If the economy slows down significantly enough for a long enough period of time, we will be in a recession. But regardless of what we call it, the economy is slowing down. We know this because current economic indicators show that:

• Inflation is at 8.3% despite the Federal reserves attempts to reduce it
• Unemployment rates have risen to 5.6%
• Interest rates are at 3.25% (the highest they have been since 2008) and projected to rise further to 4.4% by the end of the year
• Mortgage rates are up 6.3%
• The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow are down 23%, 32%, and 18% respectively since the start of the year
• US GDP is expected to fall 1% by the end of the year

​These numbers reflect an economy that is surely slowing, which means that businesses must be prepared to react accordingly by preserving cash flow. The key in determining how to respond will be in understanding what this slowdown is going to look like for business activity. 

In some cases, holding onto the role internally means hiring an in-house accountant, but at many small businesses, the alternative is simply tasking other employees with these kinds of functions. And, to no one’s surprise, the lucky person who gets the accounting work added to their to-do list tends to be the business owner. 

However, even in light of these kinds of trends, there is still a fallacy that small businesses have less to worry about than their larger corporate counterparts. This mistaken belief comes from the assumption that big corporations have a bigger target on their backs because they have more of the things that are worth stealing (sensitive information, customer data, money, and so on). But what this line of thinking fails to consider is that larger companies also typically have more safeguards in place to protect their assets. Big corporations typically have not only the technology needed to be more buttoned up, but also the policies, procedures, and personnel in place to better protect themselves. As a result, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting smaller organizations. In fact, in his book "Fire Doesn't Innovate," Kip Boyle reveals that a ransomware attack on a small business these days costs the organization an average of $4M. 
​
As cyber security threats continue to evolve businesses and their employees must be on guard at all times. Organizations of all sizes, but especially small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs), need to be able to identify today’s most common cyber scams and equip their staff to prevent them! 

Growing up I dreamed about experiencing Mt. Rainier up close and personal. So, it is no wonder that as I came to enjoy hiking in my adulthood the idea of conquering her crept into my mind. Summiting was something I thought about for several years. However, with a limited window to attempt the climb, a very small chance of summiting and the high cost, I ultimately put that dream away.
​
Then I remembered an article I read in 2008 about a group of friends who hiked around the mountain on one of the country’s most notable long-distance trails: The Wonderland Trail. This trail had stuck in my mind as a challenging way to experience Mt. Rainier that was far more feasible than summiting. So, early last year I decided to use the excuse of a milestone birthday to set out to hike the trail with three friends. Now, the Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile circumnavigation of the mountain that includes 46,000 feet of gross elevation gain/loss; a large undertaking!