Here’s news to help you run your business better, including manufacturing job trends in the Midwest, raising cyber security awareness at your organization and smart ways to motivate employees.

1. Regional factory jobs are declining — Manufacturing growth is slowing and several Midwest states, including Michigan, have fewer factory jobs now than at the end of 2018. Read commentary from MarketWatch about the link between the manufacturing sector and economic health.
2. How secure is your cyber? October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), and it’s just as important, if not more so, than when the Department of Homeland Security and National Cybersecurity Alliance launched the first awareness month in 2004. Get the NCSAM 2019 Toolkit to make it easy to promote cyber security in your organization.
3. Smart ways to motivate your employees — Employees who feel engaged with work bring a 20% increase in productivity. Including them in decision-making and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking are just two ways to motivate them. Read five more smart ways to motivate employees.
4. Why you should listen to your detractors —There’s a lot to learn from the customers who aren’t your biggest fans. Use their feedback to correct problems and turn detractors in promoters. Learn more about why you should not write off negative customers.
5. Want to save some money? Going “DEAPR” with your tax strategy could help. Entrepreneurs who Defer, Eliminate, Arbitrage, Pay now/None later and Reduce taxes are often or generally able to keep more of their hard-earned money. Get the details. (Please note: This is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisor for more information before implementing new practices.)

Thank you to our Friday Five sources: MarketWatch, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Forbes and Inc.

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