YouTube Is Introducing New Ways to Help Small Businesses Make Better Video Ads | Adweek

June 17, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YouTube wants to turn video ads on its platform into a DIY possibility for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Today, Google is launching three ways for SMBs to create video ads for YouTube that are—at least for the most part—free. With a new app called YouTube Director, the video juggernaut is helping businesses with little or no marketing budget create commercials on their own. The app includes a number of templates, music and editing tools and is free to use.

According to Diya Jolly, Google’s director of product management, the biggest struggle smaller businesses face on YouTube is the lack of quality of their videos.

Opening the door to further opportunity online | The Startup Magazine

June 16, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Having a website means you have secured your piece of real estate online, you are present and ready to welcome customers. But part of the game is working to bring traffic into your storefront.

Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, released this month, predicts that internet traffic will almost triple in the next few years due to an increasing number of people coming online. The report forecasts that by the end of the decade there will be 3.4 devices and connections for each human being, an increase from 2.2 in 2015.[1] Within this scenario, each and every small business or startup hopes to be in a position to capture at least some of that incoming traffic.

Equipped with your domain name and website, it is time to start looking at ways to help ensure your online presence is performing to give you exposure to the growing internet population. Here are a few areas to consider working on:

Women Hold Nearly One Third Of Global Private Wealth | Forbes

June 16, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For the first time in six years, the group’s annual global wealth report looked specifically at women and found that among those women with a private net worth of $100,000 or more, 44% were self-made, meaning that they were entrepreneurs or company employees and had grown their wealth independently. The other 27% received their wealth through inheritance, 15% through their spouse, 9% through divorce settlements, and 5% fell into a miscellaneous category. Boston Consulting Group partner, Anna Zakrzewski noted that the “gender pay gap is shrinking” for the high percentage of self-made women in the group. In total, women’s private wealth analyzed in the research adds up to $39.6 trillion globally, roughly the same as the Asia-Pacific region’s $37 trillion in combined private wealth holdings.

Is the On-Demand Economy Helping or Hurting Entrepreneurship? | Business News Daily

June 16, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On-demand services like Uber are becoming increasingly popular with consumers, but they’re also having a significant impact on entrepreneurship, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and Temple University discovered that within one year of Uber and Postmates entering a new geographic location, entrepreneurial activity in those cities declined.

How Can Big Data Help You In Your Business | Getentrepreneurial.com

June 15, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Data is one of the most important things that your business can possess. It will tell you if your are making the most profitable choice for your company or whether you may want to think about adjusting how you complete a job for a client. What kind of data can be useful when creating and growing a profitable enterprise?

Know Where Your Customers Are

Let’s say that you want to start a grout cleaning business in your neighborhood. While there very well be a market for that, you don’t know unless you have the information that supports your hypothesis. For instance, you will want to know how many homes or housing developments are located in your area.

Etsy Brings Together Small Designers, Big Retailers With “Open Call” | Small Biz Trends

June 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

What if you could pitch your products to a dream retailer like Nordstrom?

Etsy, known for being an innovative online marketplace for consumers to source handmade and other items from independent designers for their homes, wardrobes and more, is set to help members of its Etsy Wholesale community do just that. The company is bringing together small designers and heavy-hitting retailers from across the country via its Open Call program.

Now in its second year running, the Etsy Open Call program brings together buyers from top retail stores in the country and fresh talent from the Etsy Wholesale community through a series of live and online events to create pathways for valuable business partnerships.

Foreign Qualification: What It Takes to Do Business in a Different State | All Business

June 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Whether you’re looking to expand your company’s physical presence or intending to secure the most favorable business tax and legal environment for your company, you may be considering doing business in a different state.

It can get a little confusing as you try to make heads or tails of what requirements apply to you. I field plenty of questions on the topic from plenty of business owners!

If you’ve been considering expanding your LLC or corporation into a state beyond the one your company is incorporated in, you may likely need to register your business in that state—a process known as “foreign qualification.”

Are ‘Hands-Free’ Phone Calls Really Safer for Drivers? | Live Science

June 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Talking on your phone while driving — even if you use a hands-free connection — is still dangerous, a new study from England finds.

Conversations of any kind can be distracting if they require a driver to use mental imagery, according to the study.

“A popular misconception is that using a mobile phone while driving is safe as long as the driver uses a hands-free phone,” Graham Hole, a psychology lecturer at the University of Sussex in England and an author of the study, said in a statement. “Our research shows this is not the case.”

14 Signs You’re Not Drinking Enough Water | Life Hack

June 7, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s not much in this world more refreshing than a tall, ice-cold glass of water. I don’t think there’s anyone alive that can deny that sometimes, a simple glass of water can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or a can of soda. Despite this, too many of us don’t drink enough water on a daily basis. By depriving ourselves of the world’s most natural resource, we are continuously damaging our bodies. If you experience any of the following, you can improve your situation by starting with a glass of H2O.