Facing the reality that the current workforce is dwindling down due to the silver tsunami sweeping the industry, manufacturers have a hard time finding quality replacement. The silver tsunami refers to the large number of baby boomers who are retiring from the workforce. For manufacturers, this is the majority of workers – they are not only losing employees, but also years of acquired knowledge and skills. It is time have to get creative about finding and developing talent while riding the tsunami wave. The problem is the disconnect between the industry and the general public. Unfortunately, the next generation of workers has misconceptions about manufacturing and trade jobs.

This is an original article written by Dan Brown, President of DB Performance Solutions.

Why Risk Matters

In business ”RISK” is a scary word. We have risks if we move forward and risks if we remain still. No matter what industry you are in, you are guaranteed to run into risks. As a business leader, how do you know when to take a risk and when not to take a risk? The answer is pretty straight forward - analyze and then manage your risks - which is certainly easier said than done!

It is no secret that manufacturers play a critical role in the state’s economy. Manufacturing alone contributes the largest amount per industry to the state’s output with 12% Gross State product. It is the state’s powerhouse industry that is responsible for 93% of its exports, pays $52 billion in wages and benefits to 592,000 people – that’s about 9.2% of the state’s workforce.

Contributed by our partners at John Wood Community College.

Regional companies will learn practical ways to adapt for the future at the “ABC’s of a Thriving Workforce” conference set for Tuesday, September 24 from 9a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at John Wood Community College’s auditorium in Quincy.

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks about changing himself. -Leo Tolstoy

My work is all about new business development. Start your business from zero and you quickly realize that new business development is not for the weak of heart. You have to be able to go the distance and do it every day. It is a marathon and not a sprint, even though there are days when you feel like you are sprinting the marathon.

Who is Fuss & O’Neill?

Fuss and O’Neill Manufacturing Solutions provides mentoring, training, and engineering services for industrial and municipal clients to help them achieve safer, more cost effective productivity. In a recent interview with Larry Bouvier, Vice President and Partner at Fuss & O’Neill, IMEC got a deeper look into how they work with manufacturers and set themselves apart from the competition – one of many reasons they are one of IMEC’s top Third Party Resource partners. 

This is an original article written by Alex Newman, Co-Founder and CEO of Finance Fuel.

A quick definition so that we’re on the same page: Working capital is your cash for day-to-day expenses. More specifically, working capital represents short-term assets available to a business for meeting their financial obligations like payroll, creditors, and suppliers. Cash flow is your ability to generate cash over time, while working capital is a snapshot of what’s on hand.

This is an original article written by Gina McClowry.

Every leader leaves behind a legacy. Toxic leaders who abuse their leadership role can continue to harm a company even after they are gone. I’ve seen the long term effects of toxic leadership in some of the organizations I’ve consulted with. In each company, it took concerted effort and practical steps to rid the culture of the leader’s poison.

Common reactions to the words, Search Engine Optimization, could be a stare, yawn, or obvious glazing over.  What is it? Should I care about it - is it important? What work is involved? How do I get started?  I think one reason for these reactions is there are many activities performed that collectively make up an SEO program - most of which are generally unknown to business owners, and therefore unassigned to anyone.  Another reason is that a good amount of companies don’t know SEO is even “a thing.”

This is an original blog post from our partners at LMI Chicago.

“We can’t change the world until we change the people and we can’t change the people until we change ourselves.” – Paul J. Meyer, founder LMI

Change is crucial to learning and growing. It is your attitude to change that allows you to become more of the person you want to be. Making small, positive and continuous changes to your attitudes and habits will improve your productivity and performance. This, in turn, results in greater success – not only in the workplace but also in your personal life. In the words of Max de Pree, “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are”.