Since we launched our company almost 20 years ago, one of our guiding principles has been to give back to our community. It is very rewarding to know that we are making a positive difference in people’s lives — one that will have a lasting impact on their future, and the future of their family.Recently, we had the opportunity to give back and make a difference by helping the Interactive Resource Center (IRC), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Greensboro, NC. The IRC provides a wide range of services that help individuals experiencing homelessness reconnect with their lives...

When voicemail first arrived on the mainstream business landscape, it was greeted with massive excitement and enthusiasm. In fact, people used to call their own voicemail to leave reminders and notes. It was glorious.But that was then. Today, voicemail is viewed by some employees as a liability instead of an asset. And the biggest reason for this isn’t the few seconds it takes to pick up a voicemail.  Rather, it’s because most of the time, there is no message to pick up at all.Indeed, CRM.com has found that businesses experience up to 75 percent voicemail abandonment — i.e. callers hang...

Tracking Hurricane Florence The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded Hurricane Florence to “Category 4” on Monday September 10. As of 2pm Eastern Time on Tuesday September 11, Florence was centered approximately 370 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, and 845 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. The storm is moving west-northwest at about 17 miles per hour, and is packing maximum sustained winds of around 130 miles per hour. Through Saturday September 15, Florence is expected to produce 15-20 inches of rainfall, with accumulations of up to 30 inches near Florence's track over portions of North Carolina, Virginia, and northern South Carolina...

A growing number of people are choosing to start a franchise — and for several good reasons: instead of launching a startup from scratch they can plug into an established brand, take advantage of training and support, benefit from their chain’s buying power, get financing help, and more.However, ask any hands-on franchise owner — and there are hundreds of thousands of them across the U.S. — whether being at the helm of a franchise is “easy money,” and they’ll burst out laughing. And then they’ll start crying. Possibly after that they’ll do both at the same time.[caption id="attachment_4559" align="aligncenter" width="259"]...