Generation X: America’s neglected ‘middle child’ | Pew Research Center

October 30, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Generation X has a gripe with pulse takers, zeitgeist keepers and population counters. We keep squeezing them out of the frame.

This overlooked generation currently ranges in age from 34 to 49, which may be one reason they’re so often missing from stories about demographic, social and political change. They’re smack in the middle innings of life, which tend to be short on drama and scant of theme.

But there are other explanations that have nothing to do with their stage of the life cycle.

Gen Xers are bookended by two much larger generations – the Baby Boomers ahead and the Millennials behind – that are strikingly different from one another. And in most of the ways we take stock of generations – their racial and ethnic makeup; their political, social and religious values; their economic and educational circumstances; their technology usage – Gen Xers are a low-slung, straight-line bridge between two noisy behemoths.

How the Swash Got Laughed Out of the Room — and Into Your Home It Hopes | Bloomberg

October 28, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The new product pitched to Whirlpool Corp. WHR executive Marc Bitzer three years ago wasn’t all that new. Whirlpool had tried to sell two previous versions of the device, which was designed to clean clothes that didn’t need much cleaning. Both flopped.

So, when about 20 designers and technicians came to Bitzer in July 2011 to propose yet another iteration of the same gadget, he was prepared to nix it.

“I was lukewarm, very honestly, because I had seen excitement before,” recalls Bitzer, who oversees North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for the home appliance giant.

Within two hours, Bitzer was a cheerleader for something called a Swash. He was converted by devotees who’d traveled from the Cincinnati headquarters of Procter & Gamble Co.

Three months ago, Swashes developed jointly by Whirlpool and P&G started showing up in select Bloomingdale’s stores and Delta airport lounges. Salespeople explained how the Swash, a four-foot-high, steel-and-plastic box shaped like a radiator, could in just 10 minutes unrumple a cocktail dress or whisk cigar stench from a sport jacket, almost as if they’d gone through a wash cycle or a trip to the dry cleaner.

Online ads and videos said the Swash would cut dry cleaning bills in half by letting people re-wear dress shirts, sequined dresses, wool sweaters, and other clothes they’d normally toss in a hamper after one wearing or, in the case of $300 designer jeans, never wash at all.

Freelancers, Here’s How To Negotiate Raises With Clients | Forbes

October 28, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Asking for a raise is never easy.

Requesting one when you’re a freelancer is downright scary — the client could immediately stop working with you and turn to your less expensive competition.

As I outlined in the first part of this series, how you set your rates should be determined by your expenses, expertise and how you want to spend the one fixed variable in this whole process: your time.

After I outlined the various ways you can use to determine how much to charge a potential client or what rates you’re willing — and unwilling to accept — let’s take a look at how you can increase your fees.

1. Track your time.

Time management expert Laura Vanderkam, who has often provided wonderful advice for my stories, says that you should know how much time your activities take. Having learned this from her while writing an article a while back, I have been following this advice religiously, to my great benefit.

Saving Money in Your Startup | The Simple Dollar

October 27, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We get it. You’re starting a new businesses and you’re strapped for cash. There are a million questions going through your head. We empathize with bootstrapping entrepreneurs and small-business owners everywhere, and today we explore meaningful ways that add up where your business can save money in the early phases. That said, every small-business owner and entrepreneur has a unique set of circumstances that pertains to their business, industry, strategy, and execution. Here we will outline some of the key choices, some obvious, some less obvious, on ways you and your small business can save money.

Where is your business located?

The cost of living cannot be ignored when you’re looking at starting a business. While the glamour of the big city lights and talented potential workforce might be appealing, it might not be the best place for you to start a business. The cost of creating a startup in San Francisco or New York versus a small town in the Midwest needs to be taken into consideration. Having lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Madison, Wisconsin, it’s far easier to start a business in Madison, WI from a cost perspective.

Freelancers, Here’s How To Set Your Rates | Forbes

October 27, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Freelancers often wonder how much they should charge. It’s a thorny dilemma: Quote too high a price, and the potential client may decide to hire someone else. Go with a lower number, and you may end up earning less than you could have.

