Category: Culture

Ethnic cultures as newsmakers

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Business Culture Lifestyle

Inflation will fuel more small business formation in 2023

Majority of Entrepreneurs Will Maintain Current Job While Starting a Side Hustle

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Business formation continues to be at historically high levels, with concerns over cost of living and inflation motivating Americans to pursue a small business venture.

 

New research from Intuit QuickBooks shows this trend will continue in 2023 and of those survey respondents who say they plan to start a small business, two thirds (66%) indicate inflation and the need for additional income is behind their decision.

 

These findings and more are highlighted in the QuickBooks New Business Insights report, based on a recent survey of 15,200 U.S. adults commissioned by Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU), the global financial technology platform that makes QuickBooks, TurboTax, Mint, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp.

The report also uncovered several geographic trends related to business formation and where small business economic activity in the U.S. flourished in 2022 and is expected to increase in 2023:

 

  • Business formation continued to hover at a historically high level in 2022 with several states leading the pack: The states where the most residents reported starting a new business were Delaware (23%), Hawaii (22%), New Jersey (21%), Virginia (21%), and Maryland (20%).
  • These states are poised to lead the country in small business formation in 2023: The states with the highest number of residents who said they plan to start a business next year are New Jersey (42%), Florida (40%), Hawaii (40%), California (39%), Louisiana (38%), Maryland (38%), Georgia (37%), Nevada (37%), New York (37%), Delaware (37%), and South Carolina (37%).
  • While small business formation is at historically high levels, many of these new ventures will be side hustles: Creating a new small business as a side hustle is continuing to increase in popularity as people look to supplement their income amid inflation. Almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents indicated that they will continue to work for other employers at the same time as managing their new business ventures, suggesting that side hustles are increasing in popularity as people look for more income opportunities, particularly amid inflation.

 

“As we navigate the small business landscape post-pandemic, we’re seeing increased business formation as people look for new revenue sources and opportunities in a changing economy,” said Alex Chriss, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Small Business and Self-Employed Group.

 

“With an increase in small business creation, it’s imperative that we support them with the tools they need to successfully run and grow their business, especially as a majority of them lean into ecommerce, online lending solutions, and digital tools to gain customers and manage cash flow.”

 

Technology, and its ability to simplify many aspects of starting and running a business, continues to be a key driver of small business starts.

  • Technology has made it easier than ever to start a business: 45% of those surveyed indicated that the opportunities technology platforms enable is a key reason they decided to start a business.
  • E-commerce opportunities were identified as the strongest growth opportunities: 46% said that they would pursue an e-commerce business as their new business venture and 37% plan to pursue a job in the creator economy, driven by social media apps and services.
  • Accessing funding is top of mind for new business owners: While the majority of those surveyed (73%) indicated they’d use their own money or savings to start their businesses, roughly one in six (17%) said they will look to online lenders as an option, and more than one in five (23%) would consider a traditional bank.

 

This report and additional research and insights from Intuit QuickBooks are available here.

 

About Intuit

Intuit is the global financial technology platform that powers prosperity for the people and communities we serve. With more than 100 million customers worldwide using TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper. We never stop working to find new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us for the latest information about Intuit, our products and services, and find us on social.

Source: Intuit Inc.

Contacts

Intuit QuickBooks:

Dan Mahoney

Dan_Mahoney@intuit.com

Jen Garcia

Jeng@accesstheagency.com

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Culture Lifestyle Local News

Most Mercer County government offices to close for Christmas and New Year’s holidays

TRENTON, N.J. — Most Mercer County government offices and facilities will be closed Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in observance of Christmas, and Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, for New Year’s observance.

 

 

The Mercer County Clerk’s Office in Trenton and the County Connection office in Hamilton will be closed on both Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. County Connection, which is normally open Saturdays, also will be closed Dec. 24 and 31.

 

All branches of the Mercer County Library System will close at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24, and Saturday, Dec. 31, and will be closed on Dec. 25 and 26, and Jan. 1 and 2.

 

The following County offices and facilities will remain open: Trenton-Mercer Airport (except for administrative offices), Correction Center, Sheriff’s Office and the Emergency Services Communication Center.

