The well-documented wage, lending, and funding gaps experienced by female entrepreneurs make an already difficult subject—business finances—even more tricky to navigate. Consider, for example, that according to survey findings from Intuit QuickBooks, during the COVID-19 pandemic women-owned businesses were more likely to report being rejected for loans or lines for credit, with a 16% rejection rate compared to an 11% rejection rate of small businesses overall. In addition, Facebook’s recent State of Small Business report shows that female-owned businesses were more likely to have closed during the pandemic compared to the global average.
Category: Tools and Information
Blaze Pizza, Bojangles execs discuss switching from a transactional mindset to a customer mindset| Fast Casual Executive Summit | Food Truck Operator
There’s no such thing as restaurant transactions — there are only customers. The top 5% of guests drive approximately 30% of sales, and any restaurant brand that doesn’t prioritize increasing customer lifetime value is now at risk.
Those are the big takeaways from the “Why Restaurants Are Ditching the Transactional Mindset to Focus on Customers” panel session at the recent Fast Casual Executive Summit held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The annual event was well attended, according to organizers. The summit is one of several foodservice and technology industry events run by Networld Media Group. A virtual event, #QSRNext, will take place Nov. 9.
Panelists included Todd Madlener, president and COO of Coolgreens; Aaron Noveshen, CEO of Starbird and founder and chairman of The Culinary Edge; Sergio Perez, senior director of Omnichannel, Bojangles and Vince Szwajkowski, CMO at Blaze Pizza. Mike Vichich, co-founder and CEO of sponsor Wisely moderated the panel.
Logo Design Tips for DIY Business Owners | The Startup Magazine
If you`re considering designing your logo, I`m sure you know its importance as a leading visual for your brand.
That it`s often the first impression, people have of your business.
And the colors, fonts, and shapes you choose play a big part in determining how consumers feel about you.
You probably also know about versatility and why and how a logo works on numerous platforms and marketing materials.
And you definitely understand that if you get it wrong, it could turn people away and not towards your business.
You do, right?
Oh, the pressure!
Fortunately, logo design isn’t rocket science.
And with enough research and planning, you can design a logo that accurately conveys the essence of your brand, connects with your target audience, and works pretty much everywhere
But to make that happen, you need professional logo design tips for DIY business owners.
5 Startups That Are Shaping the Future of the Health Care Industry | Inc.com
“The fourth industrial age is here,” says Daniel Kraft, a health care futurist and medical doctor. “It’s transforming how we get our digital banking done, how we stream movies. But health care is still stuck in the third–or maybe the second–industrial age, with fax machines and CD-ROMs.”
Specifically, innovations such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have been stubbornly slow to enter the health sector. And the big strides that have been made in data collection–wearables that monitor your vitals, voice biomarker trackers, and genomic sequencing, to name just a few–have so far resulted in only a few widely used, truly useful applications.
“Nobody wants more data–they want the actual insights that are useable,” says Kraft, who prefers the term now-ist to futurist. “How do we make actionable information that translates to the point of care or the bedside?”
12 Best Wireless Gaming Headsets (2021): PS5, Switch, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One | WIRED
GOING WIRELESS IS cheaper than ever, but if you’re going to spend hours wearing a headset coordinating with your squad in a game—or maybe sitting through your tenth Zoom meeting of the day—it needs to be comfortable, sound crisp, and pick up your voice clearly. Over the past three years, we’ve tested dozens of headset and headphones to pull together this list of the best wireless gaming headsets for PCs, Mac, Android phones, iPhone, Nintendo Switch (all models), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. We’ll continue testing new models over time, so bookmark this page to see our future picks.
Be sure to check out our many buying guides. For more accessory suggestions, check our picks for the Best Nintendo Switch Accessories and Best PS5 Accessories.
Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Review: Return of the Camera King | WIRED
“HEY GOOGLE, TYPE.” I’ve composed much of this review with my voice. That’s thanks to Assistant voice typing, one of many new software features in Google’s new Pixel 6 smartphone. In any text field, you can say the magic command above and start talking. 
It even works when the phone is offline. It might sound like an ordinary voice dictation feature, but it’s incredibly fast on the Pixel. It’s also surprisingly accurate, and it can adapt to your speech as you use it. For example, it didn’t understand when I spoke out my Korean friend’s last name, but after typing it out twice, the phone now spells the name correctly every time.
Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Pricing for a Luxury Design Startup | Entrepreneur
The consequences of the wrong price can destroy the authority and credibility of a luxury brand. That’s why the pricing strategy needs to be managed as rigorously as clients and budgets.
When it comes to luxury, price is about perception. When clients think the prices are higher than what they are, pricing power is built. The “luxury extra value” is to be found in the experience and activations luxury companies create.
Annual increases of 5% – 10% on the price list are expected by luxury customers, and this expectation doesn’t change during an economic downturn. But during a recession, many businesses lose their confidence and they are tempted to discount with the hope of keeping up with the forecasts. Discounting luxury products always dilutes the brand’s equity, authority and perception of luxury.
The four most common mistakes in pricing luxury are costly because they are all reasons why companies go out of business.
Natural Jet Lag Prevention, to Make Your Trip a Little Easier | Green Matters
We’re completely obsessed with traveling, but jet lag can really take away from an awesome trip. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of natural jet lag prevention tips, so you can enjoy vacay, without feeling tired or rundown as soon as you arrive. Bon voyage!
Stay hydrated
This may sound obvious, but make sure to drink water before, during, and after your flight. According to Mayo Clinic, a sure-fire way to avoid jet lag is to stay hydrated. The aircraft cabin in most commercial airplanes tends to be super dry, and dehydration can seriously exacerbate jet lag symptoms. Keep your skin hydrated, too, by staying moisturized during your flight.
Benefits of Drinking Aloe Vera Juice | CoolBusinessideas.com
For centuries, people have looked to aloe vera for its bountiful healing properties. The outside of these tropical succulents might be spiky and unfriendly-looking, but the gooey, gelatinous inside of the aloe vera leaf is good for more than just soothing summer sunburn. Mildly flavored, though remarkably viscous, the many benefits of drinking aloe vera are most often found when its mixed into shakes, smoothies, or refreshing, efficacious elixirs.
Be aware that the conclusions drawn about aloe vera in this article are not those of medical professionals. Aloe should not be seen as a replacement for medicine or medical care, and any decisions to ingest significant amounts of aloe vera should be made with a doctor’s approval.
That said, here are a few benefits you may get from drinking aloe vera.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a strong 2-in-1 with too many hidden fees | Mashable
Microsoft’s newest addition to the Surface lineup — the Surface Pro 8 — proves the old adage “you get what you pay for” sometimes needs additional context. In this case, be ready to drop a hefty chunk of change for this Windows 11 tablet itself and then another sizable chunk on top of that for the accessories that make it useful.
The $1,100 Surface Pro 8 is the latest and greatest Surface Pro yet, thanks to a larger 13-inch display with a higher refresh rate than ever at 120Hz, more powerful processors, better battery life, and the inclusion of Windows 11. There’s no getting around that this is an excellent Surface tablet, but Microsoft, once again, decided not to include the all-important keyboard cover attachment to make it usable as a work device. Artistically minded users will also need to cover another hidden fee for the new Slim Pen 2 stylus.
Dispatches From The Front 