As the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on America’s small business community, Tribe (jointribe.us), a tech company helping empower consumer spending, today launched a new, free tech tool specifically designed to aid and support small businesses across the country. 

Tribe’s Small Business Browser Extension is a free tool helping consumers easily identify products sold by small businesses on Amazon. As consumers shop online for thousands of products ranging from household items to snacks to cosmetics, the Small Business Browser Extension empowers online shoppers to easily choose and directly support, shop and purchase products from America’s small business community. 

“As millions of small businesses hemorrhage financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, they risk closing their doors as a result of the economic shutdown and limited re-opening,” said Tribe CEO and founder Kim Pieper. “Tribe’s free Small Business Browser Extension gives consumers the power to use their dollars to select and purchase thousands of desired products directly from a small business while shopping online.”

Pieper continued, “America’s small business community has been hurting throughout this pandemic, and we felt we had to do something to support them as online stores continue to be a critical platform to sell their products. Our new Small Business Browser Extension harnesses the billions of dollars in online consumer spending towards small businesses who need our support now more than ever.  The ability to direct our spending provides consumers with a tremendous amount of collective purchasing power to support small businesses across the country.”

When consumers add Tribe’s Small Business Browser Extension to their browser of choice and search for their favorite products on Amazon, the free tool appears as a small box in the corner of their browser window, alerting the shopper to similar products offered by a small business. The new tool is currently available for download on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

Click Here to View and Get the Tribe Small Business Tech Tool

A survey by the Small Business Roundtable found that the economic impact of the coronavirus on the small business community has been severe, indicating they are closing their doors, face dire economic circumstances and expect an uncertain future. In fact, retail shops across the country have been forced to close due to shelter-in-place, social distancing measures and limited re-opening requirements, leaving 24% of small businesses on the brink of closing for good. Meanwhile, while there has been a 49% increase in online shopping, Tribe can provide an easy and safe way of helping consumers looking to support the small business community while shopping.  

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**Examples of How Tribe Helps Identify and Allow Consumers to Select Products Directly from Small Businesses**

“Our goal is to help the consumer use their purchasing power to support a small business selling the same or similar product on Amazon. We want to give the consumer as many competitive options available at their fingertips while at the same time, supporting this critical business demographic that has been decimated during this pandemic,” concluded Pieper.

Even with help from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program and other loans/grants, many small businesses expect to close, reports CNBC.

Millions of small businesses have gotten federal aid to help weather the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the article on CNBC

According to Black Enterprise, small businesses can apply for financial help from Hennessy’s  Unfinished Business Program. 

Hennessy is stepping up to help minority small businesses struggling with the effects of COVID-19 by providing immediate financial support through a new program called Unfinished Business.

Read the article on Black Enterprise

Despite getting funds from the Paycheck Protection Program many small businesses expect to layoff staff, reports CBS News. 

A significant number of U.S. small business owners who got money from the government-backed small business coronavirus relief program say they will end up laying off hundreds of thousands of workers anyway.

Read the article on CBS News

If you’re not familiar with accounting or financial statements for a company, just looking at them can be intimidating. Even once you’ve figured out things like gross margin, cost of goods, and cash on hand, there are other line items that will still cause you to scratch your head, like amortization.

What Is Amortization?

Amortization can be a useful tool, but it’s also an abstract concept. While it’s a very tangible line item, it represents spreading a one-time payment over time which may feel counterintuitive to accounting practices that track expenses in real time.

Amortization doesn’t appear on a cash flow statement because the cash is typically laid out up front. Instead, this line item is found on the balance sheet. Amortization is a company’s way of showing the value of a (usually large) one-time payment that represents a benefit for a long period of time.

Understanding The Abstract

For instance, if your supplier has a great idea for a new product of yours, you may want to buy the rights to that intellectual property from them. There’s not a physical ‘thing’ that trades hands, but the IP is still worth what you and the seller agree it is worth. Continuing with our example, if you estimate that the IP is going to be valuable to your company for 5 years, that is how long you would amortize the payment to the seller. So, if you paid $50,000 for the IP, you would have $10,000 amortized on each of your next 5 years’ balance sheets.

