If you look at some of the biggest and most successful companies of our time (think Amazon, Google and Apple), one thing they all have in common is their commitment to properly budgeting for technology. IT departments handle an increasing amount of responsibility as we rely on technology to carry out many day-to-day business functions. In order to remain on the competitive edge of your industry, it’s important to allocate proper dollars, staff and resources to ensure your organization continues running smoothly and efficiently. Here are several tips for creating and maintaining an IT budget:

“Just as tapping into an artesian aquifer helped restore the city of Memphis back to health after the yellow fever epidemic in the late 1880s, Artesian Schools Inc. will be the catalyst to restore vibrancy to post-secondary opportunities for students in our community.”

The Memphis area’s third Urban Air, which bills itself as an “indoor adventure park,’’ is coming to Southaven.

FedEx’s free tuition offering for hub workers has reached Indianapolis, where more than 3,500 employees are eligible to pursue degrees at the University of Memphis' online offering, U of M Global.

When 9-year-old Sydney Ives attended her first piano lesson, she put her hands on the keys and when she attempted to play a note, her right hand fell flat to her side, as if she’d had a stroke.

Paced by $10 million from FedEx, Epicenter Memphis has raised $40 million to support emerging businesses and is pushing toward a $100 million war chest.

Attorneys are often asked, “Should I have a will?” The simple answer is yes. Every adult, regardless of their financial worth, should have a will and estate plan.

It’s official. It’s less than 60 days until Thanksgiving. Although you shouldn’t stop your job search when the turkey has been served, hiring will slow down as the holidays heat up. It’s just a fact of life. If you’ve been thinking of finding a new job, this is the time.

Tripp Thompson has been named president of FirstBank Investment Partners, a bank investment division with offices in Tennessee and North Alabama. He succeeds president Bill Reid, who's retiring next year. Thompson comes from First Tennessee Bank, where his 31-year career included managing FTB Advisors since 1999. FirstBank's new regional headquarters will be based at the TraVure office complex in East Memphis.

Pinnacle Financial Partners, the official bank of the Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum, has signed a representation deal with the Grizzlies’ top draft pick, Jaren Jackson Jr.

Work-life balance is the reason Stephanie Cummings started a tech-enabled personal assistance service, Please Assist Me.

Amber Hayes and Marterrious McClain decided to begin their startup, SecondKeys, in Memphis for two main reasons.

Custom-wrapped Nissan Versas loaded with pet food and supplies rolled out Monday, Sept. 24, as part of Hollywood Feed's same-day delivery pilot program in the Memphis area. Hollywood Feed president Shawn McGhee said the Memphis-grown chain is offering deliveries as a convenience for customers.

There are a jaw-dropping 2.3 million internet search queries per minute. How does Google decide which results you see? How can you get your business to the top of the list? While there’s no free “easy button” for improving your rank overnight, a little knowledge about how PageRank and TrustRank work can take you a long way in your quest for a coveted spot in the first ten results.

Part two of a four-part series

One Beale and Memphis Heritage Inc. pulled back the curtain Thursday, Sept. 20, on the old W.C. Ellis & Sons Iron Works and how at least part of it will fit into a $135 million project where Beale Street meets the riverfront.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is collaborating with a Singapore-based clinical stage biopharmaceutical company to develop a novel way of using a patient’s immune system to fight cancer.

FedEx marked departures of two lions of its 45-year history on Monday with standing ovations from shareholders and high praise from company leader Frederick W. Smith.

When walking through life, there are bound to be opportunities for improvement. There are two types of people: those who simply complain about an issue and those who actively seek to change it. Ashley Smith, founder and CEO of Artesian Schools, falls into the latter camp.

Nikia Grayson’s career started as a sports photographer.

The impetus of CHOICES’ new facility is just that – more choices when it comes to reproductive health. Founded in 1974 as a nonprofit community health agency offering free pregnancy testing, first-trimester abortions and counseling, over the years, CHOICES has evolved into a full gynecology practice. CHOICES’ next mission is creating a national model for combining abortion, birth, adoption and other reproductive services under the same roof with its new 16,000-square-foot center for reproductive health under construction across from Moore Tech on Poplar Avenue.

Edward Bogard began designing shoes when he was a kid at Campus School. He spent hours creating his own versions of Air Jordans – Air Bogards – giving autographed copies to schoolmates. He went on to graduate from Overton High School, got his BFA in product design at Savannah College of Art and Design, and was turned down for a job at Nike Inc.

With her “glamtique” Ashley Dean-Parson has flipped the concept of boutique on its head. “A lot of times, being a full-figured woman, we would go into a store that we would really, really love and they wouldn’t have a plus-size section or if they did, it was really, really small,” she said.  “So, I took that same concept and did it here and did the reverse.”

LYFE Kitchen at Chisca on Main Street Downtown has closed permanently, and Memphis-based Carlisle Corp. has sold the healthful dining brand to franchisee L3 Hospitality Group in Chicago.

Ray’s Take: According to the IRS, Americans gave more than $390 billion to charity last year and people in the middle to lower income brackets gave the most. You may find this surprising, but research has actually shown that the less someone earns, the more likely they are to give their money away to help others.