
Smarty Pants Don’t Always Fit
Critical thinking and communication skills are more valuable than fancy credentials
Hiring is a confounding game. Some people have a great knack for it and an intuitive sense about people — but even they can get it wrong. The world-renowned Disney Institute hires “attitude versus aptitude,” and you would be wise to do the same.

Toxic-Content Cleanse
Make sure you're getting the most out of your website
Old or poorly planned content can render your website ineffective and obsolete. Here’s how to flush it out.

Diversify Your Board
State Treasurer John Chiang on the importance of keeping your board relevant
California State Treasurer John Chiang is on a mission to make California’s corporate board rooms more diverse. Chiang believes greater board diversity is simply good business, saying that those which choose to remain what Forbes once deemed “pale, male and stale” are “just not capturing the opportunities of the 21st century.”

Cracking the Glass
Local leaders weigh in on the state of gender equality in the workplace
Focusing on four sectors — STEM, justice, development and investment — we rounded up some of the city’s key leaders: a district attorney, a med school dean, the head of an FBI office and enough CEOs to rival “Shark Tank,” to get their take on how women are perceived in their industries, how that perception has changed over time and what it will take to truly reach parity.

Are Interns Worth It?
Here's what you need to know before bringing one on
Our small company is considering bringing on two or three summer interns. Half of me thinks this is a great way to get some help with projects, tap into the knowledge of a younger generation and give back to our local students. The other half of me thinks this is going to be a management nightmare that will suck my working hours dry. How can we ensure a successful summer for everyone involved?

‘Reply All’ Etiquette Matters
An open letter to email users everywhere
Numerous times a week, I’ll be in a conversation with someone who says, “Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I get about eleventy billion emails a day.” I often say the same. Yet if I were to weed out all of the unnecessarily forwarded emails and the eternally sinful replied-to-all responses, my inbox would probably be down to a tidy 36.

Building a Legacy
3 steps to ensure your business lasts long after you’ve stopped running it
It’s a challenge that faces many entrepreneurs of self-built companies. How do you gracefully and lucratively transition a business to a successor or new owner when it’s time to retire?

Sales Pitch
Why more universities should offer sales training
The challenge of finding sales talent keeps some companies from growing or even surviving. That’s why sales training boosters say it’s time for university business schools to turn out graduates who can take sales jobs and quickly hit their numbers without months — or even years — of on-the-job training.

What Changes to Crowdfunding Mean for Small Business
New SEC rulings and proposed California laws bring startups and small biz closer to everyday investors
Innovative thinking and new market pressures are removing many of the barriers that once stood between small businesses and the capital they need to launch and grow. Now more than ever, small and medium-sized companies are finding success by raising funds from everyday investors.

Focus Groups in 3 Easy Steps
When reworking your brand, outside input is essential — but you need to know what you’re doing
A well-organized focus group provides feedback you can use to create a strategy to move forward, build on what’s working well, remove obstacles and finally articulate a clear and concise elevator pitch for your brand. Here’s how to conduct one: