The Pillar Award for Community Service was developed by Smart Business to honor businesses and individuals dedicated to making Northeast Ohio a better place to live. The program is designed to ...

Before the pandemic reshaped the workplace, my leadership philosophy was guided by a simple acronym: MBWA — Management by Walking Around. At its core, MBWA is about stepping out of your office and ...

In the hypercompetitive world of M&A, talent is the ultimate key to success today and well into the future. The Smart Business Dealmakers Rising Stars program recognizes the industry’s most promising ...

In today’s M&A environment, diligence has become more demanding than ever. Buyers are increasingly sophisticated, lenders are more cautious and regulators are applying greater scrutiny across ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the M&A landscape, improving execution speed, accuracy and analytical depth. As dealmaking becomes increasingly complex and data-intensive, AI’s adoption is ...

When an interviewee walks in, looking to land a job with our companies or organizations, we expect them to have a vision for their future. What are their ambitions? What goals have they set for ...

Business owners typically establish buy-sell agreements early in the life of the company to prepare for the eventual death of a partner. These common agreements include clauses that delineate how the ...

Employee motivation is at its lowest point in years. According to Gallup’s 2024 report, only 31 percent of U.S. employees are engaged in the workplace, marking the lowest engagement level since 2014.

There’s a strong chance that every business will face a lawsuit. These can stem from a handshake deal turned sour, poorly drafted contracts, unforeseen events, or a failure to maintain complete books ...

Some aviators may argue that Flexjet’s ultra-modern fleet of nearly 300 luxury aircraft is key to the company’s exponential growth. Others credit its team, including more than 1,100 experienced pilots ...

In this column’s headline, an enigmatic yet whimsical old Polish proverb proclaims that if something negative occurred within your organization and you didn’t cause it, it’s not your problem. Savvy ...

The SECURE Act, originally passed in 2019, has seen its provisions roll out and take effect in the years since. With the last of its provisions becoming law in 2025, employers should be aware of, and ...