How to Know if You’re Successful at Consulting | David A. Fields

February 13, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How do you know if you’re doing well at the consulting game? Revenue? Client feedback? Those are okay metrics; however, if you look around your office you’ll find a better clue.

Somewhere nearby, you probably have a stack of business cards from people you met at conference or trade show or similar event.

Who’s In Your Stack?

Let’s see… there are possible prospects, some of whom you actually followed up with. There’s a little bunch of cards from competitors, and there are cards from people you don’t even remember collecting.

Tips to Help You Host a Successful Webinar | Business

February 13, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The way we communicate and learn has changed drastically over the past couple of decades. Stuffy presentations that require people to travel all across the country are coming to an end. Now, we’ve moved into the age of the webinar.

A webinar is a presentation where a host shares information with an audience. The information can be anything, so long as it educates your audience by giving them new and exciting information, or provides value to them via information that may be much harder to understand without the host. According to a study by the Content Marketing Institute, 61 percent of B2B content marketers use webinars as an effective tool for marketing their business.

If you’re ready to start hosting your own webinars, here are three tips to help you nail your first presentation.

Windows 10 vs. Windows 7: Which Is Better? | Digital Trends

February 12, 2019February 11, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It might seem obvious always to run the latest and greatest Microsoft operating system on your PC. But many people don’t agree. Windows 10 only recently surpassed Windows 7 as the most popular version of Windows. Despite the end of support in one year’s time, many are still holding on to the nearly 10-year-old Windows 7 operating system.

Though it has a rightful place in the heart of consumers, Windows 7’s drastic differences from Windows 10 might be a reason that you are holding back from a long-awaited upgrade. In this guide, we give a look at some of the biggest areas where the two converge.

How Entrepreneurs Should Relieve Stress Throughout the Day | The Startup Magazine

February 12, 2019February 11, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Entrepreneurship is a career path rife with stress. You’ll be working long hours to grow your startup. You’ll be dealing with inconsistent income. You might even have a significant portion of your savings invested in the success of the business.

Most entrepreneurs start their business knowing full well the challenges that lie before them. Some even find motivation in facing those challenges. But if you’re going to be successful (and stay healthy) in the long term, you need to have a reliable way to manage the stress you’ll encounter on a daily basis.

US shutdown looms as border talks stall ahead of deadline | BBC News

February 11, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

US congressional talks over a border security deal have stalled, raising the chances of another government shutdown.

Negotiators were hoping for a deal by Monday to give Congress time to pass legislation by Friday, when the federal funding agreement runs out.

They remain divided on how many undocumented immigrants can be detained and funding for President Trump’s promised border wall with Mexico.

How Ferguson and Black Lives Matter Inspired This St. Louis Family to Open a Kids’ Bookstore With a Mission | Inc.com

February 11, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Jeffrey and Pamela Blair wanted their children to feel proud. Then they wanted all African-American children to feel proud.

The couple’s business, EyeSeeMe, is a 1,200-square foot storefront in the St. Louis suburb of University City. With shelves of bright-jacketed books and bold posters splashed across the walls it confronts–with defiance and love–the weight of history. The Blairs have curated close to 3,000 titles, ranging from Africa-themed alphabets to the lives of black inventors to hip-hop poetry. Collectively, they chronicle African-American lives, history, and culture.

EyeSeeMe says to its young customers: Do you see all these stories of achievement, of courage, of ingenuity, of fun? This is who you are.

Jeff Bezos: Amazon boss accuses National Enquirer of blackmail – BBC News

February 8, 2019February 7, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The world’s richest man, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, has accused the National Enquirer’s owner of trying to blackmail him over lewd pictures.

Mr Bezos said the magazine’s parent company American Media Inc (AMI) wanted him to drop an investigation into how it obtained his private messages.

Mr Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, said last month they were getting divorced.

4 Business Etiquette Tips Straight From Middle School | Inc.com

February 8, 2019February 7, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tuesday nights have been rough around my house.

My daughter Lucy, 12, is in the middle of an eight-week dance and etiquette training course for middle schoolers that’s commonly known as “cotillion.” She says she hates cotillion and protests mightily. Good manners are always a good idea, I told her. Think of college interviews and job interviews. Heck, think of walking into a high school dance with confidence, because you got the moves.

And she said, “Yes, of course, Mother, I know you’re right.” Heck no, she didn’t say that. But I’m playing the long game. I bet years from now Lucy will appreciate the wisdom of cotillion. In the meantime, I figure we all could stand to brush up on our eqtiquette skills, so I’ve compiled this refresher. After all, good manners are always a good idea in business and professional circles, too.

Many popular iPhone apps secretly record your screen without asking | TechCrunch

February 7, 2019February 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many major companies, like Air Canada, Hollister and Expedia, are recording every tap and swipe you make on their iPhone apps. In most cases you won’t even realize it. And they don’t need to ask for permission.

You can assume that most apps are collecting data on you. Some even monetize your data without your knowledge. But TechCrunch has found several popular iPhone apps, from hoteliers, travel sites, airlines, cell phone carriers, banks and financiers, that don’t ask or make it clear — if at all — that they know exactly how you’re using their apps.

Facebook’s Top PR Exec Is Leaving the Toughest Job in Tech | WIRED

February 7, 2019February 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

FOLLOWING MORE THAN two years of constant turbulence for Facebook, the company’s vice president of communications, Caryn Marooney, is leaving the company, Facebook has confirmed. Marooney, who previously cofounded the technology communications firm The Outcast Agency, joined Facebook in 2011 as director of technology communications, after representing the company at Outcast. Most recently, she has been responsible for all global communications. Marooney’s final day is not yet set, but spokesperson Vanessa Chan said she would be staying on to bring her replacement on board.