I recently attended a Capstone Marketing webinar entitled, “Marketing Your Accounting Firm in Uncertain Times.” The presenter — Capstone’s founder, Jean Caragher — noted that there are lessons to be learned from the past when it comes to marketing during economic downturns. Accounting firms that continued to market themselves during the...

On Tuesday morning, new data was released by the Census Bureau on housing starts in the U.S. And the picture is rather bleak. April privately-owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 891,000, which is a 30.2 percent drop from March of this year. It is also 29.7 percent below the April 2019 rate.

Earlier this week, I shared with you the detrimental financial impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the healthcare sector. It is somewhat counterintuitive that hospitals that are overflowing with coronavirus patients would be losing money. As I explained, however, many healthcare organizations have had to sacrifice more lucrative...

Last week, I shared with you some of the industries that have been hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis, including restaurants, childcare centers, and construction. The negative impacts to these industries seem fairly logical given the temporary regulations and shutdowns put in place to help prevent the spread of the virus. But amid the...

With the economic peril caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, every small and medium-sized business (SMB) owner finds him or herself in a different situation. Some are wondering if they will survive closures or this downturn. Others are having to reinvent what they do and how they do it. Still others are tweaking their budgets to adjust to...

At Vertical IQ, we recently have focused our research efforts on monitoring the industries most affected by COVID-19. On our free COVID-19 webpage, you’ll find economic updates, sector updates, and details on how specific industries are being impacted.

It’s the topic on nearly everyone’s mind right now: coronavirus (COVID-19). And millions of business owners are worried about how this pandemic is going to impact their company, both in the short-term and in the months to come. That’s why Vertical IQ has created a new dedicated webpage with expert research on how COVID-19 is affecting...

In the midst of chaotic times such as these, my mind turns to messaging. Sounds weird, I know. But after 25+ years in marketing, it’s second nature to me. Messaging is the core element of marketing and communications. While everyone is being swamped by information about COVID-19 and its impacts, I’m evaluating which messages work. What’s...

Connect as a Proxy CFO to Help Guide Small Business Owners

Face-to-face meetings and firm handshakes have been staples in the banking business forever. So what happens when the meetings and events where we typically connect with clients and prospects are canceled and handshakes are off the table? With the coronavirus (COVID-19)...