INAUGURAL TIME100 CLIMATE LIST OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS DRIVING BUSINESS TO REAL CLIMATE ACTION
TIME has revealed the inaugural TIME100 Climate, a new list of the world’s most influential leaders driving business to real climate action.
To assemble this list, TIME reporters and editors—along with experts from the TIMECO2 team—sought out measurable, scalable achievements and prioritized recent action, selecting individuals making significant progress in fighting climate change by creating business value. Each has been evaluated on a variety of factors, including recency of action, measurable results and influence.
Published alongside the TIME100 Climate list are insights from listmakers on ways to drive credible change for a better future for Earth, including by Breakthrough Energy Ventures founder Bill Gates, fashion designer Stella McCartney, COP28 president and Masdar chairman Sultan Al Jaber, Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford, Microsoft/Xbox Director of Sustainability Trista Patterson, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, band Coldplay and many more.
See the complete TIME100 Climate list: https://bit.ly/49zMOK9
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES EARNS HIGH RANKING IN BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS SURVEY FOR EXCELLENCE IN CORPORATE TRAVEL
Southwest Airlines was recently recognized on the Business Travel News (BTN) 2023 Airline Survey for customer satisfaction in business travel. The annual survey asks corporate travel managers and corporate travel agents to rate carriers on a scale of 1 to 5 across nearly a dozen criteria and respond to questions about their experiences.
Southwest® ranked second overall and is the only carrier on the survey to receive an increased total score 2 years in a row. Respondents ranked Southwest first in the value of relationship with account managers and overall price value categories. The carrier also saw year-over-year improvement in scores in both the distribution channels and quality of data and reporting tools categories.In the past year, Southwest introduced Soutwest Business Meetings, a redesigned experience created to simplify the experience for meeting planners to manage travel on Southwest. Additionally, as part of a $2 billion-dollar plan to transform its Customer Experience, the carrier launched free Inflight Internet for Customers who purchase a Business Select fare, upgraded inflight WiFi hardware, larger overhead bins and in-seat power onboard new aircraft deliveries, digital bag tracking, flight credits that don’t expire and enhanced digital self-service capabilities.
BTN from Sept. 25 to Oct. 18, 2023, collected survey responses from 647 corporate travel buyers and corporate travel agents and asked participants to rate carriers across 11 performance criteria, including customer service, products and services, network, and more.
For more information on Southwest Business, visit southwest.com.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
More than half of small business owners expect Small Business Saturday to impact their holiday sales significantly this year, according to a recent American Express survey. With Small Business Saturday approaching, now is the perfect time for small business owners to prepare for the holiday rush and encourage customers to shop small. As mentors to America’s small businesses, SCORE offers support through free expert business counseling and online resources – including these top tips to navigate the busy holiday season.
Decide on your schedule
Now’s the time to determine your holiday operating hours. Will you be open longer than usual? Do you plan to close your business for a few days? Be sure to tell your staff about holiday hours, and explain your expectations of them during the holiday season. Ask your team to request any holiday time off by a certain date, so you can plan employee schedules accordingly.
Make a plan
Why will customers want to spend time at your small business this holiday season? What makes you unique? Determine the answer, and build a marketing campaign around it. Maybe you have the best selection in town. Maybe your customer service can solve any shopping conundrum. Build your holiday marketing around what makes your business stand out from the crowd.
If you’re looking for more information, SCORE will host a free webinar on How To Create A Marketing Plan For Your Small Business on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. EST. Register here to attend.
Check your online presence
Give your business website a once-over to make sure it’s ready for a busy holiday shopping season. Is the design tidy and easy to use? Can customers easily find your most popular products or services? Does your checkout work smoothly? If you’re the person who works on your website most often, hand this task to a staffer or a trusted friend. They’ll be able to spot the issues you might miss.
Need help? Ask SCORE
Last year alone, SCORE volunteers provided nearly 4.6 million hours of critical, timely mentoring and education to small business owners who needed help navigating funding options, finding customers, responding to economic challenges and adapting daily operations. Mentoring is always free and SCORE has mentors with extensive experience in the retail and food industries to guide entrepreneurs through seasonal highs and lows. To request a mentor or learn more, visit score.org/find-mentor.