Category: News and Views

How Small, Local Businesses Can Reach New Investors And Keep Dollars In Communities | Fastcoexist.com

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

imagesSmall, local businesses lack access to capital. Banks will place restrictions before giving loans, like asking for collateral, wanting to see years of revenues, or asking for personal covenants. And then venture and angel investors aren’t interested in the low-rate returns hairdressers, restaurants and furniture-makers can offer; they want “high growth.”

That is why small, local businesses generally stay as small, local businesses. But what if small businesses could reach over the top of those market failures to the general public and investors who are willing to suffer the relatively low returns on offer? That might open up options.

Read More.

3 Years From Now There Will Be 9 Billion Connected Devices – How Will This Impact Your Business? | Entrepreneur

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

621D6DE2E75F4F83862881861C2E3F75Modern Workplace – a new, monthly online series – brings you access to business and technology leaders who are creating the future – today. Episodes broadcast on the first Tuesday of every month include interviews with innovators who explore timely business issues, provide actionable advice, and answer questions from our live, online audience. Register now for exclusive access to whitepapers, eBooks, and more!

This latest episode of Modern Workplace explores how the Internet of Things is changing how people and technology interact.

See Video.

How India Is Ahead Of The Game In TV Unbundling | Forbes

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While U.S. cable television customers are longing to finally be able to pay for just the channels they actually watch, others have begrudgingly accepted that bundled television is still the way to go for getting their money’s worth. Companies like DISH, Verizon, and Sony have only announced in the last year their own plans for stand-alone streaming services. With a few clicks, $8 for Netflix NFLX +0.75%, $15 for HBO, $20 for ESPN could easily add up to a higher total than what customers currently pay for only a few channels they actually watch in a bundle. What’s more, it doesn’t look like companies will use the same set-top box, if they use set-top boxes at all (Sony and Verizon are looking to offer services completely on the cloud).

Read More.

The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden ‘black site’ | US news | The Guardian

~ CBPS ~ Leave a comment

black siteAlleged police practices at Homan Square, according to those familiar with the facility who spoke out to the Guardian after its investigation into Chicago police abuse, include:

  • Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases.
  • Beating by police, resulting in head wounds.
  • Shackling for prolonged periods.
  • Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility.
  • Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15.

At least one man was found unresponsive in a Homan Square “interview room” and later pronounced dead.

Read Article.

This isn’t like the secret police, this IS the secret police.  You should be pissed and complaining about this to anyone who will listen.  Note that this is a BRITISH newspaper exposing this travesty.  – Ed

What the Declining Number of Employer Startups Means | Small Biz Trends

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Since 2008, the number of employer businesses going under has exceeded the number of employer businesses being founded, driving down the stock of American employers. Combined with the 49 percent decline in the per capita rate of formation of new employees that occurred between 1977 and 2012, this trend has some observers worried.

Jim Clifton, the CEO of Gallup, argued in a recent article that the recent pattern is America’s “single most serious economic problem” and that “economy is never truly coming back unless we reverse the birth and death trends.”

While I agree with Mr. Clifton and others that the three-decade long decline in the new employer creation rate is distressing, I believe that the problem it reveals is more subtle than his article lets on. Taken in conjunction with other data, the decline in the rate of employer firm formation indicates primarily that American business owners are becoming less willing to hire others.

Read More.

Four Ways Millennials Are Still Scarred From the Recession | Bloomberg Business

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

With the U.S. economy gaining steam, employers are finally hiring — and those benefits have spread to most corners of the job market.  Even America’s young adults, who bore the brunt of the downturn, are starting to regain their economic footing.

That doesn’t mean all is well for millennials, especially those who entered the workforce when things were at their worst. Improvements in the headline statistics mask some of the longer-lasting effects of the recession.  Here are some of the scars that recession graduates may bear for a long time to come.

Read More.

YouTube Is Launching A Kid-Friendly Video App | TechCrunch

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YouTube will launch a new, child-friendly version of its service for mobile devices on Monday. USA Today broke details of the news, which we’ve confirmed with sources at the company.

The app will initially be available for Android and in the U.S. only, but the move is telling of the Google-owned company’s ambition to develop its service beyond just being the world’s largest repository of online videos. It already has its ‘Music Key’ service, and an ad-free version is reportedly on its way also.

The kids app will surface content suitable for youngsters, as you’d expect, and TechCrunch understands that it will include a number of parental control features, such as a limiter that restricts the time of each session, and a sound toggle for muting and unmuting videos. The app will ship with content from a range of partners from the entertainment industry, including Jim Henson TV, DreamWorks, National Geographic, and a range of high-profile YouTubers.

Read More.

Tax Perks for Business Trips | All Business

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Good news. If you’re self-employed, a sole proprietor, or a freelancer, there are a number of travel and business-related expenses you can take advantage of to help reduce your taxable income. Keep in mind: in order for a travel expense to be deductible, you have to be away from your “tax home” (AKA your regular place of business).

So, when are you considered traveling away from your “tax home”? You are away from your tax home if:

Your job duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home, substantially longer than an ordinary day’s work, AND . . .

You need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away from home.

Read More.