Gameday Economic Play-by-Play: Texans vs. Cowboys
Our Monday Night Football-inspired Gameday Economic Play-by-Play blog series taps…
4th Quarter Reports on Accounts Receivable and Inventory Reliance
Lendovative Technologies and Vertical IQ have released the AR and Inventory…
Gameday Economic Play-by-Play: Giants vs. Steelers
As an homage to Monday Night Football, Vertical IQ continues its Gameday Economic…
Gameday Economic Play-by-Play: Saints vs. Chiefs
Duh-duh-duh-duuuuh….bum-bum…bum-bum! That’s right, it’s Monday Night Football…
Q3 Reports on Accounts Receivable and Inventory Reliance
Vertical IQ and Lendovative Technologies have now released the AR and Inventory…
Summer Road Trip Series: Explore the Hotel and Motel Industry
This summer, members of the Vertical IQ team are hitting the road for lots of fun…
Summer Road Trip Series: Sandy Toes and Sparkling Skies for the 4th
It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year! Since I was a kid, the 4th of July has…
Summer Road Trip Series: Outpacing the Competition
This summer, members of the Vertical IQ team are hitting the road for lots of fun…
Mid-Year Reports on Accounts Receivable and Inventory Reliance
Vertical IQ and Lendovative Technologies are proud to offer the AR and Inventory…
The Value of Third-Party Data
We trust the experts in numerous areas of our lives. If you need a major car…
Why Trusted Advisors Should Be Their Town’s Local Economist
Did you know that the United States has a total area of 3,809,525 square miles,…
Inforum: The Secret Sauce in Vertical IQ’s Industry Forecasts
There are any number of scenarios where it would be incredibly helpful to have a…
Why I Created Local Market Monitor
Ingo Winzer is the founder of Local Market Monitor, a Vertical IQ product, which…
Cryptocurrency 201: What’s In Crypto’s Future?
In this second installment in our two-part blog series on cryptocurrency, we…
Cryptocurrency 101: The Essential Facts About Crypto
This is the first installment in our two-part blog series examining the rise of…
The Long Game: CHIPS Act to Boost Domestic Production, Address Supply Chain Woes
The $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act (also called the Creating Helpful Incentives…
Some Retail and Food Services Sales Gaining, Others Continue to Slump
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data on estimated retail and food services…
Latest Small Business Pulse Survey Shows Improvements
Final results from phase two of the Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey…
How Supply Chains Have Been Affected by COVID-19
In addition to millions of people becoming ill, the COVID-19 pandemic has had…
Jobless Claims Remain Steady, Though Elevated
The latest jobs report from the Department of Labor (DOL) showed that for the week…
August Retail Sales: Are the Winners and Losers Starting to Plateau?
The Census Bureau released the Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services,…
Service Sectors Struggle to Regain Past Quarters’ Revenue Levels
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released the selected services estimates for the…
Jobs Numbers Improving…But Will the Trend Continue?
We have to find glimmers of hope where we can lately, and the most recent jobs…
Shiny and New: New Home Sales Continue Upward Trajectory
The housing market offers one of the few bright spots in the U.S. economy with…
The Mixed Bag Continues for Retail and Food Services Sales Numbers
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released their July 2020 Advance Monthly Sales for…
Retail and Food Services Sales Reveals Mixed Picture
On Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released their latest data on estimated retail…
Insights from the Census Bureau Pulse Survey
The Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey reveals some interesting first-hand…
Jobs Numbers Improving… But Still a Long Way to Go
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their May employment data on Friday, June…
April Gloom: U.S. Import and Export Numbers Continue to Fall
On May 29, the U.S. Census Bureau released their advance Economic Indicators Report…
The Far-Reaching Cost of Government Budget Cutbacks
I recently shared the ways in which declining tax revenue is taking a toll on state…
Building Anxiety: Housing Starts Plummet
On Tuesday morning, new data was released by the Census Bureau on housing starts in…
Even Better Than a Handshake: Financial Focus
Connect as a Proxy CFO to Help Guide Small Business Owners Face-to-face meetings…
Honing the Human Element
We’ve all heard the phrase, “I’m only human.” There was even a hit song from ‘80s…
Battle of the Century: Banking Bots vs. Human Business Bankers
I’m continually amazed by what you can do with new technology, applications,…
Hit the Mark with These Arrows in Your Quiver of Prospecting Tools
As a client success manager, I love talking with people about ways to get the most…
Industry Spotlight: Candy Manufacturers
The sweet smell of love is in the air…oh wait, no…that’s candy that I smell! The…
The Power of Personalization and Advice in B2B Banking
Our Vertical IQ co-founder and CEO, Bobby Martin, recently co-hosted a webinar with…
Who Are the Winners and Losers in the USMCA?
