Forecasting your business’s future starts with disciplined measurement and a repeatable framework: track the right metrics, stress-test scenarios, and align your team around a clear strategy. Financial forecasting isn’t crystal-ball work; it’s disciplined preparation. Below are six practical ways to predict financial success and shape a resilient future for your company. Read More ➤   Wendy Roberts CPA, CEO of NorthStar Strategic Partners, Inc. Email: wendy@northstar-sp.com Website: https://northstar-sp.com/ [...]

Government contracting represents one of the largest economic opportunities available to small businesses, yet many entrepreneurs still find the system difficult to navigate. Ensuring that procurement processes are transparent, competitive, and accessible is essential to unlocking those opportunities for California’s business owners. As Chair of the Procurement Process Committee for the California Department of General Services Small Business Advisory Council (SBAC), Leslie Murdock is working alongside state leaders and [...]

Stage 2 — Call to Adventure Entrepreneurship is often described as a strategic or financial decision, but it can also be understood as a profound inner journey. In The Entrepreneur’s Hero’s Journey: Stage 2 — Call to Adventure, Dr. MJ Yang explores the moment when an individual begins to sense the pull toward entrepreneurship. Inspired by the Hero’s Journey framework and viewed through a Jungian psychological lens, this stage represents [...]

Six ways to keep your customers’ happiness as your core strategy In today’s competitive landscape, customer satisfaction isn’t just a goal — it’s a strategic imperative. Businesses that consistently delight their customers do so not by accident, but by embedding operational excellence into their core strategy. At NorthStar Strategic Partners, we strongly advocate that chaotic operations can significantly erode a company’s profitability and customer trust. Our 4 Points of [...]

Stage 1 — Ordinary World This article introduces The Entrepreneur’s Hero’s Journey, a year-long reflective writing series exploring entrepreneurship through a depth psychology and clinical lens. Rather than focusing on strategy or growth metrics, the series centers on the inner psychological journey of building a business. Stage 1 explores the beginning—when the desire to start a business emerges not from certainty, but from restlessness, tension, or a quiet sense that [...]

From Student to Social Entrepreneur: Laura Elena Salgado Perez (BSBA, 2021) “Education has no age limit—and with effort and passion, dreams can become reality.” That belief guided Laura Elena Salgado Perez, a 2021 graduate of CSUMB’s College of Business, on a remarkable journey from the heart of Baja California, Mexico, to becoming the CEO and founder of KAFENS Café de Olla—a socially conscious coffee brand making a difference in [...]

Why It Hurts Team Building and MoraleA thriving company culture isn’t built on perfection but on progress, adaptability, trust, and intentional team building. When leadership sets impossible standards for team building, employees don’t rise to the challenge; they retreat, fearing failure and avoiding innovation. Pursuing perfection stifles creativity, discourages risk-taking, and ultimately erodes morale.At NorthStar Strategic Partners, we believe that a strong company culture encourages excellence, but realistic expectations are [...]

The courier industry is facing new challenges as UPS and FedEx implement higher fees and adjust to recent U.S.–Canada tariff changes. UPS has added a 2% fee for credit card payments and $25 fees for check or wire transfers, while promoting ACH payments as a no-fee alternative. Late fees have risen to 9.9%, and new fuel surcharges apply to services like address corrections and declared value. Tariffs are also impacting [...]

The courier industry is facing new challenges as UPS and FedEx implement higher fees and adjust to recent U.S.–Canada tariff changes. UPS has added a 2% fee for credit card payments and $25 fees for check or wire transfers, while promoting ACH payments as a no-fee alternative. Late fees have risen to 9.9%, and new fuel surcharges apply to services like address corrections and declared value. Tariffs are also impacting [...]

In entrepreneurship, every choice—big or small—shapes the trajectory of your business. Yet in today’s fast-moving environment, it’s easy to get swept up in trends, external pressure, or the fear of missing out. This article explores how entrepreneurs can make decisions grounded in clarity, purpose, and alignment with their long-term vision. Drawing from real-world experiences and leadership insights, it highlights the value of pausing before reacting, listening to your inner compass, [...]