4D Printing | Cool Business Ideas

March 10, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It wasn’t so long ago that 3D printing was the new kid on the block. Now the term 4D printing is making headlines, stretching our ability to conceptualize once again. To understand 4D printing, it helps to have a better familiarity with 3D printing.

3D printing was originally developed in 1984 by Charles Hull. However, it was 2007 before anyone other than businesses and the one ultra-techie neighbor on the block gained access to 3D printers that used filament instead of ink. That’s because they finally became affordable for the house user around that time. Since then, like most technology, 3D printers have become smaller, faster, cheaper and more versatile.

The first 3D printers were slow, meticulously producing a single letter or a small figurine over a 12-hour window. Now we’re printing 3D houses, replacement parts, interior design pieces, furniture and so much more.

How Being Too Nice Ruins Your Success And Happiness | Lifehack

March 4, 2022March 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Watch any feel-good movie, and that nice main character is going to get dumped on at some stage in the movie. Their boss might be straight out of The Devil wears Prada, or their brother is the equivalent of Scar trying to take down the king of the jungle, but the point is that being nice gets you in trouble.

Being nice is something we’re taught from birth. When you’re three, you’ve not grasped that barging someone out of the way for the red trike is considered impolite so an adult says “play nice,” and we learn that it’s a good thing.

But fast forward 20 years and suddenly, being too nice can get you in trouble. It can even stop you from earning a good salary, finding true love, or inventing something you believe in.

Zoom lawsuit class-action settlement. Deadline to file claim

March 4, 2022March 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Ask around, and everyone has a “Zoom incident.” Sometimes, a cat filter won’t come off your face. Other times, a colleague masturbates on your work call.

For a lot of Americans, though, it involves “Zoombombing,” the phenomenon where uninvited internet trolls join your meeting and use the video-conferencing app’s screen-sharing feature to do something wildly offensive. Zoombombing stunts exploded in popularity at the start of quarantine. Surprising no one, the perpetrators were often high school and college students. Incidents frequently involved porn or hate speech, and the situation got serious enough that groups like the Anti-Defamation League created posts like “Steps to Take During a Zoombombing Incident.”

12 Email Marketing Pet Peeves to Avoid in Campaigns | AllBusiness.com

March 3, 2022March 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Email marketing campaigns can be a cost-effective way to reach a lot of people in a very short period of time. However, many companies rely on ineffective practices, like clichéd subject lines and recycled “limited-time offers.” These practices can be annoying to readers and cause your email to end up in the trash.

Here, members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their biggest email marketing pet peeves and why you should avoid them. What’s a pet peeve of yours when it comes to email marketing, and why are businesses better served avoiding that strategy?

Small Business Grants with a March Deadline | Small Business Trends

March 3, 2022March 2, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Looking for extra money for your small business? Applying for small business grants may help. There are currently opportunities for minority-owned companies, agriculture businesses, startups, and businesses affected by COVID-19. The following small business grant opportunities have a March deadline, so check them out right away.

Grants with a March Deadline to Apply

The clock’s ticking on these business grant opportunities:

American Express and Main Street American Inclusive Backing

American Express and Main Street America offer a $1.65 million grant program called Inclusive Backing. The program offers more than 250 grants of $5,000 throughout the year in four cycles. Businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and those owned by underrepresented groups are given preference. And each cycle has a specific focus to serve as many different types of businesses as possible. The second cycle offers grants for personal service businesses like dry cleaners, tailors, and spas. The application portal is open now through March 1.

Workers are Seeking or Planning to Seek New Jobs | business.com

March 2, 2022March 1, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Higher pay, better benefits, or an improved work environment could entice 88 percent of these job seekers to stay with their current company

Public health crises past and present have caused labor shortages that ripped out and reworked the fabric of society. The Great Plague liberated serfs, the Spanish Flu brought women to the workplace, and COVID-19 is empowering modern employees to redefine work-life balance and find roles that fit their lifestyles.

In upending the economy, the coronavirus also reshaped views of the workforce. Hourly earners were finally seen as essential and many office workers logged in from home, while government assistance allowed millions to reconsider their employment status. Many workers delayed their returns to the office or quit their jobs to seek more favorable terms as part of The Great Resignation.

Tips for Entrepreneurs Who Work Nights and Weekends | The Startup Magazine

March 1, 2022February 27, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are you an entrepreneur who works nights and weekends? If so, you are not alone! Many people start their businesses because they want more flexibility in their lives. However, working during non-traditional hours can be a challenge to entrepreneur health. In this blog post, we will share some tips, like using a melatonin pen, that will help make the most of your time and allow you to achieve success while still maintaining a healthy work/life balance!

Get Enough Sleep

One of the most important things you can do if you work at night or on weekends is to get enough sleep. Your body needs time to rest and recharge, so make sure it’s getting enough sleep. There are several ways to ensure this:

Set the alarm for when you need to go to bed and stick with it! If your schedule allows, try going earlier rather than later as this will help prevent fatigue during peak hours – especially since most people don’t.

How to Boost Connections Among Remote Staffers | Inc.com

March 1, 2022February 27, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Remote work comes with plenty of perks–for instance, all that time employees would’ve spent commuting is now being put to better use. But the downsides can be significant, too. Career-development opportunities can be diminished, as mentorship opportunities slip by. And, according to new research, remote workers feel less connected to their colleagues.

A recent study from the Pew Research Center says that 60 percent of those polled felt less connected to their co-workers as a result of working from home. Four percent reported feeling closer to their colleagues thanks to remote work, while 36 percent said they felt no change. The survey was conducted at the end of January and included responses from more than 10,000 individuals.

An NFT Bubble Is Taking Over the Gig Economy | WIRED

February 25, 2022February 22, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

ARGENTINIAN MUSICIAN FRANK Tavis had the life he always dreamed of. The 26-year-old was traveling the world and performing on the streets and in bars in more than 20 countries—each coin dropped in his guitar case helping pay his way to the next country for five years. Then the pandemic hit, bars shut down, and Tavis’ income dried up. A friend recommended he join Fiverr, a freelance gig economy website where people are paid for a variety of digital services usually offered by contractors. Tavis began writing songs for small sums of cash in mid-2020.

The earnings helped him live, but he saw a bigger opportunity. “I watch a lot of YouTube, and I started to see a lot of different stuff about NFTs,” he says. Tavis knew artists who he could pay to design artwork that others would use to make NFT collections. So he pivoted his Fiverr business to design the artwork used for NFTs.