It is hard to remember life before ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft arrived, but it was practically impossible to hail a cab outside of major metropolitan areas. Now the presence of these app-based services is a given, with nearly 4 million drivers in 700 towns and cities around the world. There is, however, ongoing tension between the contract employee drivers and the companies they work for.
Rideshare drivers announce one-day strike
New strategy for saving sagebrush habitats
Federal officials at the Bureau of Land Management and the Forestry Service announced that they had come up with a plan to save sagebrush habitats in Western states. The 248-page report balances the needs of cattle ranchers, recreation usage as well as 350 species of animals. The document also reputes to be a paradigm shift in reducing invasive species of plants and brush fires in the Sagebrush Steppe throughout the west, which includes Eastern California.
The #MeToo movement and severance packages
The #MeToo movement has undoubtedly impacted the lives of celebrities and athletes or those that work with them, but it also affects business culture in other fields as well. This means that codes of conduct at restaurants and manufacturing facilities have changed (or need to). It can also mean changes for executives who are used to large severance packages when they leave. Severance agreements should now have much more detailed language based on those codes of conduct.
The twists and turns of State Farm's $250 million class action
State Farm Insurance settled a class action lawsuit brought by 4.7 million customers. The plaintiffs alleged that the carrier, which is the largest property casualty insurance company in the country, cheated its customers by using substandard motor vehicle replacement parts. In a years-long case that seemed more like a fictional legal thriller instead of real life, State Farm opted to settle outside of court for a total of $250 million.
CorePower Yoga faces more labor issues
Yoga studios use a variety of business models. Typically, these vary between a teacher renting a room somewhere to a small business partnership to a non-profit. Generally, the vibe is a crunchy mix of positivity, community, exercise and spiritual growth. Called the Starbucks’s of yoga with over 200 studios across the U.S., CorePower Yoga is a different model altogether. It has also faced three federal lawsuits in recent years with over $3 million in settlements without admitting liability.
Business formation is a journey that goes beyond having an idea
Starting a business and being your own boss may seem like a dream come true. However, it is important to remember that you will have a lot of work ahead of you, with much taking place before you even get your business up and running. Your big idea may act as a motivating factor, but you need more than just an idea in order to succeed in the business world.
