Hey, Metro Transit. Throw us a bone! Were not asking for door-to-door service here, just some old-fashioned, businesslike common sense. When I ride the bus to and from work, my 10-mile trip takes about an hour and 10 minutes on a good day. If I drive my car, its 30 minutes. So, as you might…

If you own or manage a company operating in the Puget Sound region and lease your real estate premises, then your lease payments are more than likely your second-highest business expenses after labor costs. As such, you would expect most CEOs to take active steps to leverage market conditions. Surprisingly, during our monitoring of commercial…

In its faraway corner of the American map, Washington tends to look at the other 49 members of our national federation with varying degrees of puzzlement, wonderment, envy and dismissal. California qualifies for multiple emotions. Washington regards itself as a high-tech rival to California, which amuses the latter (when it notices at all, a larger…

Imagine a great REGION that rises to power and prosperity thanks to its varied industry and a flourishing trade with the East. Surrounded by water, this region attracts talented people from all over the world. They are drawn here by the regions beauty, its dynamism and its cultural diversity. The regions entrepreneurs accumulate great wealth…

Have you met Bertha, the worlds largest cordless drill? Shes on Twitter (@BerthaDigsSR99). Her cutter head has more teeth than a denture museum. She arrives soon to start digging under the city. Some people think shes an allusion to Germanys Big Bertha, a menacing World War I howitzer. But Seattles Bertha is Japanese, and shes…

In every industry, the company with the next great idea wins. That means, of course, that in your industry, the company with the next great idea wins. The only question is, will that be you, or will it be your competition? And that brings us to our second question. (I know I said the above…

If you want to make people uncomfortable, suggest they start talking finances with their family. Many accomplished people dont want to reveal their assets and expenses to their children. But not communicating to them about wealth can lead to those hard-earned assets fading away. Today, new wealth is being accumulated at younger ages, thanks to…

There has been a remarkable expansion in the relationship between design and business, as design has moved beyond that which we can touch and feel to increasingly intangible contributions. Brand development is a core practice area for many design firms and todays smart brand designers define this work not as a collection of graphically aligned…

Its no secret our corner of the country has cultivated some outstanding leadersin business as well as in other sectors of society. For the past 30 years, Leadership Tomorrow has been cultivating leadership development for the benefit of the Puget Sound region. During the program, participants expand their leadership skills while gaining a greater commitment…

In Blaze, the 1989 biopic of Blaze Starr, the stripper turned consort to Bayou State politician Earl Long seeks a future for the irascible and bored former governor. So she asks two visiting reporters, Whens the next election in Louisiana? Answers one, Well, hell, theres always an election in Louisiana. Increasingly, it seems theres always…

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter Drucker Effective managers understand the nature of the challenges they face and respond effectively with all the tools at their disposal. They communicate their priorities, mobilize their employees and making the necessary investments for long-term success. For companies like Expeditors International, Expedia, Amazon.com…

Neil Bergquist, Director at Surf Incubator, a Seattle based community-supported space for digital entrepreneurs, noticed the need for young professionals to get involved with innovative forms of fundraising. After organizing a successful benefit last year for Seattle Public Librarys Homework Help program, he now hopes to raise money for the Boys and Girls club of…