So why doesn’t that $50,000 you paid appear in cash flow? Shouldn’t that appear as a $50,000 expense on all of your financial statements? The short answer is, ‘no’. It should appear on your cash flow for the period that you spent the cash. You no longer have the $50K cash, so that needs to be accurately represented because cash is king, and if you don’t keep good track of cash on hand, your balance sheets can look flush even as you’re struggling to cut payroll.

Putting It To Good Use

As long as you keep your eye on your cash flow, Amortization is a critical tool for measuring the health of your company. Amortizing these 1-time spends across the useful life of the asset helps level out how your business is doing on your balance and income statements.

Amortizing the $50,000 spent on the IP in our example above across all of your monthly income statements helps show how much this new product is adding to the top line, and then how much is being depleted from your bottom line by the cost of the IP, month over month or year over year.

This also gives your management team a powerful tool to know when to pull the lever on buying new trademarks, license agreements, or intellectual property, or when to hold fast so that you don’t over-leverage yourself with every ‘great’ idea that comes your way. If you are already over-budget on amortization because your R&D team got overzealous in buying up IP, you know it’s time to pump the brakes until some of that spending shows in your finances as payments completed, or fully amortized.

Cultivating a culture of innovation should be a top priority for every enterprise. While this may sound simple, it’s one of the most difficult accomplishments to achieve in practice. Halloran Consulting is no stranger to fostering a culture of innovation within its business. The life science regulatory, quality and clinical consulting firm has seen revenue growth of nearly 200 percent since 2014, winning a spot on Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for five consecutive years and most recently awarded a digital leadership title by Ventana Research.

However, success doesn’t come without its pain points. The 100-person firm initially faced significant challenges with disjointed information across its multiple systems — financial data in QuickBooks, sales data in Salesforce CRM, and project data in NetSuite OpenAir professional services automation (PSA). That level of fragmentation prevented Halloran Consulting from having a unified view across its project-based business. That meant the organization had limited insights into its operations, could not entirely trust the integrity of its data and was forced to rely heavily on multi-tab Excel spreadsheets to generate basic financial reports.

Success Begins with Delivering Value

Professional services firms face the challenge of delivering value to clients while managing and growing their business profitably. The lack of integration and efficiency drove the Boston-based firm to review its processes and take concrete measures to eliminate the systems that did not contribute to helping the organization succeed. Halloran Consulting chose Sage Intacct for the value its technology brought to the company and its clients - where the firm used to get piecemeal information regarding the financial health of its operations, with Sage Intacct, it was able to access real-time financial data and react quickly to sudden changes that could impact its business growth.

Another catalyst in the company’s transformation has been the elimination of hours of manual work. The firm was able to cut down its monthly financial close from 20 days to 10 while also reducing other financial processes that used to take several days and are now completed in just hours. In doing so, the firm was able to dedicate more time to analyzing its data and implemented a new billing model that increased the company’s profit by $4 million and introduced new efficiencies across its finance function, opening $1 million in new monthly cash flow.

Digital Transformation starts with Finance

The role of the CFO has seen significant changes in the last five years. A recent survey found that three-quarters of financial decision-makers drive digital transformation within their business and 73% of those financial decision-makers believe emerging technologies have a big impact on their ability to forecast and develop strategic financial planning.

One of the biggest value add to using innovative technologies is time. The time that would have otherwise been spent manually crunching scenarios or editing endless spreadsheets can now allow finance teams to invest their skills to help drive growth and become a strategic partner to the business. When technology is used to its full potential, finance teams can be empowered to operate at varying altitudes - either flipping easily between granular project data that cater to project managers or highly critical data that an executive team will be interested in. 

The willingness to deploy new technologies is highly dependent on the types of culture that exist across any organization. An organization that values innovation and understands that access to real-time, actionable and relevant data are key ingredients to driving performance and success will be able to thrive in today’s highly competitive, collaborative, and distributed business world.

Tania Zieja, CFO, Halloran Consulting

Small businesses require financing at times, but options that exist for large corporations are not always the best for entrepreneurs. Larger than necessary loan amounts, unforgiving terms, or unrealistic payback schedules make typical business loans prohibitive for small business. However, private loans from family or friends are not ideal, either. What are the options?

More and more financial services include microloans, smaller amounts that range anywhere from a minimum of a few thousand to about $50,000. These are the types of loans that manage the needs of small businesses. From advances to cover cash flow blips to payments for start-up equipment, a microloan can fill in and more easily be paid back.

