Category: Brandpoint Lifestyle

2018-02-09T14:46:00

(BPT) – Ninety-six percent of Americans are now shopping online, according to a recent study from CPC Strategy.

Building meaningful connections with local communities is one way to captivate today’s consumer, says Etienne Veber, president of Field Trip Factory, a firm that helps design, schedule and promote interactive learning experiences within retail environments.

“Technology provides greater convenience and lower prices,” Veber says, “but it is not a replacement for human interactions.”

The value of purpose

When companies express a sense of purpose to their customers, it has a profound effect on confidence in the brand. Eighty-five percent of companies with a strong sense of purpose say they are backed by their communities, because they are seen as “good and helpful corporate citizens,” according to a survey by Deloitte.

Of firms with a purpose, 89 percent say clients and customers trust the quality of their products and services — versus the 66 percent of firms that do not have this sense of purpose.

One example of an interactive program comes from food retailer Giant Eagle Inc., which developed a program that connects with local school children. “Be A Smart Shopper” helps young students and their families learn about making healthy food choices.

It has been a very effective way for Giant Eagle’s retail team members to uphold the company’s common purpose to improve people’s everyday lives and well-being in a community-centered way, and more than 600,000 families have been reached across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Educators say it supplements classroom curriculum and gets students engaged.

“Our Be A Smart Shopper program is an important part of how we fulfill our commitments to education and health and wellness,” says Giant Eagle CEO Laura Karet. “Through the program, our retail team members are able to meaningfully impact how the children in our communities think about the foods they eat, and encourage involvement from the children in family meal planning.”

Expressing purpose

A retailer can build trust and loyalty by expressing values in innovative ways:

Hosting in-store classes and events: Business leaders, store managers and longtime employees, with their industry knowledge, are community gurus. With that mindset, what better way to connect with the community than to open the doors for an on-site event? Businesses are offering things like hands-on demonstrations, seminars, consultations and even heading up an ongoing club to share knowledge and help people solve their most common problems.

Championing local causes: Company values and industry knowledge are being transformed into a community asset, and resources are being directed to solving problems in the community. Reaching out to local nonprofits, being a major sponsor to make a local event even bigger and better, or paying employees for their time to volunteer are all ways a business can build a meaningful community presence.

Working with a partner: Most businesses do not have the in-house expertise to organize, plan and publicize in-house events and initiatives, which is why some turn to a trusted partner for expertise in that field. For example, as Giant Eagle planned its Be A Smart Shopper Program, Field Trip Factory took the lead with the curriculum (with input from educators), and created the online tool that makes it easy for teachers to discover the program and sign up their class for an event.

Today’s retail climate is a challenging one, due to the rise in technology. To learn more about how businesses are engaging with customers and communities, visit fieldtripfactory.com.

2018-02-08T06:01:00

(BPT) – With mounting pressures and expectations, the high school years can feel overwhelming — for students and parents alike. Teens grapple with questions like: Which colleges should I apply to? What should I choose as a major? What do I really want to do with my life? What if I don’t have a clue?

As a parent you naturally want to give advice and steer them in the right direction, but you also know it’s a tricky balance. It’s their life, after all, as they’ll often remind you.

So how can you help? Encourage them to explore different interests, with no strings attached. Look for activities beyond the usual choices. Research extracurricular programs at your school, in your community, even overseas so they can see the breadth of what’s out there. Expose them to a range of possibilities and see what they pick.

Does your teen already have a clear focus? Look for innovative programs that allow them to dig even deeper in real-world settings. Or maybe your son or daughter is shy or stuck in a rut and needs a gentle nudge to try something new? It’s amazing how a change of scenery can inspire students and tap hidden talents. Over time they’ll gravitate toward one thing or another, and the journey will be rich with self-discovery.

From local to global, there are many valuable paths that help spark new interests while building self-knowledge, confidence and 21st century skills along the way.

Most high schools offer a range of extracurricular opportunities to get involved in a topic of interest or try out something new, from sports and theater to robotics and debate. Many offer programs with an international theme as well. After-school language clubs provide a chance to practice conversational skills in a relaxed environment while joining in cooking and other cultural activities. And bonding with other language enthusiasts inspires many to want to travel to experience different cultures first-hand! Larger high schools offer more languages, from French, Spanish and German to Mandarin, Arabic and Japanese, while teens with more limited offerings can often find regional programs a bus ride away.

