by U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Start

    Everything that you need to know to start your own business. From business ideas to researching the competition.

    Start
  • Run

    Practical and real-world advice on how to run your business — from managing employees to keeping the books

    Run
  • Grow

    Our best expert advice on how to grow your business — from attracting new customers to keeping existing customers happy and having the capital to do it.

    Grow
  • Good Company

    Entrepreneurs and industry leaders share their best advice on how to take your company to the next level.

    Good Company
Subscribe to our Newsletter Attend an Event About Us

Looking for your local chamber?

Chamber Finder

Interested in partnering with us?

Media Kit
CO- logo

Joan Verdon

CONTRIBUTOR

About Joan

Joan Verdon has been covering business and retail news for the past 25 years. She has covered trends in tech, manufacturing, real estate and retail, first for The Record of North Jersey and USA Today, and now for CO—. She is a senior contributor, retail, for Forbes.com. Her passion is reporting on how Americans buy and sell. She has covered the birth of billion-dollar companies and the evolution of 100-year-old brands. Previously, she has been an education, general assignment and investigative reporter for The Grand Rapids Press and Buffalo Courier-Express. She spent a year working on Capitol Hill as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow.

Latest—

Lovesac’s Founder on How Its ‘Designed for Life’ Philosophy Will Fuel Growth
The furniture company that won big with its ‘Sactional’ couches is betting its ‘buy better, buy less’ message will make it a billion-dollar brand.
READ

Back-To-School: 5 Key Lessons for Businesses Based on Shopping Trends
Consumers are more value- and cost-conscious than ever, but they still have enough spending power to reward businesses that know how to reach them.
READ

LinkedIn Exec on New Tools Designed to Fuel Growth for SMBs and Entrepreneurs
The professional networking platform unveils new ways to both connect with prospective customers and showcase small businesses’ achievements, says Ora Levit, Vice President, Product Management.
READ

How Google Is Expanding Its AI Tools to Help Small Businesses Connect With More Customers
Brands now can add images, videos, and reviews to their profile pages, and boost customer engagement with AI-generated immersive ads.
READ

How Bugaboo North America Created a Parent-Friendly Culture That Yields High Worker Satisfaction
Expanded paid maternity leave and remote-work flexibility has resulted in improved employee engagement and happiness.
READ

Founder of Menswear Brand UNTUCKit on Taking an Innovative Idea to Profitability and Plans for Future Growth
The 13-year-old company is growing its store footprint and expanding into wholesale.
READ

How ‘Retail Concierges’ (Both Digital and Human) Are Poised to Disrupt the Shopping Experience
AI-powered virtual sales assistants and improved tools for store employees will anticipate shoppers’ needs and provide VIP-level service at scale.
READ

Future Shop: Retail Innovations That Will Change How Consumers Spend in 2024 and Beyond
A look at tech ranging from scan-and-go checkout and AI-fueled digital ‘humanoid’ assistants to other breakthroughs that experts say will transform the customer experience.
READ

This Black-Owned Startup Landed Walmart and Costco by Tapping Into the $400 Billion Breakfast Market
The founders of Blanket Pancakes & Syrup on how they leveraged their homemade recipes into a million-dollar brand.
READ

How Meal Solutions Startup Hungryroot Is Using AI to Fuel Its Growth
The grocery delivery and meal planning company taps AI to know what its customers want to eat and buy.
READ