So rather than take out a huge business loan that comes with gigantic interest, which is like clobbering a mosquito with a sledgehammer, a microloan will serve as a band-aid that is easily applied and then removed. They make good sense for small businesses that do not require substantial help but still need some.

Microloan Lenders

Some major financial institutes like banks now offer microloan options for small businesses, so it is still worthwhile to ask, but other lenders specialize in services for small businesses. Sites like PayPal that support entrepreneurs’ cash flow offer microloans, but there are dedicated organizations that offer microloan programs, too.

Nonprofit organizations exist to provide support for entrepreneurs. From women in business to other niche markets, these organizations provide financial services to ensure solvency of small businesses within their sector.

Government agencies also offer support for small businesses, but their microloans tend to be conditional. The loans are available for specific needs, like purchasing capital equipment or inventory, but not for real estate or debt payments.

Peer-to-peer microloans are another option. Groups of entrepreneurs working together each provide a portion of a loan amount, allowing a borrower (another entrepreneur) to receive the full sum. In other words, the small business owner can seek investors.

Features Of Microloans

The process to apply for a microloan depends on the source. Some may require you to differentiate your business and justify your company, so be ready to explain your mission, vision, and backstory. Others will want to ensure you fit their criteria and promote their agenda, like the nonprofit organizations. There are a few that will follow traditional procedures like checking your credit score and assets. Learn about any qualifications before you take the time to apply.

For the most part, standard loan protocols will apply; you can expect the usual framework that includes a principal, interest rate, loan terms, and repayment options. You will want to shop around and inquire about the different options to find one that fits your risk tolerance.

Current Circumstances

Within the current pandemic, there are complications as well as provisions to the usual procedures. It is still possible to secure funding, and in some circumstances, Coronavirus relief options are available.

There may be struggle right now, but in many ways, that is the nature of the business for entrepreneurs. While this pandemic is unprecedented, the need to be resilient and the consistent push to overcome challenges is not new. Whether a microloan keeps business afloat or bridges a gap toward future success, it is a worthwhile business practice to explore.

Before too much time passes this year, it’s best to get a jump-start on Tax Season. Taxes are just around the corner, so learn about the new changes to 2020 taxes now to avoid any surprises. There just might be a few benefits in the new code that will positively affect you and your business, but also beware any changes that could cause problems if you are noncompliant.

Preparing For 2020 Tax Season

It’s standard to expect adjustments to the tax code, but 2018 saw sweeping changes with the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the biggest change in about 30 years. So, this year, implementing changes from this Act are still affecting businesses as well as new changes effective January 1.

For the 2020 tax season, make sure you’re aware of these and any changes that affect your business.

• Employee Withholding Certificate. If you have employees and a payroll, then be sure you’re aware of the new 2020 Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. This is the document that allows employees to claim exemptions, lessening the amount of income taxes you withhold. Previously, employees selected exemptions, but now there is a new method to determine their withholding allowance. The new form has a five-step process to determine total allowances with the goal to improve accuracy of withholdings.

• Deductions Cap. If you are a pass-through business, such as a sole proprietor, partnership, or S corp, you want to pay attention to the SALT Cap. The State And Local Tax (SALT) Deduction allows you to deduct your state and local income taxes and property taxes. Previously, the amount to deduct was unlimited, but for 2020, there is a cap at $10,000 per tax return. This could affect businesses operating in high-tax areas—the cap does not shift to account for regional difference in tax rates, so you may not receive as much back as a business with the same deduction that operates in an area with lower taxes.

• Retirement Adjustments. This year will see slightly higher contribution amounts for both employees and employers to any tax deferred benefit. Be sure you consult the IRS Tables to ensure you allow for the correct amounts. Also, the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act allows small businesses to create Multiple Employer Plans and reduce costs for setting up retirement accounts. Finally, the minimum age at which employees can begin to draw on their retirement accounts rose from 70 ½ to 72 years old.

Consult A Professional

As with any business practice, make sure you work with professionals who will guide you through these changes and ensure your business receives every benefit while avoiding any pitfalls. From determining your tax bracket to managing your employees’ payroll, you want to be accurate and ensure your business follows the law.

As different states in the US continue implementing the stay at home order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the majority of the nonessential businesses such as movie theatres, bars, restaurants, and other businesses continue to be closed. However, essential service providers, such as grocery stores remain open, and people are allowed to go shopping in such areas. However, the biggest concern is what will happen to nonessential businesses. Similarly, differentiating an essential business from the nonessential businesses is one of the challenges that have rocked government agencies.

