The Key to Work-Life Balance? Integration of Those 2 Concepts.
The Key to Work-Life Balance?
Integration of Those 2 Concepts..
Managing the way we work both inside and outside of our traditional working day is not only possible, but ultimately beneficial, for most people.
Yet, we still have to be cautious, because integration and the means for achieving it is a personal issue — what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.
This type of workspace usually includes: Strong communication: There is no such thing as over-communication if you’re trying to move a business through a period of transformation.
That will allow a more organic cultural change.
Email: I keep regular office hours, but also spend time at the beginning and end of a working day dropping off and picking up my kids from school.
I’ll accept a response back of “Yes,” “Sure, I’m on it” or “No way we can make that, sorry.”
A company invested in improving work-life balance should support its employees and enable them to manage their work and personal lives to the best of their abilities.
Those companies should also be identifying employees who don’t, won’t or can’t work without that type of empowerment.
7 Tips for Getting a Bigger Response from Your Ad Copy
These seven techniques can work for any kind of promotional writing today, offline or online and will help you write more effectively and get a bigger response.
As you write your copy, think about the one person you’re “talking” to.
Don’t use difficult words.
Your copy should tell your readers exactly what your product or service will do for them and how it will improve their lives.
Make sure your copy is filled with specifics that make it easy for readers to picture how they’ll personally benefit from using what you’re offering them.
It’s always a great advantage to be able to write copy in the form of a story.
Not only do stories like these grab your prospects’ interest, but people also remember stories, which can carry the influence of the ad (or the website copy or the blog) beyond the initial reading.
People will often remember the celebrity but forget the product.
If you get a great testimonial from someone similar to your target audience, it can do a good job of strengthening your sales pitch.
But again, you must make sure the copy is interesting or no one will read it.
Ask an Investor: What are the mistakes founders make when preparing financial projections?
Ask an Investor: What are the mistakes founders make when preparing financial projections?.
It is important that financial projections be clear about whether there is deferred revenue included in financial projections.
Make sure financials clearly list where revenue is coming from.
Financials that do not openly list assumptions are red flags to investors.
Include the founder’s salary Founders often forget to include themselves in the company’s expenses.
Make sure reasonable compensation is included in projections.
What I mean by that is, can your company reach a certain revenue run rate within a certain number of years in order to properly satisfy the return expectations of the investors you are targeting?
Make sure that your projections match the needs of the investors you are targeting.
At a simplistic level, your VC is going to want to see a minimum of 40 percent YoY growth for your startup.
Your VC and board members will also help you build what is known as “stretch” projections for your annual budget.
Here’s Why Recent IPO AquaVenture Faces Serious Headwinds in 2017
Shares of AquaVenture Holdings (WAAS) has advanced nearly 16% since the firm’s initial public offering on Oct. 5, but the provider of water purification services will likely face significant headwinds this year.
Although the longer-term picture is positive, the company faces notable challenges in the short term with significant operating losses and the IPO lock-up expiration on the horizon in April.
These included the equal-weighted First Trust ISE Water Index Fund and the PowerShares Water Resources Portfolio, alongside the Claymore S&P Global Water Index ETF and PowerShares Global Water Resources Portfolio.
This underscores that the theme of water investments isn’t new, and it hasn’t particularly piqued the interest of ETF investors.
The offering was of 6.5 million shares.
Future growth for Seven Seas depends on the company’s ability to secure new contracts in a highly competitive environment.
A recent problem for Consolidated Water is that the British Government recently cut the rate that it is offering to pay one of the companies plants located on the island of Tortola.
If any of these major shareholders decides to cash in a significant number of shares, AquaVenture Holdings could come under pressure when the lock-up expires.
We expect to see a decline in the stock around April 4, and therefore recommend that investors sell their positions or consider shorting shares ahead of the expiration.
After all, environmental pressures will continue to make potable water a vitally important and increasingly scarce resource long into the future.
A Simple, 4-Step Blueprint for Building Rapport in B2B Sales
How do you build rapport?
Alternately, consider people you’ve met who seemed off-putting.
Those clients who feel a kinship with you are more likely to purchase from you — thus the billion-dollar, multi-level marketing industry.
Research the client in advance to allow for the most meaningful connection at the first touch.
Listen with the intent of understanding If you’re anything like the rest of humanity, you’ll ask someone a question and then, instead of listening to the response, spend the time trying to formulate your response.
One great way to work on this skill is to get in the habit of repeating what you heard for clarity.
Ask questions that require this person to think outside the box and more closely scrutinize his or her current solutions.
