President-elect Joe Biden's proposal to more than double the federal minimum wage would provide an urgently needed pay hike to millions of low-income workers and help stem inequality in the U.S., economists and labor advocates said.   CBS News, Jan. 16, 2021   In detailing his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal on Thursday, Mr. Biden called for raising the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, saying, "No one working 40 hours a week should still be below the poverty line."   A fatter paycheck could help many Americans regain their financial footing during the ongoing recovery, including "essential" workers such as grocery clerks and home health...

If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that we are not only all in this together, but that to thrive, we have to work together and look out for each other. Sounds right. Now, add to the mix the fact that your business needs to make a profit. This is where it could get a little dicey. If we are looking out for and supporting one another, then what should that profit look like?   According to an article on pricing, published in Inc. and written by Elizabeth Masserman, when determining what to charge for a product or service, there are three...

“Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.” William Penn   The average native English speaking person has a vocabulary of 20,000 words. The average college graduate has about 40,000 words in their lexicon. If taken as a whole, the average person in the U.S. has between 20,000 and 35,000 words at their disposal. Even with all these words available, 95% of common speech and media usage only encompasses 3000 words. Of all the words that come out of our mouths, 95% of them come from...

Help is on the way but cities and towns are left out   The good news is that the relief package has been signed. The bad news is that it falls short of what is needed and does not provide aid to cities and towns. The long range ramifications of this shortcoming are of course yet to be realized, but will leave local and state authorities scrambling for ways to either raise additional revenue or cut services. Most likely both. The small business community, which is already heavily taxed and reliant on local services will be particularly hard hit by whatever steps will...

The ASN offices will close Dec. 24 at 3:00 pm and re-open Dec. 28.   We will close at 3:00 pm on Dec. 31 and re-open on Jan. 4, 2021!     Have a safe and healthy holiday takes on a whole need meaning this year. ASN is proud to have helped our clients and friends weather the storm that was 2020 and we are looking forward to partnering with you for a resurgent 2021!