 

Mercer County Park Commission facilities will have the following holiday hours:

 

  • TheTennis Center will be closed on Christmas Day but will be open Dec. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to noon, Dec. 31 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Jan. 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • TheSkating Center will be closed Dec. 25 but will have public sessions Dec. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 5 to 7 p.m. and 7:45 to 9:45 p.m., Jan. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3:30 p.m., and Jan. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • All fivecounty golf courses will be closed Dec. 25 but will be open Dec. 26, and Jan. 1 and 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting.
  • Mercer County Stableswill be open Dec. 24 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be closed Dec. 25 and 26, and Jan. 1 and 2.
  • TheWildlife Center will be open, by appointment only, Dec. 25 and 26 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Jan. 1 and 2 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

 

Howell Living History Farm is currently open Tuesday-Friday only, from 1 to 4 p.m., for gift shop sales and barnyard visits. (Milking demonstrations with Blizzard the cow will begin at 2 p.m.)

The farm will close for the season at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, and reopen Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, for ice harvesting.

The Tulpehaking Nature Center and. Park Commission administrative offices will be closed Dec. 25 and 26, and Jan. 1 and 2. For more information on Park Commission facilities, visit www.mercercountyparks.org

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Culture Healthcare Lifestyle Technology Travel & Leisure

Aetrex Albert 3DFit and Foot.com named CES 2023 Innovation Award Honoree

Aetrex will debut its Albert 3DFit foot scanning technology and Foot.com 3D Data Portal for retailers at Booth #54953

 

TEANECK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Named a CES 2023 Innovation Award Honoree for the second year in a row, Aetrex Inc., a global market leader in foot scanning technology and orthotics will debut the honorable mention technology, the Albert 3DFit and Foot.com Data Portal, at this year’s show from Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas.


The Albert 3DFit is Aetrex’s newest scanner. It uses four state-of-the-art Intel® RealSense™ 3D Depth Cameras to capture complete, accurate foot measurements in 10 seconds, including length, width, girth and more, all down to 1 millimeter of accuracy. The data is then converted into a 3D model of the foot, utilizing over 3.5 million data points. Once a scan is collected, Aetrex’s proprietary FitGenius™ AI platform analyzes the unique foot data to provide the best-fitting footwear recommendations by brand, style and size, helping customers find the perfect fit whether shopping in store or online.

 

The Foot.com Data Portal is a dedicated platform to help shoe manufacturers around the world create better fitting footwear. It collects and filters hundreds of thousands of unique, global, anonymous 3D foot scans from Aetrex’s Albert 3DFit and Albert 2 Pro. By arming footwear research and development teams with 3D data, the portal takes the guesswork out of footwear design, resulting in more anatomically-correct lasts. Through the website, users can easily filter and access the most accurate, complete 3D foot data broken down by gender, region, foot size and more.

 

“Online footwear sales have one of the highest return rates at 30-40%. Aetrex Technology provides retailers with a suite of solutions, including our advanced 3D foot scanners, AI footwear recommendations with our online FitGenius platform, and the new Foot.com Data Portal. With the breadth of these products, we can provide retailers and brands a variety of options to choose from to tackle today’s online fitting challenges,” said Larry Schwartz, CEO of Aetrex.

 

“Our mission is to become the world’s ultimate source for 3D foot data, helping retailers and brands around the world create better fit experiences for their customers.”

 

Aetrex is a technology-first company, operating the largest technology team in the industry with AI and computer vision engineers fully involved in product development. Since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 10-thousand-foot scanners worldwide that have completed more than 40 million unique foot scans. Aetrex partners include BOA, Burton, Marathon Sports, Sun & Ski Sports, The North Face, and more.

 

CES 2023 attendees can experience the Albert 3DFit at Aetrex’s booth and access their scan data via a QR code. Visitors who get their feet scanned will receive a 50% off coupon to purchase Aetrex Orthotics on aetrex.com. The Foot.com Data Portal will also be available for demonstration.

 

To learn more about Aetrex’s technology suite, please visit booth #54953 at CES 2023 or www.aetrex.com.

 

About Aetrex

Aetrex, Inc. is widely recognized as a global leader in foot scanning technology, orthotics and comfort and wellness footwear. Aetrex has developed state-of-the-art foot scanning devices, including Albert, Albert 2 Pro and Albert 3DFit (2022 and 2023 CES Innovation Award Honorees), Albert Pressure and iStep, designed to accurately measure feet and determine foot type and pressure points. Since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 10,000 scanners worldwide that have performed more than 40 million unique customer foot scans, currently averaging more than 2.5 million scans a year.