Model UN is another valuable program that teaches students about the world around them, and builds confidence as well as leadership and communication skills. A new activity picked up on a whim may turn into a lifetime source of joy or even a career. If options are limited at school, branch out. Urge your teen to get involved in the local community, meet new people, and bond with others who share similar interests. They’ll see what’s out there in the bigger world while demonstrating to colleges and employers that they’re engaged beyond the standard classroom requirements.

When teens offer their time and talent to nonprofits and worthy causes, they gain more than just real-world experience for their college resumes. They gain maturity, perspective, practical skills and a greater appreciation for what they’ve got. Volunteering can be customized to one’s own interests, whether it means walking dogs at an animal shelter or building a website for an environmental group. Adventurous students can take it one step further by participating in service programs abroad. Whether working to raise social awareness, lending a hand with environmental and conservation project, or mentoring underprivileged youth, teens grow exponentially during a summer far away from their usual routine.

Studying abroad is not just for college. More and more high school students are making the leap overseas for summer programs or for a semester or gap year. As many students, parents and guidance counselors have discovered, this is an opportune time to develop valuable lifelong skills, learn a new language and discover career interests in a way that is not possible in an everyday classroom environment. Perhaps the ultimate opportunity for personal growth, studying abroad also expands communication skills and helps students understand different cultures and ways of living.

2018-01-29T07:01:00

(BPT) – Course Hero compares the expectations of high school seniors to the realities of college freshmen to help students and parents better prepare for the road ahead.

2018-01-23T08:13:00

(BPT) – A teacher’s ultimate goal is to instill a lifelong love of learning in their students. When kids are passionate about learning, the sky is the limit! Educators can support students’ creativity and natural curiosity in numerous ways, and one method getting a lot of attention recently is playful, hands-on learning.

When kids have fun and explore their interests, learning comes naturally. That’s why play has a fundamental role in the curriculum of students at any age. At the center of this playful learning movement is something called a makerspace, which is a collaborative workspace where kids can explore, create and learn by using a number of different materials and tools.

Makerspaces have appeared in libraries, schools and community centers, and when you implement one into your classroom design, you’re sure to be impressed with the results. Students will line up to use this space during free periods, making it a worthwhile investment for any grade level. To get started, consider these five tips from the educational experts at LEGO Education.

1. You can make a makerspace anywhere.

You don’t need a designated makerspace to lead a maker project. Making can happen anywhere! Many schools are opening makerspaces in classrooms, libraries, and STEM labs, but you can make a makerspace anywhere with a simple collection of materials on a classroom shelf, in a cart, or even organized on a LEGO® baseplate.

2. Mix up your media.

Makers often use mixed media to create rapid prototypes, so it’s recommend to start with a modest assortment of supplies, including:

• Paper and cardboard

• Buttons

• Fabric and fibers

• Recycled and reusable objects

• Photos

• Objects from nature

• Pencils, crayons and markers

Including mixed media allows students to unleash their imagination, and develop their creative design skills and understanding of aesthetics. You could also consider providing a ‘materials library’ of arts and crafts materials that you already have in your classroom.

3. Be inspired.

Are your students studying community? Why not design a new transportation system, building, or bridge? Does a character in a book they are reading face a challenge? Your students could design something to solve it! Studying Mars? Try designing a new colony, habitat, or exploration rover. You could even ask your students what they want to make. The opportunities are endless.

To help you deliver inspiring Maker projects, LEGO® Education has created a variety of Maker Lesson Plans for Preschool, Elementary and Middle School.

4. Start simple to help build creative confidence.

Don’t overthink how students create in the makerspace. Curiosity and imagination should guide them; there doesn’t need to be a set curriculum. However, you can use concepts in your curriculum to support makerspace activities. For example, have plenty of yarn and fabric available in your makerspace after discussing ancient textiles. Or, bring in an old radio for tinkering after you teach about radio frequencies.

5. A makerspace is what you make it.

You and your students ultimately decide how to create your makerspace. By encouraging playful learning and tinkering, you have the ability to:

• Support the social and emotional development, creativity, and academic skills of your students.

• Build knowledge, and critical-thinking & collaboration skills.

• Give students the chance to be risk takers and helping them accept and learn from their mistakes.

• Enable an environment of student choice and self-directed learning.

