Author: Elizabeth

BATON ROUGE – With the start of the fall semester just around the corner, business owners in the Northgate area near LSU are working hard to prepare for students’ arrival.

Joe Martin, co-owner of Soulshine Kitchen and Bar, says the funky, upbeat vibe of the new restaurant has been overshadowed by concern about the many people living in what appears to be a vacant building next door.

“It’s different people. It’s people coming in and out at all hours of the day. Sometimes you’ll just see activity at night. This place is clearly occupied,” Martin said.

Trash littered throughout the yard, blocked out windows and a person sleeping on the back patio of the building are a common sight. Martin says these things pose safety and sanitation concerns for his growing small business.

“I think it makes people uncomfortable. It can be unsafe and possibly unsanitary based on the trash

Kourtney Kardashian is pooshing her career to the next level.

The former Keeping Up With the Kardashians star recently teased that she’s exploring a new business venture, which is set to launch soon. Although Kourtney didn’t share any additional details about her upcoming gig, she drove her message even further with a business look that showcased her executive status. If anything, it was reminiscent of Melanie Griffith‘s Working Girl power suits.

“It’s giving boss lady,” she captioned her July 30 Instagram post, as she posed sitting on top of stacked travel trunks.

Kourt certainly dress the part, wearing an oversized blazer in a black and gray plaid print with dramatic shoulder pads. The reality TV star completed her wardrobe with silver strappy sandal heels and a soft glam makeup look (courtesy of makeup artist, Leah Darcy). Her hair, styled by Irinel de Leonwas parted in the middle

RALEIGH – The rate of new business growth in North Carolina has been torrid during the first half of 2022, according to North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall.

So far, between the first of the year and June 30, about 93,000 new businesses were started in North Carolina, according to a statement released Tuesday by the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.

That’s 47,000 in the first quarter and 46,000 in the second quarter, the second-most and third-most business creations during any quarter on record, the statement noted.

During the same months in 2021, about 96,000 businesses were formed in the state, a record. Throughout the entire calendar year of 2021, the state saw a record 178,300 new business formations, WRAL TechWire previously reported.

That pace of growth led a representative of the US Small Business Association to call the rate of new business growth “pretty incredible” earlier

Eat Florida’s dust, New York.

The Sunshine State saw twice as many new businesses open last year compared to its rival in the Northeast, according to the latest federal data.

The number of newly opened small businesses surged in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic as the state was largely shunned lockdowns and restrictive measures that spurred residents of New York and California to leave.

Floridians last year filed 632,105 applications for new businesses — a 27% increase from the year before, according to federal data.

More than a third of those new businesses were opened in the state’s economic heart — the three large countries that comprise South Florida.

In Miami-Dade County, there were 135,710 business openings, according to federal data — a 26.7% increase from 2020.

Neighboring Broward County saw 84,045 business applications last year — a 20% increase from 2020.

In Palm Beach County, business owners filed 51,211