Gallup: Job Creation Index Down for 2nd Month
Gallup's Job Creation Index fell to +13 in August, down from +14 in July and +15 in June. Net new hiring is at about the level it was during the recession of late 2008.   Link to Source    

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index
The Index of Small Business Optimism fell 0.9 points in July to 89.9. Though the declines were modest, this was the 5th monthly decline in a row.    Link to Source  

Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI)
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index was -0.06 in July, up from -0.38 in June.   Link to Source     

Family Business Succession Part 3: Celebrate the Past and Visualize Your Successful Future

The goal of positioning a family business for ongoing success should be to win for the business and win for the individual family members. This win-win is possible, but to achieve it you have to watch the immediate trail and at the same time create a vision for the big picture. Family succession planning can be a thrilling and rewarding process if indeed the organization can avoid the overriding issues such as avoidance and lack of proper estate planning.

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Revenue and Relationships
by Blain Wease, Regional Managing Principal

Does your company rely on relationships to generate revenue? If you said yes, you are in good company, because the majority of our economy is tied to the skill of being able to connect with others. Once you develop a reputation for serving the needs and desires of others, regardless of the short-term financial benefit to you, you will become a trusted, credible and likable person in the marketplace. With the wind of this reputation at your back, you will find your self with a considerable advantage over a competitive company that approaches the marketplace in a self-centered manner, the majority of the time.

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