United States Postal Service (USPS) is one of the companies that have made it hard on whether it can be exempted as an essential service or not. For decades, USPS, a symbol of the American spirit of resilience, has been working hard to ensure access to best postal services. The company has always been crucial in the delivery of important parcels across the width and breadth of the US. Like other critical services such as electricity, telephones, and transport systems, USPS is among the crucial service providers that keep the country running day and night by delivering more than 181 million mail every day.

With just an address that can be used to deliver parcels by USPS, you can trust that your parcel will get to you right on time for you to use it. As e-commerce continues getting fame all across the US, USPS has always played a critical role in ensuring that people get their items on time without charging more. With coronavirus now here with us, people have been concerned about whether USPS should be categorized as an essential business or not. The answer to this lies in the history of this firm and what it has managed to achieve in the past.

Over the years, USPS has had a hand making shipping not only efficient but also accessible and cheaper. As a result, e-commerce companies and customers have benefited substantially from the services than ever, long before the coronavirus pandemic. This not only impacts the revenues of e-commerce companies but also how items are received by people in different regions of the country. If the operations of USPS were to be suspended, it would impact millions of people, some of whom require items being sent to them for their survival.

Now that we are at a time where COVID-19 pandemic has stopped many businesses, the USPS still plays a vital role in the fight against the virus. It delivers millions of dollars’ worth of personal protective equipment (PPE), drugs, food and masks, and other equipment that is needed to fight this war. Besides, it is continuing with the delivery of items to customers like before. This means that USPS has increased its services in the wake of the pandemic than it did before. Consumers that have medical conditions that do not allow them to go shopping are among those who have benefited the most from the services offered by USPS during the pandemic.

The majority of small and medium-sized businesses depend on postal services in their everyday activities. As such, if USPS was to be shut today, most of these companies will collapse, and many jobs will be lost as a result. Similarly, the US democracy depends on USPS to safely deliver ballots by mail across the nation as the election date draws closer. It also remains one of the largest employers in many states, that also contribute as a taxpayer. Therefore, with all these contributions, USPS is, without a doubt, qualified to be listed as an essential service and should be allowed to operate with some precautions just like other essential service providers in the country.

Many business leaders face extreme challenges during their career, but the coronavirus pandemic is uncharted waters for all. Most offices and stores are closed across the U.S. to combat the spread of COVID-19. Companies still operating are mostly working remotely, and many are doing business differently to adjust to the new normal. As uncertainty continues to reign, how should leaders respond to new fiscal challenges and what guidelines should they follow?

“Companies around the world are reevaluating how they do business in order to overcome the challenge that we all face in this moment,” says Jadon Newman, CEO of Noble Capital (www.noblecapital.com), a private investment and private equity firm. “Times of crisis are when the best leaders step up, calm their workforce, believe in their capabilities, and go beyond the norm to influence changes that make a company stronger for the long haul.

“While the health and well-being of team members has to be leadership’s primary concern, it’s never been more important to find new and creative ways to meet revenue goals. Challenging times is when innovation is often born, and that starts with leaders who won’t be paralyzed by problems, but rather see them as opportunities to grow.”

Newman offers five tips to help business leaders navigate this unprecedented time:

• Turn to your core values. A company’s core values act as a compass in stormy seas, Newman says, bringing some stability and helping maintain direction even while waves of uncertainty approach. “Your unchanging core values provide clarity amid the turbulence,” Newman says. “They serve as a framework to inform your decision-making process, especially during periods of uncertainty.”
• Be strong and honest. “Leaders who are best prepared to get through a crisis have a good level of resiliency,” Newman says. “They have mental discipline, accept life’s insecurities and don’t panic when the storm hits. The next step is committing to transparency with employees. Share your thoughts, concerns, and encouragement, and reinforce the company values.”
• Learn, invite new ideas, and adjust. A crisis causes leaders to re-evaluate processes and consider improvements tailored to a changing business climate. “It’s imperative to learn from the current crisis,” Newman says, “and from your data determine what your company can do differently in order to adjust. Embrace it as an exciting opportunity to innovate and be better. Solicit ideas from your most trusted people. Look at new services and products you could create. Everything from what you sell to how you deliver it might be on the table for change.”
• Be extra resourceful. “One thing we learned during the last recession is how to be resourceful,” Newman says. “Now is the time to reorganize and refocus to achieve lean and efficient business operations. Develop a plan to reduce costs without interrupting critical business functions. Reach out to your network and external partners to leverage any resources you may have outside of the company. Empower all team members and leaders at your company to exercise a new level of responsibility.”
• Increase, improve communication. “Communication with team members, clients and external partners is paramount,” Newman says. “And there’s no reason you can’t improve communication despite the current circumstances. Increase the use of the technology to stay in front of clients, including video conferencing, emails and even text messages when appropriate. Work with your business leadership to develop the appropriate communication plan for your business.”

