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.

Everything You Need To Know About LinkedIn Endorsements | Forbes

December 22, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Since LinkedIn introduced its endorsements feature more than two years ago, we’ve all received endorsements for skills we didn’t know we had from people we didn’t know we knew.

Though I think I could do a good job of writing about food, I’ve never done it, so I was mystified when five people endorsed me for “Food Writing.” Another mystery endorsement came from someone who checked off “Celebrity,” whatever that means.

Should I just let those endorsements stand, assuming any positive mark on my profile will help me? Or is there some way I can edit endorsements to make them reflect better what I do? What should I do when I get an endorsement out of the blue from someone whose name doesn’t ring a bell? Should I be in touch with and endorse the people who endorse me?

Are You More Productive At The Office When Your Team Includes Both Genders? | Forbes

December 18, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In one of my first jobs out of college I worked in a small San Francisco public relations firm, Horne, McClatchy & Associates, whose eight employees were all women. Now defunct, the firm raised money and staged special events for non-profit groups like UNICEF and the Exploratorium science museum. I liked my executive assistant job and I especially liked my boss, a kind, creative woman who was also a published poet.

But the longer I worked there, the more I realized I didn’t like that there were no men in the office. I feel like a bad feminist saying this, and it’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it was about the atmosphere that grated on me. A former colleague recalls a kind of “mean girls” targeting of one of the managers, who wasn’t as efficient and well-turned-out as the other three, and there was a competitive atmosphere that I found unpleasant, which seemed tied to the fact that we were all female. Hastings law professor Joan Williams, author of What Works for Women at Work, has called the competition between women at work the “tug of war.”

5 Sales Mistakes to Avoid | Business News Daily

December 18, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every small business owner knows the challenges and importance of closing a sale.

Despite those challenges, there are a number of steps business owners can take to improve their chances of closing a sale, said Brandon Stuerke, president of Advisors Edge Marketing. To help, Stuerke offers solutions to five common sales-lead mistakes.

For Entrepreneurs, Is Impatience a Blessing or a Curse? | All Business

December 18, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I have never been a patient person; it’s the way I’m wired. Once I have an idea of where I want to go, I want to get there as soon as possible … even if it means getting out of bed at 3:00 a.m. I don’t see the point in waiting.

I know this internal sense of urgency can annoy others and my haste has stung me a few times in life. But I firmly believe an entrepreneur needs some level of impatience in order to succeed. Over the course of my career, impatience has been my friend – but like anything, moderation (or management) is the key.

Many smart people never succeed as an entrepreneur. We often chalk this up to risk aversion, fear of failure, or just plain old bad luck. However, I think the worst thing you can do as an entrepreneur is wait for things to come to you.

Tap the Power of Thank You | Getentrepreneurial.com

December 12, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There may be only one day a year devoted to giving thanks, but expressing thanks year round and doing it well is one of the most profitable business strategies you can have.

Numerous studies reveal that when you thank your customers, they spend more money and tell their friends about the exceptional service and products you deliver, increasing your profits. Volumes chronicle how employee productivity zooms when appreciation is expressed, raising your margins. Vendors go the extra mile to extend credit and deliver “just in time” when they hear gratitude regularly, and keep your cash flowing. Giving thanks works in business.

But you’re already doing more with less and the last thing you want is another item on your to-do list. What are the most effective and efficient ways to express gratitude to these important players in your positive business success?

Start today implementing these 4 tips to develop the profitable habit of saying “Thank you” to your customers, employees, and vendors year-round:

Mobile App Usage Increases In 2014, As Mobile Web Surfing Declines | TechCrunch

December 11, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

New data from app analytics provider Flurry released today states that native app usage on smartphones is continuing to grow at the expense of the mobile web. The company claims that users are now spending 2 hours and 42 minutes per day on mobile devices as of March 2014, up from 2 hours, 38 minutes as of a year ago. Meanwhile, mobile app usage accounts for 2 hours and 19 minutes of that time spent, while mobile web usage has dropped from 20% of the U.S. consumer’s time in 2013 to just 14% – or 22 minutes per day – as of last month. Says Flurry CEO Simon Khalaf, the changes indicate that the mobile browser has become just “a single application swimming in a sea of apps.”

4 Reasons to be Ready to Sell Your Online Business Right Now | BusinessTips.com

December 11, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Having an online business is great. Not only are you your own boss and can dictate your own hours, but you can also sit in casual clothes at the computer during conference calls and filling orders. But even if your business is going smoothly, and the profits are rolling in, it is still absolutely essential that you prepare the business for sale. Even if you have no absolutely no intention of selling.

Confused? Read on and you won’t be.

In the excitement of running a new business and watching it succeed beyond your wildest expectations, selling the company is probably the last thing on your mind. But the fact is, most business owners eventually end up selling to an investor or an individual at some point in time, and usually when they aren’t expecting to do so. You may be lucky enough for someone to come to you with an acquisition offer, but more likely than not, you will be looking for a buyer, not the other way around.

So in preparation for that day possibly coming, it is essential to have an exit strategy ready, so you can sell quickly and easily, and move on to your next business idea. Even if you vow never to sell your business, it is still good to perform an exit strategy exercise on a regular basis. Here’s why:

Gifts for Employees – Great Holiday Gifts for Your Staff | Business News Daily

December 8, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Your employees work hard all year long, and there’s no better time to reward them than during the holiday season. You may not be able to give them big bonus checks or send them on expensive vacations, but a small token of appreciation from the boss can show your staff how valued they are. Here are 18 fun holiday gifts you can give your employees for less than $50