 

The company is renowned for its over-the-counter orthotics – the world’s #1 premium foot orthotic. With fashion, function and quality at the forefront, Aetrex also designs and manufactures stylish, performance footwear. Based in New Jersey, Aetrex is consistently named one of New Jersey’s Top 100 Privately Held Companies and was also included in NJBIZ’s Top 30 Manufacturing Companies. It has remained privately owned by the Schwartz family for three generations. For additional information, visit www.aetrex.com.

Contacts

Media
Rajira Hernandez

Matter Communications

978-225-8082

aetrex@matternow.com

Categories
Culture Education Local News Politics

Mercer historic sites getting upgrades for America’s 250th birthday

Mercer County Exec. Brian H. Hughes recently states: “I was delighted to join Gov. Phil Murphy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, other government leaders and historians at Washington Crossing State Park last week for the Governor’s announcement that in preparation for our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.”

He said, New Jersey will invest $25 million in American Rescue Plan funds toward the state’s Revolutionary War historic sites – including four that are located here in Mercer County where the “Ten Crucial Days” of the American Revolution unfolded.

 

Hughes highlights that, Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township, the Old Barracks and Battle Monument in Trenton, and Princeton Battlefield State Park are among the 10 Revolutionary War sites in the Garden State that will be revitalized for visitors to enjoy during America’s semi quincentennial anniversary and in the years to follow.

“I commend Gov. Murphy for partnering with the New Jersey Historical Commission and Crossroads of the American Revolution to restore of some of our state’s treasures and help spotlight for the rest of the country the central role that New Jersey played in America’s fight for independence,” he said.

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Business Culture Lifestyle Local News

Hughes: Support small businesses by buying local this holiday season

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes encourages residents, who are preparing to make their shopping trips this holiday season, to consider the many small businesses in Mercer, some of which may be only a short distance away.

 

“The effect on our economic development community can be significant when we decide to buy local,” the County Executive said.

 

“Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, more of that dollar spent is reinvested into the community. That particular business is more likely to purchase goods or services from local or regional businesses, and thus stimulate more economic growth.”

 

For example, he said, studies have shown that for every $100 spent at a retail chain, there is a $43 return to the community. On the other hand, for every $100 spent at a local business, there is a return of $68 to the community.

 

“I would like to thank all of our local businesses and ‘buy local’ organizations that sponsor a sports team, support a local nonprofit or donate to a specific cause or program,” he said. “Their generosity uplifts communities and positively affects people’s lives.”

 

Besides these benefits, buying local generates more local job opportunities and creates environmentally friendly practices, the County Executive said.

 

“Whether it’s visiting a nearby retail store or buying a gift card at a local restaurant, let’s all remember our independently owned businesses this holiday season and the important impact that these businesses have on our daily lives,” he said.

Categories
Culture Lifestyle

Seniors get ultimate gift at surprise holiday party with over 25,000 lights, musicians, and hundreds of visitors

Klick Health produces ‘Light The Way’ holiday video with long-term care home to help minimize loneliness among seniors during the holidays

 

TORONTO & NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The holiday season can be a lonely time for many seniors–increasingly so since the start of the pandemic–so Klick Health today released its ‘Light The Way’ holiday video to encourage people to “be the light in someone’s day.” The sentimental three-minute holiday production was created in partnership with the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care (TSCVC) and shines a spotlight on the power of community and connection.


Set to original, new music by singer/songwriter Taylor Ashton, ‘Light The Way’ provides a heartwarming glimpse inside the non-profit long-term care home as Klicksters work outside to surprise residents with a larger-than-life holiday celebration. In the video, hundreds of family, friends, Klicksters, and community members turn up in droves for the event, featuring over 25,000 lights, a giant Santa throne and other festive decor, live entertainment, and hot cocoa.

 

“We are grateful to everyone at the Tony Stacey Centre for collaborating with us to bring to life such an important story,” said Chief Creative Officer Rich Levy. “Making this video has been a labor of love that has brought together the expertise of so many Klick crafts–from creative and production, to medical, events & experience, and more–all to bring joy and togetherness to an often overlooked community.”

 

According to the TSCVC, 75 percent of its residents don’t receive any visitors during the holiday season. Recently published research in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death by 30 percent. For many seniors, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only made loneliness worse, and the holidays can be an especially difficult time.

 

Raising funds and awareness for long-term care homes

Klick’s Chief People Officer Glenn Zujew said, “We’ve been creating annual holiday videos to help spread festive cheer and give back to communities for over a decade, but this one is extra special. There’s a beautiful and tender emotionality to ‘Light The Way’ that we hope resonates around the world, and reminds everyone that human connection is the ultimate holiday gift.”

