Category Archives: e-Brief Features

Values Create Strong Cultures

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Reinforcement of values means success When evaluating the organizational culture of a business, it is important for owners to ask themselves two vital questions. Am I living and leading the values and expectations I wish for my employees to emulate? Am I communicating these values and expectations clearly throughout the chain of command? Regardless if the business is brand new or well established, it is essential to develop and maintain an organizational system that nurtures the purpose and values of the company and, by de facto, its leadership. Successful business owners do not take their organizational cultures for granted or underestimate how much these shared values impact long-term success. Instead, astute owners clarify…

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Try a Simple Approach to Goal-Setting

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Simple steps lead to clarity For some of us, goal-setting seems to be a mystery, but it doesn’t have to be. There is a simple approach that can keep you on track for setting and achieving your goals. Most people tend to think that goal-setting needs to be a massive, time-consuming venture that requires deep philosophical discussions: what are my priorities; what do I want in life; what is important…

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Leadership: Crafting a Resilience Mindset 

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“It is within our power to be unconquerable.” Seneca (4 B.C. – 65 A.D.). When Roman philosopher Seneca spoke these words, he was referring neither to our bodies nor our positions in life. He was referring to the power of our minds. Stoicism was a way of life for Seneca, and he taught it to all who would listen. Stoicism is the practical everyday philosophy of virtue and self-discipline introduced by the…

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Building Leadership Skills in Your Community 

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More than likely, you have several shelves full of books about leadership and management. Maybe you’ve attended a four-hour seminar on some aspect of leadership. You’ve listened to motivational speakers. If that has worked for you, great. If not, consider going in a new direction with a community leadership program. I believe that leadership happens in the doing, not the reading. I compare it to riding a bike or sex. You can read all the books you want…

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A Case For Combined MSAs

MSA retail graph

Creating economic clout The Rio Grande Valley, often referred to as Rio South Texas, offers many choices for both global business location and generous economic development incentives. With a dynamic young labor force, great weather, low cost of living and plenty of recreational activities year round, the Rio South Texas region is an ideal location for companies looking to expand or relocate. For several decades, business leaders across the Rio…

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Don’t Think You Earn Too Much For A Roth IRA 

When Roth IRAs were created in 1997, they were an exciting new idea. They provided a way to make after-tax contributions that could, under certain conditions, grow entirely free of federal income taxes. Prior to that, traditional IRAs worked basically the other way around — you could make deductible contributions, but distributions would be fully taxable. The law also allowed taxpayers to “convert” traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs by paying…

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For Love of Strings

Cremona House owner Miguel Gutierrez celebrates the opening of his stringed instrument store July 13 with the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce,

New store offers stringed instruments, lessons A Valley Symphony Orchestra viola player has opened a new business in Harlingen to share his love of stringed instruments. The Harlingen Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening on July 13 for Cremona House, the venture started by 29-year-old Miguel Gutierrez. The name comes from the Italian city in the Lombardy region known for its tradition of violin-making. Cremona House…

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The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership

What influence does an inspirational speech about company mission and vision from a CEO have on the ethical behavior of employees? According to the research, a great deal. Transformational leadership, the practice of influencing the behavior of others to implement monumental change and new direction using a synergistic style of engagement and team building, is highly touted for its positive results. Mention just a few role models of transformational leadership…

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The New Look of VBR is Here

VBR launches new website and e-Brief The all new Valley Business Report site launched July 7, and all we can say is you have to see what we have in store for our readers. You’ll want to visit ValleyBusinessReport.com daily, possibly multiple times daily, to see new stories of regional economic development news plus a whole lot more. And you will now find VBR all over social media, including LinkedIn,…

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Op-ed: SBA loves Rio Grande Valley Small Businesses

Local assistance for small businesses It is exciting when a new business opens in the Rio Grande Valley, and we LOVE it because it strengthens both the community and the economy. The latest U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy stats show small firm openings have accounted for 40 percent of the “new” American jobs over the last two decades. During the first quarter of fiscal 2017, SBA approved 31…

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