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How to Future-Proof the Apparel Supply Chain Using the SHEIN Business Model

2023-02-21T11:31:00

(BPT) – Consumer expectations are shifting — and many companies aren’t prepared to meet rapidly changing customer needs. With rising inflation and costs, apparel brands struggle more than ever to satisfy customers — and their bottom line — with the traditional retail model. Since its founding just over a decade ago, SHEIN has operated a unique, on-demand business model that solves for many of the issues now facing the retail industry: instead of telling customers what to wear, SHEIN responds to what they want to wear.

SHEIN is a global leader in fashion, beauty and lifestyle products that serves millions of customers in more than 150 countries — but while its peers create thousands of products in each style, SHEIN initially produces as few as 100 pieces for each SKU. How is it possible to serve a global customer base with so few items at a time? The company has built a fully digital supply chain with proprietary software that tracks customer interest and communicates market feedback with its supplier factories in real-time. This digital supply chain is the core of SHEIN’s business model, empowering the company to offer a wide range of current styles without creating excessive inventory waste.

In a traditional retail model, trend strategists and designers predict what customers will want to wear up to a year in advance and stock their shelves according to those predictions. The ever-increasing pace of trends means those predictions are further and further from actual demand by the time that season rolls around.

SHEIN’s on-demand business model offers a lower cost and lower waste solution to this problem because:

  • Production is totally guided by actual demand
    • After starting with as few as 100 SKUs in a new style, SHEIN turns to algorithms to gauge real-time customer interest, empowering supplier factories to increase or stop production based directly on market demand. This data-driven test-and-learn approach improves efficiency and minimizes production waste.
  • They’re e-commerce only
    • SHEIN avoids the need for overproduction typically associated with filling physical storefronts and prevents much of the waste and environmental impacts associated with running a traditional retail store. This unique on-demand business model consistently limits excess inventory to single digits while the rest of the industry struggles with 30% overstock on average.
  • Their supply chain evolves with them
    • SHEIN does not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. Instead, they source from a network of third-party suppliers. They support supplier factories with physical facility enhancements, innovative technology and training.

Apparel brands looking to set themselves up for success in the future must think smaller before they think bigger: SHEIN’s small batch, on-demand production business model is the blueprint for serving tomorrow’s customers.

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5 off-the-wall uses for retaining walls

2023-02-21T11:39:00

(BPT) – Segmental retaining wall (SRW) systems make attractive walls, but they also are used to build many beautiful and functional outdoor features for homeowners and professionals alike. As the most versatile resource in a professional landscaper’s tool box, SRWs can also be used by do-it-yourself landscapers with a little know-how. Whether you need to transition a slope, shore up soil or create beautiful hardscaped features, one retaining wall system — the VERSA-LOK retaining wall system — can do it all.

YouTube creator and construction pro Stanley “Dirt Monkey” Genadek calls VERSA-LOK the “gold standard” of retaining walls. “VERSA-LOK’s solid, pinned units are superior to hollow, lipped blocks that require fill and might trap water,” says Genadek, who owns a landscaping and excavating company in Mendota Heights, Minn. “It’s the one block that can do it all. VERSA-LOK is the gold standard in SRWs as far as I’m concerned.”

Says Scott Arnold, manager of Villa Landscapes, a design and install landscaping firm in St. Paul/Minneapolis: “Retaining walls are most often employed to address grade changes in the landscape and to retain soil. But as the ‘Legos’ of landscaping tools, retaining wall units can be used to create many beautiful and functional features such as outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and seating.”

Seating

From creating seat walls to stadium seats, retaining walls are for sitting. One popular application is a freestanding seat wall around a patio or fire pit. Retaining walls are perfect to set into hillsides such as amphitheater seating, where they retain soil while offering a place to sit. Other options include stadium seating, replacing cold, noisy and more expensive aluminum bleachers as well as a couch or bench designed with SRWs.

Functional features

Retaining wall units can make beautiful tiered gardens, raised garden beds, planters, tree rings plus fire and water features. One common application is a raised patio, where retaining wall units serve as a foundation for a paver patio surrounded by freestanding walls in place of a wood deck. Creative homeowners and installers have used retaining wall units for lighted column posts, waterfalls, hot tub platforms or mailbox columns.