2018-01-03T11:01:00

(BPT) – Starting a business can be tough. Growing one can be even harder.

Dr. Nacondus Gamble knows this all too well. After her optometry practice, The South Eastern Eye Center, began to establish a reputation for great patient care, Dr. Gamble decided she was ready to expand. So she began looking for business financing to open another location in Georgia. That’s when she discovered that many lenders don’t share her commitment to high-quality service.

“I called a couple of places, but I just felt like they were taking advantage of me,” she said. “It was unnecessarily harsh.”

Dr. Gamble ended up borrowing through Funding Circle, an online platform focused exclusively on small business loans. Known for its speed, transparency and customer service, Funding Circle has helped more than 40,000 businesses around the world get financing, says co-founder and U.S. managing director Sam Hodges.

Today there are more options than ever before for businesses looking to grow. While some of these newer options can offer a significant leg up, others can actually end up doing more harm than good.

So how can you get the best deal on a business loan? It helps to watch out for these three common mistakes:

1. Not understanding the true cost of your loan

When shopping for a business loan, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by fast-talking salespeople, endless strings of acronyms and confusing terms. If it’s unclear how much you’ll really pay for financing, that’s a good sign you should walk away, Hodges cautions.

A good lender will always be willing to help you calculate the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and explain all the terms of your loan clearly. They’ll also help you understand what fees you can expect over the life of the loan — some lenders sneak in additional hidden fees, concealing them in fine print or confusing legalese, which can significantly inflate the cost.

2. Getting trapped in daily or weekly repayment cycles

Some types of business financing can seem like a godsend for a company in need of fast cash. These providers promise easy approval with quick access to funds. However, that speed can come at a steep price — in many cases, the provider takes a portion of your sales on a daily or weekly basis until the debt is repaid.

Term loans are often the better option, Hodges says. They allow businesses to borrow a set amount of money for a specific purpose, like hiring new staff or stocking up on inventory. The funds are then paid back over a set amount of time, with consistent monthly payments and no surprise fees.

3. Not knowing what you deserve

While many finance providers have your best interests at heart, the truth is that not all do. Some use irresponsible or misleading practices and take advantage of small business owners’ need for cash.

After seeing countless small businesses get stuck with credit products they couldn’t afford or understand, a coalition of small business advocates, lenders and online credit marketplaces came together to launch the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights. As the first-ever gold standard for responsible business lending, the Bill of Rights outlines the rights and safeguards that small businesses should expect from finance providers.

These include the right to transparent pricing and terms — ensuring business owners can see the cost and terms of any financing being offered in writing and in a form that is clear, complete and easy to compare with other options — and the right to non-abusive products that won’t trap you in an expensive cycle of re-borrowing. Before you take out any financing, check if your lender has signed on at ResponsibleBusinessLending.org.

Considering a loan for your business? You should know the five things business lenders typically care about when evaluating your application. To maximize your success, read more at www.Made2DoMore.com.

2017-12-22T06:01:00

(BPT) – A recent study by the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College suggests an alarming state of awareness about retirement readiness: Of surveyed households, 33 percent realize they are not well prepared, 19 percent are not well prepared but don’t know it, and 24 percent are well prepared but don’t know it.

For the Americans at risk of not being able to maintain an adequate retirement lifestyle, it’s critical to take action. For the households that are well prepared and don’t know it, they risk sacrificing a comfortable retirement. Understanding the behaviors associated with good retirement planning, in turn, can help you get a better sense of where you stand. Consider the following behaviors, which are more likely to be modeled by those who are well prepared for retirement.

Asset accumulation

A high-level approach to ensuring adequate retirement assets is to save a minimum of 10 percent of your gross income each year. You may need to save even more depending on your asset accumulation goals and how many years you have left to save before retirement.

If you would rather have a dollar goal, multiply your annual income goal by 25 to arrive at the amount you should try to save. For example, if after considering Social Security and any pension payment, you want $30,000 more of annual income in retirement, you will need to save $750,000. Lower goals mean you need to withdraw at a faster rate and increase the risk you will deplete your assets too soon.

Budgeting

Not all budgets need to detail specific spending items. Rather, you can consider yourself working within a budget if you know that each year you are saving and not creating new debt (and paying off legacy debt for your education or home). If you want to squeeze out more savings, a line-by-line review of spending may well be fruitful.

