Why don’t all birds fly? | Live Science

April 4, 2025April 3, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Birds are often associated with flight, but not all of them take to the skies. Around 60 species — fewer than 1% of all bird species — are flightless, including ostriches, penguins and kiwis. These birds evolved from flying ancestors but lost their ability to fly, instead adapting to life on land or in the water.

But why did they give up flight? Why don’t all birds fly?

The ability to fly is especially useful for escaping predators and traveling long distances in search of food and favorable living conditions. However, flight requires a lot of energy; birds burn about 75% more energy per day than similarly sized mammals do.

NASA’s daredevil solar spacecraft survives 2nd close flyby of our sun | Live Science

April 4, 2025April 3, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its second close flyby of the sun, the space agency announced earlier this week.

The car-sized spacecraft swooped within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun’s surface at a whopping 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour), matching the historic record it set during its encounter on Christmas Eve last year.

Best Jobs for Flexibility | Business News Daily

April 3, 2025April 2, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and the “great resignation,” finding a flexible job has become a top priority for many job seekers. In fact, some employees would swap pay for a flexible workplace.

With a higher demand for flexible jobs while many companies are pushing workers to return to the office, it can be challenging for job seekers to find positions that offer varying degrees of flexibility. We’ve compiled a list of roles worth considering, along with a few tips on how to score one.

The best jobs for flexibility

In a 2022 McKinsey & Company study, 40 percent of the 13,382 global workers polled stated that workplace flexibility was the No. 1 priority for them. An NIH study found that the ability to work remotely increased perceived happiness.

How to Conduct a Business Market Analysis | Business News Daily

April 3, 2025April 2, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A market analysis is a thorough assessment of a market within a specific industry. These analyses have many benefits, such as reducing risk for your business and better informing your business decisions. A market analysis can be a time-intensive process, but it is straightforward and easy to do on your own in seven steps.

To perform a market analysis for your business, follow the steps outlined in this guide.

What does a market analysis include?

In a market analysis, you will study the dynamics of your market, such as volume and value, potential customer segments, buying patterns, competition, and other important factors. A thorough marketing analysis should answer the following questions:

How to identify and eliminate the 3 biggest time sucks in your day | Fast Company

April 2, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s rarely possible to be 100% efficient, 100% of our workday.

We need breaks and working with others means we need time and space for that collaboration to happen. But oftentimes, a needed break or interaction can balloon into an unneeded time suck that leaves you feeling frustrated that you didn’t accomplish what you actually needed to get done.

So how do you identify when you’re spending way too much time in an area and then eliminate that waste so that you have more time for what’s most important? As a time management coach, here’s what I’ve found to be the most effective ways to make this happen.

Trump signals TikTok sale will be done by the April 5 deadline. Who will buy it? | Fast Company

April 2, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As the deadline to strike a deal over TikTok approaches this week, President Donald Trump has signaled that he is confident his administration can broker an agreement with ByteDance, the social media app’s China-based parent company.

Speaking with reporters on Air Force One late Sunday, Trump said that “there’s tremendous interest in TikTok.” He added that he would “like to see TikTok remain alive.” The president’s comments came less than one week before an April deadline requiring ByteDance to divest or face a ban in the United States.

“We have a lot of potential buyers,” Trump said.

A Guide to Succeeding in Business Negotiations | AllBusiness.com

April 1, 2025March 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

To successfully negotiate a business deal, you have to be prepared, observant, professional, and much more. In this article, I provide a number of tips for conducting business negotiations and closing a deal.

1. Listen and understand the other party’s issues and point of view

Some of the worst negotiators I have seen are the ones who do all the talking, seeming to want to control the conversation and expound endlessly on the merits of their position. The best negotiators tend to be the ones who truly listen to the other side, understand their key issues and hot buttons, and then formulate an appropriate response. Try to gain an understanding about what is important to the other side, what limitations they may have, and where they may have flexibility. Refrain from talking too much.

Learn to Say No: A Small Word That Leads to Success | AllBusiness.com

April 1, 2025March 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you have kids, you might remember their very first words. Was it “Mommy” or “Daddy”? Congratulations! My son’s first word was “NO!” Or at least that’s the one I remember the most because it was pronounced with such conviction.

Isn’t it amazing how, as infants, we have so much self-esteem and no fear or guilt of voicing our disagreement, and then as we get older, we lose that and constantly want to please everyone?

Especially when starting our own small business, we feel insecure. we feel as if we have to say yes to any opportunity without realizing that it can slowly lead our business to failure. Let’s talk about some situations in which entrepreneurs should practice saying no without guilt.

Small Biz Breakdown: Are Small Businesses Suffering from AI Burnout? | Small Biz Trends

March 31, 2025March 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On this week’s Small Biz Breakdown, our expert panels debates artificial intelligence and its place in business. They talk about whether AI is the answer for any number of business processes or whether people are getting burned out by all the AI talk they hear day after day, especially lately. Also, check out the discussion the panel has over Trump’s tariffs and so much more on this week’s episode of Small Biz Breakdown …

SBA Reinstates Lender Fees to Restore Financial Integrity of 7(a) Loan Program | Small Biz Trends

March 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has reinstated lender fees for its 7(a) loan program, reversing a Biden-era policy that the agency said contributed to financial instability and undermined the program’s zero-subsidy requirement. The action was announced Thursday as part of a broader effort to address what the SBA described as “gross financial mismanagement” under the previous administration.

“Since its inception, the SBA’s 7(a) loan program has launched millions of small businesses, driving economic growth and job creation. But the Biden Administration’s actions to undermine the financial integrity of the program now threaten to leave taxpayers on the hook,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “To safeguard taxpayer-backed capital and small business formation, the SBA is taking immediate action to reverse these policies, starting with the restoration of lender fees to protect the future of the program.”