There is no influencing the outcome, until the customer believes the salesperson is listening and cares about them.”
By adding value at no cost, you do more than build rapport; you establish a debt that clients often feel innately obligated to repay.
So, next time, be the one offering that help.
How to Ask Survey Questions for Maximum Marketing Benefit
The way you word your survey questions has a direct impact on both the response rate and the usefulness of the responses that you get.
The right survey questions can make a big impact on your business.
Related: How to Determine If There’s a Market for Your Business Idea 5 types of survey questions.
Each type provides different insights into customer responses.
Choosing the right type is half the battle to creating great survey questions.
Ordinal scale questions: Ordinal scale questions ask respondents to rank their answers on a specific scale.
Avoid leading questions: Leading questions “lead” your customers to the answer you want to hear, not necessarily what they think about the issue.
Clarify and then distinguish from among the answers: Many surveys suffer from a common mistake of assuming that people use a product by asking if people enjoy Product X.
Let people skip a question: Forcing people to answer all questions in a survey is a surefire recipe for bad results that won’t impact your business.
Make contact information voluntary: If you ask for participants’ contact information, make sure it is voluntary.
Neiman Marcus withdraws initial public offering
Neiman Marcus withdraws initial public offering.
Neiman Marcus Group Inc. requested to withdraw its initial public offering Friday, saying the IPO is “not in its best interests” at this time.
The company filed to go public in August 2015.
The company did not elaborate further on the reason, but other traditional retailers such as Macy’s M, +0.68% and Sears SHLD, -7.42% have been suffering as consumers move online.
The prospectus has not yet been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission and no securities have been sold in connection with the offering.
It requested that all fees already paid to the SEC related to the filing be “credited for future use.”
Snap IPO Warning: Ex-Employee Says Books Are Cooked
Snap IPO Warning: Ex-Employee Says Books Are Cooked.
Snapchat’s social media parent, Snap, Inc., seemed headed for a $5 billion IPO until a former employee alleged in a conveniently timed lawsuit that the company misrepresented its financial position and pressured him for proprietary secrets about his former employer, Facebook.
Anthony Pompliano’s complaint claims that he only ran Snapchat’s “growth and engagement team” for 3 weeks before he was terminated.
Pompliano was terminated because he refused to participate in a scheme to deceive the public and artificially inflate Snapchat’s valuation in anticipation of its” initial public stock offering.” The accusations appear to allege that Snap, Inc. was seeking to violate the United States Securities Act of 1933, referred to as the “truth in securities” law.
Snap, Inc. spokeswoman Mary Ritti said in a statement that the complaint is without merit: “It is totally made up by a disgruntled former employee.” Breitbart News reported in late December that with “2016 being the worst year for initial public offerings (IPOs) since the 2007-8 financial crisis,” Silicon Valley was hoping Snap, Inc. as the company behind the popular chat app’s $25 billion “unicorn” private market valuation, would renew excitement for tech deals by raising $5 billion in a January.
New IPOs raised a $19 billion in 2012, and the number of deals peaked at 32 in 2014.
But 2016 saw only $1.2 billion raised on 11 deals — fewer than half as many deals as last year and only 70 percent of the cash raised.
More importantly, its penetration is even more powerful among the 19-24 year old college-aged demographic.
Backed by a stable of top tech venture capital firms that include Benchmark Capital, General Catalyst Partners, and Lightspeed Venture Partners; the IPO had Wall Street whispering that huge investor demand for Snap shares could motivate some of the other 182 private unicorns to go public and launch Silicon Valley toward a very lucrative year.
Pompliano’s complaint for damages claims that “Snapchat will not let anything stand in its way of an IPO, including obligations to represent material facts accurately.” But a third of the suit’s 21 pages filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court are blacked out by Pompliano’s attorney, David Michaels.
How Companies and Consumers Can Support Sustainability
How Companies and Consumers Can Support Sustainability.
Working as the chief sustainability officer at Kellogg Company, Diane Holdorf says she knows people really care about their food.
She says they also want to make sure there is enough for everyone.
In her interview with Jessica Abo she shares how companies and consumers can do their part to support food security and help eradicate hunger through the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
She also discusses how loving the planet can turn into a career path.
Watch more videos from Jessica Abo on her YouTube channel here.
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The Ultimate Guide to Freelancing
To help create an understanding about freelancers and what they do, we’ve created this helpful infographic guide that details some areas you may not have considered — about making the freelance life your career destination.
The life of a freelancer The infographic starts with a definition of what it means to be a freelancer.