Personal debt

Many of us are saddled with personal debt from college and graduate school. This debt has become so burdensome that the customary progression to home ownership has been delayed for many. The debt has also had a domino effect on the ability to save for retirement. Paying down personal debt should be job one. Other personal debt, such as for a car purchase, should be avoided, minimized or paid down as quickly as possible. Credit card debt, which carries high interest rates, should be avoided entirely. Remember, each dollar of debt limits your ability to save for the future.

Mortgage debt

It used to be commonly accepted that you pay off your mortgage before retirement, but more and more retirees are entering retirement with mortgage debt. The old rule remains the best approach, since any indebtedness in retirement will limit your ability to react and adjust to poor investment return on your assets.

Social Security

With traditional pension plans less commonly offered by employers, Social Security has become an even more important source of guaranteed lifetime retirement income. By waiting to age 70, you can increase the benefit payment significantly, which is also the base for annual Social Security cost-of-living increases for the rest of your life. That increased Social Security benefit may also increase the benefit that a surviving spouse will receive after you die. Unless you have a health care issue that could reduce your life expectancy and no spouse who might need a spousal benefit based on your earnings record, claiming Social Security early is the greatest retirement planning mistake made.

Health care

Health care is the single greatest cost in retirement, and various studies estimate the cost to be $250,000 or more for a healthy 65-year-old couple. The cost of health care will be even greater to the extent one retires before age 65 and Medicare eligibility. Moreover, health care costs can vary and may come sooner than expected. The best plan, then, is to work until at least age 65 and understand that health care is a unique challenge in retirement. To the extent possible, utilize Health Savings Accounts and bank any unused amounts annually to build up a tax-free health care fund for retirement.

Income planning

No later than 10 years before your planned retirement, you should be translating your retirement assets into an annual or monthly retirement income stream. Start with your Social Security and any pension plan payments as your income base, and then consider how much income your other assets can safely generate. Depending on this analysis, you may want to consider purchasing an annuity to make more of your retirement income guaranteed and avoid the twin risks of poor investment return and living longer than expected.

Consider also that many of your retirement assets have an embedded tax liability. You will need to look through your retirement assets to determine after-tax income, since your food, rent and cable bills are paid with after-tax money. Only by seeing your after-tax income can you decide if you have enough to live on.

Annual financial wellness check-ups

During your early working years, you are likely to be focused on debt reduction and asset accumulation. As you get closer to retirement, you will need to focus on the strategies associated with Social Security, health care and income generation. At all times you should annually revisit your goals and make adjustments, as needed, to how much and where you are saving, how much you are spending, how aggressively you are investing, and when your target retirement date is.

Modeling such behaviors will make it more likely you will be well prepared for retirement. By doing so you will also make it more likely that you are properly assessing the state of your retirement readiness and not over- or underestimating your financial health.

2018-04-04T08:41:00

(BPT) – Time to Vaccinate provides farmers with information and shared experiences about vaccination as a preventive tool. Learn more at www.TimeToVaccinate.com.

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2018-03-30T10:01:00

(BPT) – The nation’s central bank — the Federal Reserve — just raised interest rates by a quarter point. The Fed is expected to raise rates at least two more times this year by the same amount. That’s going to affect a lot of your finances, including your credit card bill, car payment and home equity line of credit. But don’t panic. Rates will still be below historical averages, and you can eliminate the impact of higher rates, or lessen them, with some careful planning. Plus, you can take advantage of higher interest rates on savings accounts.

The March 21 hike increased the Federal Reserve’s basic rate by 0.25 percent to between 1.5 percent and 1.75 percent. Here’s how it — and any future increases — will shake out.

Credit cards

“These increases will be passed along to your credit card rate almost immediately — but you’ll hardly feel it if you have a low balance,” explains Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. For example, for every $1,000 in credit card debt you have, each rate hike will add $2.50 per year. At the end of the year (assuming three hikes), that means an extra $7.50 annually on that same $1,000 balance. However, Frick notes the average card debt for households with a credit card balance is about $15,600, “equaling an extra $117 per year in interest charges.”

If your balance is that high, you might consider these rate hikes a wake-up call. If your credit card rate is the average (15 percent), you’re probably already paying $2,340 a year in interest payments. So, consider shopping for a lower rate — even one percentage point lower can save you more than the Fed rate hikes this year.

