By nearly anyone’s standards, 2020 was a doozy. The world struggled to manage a highly contagious virus, which has had seismic impacts on supply chains, industries, and individual businesses. There are few segments of the global economy that have been untouched by the issues created by COVID-19.

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Here at Vertical IQ, we are passionate about helping our customers understand industry-specific cash flow and cash management issues. Cash flow is a concern for nearly every small to medium-sized business (SMB). Evening out payables and receivables, ensuring you have enough cash on hand, but not TOO much liquidity — it’s a balancing act...

Today, it is more critical than ever to have access to Industry Intelligence so that you can advise clients and add value. Why?

The U.S. Census Bureau’s May 2020 retail and food service data was released on June 16, and it reveals some impressive gains when comparing May to April of this year. Looking at the seasonally adjusted figures, total U.S. retail and food services sales went from $412.5 billion in April to $485.5 billion in May — a 17.7 percent monthly...

The nation’s 41,000 grocery stores have experienced a raucous 2020, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic. While grocery retail is a low margin, high volume business, sales surged during the second quarter of this year, driven by panic buying and a resurgence in home cooking.

Across many industries, marketers are consistently asked to do more with less. Oftentimes, when the budgetary belt has to be tightened, marketing’s budget is the first to get trimmed. It’s an ongoing challenge for people in this line of work.

I’ve talked to a lot of Vertical IQ customers lately about what meeting with customers looks like in the COVID-19 era. The consensus is that it is a different world than what they are used to. Many people who call on customers and prospects used to being face-to-face. Being relegated to phone calls and video conferences goes against...

You’ve heard of the 5-second rule, whereby food that has been dropped may be eaten without any stigma. But are you familiar with the 10-second rule? If you are a professional services provider who works directly with clients, you should learn about this important principle.

The sweet smell of love is in the air…oh wait, no…that’s candy that I smell! The nation’s 1,700 candy manufacturers combine chocolate, sugar, and other raw ingredients to produce every imaginable variety of confection and chocolate-based product. And Valentine’s Day is one of their prime opportunities to shine.

Thanks to the increased use of technology like ATMs, online banking, and direct deposit, bank branch traffic has steadily declined in recent years. Without that face-to-face, in-branch contact, bankers have lost access to those interpersonal relationships that used to encourage consumers to remain loyal to their bank.