Business

Almost everyone likes a person with a good sense of humor. Studies even show humorous people are more successful and are more likely to be in positions of influence.

In my 20s, when I was put in charge of a 25-person marketing team spread over two floors at The Charlotte Observer, I observed our biggest weakness was communications. Ironic, since we were in that business.

Two Raleigh entrepreneurs have been very good boys, and they got the chance to prove it by pitting their dog treat startup against other teams on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”

As women’s issues come to the forefront with the #MeToo movement and a renewed focus on the gender pay gap, it should be no surprise that some of most successful PR campaigns of the past 20 years were aimed at empowering women.

Whether it’s a company presentation or a Sunday prayer, speaking to a crowd can be terrifying. Here are four helpful tools:

If you want people to engage and talk with you, ask better questions. We all know that the answer to “How was your day?” will typically be “fine.” Ask a more open question.

Do you get inundated with emails and often miss or completely lose important communications? Start cleaning up your emails today.

If you’re happy and you know it, work in Raleigh. That’s the takeaway from a recent survey ranking Raleigh No. 3 on a list of cities with the happiest employees.

I love checking out the tchotchkes while cruising through the airport terminal but am hard pressed to find many things with local flavor. That’s why I’m excited to check out Root & Branch the next time I’m in Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s main terminal.

If you’re a young professional, it’s likely that retirement is the last thing on your mind. With so many unknown factors in a lifetime, it is vital to start saving early for retirement.

Business email inboxes are noisier than ever, so avoiding “opt-out status” with your colleagues is crucial. Here are three tips for email etiquette:

Recently, I had an employee tell me that her paycheck was not as important as the education we could provide her. As a business owner, you can’t afford to cut out employee development from your budget.

We already know Raleigh is full of happy workers, and it turns out the good feelings stretch across the state. Recent job numbers show North Carolina’s unemployment rate remains unchanged, while the national unemployment rate increased.

As we brace ourselves for 2019, it’s time to make and potentially break our resolutions.

It is extremely important for companies to appreciate their teams, especially when employees stay loyal to your company for long periods of time. One of the best ways to show appreciation is through honorable milestone gifts.

Tesla made headlines recently due to differences in Elon Musk’s questionable profitability and the electric car that is well-known for fossil fuel alternatives and green energy. Here are the three most buzzworthy Tesla updates.

AvidXchange, a company that automates invoices and payment processes for midmarket companies in numerous industries, plans to invest $41 million in Mecklenburg County. Officials said many new positions in software development, finance, marketing and professional services will be added. All in all, that’s at least 1,200 additional jobs for North Carolina.

WalletHub has released its top 10 personal financial resolutions for 2019:

Previously, retirement plans included lifetime income annuities and pensions, called “defined benefit” plans, but private sectors moved away from these and offer employer-sponsored 401(k) plans instead. The 401(k) retirement plans are stricter, in that retirees must make their retirement savings last as long as possible or risk outliving their own savings.

Why so serious at work? Laughter can actually be beneficial for your workplace, according to a recent article from Fast Company.

I love working at 5Star Awards for many reasons, but most of all because we have all in-house capabilities and awesome “toys” to play with. Here are our favorites:

We are likely to see some big changes next year. Our three predictions for vehicles include:

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel earned the number one spot (for the eighth year) on Forbes’ 15th annual World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list for 2018, followed by the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Theresa May. Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund’s managing director, is third. The highest-ranked American is General Motors Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra (fourth).

With over 235,000 apps available in the App Store and more being developed daily, decisions about what to download can be overwhelming. Here are a few of the experts’ favorites for business:

An NC State alum is turning her passion for sustainability into a viable business. While a student, Emily Neville, had the idea to transform unused clothing into something useful.

Which search topics saw the biggest spike in NC in 2018? According to Google’s “Year In Search” report, it’s a diverse set of topics including some obvious results … and some that may surprise you:

According to a Durham Technical Community College press release, “Durham Public Schools and Durham Technical Community College are collaborating with local businesses to fulfill the need for skilled trade workers in the area. The WayMakers: Durham’s Skilled Trades Pathway is funded through $450,000 in grants from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. Durham Public Schools will receive $300,000 and Durham Tech will receive $150,000.”

Publix, the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States, made its Raleigh debut in Leesville Market Place, a new 62,880-square-foot shopping center.

The Internet Summit is a digital marketing gathering with speakers from Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, etc.

North Carolina is expected to add nearly two million people over the next 11 years. With that population increase comes rapid demography shifts and impacts on infrastructure, business, talent and more.