Steps/stairs

Going up and down a slope is easier with solid stair foundations created from retaining wall units. From stairs out the back patio to steps for access within a hardscape design such as a multi-level patio, retaining wall units are a safe support for stair treads and pavers.

Fencing

Keep people moving the right way with freestanding walls used as fencing or partitions. A parapet wall is a back-to-back wall that serves as a barrier for vehicles and pedestrians. Stepped-down freestanding walls are used alongside ramps for easy access. Custom columns designed with lighting and fencing with timbers or rail posts can serve as a fence solution.

Signage

Both residential and commercial signage can be created with retaining wall units. Stately columns with house numbers at the end of a driveway, a hardscaped entrance sign to a community development or a mailbox pillar are features easily created with retaining wall units. Monument signs can be built as freestanding walls, with channel letters, a signboard or neon mounted on the surface.

The endless design options afforded by retaining wall systems are limited only by the imagination. With a variety of colors and textures, retaining walls can do it all, beautifully. If you can design it, you can build it with VERSA-LOK.

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How to Know When It’s Time to Be Tested for Gastroenteritis

2023-02-21T08:01:00

(BPT) – Gastroenteritis affects millions around the world every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites, with bacteria often causing the most severe illness. Many cases don’t require gastrointestinal testing, but for some, being able to distinguish between the causes of gastroenteritis is imperative in order to provide the most effective treatment for the situation. Knowing when to get tested, and what sort of test to receive, such as fast and accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, can help you find the right therapeutic option as quickly as possible.

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Worried about winter driving? Take time to prep your vehicle and trunk

2023-02-21T01:01:00

(BPT) – Face it, winter driving is no fun — and it can be downright dangerous. While you may already be familiar with techniques for careful winter driving, like slowing way down and going easy on the brakes, you could be neglecting crucial safety steps to take even before you get on the road. Along with making sure your vehicle is winter-ready, it’s also vital to pack your trunk with must-have emergency essentials, in case you get stuck somewhere during a severe winter storm.

Approximately 70% of the U.S. population lives in a region that sees five or more inches of snow each year. Between the snow, icy roads and bitter cold, this kind of weather is a real hazard that needs to be taken seriously. Nearly one in five yearly weather-related crashes occurs on snowy, slushy or icy surfaces. To help you and your vehicle be fully prepared for safe travel no matter how frightful the weather becomes, the experts at State Farm offer their recommendations for prepping for winter weather before heading out.

Get your vehicle ready

Every winter, make sure to bring your car in for an overall safety check — with a focus on brakes and tires — so you’ll know your car can handle winter weather more effectively. Have the mechanic check all the fluids and test your battery strength. Sub-zero temperatures can challenge most batteries, so don’t wait until it’s too late to be sure your battery is in top condition.

Beyond just ensuring that your tires are in good shape (with adequate tread life) and that they have the correct air pressure (which can drop along with the temps), installing all-season tires is a good idea if your region is regularly affected by snow and ice. Additional items you’ll be happy that you checked are your wiper blades (installing winter blades can make all the difference when visibility is paramount), making sure your car’s coolant/anti-freeze is fully topped up and that the heating system is in good working order.

Restock your trunk

Now is also the ideal time to get rid of any junk you’ve got cluttering up your trunk. Instead, make sure you have everything you might need organized, packed and ready to use in case of an on-road emergency — such as items that will keep you warm, connected and able to survive in case you get stuck in your car for an extended period of time.

Here are trunk essentials to make sure to include.

Safety essentials:

  • Hazard triangles
  • Jumper cables
  • External battery charger
  • Tire changing tools
  • Spare tire (in good condition)
  • Small snow shovel
  • Ice scraper
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Wiper fluid

Supplies to keep you warm and comfortable:

  • Hats, gloves, scarves and blanket
  • Hand and foot warmers
  • Wool socks
  • First aid kit
  • Thermos/bottles of water
  • Shelf-stable snacks in air-tight/critter-proof containers

Tools to stay visible and connected:

  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Bright cloth to tie on your car and/or flares
  • Phone charger (make sure all cell phones and tablets are fully charged before heading out!)

You can adjust the contents of your emergency supply kit to suit your family size and the area where you live. Once your trunk is fully packed with these essentials, you’ll feel much more secure venturing out on the road all winter long. Make it a habit to refresh and repack your trunk once or twice a year by adding reminders to your calendar.

