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—

How Verizon Business Is Fostering Opportunities for Hispanic SMBs

Chief Revenue Officer Aparna Khurjekar shares how the communication-tech giant is supporting one of the fastest-growing small business cohorts with education and grants.

How Retailer J. Jill Is Leveraging the 40-Plus Women’s Market

The clothing brand has expanded its sizes, created a premium collection, and added more work outfit options in response to customer feedback.

How Walmart Is Building a New Shopping Channel for Small Businesses

Walmart Business General Manager and SVP Ashley Hubka on the retailer’s plan to become a one-stop shop for business customers.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

How Apple Is Providing Small Businesses With Tools to Connect & Scale

Vice President Susan Prescott on how the tech giant is seeking to make life easier for small business owners.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

How Startup Back to the Roots Monetized the Gardening Boom

Nikhil Arora, Co-founder of the organic seed and gardening kit company, on his company’s rise from a nascent startup to garnering over $100 million in retail sales.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Macy’s Is Investing Millions to Nurture Diverse Entrepreneurs

Matt Bergantino shares how the department store chain is offering underrepresented businesses access to funding, mentorship, and the opportunity to be a supplier to national retailers.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

GoodwillFinds: 121-Year-Old Resale Business Expands Its Online Reach

Matthew Kaness shares how he’s building a new e-commerce identity for one of the oldest names in secondhand shopping.

GOOD COMPANY » THE LEAP

Paperless Post CEO on Tapping New Tech to Reach Customers

CEO shares how the brand used pandemic down time to boost innovation, reimagine its future, and generate ‘tremendous growth.’

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

Strategies Retailers Are Using to Drive Sales in a Slow-Growth Year

As spending declines from pandemic-fueled highs, the largest retailers are seeking creative solutions and new ways of connecting with consumers that SMBs can adopt, too.

GOOD COMPANY » LAUNCH PAD

How AI Is Changing How Marketers Sell Everything

While apps like ChatGPT and Dall-E get most of the AI attention, AI is quietly changing how we buy and sell goods and services.