Route 422 Business Advisor

From the Editor's desk at Route 422 Business Advisor — Relevant news and information of interest to business owners and operators along the Route 422, Route 100 and Route 30 corridors in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Please visit www.422bizmag.com

 

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New Investment Drives Economic Development in Pottstown

Public and private investment is flowing into Pottstown. How much? During 2014 and 2015, approximately $3.5 million in Federal, State, and County grants were awarded to community and economic development projects throughout the Borough. Over the last 12 months alone, over $4.3 million in private capital has been invested to acquire commercial buildings in just two blocks of the downtown. Additional private dollars are being put to work funding projects in other areas of town.

“Careers in 2 Years” Part 2 — Cultivating a Skilled Workforce to Meet a Growing Demand in Berks County

Manufacturing has always been a vital part of Berks County’s economy. “We have almost twice as many people involved with manufacturing as the counties that are contiguous to us, in great part because of the legacy of manufacturing in Berks County,” says Jon Scott, president of Greater Reading Economic Partnership (GREP). “We are known for having people with that skill set.”

GVF Research Project to Help Reduce Congestion Along Route 422 Corridor

In collaboration with Temple University’s Center for Sustainable Communities and CFA Consultants, GVF was successful in securing a $200,000 PennDOT research grant to conduct a US 422 Transportation Demand Management (TDM) study. The research project utilized GVF’s transportation expertise to help reduce congestion and improve air quality along the US 422 Corridor through more effective TDM implementation.

Sunnybrook Village Business Campus The Area’s Premier Office Address

Today’s business owners are looking for more than just office space.  They want to rent in a place where amenities and services are just a short walk away.  A place where their employees enjoy working and their customers enjoy visiting.  In short, they want a community like Sunnybrook Village Business Campus.

Amenities

Progress on the “Ride to Prosperity”

Beginning in 2009, eight leading Berks County organizations — The Berks County Industrial Development Authority, the Berks County Planning Commission, the Berks County Workforce Investment Board, the City of Reading, the Greater Berks Development Fund, the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Greater Reading Economic Partnership — began collaborating to develop a new economic development plan for Greater Reading and Berks County.

Revitalization of Pottstown— Gaining Momentum in 2014

“I’m positive that five years from now, Pottstown will be a better place than it is today. Not that it’s a bad place today. There are small things that we can all do. Support our local non-profits. Use local vendors. Patronize local merchants and service providers. Keep rolling that dollar over and over again.”

Andrew J. Monastra, December 2012

Ride to Prosperity 2.0 Part 1 — Progress Report

Beginning in 2009, eight leading local organizations — The Berks County Industrial Development Authority, the Berks County Planning Commission, the Berks County Workforce Investment Board, the City of Reading, the Greater Berks Development Fund, the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Greater Reading Economic Partnership — began collaborating to develop a new economic development plan

What Does an Exceptional Leader Look Like?

Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” In a Google search I found a Leader defined as “the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.” Abraham Lincoln predicted that our Nation had to abolish slavery in order for our Nation to truly be the “land of the free and the home of the brave,” and he led our Nation to that vision. This was a very bold and challenging undertaking in our Nation’s history. Through his Leadership skills, he helped create and shape the America we know today.

Wave of New Investment Accelerates Pottstown’s Revitalization Process

When the Third Annual Pottstown Investors Conference gets underway at The Hill School on April 12th, presenters and attendees will no doubt be encouraged by the veritable tsunami of recent investment along East High Street in the heart of the downtown, as evidenced by the sale of several dozen properties over the past few years, including seven transactions in the last seven months. And the good news is that multiple investors and investor groups are acquiring these properties for reasons that will ultimately bring enormous benefit to the borough and the downtown.

Your Biggest Security Threat!

By Scott Guinther, I.T. Shield, LLC

Member, Small Business Resource Association

Most business owners today know they need IT security to keep their businesses safe.  Antivirus/malware protection and firewalls are the basic security measures used by most businesses today. But with these necessary and valuable security measures, none of these can prevent the biggest threat to your company — Your People!

“Success Thinking”—It’s All About Attitude

As a small business owner, you’re not just “the boss.” You’re also the leader, the person employees, vendors, customers, and prospects look to for guidance, support, and confidence. And being a leader is easier than you think. It begins with a positive, “can-do” attitude that your business delivers what it promises, and can achieve any goal.

Managing Your Business Website: 7 Things to Consider

At Hureka Technologies, we have served over 50 businesses with new website designs and digital marketing services. Consequently, we understand the challenges business owners face while managing a website. Be it for just maintaining the online presence, or as a key driver in your business’s value delivery cycle, a website makes a huge difference, yet it’s astonishing that over 46 percent of small businesses in the U.S. still don’t have a fully operational website.

New Tax Savings for Your Business

There’s good news if you’ve purchased depreciable property for your business in 2018!

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which has reduced taxes across the board, has several new mechanisms to reduce taxes paid by small businesses that will be applicable for the upcoming tax filing season.

One of these mechanisms is depreciation.

Businesses have always been able to deduct the cost of tangible property placed into service with their business, over the useful life of the property.

RISK MANAGEMENT Insurance Coverage Considerations

Risk management is an important aspect of the financial planning process. As a financial

advisor, it is essential to assess a person’s insurance coverage to determine areas of strength and

areas for improvement. Any person who is not adequately covered with life, disability, medical,

automobile, homeowners and any other appropriate insurance may have a serious risk

management problem. For retirees, an appropriate medicare supplemental plan and possibly a

long-term care policy should be in place.

The Changes in SEO Process in Last 10 Years

The ever-changing SEO landscape has put many well-known SEO experts out of business; making the space only for real marketers who understand customers and combine their SEO knowledge with effective marketing techniques.

But it was a gradual change. For a while, everybody thought Google would never be able to stop the spammy websites from manipulating search engine rankings. Black hat and grey hat techniques were rampant. One by one, algorithm updates were rolled out, changing the entire SEO process over the last decade.

Benefits and Challenges of AI-Enabled Recruitment Chatbots

As Hureka has successfully delivered AI-enabled recruitment bots, we have an animated discussion on the benefits and scope of these bots for a small business. In this article, we discuss the benefits and challenges of recruitment chatbots and how it can help a small business streamline its hiring process, make it more efficient and improve candidate experience.

Long-Term Care Planning — Why You Can't Afford to Ignore It

Greg Koch's picture

Long-term care planning (or LTC planning for short) isn’t the most exciting topic. But most people can’t afford to ignore it in retirement. It’s the four-ton elephant in the room. "Long-term care is the unsolved problem for so many people," said AARP. Not only the fact that seven out of ten seniors will need some type of LTC, but there’s also the hefty price tag to consider.

What is Long-Term Care?

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