“How a company overcomes major challenges determines what type of company they are,” Newman says. “As leaders step up and guide a company through, they develop deeper leadership capabilities that will last long beyond the current crisis. Likewise, their company will be stronger for it.”

Jadon Newman is the founder and CEO of Noble Capital (www.noblecapital.com). With a 20-year career in real estate and finance, he specializes in private lending, private equity, investment real estate and strategic venture capital.

At some point, the grandeur and excitement of starting a business wears off, and you might suddenly lose steam. It’s not that you feel regret or dissatisfied, it’s just that the day-to-day operations still feel dull even with your own business. The start-up whirlwind of applications, business plans, ideas, building, buying inventory, making things, getting your first customer and then more customers was all exciting, but now it’s just rinse-and-repeat, a rhythmic routine known as the daily grind.

It’s normal for the excitement to fade and feel yourself drag. So how do you rejuvenate your passion for your business? It may seem daunting and like you’re going to be stuck in the grind of paperwork and bureaucracy, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are three keys to staying passionate about your business.

Play To Your Strengths. If your passion is innovating, keep innovating. Keep looking forward to the next new thing. If you are passionate about running your factory and making your things, keep making your things! Make your top goals relate to any strengths so that you can always focus on the tasks that drive you. These motivated you from the start, and they will keep you invested and feeling excited.

Know Your Weaknesses. You don’t have to admit your weaknesses to everyone but admit any weaknesses to yourself. If you dread the phone calls with the city about permits and zoning, or cringe when your accountant calls you, then that these are not your passion. They won’t just go away, so work to accept them as part of the package. Acknowledge that while these parts of your business are necessary and draining, they allow you to focus the rest of your time playing to your strengths and passion.

Delegate The Draining Tasks. When it’s feasible to delegate, there is no weakness in hiring someone to do the work you loathe. If you’re not an accounting person, there are plenty of people who will be happy to do the work. If you don’t want to be the one looking over every piece that goes out the door, there’s someone else that thrives on verifying quality. Whether you assign new roles to existing employees, hire new headcount, or even bring in contractors to do tasks as needed, the money spent in paying someone else to do these jobs frees you to focus on your passions. This can easily turn into a net positive for your business as you keep your passion in the business and continue to drive your own success.

In the beginning, it’s hard to imagine losing steam with your own company. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted and dreamt of doing? However, it can happen. While the motivation to start your own business was intrinsic, maintaining a business may require some extra effort or external help. If you find yourself lagging in motivation, start the process to rekindle your passion for the business as soon as you recognize it’s gone.

Cyber attacks are imminent. According to a ThreatPost article, “Most organizations have experienced some type of attack within the course of a year, with only 7 percent of respondents claiming not to have experienced an attack at all.” An organization must change their rationale from “what will we do if we get attacked” to “what will be do when we get attacked.”  Having a solid plan will decrease the time it takes to fend off the attack and save the company thousands of dollars.

Every company regardless of size should have a CISO on their payroll. A Chief Information Security Officer is vital to protect an organization’s private network and sensitive information.  A CISO will be able to pinpoint weak spots in a company’s network making it easier for a potential threat to infiltrate. They are also well versed in the different software that are available to curb attacks.

Once a CISO is onboarded – he or she must develop a strategy to not only keep information secure but develop a plan when the company gets breached. He or she must outline what a potential breach may look like and what is needed to ensure it does the least amount of damage as possible. While each strategy is unique to the company – it must include a scenario for different types of attacks. While phishing is one of the most common cyber attacks – companies also have to deal with malware, ransomware, and hacking. While some are more common than others a company needs to prepare themselves for any one of the various threats.

