Author: knjohn

America’s massive hotel strike just got even bigger | CNN Business

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Baltimore hotel workers are joining a massive nationwide strike against three major hotel chains during one of the biggest travel holidays of the year.

Unite Here, the union representing hotel workers, said approximately 200 hotel workers walked off the job in Baltimore at the Hilton Inner Harbor this morning.

Hotel union workers are now on strike across 25 US cities. More than 10,200 hotel workers at dozens of hotels stretching from Boston to the West Coast to Hawaii went on strike early Sunday morning.

“I walked out today because we just cannot keep working paycheck to paycheck, not able to pay our bills,” Jerome Roberts, a dishwasher at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor said in a statement. “Going on strike is hard, but not nearly as hard as trying to get by on what we are getting paid. We told the bosses in our negotiations how much we are struggling right now but they didn’t care. We are on strike to make them pay.”

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‘A very serious situation’: Volkswagen could close plants in Germany for the first time in history | CNN Business

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Volkswagen is weighing whether to close factories in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history as it moves to deepen cost cuts amid rising competition from China’s electric vehicle makers.

In a statement Monday, the German automaker, one of the world’s biggest car companies, said that it could not rule out plant closures its home country. Other measures to “future-proof” the company include trying to terminate an employment protection agreement with labor unions, which has been in place since 1994.

“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” said Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume. “The economic environment became even tougher, and new competitors are entering the European market. Germany in particular as a manufacturing location is falling further behind in terms of competitiveness.

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Why do we shrink as we age? | Live Science

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Have you noticed someone getting shorter as the years slip by? Some people may start hunching over and even get a few inches shorter. So what makes us shrink as we age?

It turns out that it’s a combination of our bones “eating” themselves, our cartilage thinning and our muscles being whittled away. But the rates at which these processes happen vary depending on genes, physical nutrition and activity levels across a person’s lifespan.

“We all age differently biologically,” Marian Hannan, an epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School who researches aging, told Live Science.

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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket grounded for 2nd time in 2 months following explosive landing failure | Live Science

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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday (Aug 28), following a failed landing attempt that left the spacecraft toppled over in flames.

The reusable rocket booster had just completed its record-breaking 23rd mission, successfully launching 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit before touching down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean roughly nine minutes later, according to Live Science’s sister site Space.com. However, immediately upon landing, the rocket tipped over, bursting into flames.

No injuries or public property damage were reported in connection with the failed landing.

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Why Design Matters for Small Business | businessnewsdaily.com

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Your brand’s website communicates your business’s expertise and professionalism to current and potential customers. Your chosen website design is a crucial marketing tool that showcases and reflects your operation’s commitment to quality — or lack thereof. Investing time and resources into a well-crafted homepage ensures your site stands out and impresses. In contrast, using a default theme or overly simplistic layout conveys minimal effort and questionable professionalism.

We’ll explain more about why website design matters in business and outline the elements to consider when designing your business website.

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What to Know About Accounts Receivable | businessnewsdaily.com

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Accounts receivable management is an essential part of running a small business. Effectively, it can help you better understand and predict cash flow, improve customer collections, and make better credit extension decisions. Here’s what you need to know about managing your accounts receivable process.

What are accounts receivable?

“Accounts receivable,” or A/R, is the accounting term for money a business should receive from its customers from the sales of goods or services. It’s the amount of money for which you’ve created invoices but haven’t yet collected payment.

Accounts receivable funds are considered assets because they represent money the company has earned and expects to be paid for.

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Collaboration mistakes: What we get wrong about working together | Fast Company

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Most of the problems we have to solve at work are too big for any individual to handle. There are too many different areas of knowledge needed to be successful. The projects require too much time for one person to do in a timely fashion. And, the tasks that need to be done are not always the most appropriate for one person to carry out.

As a result, these projects must be done collaboratively. Unfortunately, effective collaborations don’t just happen naturally. They have to be built. Sadly, we don’t teach people how to do this well. As I often say, most of our education is an individual sport, while much of work life is a team sport.

So, here are three big collaboration mistakes people make:

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How to Set and Crush Your Goals in 2024 | LifeHack

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Ah, 2024. Another year, another set of resolutions gathering dust by February, right? Not this time. Let’s face it – we’ve all been there, setting lofty goals only to watch them fizzle out faster than a New Year’s Eve sparkler. But here’s the kicker: it’s not about cramming more into your day like it’s a college kid’s backpack. It’s about making sure the important stuff actually gets done.

So, buckle up. We’re about to dive into some goals that’ll make 2024 your year. But hold on – we’re not just going to throw a list at you and wish you good luck. Nope. We’re arming you with some clever LifeHack strategies that’ll help you actually achieve these bad boys. And the best part? They’re not some complicated mumbo-jumbo that’ll make your head spin. These are down-to-earth, practical methods that’ll help you get more done without burning out faster than a cheap candle.

Ready to make 2024 the year you actually crush your goals? Let’s roll.

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Tips for Preventing Employee Burnout as the Summer Season Ends | AllBusiness.com

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The lazy, hazy days of summer can become grueling and stressful in late August and September as the vacation season ends, the craziness of back to school begins, and people realize the hectic holiday season is just a few short months away. It’s a lot! And that can lead to a lack of motivation and burnout on the job.

Fortunately, business owners can help their team members regain and maintain momentum. Yes, it requires a little effort. But speaking from personal experience, I will tell you it can make a big difference.

Simple ways to keep your employees engaged and motivated

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How to Get Paid as a Digital Nomad | AllBusiness.com

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Digital nomads are having a moment. Globally, 35 million workers identify as such, and 43% of them are self-employed.

If you’re considering packing your bag and laptop and spending some time living in another country, you’ve got a lot to think about. First, does the country offer a digital nomad visa? Some countries like Estonia have had their digital nomad visas available for several years, while others, like Italy, are just now coming onboard the digital nomad train.

Next, you’ll need to consider your work setup. To be a digital nomad, you’ve got to be able to work 100% remotely. Do you need equipment to do so? Maybe you’ll need a video camera so you can attend virtual calls, or a Wi-Fi hotspot if you plan to live somewhere remote.

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