How Your Small Business Can Get More Google Reviews—And Why It Matters – AllBusiness.com

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What’s the first thing you do when seeking the services of a new business? Chances are you look them up on Google. More than 60% of customers check Google reviews online before they visit a business. Understandably, they want to check out the experience others have had with your company before they commit to you.

This is why Google reviews are important, and why you should put effort into acquiring them. The first thing that appears when you search for a business on Google is that business’ reviews and average rating, and if these are not good, chances are potential customers will go elsewhere.

Mastercard Installments Buy Now-Pay Later Coming to More Small Businesses | Small Business Trends

August 5, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Mastercard Installments Buy Now-Pay Later Coming to More Small Businesses

Mastercard are seeking to meet the demand for powerful Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) schemes, especially with familiar and trusted brands. Their new partners will be providing support for the program, including US-based financial institutions such as Cross River, Live Oak Bank, MOCA Financial and WebBank, as well as others from the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Consumer Protections and Data Transparency

As well as providing more payment options, Mastercard Installments will also focus on responsible lending practices to support consumers with an enhanced set of protections such as data transparency and insight-driven programs for product improvement.

Using technology, data and insights, as well as their wealth of consulting expertise, Mastercard aims to create a ‘more intelligent way’ to provide installment lending at scale.

6 ways to battle supply chain issues | Food Truck Operator

August 4, 2022August 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When asked what issues plague operators the most, among the answers are supply chain disruptions, which affect suppliers and distributors, too, according to Brian Warrener, an associate professor at Johnson and Wales University.

In fact 96% of foodservice operators are reporting delays in supply chains.

Warrener, who teaches food & beverage hospitality and management, shared his insight at the recent National Restaurant Association annual conference.

During a panel presentation, Warrener stated food costs are up 13%, industry wages are up 11% and industry prices are up 8%.

When it comes to food costs, beef is up 23%, eggs 31%, chicken 27% and cooking oil 44%. Many factors go into those price increases, from inflation to supply chain issues and customer demand, he said.

Text Message Laws Businesses Must Know | business.com

August 4, 2022August 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There are a number of text message marketing laws that your business should be following when trying to reach its target audience.

Text message marketing, also known as SMS marketing, is becoming a poular marketing channel. This rapid rise has many businesses scrambling to incorporate text message marketing into their marketing strategies. Before you get started, however, it is critical to understand the laws surrounding this marketing method. Even though you may not intend to break the law, some aspects of compliance may be easy to miss, and even a tiny oversight could cost your business millions of dollars and damage consumers’ trust in your company.

The world’s lightest laptop is lighter than an iPad Pro | Digital Trends

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Laptops keep getting thinner and lighter, but this new business device from Fujitsu takes the crown for the lightest laptop in the world. The Lifebook WU-X/G2, currently only available in Japan, weighs just 634 grams. That’s less than 1.4 pounds.

As TechRadar points, out that’s less than a 12.9-pound iPad Pro, which weighs just 682 grams.

Unlike the iPad Pro, this laptop has a larger screen, keyboard, and trackpad for its weight, with dimensions of 12.1 by 7.8 by 0.6 inches. Its display is a 13.3-inch full HD screen with an accompanying HD webcam that also includes a privacy shutter.

6 Vital Ways A Tax Attorney Can Help Business Owners | The Startup Magazine

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Filing taxes is a gigantic undertaking for business owners as figuring out the intricacies of commercial or enterprise-related tax can be difficult and fines can be huge if there is any discrepancy in the process.

Tax audits can be particularly harsh for business owners who have either forgotten or incorrectly filed their taxes even once. Working with a tax attorney can alleviate many of your troubles as they can handle responsibility for correctly calculating your taxes and obtaining the necessary paperwork.

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Applicable Taxes

Tax attorneys are incredibly specialized in tax law and the tax net prevalent in the country. Apart from federal taxes, businesses regardless of size can also be liable to pay local or state taxes. Furthermore, no business (not even a certain type of business) will have the same amount liable in tax.

The full scope of activities of a business and a multitude of other factors determine the end amount of tax that needs to be paid. Businesses that operate internationally or have an established presence in their own country supplying far and wide, will be subject to additional taxes as well compared with very small local businesses. A tax attorney can figure out the exact varieties of tax that apply to your business making the process smoother and hassle-free.

Apple and Amazon sales up despite rising prices | BBC News

August 2, 2022August 1, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amazon and Apple posted better than expected sales, reassuring investors that the tech giants will be able to weather slowdowns in global economies.

Amazon forecast in a trading update that higher fees for its Prime membership would boost its bottom line, while Apple said demand for its all important iPhone remained strong.

Both firms said they were making progress controlling running costs, despite prices rising at rapid rates.

The updates sent shares soaring.

The quarterly updates from Apple and Amazon are closely watched as indicators of how customers are reacting to the economic climate.

How This Ex-Home Health Aide Built a Successful Business Helping Caregivers Grow Their Skills and Chart a Career Path | Inc.com

August 2, 2022August 1, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When Helen Adeosun, 37, started a masters program in education policy and management at Harvard’s graduate school of education, she didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur. But one eye-opening course–paired with her previous experience as a home-care worker–gave her, in 2015, the confidence she needed to start CareAcademy, which in six short years would become one of the fastest growing companies in America. Her Boston-based training business for care workers generated $33 million in funding, but navigating Covid has been anything but certain. –As told to Rebecca Deczynski

My idea for CareAcademy came together in a class cross-listed at Harvard and MIT called Development Ventures–it’s still offered today. The premise for the class is that you create a company for social benefit. Students share their ideas and everyone votes for their favorites. I nervously put my hand up and shared my idea.

Gmail gets a new look, Instagram trips while trying to be TikTok and India blocks Battleground Mobile | TechCrunch

August 1, 2022July 31, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

New Gmail for all: Use Gmail? Don’t be surprised if it looks different soon. The company announced this week that the “Material You” interface overhaul it has been testing will roll out to all users in the coming weeks. Don’t like the new styling? For now, at least, you can find a toggle hidden in the settings menu to switch it back.

Instagram’s bad move(s): As best anyone can tell, TikTok seems to be eating Instagram’s lunch. Is the answer for Instagram to become more like TikTok? Recent updates — like a focus on full-screen video and more content from people you don’t follow — have made the Insta interface feel more and more TikTok-y…and, well, the complaints have been loud. Instagram is at least pretending to listen, though, and says it’ll be walking back many of said changes. Maybe.

What to Know About IP Ratings Before Getting Your Phone Wet | Wired

August 1, 2022July 31, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

OUR SMARTPHONES END up in unexpected places, whether it’s a quick dip in the toilet or a journey behind the couch to where only the dust bunnies roam. Just how rugged is your device? Ingress Protection ratings, developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission and first released in 1976, are intended to highlight a device’s level of dust and water resistance.

IP ratings are a helpful standard for comparing new smartphones’ general resistance to dust and water. Keep in mind, however, that tests for IP ratings are performed in laboratory settings on brand-new devices. So, the protections could be significantly diminished if you throw your phone around and scuff it up or purchase a refurbished device. If you’re reading this article because your smartphone is currently drenched, check out WIRED’s guide to saving wet phones before throwing it in any bag of dry rice.