3 Ways to Set Freelancers Up for Success | Entrepreneur

March 11, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Freelancers are just like any other tool that you use to complete a task — their effectiveness depends on how you as the user operate them. You wouldn’t write with a dry pen and then blame the pen for not producing ink, would you?

Freelancers can be an excellent resource for your company. They can take a lot of work off your plate and offer a much-needed outsider’s perspective if you set them up for success.

So, here’s how to do that.

Empower them to make decisions

If you’re like me, you’re bringing freelancers on to complete work without the hassle of a full-time employee. This means giving them a longer leash than you would to a full-timer and empowering them to make decisions that most employees would try to leave up to you.

So don’t treat them as disposable — treat them as you would an employee who’s been with your company for a long time and knows what will earn your seal of approval and what won’t. Train them the same way you would a normal employee and take the time to fully explain how you want the job done and what standards they will be held to.

The ultimate guide to pricing your services | Getentrepreneurial.com

March 11, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If there is one thing that budding entrepreneurs struggle with the most, it is pricing their services. There are umpteen reasons behind this – all of which we will tackle through today’s article – but, ultimately, it can pose monumental, bottom-line problems. After all, if you’re not pricing yourself accurately, you’re faced with two situations. Firstly, you could bottom-out and not make sufficient profits. Or, if you go the other way, you won’t attract the clients. So, how do you start? Let’s dive into the best practices for pricing your products and services.

The spring-loaded screw could be a cheaper form of soundproofing | New Atlas

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

Nobody likes hearing their neighbors’ music, TV shows or loud conversations. Soundproof wall materials, however, can be quite thick and expensive. Swedish scientists have developed a thinner, less costly alternative, in the form of a spring-loaded sound-damping screw.

Known as the Revolutionary Sound Absorbing Screw (or the Sound Screw for short), the device was created by a team at Malmö University, led by senior lecturer Håkan Wernersson. It consists of a threaded section at the bottom, a coil spring in the middle, and a section with a flat head at the top.

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.