By Scott Bushkie / Guest Column
Private equity gets a bad rap. There’s this view of PE firms as takeover groups who will buy your business, break it into pieces and sell off the parts.

By Betsy McCloskey / Guest Column
Public relations planning can be a beast to tack­le, and unfortunately, many companies don’t put in the time or effort needed to take their marketing to another level. If you have not taken a piece of your marketing mix to create an effective PR plan, it would be in your company’s best interest to start now.

By Gale Mote / Guest Column
Generating innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges and opportunities we encounter in our work requires healthy, productive con­flict. It’s good that we do not all see things the same way and that we can challenge one anoth­er’s points of view.

By Joe Sheller / Media Column
I am a fan of election year political debates — not because they are all that entertaining, but because they provide an important venue for voters to see candidates and get beyond the attack ads.

By Sherry Bonelli / Guest Column
Nearly one-third of the world uses social networks regularly. If your business isn’t actively involved in social media, you’re missing out. Chances are you’re on Facebook, but have you considered the importance of Twitter to your business?

By Greg Dardis / Guest Column
I try to learn from the best minds, and Jeff Bezos, the 54-year-old founder of Amazon, certainly qualifies. In his latest letter to shareholders, Bezos shared a business practice that may surprise you.

By Stacey Hanke / Guest Column
Make a great first impression by considering your handshake and what it says about you, and avoid these seven types of handshakes that will hurt your influence with others.

By Sean Williams / Guest Editorial 
With a few exceptions, the hospitals in Iowa are community hospitals. They serve the areas where they are located and are accessible, convenient and typically a major local employer.

By Lynn Manternach / Guest Column
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a CEO, an en­try-level employee or somewhere in between, your personal brand has the potential to add val­ue to your organization’s brand. In fact, there’s often a very fine line between a company’s brand and those of its leadership and teams.

By Joe Sheller / Media Column
In the Corridor, we are seeing significant shifts in how politicians and political parties are interfacing with and influencing the media. Here are five trends to watch this election cycle.