 

‘Light The Way’ also supports TSCVC’s ongoing fundraising efforts, with Klick donating $1 for each of the video’s first 10,000 YouTube views to the Toronto long-term care home, which has launched a fundraising campaign to redevelop its aging building. The company is also supporting a New Jersey-based long-term care home, sending homemade holiday cards to its residents and adding the care residence to its internal Klick it Forward charitable giving platform for the month of December, so Klicksters can direct the donation dollars they receive there.

 

In past years, Klick’s holiday videos have inspired millions of people with themes of kindness, empathy, and creativity. Last year, the company gave hundreds of its team members each a $100 bill with the simple directive to use it to ‘Spread Joy.’ Its popular 2020 ‘When Nobody’s Watching’ animated video received almost five million YouTube views, while its 2019 ‘Kindness is Contagious’ production received six million views and won a Webby Award. In 2019, the CW Network featured Klick’s ‘Epic Office Holiday Remix with Andrew Huang’ on its ‘Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown’ show.

 

Klick’s ‘Light The Way’ holiday video can be viewed, liked, and shared on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjoytc_KoMQ.

 

About Klick Health

Klick Health is the world’s largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences. For over 25 years, Klick has been laser-focused on developing, launching, and supporting life sciences brands to maximize their full market potential as a core commercialization partner. Klick recently ranked #1 on Medical Marketing + Media (MM+M) magazine’s Agency 100 list for the fifth straight year and was named an MM+M Large Agency of the Year for both 2020 and 2021, marking 10 Agency of the Year industry awards in 11 years. Follow Klick Health on LinkedIn and for more information on joining Klick, go to careers.klick.com.

 

About Klick Group

The Klick Group of companies–Klick Health (including Klick Katalyst), Klick Media Group, Klick Applied Sciences (including Klick Labs), Klick Consulting, Klick Ventures, and Sensei Labs–is an ecosystem of brilliant talent collectively working to maximize their people’s and clients’ full potential. Established in 1997, Klick has teams across North America, with offices in New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto, and is opening global offices in Basel, Buenos Aires, London, Munich, Paris, Singapore, São Paulo, and Tokyo. Klick has consistently been named a Best Managed Company and Great Place to Work. In 2021, the company was recognized with 15 Best Workplace awards, including Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces for Inclusion, Best Workplaces for Giving Back, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and FORTUNE’s Best Workplaces for Millennials.

Contacts

For media inquiries:
Marisa McWilliams, Senior Manager, Communications, Klick Health

Email: pr@klick.com
Phone: 862-335-8165

Amanda Ferguson, Manager, Communications, Klick Health

Email: pr@klick.com
Phone: 416-214-4977

Categories
Culture Education Healthcare Lifestyle Local News

Amid Prez Biden’s cannabis possession pardons, students and faculty from a leading NJ public health program educate state-wide organizations on decriminalization

TCNJ’s public health program educates community groups and municipal organizations across NJ about decriminalization.

Decriminalizing drugs as a harm-reduction approach is an evidence-based public health strategy…

Dr. Natasha Patterson, Assistant Professor of Public Health, TCNJ

EWING, N.J. — In early October, President Biden announced pardons for thousands of people convicted of federal cannabis possession charges.

The move comes after decades of what many call a failed war on drugs and a snowballing opioid addiction crisis throughout the U.S.

With 2022 setting a grim record of 3,000 overdose deaths so far in New Jersey, public health students and faculty in the newly rebranded School of Nursing and Health Sciences (SNHS) at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) educate state-wide law enforcement and community organizations about treating addiction as an illness — not a crime.

Partnering with theOpen Society Foundations, TCNJ faculty members Dr. Natasha Patterson, Assistant Professor ofPublic Health, Dr. Michael Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Criminology and African American studies, and Dr. Sandy Gibson, Professor and Clinical Coordinator in Counselor Education, brief key community stakeholders on the repercussions the war on drugs has had on health systems, the criminal justice system and other critical sectors of society.

“Decriminalizing drugs as a harm-reduction approach is an evidence-based public health strategy and the first step in correcting a wrong that has been in place since the beginning of the war on drugs,” Dr. Patterson explains.

