Sometimes an idea seems so obvious that you wonder why no one has thought of it before — and just as quickly realize that, if it’s really as good as you think, you’d better jump on it ASAP, before the field gets too crowded.

You can feel Halifax’s vibrancy and continuous growth all around us. Our residents, businesses and organizations are driven to succeed and evidence of their ambition, investment and hard work can be seen throughout Halifax.

You all know of financial planners, career planners, project planners, wedding planners, even funeral planners. But have you ever heard of a health planner?

For years, organizations have been advised to pay close attention to cultural fit in their hiring practices. Screening for fit has often been touted as the solution to hiring misfires, poor retention and negative morale.

I have heard many employers say over the years that payroll is the largest operational expense for their company. It stands to reason that when times are tough, companies think that the best way to cut their expenses is to cut staff.

Necessity is certainly the mother of invention for Roxanne Tate. In 2011, she was expecting her third child and her husband, Murray Tate, was on the verge of relocating the family to advance his career.

I t’s a wonderful time to be in Halifax. Maybe I’m just saying that because, as I write this, summer seems to finally have made an appearance. But I swear, it goes deeper than that.

After spending years and millions of dollars building a new Halifax Convention Centre to attract people to the city, the success of the enterprise will depend on convincing delegates to leave the building.

Graduate to Opportunity Program helped BlueLight Analytics hire recent graduate Jeehan Javed. Since then, she has been creating more opportunities for herself, and her employer, than she ever imagined.

Jeehan Javed was born in Pakistan and raised in Dubai, but she knows all about the perception that it’s difficult for recent university graduates to start their careers in Atlantic Canada.

Cynthia Dorrington has a goal: to build a more diverse and inclusive business community — and a Chamber that reflects that community. She believes we must speak our goals out loud to create accountability to ourselves and others.

Historically, the May issue of Business Voice is when we proudly introduce our new Chair of the Board.

Last year, a popular Chrome extension automatically replaced “millennials” in headlines with “snake people.”

Attracting and retaining top employees has always been an essential element of business success. That task is made even more varied and complex with the arrival of millennials in the workforce.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has introduced new online resources to help employers address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

Cultivating a diverse workforce is important and this notion is supported by economic trends and research.

Remarkable, but is it even possible? Show gratitude for doing their job? Well, if it is useful in life, chances are it will be beneficial at the workplace.

If I took one message away from the Chamber’s Wonder Women Workshop on March 2, it’s this: Stop apologizing for being awesome.