Why You Should Invest in Video Marketing to Grow Your Business | Small Biz Trends

August 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the rapidly evolving landscape of marketing, businesses are constantly required to come up with improved ways to promote themselves and attract valuable leads. The rising customer expectations have led businesses to develop new strategies to meet and exceed the demands.

One of these strategies that have gained momentum recently is video marketing.

There is hardly any doubt about the fact that video-driven platforms are well-received by today’s generation. In fact, Snapchat has overtaken Twitter with a user base of more than 150 million every day compared to the 136 million daily users of Twitter.

Such increased popularity of videos has convinced businesses to rethink their digital marketing strategies and include videos to attract a flood of customers.

Know the Rules Before Your Organization Brings in Interns | Payroll Link

August 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you have a backlog of projects piling up because there just aren’t enough hours in the day, you may consider hiring interns to help you get caught up. This can be a great idea that provides benefits for your company and the students.

However, if you want help from interns, don’t expect to get it for free. The requirements for unpaid internships are strict. In recent years, there’s been a wave of legal actions taken by those who’ve served as interns. They’ve accused employers of violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or state laws by not paying them.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has a six-factor test that you can use to determine whether a relationship with a worker could qualify as an unpaid internship. Keep in mind that this is a test, not a law. But don’t take it lightly — or you risk the possibility of incurring a fine or other legal action.

Marketing is the biggest difference between a purebred dog and a mutt | Business Insider

August 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Dogs are big business.

In Kim Kavin’s “The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers,” she delves into the business of buying, selling, and rescuing dogs, which she estimates is worth about $11 billion annually worldwide.

If you love dogs, the dogs-as-business approach might be hard to swallow. How could your furry family member be bought, marketed, and sold as a product? How could anyone buy a “puppy mill” dog from a pet store — or alternatively, how could anyone adopt a mutt without a documented history? How will you know what you’re going to get?

But there’s one glaring conclusion in Kavin’s pages: These dogs are all the same.

Get Ready, Soon Everyone Will Be Able To Code | Co.Exist

August 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Code runs the world, but coding today isn’t for everyone. Generally, it’s still done by a select group of mostly male, math-literate programmers, and the rest of us are just consumers rather than participants in code’s production. “The distance between using your computer and programing your computer has gotten wider and wider.”

Could that be about to change? The media theorist Douglas Rushkoff thinks so. He’s been championing a new iPad app called Ready that he thinks marks an important shift in our relationship with software.

“The distance between using your computer and programing your computer has gotten wider and wider,” he says. “I’ve been discouraged that most portals to being a digital creator have involved these really difficult coding languages that require you to be at a certain level of sophistication in mathematics. Ready has a really simple interface that lets people have the experience of programming something for themselves.”

Do You Really Need a Non-Compete Agreement? | Entrepreneur

August 1, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Non-compete agreements are under fire lately, raising several questions about whether or not they go too far in restricting employees. The Massachusetts Senate advanced a bill in July that would limit the time period of a non-compete agreement to just three months. The bill also redefined “garden leave,” meaning the practice where an employee leaving a job is directed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll.

The Masachusetts bill would require companies to pay a departing employee his or her full salary during this non-compete period.

Non-competes, which ban workers for a period of time from taking jobs with competitor companies, certainly, are not uncommon. A May 2016 report from the White House cited research estimating that 30 million American workers (18 percent) were covered by non-compete agreements. Even more U.S. workers, according to the research — roughly 37 percent — have worked under a non-compete agreement at some point during their career.

4 Reasons Your Product Presentation is Letting Your Company Down | Life Hack

August 1, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When a customer places an order with your website, or over the phone with one of your reps, there’s a promise that’s made. The customer expects their package to arrive on-time with all of the items they ordered included. While good companies make this happen, great companies deliver on their promises with style.

Consider the last time you purchased an Apple product. Did you notice how intricately, yet simple the devices were packaged and presented to you? There are many examples of great product presentation in packaging, which can help boost loyalty and revenue. Let’s look at four ways you can actually improve on your current product presentation right now:

3 Surprising ‘Gotchas’ When You Apply for Small Business Credit | All Business

August 1, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Applying for small business credit can be time-consuming and frustrating. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows the average small business owner spends more than half a standard work week (26 hours) researching and applying for financing.

Unfortunately, putting in that time and effort doesn’t always pay off. The Nav American Dream Gap Report survey found that 45 percent of small business owners whose applications for financing were declined said they were turned down more than once. And research from the 2014 Joint Small Business Credit Survey found that in the first half of 2013, a quarter of firms with employees and nearly a third (31 percent) of those without employees didn’t even bother to apply because they didn’t believe their applications would be approved.

While no one wants to be rejected when they apply for credit, small business owners are at a particular disadvantage because major consumer protection laws don’t always apply to entrepreneurs seeking financing for their ventures.

Employer Proved COBRA Notice WAS Mailed to Employee | Payroll Link

July 29, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a recent case, a federal district court ruled that an employer didn’t violate the Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) — even though an employee who resigned from the company claimed that she never received notices that she was entitled to continue her health insurance benefits.

Under the law:

A plan administrator is required to give each participant a notice of certain health insurance coverage rights 44 days after a “qualifying event,” such as the termination of the participant’s employment.

If a plan administrator fails to provide the required COBRA notice, it may be “personally liable to such participant or beneficiary in the amount of up to $110 per day from the day of such failure.”

Eating After Workouts: The Science of Timing Meals and Exercise | Live Science

July 29, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

When it comes to fuel a workout, there’s a common pitfall: Eating too much to compensate. But not eating enough to fuel those squats or spin classes can also backfire.

So what’s the best way to eat to ensure you make the most of your workout? It turns out, setting up the body for the best recovery and muscle repair is a matter of timing.

Although exercising is no excuse to pig out, skipping meals after a workout can also be counterproductive, said Melinda Manore, an exercise scientist at Oregon State University and a former member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) Science Board, who has done extensive research on nutrition, metabolism and exercise.

Artificial Grass: A Great Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint |CoolBusinessIdeas.com

July 28, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Artificial grass for your home is more than just good looks, it’s also about being kinder to Mother Earth. This eco-friendly choice for your lawn and garden goes beyond reducing the ways that you maintain your home. It also can be a great way to rid the planet of pollution, conserve water and put more money back into your bank account.

Conserve Water Using Artificial Turf

Maintaining a green lawn through times of drought proves difficult. But there are unique techniques and products on the market today to make your home and lawn aesthetically pleasing no matter what Mother Nature throws your way. If you’re concerned about the environment, you probably know there are a number of ways you can conserve water such as limiting your time in the shower. You’ll be able to save even more water using artificial turf. Because the artificial landscape doesn’t need want to the natural liquid to ensure its ability to stay green, you’ll be able to save a significant amount of water on your lawn yearly.