Bill Comes Due

Employers' Unemployment Tax Going Up Sharply

Connecticut employers are facing a barrage of unemployment insurance tax hikes that could boost employer costs by more than 50 percent over the next few years.

Kaman Leads Race To Supply Pilotless Copters

Deal could restart assembly line in Bloomfield

Kaman Aerospace has moved months ahead of rivals seeking a share of the Pentagon’s multi-billion-dollar budget for pilotless helicopters to supply battlefield units.

State’s Shared Work Plan Softens Impact Of Cutbacks

Businesses facing the prospect of having to lay off valuable employees have an ally in a state program that’s being hailed as both “brilliant” and “a life-saver.”

Creative Deal Allows School To Flip Switch On Solar Power

A private girls’ high school in Middlebury flipped the switch last month on a 520-panel solar power system that will save on the school’s annual utility bill.

Goodwin College President Honored For Gift

Mark Scheinberg, President, Goodwin College

Goodwin College President Mark Scheinberg talks about his International Legacy Honor and the value of flexibility at 21st century colleges.

Business ‘Doctor’ Finds Rewards In Helping Firms Make Right Hires

John Birch says he can sit down with an employee for just a few minutes and know whether they’re cut out for a job in a cubicle or on the open road.

Guiding ‘Clevers’ Takes Special Care

“Clever — Leading Your Smartest, Most Creative People” by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, Harvard Business Press, $26.

Connecticut Banks Return To Black In 2009

Although 15 of Connecticut’s 55 federally insured banks were unprofitable in 2009, earnings for the industry soared last year overall compared to a dismal 2008.

East Lyme’s Public Works Move

The town of East Lyme has paid $1.5 million to purchase the former JY Sailboat manufacturing facility as the new home for the town’s public works department.

Salute Restaurant Opens Downtown

Downtown Hartford officially has a new restaurant.

Advice To Job-Seekers: Use Your Head To Open Doors

In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared our national economic agenda “begins with jobs.” So does mine. I’m dedicating myself to a 30-day, nationwide tour to launch my newest book Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You.

Margaritas Plans Expansion To Hartford

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is eyeing Greater Hartford for expansion as it unveils its new franchising strategy.

New York Tax Prep Franchiser Eyes Hartford Market

While many businesses are slowing down due to the rocky economic climate, Smart Tax, a tax preparation franchise concept founded in 2006 by financial whiz Nick Rizzi, is just starting to speed up.

Morrissey Comes Back To Area To Be Closer To His Family

Twelve years studying and working in Delaware was enough for Ryan R. Morrissey. It was time for him to return to Greater Hartford to be close to his family and continue his career. He has joined NorthStar Wealth Parnters, a wealth management firm in the West Hartford area, as a wealth advisor.

The Arc Of Connecticut

Mission: The Arc of Connecticut is committed to protecting the rights of people with intellectual disabilities and related developmental disabilities and to promoting opportunities for their full inclusion in the life of their communities.

Urban League Receives $20,000 Grant From Citizens Bank

The Urban League of Greater Hartford has received a $20,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation to support the organization’s successful financial education and foreclosure prevention programs.

Unemployment Levy Isn’t Place To Battle

Anyone who has watched the political process work knows that odd juxtapositions are just one of the amusing and healthy parts of the game.

Marketers Using Numbers That Confuse Our Senses

Perhaps the most peculiar, mystical, odd piece of the marketing game is pricing.

Changes Adding Value To Engage HBJ Readers

Change is hard. Yet it’s coming at us faster and faster every day.

It’s Time For State To Help Small Businesses Succeed

Political leaders in Hartford have stated that their top priority in 2010 is improving the business climate in Connecticut and making it easier and more profitable for small businesses to grow and create jobs. This is a laudable goal, and the statistics bear out why helping small business could give our economy a major boost.