That’s why you’ll see freelancer forums and discussion boards peppered with questions about how much the poster should quote for a potential gig.

But they’re going about it all wrong. While, yes, it helps to know the general price range for certain types of work, the reality is that the range can be quite wide.

For instance, writers for content mills may earn as little as $15 a post, writers for esteemed magazines could earn $20,000 for a lengthy story, and some authors can receive millions for a book advance. Even for articles of the same length — say, 1,000 words — some outlets pay as little as $100 and others pay as much as $2,000 or more.

Best Small Tablets for Business 2014 and Why We Love Them |Business News Daily

October 24, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Large tablets give you more screen space to work on, but they can really weigh you down on your daily commute. Fortunately, opting for a smaller tablet doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice power or great software features. There are tons of pint-size slates that offer zippy performance and features such as multi-window multitasking, stylus integration and even a fingerprint scanner for added security. Read on for a list of the best business tablets with displays smaller than 8.5 inches.

Samsung Galaxy S5 review | CNET

October 24, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Good Samsung’s Galaxy S5 excels at everything that matters — Android 4.4 KitKat OS; a bright, beautiful display; blistering quad-core processor; and an excellent camera experience. In addition, Samsung’s efforts to streamline its own custom interface and reduce pre-installed bloatware pay off.

The Bad The Galaxy S5 is a only small upgrade over the Galaxy S4. The fingerprint scanner can be confusing to use, and the heart-rate monitor is a niche feature at best. In some regions, the Galaxy S5 costs significantly more than rival top-rated handsets.

The Bottom Line Subtly improved and smartly refined, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a superior superphone that hits every mark but the sharpest design.

The iPad’s Glory Days Are Over. Where Does It Go Now? | Mashable

October 23, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple reported its fiscal 2014 fourth quarter results on Monday, and in a surprise to absolutely no one, iPad sales are down again.For the third consecutive quarter, iPad sales have declined year-over-year. On a call with analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook positioned the decline in sales as “a speed bump, not a huge issue.” Still, Cook conceded that this isn’t where Apple wants to be. “We want to grow. We don’t like negative numbers on these things.” That need for future growth is probably one of the reasons Apple realigned its iPad offerings last week.

The Wild and Crazy Career Paths of 5 Self-Made Billionaires Infographic | Entrepreneur

October 21, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Virgin Empire founder Richard Branson’s first job was selling Christmas trees. NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s first job was selling garbage bags. Las Vegas Sands Corporation CEO Sheldon Adelson’s first job was selling newspapers. Groupon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky’s first job was selling carpets. And Elon Musk, the founder of Telsa Motors and PayPal, started his working life writing video games.

From their humble beginnings, all of these self-made billionaires have changed course scores of times. The infographic below, generated by San Francisco-based startup organization Funders and Founders, shows just how many different businesses these legendary entrepreneurs launched.

Funders and Founders also analyzed all 1,426 billionaires in the world. From there, the company segmented out the 960 that are self made and determined that 830 of them earned their wealth from more than one business.

See enlarged Infograhic

4 Common Reasons Why Small Business Startups Face a High Risk of Failure | Getentrepreneurial.com

October 21, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“My business is in trouble with debt spiraling out of control and I simply don’t have enough cash to make payments on time. I’ve read that most small business startups have problems similar to mine, but why?”

This concern is common amongst the directors, managers, and owners of small business startups in the UK, and for good reason – about 2/3 of startups fail within their first 3 years of operation. Usually the failure is brought about by a number of factors that work together synergistically to make business progression difficult. Here are the 4 most common reasons why small business startups don’t do well:

1. Inadequate PreparationStarting a successful startup is all about planning – analysing your market conditions and competition. Some of the things you’ll need to know and have planned for:

Who is going to buy your product/service
How many companies are providing similar offerings
Why your company’s offerings will be more appealing
How much your competition is charging
What it will cost to get the business of the ground and start an advertising campaign
How much the business will need to spend to operate on an ongoing basis