Learn more safety tips to help you and your vehicle handle any kind of weather at StateFarm.com/simple-insights.

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It’s 2033 and you need surgery. Here’s how it will be radically different

2023-02-20T07:01:00

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(BPT) – By Atul Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Image-Guided Therapy at Philips

One in 10 people undergo a surgical procedure each year [1]. That means that over the next decade it’s highly likely you — or someone close to you — will too. This may sound like a scary prospect, but it doesn’t have to be.

That’s because we’re making huge strides forward in innovation that I believe will make your operation more likely to be a medical success while having a better experience along the way.

Got five minutes? Because I’d like to show what I think the future of surgery will look like in a decade.

Getting you back to living the life you love faster, safer, and with less anxiety

If you need to see a doctor in 2033 for a major disease, you could be diagnosed and treated in one single room on the same day. This could include medical emergencies like a heart attack or a stroke or long-term diseases like lung cancer or disorders of the spine, for which many patients today have to wait weeks, or even months, for treatment.

In 10 years’ time, your care could be radically improved thanks to advances made by combining cutting-edge technologies into one intelligent room. This is a room that gives doctors like me almost superhuman abilities, enabling us to treat some of the most common and most life-threatening diseases in one go. I’m talking about an entire room that will be powered by a mix of photo-realistic Augmented Reality (AR), robotic automation, artificial intelligence (AI), ultra-high resolution 3D medical imaging and smart devices that all talk to one another. It will enable doctors to perform operations with less damage to your body, less time spent in the hospital, a faster treatment and recovery, and in some cases, immediate diagnosis and treatment.

Today, we can already do some of these procedures thanks to a combination of technologies called Image-Guided Therapy, or IGT for short [2]. IGT is essentially modern-day surgery that uses minimally invasive techniques to allow me to do what surgery used to do (by cutting you open, which is far more dangerous and requires more time to recover). IGT procedures are carried out through incisions not much larger than a pencil point, leaving behind just a bandage.

Imagine that it’s 2033. Let’s look at four of the world’s most common diseases in four different countries and explore how your care will be radically different:

1. Care will be faster

The paramedics are at your home somewhere on the U.S. East Coast. They suspect a stroke, but it could also be a number of other things. Fortunately, their hand-held monitor can now connect them to the hospital and instantly to a stroke expert who reviews your monitoring data and confirms that you’re having an acute cerebral event, possibly an ischemic stroke.

The paramedics rush you to the hospital, where CT scans are taken and then reviewed by a remote neurologist, who quickly confirms your diagnosis and sends you to treatment.

So far, only 45 minutes have passed since your stroke began. Every minute that a stroke goes untreated results in the death of 2 million neurons. Every 30 minutes’ delay before treatment reduces the chance of a good outcome by 14%. And each hour of delay ages your brain by 3.6 years [5]. Time is literally brain [4].

Luckily, you get to us within the golden window — the earliest hours following a stroke when we can reduce or even reverse the long-term effects. Scans confirm the diagnosis, so I make a pencil-point incision in your thigh. I touch a hologram of an artery in your neck and in seconds the device (with the aid of robotics) rapidly threads itself along your arteries to a tiny clot that is cutting off blood flow to your brain. Within just minutes, we have removed the clot.

Through my AR glasses, I can clearly see that the blood flow has been restored, reversing the stroke-in-progress and preventing any devastating long-term effects. All while an expert from Tokyo was watching your entire procedure through her AR glasses and sharing her clinical advice. You are then whisked to recovery bays in the neuro intensive care unit. You’ll be home having dinner with your family within 48 hours.

2. Care will be “one and done”

Perhaps you live in the Netherlands, and you’re in the operating room with my colleague Jess because you’ve been referred for a suspicious spot toward the base of your left lung. Less than one hour later, Jess has diagnosed and destroyed all of a tiny tumor in one go without opening up your body.

How? It turns out you had lung cancer, a disease that kills more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer — combined. In the Netherlands alone it kills more than 10,000 people every year [6].

In 2033, Jess is able to look at your lungs on her AR screen and see every detail within and around your lungs in sharp focus. She pinpoints precisely where the cancerous cells are that need destroying. She virtually sculpts a 3D model of an AI-predicted kill zone around the tumor, and she then destroys the cells using microwave energy.

