Franchisees talk do-over: What they wish they knew before opening their franchise | Fast Casual

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amal Agha knew about business and finance when she opened her first franchise, a Rita’s Water Ice in New Jersey. What she and her partner/husband didn’t know was how much of being a franchisee involves managing people, and hiring and retaining employees proved to be the biggest challenge.

“We wish we had had more training on staffing up and being prepared on what employees will put you through,” Agha shared during a panel session, “What I wish I knew before buying a franchise,” at the International Franchise Expo held last week at the Jacob K. Javits Conference Center in New York City.

Movavi Convenient Screen Capture Studio Done For MAC | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

June 22, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you are wondering how to record videos on the gadgets you use, we have the answer. It is obvious that there are times when you want to record a clip or a video or whatever is on the screen to view it later. You no longer need to stress on finding a way out. The Movavi Screen Capture studio there isa long list of multiple things that you can do. The features are quite easy to use. This technology serves a lot of problems and ensures new possibilities.

Keep Your Cold Emails Short, Sweet, and Readable by Avoiding These 4 Mistakes | Inc.com

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Long emails are bad enough when they come from grandma. When they come from a stranger, they’re practically unforgivable.

One of the fastest ways to annoy potential buyers and lose business is to send them lengthy emails that say too much, quote too often, and broadcast your lack of respect for the recipient’s busy schedule.

Our work lives are filled with ways to do sales and marketing: messaging tools, news feeds, social networks, and on-the-go conference calls. That means even a moderately long email whose sales pitch is muddled can be a hindrance to doing business with others. No one wants to decipher your five-paragraph opus when they can find relevant benefits in a two-line message from someone else.

With that in mind, here are a few of the most common reasons long emails happen, and how to create better client relationships by avoiding them.

What Bosses Can Learn From Their Coddled Millennial Employees | PROFITguide.com

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Earlier this year, the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine circulated a video meant to make its instructors aware of “student mistreatment.” With a minor-chord piano medley providing the soundtrack, viewers were asked to avoid putting students on the spot with questions, to minimize “cold and clinical” interactions, and to cultivate “safe” learning environments for the young residents.

It seems like something created by The Onion, but the video was sincere, and its message will be familiar to a lot of employers dealing with people in their 20s. For many who remember what business was like pre-Internet, millennials seem an appallingly sensitive lot, having been protected from the vagaries of the world by helicopter parents, trigger warnings and—to especially cynical critics—sheer narcissism. “Aren’t young people coddled?” is now as safe an icebreaker as, “Did you see last night’s Seinfeld?” would have been 20 years ago.

G Suite vs. Office 365: Which Is Best for Your Business? | Business News Daily

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Microsoft and Google are locked in a colossal battle to rule your business productivity. Office 365 and G Suite both are excellent, cloud-based toolkits that can ensure your team collaborates and stays in sync.

But unless you’re drowning in cash or just like redundancy, you only need one. Which is the right choice? Each offers distinct advantages. Here’s a breakdown of both products to make the decision easier.

Do Growth Hacking Tactics Apply to Every Business? [Audio] | Duct Tape Marketing

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “growth hacking?”

Few trendy terms have been more misused and abused by ‘marketers is what I think.

I wrote this piece about growth hacking if you want my take.

For some perspective I turned to someone that I think does understand and correctly apply growth hacking tactics to marketing. In the end, all marketers growth hack a bit, even if all that means is trying new things to engage new customers.

Startup Growth: 6 Tips to Hiring Your First Employee | The Startup Magazine

June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Hiring your startup’s first employee is a big step. Apart from the added responsibility, it is a strong indicator that your business finally has attained real merit; someone actually turned down offers to help make your idea work. A new person in your company is dedicating all his time and energy into making sure your startup moves faster, for example promoting the best cheap 1000 ft Cat5e cable.

Picking the wrong person will cost money and time to rectify – things few startups can afford. In some cases, hiring the wrong person can jeopardize chances of a startup succeeding. Follow these simple tips and you get rid of chance during the hiring process.

All-Girl Engineer Team Invents Solar-Powered Tent for the Homeless | Mashable

June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As Daniela Orozco picks off excess plastic bordering a 3D-printed box, she recalls how many homeless people she saw on her way to school when she was a high school freshman.

Just one.

Four years later, the number has multiplied. People live on a main thoroughfare near the school, at a nearby park, and below the off-ramps and bridges in her hometown of San Fernando, which is about 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. In the San Fernando Valley, homelessness increased 36% to 7,094 people last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency’s annual count. Daniela and her friends wanted to help, but giving money wasn’t an option. ”

How to Undo Bad First Impressions (You Don’t Need a Time Machine to Do So!) | Life Hack

June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Ah, first impressions. The one thing we can all agree to be nerve-racking. Whether meeting your significant other’s best friend or your potential new boss, we all have experienced the desire to give an excellent first impression. And undoubtedly, we have all experienced the disappointment that comes from failing to do so.

We all know the basics of an introduction. If it’s for a job, you stay true to yourself while also being extremely professional and confident. If it’s to meet someone in your social life, you may want to appear witty and confidant (without trying too hard). But when you have an off day, or just don’t know how to ace the first impression to begin with…what do you do?

How This “Fat Femme” Yoga Instructor Is Reshaping The $3 Trillion Wellness Industry | Fast Company

June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Jessamyn Stanley likely isn’t the person you picture when you think of a yoga Instagram celebrity. As a self-described “fat femme,” she’s far from the stereotypical body type. And that’s exactly the point. The 29-year-old wants to change Americans’ perception of yoga. You could say she’s trying to democratize wellness.

“The more that I travel, the more it nauseates me how inaccessible [yoga] is,” she says.

Stanley boasts over 300,000 Instagram followers, a new book, Every Body Yoga: Get on the Mat, Love Your Body, along with a burgeoning fitness class empire. The body positivity advocate posts intricate poses and inspirational videos for people who feel excluded from the practice: minorities, the overweight, disabled individuals, and pretty much anyone suffering from body image issues. She’ll photograph herself doing the splits upside down, showing off her curvaceous body in an industry generally exemplified by a size two and toned abs.