Mike Figliuolo, the founder of Thought Leaders, was a tough guy. A former US army platoon leader. An entrepreneur. A certified Master Fitness Trainer. Not exactly the type of person you would expect to have a heart attack at 43. Despite all his accomplishments, Figliuolo learned one important lesson: he wasn’t making time for his … Continued

Who would have thought that physical contact between humans would become a major obstacle to running a business.  Yet, this is the reality in 2020. The dangers of COVID-19 changed the way people live, work, and do business. Perhaps not just for the time being, but for the long run. The home office switch was … Continued

When COVID-19 struck and the government issued a mandatory quarantine, no one could have predicted or prepared for the financial and economic consequences. It’s been almost two months since then, and businesses are still closed or struggling to stay open.  HelpSquad, along with our sister companies LiveHelpNow and Insane Lab, sprung into action as soon … Continued

Concert tickets are expensive, and the price of music festival passes can be downright offensive. Not to mention, all the planning and spending that comes along with attending a multi-day event – transportation, accommodations, and time off from work. It’s a hassle and a big investment. But, in the end, millions of people just like … Continued

Who are we? Customers! What do we want? Answers! When do we want them? Now! While there may not be an actual customer rally, that’s the gist of it. Customers today are not a patient folk, especially when it comes to online interactions. Studies show that a website only has about eight seconds to impress … Continued

Small business reopening has been on everyone’s mind as the United States nears the second month of COVID-19 quarantine.  With some states lifting restrictions and others preparing to do so in the near future, small business owners everywhere ponder on reopenings. Safety of operations and financial viability become major issues in all cases as the … Continued

Who wouldn’t love to get away right now? Hell…at this point, who wouldn’t love to simply get out of the house? Sadly, it appears many Americans will be forced to remain housebound for the foreseeable future. As of Tuesday, May 5th, 65% of America’s population, roughly 214 million people, remained under some form of lockdown. … Continued

Lowen Anders loved her job. For six years, Lowen worked as a freelance contractor for an architecture firm that valued sustainability and the overall health of the environment. As part of her contract, the firm offered her a comfortable salary and health benefits. Because offering freelance employees health insurance benefits wasn’t required, Lowen knew how … Continued

From online interviews to working from home from the start. This is what employers need to know. Even under traditional circumstances, interviewing and hiring can be a rigorous process. But, in an increasingly digital world, many management teams have decided to go virtual.   Unfortunately, this doesn’t change the fact that there are still resumes to … Continued

Virtual business communications have a longer history than one may realize.  Pre-colonial Native American tribes used smoke signals to deliver messages. Europeans transmitted information between cities using a visual telegraphy system in the late 18th century. And once Samuel Morse patented the telegraph in 1844, the virtual communications rapidly gained speed on the information-sharing highway.  … Continued