Business

UNITED STATES—How often do people actually get something for free in the United States? It rarely happens, but in 2020 and 2021,  I’ve started to see a trend where some retailers have been allowing consumers to keep their item and also get refunded at the same time. I can speak from personal experience this was something that transpired with...

THE BAY AREA—Childcare facilities are facing a difficult choice between the two: closing their institutions as to avoid the spread of coronavirus versus the idea of opening their facilities to escape financial collapse. Childcare programs are in crisis since a current rise in COVID-19 cases makes them reluctant to reopen their services. However, the facilities’ long-term closure will potentially...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, August 17, owner Richard Wong announced that Ton Kiang, his family's dim-sum restaurant and Hakka-style banquet hall, will permanently close at the end of the month, The restaurant is located on Geary Street in San Francisco's Richmond District, where the Wong family has been serving dim-sum to San Franciscans for 40 years. Wong's father Ching Boon Wong...

UNITED STATES—Technology has touched every aspect of modern life. From entertainment and health to wealth, the improvements across the board are marked. However, it’s technology’s impact on the financial sector that’s been most significant in recent decades. Leaving aside the potentially revolutionary qualities of cryptocurrencies, financial technology (fintech) at all levels has reshaped the way we handle our money. The fintech...

SAN FRANCISCO—According to a report from Yelp on Thursday, July 23, nearly 400 restaurants in the area have permanently closed since March, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A restaurant named Nopalito in the Sunset District has closed its doors. There is a sign saying "thank you 9th Avenue we will miss you." According to Yelp,  the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward...

SAN FRANCISCO—Takeout and delivery orders were not enough to prevent CatHead’s BBQ restaurant located on 1665 Folsom Street in the northern Mission District, from losing the bulk of its business and ultimately closing permanently. CatHead’s BBQ was featured on the Food Network, and has 1,875 followers on Instagram.  Owners Richard Park, and his wife, Pam, were inspired by their memories...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Friday, February 12 Spotify announced its new Work-From-Anywhere program that will pay New York and San Francisco-level salaries to employees working remotely anywhere in the world. Spotify announced Friday, February 12 that employees will now have the opportunity to choose whether they work from home, at an office, or a combination of the two, in any location, with...

BERKELEY—On May 25, 2020, Berkeley city officials discussed initiatives to fight against the current rise in COVID-19 cases. The data shows over the past two weeks, coronavirus cases have increased by 40%, and 363 cases were identified over the past two weeks in Berkeley. Moreover, two additional deaths have been reported in the past two weeks, for a total of...

SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Bay Area-based company, Viral Guard Systems which started to give away plastic shields in March to combat against COVID-19 has turned into a successful business. Viral Guard Systems created droplet guards made of plastic for workers at hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, catering service, bar or other business to keep themselves and customers safe. The types of...

UNITED STATES—With the advancement of technology, money counting machines have become an essential tool for every business. It could be that you run a small business such as a retail shop or a hotel, or a large establishment such as a bank. As long as you are handling large volumes of cash, you will need a cash counting machine....