On Friday, February 3, 2023, the State of Missouri officially joined 20 other US States and the District of Columbia as Recreational Marijuana sales began throughout the state. For businesses with employees this may mean a need to review your policies, procedures, and HR practices to ensure your in compliance and prepared.

The retail shopping landscape is a constantly changing and evolving practice. The next trend may mean new opportunities for small and niche businesses as consumers want the direct shopping experience in a digital way through Live Commerce.

A proposed $860 Million dollar investment to expand I-70 was the main headline following Governor Parson’s State of the State Address last Wednesday.

Staffing shortages, steady and growing business activity and the need to do more with less. This is a common topic of discussion among business owners and manager. As you do you best to manage expectations and get the most out of your team, watch out for the management pitfall that is “Performance Punishment.”

Business has always been impacted and many times enhanced with the advance of technology. As digital technology advances continue at a rapid pace, new innovations in areas like Artificial Intelligence or AI can mean new opportunities and even threats to business as usual.

2022 is a wrap and 2023 is ready to begin. Looking forward to the new year ahead now is a wonderful time for business owners and leaders to think about New Year’s Resolutions.

The November jobs reports shows a year over year decrease in unemployment including a slight increase Total employment for the Cape Girardeau MSA. On the surface those numbers look good but a look at the total Civilian Labor Force tells a more important story.

Apprenticeships are proven to be beneficial for both employers and workers. As workforce challenges continue to face our region, it is critical that we explore opportunities like apprenticeships to help solve those challenges.

This Saturday, December 17, 2022, Southeast Missouri State will hold it’s fall commencement with just over 1,000 students expected to complete their degrees and move into the workforce. We have talked many times about the impact that students have on the local and regional economy but today we will focus on the students as they become Alumni.

With over 19,000 International students enrolled in Missouri a recent report from NAFSA: Association of International Educators calculated that they bring with them a financial contribution of $621.3 Million dollars supporting some 6,416 jobs statewide