
California Launches Online Directory of Business Incentives
Government entities can upload information on new portal designed to spur economic development
Businesses in California now have a new centralized directory with which to find information about relevant state and local incentives.

What Every Business Owner Needs to Know Before Launching a Franchise
Franchise success rates are often touted online as being wildly successful, but further examination has shown attaining reliable data is difficult. The franchise arrangement is inherently risky for both parties — but some Sacramento-based small businesses are going for it regardless.

A Balancing Act
Managers can — and should — find a balance between accountability and flexibility
So how do managers keep their offices running as well-oiled machines when the various parts may frequently not be in the same place at the same time? It hinges on clear metrics for success, ongoing communication and regular feedback on performance.

Startup of the Month: Molecular Matrix
Biotech company uses carbs to help bones heal themselves
You might say Dr. Charles Lee created a synthetic bone graft substitute by accident.

Dilemma of the Month: Easing An Employee Into Retirement
We are a 30-agent real estate brokerage company with one administrative assistant, our lone employee. However, her professional abilities have not kept pace with the times. She has no technical skills and can’t keep up with her other tasks. She is 75 years old and we are at a loss regarding how to handle easing her into retirement.

Tax Filing Time: What (Not) to Do and Why
This year’s tax-filing deadline of April 17 will arrive whether or not your business is ready. What’s at stake? Comstock’s spoke with experts in the Capital Region to learn how your business can avoid tax audit triggers and abide by the rules.

Unconscious Bias in Talent Reviews
Identifying stereotypes can help boost staff performance
In his 2005 book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,” Malcolm Gladwell polled Fortune 500 companies and found that 30 percent of CEOs were 6 feet 2 inches or taller. In comparison, only 3.9 percent of the U.S. population are of that height.
Why? Unconscious bias.

Queens of Craft Brew
Comstock’s speaks with three women brewery owners in the Capital Region
Comstock’s spoke with a few women brewery owners in the Capital Region about their diverse backgrounds, their paths to leadership and their thoughts on getting more women into craft beer.

Dilemma of the Month: Out-of-Office Socialization
Is after-hours employee fraternization between a co-founder and an intern inappropriate, or am I just being extra cautious?

Startup of the Month: Cineshares
Web platform links underrepresented filmmakers to capital
In the early 2000s, Mariah Lichtenstern was an undergrad studying the rhetoric of narrative and image at UC Berkeley and starting a boutique production company in the Bay Area. That was when Napster was disrupting the music industry in a way that would leave it forever changed.