags to Watch For

While the definition of success may vary from person to person, success in the business world is often measured by finances and general market statistics. The leaders of current business failures are often intelligent and experienced individuals, who may have just missed some of the early warning signs.

Leaders who are unable to differentiate their personal interests from their business interests are often headed for trouble. In some cases, owners and CEOs who mix the two can get carried away, using their company to carry out personal ambitions. This could end up leading to the use of company funds for personal expenses. It’s a mentality more common than you’d think, that running a business is much like being the king of your own private empire.

While it’s always nice to have people supportive of your plan, it’s dangerous to eliminate all of those who aren’t. Leaders who get rid of the managers and executives that don’t quite agree with them should take a moment and think about what they’re doing. By cutting themselves off from all contrasting viewpoints, these leaders are often also cutting themselves off from their greatest chance to identify and correct problems. Sometimes it’s better to have someone there who can pinpoint potential failures.

It’s fantastic and necessary for great leaders to have confidence, but too much can lead them down a dark and narrow path. It’s important for anyone running a business to really take into consideration the obstacles that they are up against. Underestimating obstacles and simply waving them away will often end badly. In these cases, when a mistake is realized too little too late, the result is often catastrophic.

As a leader in business, it’s important to remain optimistic, confident, ambitious, and so on. It’s also important to realize that everyone needs help every once and a while. Changing a previously approved plan or asking for assistance isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of a great and mindful leader.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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