Category: Tools and Information

Snacking Pod | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

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Most of us spend much of our time on the go, rushing to work and shuttling kids to activities. Somewhere in the midst of the hustle, we have to eat. Stak has created a snacking pod to match those lifestyle needs, while aiming to create a long-lasting, eco-friendly product that eliminates the temptation of convenient but wasteful individually wrapped snacks.

Convenience products have been flooding the supermarket shelves for decades, serving the needs of individuals and families who pack food to travel through the day with them. But these conveniences come at a cost in the form of single-use plastic packaging and excessive waste. Plus, the food is typically highly processed and loaded with preservatives. Stak developed an easy, zero-waste way to transport healthy snacks and is hoping to bring the product to market via a successful Kickstarter campaign.

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Business Trends To Leverage In 2020 | Getentrepreneurial.com

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If you have a small business, it’s essential to keep up with the latest trends in technology, marketing, customer service and other areas that affect your business. Each business is unique, so every trend doesn’t necessarily impact you equally. However, all major trends do influence your customers’ expectations, so it’s good to be up to date.

Here are some of the most significant trends I’m currently seeing that will impact small businesses in 2020 and beyond.

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Xenoma’s e-skin smart pajamas take ‘wearable’ to a whole new level | Mashable

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As any fan of Rihanna knows, pajamas are back. But one Japanese smart clothing brand is pushing the envelope in a way even RiRi couldn’t manage.

Tokyo-based Xenoma debuted a collection of smart pajamas, called the e-skin Sleep & Lounge collection, at the Consumer Electronics Show’s (CES) Unveiled showcase Sunday.

It has two main styles: A lightweight classic grandpa look, which is loose, airy, and soft to the touch, as well as a jersey kangaroo pocket sweatsuit that feels cozy enough to keep you warm through winter.

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How to Prioritize Work When Everything Seems Important | Life Hack

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Even with all of the advances in modern technology, there are only so many hours in the day to cram in everything that we need to do. A simple “to-do” list doesn’t always cut it, and it’s easy to feel adrift in a sea of tasks without an oar. The key to managing all of the work responsibilities on your plate is prioritization.

In theory, prioritization is pretty simple: write down what you need to do and then start doing it.

Here’s the thing about prioritization though — it’s always changing. Every project manager knows that things come up, fall through, and get moved around. How we adapt to those changes can determine the success or failure of our effectiveness in completing that ever-growing to-do list.

In this article, we’ll look at various ways to help you become a master of time management at work and keep all of those proverbial spinning plates from crashing to the ground.

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Busting the Myths That Keep Your Business From Reaching Millennial Customers | AllBusiness.com

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Even though the oldest millennials will turn 38 in 2020 (based on U.S. Census Bureau stats) marketers are still trying to figure out the generation. Assumptions about their “teen behavior” have seemed to persist (how long was this generation labeled “entitled”?) far past the natural expiration date. Does your business understand how to connect effectively with millennial customers?

This is particularly challenging for B2B companies. Millennials have taken over from boomers as the largest generation in the workforce. That means their business decision-making and purchasing power is increasing as they rise through the corporate ranks.

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How to Stop Micromanaging Your Employees | AllBusiness.com

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One of the most common struggles a new leader faces is learning to delegate and let go of the “little things.” While you may feel like you need constant oversight into your team’s work, micromanaging employees damages morale and drives away your top performers. It also prevents your team from doing truly creative or innovative work.

Part of solving this problem requires establishing healthy communication routines with your team members or leads. The rest comes down to gaining—and keeping—their trust. To help you break any micromanagement tendencies, we asked members of YEC Next this question:

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Business Gift Giving Etiquette and Mistakes to Avoid | Small Business Trends

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For business owners, the holiday season is often a time for purchasing client, employee, and partner gifts for everyone who supports your business throughout the year. However, it’s important to give gifts in a way that won’t offend or create awkward situations among those who are important to your small business.

Before shopping for holiday gifts for clients, colleagues, or employees, consider the following business gift giving etiquette tips for all occasions.

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Why Should Your Business Invest in Apprenticeships? | business.com

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Some of the world’s most prosperous economies – including Germany, Australia and the UK – have robust apprenticeship systems. School leavers and job changers in those countries can access education and training that leads directly to the workplace, while the companies that sponsor them get top-quality workers with the precise skills they need.

In the United States, however, apprenticeships are far less common. Many businesses see them as complicated and expensive and don’t know if they really work. Others aren’t sure the benefits are worth the cost. U.S. employers are more comfortable shopping for talent than creating it. However, astute employers know it’s critical to have access to a pipeline of workers with 21st-century skills.

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