When you wake up, instead of facing a six-month waiting period before follow-up scans to see if it is an early cancer that is growing, you find out immediately it’s all-clear.

One and done. How amazing is that?

3. Care is closer to you

We have a saying in the medical world: Save a limb, save a life. This is something we’re doing much more easily in 2033. Even if you live far away from a city.

Take Australia, for example, where almost a third of the population still lives in rural areas. Even though the country has more hospital beds per capita than the U.S. or the U.K., hospitals are desperately overcrowded, and patients face a huge increase in waiting time for elective surgeries.

So instead, we come to you. In the U.S., physicians like me have been using office-based labs, or OBLs, for decades to perform routine procedures like the removal of fibroids, or even minimally invasive operations on your heart. And they’re fantastic because they enable doctors to take care outside of hospitals and bring it closer to the communities and patients that we serve.

In 2033, we put our highly intelligent IGT rooms into mobile OBLs — creating what’s essentially a hospital on wheels, with doctors inside who can carry out elective procedures on your doorstep. Procedures to treat things like peripheral artery disease (PAD), or poor blood circulation in the leg, which causes cramping and pain when you walk. Incredibly, nearly a quarter of a billion people suffer from PAD worldwide [7]. If left untreated, it can lead to amputation, which in turn raises your risk of dying. But with mobile OBLs, we’re making sure to reach our patients who find it hard to get to us.

A hospital on wheels from mobile medical program Heart of Australia

4. Care is safer for you (and me)

If you live in India, you almost certainly know someone with cardiovascular disease (CVD). That’s because CVDs are more common, especially among the younger population [8]. Replacing an aortic valve in your heart used to require massive surgery, splitting the chest open, lots of blood loss, lots of days in the hospital. In 2033, we can do this through a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

And in 2033, our intelligent surgical rooms will include a groundbreaking technology that uses light rather than X-rays to let me navigate through the body in real-time and in 3D, from any angle. So not only can I perform a TAVR through a tiny incision in your groin, but you go home the same day and there’s no radiation, making it safer for both you and me.

A minimally-invasive aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR)

More accessible care for everyone

I started this story by saying that one in 10 of us will need surgery over the next decade. Now let’s end on a positive note: at Philips, our minimally-invasive solutions already help doctors worldwide to treat one patient every second of every day. Which means since you started reading this, more than 400 people have had their tumors killed, their strokes reversed, and their hearts and blood vessels mended using our technology. And because every single innovation you’ve just read about is being developed right now, I’m confident we’re well on the way to getting even more of you — and the people you care about — back to living the lives you love.

As futures go, that’s literally life-changing.

To learn more about developments in minimally invasive procedures and the future of health, follow me on LinkedIn @AtulGupta_MD

Sources:

[1] https://academic.oup.com/bja/article/119/2/249/4049141

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt-akrOw_o&list=PL3WBa0emAbeJCS4_zCZ4KuHz9JH-_ChTV&index=2

[3] Emory University

[4] [PDF] Time Is Brain—Quantified | Semantic Scholar

[5] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16339467

[6] https://www.jto.org/article/S1556-0864(20)30821-2/fulltext

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6113064/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20%3E200,symptoms%20from%20none%20to%20severe.

[8] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds),

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6994761/

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4 ways to have fun in Chicago without breaking the bank

2023-02-20T11:03:01

(BPT) – Have you ever wanted to visit the Windy City? Chicago is a diverse city with something for everyone. Whether you go by yourself, with the family or with a few buddies, you’ll be sure to have fun and make memories in Chi-Town.

The current U.S. economy can make it difficult to enjoy travel on a budget. However, you don’t need to let inflation get you down. CEO Hussein Fazal of Super.com — a tech company with products that let you spend less, save more and gain time to do the things you love — has provided four tips to help you enjoy a Chicago getaway on a budget.

1. Plan a winter vacation

Like many Midwestern states, Illinois has true winter weather. Don’t let the cold temperatures keep you away: embrace them! If you live in a warmer state, you can bundle up and enjoy winter weather and activities you can’t get at home.

Tip from a pro: Traveling outside your destination’s peak season is always a good idea. Hotel and airfare are generally cheaper, you’ll avoid the crowds that head to Chi-Town during the warmer months, and you can enjoy the beauty of a Chicago winter.

“I love visiting Chicago during the colder months,” said Fazal. “A lot of people balk at the idea of traveling to Chicago during the winter, but it’s a great time to have fun, save money and avoid the crowds.”