Once a strategy is implemented a company must always play defense – keeping up to date on the different types of threats and software that can help alleviate risk. Each year threats become more sophisticated at going undetected and a company must keep up. One of the ways that a business can play defense is to continuously train their employees about what potential threats look like. A company needs to challenge their employees to think like CISOs. While a CEO or CISO may know the significance of a strong password or why someone should never click on an unknown email link – but do all of their employees? Insider threat has steadily increased throughout the years – mainly in part to neglectful users who don’t realize their acts are jeopardizing their company’s sensitive information. There is also the risk of 3^rd parties – therefore any vendors must be vetted to ensure that they do not add unnecessary risk. By training employees to spot negligent behavior it will better protect a business ward off threats. A CISO is only one person and can do very little to fight an attack without the help of their organization.

Statistically speaking, a company will be the victim of a cyber crime at some point – but it’s up to the organization to minimize the fallout.  While there is no fool-proof plan – by hiring a CISO, developing strategies to deal with a threat, and training their employees are just three ways that an organization can be prepared to deal with a potential threat.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the economy hard, and people who are nearing retirement or already retired are feeling the stress. “COVID-19 has caused a lot of retirees and those approaching retirement to rethink their plan for retirement,” says Dennis Notchick, a certified financial planner for Stratos Wealth Advisors (www.dn.stratoswealthadvisors.com). “Falling interest rates, massive volatility in the stock market, and stifled economic growth are having a massive effect on psychology.”

“A plan created years ago may not be as efficient when interest rates were much higher and the economy was in better shape. Stress testing your current retirement plan adapted to the post-COVID-19 world can show if you’re positioned to weather this storm or in need of an update.”

Notchick suggests the following tips to re-evaluate a retirement plan and perhaps retool it to withstand the effects of COVID-19:

 Take precise inventory of expenses. “Sometimes people don’t realize how much they are actually spending,” Notchick says. “When they lay it out, they’re shocked. For accurate retirement income planning you must have good data to understand where the money goes each month –everything it takes to live, plus discretionary expenses. A dollar saved is a dollar earned and is more important now that ever.”

Check asset location and effects on taxes. “Tax planning in retirement is critical to understand,” Notchick says. “It’s about knowing how the different accounts are taxed in conjunction with other income streams like Social Security benefits, rental income, pensions, etc. A savings account will be taxed differently than a Roth IRA, which will be different than a 401(k), or SEP IRA. Another important point to remember is that dividends, interest and capital gains may not be taxed equally, some can be taxed as high as your ordinary tax rate, and some may be completely tax free. Income tax planning in retirement will expose any tax-planning missteps.”

Bridge the retirement income gap. Notchick points out the need to tailor retirement plans for the inevitable costs of aging, some health related as well. Income diversification ensures a strong, well-built plan. “If you have an income shortfall in retirement, where will that come from?” Notchick asks. “It may make sense to use a variety of income sources like dividends, capital gains and income from an annuity.”

Re-assess your risk tolerance. “Some investors may have been complacent over the past year; markets kept going up and nobody worries about markets going up.” Notchick says. “COVID-19 changed that, not only is there more inherent risk in the stock market, but because of the zero interest-rate policy enacted by the Federal Reserve, interest-rate risk is high. When rates move back up, bond prices will go down. This has also caused more risk-taking because the interest rates are so low on bonds of all maturities and when you take inflation into account, you are actually going backwards.”

Ask these questions. “Does fear of loss or stability keep you up at night? At this stage of your life, how much risk do you need to achieve your goals? Failing to plan is planning for failure,” Notchick says. “This applies to all aspects of life, including retirement.”

“Holistic financial planning for retirement ensures all parts of the financial plan are working together – investments, taxes, estate planning, etc.” Notchick says. “The pandemic has made the picture murky for some in retirement, but an updated retirement roadmap will allow you to get to your retirement destination with clarity.

Dennis Notchick, a certified financial planner for Stratos Wealth Advisors (www.dn.stratoswealthadvisors.com), has been serving high net-worth families and business owners since 2008. A certified financial planner since 2010, Notchick has worked with well-respected firms on Wall Street and provides consulting on investment management, retirement planning and holistic financial planning. He’s been published or mentioned in numerous online financial publications, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and TheStreet.

