Tourism pledges are all the rage these days, with countries like Palau, Iceland, and New Zealand, and destinations like Big Sur and Hawaii, all asking tourists to stop and think about the place they are visiting and the impact they may have there. It’s all an effort to slow over-tourism and lessen the environmental impact of a steady stream of visitors to beautiful, delicate natural places. Now a consortium of western U.S. cities have teamed up for their own version, a conservation program called “Pledge for the Wild,” which launched this week.
Category: Tools and Information
Renovations That Don’t Add Resale Value To Your Home | Forbes
While your home is the place you live, it’s also the most expensive investment that most people will ever make. And when you’re trying to re-sell, the wrong renovation can have a long term cost you probably didn’t think about at the time.
The number one mistake sellers make when renovating, says Broker Alex Lavrenov of Warburg Realty, is only considering their own taste and needs within the home and choosing renovations that do not provide any value or benefit to the future homeowner.
Trust Your Gut: How All Business Owners Can Harness the Power of Instinct | AllBusiness.com
If you’ve read any of my articles, you know that they are often inspired by my life. My current inspiration (if you can call it that) is dating. I just ended something because my instinct saw red flags. In the past, I’ve ignored these to my detriment, so I’m pretty proud to be seeing them before I get hurt.
But your gut doesn’t just tell you about potential “creepazoids.” It can tell you a lot about your business . . . if you’re willing to listen.
Cheat Sheet for Mastering Google My Business | Small Business Trends
According to a study from Go-Globe, 18 percent of local searches lead to a sale within one day. And what do people normally use to search? That’s right — Google. So if you want people to find your local business in their searches, you need to make your business really easy to find on Google.
Google My Business is the search engine’s local business listing platform. You can create a profile that pops up right in the search page so people don’t even have to visit your website to get the information they need to visit you, including your address, phone number and hours of operation.
Successfully Convert Your Leads With These 9 Tips | Business
Industry experts share insights to help small businesses capture lead opportunities.
- Audience research helps you generate leads and create a conversion plan.
- Persistent follow-ups are important. Researchers say that 80% of sales require five follow-ups after the initial contact.
- Pay attention to more than just the content on your business’s website. SEO, keywords and calls to action often point leads in the direction of a sale.
World’s largest underground bike parking center nears completion | New Atlas
Rotterdam-based studio Ector Hoogstad Architects is behind the creation of the world’s largest bicycle parking center. The enormous project is part of a grand scale redevelopment of the Utrecht Centraal Railway Station in the Netherlands and boasts an innovative layout that manages the flow of both pedestrians and cyclists.
The user-friendly project includes the construction of a multi-story bicycle parking hub, which caters for a world record capacity of over 12,500 bikes. The project, which started construction in 2017, is set to reach completion later this year and is an example of how cities can accommodate a growing number of cyclists.
Moving To An Office On A Budget? How To Make Funds Appear Like Magic | The Startup Magazine
Moving into an office requires taking on significant expenses you might not want to incur until you become profitable. However, when your business requires an office to operate smoothly, it’s non-negotiable. According to Fundera, office space is one of the top fourteen small business startup costs, and runs between $100-$1,000 per employee per month.
If you’re on a tight budget and don’t have excess capital to throw at an office, use the following strategies to generate the funds:
3 Ways AI Can Help Businesses Improve Customer Relations | Entrepreneur
In a world where technology is changing rapidly, it can be hard for businesses to keep up with shifting consumer demands. Take how customers interact with businesses, for instance. According to a recent study by Drift, people now prefer real-time interaction as they make their purchases, meaning that just having an online storefront is no longer enough.
For startups looking to grow a loyal customer base, the immediate needs of users can be especially intimidating and even seem, at times, insurmountable. Entrepreneurs with small employee bases would have no way of being there for every customer and anticipating each person’s needs in real time.
5 Ways Technology Is Assisting Small Businesses | Getentrepreneurial.com
A wide range of new technologies are making it easier than ever to start and run a small business. From online businesses to local businesses to solopreneurs enterprises like freelancing and consulting, there is no shortage of ways to avoid the corporate rat race. Here are 5 types of technology that will have an impact on the future of small business.
On The Go Carafe | CoolBusinessIdeas.com
Good news for coffee and tea drinkers: No more wasting time and energy waiting for the perfect cup. Thanks to Heatworks, the company responsible for creating an innovative new heating carafe, you won’t have to. Using patented Heatworks’ Ohmic Array Technology, the DUO Smart Untethered Carafe has the power to heat (or cool!) water to the exact degree while you pour.
The DUO Carafe has Frog Design to thank for its modern, sleek exterior, and it is the third in a line of award-winning collaborations between the two companies. When it comes to functionality, convenience and stylish appearance, the DUO looks like quite the game changer.
Dispatches From The Front 