Biz Blog

What works in dating works in business

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:34:03 +0000

As is the case with all of us in these crazy little things, the biggest cause of all those little tiffs in my relationship happens to be a great source of personal enjoyment. Networking is great. I love it, but of course, it also means less time at home.

How much should you be paid, or be paying your employees?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:07:11 +0000

It might be uncouth to ask how much someone makes �?? but we�??re asking anyway.

We want to know how much you and your employees make. Richmond BizSense has partnered with the Titan Group, a local human resources consulting firm, to collect the data. You can fill out a survey by downloading the form here.

Strip Club hangs banner protesting baseball stadium

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:09:31 +0000

It seems the owner of Velvet is not in favor the baseball stadium proposal for Shockoe Bottom.

BizSense has heard �?? but not confirmed �?? that the owner of the property received a ticket for violating zoning restrictions.

Miller and Rhoads sign gets a bath

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:28:45 +0000

On Friday the sign on the Miller and Rhoads project downtown got a facelift.

How much does CarMax spend to get on Fortune's list of top 100 companies to work for?

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:31:48 +0000

I'd be curious how much energy and money CarMax spends to get itself on Fortune's list of the Top 100 Companies to work for.

This year, CarMax was No. 31 which put behind Bingham McCutchen but ahead of The Container Store. If there are any PR professionals reading out there -- what sort of effort do you think they put in to garner this kind of recognition.

And for the HR folks in BizSense Nation, how valuable is the designation for hiring employees?

Businesses Open At West Broad Village

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:03:05 +0000

Two new businesses opened their doors over the past few days in the West Broad Village complex at Short Pump.

New-to-Richmond chain Kona Grill, known for its steak and sushi, opened across from Whole Foods Market on Thursday night. Free valet parking was being offered at the time of opening, likely a result of the limited parking availability as construction continues on the other nearby buildings in the mixed-use development. Ukrop�??s-owned First Market Bank also opened a branch location on Friday, adjacent to Kona Grill.

Trevor Dickerson edits Downtown Shortpump.com and contributes business news stories to BizSense.

Op/Ed: Bottom Falls Out of Baseball Plan

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:19:37 +0000

Op/Ed by Brian Glass: From the outset I have said that there is no documented evidence that stadiums are economic generators.

Real estate lawyer leaves Richmond firm for North Carolina

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:12:03 +0000

Elaine R. Jordan, a shareholder of the law firm Sands Anderson Marks & Miller, has left Richmond for a job with the Coastal Companies of North Carolina.

In a news release, Jordan said, �??This opportunity developed from the close working relationship that I and the firm have built with Coastal over the past years.�??

�??I am excited to take on the full range of legal and business issues that a large real estate conglomerate such as Coastal must deal with, and am counting on Sands Anderson to provide necessary support.�??

Jordan went to law school at the University of Virginia.

Job lines outside Red Lobster

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:15:37 +0000

Yesterday I got a strong dose of what a rapidly-rising unemployment rate looks like.

For more than three hours, job hunters gathered outside a Red Lobster in Eastern Henrico.

Yesterday morning I drove past the new Red Lobster on Laburnum Ave, which is at the White Oak Village development. There were at least 30 people waiting in a line outside.

Thursday was the first day the restaurant is accepting in-person job applications. The restaurant plan on opening in February. I might add that the restaurant is around the corner (as much as anything can be around a corner in a brand new shopping center) from a Circuit City.

When I drove past again at 1:30 p.m., which is when I snapped the photo, there were still a handful of people waiting outside.

Am I misinterpreting this?

Trading on tight times

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:31:34 +0000

With fewer paying customers, businesses are turning to trades to keep busy and reduce spending.