No, You Probably Shouldn’t Follow Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Lectin-Free’ Diet | Live Science

June 27, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a recent interview with NBC’s Today show, singer Kelly Clarkson said her 37-lb. (17 kilograms) weight loss was a happy side effect of a diet she followed primarily to overcome her thyroid problem.

“I literally read this book, and I did it for this autoimmune disease that I had, and I had a thyroid issue,” Clarkson said. “I’m not on medicine anymore because of this book.” And along the way, she also lost weight, she said.

Clarkson was referring to the book “The Plant Paradox” (Harper Wave, 2017) by Dr. Steven Gundry, which was published last year and was followed by a cookbook this April.

How to Create an Amazon Alexa Skill for Your Business | Business News Daily

June 26, 2018June 26, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When Amazon introduced Alexa, it changed how people interacted with devices. The convenience and ease of voice assistance has pushed this technology into nearly every new device, from laptops to even lawn mowers.

While Alexa comes equipped with a wide range of uses, small businesses can also take advantage of this technology through Amazon’s Alexa for Business initiative, which provides resources and support for Alexa in the workplace. Business owners with Alexa devices, like the Echo, Echo Spot, Echo Dot or Echo Show, can use various voice commands to carry out important business tasks, like ordering new supplies or starting a video meeting. Businesses can also create their own skills with Alexa and use Amazon’s APIs to build on existing interfaces.

Conflict Management: How to Turn Any Conflicts into Opportunities | Lifehack

June 26, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s a lot out there written on conflict from how to ask what you really want and how to understand what the other side really wants.

But what I have seen from those materials is that most of them have been written in bubbles using armchair philosophy with almost zero empirical evidence and applicability in real life.

It’s like the case with the orange. One side just wants the orange bark while the other side wants the inside of the orange. You solve the case by giving them both what they need and there you have it, you’ve solved the conflict.

In real life, both sides want the entire orange and they are not willing to budge a centimeter until they get it and that’s why I’m making this guide. No more armchair philosophy, no more talking in the bubble. We are entering the real world and this is how you will solve the conflicts and get what you want.

How To Get Great Testimonials (Without Pressuring or Badgering) | marketingforhippies.com

June 25, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

I’m often asked, “How do you get good testimonials?”

Of course, the truest answer is, “Do good work.”

Without that, nothing I am about to say holds much water.

But, if we don’t acknowledge that it’s possible to do wonderful work and not be furnished with written testimonials from the very people you served, well… then my advice wouldn’t hold much water either.

The EPA’s backwards agenda is the opposite of what consumers want | Fast Company

June 25, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Under Scott Pruitt’s leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency has focused its efforts on deregulation. From lead paint to fuel efficiency to wastewater, no environmental regulation is safe from targeting.

Publicly, Pruitt has distanced the EPA from climate change science. Pruitt said on national television that he does not agree that man-made activity is a driver of global warming. Exactly one year ago this month, Pruitt was reportedly the loudest cheerleader for Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord.

Top 6 Ways to Communicate with Your Customers | Small Business Trends

June 22, 2018June 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Companies communicate with their customers in so many ways these days. They send email, surveys, post information on social media and their websites, call, chat, or text them. Not all of these forms of business communication are welcomed by the customer when they happen or are even effective. What is critical to their success is for each company to actually find how customers want to communicate with them and how to keep track of it all.

How Do Your Customers Prefer to Communicate?

Effective business communication methods can change by industry, customer segment, or issue. Here is a place to start to determine what is best for your set of customers and how to analyze these interactions:

9 Smart Bookkeeping Tips for Small Businesses | AllBusiness.com

June 22, 2018June 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are you a numbers person? Some small business owners love going over their books—after all, it’s their personal scorecard of how well the business is doing. Others dread dealing with numbers or get so caught up in day-to-day operations that they neglect their bookkeeping.

Whether you love it or hate it, good bookkeeping is essential to small business success. Here are nine bookkeeping tips for small businesses that will help put your business in the black.

How Two Young Entrepreneurs Are Tackling The Plastic Problem With Swimwear | Forbes

June 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Brother-sister duo from Colgate University pitched a novel idea in 2015 to Jessica Alba, Jennifer Hyman, Neil Blumenthal, and MC Hammer, panelists at an entrepreneurship program: swimwear made out of recycled plastic bottles. They didn’t know much about the technology then to convert old, used plastic bottles into clothing, but as children who grew up on the beach, they knew plastic was becoming a problem.

Turns out, they had a good idea, which garnered them $20,000 for their first production run, and then 21-year-old Jake and 18-year-old Caroline Danehy went on to raise nearly $25,000 more on Kickstarter for their startup, Fair Harbor Clothing.

How I became a used car dealer, short term | Gen X Finance

June 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This bank did not want to be a used car dealer so they just sold off the cars they reposesed really cheap. That is where I came in. I would pick up these cars at amazing prices, keeping in mind that the prior owner did not have the money they needed to take care of the car.

The first car I got was a Honda Accord. It was the nicest newest car we had ever owned. This Accord was a V6 with power everything, sunroof, leather seats and all the other bells and whistles. As is common with repossessed cars there was a number of things that needed to be fixed on this car. I was pretty handy with fixing cars so it worked out well for use. I only had to put another $500ish into it and did a really nice cleaning before it was in mint condition. I remember after we got it thinking this would be a nice car to keep for ourselves. But as Corinne and I talked about it more we decided it was best to flip this car and bank the extra money so would have more money to work with on future deal. First I put it up on craigslist.org for sale. Then I also put a sign on it and parked it in a few high visible areas where other cars where parked with for sale signs. I priced it at $8,500 which was a few thousand below the blue book on it so it would sell fast. It sold in about a week to someone that was happy to be getting such a good deal on a great car. That was $4,500 profit in just two weeks!

Fortnite made $100 million on iOS in its first 90 days | Business Insider

June 20, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The multiplayer battle-royale game “Fortnite” has hit a new milestone, having made $100 million (£76 million) in revenue in its first 90 days on iOS devices, according to app analytics platform Sensor Tower.

“Fortnite” is free-to-play, but players can make in-game purchases of cosmetic items and “battle passes,” which offer exclusive in-game challenges which can unlock rewards.