Crowdfunding for Startups: Kickstarter Alternatives | Business News Daily

August 25, 2015August 24, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Obtaining financing is one of the biggest hurdles most entrepreneurs will have to overcome. If a bank loan won’t cover what you need and you don’t have any connections to investors, it can be tough to know where to begin. Online crowdfunding — raising smaller amounts of money from multiple backers — has become an increasingly common solution to this dilemma because it allows startups to reach out to a large number of potential investors at once.

Although Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two of the most popular crowdfunding platforms, success there isn’t always guaranteed: For every project that meets its goal, there are dozens that just didn’t pick up enough steam to get funded. So, where else can you turn?

Whether you’re looking for a small investment to jump-start your company or a large round of capital to grow it to the next stage, here are 10 sites that can help you raise the money you need.

Questions Every Small Business Must Ask Their Credit Card Processor | Getentrepreneurial

August 24, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Signing up with a credit card processor is a big step for small businesses. It allows small business owners to accept more forms of payment, which in turn drives revenue by making it easier and more appealing for customers to shop in the store. Before signing an agreement with a credit card merchant service processor, however, it is important to get all of your questions answered so that you know you are putting your business in the best position moving forward.

Start by inquiring about and understanding any contract requirements, as well as any processing rates as they relate to various types of cards. Get these rates for all cards, including corporate and rewards cards, in writing, so there are no surprise increases down the road. In addition, talk to your processor about American Express transactions, as well as the procedures for fee deductions from your account and if they offer next day funding. Finally, research a potential processor and consult other small businesses about their merchant solutions so you do not get stuck in a situation that does more harm than good.

When It Comes To Long-Term Care Insurance, Americans Don’t Get It | Forbes

August 20, 2015August 19, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A newly-released survey shows just how conflicted Americans are about long-term care insurance. And how unrealistic they are about how much long-term care costs and how much insurance they can buy for what they are willing to spend.

The survey, completed in 2014 by the consulting firm RTI International and the survey research firm GfK Research for the US Department of Health and Human Services, found that consumers prize two attributes above all others when they think about long-term care insurance: They want lifetime coverage and low premiums. Their willingness to buy any LTC insurance declines dramatically as premiums rise and the benefit period shrinks.

For instance, fewer than half of those surveyed were willing to spend more than $50-a-month for a long-term care insurance policy that covers $100-a-day for 3 years.

Employers Beware: Your Employee Handbook’s Arbitration Clause May Not be Enforceable | Michel and Associates, P.C.

August 20, 2015August 19, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Upon hiring a new employee, it is a common practice for most employers to provide the new employee with an employee handbook stating the general policies and procedures of the employer. Sometimes employers will have an arbitration clause within the employee handbook, and thereby attempt to impose binding arbitration on the parties for any disputes between the employer and employee. Most employers are also advised to have their new employees sign an acknowledgment which indicates that the employee read the handbook, understands its contents, and agrees to its terms.

Most employers assume, or are told, that receipt of the signed acknowledgment form ensures that the employee is bound by the handbook’s provisions, including the requirement that the employee arbitrate any employment-related disputes. But, according to a recent California Court of Appeal, most employers are wrong. Employers should not rely upon an arbitration clause in a prolix employment handbook unless the handbook is carefully crafted to ensure the arbitration clause’s enforceability.

Thinking Small with Malcolm Gladwell | Page19

August 18, 2015August 17, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Thinking big is oft touted as an asset, but what if the key to sustained success is actually focusing on the little things? Malcolm Gladwell thinks that, like house parties and good logos, smaller is actually mightier.

It’s in our Great Walls and Taj Mahals. It’s in our centuries of dynasties and towering mosque spires. It’s in our Land Rovers and our slogans (go big, or go home!). The quest for bigger and better in all forms is etched deep into man’s ambitions in ways that have been shaping progress since the dawn of time.

And, hey—going big has served us well as a species. It follows that there are hundreds of books that will school you on scaling up or on snagging an enormous customer base, or teach you how to broaden your skills to infinity and beyond. But let’s hit pause for just a second: what if going smaller were actually the next big thing?

