Author: Eliza

Economic indicators and recent interest rate hikes have sent mixed messages about short-term expectations around inflation and the likelihood of a recession.

Continued slow downs in hours worked and employees working at small businesses have diverged from prior years, likely a result of decline in holiday spending.

In the past quarter, interest rate hikes and economic indicators on inflation and employment have led to widespread speculation that a recession is to be expected in 2023. To understand how the broader economic environment has impacted small businesses and their employees during the 2022 holiday season, we analyzed behavioral data from more than two million employees working at more than one hundred thousand SMBs.

Summary of findings: Homebase high-frequency timesheet data indicate continued slowdown in hours worked and employees working across most industries and major metro areas.

• Our key Main Street Health Metrics — hours worked and employees working — have

As remote work becomes more common, it can be difficult for employees to separate their work lives from their personal lives, especially if they’re using their personal devices and phone numbers for work calls.
Businesses looking to improve how their employees make and receive work calls may begin researching for a business phone app. These apps allow users to have separate phone numbers, known as virtual phone numbers, that are used solely for business communications.
Your virtual phone number can be accessed via a mobile or desktop app, and calls can be taken in the office or on-the-go without interruption. These numbers are also easy to set up and more lines can be added as your business grows.
To help you choose the right option for your business needs, we’ve compiled the top 10 business phone app options on the market today.

Top 10 business phone apps

1. Nextiva
2. Sideline

 / Domo + Jupyter for the Window Into App Sentiment

Use these low-cost and no-cost ways to lower your heating bill, regardless of your heat source. Read on if you’d like to save 20% or more on your heating bills this winter.

The cost of heating your home — and your home office — could put a huge hole in your budget this winter whether you heat with oil, gas, or electric. Even if you get the best price for heating oil in your area, for instance, you might need to spend more than $5,000 to keep your home warm.

But there are steps you can take to potentially save you 20% or more on heating costs when those penetrating arctic winds start to blow. For those on limited budgets, there are many ways to lower heating bills that don’t cost a dime. There are also weatherization applications that require anywhere from a small to middling investment of cash, yet