5 Steps to Automate, Streamline and Grow Your Business | Small Biz Trends

January 22, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every entrepreneur wants to create a profitable business. But instead of working on their businesses, most of them end up working in their businesses with a go-all-out, hands-on approach. When it comes to growth and scale, this hands-on approach won’t work. What entrepreneurs need is a way to leverage, and a way to scale. They are always looking for a sustainable way to go smart.

Automation is the answer to every entrepreneur’s dream. Businesses face severe competition and a roller coaster ride on the path to success. It helps when a few processes pass through automatically without the involvement of business owners at every juncture.

Small Businesses Don’t Get Full Value of Security Solutions | Business News Daily

January 20, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Technology and software are among the most important investments a company can make nowadays, especially when it comes to security. The growing demand for IT services and security solutions prove that business owners know the threats that are out there, and want to do something to guard themselves against increasingly cunning cybercriminals.

You might have purchased a well-rounded security solution with all the recommended features a business might need, but was the investment really worth it? A forthcoming report from security solutions provider Trustwave found that organizations of all sizes are wasting their security dollars, and none more so than small businesses.

How to Stay Productive When Working at Home | The Simple Dollar

January 19, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The phone keeps ringing. The kitchen sink is full of dishes. The dog has been snoring for 30 minutes and you desperately need to write out your monthly budget and pay your bills.

But those things have to wait, and it’s not always by choice. When you work at home, you have to ignore your everyday concerns and responsibilities until your actual work is done. Because, let’s face it, folding laundry doesn’t pay the bills.

Can You Stay on the Job at Home?

So how do you stay productive when you’re expected to live and work at the same address? Ask most work-at-home professionals and they’ll give you a list of strategies they use to stay on task when the dishes, the garden, and the neighborhood pool keep calling their name.

Communications Trends for 2015 | Allbusiness

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s the time of year that all of the experts predict what will happen in the new year.

Of course, no one really has a crystal ball, but there are certain things you can tell are going to happen, just based on experience and perspective.

The communications industry is no different and it’s important for business owners to stay abreast of how an industry is changing, if only so you know the right questions to ask when you’re hiring for that particular skill set.

Torchia | DESIGNNOBIS

January 13, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Torchia Solar LED Lamp/Charger offers portable emergency flashlight that uses solar energy as its main power source. Just like handy flashlight, this concept device fits several needs in both multiple usages. Charged by photovoltaic panels in four wings, Torchia produces energy without any dependency on other energy systems. Suitable for outdoor activities, it charges devices via USB. Created as a multipurpose tool that is light yet robust, it is a lifesaver in size of an A3 paper. Torchia is also efficient in emergency situations, it can be used as a flash light for warning such as in the event of a car accident or natural disasters. It can be stuck onto soft ground with its foldable stakes at bottom. The main system continuously charges itself and produces energy with photovoltaic panels on four wings, the panels are two sided and other side of a panel is a reflective surface. It consists of 7 LED lights of 3.5 watts, 2 batteries with 24 watts DC, and 2 USB outputs.

See Video.

18 Google Maps Tricks You Need to Try| PCMag.com

January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Regardless of how you feel about it, Google Maps (and its cousin Google Earth) remain powerful and versatile tools—and most of us are only scratching at the surface of what they have to offer. (And we’re just talking about the Web version, the mobile incarnations are a whole other bag of magic.) Here, we present 18 cool things you didn’t know Google Maps could do. Click on through and experience just a little bit of the power of the everyday.

How Waking Up Can Change Your Life | Care 2

January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Perhaps the most common complaint is the number of hours in a day. We use it as an excuse for why we don’t exercise enough (there’s just never enough time) and it’s also a go-to excuse for why we can’t seem to get ahead in life or in work.

Become a Morning Person and Change Your Life

However, it really is just an excuse. And it’s one that many successful people have completely overcome. They are the ones who do find time to hit the gym, who feel healthy and refreshed, and who get their work done. The secret to their success?

New Fitness Tracker from Withings Doesn’t Scream ‘Tech Geek’ | Live Science

January 5, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new fitness tracker from Withings may appeal to those with an eye for fashion who don’t want to break the bank.

The new tracker, called Activité Pop, has a sophisticated clock-face design, but costs only $150 — much less than the company’s previous fashion-forward tracker, Activité, which costs $450.

Like the Activité, the Activité Pop has two hand dials: one that shows the time of day and a smaller dial that shows users’ progress toward their activity goals (such as how close they are to achieving 10,000 steps), according to Withings.

How to Become More of a Morning Person (Infographic) | Entrepreneur

December 22, 2014December 22, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We’ve all heard it. “The early bird gets the worm.” But what if you despise mornings? Like, really hate them?

There’s hope for you yet. While you may never love the sound of your alarm blaring at 5 a.m., there are several things you can do to become tolerant of mornings:

Get moving. Strap on those sneakers or roll out that yoga mat to get your body temperature. Not only will this help you stay awake later in the day, it will make it easier to fall asleep at night.

Avoid artificial light. Which is all the more reason to get outside during work hours.

Save the bedroom for snoozing. Stop working in your bedroom and your brain will be conditioned to recognize your bed as stimulus for sleep.