NFIB Jobs Report: Small Business Job Growth Stalls in August | Small Business Trends

September 10, 2024September 9, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

According to the latest NFIB Jobs Report, small business job openings remained high in August, with 40% of business owners reporting positions they could not fill, up two points from July. Labor quality concerns also grew, with 21% of owners citing it as their top issue, the highest level reported since January 2024.

“Job openings on Main Street remain historically high as small business owners continue to lament the lack of qualified applicants for their open positions,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg.

In August, 62% of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire, an increase of five points from July. However, 56% of those hiring reported few or no qualified applicants for open positions, with 31% seeing few qualified candidates and 25% seeing none.

AI Will Change Everything in Your Small Business | Small Business Trends

September 10, 2024September 9, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AI will fundamentally change the landscape of various industries. Still, many small business owners are slow to adapt and are ignoring this new technology.

My guest on The Small Business Radio Show, KP Reddy who is the author of “Creating the Intangible Enterprise”, an AI expert, founder and CEO of Shadow Ventures. With a background in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, KP has become a global authority in AEC environments, AI, robotics, automation, mobile applications, and cloud computing.

KP is also the author “What You Know About Startups is Wrong”, debunking eleven popular myths about what defines a top entrepreneur. His extensive experience includes founding and exiting three technology companies to NASDAQ and NYSE,

Windows 11 24H2: the big update that’s coming soon | Digital Trends

September 9, 2024September 8, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Windows 11 is more than a few years old and it is getting feature drops called “moments” every so often, as well as yearly updates. But what about the whole new Windows release that will come after Windows 11?

Earlier leaks from Intel and Qualcomm made mention of Windows 12, leading some to believe that Windows 12 might be in development at Microsoft and could come in 2024.

Whether or not it’s called Windows 12 or Windows 11 24H2, a big update is coming. Here’s what we know so far.

Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 8: Do you really need to upgrade? | Digital Trends

September 9, 2024September 8, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google has unveiled its 2024 smartphone lineup, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google has really pulled out all the stops this year, producing a big stable of phones with gorgeous designs, much improved battery lives, and the customarily amazing cameras we’ve come to expect from Google’s phones. They really are the top Google phones for this year.

But while they may have exceeded last year’s Pixels, are they a must-upgrade? If you currently have a Pixel 8, you might be considering upgrading to the Pixel 9 — but should you? We have the answers for you, so you can make the best choice. Read on below.

Becoming A Better Salesperson And Securing More Deals | The Startup Magazine

September 6, 2024September 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the sales industry, staying ahead is not just a strategy; it’s a necessity. With the constant competition, it’s crucial to keep evolving. Even if you have years of experience, you might find it challenging without a new set of selling tips. But remember, it’s all about staying ahead of the game.

Here, you can discover all of the top-selling tips and advice to become a better salesperson and complete more deals.

Use AI to receive instant recommendations

In sales, it is good to move fast with sales. While you need to ensure the decision you are making is wise, it is good to move fast. Otherwise, you might lose the opportunity to someone else. Hence, it is savvy to receive instant recommendations from AI.

Using ZoomInfo Copilot, salespeople can use AI to receive instant prospect recommendations to speed up ideas and get on with making sales quicker. Instead of waiting around for company listings and other calls, you can receive instant help to get on with your sales.

How To Make Money As A Content Creator | The Startup Magazine

September 6, 2024September 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We live in a time when one of the most sought-after career opportunities is to be a content creator. In fact, according to Influencer Marketing Hub, around 200 million people consider themselves content creators, however less than a third have it as their full-time career. There are more content creator career opportunities than ever to create content and generate an income from it, but you need to know what you’re doing.

In a market that’s highly saturated you need to think of ways you can stand out and have people want to engage with what you create. In this article, we take a look at some top ways you can make money as a content creator and either have it as a veritable side income or as a main job in the long run. Keep on reading to find out more.

Microsoft is turning to AI to make its workplace more inclusive | BBC News

September 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft’s chief diversity officer says diversity and investment in the workforce can help fix AI’s bias problems.

At the beginning of 2023, Microsoft found itself in a PR firestorm. The company was working to demonstrate its progress in artificial intelligence following a multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. It added an AI powered chatbot into its Bing search engine, which placed it among the first legacy tech companies to fold AI into its flagship products, but almost as soon as people started using it, things went sideways.

A New York Times journalist sparked international intrigue over a conversation he had with Bing that left him “deeply unsettled”. Soon, users began sharing screenshots that appeared to show the tool using racial slurs and announcing plans for world domination. Microsoft quickly announced a fix, limiting the AI’s responses and capabilities. In the following months, the company replaced its Bing chatbot with Copilot, which is now available as part of its Microsoft 365 software and Windows operating system.

Father of boy held in Georgia school shooting is arrested |BBC News

September 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The father of a 14-year-old boy accused of killing four people at his high school in the US state of Georgia has been arrested.

Colin Gray, 54, is facing four charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight of cruelty to children, said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Authorities have charged his son, Colt Gray, with four counts of murder and said they plan to prosecute him as an adult. His first court appearance is due on Friday morning.

The shooting on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in the city of Winder, near Atlanta, left two teachers and two students dead, and nine others injured.

Bitcoin ATMs are a hotbed for scams, FTC says | TechCrunch

September 4, 2024September 3, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a report about increasing fraud at Bitcoin ATMs. These ATMs allow people to turn their cash into crypto, but they’ve become a tool for scammers to perpetrate fraud. Since 2020, the FTC says, fraud at Bitcoin ATMs has ballooned nearly tenfold, and just in the first half of 2024, consumers have lost over $66 million to these scams.

Scammers use tactics like fake phone calls, messages, and security alerts to convince people that they’re in danger, and that they should deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM to protect it. Then, the scammer may share a QR code to scan at the Bitcoin ATM, which deposits the cash into the scammer’s wallet.