The pitfalls to avoid as a freelancer The downsides to freelancing that should be considered is there’s no guarantee that you will get work or even get paid for that work.
You can also seek out work on job boards and online freelancing marketplaces where you can proactively go after the amount of projects that meet your income level and available time.
Once there is a respectful relationship and they’ve been a quality, consistent client — I opt for the former.
Stay organized with a calendar so you know when projects are due.
It helps to put in all your projects, especially as working on multiple projects with different clients can get confusing and unmanageable if you are not organized.
Our infographic suggests being professional and courteous, but don’t work unless you have been paid and make sure there are clear terms about how and when you should be paid.
At present, if you do one project and are not paid by your client — please — do not do another project.
Make the most of those benefits by working hard, but make sure you take care of yourself, as well.
10 Top Entrepreneur Keynote Speakers for 2017
Later that year, he launched VaynerCapital as well as the #AskGaryVee Show which answers questions on business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and more.
Notable quote: “When you feel like giving up, force yourself to work another day, another week, a year.
Proctor is now paying that inspiration forward, as a speaker, author, consultant, coach and mentor.
He works with business entities and individuals around the world, instilling within them not only the mental foundations of success and the motivation to achieve, but also the actionable strategies that will empower them to grow, improve, and thrive in today’s ever-changing world.
Notable quote: “When you do what you love and love what you do, you’ll have success your whole life through.” 6.
He is also a New York Times best-selling author, international speaker, and considered the top sales training and social media expert in the world today.
Notable quote: “The reality is that in your darkest moments you can rise up and be perfect for 60 seconds.
Social Kim is the founder and CEO of a personal branding and social media business consulting firm known as Boom!
Notable quote: “You have only got three choices in life — give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got.” 10.
Notable quote: “Every new day provides a fresh start and a new opportunity to do things right.”
The 23 Items That Make Up the Heart and Soul of the Franchise Disclosure Document
Each Item is given a specific title (which cannot be altered), and within each Item, the franchisor is required to provide the answers to a myriad of FTC-mandated questions.
Such fees include the initial fee paid to purchase the franchise rights (often called the “initial franchise fee” or IFF), computer or point-of-sale equipment that must be purchased only from franchisor or their affiliates, and similar fees.
The purpose of this is to identify your principal obligations under the franchise agreement and other agreements.
Franchisor’s Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems and Training This is one of the more lengthy and important disclosure Items.
In this Item, the franchisor must disclose: The services they’ll provide to the franchisee before and after opening.
Territory The franchisor must disclose whether it offers franchisees an “exclusive territory” within which to operate the business.
Obligation to Participate in the Actual Operation of the Franchise Business This section discloses whether the franchisee must personally participate in the operation of the franchise.
Renewal, Termination, Transfer and Dispute Resolution Item 17 contains a cross-referencing table to the franchise agreement for 23 separate line items.
If the franchisee has been open less than three years, the FTC allows the franchisor to phase in audits.
Contracts This section requires the franchisor to attach to the FDD a copy of all form contracts the franchisee will sign, including the franchise agreement, leases, options and purchase agreements.
Will Snapchat IPO Set Stage For Stampede Of Unicorns?
(AP) It’s been a long time coming, but an initial public offering from one of the fastest-galloping unicorns is expected in early 2017, and some observers expect it could lead to a stampede of big-name debuts.
Snapchat is among the biggest unicorns, a name given to privately held companies valued at $1 billion or more.
We expect a good year.”
The last big year for IPOs was 2014, when 275 U.S. debuts raised $85 billion.
That was the most new stocks since the 406 that went out in the 2000 dot-com bubble year.
Impinj shares are up nearly 140% from their IPO price of 14, closing Thursday at 33.16.
The company raised $238 million in the initial public offering.
A Snap IPO is expected to raise about $4 billion and value the company at $25 billion.
That would be the largest IPO of a U.S. tech company since Facebook raised $16 billion and ended its first day or trading with a market value near $115 billion.
The companies have raised more than $124 billion, it says.
The Only Email Template You Need to Get That Crucial Introduction
The Only Email Template You Need to Get That Crucial Introduction.
For an entrepreneur, connections are everything.
There’s nothing more powerful for building those connections than a personal, warm introduction.
But asking for that introduction can be tough.
You don’t want to come across as needy or annoying, but you do want to get a response.
Related: An Efficient and Effective Way to Ask for an Introduction At GrowthLab.com, where entrepreneurs go to launch and grow their online business, we get asked about this a lot.
Often, instead of asking, many tip-toe around the question, trying to drop hints.
(“So great you know so-and-so, I’m a big fan of his work.”).