The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed by the namesake…
Using Vertical IQ to Support Your Workplace Banking Program
Thanks to the increased use of technology like ATMs, online banking, and direct…
The Secret Sauce: Enabling Bankers with Industry-Specific Content
Written by Shaalin Parekh, Senior Market Development Manager at Seismic It’s no…
12 Ways to Use Industry Research to Win More in 2020
The new year is a good time to start new, better habits, from improving our diets…
Podcast Recap: 7 Secrets for Bankers To Become the Trusted Advisor for Small Businesses in 2020
Small business banking is being disrupted. Those cliché, predictable conversations…
Industry Spotlight: Jewelry Stores
December is the month when the nation’s 15,200 jewelry stores really shine! Indeed,…
Key Takeaways From 2019 Small Business Banking Conference
Members of the Vertical IQ team recently attended the American Banker Small…
Webinar Recap: High-Touch Coaching in a High-Tech World
The final installment in Vertical IQ’s free fall webinar series was last week—a…
Leadership Spotlight: Vertical IQ’s New CMO, David Buffaloe
David Buffaloe recently joined Vertical IQ as chief marketing officer (CMO). David…
Webinar Recap: Playing Offense and Defense to Prepare for the Future
The second installment in Vertical IQ’s free fall webinar series was last week—a…
Building SMB Client Relationships with Insight and Foresight
Of course every business services firm that calls on small- to mid-sized businesses…
Helping Change How SMB Owners Think About Cash Flow
“If I had to run a company on three measures, those measures would be customer…
3 Motivations to Become a Better Value-Added Advisor
A value-added advisor is someone whose ideas and advice you respect enough to…
How to Help Small Businesses Compare Their Financials to Their Industry
“Are we keeping up with the Joneses?” Owners of small and mid-sized businesses…
Webinar Recap: Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean Sales Strategies
Last week, we hosted the first installment in Vertical IQ’s free fall webinar…
Adding Industry Knowledge into Your Contact Strategy
When it comes to gaining trust with small to mid-sized business (SMB) owners,…
Upgrade Your Prospect Presentations with These 3 Tips
You’re pulling together a presentation for a new small to mid-size business (SMB)…
Which Industries Should I Target?
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was developed as the…
4 Ways to Help SMBs Manage Cash Flow
You may have heard the platitude, “Cash is the most important, yet least…
The 3 Local Economic Indicators Every SMB Advisor Should Know
The economy is a hot topic lately, with pundits arguing over whether we are or…
2 Simple Ways to Wow Prospects at a Networking Event
Speaking with people you don’t know at a networking event can be a tricky…
Turn Industry News into Valuable Content for SMB Owners
There is arguably no one busier than a small to mid-sized business (SMB) owner.…
5 Organizations You Need to Know to Know Small Business
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of niches that small businesses…
Helping Small Business Owners Understand What Their Company is Worth
For most small to mid-sized business (SMB) owners, their company is their most…
Ready for Change: Addressing Trigger Events with Small Business Owners
“Trigger events” are major changes that affect a business. They can be milestones…
5 Steps to Improve Your Client Meeting Quality by 50 Percent
As a busy professional, you likely find yourself burning the candle at both ends…
How Generalists Can Develop Niche Industry Specialties
In 2017, River Cities Capital Funds, a growth equity fund focused on healthcare and…
Webinar Recap: Building Prospecting Momentum
Last week, we hosted the final installment in Vertical IQ’s free spring webinar…
Industry Spotlight: Hotels & Motels
It’s summertime, and the 41,000 hotels and motels in the U.S. are rolling out the…
Using Industry Research to Address Succession Planning
This week, I read an article that got me thinking about the importance of…
Webinar Recap: Save Me! Save Me Now!
Last week, we hosted the second installment in Vertical IQ’s free spring webinar…
How “Purpose” Can Drive A Bank’s Success
As the senior sales associate at Vertical IQ, I am always interested in learning…
Webinar Recap: What a Beer Cart Driver and Boutique Hotel Can Teach Us About Welcoming New Clients
Vertical IQ kicked off our free spring webinar series a few weeks ago with a great…
Industry Focus: A Clean Perspective on Janitorial Services Companies
It’s spring cleaning time! And the nation’s 53,000 janitorial service providers are…
The Value of Anticipation
As a mom of soccer players, I hear my kids’ coaches reiterating the importance of…
What’s Your Story? Paint a Clearer Picture Using Financial Data
Accounting Today published an article a few weeks ago entitled, “Why accountants…
In a Tech-Driven World, Stand Out with Expert Advice
A recent Wall Street Journal article entitled “The Problem for Small-Town Banks:…
The Most Valuable Advice Financial Pros Can Offer to Business Owners
If you are an accountant or financial advisor, it’s a busy time of year for you as…
Feeling the Pinch: Industries Hit by Government Shutdowns
Last month’s partial government shutdown cost the nation’s economy an estimated $11…
3 Reasons Why Your Industry Knowledge Matters to Small Business Owners
When studying economics—or marketing for that matter—one of the first concepts that…
Personalization, Partnerships, and Payments Top Small Business Banking Conference Agenda
“It’s like the question, ‘Do you prefer your toothbrush or your dentist?’,”…
What Consumer Debt Means for the State of the U.S. Economy
In order to have industry expertise, one must also have solid knowledge on the…
Survey of Small Businesses Explores What Owners Really Want
At Vertical IQ, we often talk about how industry research can help build…
New Smartphone App Offers Industry Insights on the Go!