Home equity

Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) — loans based on the equity in your home — are also variable and will go up along with Fed rate hikes. These rates currently start at less than 5.7 percent on average, but will probably top 6 percent with the Fed hikes before the end of the year.

Robert Frick offers some additional food for thought for consumers with high credit card debt: “Take out a HELOC, pay off your credit cards and save hundreds of dollars in interest payments. Just make sure you don’t turn around and run up a high credit card balance again.”

Auto loans

If you already have an auto loan, your rate is locked in so don’t worry about the hikes. However, if you’re shopping for a car, the Fed hikes will increase rates. That said, car loan rates vary quite a bit depending on your credit and what kind of deal you can get from your bank or credit union. The increase in rates has a small effect on the total interest you pay on the loan compared to these other variables, not to mention the term of your loan and how much you pay for the car.

Mortgages

The Fed hikes won’t directly affect fixed-rate mortgages. Those are tied to the 10-year treasury bond rate, which is primarily controlled by supply and demand in the financial markets. However, the 10-year Treasury rate has already risen this year, and is expected by many analysts to continue going up. Thirty-year mortgage rates have averaged around 5.6 percent the last 20 years, and are below 4.5 percent now.

Here’s another tip from Frick: “You should not let the prospect of rising mortgage rates trigger you into buying a house quickly. There are so many factors to consider in such a major purchase.” But to give you a rough idea on the effect of rates, a $200,000 mortgage loan at 4 percent results in a $955 monthly payment (principal and interest). A 4.5 percent loan for the same amount is $1,015, or an extra $58 per month.

If you already have a variable rate mortgage, you can expect your rate will rise along with Fed hikes.

Now, the good news

Rising rates mean you’ll get more money on bank savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. Savings rates are also on the move. When a year ago savers were grateful for a tenth of a percentage point increase or less, you can now find rates for some products jumping by 0.3 percent, 0.4 percent or more. Frick points out that certificate of deposit rates are starting to rise and will grow in 2018. “Other savings products are not rising as much and the increases are mainly coming from credit unions and online banks, with commercial banks lagging,” he said.

Lastly, Frick recommends this savings strategy: “Do not commit yourself to a single certificate of deposit duration, unless it meets a specific goal. Buy several CDs and stagger the terms, so you’ll be able to reinvest regularly as rates rise.”

2018-03-26T14:31:00

(BPT) – If you love the idea of being a landlord, and don’t mind being on duty around the clock, buying an investment property may be the wealth-building option for you.

Property values have enjoyed a steady increase over the decades. That’s why real estate has earned its reputation as a sound investment that builds wealth and credit.

Most people, however, don’t have the quantity of cash on hand to purchase a house or apartment building outright. Still, if becoming a landlord means taking out a 30-year mortgage, the monthly payments from the tenants should be enough to service the loan and build equity for you, while leaving some cash flow so you can maintain the property.

If buying investment property sounds like a step you’d like to take, here are some credit considerations every investor needs to know.

1. Be mindful of the inquiry stage

Once you decide to purchase an investment property, it’s important to do everything you can to make sure your credit score stays as high as possible until the loan is approved and signed. Your goal is to land the best possible interest rate, because even half a percentage point can add tens of thousands of dollars of total interest payments to a 30-year loan (and affect your wealth-building abilities).

During this time, things like continuing to make on-time payments on your existing loans can be helpful in maintaining your credit score. However, sometimes people unintentionally lower their credit score when they’re actually trying to be fiscally responsible. For example, when shopping around for the best mortgage rate, keep in mind that multiple inquiries can have a negative effect on your credit score, especially if you don’t have a long credit history. Fortunately, many credit bureaus recognize that you may be comparison shopping, so make sure you do this within a defined time frame of 30-45 days.

2. Keep credit utilization low

When maintaining a property, having access to credit can be helpful because it lets you make repairs and keep things in good living condition for your tenants. One thing that can affect your credit score is the amount of credit you’re using.

Unfortunately, keeping a higher balance could result in a lower credit score. As a rule, keep your credit utilization at 30 percent or less. For example, if your credit card has a $5,000 limit, the balance should not get any higher than $1,500. Throughout the billing cycle, keep an eye on the balance, and pay it down when you can.

3. Keep a cushion of cash

It happens. You get that call about a water leak, and before you know it, you’re spending your Saturday evening pricing plumbers, searching for one whose overtime rate is only in the range of mildly outrageous.