It’s a good strategy to be forward-thinking and plan for the future, so now is a fine time to consider future vacation ideas. Not only will you have something exciting to look forward to, but you may need a longer lead time to put one of these plans in motion.

There are few places on Earth that are more remote, exotic, and accessible as Hawaii. With direct flights from almost all major US cities, and no passport required, Hawaii is a great destination to feel like you have left the monotony of day-to-day life behind. What’s even more exciting about getting to the most far-flung US State is that there are multiple islands, with 4 very different vacation styles for every taste. The big island offers no shortage of adventures, from walking across a volcano to snorkeling with sea turtles and manta rays, to tropical hikes with breathtaking waterfalls. Oahu provides the familiar hustle and bustle of city life with picturesque beaches. Maui is the most popular destination, with relaxing beaches and lively nightlife both. Finally, Kawaii is the most relaxing and serene of the islands.

If you prefer to stay in the continental US, the Southwest has plenty of adventure! From riding dune buggies through the desert to a train ride to the Grand Canyon, there is a right-pace adventure for everyone. Relax in a hot air balloon over Albuquerque or relive the old west with a trip through Tombstone, Arizona and other gold-rush towns. Few images are as inspiring as a desert sunset over the mountains, and once the sun goes down, the action never stops in Las Vegas.

Stretching along the Coast, there’s many options for a memorable vacation. Traveling to New England may seem like quite a change of pace, but there is plenty to keep one busy from Maine down to Connecticut along the coast. Enjoy a lobster dinner on the oceanside, hike through some of the nations oldest states and national forests, and get lost in miles of winding roads. Boston or Portland make perfect bases of operation to go a few hours north to the backwoods of Maine or to enjoy the finest foods from a wide variety of different cultures right in Boston or Providence.

While you won’t be able to enjoy an ocean view, the Midwest offers plenty of excitement as well. The mighty Mississippi touches 10 different states, each one with different scenery to enjoy. Whether you’re up for rugged hiking in Minnesota or a leisurely cruise on the river in Louisiana, the Mississippi River has dozens of perfect destinations along it’s 2320 miles. St. Louis boasts some of the region’s best museums while Memphis, Tennessee is a must-see for Elvis fans everywhere.

No matter where your interests take you, across our vast nation, there are ideal vacation destinations to be had. From coast to coast, you can’t go wrong planning your vacation in any region. Take your mind off any current worries, let your dreams loose, and plan ahead.

There was a time when “ergonomics,” the contouring of furniture to best fit the human body, had little claim to fame; it was not well understood. The pieces of furniture looked odd and contorted, foreign to our expectations. Many were summarily rejected because they were so unfamiliar to the user.

Luckily, as healthy living and wellness became more mainstream, the benefits of ergonomics began to outweigh the objections to the look of this furniture style. Joint and tendon syndromes, weakened core strength, weight gain, back pain, and general discomfort were convincing factors to try something new.

As ergonomics gains recognition and acceptance as the better options for workplace furniture, more options appear in the market. Here is a selection of the best ergonomic furniture to support the human body at work and prevent problems associated with standard workplace equipment.

Logitech’s MX Master 3 Mouse. This mouse offers a new level of comfort and ease. The natural resting place for your thumb comes equipped with a whole suite of controls. You can now scroll 1000 lines in a second with the thumb scroll wheel, navigate forward and back or do many other common tasks with two more programmable buttons, and improve your productivity while preserving your wrist and hands.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair. Most office chairs offer options to raise and lower the height, but not all of them come with adjustable arm rests, head rests, and more features to accommodate the human body. The Herman Miller Aeron Chair offers adjustable features that ‘posture fit’ to support your lower back while the tilt limiter can be set to let you recline or restrict the chair to upright to ensure proper posture. The flexibility of this chair to conform to the body and posture fully supports the user no matter the task.

UPLIFT Desk - V2. The ability to stand while working gives employees the option to move more and combats damage from sedentary jobs that require long hours at the computer. The UPLIFT Desk - V2 sit/stand desk frame supports a flat desktop from 3’6 to 7’8 wide and includes 48 mounting holes for a variety of under-desk accessories. One of the key features of the desk frame is the electric sit/stand controller; it allows the desk to be raised or lowered to any custom height in the height range, and includes a 1-touch feature to raise or lower it to pre-programmed heights. 

