Does Catnip Really Make Cats ‘High’? | Live Science

November 13, 2019November 12, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Offer a pinch of catnip or a catnip-filled toy to your pet feline, and her response might be dramatic … and silly. She may roll on her back, dart wildly around, drool, lick the catnip and rub it on her face and body, or flop over and lie there purring.

Her actions seem goofy and comical, and somewhat resemble the uncoordinated and gleeful behavior of someone who’s had a little too much to drink or is pleasantly under the influence of recreational drugs.

But is that what’s happening here? Does catnip make cats high?

Study Finds Optimization Gap on Mobile Channels | Business News Daily

November 12, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Mobile shopping is on the rise, according to a new study of 22,000 shoppers from around the world, as 78% said they’ve shopped via smartphone in the past six months.

Though mobile commerce is trending upward, 63% of the 4,600 business owners polled said they were able to accept mobile payments through their own channels.

Researchers found that women were more likely to shop through their smartphones than men, with 48% of women preferring that method, while 39% of men said the same.

Sleek, fast and powerful, today’s smartphones can instantly close the gap between far-flung relatives or broadcast pictures of your cat on the ‘gram. In recent years, these miniscule machines have also become a handheld portal to your favorite retailers, allowing users to shop to their heart’s content wherever they are. According to a recent study commissioned by PayPal, mobile commerce is not only growing at a global scale, but also transcends generational and platform divides.

How to Create a Habit of Continuous Learning for a Better You | Life Hack

November 12, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Contrary to popular belief, learning is a necessary part of our existence. Much like we need food for our body, our brain needs nourishment through information and continuous learning.

To live a life without learning constantly is utterly unthinkable despite people’s efforts. It’s this reason I’d like to argue that we need to stop resisting and to embrace learning for specific reasons. On top of that, I’ll explain the step by step process to train your brain to help you become a continuous learner.

Top 9 Hiring Tips for Small Business Owners | AllBusiness.com

November 7, 2019November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Hiring a new employee can result in a variety of overlooked costs, so it’s important to make each new hire count. Attracting and retaining top talent is a major advantage for your business, while keeping subpar employees puts you behind the competition.

Improving your hiring practices is one of the best changes you can make for your business, leading to lower turnover and more productivity. This article will cover the most important things small business owners should keep in mind throughout the hiring process.

Thinking of hosting your own webinars? Here are 7 things you must consider | Management Consulting Connection

November 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This past Friday, I hosted my fifth Practice Development INSIDER webinar. I was a complete newbie when I began investigating what I needed to know for the first one. So while having five webinars under my belt isn’t all that many, I can see the patterns and repetitions developing for what needs to be done.

Here are seven things you must consider before launching your webinars.

Surviving an IRS Audit: What You Need to Know | The Startup Magazine

November 5, 2019November 4, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Finding out that you are going to be audited by the IRS can be a little bit scary. However, with the right preparation, anyone can get through it. Here’s what you need to know to survive your IRS audit.

Don’t Ignore The Notice

Once you receive your IRS audit notice, you will usually have 30 days to respond to it; the precise time period will be specified in the notice. You should never ignore any correspondence from the IRS, claiming to not have received the letter won’t hold water in a courtroom. You can’t simply feign ignorance on the basis of not having received the letter.

Why Thousands of Companies Are Turning Their Backs on a Business Doctrine That’s Been Accepted for Decades | Inc.com

November 4, 2019November 3, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

At the B Lab Champions Retreat in Los Angeles in September, nearly 700 attendees representing the B’s–the tip of a global movement numbering 60,000 companies–are gathered to honor great performers. And to declare victory.

The B’s are B Corporations, companies that have been certified by B Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to the concept that business must be a force for good, rather than profit alone, and allies working toward that goal. That concept had clearly become mainstream when, in August, the Business Roundtable, which represents the nation’s leading corporations, rejected “shareholder primacy” as the sole purpose of business in favor of stakeholder considerations. By doing so, the business titans at the very least acknowledged that business must have a purpose beyond making money–that companies must serve their customers, their employees, and their communities as well as their investors.

Scientists Now Know How Sleep Cleans Toxins From the Brain | WIRED

November 1, 2019October 31, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Laura Lewis and her team of researchers have been putting in late nights in their Boston University lab. Lewis ran tests until around 3:00 in the morning, then ended up sleeping in the next day. It was like she had jet lag, she says, without changing time zones. It’s not that Lewis doesn’t appreciate the merits of a good night’s sleep. She does. But when you’re trying to map what’s happening in a slumbering human’s brain, you end up making some sacrifices. “It’s this great irony of sleep research,” she says. “You’re constrained by when people sleep.”

Her results, published today in the journal Science, show how our bodies clear toxins out of our brains while we sleep and could open new avenues for treating and preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

How Eating Slow Can Transform Your Health and Make You More Productive | Entrepreneur

October 31, 2019October 30, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When you are hovered over your computer, do you think about what you’re eating or do you just shove it in your mouth? Likely the latter. And how long does it take you to eat a meal at work? Probably less than 20 minutes. And do you stop eating when you feel satisfied or do you finish everything on the plate, in the tupperware or whatever was wrapped up “to go” in paper for you? Not surprisingly, you probably finish it off, mindlessly unaware of portion size, so you can get to that call, meeting, errand or just keep up with the increasingly fast pace that we are working at.

Personally, multi-tasking and slowing down is a work in progress for me, and I suffer from digestion issues if I eat too quickly or on-the-go. I have a European heritage, and I think about how Europeans tend to not eat and drink on-the-go or at their desks like Americans do. Rather, they sit down to enjoy their coffee or meals, so much that the only reason they have “to-go” cups at European cafes seems to be for the American tourists.

Portable Ovens | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

October 30, 2019October 29, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s quite a demand for innovative grills and ovens that take campsite cuisine to new levels, but few claim to pack as much punch as the new wood-fired oven from Ooni. The company’s latest pizza cooker is designed with a real emphasis on cranking up the heat, so much so it can apparently cook an authentic pizza in just 60 seconds.

Ooni has been making outdoor ovens powered by gas and wood since 2012, with a focus on allowing people to enjoy the scenery between bites of perfectly cooked pizza pie. The newly launched Ooni Karu can accommodate wood, charcoal and gas as fuel sources, allowing for some real flexibility when meal time hits.