A Step-by-Step Guide to Migrate Your Site to HTTPS | Entrepreneur

June 2, 2017June 2, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Online security is becoming an increasingly important area for businesses of every size. And one of the most basic forms of online security entails switching to HTTPS hosting.

Of course there are loads of factors to consider, but aside from the advantages of presenting a safe and secure website to your visitors, switching to secure HTTPS hosting (as opposed to HTTP) is good for business. Along with the reasurrance it gives your visitors, HTTPS is actually a stated Google ranking factor.

And, in the coming years, the question isn’t going to be so much whether you need to migrate to HTTPS, as when you are going to switch.

Why Is the Flag at Half-Staff Until Noon on Memorial Day? | Live Science

June 2, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For 149 years, Americans have taken the last Monday in May to remember those who have died in our wars. Like all deaths honored by the state, flags fly at half-staff. However, on Memorial Day, the U.S. flag flies at half-staff only for the first half of the day, and then is raised to full height from noon to sundown. This unique custom honors the war dead for the morning and living veterans for the rest of the day.

No one knows the exact date this tradition began, but an Army regulations book from 1906 carries instructions for the procedure, so it predates the 20th century, said Clark Rogers, executive director of the National Flag Foundation. In 1924, Congress codified the tradition into U.S. Code Title 4, Section 6, with the proclamation, “For the nation lives, and the flag is a symbol of illumination,” explaining how the noon flag-raising symbolizes the persistence of the nation in the face of loss, Rogers told LiveScience.

From Wobbly Table Fixes to Herbal Refrigerators, Innovation was on Display at NRA (Part 1) | Fast Casual

June 2, 2017June 2, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

More than 45,000 buyers in the restaurant industry hit Chicago this week to check out the thousands of products and services on display at the National Restaurant Association show. Many companies use the show as a platform to launch new products. Keep in mind this show takes place in North America’s largest convention center, which is two miles long from end to end, according to one employee.

See below for a roundup of several gadgets, products and services designed to make running a restaurant easier and more profitable.

How New Moms Can Deal With Maternity Leave Bias | Fortune.com

June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Nearly 20 years ago, I took 16 weeks off as an audit partner at Deloitte for my son’s birth. I wish I could say I felt at ease with the idea of being on extended leave, but I didn’t. At the time, I felt concerned for my career trajectory and wondered if my absence would affect my colleagues’ and leaders’ view of my work ethic and commitment.

Thankfully, I chose to follow my mentor’s advice, which ended up being an incredibly valuable life lesson: There are times in your career when you give and times when you take.

Prioritize Context to Personalize Your Marketing | Adweek

June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Marketers know they need to personalize their messaging to reach and engage consumers. The problem is, they’re just not sure how to execute it successfully.

Too often, they believe they can home in on personalization by identifying data patterns but that’s just one hurdle. More importantly, they need to prioritize context. Doing so will maximize one-to-one marketing campaigns and allow brands to become closer to the consumer by understanding their everyday behaviors and genuine interests.

We’ve identified three key elements marketers should consider when utilizing context to bolster a personalized marketing campaign.

A quarter of shopping malls will close, according to Credit Suisse | Business Insider

May 31, 2017May 31, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

About a quarter of US malls will most likely close within the next five years, according to a new prediction from Credit Suisse.

In a research note published Tuesday, the bank estimated that 20% to 25% of the nation’s 1,100 shopping malls — or roughly 220 to 275 shopping centers — would shut down by 2022.

Credit Suisse cited mass store closings, the rise of e-commerce, and the growing popularity of off-price chains — which tend to be located outside shopping malls — as reasons for the potential mall closings.

United Airlines President Says If You’re Uncomfortable in Coach, It’s Your Own Fault | Inc.com

May 31, 2017May 31, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

They feel your suffering.

They understand your pain as if it were their own.

They watch you struggle and they wish they could do something about it.

I’m talking about airline executives. And I’m lying.

I’ve been moved, you see, by the words of United Airlines president Scott Kirby.

Skift managed to get wind of his thoughts from a recent town hall meeting with employees. I fear you may find some of his sentiments a bit of a drag.

What Non-Retirees Mean for the Workforce | PROFITguide.com

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For all Hunter Harrison’s unquestionable talents, he is really bad at one thing: not working. The celebrated railway executive officially retired from Canadian National Railway Company (CN) in 2009, after a long career running railways. A little more than two years later, at the encouragement of activist investor Bill Ackman, Harrison came out of retirement to become president and CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP).

His plan was to step away, again, this summer, when he was scheduled to hand the CEO reins to longtime lieutenant Keith Creel and start a three-year tenure as a consultant (or, in his own words, a “hired hand”) to the railway. That arrangement suggested the transition of power would be a gradual process. But earlier this year, CP announced Harrison would be departing immediately to pursue other opportunities. For his early departure, Harrison will forfeit some $118 million in benefits that had been awaiting him. Hours later, several reports emerged suggesting that Harrison will be partnering with another activist investor to take control of U.S. railway CSX Corp.

uHoo: Most Advanced Indoor Air Toxin Sensor | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Meet uHoo – the most advanced air quality sensor in the world. With eight dedicated sensors, uHoo provides allergen and toxin alerts for air quality in the home and office.

How uHoo started

The idea for uHoo started as a conceptual idea to solve a serious problem that Dustin Jefferson S. Onghanseng has been facing. Dustin who has suffered from hay fever (rhinitis) since childhood, realized that air quality made a difference between “getting by” and feeling healthy. Suffering from bad air quality in Hong Kong led him down a path of research and discovery.

Dustin teamed up with electrical engineer Brian Lin, an asthma sufferer, who also happens to be his MBA classmate from HKUST. They pitched uHoo and won a number of awards from MBA business plan competitions from Bangkok and Shanghai to Hong Kong and Portland Oregon. Seeing that the idea has legs, both Dustin and Brian, dropped their classes in June 2014 and incorporated uHoo in August 2014.

‘Me’ vs. ‘We:’ How to Retain Increasingly Mobile Workers | Business News Daily

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As the economy improves and more job opportunities appear, workers are growing increasingly restless. According to research conducted by ADP, more than 1 in 4 people change jobs annually – an unprecedented frequency of job switching. Moreover, ADP found that 63 percent of the average employer’s workforce is open to leaving for a new job at any time, and 46 percent would leave for a job that paid the same or less than their current position.

So, how can employers find and retain top talent? Sreeni Kutam, division vice president of major account services at ADP, said the findings boil down to two philosophies in conflict with one another: “me vs. we.”