Vari Deskpro 36. If you’re already working from a standard desk but want the benefits of a standing desk, a Vari Deskpro 36 is a great solution. It’s a desk that retrofits onto an existing work surface. This device includes a simple, spring-assisted lifting arm on each side to make raising or lowering the desk easy for almost anyone to use. The lifted desk space even supports 2 monitors, keyboard, mouse, and a substantial workspace for documents, notes, or phone.

Year after year, ergonomic options for offices are ever more accepted and pervasive. In 2020, it’s time to sit, stand, and scroll without causing damage to our bodies.

Being a leader is lonely work. As an executive coach, I hear it from new leaders often—especially if they are promoted from within. They say, “I was doing a good job as an individual contributor, but now I’m not sure what I should be doing after my promotion. I feel really alone.” They find themselves in a leadership role without much guidance and they aren’t sure how they can “skill up.” Every leader has to find their own way of doing the work of leadership. They have had a variety of bosses in their career but they aren’t sure who to emulate, and they may feel like they aren’t providing any real value in the organization any more. Some get sucked into a spiral of trying to do more and more work, while missing the real work of leading.

And it is true, as a leader, you are alone. You can’t express doubts to your boss because you don’t want them to doubt you. You can’t express your doubts to the people you manage because you don’t want them to know you aren’t sure of yourself. You are careful about what to share at work and you may be unsure about who to trust.

It is lonely being a leader, and leadership is lonely work. But there are ways you can ease the loneliness. Here are five simple ways you can help yourself overcome the loneliness of leadership:

1. Establish lifelines.
Find friends outside your industry and workplace to spend time with. You need a safe space to vent, and it will be better for you to have an outside perspective. For about a year, I was a leader in a very toxic workplace. One of my friends said, “You are really different lately, you seem really edgy and unhappy.” He was right, I was. It helped me to think about the situation differently and to make some different decisions. I was less lonely because he cared. Having friends helps.

2. Exchange answers for questions.
Give up on being a leader who knows the answers. Give up on being an “all-knowing” Dad leader and allow yourself to say, “I don’t know. How do you think you can find out?”  Your staff will be amazed by your engaging leadership, and will be more empowered. You won’t be solving as many problems alone late at night by yourself. Your questions will allow people to work on problems together and it will create a deeper sense of team for everyone to share the problem solving—including you.

3. Manage up.
Create allies in the people in the organization above you. They believed in you when they promoted you, help them see you succeeding. Share positive triumphs regularly and ask for advice on challenges they might be able to help you with. This can’t be contrived—you have to genuinely respect them and their opinion. If you trust them, then they can become your allies, and you can become their confidante over time. Make sure to keep their secrets and you will start to become important to them. You will start to have a better understanding of what is happening in the organization. Loneliness is worse if you are out of the loop.

4. Be interesting.
Allow yourself to have interests outside of work. Have friends. Have dinner parties or cocktail parties. Experiment with hobbies. Take most of your vacation time (I know it can be hard). You will have to navigate your own workplace culture around vacations, but your life will be fuller, richer, and more fulfilling if you have a life that is deeply interesting outside the office. Leadership will feel less lonely if it a part of a larger context of fulfillment.

5. Practice extreme self-care.
Leadership is hard. Between imposter syndrome and emotional labor, the job itself can take its toll. Learning to replenish is important. When things get tough, reach for the vitamins and vegetables instead of the margaritas and martinis. When leaders are only the edge, they start to look a little rough. There is visual evidence they aren’t quite pulling it off. When you start to feel that way, double down on some self care—a massage, a good haircut, a manicure, or a personal trainer can help you feel like someone cares about you. It will show that you care for yourself.

As a coach and thought partner of top leaders, I know leadership is hard. Almost every leader I know earns their salary through giving deeply of themselves. Lean in, connect with others, engage, and find the real relationships all around you—your colleagues are probably a little lonely too. You can find a path around the loneliness.

Melanie Parish is a public speaker, author, and Master Coach. An expert in problem solving, constraints management, operations, and brand development, Melanie has consulted and coached organizations ranging from the Fortune 50 to IT start-ups. She is the author of The Experimental Leader: Be A New Kind of Boss to Cultivate an Organization of Innovators. For more information, please visit, www.melanieparish.com and connect with her on Twitter, @melanieparish.