How Do You Create a Content Calendar? | businessnewsdaily.com

March 2, 2021February 28, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A content calendar can improve your content marketing efforts by aligning brand voice across channels and delivering relevant content to your audience. Here’s how to develop a content calendar.

A content calendar is a written schedule of content that you plan to publish.

There are many benefits to creating an editorial calendar, including producing more compelling content and making collaborate with different team members easier.

You can create a content calendar in a spreadsheet, but you can also turn to more robust tools to simplify the process.

This article is for content creators who need help starting and organizing a content calendar for their company.

8 Best Natural Energy Drinks For An Instant Energy Boost | Lifehack

March 1, 2021February 28, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Need an energy boost? Don’t reach for that soft drink! Sure, the sugar and caffeine might make you feel more energized, but that feeling is only a temporary spike in blood sugar. When it wears off, you’ll crash—and feel even worse than before!

The good news is that there are plenty of natural energy drinks that can ramp up your energy levels without spiking your blood sugar. That means no energy crash and no empty calories. Many of these drinks can even be made at home, so you can easily avoid the added sugars and artificial ingredients.

Here are eight of the best natural energy drinks you can try (and make) for yourself at home.

Understanding Paid, Earned, Owned and Shared Media | AllBusiness.com

February 24, 2021February 23, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the marketing world we have what we refer to as four types of media: paid, earned, owned, and shared.

If you’re in business—and have been for more than 10 years—it’s pretty certain you only ever had to worry about paid and earned media.

And then social media came along and created the opportunity for owned and shared media, which business leaders and communicators alike have scrambled to learn, understand, and incorporate.

You Did What?! The Ideal, First 5 Minutes of Every Consulting Meeting | Management Consulting Connection

February 23, 2021February 21, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The initial few minutes of every client meeting present your consulting firm with a unique opportunity. Will you let it slip by unnoticed, or create a regular, business-building habit to maximize that time?

Let’s say that next Tuesday you’re scheduled to deliver a regular, periodic project update to your consulting firm’s client, Gridlock Enterprises. You’re joined for the half-hour Zoom meeting every month by Gridlock’s Chief Obstruction Officer, Philip A. Buster.

Small Business Guide to Security Cameras | business.com

February 23, 2021February 21, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Security cameras can help protect businesses against internal and external threats.

Video surveillance offers several benefits to the everyday small business owner. Not only does it protect against outside break-ins and burglaries, but it also plays a critical role in sustaining your business and making it a safer place to work. The purchase of a few reliable surveillance cameras for your business security can yield a high return on investment.

“I think every business with a physical location should have security cameras, because robberies are always possible, even if the business owner is very careful about locking up,” said Gabe Turner, director of content for Security.org. “If a robbery does happen, any business owner would want to know as soon as possible so they can contact the police.”

Below, we’ll explain this security camera benefit alongside others while discussing how these cameras work and how to find the right one for you.

Ready To Expand Your Business? Read This First | The Startup Magazine

February 22, 2021February 21, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s not always obvious when it’s time for your business to expand. If you’ve always been a team of one, two or three, you might feel hesitant to hire additional staff and perhaps even rent or buy a bigger commercial property.

Expanding too soon may result in a disappointing outcome if you find yourself paying more money for a bigger team or office while you see virtually no increase in sales. On the other hand, you might receive so much attention after your expansion that it’s impossible for you to keep up with the increasing demand, which might not affect you financially, but may harm your reputation.

If you think you might be ready to expand your business but you’re not completely sure, consider the following before taking action:

The Best Home Emergency Kit Gear (2021): Flashlights, Stoves, Chargers, and More | WIRED

February 18, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

THE THING ABOUT emergency gear is that once you need it, you won’t be able to get it. Even if you resign yourself to a soul-sucking panic run to Walmart with the rest of the hordes, you’ll be in stiff competition for the limited remaining stock. So plan ahead so you have everything on hand in advance. We’ve rounded up a few essentials for your emergency kit.

The Fenix E20 V2 is my top pick for an affordable emergency flashlight, but the ThruNite Archer 2A V3 ($30) is another solid choice. At 350 and 500 lumens, respectively, they’re bright enough while remaining compact, and last long on lower-light settings—200 hours at 5 lumens for the Fenix and 51 hours at 17 lumens for the ThruNite. Both use two AA batteries, and in an emergency, your main concern is to have a steady supply of replacement batteries.

Apple Wants To Roll Out VR Experience For Businesses | Getentrepreneurial.com

February 17, 2021February 15, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple may leap into the VR headset space with a “mostly virtual reality device” as early as next year, per Bloomberg. The news comes amid a period of renewed interest in VR from companies tinkering with the tech for remote work applications. When released, the headset—which will be similar in size to the Oculus Quest—could reportedly feature a 3D environment for gaming, video, and communication, along with some limited AR functionality, an internal fan, support for prescription lenses, and a hefty price tag typical of Apple gadgets.

Apple’s VR push marks its first major hardware endeavor since the 2015 release of the Apple Watch, breaking from its recent focus on services. For years, Apple’s soaring profits were tied to its crowning jewel—the iPhone. While iPhones still made up a majority (54.7%) of Apple’s sales in 2019, that figure has steadily decreased over time. In Apple’s fiscal Q4 2020 (ended September 26, 2020), for example, iPhone’s sales brought in $26.44 billion, which was down from $33.36 billion a year prior. With fewer people purchasing iPhones and other hardware, Apple made a strategic decision to pivot heavily toward its Services segment, starting first with its 2015 rollout of Apple Music and followed by TV+ and News+ subscriptions in 2019, all of which complement its already established Apple Pay and iCloud services. By the end of 2019, Services reportedly made up around 17.7% of Apple’s revenues. That continued last year as Apple announced Q4 revenues of $64 billion, propelled mainly by “all-time records” for Services, according to CEO Tim Cook.

Romrod Portable Fitness Device | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

February 17, 2021February 15, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Maintaining your regular workout routine isn’t easy due to a lack of access to your usual gear. That extends to warm up gear, which is often a makeshift piece of equipment such as a PVC pipe or dowel rod, which are very simple yet extremely versatile. Unfortunately, versatility doesn’t equal portability – until now. The RomRod is a portable rod mobility fitness device perfect for a wide variety of warm up exercises that is easy to ensure is always at hand.

Frustrated by being unable to find a simple PVC pipe at a gym while on the road, the creators of the RomRod came up with a device that, like many great inventions, is stunning in its simplicity, yet offers so much more than is apparent at first glance. Made from heavy-duty, rust-resistant aluminum and stainless steel to ensure a longer life, and with a standard checkered knurl and other markings, the RomRod gives users a real metal feeling and grip in the hand.

Mastercard will support cryptocurrency payments this year | Mashable

February 16, 2021February 14, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Financial services company Mastercard has given fresh credibility to cryptocurrencies this week by announcing it intends to start supporting payments using them on its network this year.

Many people remain very skeptical of crypto, and who can blame them? The price of Bitcoin is far from stable, and then there’s the threat of someone stealing it. Mastercard looks to be taking a cautious approach, however, and being very selective in what it chooses to support.

“We are preparing right now for the future of crypto and payments, announcing that this year Mastercard will start supporting select cryptocurrencies directly on our network. This is a big change that will require a lot of work. We will be very thoughtful about which assets we support based on our principles for digital currencies, which focus on consumer protections and compliance,” explained Raj Dhamodharan, executive vice president of Blockchain / Digital Asset Products & Digital Partnerships at Mastercard.