As we approach the end of July, we are looking at the future of business for the remainder of the year. The Big Bill has passed and we ponder the impact on business growth. We are also looking at what companies are doing at this time and want to share our observations, because it's not looking good.

This episode of Books & The Biz will take a look forward and discuss what you as a business owner needs to consider as you look forward to the final 5 months of 2025. Hint, now is the time to take action!

Talk to most business owners and they will tell you that hiring and retaining talent is tough. What you probably don't realize is you can be highly competitive getting good people. It's all on your approach. In this episode, we will talk with Shelly Dretzka, owner of aHRrow.

About Shelly: After 25 years on the “inside” of HR—navigating everything from high-stakes employee relations to building performance cultures—I took the leap during the pandemic to launch aHRrow, a people-first HR consulting firm for small businesses with less than 100 employees. Bringing multiple decades of HR experience, positivity, and energy, I partner with leaders who are ready to grow, delegate, or simply step away from daily HR headaches.

As a business owner, a good accountant is something we all need. But have you noticed some changes in the services you are receiving from your firm?

More and more leaders are seeing statements showing up later or not at all. More mistakes are being made which has impacted some from a tax standpoint. Less guidance from CPAs while at the same time expanding services. In addition, more outsourcing overseas. AI is also starting to make a presence.

So what do you need to watch for? This episode looks at how the accounting industry has changed and what you need to do to protect your business and your money.

Business owners are always facing new challenges. For our Independence Day edition, we are counting down our top 10 actions you can take to significantly improve your operation and finances.

Join is to learn how you can create your own fireworks in your company and finish the 2nd half of the year on a strong note.

It's human nature to procrastinate. We all do it. The problem is procrastination can be very costly in business.

When we are finally forced to act, we can spend 3 - 5 times more. Today we look at the challenge to acting now instead of waiting until later. Join us today to learn how to avoid making costly mistakes.

One moment you are fine and seemingly healthy. The next, instant you are in the hospital and unable to work. As a leader you can no longer do the tasks once simple to you.

Your world has come to a halt and your business has stopped. Employees are doing their best to keep the engine running but are struggling? How prepared are you?

Many of us think we will forever. The reality is we never know what lurks around the corner.

In this episode we touch on a sensitive subject because we need to be ready for when the unexpected happens

Automation and robotics are critical to an modern business, but why should small businesses make the investment? Robotics have come a long way in the past decade. Affordability is making it easier for companies to compete. Today, Jessica Chavez will share why you need to be making the investment.

About Jesica: As a leader, my responsibility is to oversee the overall customer satisfaction of the company. This role involves strategizing and implementing processes that improve customer interactions and experiences across all touchpoints. My goal is to create a department and various strategies to help us understand customer needs and expectations, analyze feedback, and coordinate with different departments to ensure a cohesive and positive customer journey. I am working on monitoring and improving the performance metrics, leading customer experience teams, and staying abreast of market trends to drive improvements in service quality, customer retention, and brand loyalty for our different products.

Kohl's CEO, Ashley Buchanan, was fired for allegedly being involved in steering business to someone he had a personal relationship with. After only 6 months in his new position, the board of directors terminated with cause.

How does this impact you? It's a sign of why ethics matters in business. In this episode, Dan and Rich break down what happened and share their thoughts on how companies gain get ahead when they hold themselves to a high moral standard.

For years many entrepreneurs have taking the route to quick cash through investors. But bringing in a private equity firm or venture capital can have it drawbacks and risks. Could that be why we are seeing more companies looking to avoid raising capital through these sources?

This episode will talk about the good and bad from our perspective. What we are seeing for business investment. and ways to get cash to grow.

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Today we follow up from our Webinar, "Built to Last - or Built to Leave", and discuss some of the details that we couldn't cover in the event.

What happens to your business after you’re no longer running it?

At some point, all business owners have to think about what's next for themselves and their company. Their actions impact their families, employees, customers, and community. Richard Veltre and I will spend 60 minutes going beyond the paperwork and planning to address the hard questions most leaders avoid. This is for all business leaders that are looking forward and wondering what's next.