Twitter Is Failing in Exactly the Ways It Predicted | Inc.com

May 8, 2017May 7, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You can learn a lot about a public company by reading its risk factors.

These are the portions of companies’ financial filings that require them to put on a show of honesty and humility. Risk factors are the challenges a company sees for itself, the threats it believes could sink it.

Twitter lists more than 40 risk factors in its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of them are obvious challenges that apply to any company (currency fluctuations could hurt, taxes might go up, God forbid a natural disaster destroy our headquarters, etc.). So far, it has navigated those successfully enough. It’s on the risk factors unique to Twitter it has foundered.

Here are a dozen areas where Twitter has foreseen risks — but still failed to avoid them.

Conquering Adversity: From Homeless Teen to C-Suite | Business News Daily

May 8, 2017May 7, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You could say I had an unconventional upbringing – but it served me well and was the catalyst for my sense of determination, level of conviction and desire to succeed. I am truly a product of my own making.

My parents divorced when I was 12 years old. My mother moved far from our home in Michigan and I spent my early teen years living with my father. But, at the young age of 16, I moved to Florida to live with my mother. My presence was not well-received by my step-father. Before I could even graduate high school, I found myself homeless, broke and completely on my own.

Has Your Company 401(k) Plan Made These 11 Mistakes? | Payroll Link

May 8, 2017May 5, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It is critical to keep your company’s 401(k) plan in compliance with numerous federal laws and regulations. Plans that are found to be in violation risk expensive penalties and disqualification.

The IRS recently issued this list of 11 potential errors:

1. Has your 401(k) plan document been updated within the past few years to reflect recent law changes?

2. Are the plan’s operations based on the terms of the plan document?

3. Is the plan’s definition of compensation for all deferrals and allocations used correctly?

U.S. Created 211,000 Jobs in April, Unemployment at its Lowest Since 2007 | NBC News

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The nation’s economy is still on a strong upward trajectory, according to the latest monthly report from the Department of Labor, which showed an increase of 211,000 jobs for the month of April. Unemployment fell to 4.4 percent, its lowest level since May 2007.

April’s strong showing puts economic growth firmly back on track after a miserable March, when only 79,000 jobs were added (revised down from 98,000), and paves the way for the Federal Reserve to hike up the interest rate next month.

Benefits Of A Pocket Notebook for Business People | The Startup Magazine

May 5, 2017May 18, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There can be a lot of great benefits from having a notebook, especially if you are a journaling fanatic. When you are able to write down all of your observations and creative inspirations, it is a truly wonderful thing. But, what is it that makes a pocket notebook so great? What you will find may actually be surprising.

Rich History

A pocket notebook has an incredible history when it comes to list-making. This is a lineage that might not appear to be all that grand but this is a method used by some of human society’s brightest minds. From a camper to an inventor, a police officer to a doctor, or even a graphic designer to the President, a pocket notebook is a way to capture important revelations and deep thoughts. While the use of a pocket notebook may not be as popular as it once was, they are starting to make a comeback in both fashionable and trendy circles. The notebook is there to help you organize, but is also good for an everyday accessory to help reflect upon your personality.

BrewDog: Craft beer punks take their $1 billion business to America | CNN Money

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog is expanding into the U.S.

The company, which started out a decade ago making beer in a garage in Scotland, recently opened a 100,000-square-foot brewery in Columbus, Ohio, and plans to launch its beers on the U.S. market in the next two months.

It’s been quite a journey for James Watt and Martin Dickie, whose firm is now valued at £1 billion ($1.29 billion).

3 Ways To Penetrate A Saturated Market | Getentrepreneurial.com

May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Launching a business in a saturated market can be an overwhelming experience. Depending on the industry you are in, you may have competitors that have high brand equity and those who have existed in the business for several decades. Establishing credibility and trustworthiness in a market overrun by such competitors is no easy task. But it can be done. Here are a few ways a startup entrepreneur can take on competitors with high reputation in a saturated market.

PSA: This Google Doc scam is spreading fast and will email everyone you know | TechCrunch

May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new Google Docs phishing scam just reared its head a few hours ago, and it’s spreading like wildfire. Google appears to be taking action to stop it, but in the meantime: be super, super wary of Google Doc invites for now. If you fall for this one (and plenty of otherwise eagle-eyed people have already), it’ll blast out the bait to everyone on your contact list.

The Biggest Marketing Challenges for Small Businesses | Duct Tape Marketing

May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’ve written about marketing for small business for years and spend enough time with business owners that some might consider me an expert on the topic. In order to ensure I stay on top of trends and provide you with the most current information and tips, I continue to conduct my own research and get as much current data as possible to provide for you. I recently reached out to my friends at Alignable to get a pulse on what the biggest marketing challenges for small businesses are today and today I’d like to share a few of these insights.

More than 75% of the respondents of this survey had 1-5 employees and serve a mix of local, regional, and national customers. 22% of those polled focused solely on B2B, 19% on B2C, and 53% targeting both.

Samsung self-driving car trial in South Korea approved | BBC News

May 3, 2017May 2, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Samsung has been given permission to start testing its self-driving cars on the roads in South Korea.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved Samsung’s plans to test its self-driving technology on Monday.

According to the Korea Herald, the company is using a customised Hyundai car for the tests.

Officials from the technology giant have denied the company has any intention of making cars.