Finance + Legal Services

Next Year Starts Now. Why Every Small Business Owner Needs a Budget.

Budget is one of those words that makes small business owners uncomfortable. It sounds corporate. It sounds like extra work. It sounds like something you build once and ignore when reality does not cooperate.None of that is true when it is done right. A budget is simply your best thinking, written down, about what the next 12 months should look like. And for a small business owner trying to stop reacting to financial problems and start planning ahead, it is the most valuable document you will...

Life + Culture

Nonprofit of the Month

The TWU Career Boutique: An Investment in Student Success Article by Nicole A. Sonkur, M.S., CCSP | Photography by Courtesy of TWU Career Boutique Imagine stepping into your dream job interview knowing that you look like a million bucks without having spent a single dime getting there. That’s the reality for students at Texas Woman’s University (TWU), where becoming interview ready goes beyond basic resume advice. At the TWU Career Boutique, housed in the Career Connections Center, students...

Life + Culture

First Responders of the Month

Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 Provides More than Medical Care Article by Valerie Merrick | Photography by Courtesy of Denton ESD Recently, Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 went above and beyond for a local resident. Capital Joshua Esquivel recalls, “We were at the station when a community member walked in and asked if we could check her vital signs because she wasn't feeling well. As we do with any walk-in medical call, we notified Denton County Dispatch and...

Home + Design

Fall Décor

From Heirloom Pumpkins to Garden Roses, Natural Textures and Layering Create a Cozy Autumn Retreat Article by Jessica Crandall Lawrence | Photography by Savanna Romano “And, all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” Oscar Wilde once penned these sentimental words that so aptly describe this late summer season. The beautiful surrender of nature that occurs in September will soon give way to deep fall colors and fascinating textures. From fallen pinecones to prickly straw bales, the outside...

Beauty

Time To Shine

Beauty starts inside. When we love ourselves, we care for ourselves. Inner Radiance Wellness and Aesthetics brings intention toward finding your own inner radiance. Article by Ken G. Crawford | Photography by TinTin Wynn Photography & Films What does it mean to live a “good life”? Theologians, philosophers, and artists have chased this question for eons. Two foundational questions are “What do I want for my own life?” and “What impact do I want to have in the world?” In this new chapter of her...

Home + Design

Make It Durable, Make It Different

The Perfect Flooring Solution for Stylish Interiors Article by Valerie Merrick Flooring is a major part of any home and living space. From children crawling around to a family game of Twister or a retiree using assistive walking devices, home flooring supports every step at home. Sometimes flooring obviously needs a change, such as after an appliance flood. Other times, flooring simply becomes outdated as colors and styles shift. Choosing flooring is a big decision, both because of how visible...

Shopping

Workin’ It

Young Professional Fashion Fit for the Perfect Pitch to the Happiest Hour Article by Roxanne Carne | Photography by Adeline Merrick: Merrick Multimedia Call it the One-Piece Rule: one of this fall's most popular fashion trends, and also the smartest way to get dressed while somehow still being the simplest. Instead of piecing together five brand-new looks from scratch, real style now hinges on a single, deliberate anchor - one bold piece, worn with confidence, everything else kept quiet around...

Finance + Legal Services

Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?

If you ask most small business owners what they spend their time on, the answer sounds productive: serving clients, managing staff, handling operations, solving the problems that show up every day. All of that is necessary. But it describes working in your business - not on it.The distinction matters more than most owners realize, and it tends to become most visible at the moments when growth stalls, margins erode, or the owner simply cannot take a week off without the business wobbling.What Is...

Arts + Culture

Parents: How to Stand Tall This Fall

The school bell may signal the end of the school day, but for many families, it begins the busiest part of the day. Between homework, dinner, sports, music lessons, theatre classes, art classes, and everything else on the family calendar, the hours between school and bedtime can quickly become overwhelming. But with a little intention, those same after-school hours can become some of the most meaningful moments in a child’s week.A healthy after-school routine does not have to be complicated. I...

Finance + Legal Services

Non-Compliance Is a Financial Risk. Most Small Business Owners Don't See It Coming.

Most small business owners think about compliance the way they think about traffic tickets -- an annoyance that happens to other people, and only when you are seriously out of line. The reality is different. Compliance violations -- particularly in labor law, tax classification, and workplace standards -- are among the most common and costly financial surprises a small business can face.And unlike a slow quarter or a lost client, a compliance issue does not announce itself in advance.What Does...