2. Use a travel agent

With the internet at your fingertips, you can research and book everything for your trip yourself. However, booking flights, hotels and transportation through a travel agent can help you save time, reduce trip planning stress and offer expert advice on must-see sights and events.

Make trip planning even easier by using an online travel service like SuperTravel. This free platform offers rates you can’t find online because they’re in a private 1:1 booker.

SuperTravel operates as a travel agent over messaging, offering these same great rates over a private 1:1 chat while eliminating the overhead of a physical retail store. Feeling fancy? You can get 20% off four-star Chicago hotels in winter.

3. Go where the locals go

Whether your vacation is a 3-day weekend or longer, you’ll want to make the most of your Chicago trip. Of course, you’ll want to visit the Windy City’s greatest hits, like Millennium Park and take a picture in front of The Bean, visit Navy Pier, stroll down the Riverwalk and immerse yourself in culture at the Art Institute.

In between visiting these well-known sites, you’ll have a lot of time to dine and explore the city, and the best way to do it is by going to restaurants, breweries and other attractions popular with the locals.

If you don’t have friends or family living in Chicago, finding local spots can be tricky. However, you can check out this handy Chicago city guide and see the latest local favorite restaurants, events and rare sights.

4. Find travel deals at a steal online

If it’s been a while since you’ve traveled or your suitcase and duffel bags have seen better days, you should consider upgrading your travel gear before you hit Chicago. A new rolling suitcase, packing cubes and other travel accessories can make your trip easier and more enjoyable.

You’re already spending money to go to Chicago, so it can be difficult to justify adding more travel expenses. However, there are plenty of deals online for everything you’ll need on your trip.

Using discount sites like SuperShop, you can find deals online for backpacks, suitcases, portable chargers and even clothing and shoes for your trip to Chi-town. Whether you’re looking for fun finds, discounts on designer brands or everyday essentials, SuperShop will deliver the steal right to you.

Don’t wait until the snow melts. Start planning your winter trip to Chicago today, and use these four tips to get the most out of your vacation. To learn more about how to spend less, save more and enjoy what life offers with SuperShop and SuperTravel, visit Super.com.

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What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

2023-02-20T05:01:01

(BPT) – Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can be a serious heart condition, yet most people with HCM may not even know they have it. To raise awareness and encourage those who may be at risk to speak with their doctors, states across the country are observing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day on February 22, 2023. Click here to learn more about HCM, resources available to you, as well as find helpful discussion guides for talking to your doctor.

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Mars Perseverance Approaches 2nd Anniversary and All Systems Go!

2023-02-17T11:01:00

(BPT) – A mission like no other

Feb. 18, 2021 is a date etched into the mind of the global space community as the day human exploration on Mars made a groundbreaking leap. It has been two years since NASA’s Perseverance Rover touched down on the surface of the Red Planet, landing successfully in the 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater with one mission: to search for signs of ancient microbial life.

In the 700 sols (Mars days) since, Perseverance has explored the terrain extensively, characterizing the planet’s geology and climate and gathering nearly 400,000 raw images and 15 rock core and sediment samples ready to be returned to Earth for analysis.

The technologically advanced rover — known affectionately as Percy — may be more than 141 million kilometers away but it is having a big impact on what is happening on Earth today, helping pave the way for interplanetary exploration.

Answering the call

How this modern marvel came to safely land on Mars ties back to a century-old company on Earth in Southern California: Airborne Systems.

Since the 1960s, the height of the space race, Airborne Systems has been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to Entry, Descent & Landing Systems (EDLS). The company, part of the TransDigm Group, has designed and developed EDLS for many groundbreaking unmanned space missions, beginning with the Discoverer XIII re-entry capsule, the first manmade item ever recovered from orbit. With such a long-standing heritage in space innovation, it was no surprise when NASA enlisted Airborne Systems’ expertise for the Mars Perseverance mission.

While many of the world’s greatest scientific and engineering minds were involved in ensuring Perseverance would launch successfully and travel the massive distance to Mars, like most interplanetary research missions, the last yards are the most challenging.

Touchdown on Mars

Being able to safely descend from orbit and travel through Mars’ thin atmosphere meant Airborne Systems creating the state-of-the-art parachute capable of helping Percy descend from supersonic speeds and prepare itself for its final SkyCrane maneuver.