Here’s a simple email combination you can use so your contacts will gladly open doors for you.
The key is making the process as quick and painless as possible.
Cleveland startups to watch in 2017: Tech Czar Talk
Top 5 Cleveland startups to watch in 2017.
New companies, exotic technologies and fascinating personalities have created startups that merit a lot of attention and support.
Here are my top five tech companies to watch in Northeast Ohio for 2017 as well as a short list of honorable mentions.
The company now has eight client businesses using his software platform.
Wisr: Wisr (pronounced “Wiser”) is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company whose platform allows for alumni of colleges and universities to guide current students in their career path.
Current clients include University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College and Denison University.
North Coast Angel Fund led the initial funding round of $500,000.
Komae: The company has developed an app that empowers parents to exchange free babysitting with their personal network of friends. “We hope to make Komae a verb,” offered Husted.
It offers a one touch app to predict the outcomes per play while watching the live sporting event.
Blockchain Startup Blockstack Raises $5.3 Million To Keep Web Surfers’ Data Private
Blockchain Startup Blockstack Raises $5.3 Million To Keep Web Surfers’ Data Private.
Blockstack, a New York company that develops platforms for secure, server-less apps using blockchain technology, raised $5.3 million in a round of venture capital funding.
According to a report, the funding was provided by Union Square Ventures.
The idea is for users to store all their data, photos, messages, posts and appointments in their own cloud websites.
By creating that, a trail of people’s data when they surf online will no longer be accessible by the likes of Facebook and Google unless the consumer wants to give them access to it.
The report cited Blockstack Cofounder and CTO Muneeb Ali as saying at TedxNewYork last year: “New internet takes away power from these large companies and takes it to where it always belonged, with the people.” The report noted that Blockstack initially raised $120,000, and that was followed by $1.33 million in seed funding from SV Angel, AngelList Cofounder Naval Ravikant, investor Shana Fisher and Union Square Ventures, as well as other investors.
While Blockstack aims to prevent Facebook and Google amassing tons of information on consumers, that doesn’t mean both internet companies aren’t eyeing their own blockchain initiatives.
According to a report from late August, Apple, Google and others are interested in Ripple and the distributed ledger financial company’s Interledger Protocol.
In a report, Ripple said it comes into regular contact with large technology companies that express a lot of interest in its blockchain technology.
According to Stefan Thomas, chief technical officer at Ripple, Google, Apple, Mozilla and other large technology companies have been joining forces to find a better user experience for payments on the internet.
Frontier Airlines Is Said to Hire Banks to Plan Stock Debut
Frontier Airlines — known for offering scant legroom and low prices for rides on planes that have wild animals painted on the tails — is preparing an initial public offering, people with knowledge of the deal said.
The Denver-based company has tapped Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase and Evercore to manage the debut, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private information.
Frontier had an official “bake off,” where banks were interviewed for a role in the offering, late last year, one of the people said.
The latest owner is the investment firm Indigo Partners, which is run by Bill Franke, who is credited with being the chairman who turned around Spirit Airlines, another no-frills airline.
Passengers can choose to pay for a bundled ticket, which is more expensive but minimizes extra charges.
“As an aside, don’t we all wonder just how long it will take before the three to five lower-cost airlines in the States will consolidate?” Mr. Franke said at a conference a few years ago in Dublin, according to a report by Reuters.
Spirit Airlines has enjoyed a remarkable year of trading in the stock market.
Its shares have jumped 45 percent, and the company commands a market valuation of $4 billion.
While Spirit was not among the airlines that Mr. Buffett chose to invest in, shares of those companies have also climbed.
But The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the company generated $129 million of profit in 2014.
The 5 Engines That Promise Vietnam More Fast Economic Growth This Year
The 5 Engines That Promise Vietnam More Fast Economic Growth This Year.
Vietnam weathered an epic drought in 2016 and the World Bank estimates about a third of its 93 million people still live in poverty.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to scrap the 12-nation trade agreement that’s known as the TPP and that would particularly help member Vietnam as an exporter.
But a few people suspect Trump will somehow salvage it.
Vietnam is also on the list to join a Chinese-championed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trading group that would encompass 30% of the world’s GDP.
(HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images) Vietnam keeps giving foreign companies reasons to invest.
The middle class got where it is because wages are rising along with a boom in jobs linked to growth in export manufacturing.
Electronics are replacing traditional industries such as garments and shoes, production of which is slowing moving to other Asian countries.
Private business is expanding, and doing more kinds of work.
But now private business, which was rated in 2015 by the World Bank as an economic sore spot, is expanding.