Vertical IQ’s cofounders are former financial professionals, so we understand what…
The How and Why of Industry Structure
One of the fascinating things about working for Vertical IQ is learning about the…
How Bankers Can Help Business Owners Plan Exit Strategies
Two members of the Vertical IQ team and I attended the 2018 Exit Planning Summit in…
3 Trends Bankers Should Key In On When Meeting with Computer Programming Firms
It seems that just about everything today relies upon computers, and as a result,…
A Healthy Environment for the Medical Device Industry
We noticed an interesting article in the August 15 issue of American Banker…
Industry Spotlight: Commercial Equipment Rental and Leasing
Despite the credit risks inherent to commercial equipment rental and leasing…
Tariffs & Trade Wars: Should Your Bank Client Worry?
A hot topic in the news lately has been tariffs and the resulting “trade wars” they…
Industry Focus: The Financial Health of Fitness Centers
They say that beach bodies are made during the winter, and most fitness centers DO…
Should Banks Make a Move in the Self-Storage Industry?
Americans have a lot of STUFF. For many people, they have more than can be…
Industry Spotlight: Child Care Centers
School may be out for the next few months, but thankfully for America’s working…
Key Lessons from Interactions with Business Bankers
As the founder and owner of several businesses, I get my fair share of calls from…
Industry Focus: All Eyes on Optometry Practices
Given recent industry growth and their relatively safe credit risk, optometry…
5 Essential Trusted Strategies for Business Banking Success
It wasn’t so long ago that a business banker could get by based on their…
7 Ways to Use Vertical IQ for the Credit Underwriting Process
I truly enjoyed my job as a business banker. I relished the opportunity to meet new…
How to Avoid Cliché Questions Bankers Ask Business Owners
As the director of client success at Vertical IQ, I communicate with bankers on a…
Industry Spotlight: Convenience Stores
In the late 1990s, as a banker in Wilmington, North Carolina, one of my best…
7 Things You Can Do to Get the Most Out of Vertical IQ
Your bank leadership is telling you that you need to be using Vertical IQ to…
Why It’s Worth Convincing Skilled Bankers to Use Vertical IQ
Experienced bankers—people who have been in the financial industry for 10, 20, even…
How to Make CPAs an Ongoing Source of Bank Referrals
”Centers of influence”(COIs) are a select group of people who can help to increase…
The 10 Most Popular Vertical IQ Industry Profiles
Now that we are in full swing with the new year, it’s a perfect time to think about…
5 Tips for Upping Your Bank’s Vertical IQ Usage
We all remember the ghostly voice from Field of Dreams telling Ray (Kevin Costner),…
Industry Spotlight: Restaurants
There’s no doubt about it: Americans LOVE to eat! And we have the restaurants to…
Key Takeaways From the 2017 Small Business Banking Conference
Members of the Vertical IQ team recently attended the American Banker Small…
Industry Spotlight: Physician Practices
As cold and flu season kicks into high gear around the holidays, a lot of folks…
Industry Spotlight: Machine Shops
Look around your office: Every chair, lamp, pen, and coffee mug likely was made…
Industry Spotlight: Breweries
Are you a beer aficionado? There’s no doubt that people in the U.S. enjoy knocking…
A 5-Minute Summary of The ABA Bank Marketing Conference
The annual ABA Bank Marketing Conference was held in New Orleans on Sept. 24–26…
Finding Opportunity in Small Business Transitions
As the Baby Boomers reach retirement age, you can expect to see more ownership…
A More Tailored Sales Approach for the Seasoned Banker
You’ve been a banker for years, working your way up in the ranks and gaining…
Identify Your Next Industry Niche? Go Where There’s Profits
In my January blog “5 Reasons Every Business Banker Should Have Industry Niches,” I…
Industry Spotlight: Calling on Law Offices
When I was a private banker in the late ‘90s in Wilmington, North Carolina, I found…
Why Bankers & FAs Need a “Wealth” of Industry Knowledge
As a private banker, you are tasked with understanding the “big picture” of your…
What I Learned at The Barlow Research Conference
Why Keeping Up with Your Banking Competition Keeps Getting Tougher
Become Your Clients’ “Mini-Economist” in 5 Minutes
When I was a banker calling on businesses, company owners frequently would ask me,…
Developing a Contact Strategy That Wins Over Business Owners
Having been a banker for 13 years and a relationship manager for five, I found that…
Vertical IQ is the Busy Branch Manager’s Life-Line
In March 2005, I was promoted to the branch manager position for one of the local…
5 Reasons Every Business Banker Should Have Industry Niches
Knowing a little bit about a lot of things increases your odds of winning at Trivia…