Malcolm Gladwell, author of some of the last decade’s most influential nonfiction books, has found plenty of evidence that it’s the little things that count. We took a look at three of his bestsellers to show you how to use the might of the devil in the details.

5 Ways to Stop Embarrassing Yourself on LinkedIn | Entrepreneur

August 17, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How exciting! You’ve just received a great introduction to a big potential client. And as you and your team work hard to whip up a stellar pitch, what do you think the potential client is doing?

She’s researching you, of course. And chances are, the first place she’ll go to learn more about your background, experience and personality is LinkedIn.

What’s she going to find when she pulls up your profile? An amateurish photo? Outdated information? Unpopular political views? A lack of references?

In business, it’s vital to focus on developing a quality LinkedIn profile and avoid making a poor first impression. Here are five ways to ensure you don’t embarrass yourself on this fast-growing and powerful platform:

Faking It at Work? Why You’re Better Off Being True to Yourself | Business News Daily

August 13, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It may seem like you’re helping your career by being a team player and building relationships by faking interest in meetings, pretending to like a co-worker when you don’t or supporting ideas you’re not in favor of. However, new research shows that employees are hurting themselves when they’re not true to their beliefs.

Being inauthentic can make employees feel immoral, which in turn can lead to job unhappiness, frustration and burnout, according to a study recently published in the Psychological Science journal.

It’s important to not overlook the psychological distress that comes with inauthentic behavior, said Maryam Kouchaki, one of the study’s authors and a professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Non-Profit Growth Strategies | Business Tips

August 13, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Here’s what we know. For profit companies develop a vision, strategic plan, execute it and grow. So why shouldn’t non-profit organizations do the same? At CURE Childhood Cancer, our mission is to fund research that will lead to a cure for children’s cancer in which 16,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. So while we don’t manufacture or service gadgets, our approach for driving up revenue is built on the same business model as a for-profit company, and it works. Over 9 years, we have grown 452% bringing passion and purpose to our goals of dispersing millions of dollars to medical research institutions and running innovative support programs to help patients and families facing the extraordinary challenges of childhood cancer.

Below are the primary ways we have embraced “entrepreneur-thinking” to exponentially grow our non-profit to the next level, getting closer to fulfilling our mission:

Different by Deisgn | Peter Mehit

August 11, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s the little things. Shine your shoes. Don’t chew gum. Turn your phone off.

All of these small gestures show you’re serious. The most basic elements of communicating your competence are spelling and grammar. Grammar is becoming a little more fluid as pop culture references work their way into common usage. On the other hand, spelling is binary. It’s right, or it’s not. Clearly, Preferred Kitchen And Bath is definitely different, either by the lack of ability to spell design, or by deisgn (pronounced ‛dees-in), which is a new school of design.

I think Newport Mesa owes them a deisgn refund. Just sayin’…

Five Things You Don’t Know About Millennials and Teens | Ypulse

August 7, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every month, we survey 1000 13-32-year-olds to learn about young consumers’ attitudes and behaviors, and today we’re using recent data to highlight five things that you probably don’t know about Millennials and teens, from their mobile behavior to their spending habits. Not everything you’ve read about them is true…

1. THEY’RE MORE TRADITIONAL THAN YOU THINK.

Hookup culture and all those “newfangled” dating apps get a lot of attention, but in reality Millennials and teens are more traditional than you might think. 50% of 13-32-year-olds have been on a formal date, 25% are in a committed relationship, and 17% are married. The majority of those in a relationship met their significant other in an old-fashioned way: 32% met at school, 22% through mutual friends/family, 9% met at work. But how real is that infamous hookup culture? Only 23% of those over 18-years-old have had a one night stand. And while it’s true that sexting is a thing—34% have sexted, and 15% have “naughty Snapchatted”—the majority want stability in their romance, with 75% saying they want to be in a long-term committed relationship.