YouTube Taught Me More Than College | Mashable

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As I get ready to walk at my college graduation next week, I have more gratitude for one thing above all: YouTube. YouTube was my go to while doing homework, prepping for exams or just when I needed to refresh a term meant.

It’s also the first place I go when I want to learn about a subject I don’t know a lot about. Time and again, YouTube has helped me understand concepts, offering numerous different explanations till I found one that clicked.

Sometime in high school, my Economics teacher introduced Keynesian economics to us with this video:

4 Ways Your Website Should Change Over the Next 5 Years | Entrepreneur

May 11, 2017May 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Updating your website involves more than just rearranging words and pictures on the homepage. Changing your website involves implementing new technology behind the scenes, eliminating dot-com domains and using research to optimize pages to capture your audience’s attention. Just think about your website two, five, 10 years ago. Chances are, it looked quite a bit different from the version you have today.

Leadership Isn’t About Title or Position, But Your Ability to Influence Others | Life Hack

May 11, 2017May 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are people in management roles necessarily leaders? Leadership skills are subjective – you can have many different styles that work to varying degrees. Our modern day challenges mean methods of leadership are influenced by multiple factors, and adapting to these and keeping your leadership qualities high is an indicator of a good leader.

Some people find themselves in management roles without having developed these crucial skills. Perhaps you’re a manager and struggle to lead your team? Or maybe you’re not in a management role, but feel you want to create better leadership skills?

Happy Birthday, Dynamite: Interesting Facts About the Explosive Material | Live Science

May 10, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Today (May 7), marks the 150th anniversary of one of Alfred Nobel’s patents for dynamite, which was first patented in 1867.

The explosive forever reshaped the world, revolutionizing warfare and construction, to the lifelong chagrin of its inventor Nobel. From its origins to its use in modern warfare to its eventual fate, here are some facts about the explosive.

Here is why Trader Joe’s is so cheap | Business Insider

May 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Customers love Trader Joe’s because of its relatively low prices.

During a recent trip to a Trader Joe’s location in New York City, the cheapest available ground beef cost $4.99 a pound, compared with $9.99 at a New York Whole Foods location, which was selling only organic. The lowest price for a liter of extra-virgin olive oil was $6.99 at Trader Joe’s, compared with $9.99 for the same size at Whole Foods.

Consumers view Trader Joe’s as high quality but inexpensive. How can Trader Joe’s afford to keep its prices so low?

Conversational Commerce Is What Retail Is Talking About Today | Adweek

May 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Think back to the best shopping experience you ever had. Chances are it involved a well-informed and upbeat salesperson who engaged with you, asked about your needs and guided you through the purchase. You left knowing you made the right decision.

This kind of conversation-driven sale—high on empathy and knowledge, low on price and haggling—has long been a staple of successful retail loyalty. It focuses on understanding the needs of consumers and delivering an exceptional experience. But in today’s continually upended shopping environment, that conversation between seller and buyer is as likely to take place with an AI-driven bot as it is with a friendly associate.

Welcome to the age of conversational commerce.

Can Virtual Care Shift From Vision To Reality? | Forbes

May 9, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In today’s über-connected world, people are increasingly incentivized to take accountability for their health. With wearable devices tracking everything from sleep cycles to heart rates to steps taken, friends and family members hold each other accountable to healthy goals. For example, “My Fitness Pal” notifies me each time my friend walks her dog, and the app prompts me to congratulate her. And my sister can view the number of steps her husband takes each day via their connected Fitbit apps. She can intervene when he isn’t being as active as he should.

Has Your Company 401(k) Plan Made These 11 Mistakes? | Payroll Link

May 8, 2017May 5, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It is critical to keep your company’s 401(k) plan in compliance with numerous federal laws and regulations. Plans that are found to be in violation risk expensive penalties and disqualification.

The IRS recently issued this list of 11 potential errors:

1. Has your 401(k) plan document been updated within the past few years to reflect recent law changes?

2. Are the plan’s operations based on the terms of the plan document?

3. Is the plan’s definition of compensation for all deferrals and allocations used correctly?

Benefits Of A Pocket Notebook for Business People | The Startup Magazine

May 5, 2017May 18, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There can be a lot of great benefits from having a notebook, especially if you are a journaling fanatic. When you are able to write down all of your observations and creative inspirations, it is a truly wonderful thing. But, what is it that makes a pocket notebook so great? What you will find may actually be surprising.

Rich History

A pocket notebook has an incredible history when it comes to list-making. This is a lineage that might not appear to be all that grand but this is a method used by some of human society’s brightest minds. From a camper to an inventor, a police officer to a doctor, or even a graphic designer to the President, a pocket notebook is a way to capture important revelations and deep thoughts. While the use of a pocket notebook may not be as popular as it once was, they are starting to make a comeback in both fashionable and trendy circles. The notebook is there to help you organize, but is also good for an everyday accessory to help reflect upon your personality.

3 Ways To Penetrate A Saturated Market | Getentrepreneurial.com

May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Launching a business in a saturated market can be an overwhelming experience. Depending on the industry you are in, you may have competitors that have high brand equity and those who have existed in the business for several decades. Establishing credibility and trustworthiness in a market overrun by such competitors is no easy task. But it can be done. Here are a few ways a startup entrepreneur can take on competitors with high reputation in a saturated market.