Cracking the Code on Heating and Cooling Costs for Your Business | Small Business Trends

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

Small businesses across the United States spend a staggering $60 billion on energy every year, most of which is consumed in electricity. Keeping work premises warm in the winter and cool in the summer is a necessary part of running any business but is also energy intensive, equating to one of the biggest energy costs.

Heating and Cooling Costs

Taking steps to reduce heating and cooling costs will significantly help reduce your business’s electricity consumption and therefore energy bills.

If you’re determined to cut back on heating and cooling expenses, take a look at the following ways you might be able to do it.

What to Include in Your Freelance Contract | Business.com

November 29, 2018November 28, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Considering freelancing? Here’s everything you need to know about freelance contracts, from what to include in the contract to handling breaches.

When you pursue freelancing, you are choosing an independent career path that requires you to look after yourself. In other words, you’re your own boss, and you need to secure your finances, insurance, retirement savings, etc., on your own terms.

One major responsibility freelancers must prioritize is creating a contract to establish a legal agreement between you and your clients.

“A freelancer needs a contract,” said Drew DuBoff, blogger and chief career coach. “Because they are not full-time employees, they are acting as independent contractors, so this document is an independent contractor agreement.”

If you’re considering taking the freelance route, here’s everything you need to know about freelance contracts.

Holiday Shopping? Watch Out for This Costly Credit Card Trap | The Simple Dollar

November 27, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As the holiday season gets into full swing, so too do the credit card promotions from retail stores far and wide.

This is prime season for enticing shoppers to sign onto the dotted line for cards that offer a discount on your first purchase or a special 0% introductory APR — which to many cash-strapped consumers can sound like an ideal way to finance a holiday extravaganza.

The reality of these deferred-interest retail credit cards however, is that they may not be as helpful as they sound at first blush. In fact, in many cases, signing on for one can cost far more than expected if you’re not clear on how the deferred interest proposition works.

How Teflon Went From Wartime to Dinner Time | WIRED

November 26, 2018November 25, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE WILL NOT dissolve in acetone or ether or concentrated sulfuric acid. When Roy Plunkett first found it coating some storage canisters in 1938, he tried to destroy the substance with just about every technique known to science. A young employee at DuPont, Plunkett had been hired to develop a new refrigerant. But when he cooled and compressed a gas he was testing, a waxy white powder unexpectedly formed—that stuff he couldn’t eradicate. The material was brought to the attention of US Army general Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, who commissioned DuPont to design a plant that used polytetrafluoroethylene seals and gaskets.

Why Your Health Is the Key to Your Success in Business | Entrepreneur

November 23, 2018November 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Be honest: Are you working at your absolute peak? Just look at The Rock. Sure he’s charismatic and a strong actor, but how does he fly across the world to record back-to-back films with barely a moment to rest? It’s because he’s in incredible shape. The Rock gets the most out of his acting chops because he obsesses over his health.

That same idea applies to you as an entrepreneur. Treat your body well — eat right, challenge your body, get proper sleep — and you’ll reward yourself with more energy, greater focus, and a heightened level of discipline. You’ll achieve new levels of productivity while your competition falls behind and watches you scale faster and faster.

How To Quash Your Fears Of Pitching | Getentrepreneurial.com

November 23, 2018November 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

To say that we are in the start-up culture era would be a gross understatement. Start-ups are popping up left, right and centre – and the entrepreneurs behind such companies are reaping in the rewards.

While there are all sorts of characteristics that define leaders, we would hedge a bet that something all of the founders of said companies have in common is that they can pitch. To obtain that elusive initial funding, or funding to take your business to the next level for that matter, pitching is a crucial part of being a modern-day business leader.

This startup uses shoplifters to get their message through | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

November 22, 2018November 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This startup uses shoplifters to get their message through

By connecting digital billboards to store alarm systems, shoplifters got unexpected real life push notifications, reminding them not to forget to pay. Klarna, the Swedish payment provider behind the initiative found an unorthodox way to help people who often miss their payments.

L’Oréal’s new electronic wearable tracks UV exposure, without batteries | New Atlas

November 22, 2018November 21, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While we all appreciate the importance of limiting our exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, actually keeping track of the amount can be difficult. L’Oréal’s new My Skin Track UV is designed to help. It’s described as “the first battery-free wearable electronic to measure UV exposure.”

Developed by L’Oréal’s skincare brand La Roche-Posay (in collaboration with Northwest University materials scientist Prof. John Rogers), the waterproof device measures 12 by 6 mm, and is affixed to the user’s clothing via an integrated wire clip. A prototype version of the product was unveiled at this year’s CES show, under the name UV Sense.

I Took 9 Different Commercial DNA Tests and Got 6 Different Results | Live Science

November 20, 2018November 19, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The thing about me is that I’m Jewish. It’s not the only thing about me. I’m also 5 feet 11 inches tall, a glasses wearer and into bicycling. But most people who know me probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that most of my ancestors lived in shtetls in Eastern Europe.

So, it wasn’t too surprising when I sent off nine DNA samples to three different DNA companies under a variety of fake names, and the results indicated that I’m super-duper Ashkenazi Jewish. (Ashkenazim are Jews who trace their ancestry back to Yiddish-speaking populations inhabiting the region between France and Russia.)

Here’s what was a bit surprising, though: None of the companies — AncestryDNA, 23andMe and National Geographic, which works with a testing company called Helix — could agree on just how Ashkenazi I am. [How Do DNA Ancestry Tests Really Work?]

The Importance of a CIO in Business | Business News Daily

November 19, 2018November 18, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As technology has evolved throughout the years, so have the roles and responsibilities of chief information officers. Today, CIOs lead organizations’ IT staffs and assets and also develop strategies and computer systems.

“[The] CIO role is essential for the business, because we cannot build a product without using technology,” said Michal Abram, head of engineering at Zety. “[A] CIO must be able to link the world of technology with product development, make crucial business decisions based on unique knowledge and experience.”