Concluding in December 2022, Dr. Patterson plans on drawing from the state-wide decriminalization workshops, as well as another research project focused on harm reduction awareness among peer recover specialists and patient navigators, to establish a five-course harm reduction certificate for students and community members.

Former graduate student, Jordyn Block, Class of 2021, helped organize these workshops with TCNJ faculty.

She reflects on her experience, explaining, “As a grad student, I applaud the work being done to educate others on the benefits of decriminalization. It’s opening up conversations that we should have had long ago, and giving individuals an opportunity to be honest about how they feel on the subject. In my opinion, it was not many years ago that these conversations were only spoken about behind closed doors. Let’s continue to discuss these issues, because they benefit not only me, as a student, but the generations before and after me.”

Discussing the nation’s current approach to opioid addiction, Dr. Michael Mitchell says, “Despite the implementation of harm reduction strategies to help prevent drug overdoses, its practice is not universally accepted. In the U.S., our established drug policies are still largely politically driven rather than informed by empirical evidence.”

And explaining how the decriminalization workshops have been received by community groups, Dr. Sandy Gibson, remarks, “Too often, people are unaware of the history of our drug policy or the racial discrepancy with which it is policed today. If you ask people if they care about someone who uses drugs, almost everyone says yes. If you ask them if they believe this person they care about belongs in a cage for years, or even decades, the answer is always no.”

TCNJ’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Dean Carole Kenner explains, “Our faculty and students continue to embody scholarship in action, bringing innovative ideas and cutting-edge research beyond the borders of the College. We stay committed to using our scholar-mentorship model to not only deliver top-of-class education, but to help communities across New Jersey.”

 

The school rebranded in 2022 to reflect its robust and diverse, cross-disciplinary health science curricula.

TCNJ’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences educates aspiring health professionals to become future leaders across the healthcare industry. Faculty work closely with local healthcare partners to provide students with applicative skills and foundational knowledge. The nationally acclaimed school is dedicated to preparing individuals — through programs in nursing, public health, exercise science, and physical education teaching — for the many rewards of guiding people, communities, and populations toward improved health outcomes. The School is nationally recognized as a Healthy People 2030 Champion.

Contact Information

Crothers Consulting | info@crothersconsulting.co | (800) 831-3840

Source: TCNJ School of Nursing and Health Sciences

Categories
Culture Local News Regulations & Security

Mercer County receives ‘We Value Our Veterans’ Governor’s award

Mercer County Exec. Brian M. Hughes announced that Mercer County has been recognized as a Veteran-friendly community by the State of New Jersey.

 

Mercer County Veteran Services, which is led by Division Chief Medina Wilson, was presented with the New Jersey’s Governor “We Value Our Veterans” Community Award during the State Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11 at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel.

The Community Award recognizes communities that honor the sacrifices, patriotism, and bravery of New Jersey service members.

 

To learn what goes on behind the scenes at Mercer County Veteran Services, led by Chief Medina Wilson, watch our video! 

 

Check out our other videos on the Mercer County, NJ YouTube Channel. 

Categories
Culture Local Events

Area events include ice-skating through winter 2022-23

Lace up your skates!

 

The Mercer County Skating Center, located in Mercer County Park in West Windsor, is open for the 2022-2023 season. Find the complete public skating schedule, as well information on skating lessons and private parties, here or call 609-371-1766.

Also, remember Pearl Harbor Day

Categories
Culture Local News Politics

Gen. George Washington and his Continental Army famously cross the Delaware River  Dec. 25-26, 1776

One of the most famous American paintings shows Washington and his army crossing the Delaware River.

 

Painted in Dusseldorf, Germany, Washington Crossing the Delaware shows a bold General Washington navigating through the frozen river with his compatriots braving the elements on their way to victory at Trenton.

 

While the painting was in Germany, Leutze hoped that this brave episode in pursuit of American independence and republican rule would stir his fellow countrymen to more liberal reforms. In the fall of 1851, the painting was shipped to the United States where it wowed audiences in New York City and the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. The New York Evening Mirror boldly called it “the grandest, most majestic, and most effective painting ever exhibited in America.”

Painted in 1851 by German artist Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware became a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Leutze went to great lengths to make his portrait accurate, but even his efforts still left many inaccuracies in place. Nevertheless, the 12’ 5” by 21’ 3” (3.8m x 6.5m) painting stirred the patriotic emotions of countless Americans who have seen the painting, which now is on display in the American Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

Source: Washington Crossing the Delaware: Restoring an American Masterpiece. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.