How to Turn Your Business Into a More Efficient Organization | The Startup Magazine

February 27, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

With the right attitude and approach, almost any business can be turned into a much more efficient organization. However, it may take some time to transform your company into a well-oiled profit machine, but once you know what changes you need to make, anything is possible. Below are some simple steps you need to take to turn your business into a more efficient organization.

Planning and Preparation

Poor planning and preparation is usually one of the main reasons a business loses its edge. These are the first aspects of your business you need to get right and this change has to come from the top.

You and the decision makers in your business should analyze the current situation in your company. This involves identifying areas where you can improve, finding out why certain problems occur and uncovering other factors that could be affecting the efficiency of your business.

NBA fines: Where does the money go? | Money CNN

February 24, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The NBA imposes millions of dollars worth of fines on players each season. But it’s not clear where exactly that money goes.

Other pro-sports leagues — the NFL, MLB and NHL — are very up front about how they donate player fines.

NBA players have paid more than $1.6 million in fines about half-way into the 2016-2017 season. That’s based on data from Spotrac, which monitors athlete contracts and financials.

According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the money goes to charities chosen by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

The NBPA’s half of the money goes to its foundation. However, it’s unclear where the NBA’s half goes. The league declined to disclose the names of any of the charities that get fine money.

Scaling Up? Lay a Strong Foundation for Your Startup | Business News Daily

February 24, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Although getting a startup up and running is an immensely challenging task, taking it to the next level can be even more difficult.

A study recently published in Business Horizons found that the transition period between the startup and scaling phases can be a demanding time for entrepreneurs and one that must be navigated successfully in order for a business to grow.

Joseph Picken, the study’s author and founder of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Dallas, said past research has identified the most common reasons for failure or CEO replacement, but nobody has told the entrepreneur what to do to succeed.

Smart Investment Strategies for Entrepreneurs | Getentrepreneurial.com

February 23, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Entrepreneurs often have a lot of unique qualities. They tend to be willing to take risks when it comes to business and their careers, and they’re often creative and think outside the box. That’s a lot of what propels them toward being entrepreneurs and building their own companies.

When you do have your own company, there are some unique investment strategies and considerations to keep in mind, however. There are ways that investing as an entrepreneur may be different than someone who works for a company, for example, and invests a portion of their salary.

The following are some things to consider if you’re an entrepreneur and you want to build a smart, sustainable investment strategy.

Google’s new project aims to clean up comment sections | TechCrunch

February 23, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you read stuff on the internet (and obviously you do because hi, you’re reading a blog) then you know the golden rule: never read the comments.

Scrolling past the end of a story is an adventure into a realm of racism, conspiracy theories and ad hominem attacks that will quickly make you lose your faith in humanity. But instead of encountering Godwin’s Law in the comments, you might start encountering Google instead. Google’s internet safety incubator Jigsaw launched new technology today called Perspective, intended to clean up comment sections.

Perspective reviews comments and assigns them a toxicity rating that reflects the likelihood that the comment is intended to be harmful. Jigsaw’s goal is to keep people engaged in the conversation, so it assesses “harm” as something that would drive other commenters away.

Ford skips over semi-autonomous cars for fully autonomous ones | Mashable

February 23, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Will self-driving cars have steering wheels? Maybe not, if engineers keep falling asleep.

Ford’s self-driving cars will skip over Level 3 — where cars are automated, but human drivers are still expected to take over if need be — to Level 4, where cars are basically fully autonomous except for extreme conditions. (Self-driving cars that would meet the requirements for Level 5 are still theoretical at this point.) The levels are defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE.

Automotive News reported that Ford came to that decision after its engineers fell asleep, lulled into a false sense of security with nothing much to do while driving Level 3 cars.

“These are trained engineers who are there to observe what’s happening,” Ford Product Development Chief Raj Nair told the publication. “But it’s human nature that you start trusting the vehicle more and more and that you feel you don’t need to be paying attention.”

Unique Business Ideas that Helped with Overcoming the Urban Jungle | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

February 22, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The big cities can be difficult to navigate, even for those that have been living in the area for quite some time. It’s often why these large cities are referred to as an “urban jungle” – it’s wild!

Could you imagine what it would be like if you were plunked into NYC before there were services like Uber, Airbnb, a good parking app, using hostels, GPS, and others?

It would have been a nightmare! And, in some ways, it still can be for those that aren’t aware of their options when it comes to the unique business ideas that have helped overcome the mayhem that is navigating your way around these urban jungles.

The following are some of the apps and services you may find helpful if you find yourself wandering the streets of metropolitan areas (and beyond):

Microsoft Faces European Privacy Probes Over Windows 10 | Bloomberg

February 22, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft Corp. faces a coordinated investigation by European privacy regulators after it failed to do enough to address their concerns about the collection and processing of user data with a series of changes to Windows 10 last month.

European Union data-protection officials sent a letter to Microsoft saying they remain “concerned about the level of protection of users’ personal data,” according to a copy of the document posted by the Dutch watchdog Tuesday. Regulators from seven countries are concerned that even after the announced changes, “Microsoft does not comply with fundamental privacy rules.”

Why Payment Companies Are Flocking To Messaging Apps | Fast Company

February 22, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Money is surprisingly social. Venmo was one of the first U.S. startups to capitalize on that realization, designing its mobile app around an emoji-ridden social feed. Now messaging apps are seeing the light and welcoming financial services companies onto their platforms.

Today, TransferWise enters the fray with the launch of its Facebook Messenger bot. As with the TransferWise app, the bot provides a lower-cost means for executing cross-border payments. It will compete against a similar offering from Azimo Ltd., which announced its Messenger integration in August.

On Promises | marketingforhippies.com

February 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The purpose of marketing is to make promises.

The purpose of your business is to keep them.

Most traditional cultures in the world are overflowing with proverbs around the importance of keeping your word and doing what you say you will do.