Choosing the Right Startup Team | The Startup Magazine

December 14, 2018December 13, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every journey needs a map. Before you begin to build your team, it’s important to identify some key principles that will inform and guide your search. Entrepreneur Magazine notes a few:

Commit to all parties being on the same page.

From small projects to the general company mission, it’s important to ensure that everyone involved is ultimately working toward the same goal. Whether fixing a small issue or tackling a company-wide challenge, every person must understand the direction the company is headed and the plan for getting there. Make sure you know this from the beginning and carry it out by example.

Why The Biggest Threat to Silicon Valley Could Be Inside Your Gadgets | Inc.com

December 13, 2018December 12, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Certain intervals of time we accept as givens. The earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours; seven days make a week; a half-hour sitcom is really 22 minutes plus commercials; Apple does a big-deal iPhone launch every other year. You know: the fundamentals.

In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore identified one of these intervals in a way we still associate with his name. Thanks to miniaturization, he observed, the number of transistors that could fit onto a single microchip was doubling every year, making computers exponentially more powerful, energy-efficient, and inexpensive. In 1975, he revised Moore’s law, as it was by then known, to set the period of doubling at 24 months, where it has remained ever since.

How Building Relationships Helped Build My Business | Entrepreneur

December 10, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When Anne Marie Berger started ForeFront Corp. two decades ago, it was a one-woman business and she thought she’d keep it that way. But Berger soon learned that building relationships with customers and colleagues was key to running a prospering company.

Today, ForeFront Corp.—which provides data management, integration, and mapping solutions to businesses—has more than 50 employees in Fair Haven, N.J. and Berger has worked hard to make relationship building a key tenet of her company’s culture.

Here are three lessons she’s learned while building her business from a one-woman startup to a thriving global technology consultancy.

Are You Financially Ready to Start a Business? | Getentrepreneurial.com

December 10, 2018December 9, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Starting a business could be your next step toward financial and personal freedom. But obviously there’s a lot to think about before in dive in.

First of all, is this the lifestyle you want to pursue? Second, do you have enough money to get started? Use the financial essentials below to help you determine whether launching a business makes financial sense for your future.

Look at Your Personal Financial State

If you’re trying to open a company, you’ve probably been setting money aside. Even if they’ve been doing this, most business owners still have to take out a loan, but your savings should substantially reduce the personal financial burden.

Common Chemicals in Toiletries May Lead to Early Puberty | Live Science

December 5, 2018December 4, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Since the early 2000s, researchers have noticed a troubling new trend in female development: Girls are entering puberty — developing breasts, pubic hair and getting their period — at younger ages.

So, what’s driving the trend? Some researchers have long suspected that hormone-manipulating chemicals are the culprit. But these chemicals aren’t necessarily coming from contaminated water or dangerous environments. Instead, they’re found in products we use every day, including shampoo, makeup and nearly every kind of toiletry.

How and Why to Audit Your Company Bookkeeper | Business News Daily

December 5, 2018December 4, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a small business owner, you have many responsibilities to juggle. It can be tempting to remove yourself from your business’s finances just to take something off your plate – especially if bookkeeping and accounting aren’t your strong suits. However, you should stay involved in your business’s finances.

If you do hire someone to help with finances, should you audit your bookkeeper? The short answer is yes. Theoretically, if you keep yourself involved in your bookkeeper’s processes, you should be fully aware of the state of your finances, but it’s always a good idea conduct random audits to ensure all of your books are balanced and your bookkeeper is following proper protocol.

10 Ways to Build Positive Work Relationships and Work as a Team | Life Hack

December 4, 2018December 3, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Behind the corporate veil, the actual members who work towards achieving the company goals are the ultimate assets.

It is very important for every team member to maintain focused goals on a professional front, at their individual level and at the organizational level. With even the slightest discord between two employees, the entire team might suffer and have to adjust with the downsize in organizational success that they realize ultimately.

California’s high rents undermine tenants’ retirement chances | Fast Company

December 4, 2018December 3, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of Bill Ware’s various jobs in recent years was as a part-time insurance salesman. In that role, he has helped people prepare for unexpected hardships—burglaries, falling trees, car accidents, medical emergencies, and even death. But Ware recently faced the unexpected himself when his income took a dive.

Early this year a tax consultancy that works to resolve problems with the IRS and state agencies hit a trough and, in April, he says, the consultancy suddenly cut his income by 60%. Soon after, as the credit card bills piled up, he realized he needed to take action.

How to Manage Your Business Cash Flow During the Slow Season | AllBusiness.com

December 3, 2018December 2, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

1st in a series of articles exploring how to make 2019 your business’s best year yet.

Getting your business in shape for a successful 2019 starts with cash flow. If your business is a seasonal one, such as a landscaping company, or a home remodeling or construction business in which work slows down during the winter months, year-end cash flow planning is especially important.

Without positive cash flow, you won’t have the working capital you need to finance your operations, pay your vendors, or meet payroll during the slow season.

The Problems With Working For A Consulting Agency (Do This Instead) | Management Consulting Connection

November 30, 2018November 29, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You might be losing a lot of money right now.

I’ve worked with hundreds of consultants in many industries all around the world and often I hear about situations where people are losing a lot of money, they’re losing a lot of opportunities. In some cases, they’re aware of it. In other cases, they’re not.

What am I talking about? I’m talking about working with other agencies. I’m talking about you working as a consultant and not a consulting business owner. There’s a very big difference. So let’s look at these. I’ll put it all into play for you.