Minju Park

Latest Stories (40)

Why some companies are cutting back the 40-hour workweek

Oct 5, 2021
As workers struggle with burnout during the pandemic, some employers are testing a four-day week to combat overwork and lift morale.
Abigail Marks, professor of the future of work at Newcastle University, worries that some employers will "try and force five days’ work into four days."
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

Owner of child care center hopeful about rebounding from pandemic setbacks

Sep 30, 2021
Milli Pintacsi's child care operation was expanding, and enrollment had reached full capacity. Then the pandemic shut down the business.
Milli Pintacsi, owner of Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool in Napa, California, with her children. "This is our family business," she says. "It feels like we can't fail — we have to make it.”
Courtesy Milli Pintacsi

For this British travel agency, furloughs offered a lifeline

Sep 24, 2021
As the United Kingdom's furlough program comes to an end, travel agent Claire Moore faces tough decisions on how to bring her employees back to work.
The United Kingdom's furlough program covers up to 80% of the salary of workers if companies kept them on payroll, rather than laying them off.
Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

How does the weather affect what we buy?

Sep 20, 2021
Some businesses are turning to weather analytics to proactively prepare for the potentially more volatile conditions resulting from climate change.
In 2020, the U.S. had a record 22 climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each, government data shows. Bill Kirk, CEO of Weather Trends International, advises companies on adapting to changing conditions.
Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images

For this toy store, back-to-school shopping looks different this year

Sep 10, 2021
Millions of students are returning to in-person classes this school year. What does that mean for businesses that sell school supplies?
While consumers are spending more on technology and COVID-19 related products, spending fell for traditional school supplies, clothing and accessories, according to a report from Deloitte.
Philippe Huguen/AFP via Getty Images

What's the value of a good stock ticker?

Sep 2, 2021
A gray market in stock symbols is emerging on Wall Street, and some fetch six figures. Bloomberg’s Katie Greifeld tried to buy MEME.
Companies with clever ticker symbols outperformed the market from 2006 to 2018, a study showed. Bloomberg reporter Katie Greifeld tried to buy MEME.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

How a choir teacher found new purpose during the pandemic

Aug 30, 2021
Jordan Leckband, the general music teacher at Windsor Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa, figured out a new direction for his career.
About 20% of workers switched jobs during the pandemic, and 26% plan to look for a new job when the threat of the pandemic decreases, according to Prudential Financial’s Pulse of the American Worker Survey.
Photo by Graeme Robertson/Getty Images

Why are some restaurants shutting the door on food delivery giants?

Aug 18, 2021
Steep third-party food delivery fees are driving some restaurant owners to seek alternatives.
An Uber Eats delivery person hauls food on a bicycle. Jon Sewell says his delivery co-op, which is owned by restaurants, cut delivery costs and improved service.
Sean Gallup via Getty Images

How a travel agency is bouncing back from a devastating year

Aug 11, 2021
Denver travel agent Sarah Fazendin says clients are spending more on extras than they would have before the pandemic.
Sarah Fazendin, owner of Videre Travel, a Denver-based travel agency, with her family at Machu Picchu in Peru. Her business has seen a massive uptick in travelers looking to navigate changing COVID restrictions.
Courtesy Sarah Fazendin

The microwedding is here to stay, this event planner says

Aug 10, 2021
When business came to a halt for Gretchen Culver in Minneapolis, she launched a new business focusing on weddings with 30 or fewer guests.
Wedding planning is booming as analysts forecast the highest number of weddings in over a decade for 2022, according to market research firm The Wedding Report.
Photo courtesy Amanda Nippoldt Photography