What (And What Not) to Do If You Want Your Content to ‘Go Viral’ | Adrants.com

October 2, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Oh you’ve gotta love those online college degree schools for their content marketing savvy. They’ve mastered the art of creating compelling and informative infographics that double as a promotion for the school. That’s not a slam. Just an acknowledgment.

Anyway, here’s a well thought out inforgraphic from Best Marketing Degrees on viral marketing. It’s got examples of successful virals. It’s got examples of failed virals. It’s got tips on what you can do to increase the likelihood your content will go viral and its got tips to keep you out of hot water.

Check it out below.

Everyone’s a Freelancer Now at Least for Health Care Benefits | Businessweek

October 2, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For much of its existence, the Freelancers Union’s reason for being was to get workers who weren’t in full-time jobs access to health insurance. In 2001, the Brooklyn-based nonprofit started brokering group-rate health coverage to its membership of graphic designers, strategy consultants, and others who work job-to-job. Later, it launched its own insurance company that would sell you coverage if you could prove that you made your income from contract work.

Now the group is trading in its insurance business to provide medical care directly. The 25,000 members in New York covered by Freelancers Insurance Co. will in 2014 be rolled into plans provided by Empire BlueCross BlueShield. Freelancers Union will open 15 primary care clinics around the country in the next five years, says Sara Horowitz, the group’s executive director. It already has two clinics in New York, where workers who buy plans from its insurance arm get primary care with no co-pays and with access to other services. Tai chi classes, anyone?

Microsoft Announces Windows 10 | TechCrunch

October 1, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This morning at an event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the next version of its Windows operating system: Windows 10.The name is definitely not in line with expectations, but also comes on the heels of rumor talk that it could pick up another title. Happily, the last 943 people to cover the operating system got the name wrong. I am among them.

Starting tomorrow, Microsoft will launch a Windows Insider Program that will give users who are comfortable with running very early beta software access to Windows 10. This first preview will be available for laptops and desktops. A build for servers will follow later. Microsoft says it is opening up this beta process to get more feedback from more users early on, but also noted that this will be a learning experience for the company and that some experiments users will get in new builds may not make it into the final version.

Have Trouble Concentrating? Try These Suggestions | Entrepreneur.com

October 1, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We all know the feeling of being overwhelmed, of being beset by distractions. Too many things clamor for your attention. People are trying to reach you, by phone, email, text, Twitter, or old-fashioned yelling up the stairs. Colleagues interrupt. You need to update, check in, post, or ping. Ads jump at you from the most unlikely places. Devices buzz, ring, chirp, and vibrate.

There are steps you might consider to quiet the buzz in your brain – even if you don’t want to take up meditation. In addition to feeling calmer and more focused, you’ll probably be more efficient, too. Turns out that people aren’t very good at thinking about two things at once. One study showed that when people were interrupted to respond to email or IM, it took about 15 minutes for them to resume a serious mental task.

So consider taking steps like these, at least occasionally. They may not all work for you, but you may find a few that will help you focus.

7 Affordable Resources for Self-Employed Workers | Mashable

September 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Today’s career landscape is bizarre by Boomer standards: 23-year-olds are CEOs, working parents are running businesses out of their living rooms and work-from-home opportunities abound in almost every industry.

Given these recent trends in the career industry, it’s unsurprising that more and more employees are considering becoming their own boss — and many get the opportunity to do so. The “virtualization” of jobs, the influx of startup culture and the rise of the gig economy are all contributing factors to increasing opportunities for self-employed workers.

If you’re thinking about leaving behind a nine-to-five to freelance or embark on an entrepreneurial business venture, below are a few helpful resources to give you a leg up.

5 Reasons why Business Shouldn’t Use Generic Envelopes | Getentrepreneurial.com

September 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How many times have you simply grabbed the nearest envelope for the posting of crucial business correspondence? Without knowing it, you could be harming the image of your business by sending important letters and documents via sub-standard, inappropriate or generic envelopes.

The first job of an envelope is to get its contents to their final destination safely. However, it also the first thing your clients and customers will see when you make contact through the mail. A neatly addressed envelope that is appropriate to the tone of its contents, and designed specifically for your business, can deliver five unexpected benefits.

Engage Your Employees Or Lose Billions | Forbes.com

September 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Most employers are failing to engage employees, and it’s costing billions of dollars. According to Gallup’s 2013 State of the Global Workplace survey, just 13 percent of worldwide employees say they are engaged at work. In the U.S., where engagement is at 30%, Gallup estimates that active disengagement 18% of the workforce costs the economy $450 billion to $550 billion per year.

“Engagement” is all the rage in business, but we’re failing at it, and we aren’t clear on what the word means. We’re engaging employees, engaging customers, engaging partners, engaging with social content, engaging in dialogue and engaging millennials—basically engaging everything and everywhere without results. The problem is that most employees don’t have any outlets for engagement. Thankfully, every business leader has the power to change this.

Howdy Partner | Peter Mehit

September 29, 2014January 22, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A consultant we know was talking about a partner she was working with on a project. She thought that they agreed prior to an important client meeting that they would present themselves as a single company to minimize any client concerns. At the meeting the ‘partner’ grandstanded, establishing his separate identity and launching into something approximating a sales pitch. The client became confused and my consultant friend and her ‘partner’ lost the work.

We have partnered with several firms over the years and have had both negative and positive experiences. What we’ve learned is there are levels of partnership that reflect the level of commitment between the players. These levels also reflect the amount of trust between them as well. While have identified the levels as: ally, collaborator and partner.

Continue reading “Howdy Partner | Peter Mehit” →

Hollywood Drone Approval May Blaze Trail for Farmers: DOT | Bloomberg

September 29, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Score one for Hollywood.

Six movie and television production companies convinced the Federal Aviation Administration that they are capable of safely using drones while filming scenes in the U.S., opening the door to broader commercial use of the unmanned aircraft.

The FAA today said it granted the six companies waivers from regulations on general flight rules, pilot certification and equipment mandates designed for traditional aircraft as long as they meet certain conditions for safety. The agency is working with a seventh company on a similar drone approval and has at least 40 additional waiver requests pending for commercial use of unmanned aerial systems.

Unstealable Bike | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

September 29, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Developed by three Chilean engineering students; Juan José Monsalve, Andrés Roi and Cristóbal Cabello, the ‘Yerka’ project maintains the design of an urban bike yet incorporates a closing frame device to improve security. To thieves, every lock can be broken whilst leaving the bicycle intact, the creators have a strong clamp out of the velocipede’s frame. This means that the only way to steal it is to break the lock and thus the two-wheeler completely. No more will you have to carry around a padlock as the Yerka tech uses the bike’s body as the securing measure, taking less than 20 seconds to set-up.