With Percy weighing in at over 2,200 pounds — about the weight of a standard car — and boasting sophisticated mission-critical equipment, this was no easy feat. In fact, it was the heaviest Mars landing to date, requiring the strongest parachute ever flown on Mars, or any other non-Earth planet for that matter.

The finished model came in at approximately 180 pounds and reached 70.5 feet in diameter. It deployed four minutes after atmospheric entry, at an altitude of seven miles and a velocity of 940 miles per hour, with the parachute inflating at around Mach 1.75 (75 percent more than the speed of sound and 65 percent faster than the speed of light).

It took less than one second to transform an 18-by-26-inch cylinder of nylon, Kevlar and Technora, compressed to the density of wood, into a fully inflated and operational 70.5 ft diameter parachute — one that successfully helped Perseverance touch down on the dusty surface of Mars and, in doing so, potentially helped change the course of human history.

One giant leap for mankind

What makes this landing even more exceptional is that it was the first time a parachute had been tasked with performing in the Mars atmosphere. Previously, parachute performance on Mars had been deduced or inferred based on data. This time, NASA was able to capture high-speed video footage that has been pored over frame-by-frame to aid in future missions.

Every space mission requires collaboration, ingenuity and engineering precision to make it successful. Thanks to Perseverance — and its unassuming but revolutionary parachute — NASA has been able to take another giant step forward in its understanding of our planetary neighbor.

While the pioneers at Airborne Systems are already working on building America’s next-generation fleet of spacecraft to replace the space shuttle — including Orion, CST-100, Dragon and New Shepherd — there is now real hope that the lessons learned with Perseverance will help humans explore the majesty of both Mars and the Milky Way.

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Diversify your retirement portfolio: 5 facts about commercial real estate investments

2023-02-17T10:21:00

(BPT) – Building savings for retirement isn’t easy, and it’s only become more difficult with rising inflation and public market volatility. According to a report by Vanguard,1 retirement account balances decreased by 20% in 2022 alone due to economic challenges. This news may sound grim, but investment alternatives may provide some promising options to help individuals plan and save for retirement.

Recent data from a study by Bank of America shows that investors 43+ allocate about 55% of their portfolio in stocks and bonds.2 However, younger investors are skeptical of traditional investments, with 73% believing that it’s not possible to achieve above-average returns by exclusively investing in stock and bonds. Instead, younger investors are allocating three times more to alternative investments and half as much to stocks and bonds.

Of those alternative investments, commercial real estate (CRE) has become an emerging option for investors looking to diversify. By investing in projects such as apartment buildings, offices or industrial buildings, investors can better insulate their portfolios and potentially find opportunities in growing markets beyond their neighborhood.

Of course, CRE has historically required a significant amount of capital that can be a barrier to entry for many. However, platforms like Cadre allow investors to have a stake in commercial properties alongside some of the world’s largest institutions like Goldman Sachs and the MacArthur Foundation.

For those rethinking their retirement savings plan and looking for more options, here are five of the potential benefits of CRE investing:

1. Accessibility

Fractional stake investments in CRE have made the asset class more accessible and lowered the minimum investment for real estate investment. While CRE has been used as an investment tool by the world’s largest institutions and the uber-wealthy to build wealth over time, new investment platforms have made CRE available to more individuals than ever before.

2. Passive income

With the ability to generate income through rent, CRE is often considered an attractive source of passive income. Investors in CRE typically benefit from quarterly dividends that may be used as an additional source of income or to reinvest and compound potential earnings over the long term.

3. Reap stable returns

In contrast with the ups and downs of the stock market, CRE tends to be relatively stable. According to Investopedia, private commercial properties outperformed the S&P 500, offering investors an average annual return of 10.3% over a 25-year period.3 CRE’s stability comes from the fact that the price of real estate isn’t tied to the stock market’s performance. Even in a volatile market, CRE provides stability.

4. Hedge against inflation

One of the attractive aspects of CRE investments is that they can weather the long-term impact of inflation. Among stocks and bonds, inflation often can directly diminish returns. Through active management, CRE investors often raise the income of their properties to keep pace with inflation and generate more attractive returns over time.

