Addicted to Spending? Here’s How to Become a ‘Recovering Spender’ | The Simple Dollar

October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Imagine waking up every day with an insatiable urge to shop. The second you get a chance, you check the racks and sales, desperate for the perfect gift, the perfect blouse, or anything to make your shopping trip worthwhile.

As you leave the store with a bag full of stuff, you’re over the moon with familiar feelings of euphoria and accomplishment. Unfortunately, this feeling is rather short-lived; soon, you’ll need to buy something else – something better – to maintain your glow.

For a lot of people, this is what addictive and compulsive spending looks like. Instead of getting high on drugs, addicted shoppers get high on the thrill of the chase and the excitement of buying something new.

Tesla told to dump Autopilot brand in Germany | BBC News

October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla has been told to drop the Autopilot brand name, which it uses to promote its driver-assistance software, in Germany.

The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) confirmed it had told Tesla to scrap the “misleading” term.

It said the term gave customers “incorrect expectations” that they could stop concentrating on the road and let Autopilot take over completely.

Tesla said it had always told drivers to keep their hands on the wheel.

US Factory Production Rebounded in September | ABC News

October 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

U.S. manufacturers boosted output modestly last month, led by greater production of construction supplies, autos and petroleum products.

Factory production rose 0.2 percent in September, following a decline of 0.5 percent in the previous month, the Federal Reserve said Monday. The broader industrial production category, which includes mining and utilities, ticked up 0.1 percent.

Even with the gain, manufacturing output has been flat in the past year. Factories have been hit by several headwinds: weak business spending on machinery and other equipment, a strong dollar that has made U.S. goods more expensive overseas, and sharp cutbacks in oil and gas drilling that have lowered demand for pipeline and other supplies.

6 Productivity Myths You Should Stop Paying Attention to | Life Hack

October 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In this digital age, there seems to be an abundance of information. We want to know so much about self-improvement and how to meet our career goals. The truth however is that, amidst all the information there are lies that distorts the facts.

To reach your goals and be more productive, you have to be better informed and follow strategies that deliver results rather than become a victim of the many “How To’s” out there.

So yes, we want to adopt the right tools in our profession to get more done and to reach our goals. But however even with the right tools, your effort to become more productive can be thwarted. Here are 6 productivity myths you should learn to avoid and the actual facts related to the truth of the situation.

These Are the Risks Every Entrepreneur Needs to Take | Inc.com

October 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Entrepreneurs love to view risk as binary. The more you put on the line, the greater the potential for reward. Go on, take that second mortgage so you can pour more cash into your business. Mine your life savings for a few more months of runway. The thrill, the adrenaline, the glory come from being at the precipice of either winning or losing it all.

That’s a terrible way to navigate your company. It’s misguided, toxic, and, unfortunately, all too common. It’s what happens when the notion of risk is distorted–compressed from a spectrum to a single, indivisible point.

Here’s Why Google Should Reward Content Marketers (And SEO Practitioners) For Less Content, Not More | Adrant

October 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For a long time there’s been a love-hate relationship between SEO practitioners and and content marketers and, sadly, isn’t going away anytime soon. But, there may be a solution and Google is front and center. But, first, let’s take a look at the history between SEO practitioners and content marketers.

Yesterday: War

Throughout most of the ’00s, SEO and quality content were fighting an all-out war. All SEOs could think about were keywords, keywords, keywords. Content creators were driven by advertising, PR and branding considerations saw keyword insertion and other SEO tactics such as padded word counts as self-defeating ploys guaranteed to render published content unreadable, unpersuasive and undermining of the company brand.

Why ‘Hoppy’ Beer May Be Better for Your Liver | Live Science

October 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The hops found in beer not only add flavor, but also may lessen the damaging effects of alcohol on the liver, a new study in mice suggests.

In the study, the researchers gave mice regular beer with hops, a special beer without hops, or plain ethanol (alcohol). After 12 hours, the mice that were given the beer with hops showed less buildup of fat in their livers than the mice that were given ethanol. In contrast, the mice that were given beer without hops had about the same level of fat accumulation in their livers as the mice that were given ethanol.

10 Reasons Why Women Kick Butt in Business | All Business

October 12, 2016October 12, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. It brings endless challenges and demands a whole host of diverse strengths and skills. Although not all that long ago viewed as “the weaker sex,” women are kicking some serious butt in the business world.

As a female entrepreneur, I’ve always believed that women have what it takes to succeed. And according to the 2012 U.S. Census data, I’m not wrong. The 2012 survey showed 9.9 million female-owned businesses, a not-too-shabby 2.1 million firm increase (almost 27 percent) over the 7.8 million in the 2007 U.S. Census.

That’s steady progress toward reaching—and exceeding—the 14.9 percent of male-owned businesses reported in 2012 (which only increased by 1 million businesses in the five years after the 2007 survey numbers came out).

ABC and Amazon will produce podcasts Start Up and Lore into TV shows | Adweek

October 12, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a sentence that only makes sense in 2016, your favorite podcasts are becoming TV shows.

As announced earlier this year, Start Up, a podcast that follows the creation of Gimlet Media, a podcast producing company, will air on ABC. While Lore, a podcast that details “real-life scary stories,” is coming to Amazon. For the podcasts, it’s been a rapid transition from iTunes to the small screen.

“Did I think we’d be in the TV business before our two-year mark? I never expected that,” said Matt Lieber, president and co-founder of Gimlet Media, and whom the podcast is partly focused on. “But what motivates Gimlet is telling stories that help our audience better understand each other and the world,” said Lieber.

Beyond Craigslist: 10 Marketplace Apps for Selling Your Stuff | Business News Daily

October 12, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It may not be a full-time business, but selling your gently used clothes, books, furniture and other items is a great way to make extra cash and minimize clutter. Peer-to-peer marketplace sites such as eBay and Craigslist are the go-to digital destinations for selling unwanted items, but they’re far from the only options. New apps, like the recently announced Facebook Marketplace, are popping up all the time, widening your potential base of buyers.

If you’re looking to empty your closets (and fill your wallet), here are 10 great apps to help you sell your stuff.