3 Cybersecurity Mistakes Most Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them | Entrepreneur

November 13, 2024November 12, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cybersecurity risks get increasingly complex every year, and businesses of all kinds are under attack. Despite their best efforts, many companies face significant cybersecurity challenges due to cybercriminals’ sophisticated tactics — and the tactics are only getting more sophisticated. Attackers are evolving, and even well-prepared organizations can become targets. Rather than focusing on mistakes, it’s important to recognize that businesses are up against skilled adversaries. The key is to continue adapting and strengthening defenses to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.

The constantly evolving nature of cyber threats indicates it’s crucial to recognize where businesses must focus. Given this, I suggest focusing on three of the most common cybersecurity errors companies make with actionable advice on safeguarding against them. These observations are meant to help you fortify your defenses, which come from my experience and the developing patterns I have observed over my career.

Homeownership Business Ideas | Cool Business Ideas

November 12, 2024November 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In today’s economy, homeownership isn’t just about having a place to live—it’s also a significant financial asset that can generate income. If you own a house and are looking for ways to turn your property into a profit generator, there are numerous business ideas to consider.

Short-Term Rentals

One of the most popular ways to make money from your home is by listing it on short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO. If you have extra rooms or an entire property that you don’t use year-round, renting it out to travelers can be a lucrative option. Make sure your home is well-maintained and offers amenities that guests find appealing, such as free Wi-Fi, clean linens, and a fully equipped kitchen.

Home Services

Home services are essential and often in high demand, making them excellent business opportunities. If you have a knack for handyman tasks, you can offer services like painting, plumbing, or even specialized tasks such as tuckpointing. Tuckpointing involves the repair and finishing of the mortar joints between bricks, and it’s a service that many older homes require to maintain their structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. By offering specialized services, you can cater to a niche market and command higher rates.

How Lead Generation Software is Changing the Game for Small Businesses | Cool Business Ideas

November 12, 2024November 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In today’s competitive business landscape, small businesses face the constant challenge of standing out and capturing the attention of potential customers. With limited resources compared to their larger counterparts, it’s crucial for small businesses to leverage innovative solutions to stay ahead. This is where lead generation software comes in, offering a game-changing approach that is revolutionizing how small businesses connect with their target audience.

The Rise of Lead Generation Software

Lead generation software has emerged as a powerful tool, enabling businesses to automate and streamline the process of identifying and nurturing potential customers. By leveraging advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, these tools help businesses identify leads more effectively and efficiently than traditional methods. Haines offers a great tool for home insurance leads and more! Benefits for Small Businesses

Is a Payment Gateway or Payment Processor Best for You? | businessnewsdaily.com

November 7, 2024November 6, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every business that accepts debit and credit card transactions needs the ability to facilitate payments. The world of payment processing can be an arcane and confusing place to those unfamiliar, though. One common source of confusion is the difference between payment gateways and payment processors and which a business might need. This guide will demystify these related, yet distinct, components of credit card processing and help you determine which is right for your business.

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is a software tool that connects a customer’s payment data to a business’s merchant account by way of a payment processor. It can be used to facilitate both online and in-person transactions. The payment gateway is the digital tool that encrypts transaction data to ensure it is secure. It also communicates the success or failure of the transaction.

How to Generate Pay Stubs for Employees| Business News Daily

November 7, 2024November 6, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you have employees, it’s crucial to generate pay stubs for each pay period. Pay stubs serve as receipts of payment and withheld taxes. They also give employees a breakdown of their pay and deductions. It can be tedious to create pay stubs manually, which is why many employers opt to use a payroll service or software.

What is a pay stub?

A pay stub is a financial record of an employee’s paycheck and deductions. A pay stub shows an employee’s gross income during a specific pay period, including wages, commissions, bonuses, and tips. Pay stubs also list itemized withholdings for taxes, such as Medicare and Social Security (FICA), and deductions for items like health insurance premiums and employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Job Security vs. Entrepreneurship: Why It’s Not One or the Other | All Business

November 5, 2024November 4, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s time to take a hard look at career assumptions. Who is your boss? Many people in our society are raised to believe that the best way to become financially secure is to get a job and earn a “regular” income. The idea of safety, stability, and security fed by the receipt of a regular paycheck seems sensible.

But really, it is more a scenario of sacrificing freedom, empowerment, and control in exchange for taking orders dutifully. If you are competent, you may have the ability to switch jobs, but you could also get laid off in spite of your grand abilities. Further, when you want to increase your income, it is at the discretion of a boss regardless of the amount of hours or energy you put into your job, or how many jobs you try on for size.

As an employee, you willfully put yourself into a subservient position, one that really isn’t all that secure when you realize at any given time someone in a superior position at the company can say a few words and turn off all of your income.

11 Cash Flow Optimization Tips for Small Businesses | All Business

November 5, 2024November 4, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Optimizing cash flow is critical for maintaining the financial health and stability of your company. By implementing strategic management practices, businesses can ensure they have the necessary liquidity to cover expenses, invest in growth, and navigate economic fluctuations effectively.

In this article we asked members of YEC to share some cash flow optimization tips they’ve gleaned from their businesses.

Q. What advanced strategies do you use to optimize cash flow in businesses?

1. Develop a custom cashflow worksheet

How to Overcome the Challenges of Starting a Business | Business

November 1, 2024October 31, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There are many excellent reasons to start a business — be your own boss, earn more money, enjoy a flexible work schedule, expand your skill set, etc. However, like all worthwhile endeavors, starting and building a new business is challenging.

You’re passionate about your business idea? Then don’t let the inevitable entrepreneurial pain points keep you from following through — make your business ownership dream a reality. As most small business owners will tell you, the risks and challenges are usually worth the rewards.

The biggest challenges of starting a business

Consider the following seven challenges most entrepreneurs face when starting a business and take steps to overcome them.

1. Running the show alone is a business ownership challenge.

What Amazon Business Can Do for Your Company | Business

November 1, 2024October 31, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Consumers and businesses are well aware of e-tail giant Amazon.com; many companies turn to Amazon to purchase discounted and bulk items. However, Amazon Business provides tools and benefits beyond low prices and free shipping.

Amazon’s business resources give registered users valuable benefits that are unavailable to regular Amazon account holders. Whether you’re starting a business or have an established venture, an Amazon Business account is a good idea. It makes purchasing corporate items and supplies seamless, efficient and inexpensive, while providing purchase management features, analytics tools and more.

What is Amazon Business?

Amazon Business is a free platform that makes purchasing on Amazon easier, more insightful and more convenient for registered businesses.

Samsung’s Vision Pro competitor confirmed for 2025 release | Digital Trends

October 31, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Samsung has confirmed it still has plans to release an XR device that will be available sometime next year.

The company shared tidbits of information about the XR eXtended reality project in its third-quarter 2024 earnings report, updating guidance that previously suggested the brand would release such a product in 2024. Samsung now indicates that its goal for 2025 is to “improve connectivity among products, including upcoming XR devices.”

While the brand didn’t mention specific details about its XR devices in its earnings report, there is already considerable news surrounding the prospective products. Samsung’s collaboration with Qualcomm and Google on a mixed-reality product that can execute AR, VR, and XR functions dates back to 2023.