5. Leverage tax advantages

Some traditional asset class options require investors to set aside funds to pay personal income taxes, which can create a significant drag on income and retirement savings. Typically, investors in CRE are able to benefit from lower tax rates than traditional investment options, as well as depreciation deductions, interest expenses and more.

Investors that are new to CRE typically prefer to partner with professionals. Since its inception, Cadre has been helping individuals navigate their first ventures into CRE through an experienced team and easy-to-use platform. Using a high-tech/high-touch approach, the firm uses proprietary models to review thousands of data points that help novice investors invest with confidence.

For many, this is a time to rethink retirement investments. To learn more about CRE and other ways to invest in your future, visit Cadre.com.

1 Source: Vanguard, Perspectives: DC Retirement analysis, 2023.

2 Source: Bank of America, Study of Wealthy Americans, 2022.

3 Source: NCREIF, First Quarter NCREIF Indices Review, 2021.

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How Business Leaders Can Prepare for a Possible Recession this Year

2023-02-17T08:01:00

(BPT) – By John Simmons, Head of Middle Market Banking & Specialized Industries, JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking & Ben Walter, CEO, Chase Business Banking

No matter their size, location or industry, businesses across the country have been hit by inflation in the last year, forcing leaders to use a variety of creative strategies to combat rising costs. While these inflationary pressures show some signs of easing, business leaders’ sentiment around recession expectations raises important questions for businesses on whether they’re prepared for the next big economic challenge.

In the JPMorgan Chase 2023 Business Leaders Outlook survey, we uncovered just how widespread inflation’s impact has been for business owners nationwide and how it and other pressures have contributed to a challenging business outlook. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of small (94%) and midsize (91%) businesses are experiencing pricing pressures that are affecting their bottom line, while the majority of small (61%) and midsize (65%) business leaders anticipate a recession some time in 2023.

The good news is that despite these expectations, most midsize (66%) and small business (72%) leaders remain upbeat about their own company’s performance, and are focused on growth, hiring plans and other elements within their control. We are encouraged by the optimism and resilience of business leaders after a tough few years, and we know that time and again their mettle has delivered the economy through lean times to propel our economy and communities forward.

As we talk with business leaders about the challenges ahead, there are three main approaches they should consider this year in their preparations for the next economic cycle:

1. Consider Non-Traditional Strategies to Combat Inflation

Small and midsize businesses have had to find ways to meet challenges brought by inflation. Traditional responses, such as raising prices on products and services, have been augmented by some non-traditional strategies. For example, nearly half of midsize businesses have made changes to their purchasing habits, including strategic stockpiling, and more than one-third have turned to automation.

Among small businesses, more than half have said honest and transparent communication with customers is a top tactic for coping with inflation. Because consumers still demonstrate a willingness to shop local, honesty and transparency can help strike the right tone to balance price increases with customer loyalty.

2. Invest in Prospective and Current Employees

The tight U.S. job market presents a challenge for small and midsize businesses; however, economic data show the worst may be behind them. More than half of small business leaders (55%) anticipate hiring full- and part-time staff and 50% of midsize business leaders expect to increase headcount in the next 12 months.

Employee retention and development — always important priorities for business owners — are emerging as even more important in the current economic environment. In fact, more than half (55%) of small business leaders cited retaining top employees as a critical factor for business survival, especially because they operate with less slack from the start.

Likewise, nearly half (43%) of midsize businesses plan to invest in talent development by offering upskilling and training opportunities that increase productivity, improve the quality of work and enhance problem-solving abilities. These programs are hugely important for small and midsize businesses looking to improve retention, limit turnover, boost morale and attract new talent.

3. Optimize Working Capital

Working capital is a key indicator of small and midsize businesses’ financial health, and maintaining it during times of economic volatility is important for long-term prospects. Despite a tough year, the majority of small (69%) and midsize (63%) businesses expect increased revenue and sales in the year ahead, making it important for them to have a corresponding capital plan.

Business leaders are optimizing working capital to finance inventory and accounts receivable through supply chain finance, which helps them move to extended payment terms with suppliers including the option to get paid earlier in their working capital cycle, and dynamic discounting, which enables owners to receive discounted prices in exchange for paying vendors early. They are also investing heavily in inventory management, reworking current debt and securing working capital financing to maintain and even grow their balance sheets.

To learn more about how JPMorgan Chase is helping business leaders build for the future, view the full Business Leaders Outlook survey results for small and midsize businesses.