Being a property manager means expecting the unexpected, and one of the best ways to be ready is to have enough cash at the ready to take care of these problems. Build an emergency fund in your savings account, and keep your credit paid down so you always have that cushion to fall back on during any crisis.

4. Beware of low and no-interest financing deals

When it’s time to replace the oven range or a refrigerator, one of those “no payments, no interest for 18 months” deals can seem like a lifesaver. It sounds like a great deal, but these alluring promises are designed to play a psychological trick on you. Because you don’t have to pay yet, it doesn’t really feel like spending money when you’re making the purchase.

However, once the interest-free promotional period is up, a double-digit interest rate often kicks in. If you don’t have the cash to pay off the balance or make payments, you could end up with penalties that can affect your credit score. Before you sign on, always read the fine print.

Before you invest, do your research on credit scores and know your pros and cons. More than 8.5 billion credit scores compiled by VantageScore Solutions were obtained and used in the U.S. between June 2016 and July 2017. Whatever your stage in life, the market offers many options for those who wish to build their wealth through investing in real estate.

2018-03-12T10:01:00

(BPT) – In September of 2017, thousands of people from around the world congregated in an unlikely place: Wausau, Wisconsin.

This diverse crowd was gathered for the first International Wisconsin Ginseng Festival. While many may be surprised that such an event would be held in the middle of Wisconsin’s rolling hills and scenic lakes, it is locally a $50 million industry with a long history. In the mid-1970s Hmong immigrants, primarily from Vietnam, brought their entrepreneurial skills and revitalized the local ginseng industry. Welcomed by a friendly community that continues to foster an entrepreneurial spirit, Hsu’s Ginseng, now under the leadership of the original founder’s son Will Hsu, has grown to be the largest integrated ginseng growing and retailing operation in the U.S. Wausau’s industrious self-starters and newcomers grew a multimillion-dollar industry, and the region continues to incubate entrepreneurs across a diverse array of business sectors.

Local innovation

Wausau, ranked recently by ZipRecruiter as a Top 10 Job Market for 2018, has a track record of successful public-private development partnerships and hosts a thriving incubator — the Wausau Entrepreneurial and Education Center — to help local entrepreneurs get started and help established businesses grow. For instance, Wausau-based Resilient Technologies, now a business of Bridgestone Americas, was approached by the U.S. government to develop puncture-resistant tires. In an effort to make military vehicles more safe, they used strong local manufacturing ties to develop a first-of-its-kind non-pneumatic tire in Wausau’s incubator. Bridgestone is now looking for ways to apply the technology to its consumer and commercial portfolio, and develop next-generation tires that offer extended mobility.

“A lot of people don’t know these types of projects are happening here, but the city of Wausau is a great partner and the city provides our team with a wonderful place to call home,” says Louis Stark, operations manager, Resilient Technologies, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

The availability of an experienced workforce that can develop these specialized tires for the U.S. military is the same workforce that has made an impact on other areas of Wausau’s economy.

Entrepreneurial workforce

Sometimes entrepreneurial opportunities spring from unusual skills. Some residents in Wausau have deep connections to artistic traditions, including sewing. Bob Jacquart, chief executive officer of Stormy Kromer, makers of iconic hats and rugged outerwear, says he now relies on the sewing skills of Wausau’s residents to create one of the Midwest’s most storied brands.

Stormy Kromer’s operations in Wausau have been successful, outpacing production in the company’s headquarters in Ironwood, Michigan.

“I could not have felt more welcome and city leaders could not have been more accommodating in helping Stormy Kromer find a suitable space as well as skilled workers in Wausau,” says Jacquart. “Our business found exactly what it needed and the support from leaders was exceptional.”

Incubating community

The local economic conditions and support environment that allowed these Wausau-based companies to thrive are the very conditions that led Time Magazine to label Wausau a “middle-class paradise” last year.

A combination of affordability, welcoming atmosphere and economic diversity is attracting young people, new industries and incubating unlikely entrepreneurs. Aiming to make the most out of these trends, the city is responding in kind. New growth and development hit record levels in 2017 across diverse sectors of growing businesses in Wausau. The city’s warm attitude toward entrepreneurs and diversity further complement its traditional economic base in metals manufacturing, building materials, insurance, informational technology and health care.

To learn more about how the city of Wausau is attracting entrepreneurs and gaining an international reputation, visit www.wausome.com.