Wall Street Gathers at Bitcoin Conference to Figure Out What Exactly Bitcoin Is | Bloomberg

August 6, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been to quite a few bitcoin gatherings, where the standard attire is a sweaty T-shirt and sneakers. This week’s Digital Currencies conference in New York was different. It felt more like a Wall Street confab than the usual fellowship of the neckbeards.

The suits were out in full force at the bitcoin convention on July 29, organized by American Banker. In attendance were representatives from Visa, Citigroup and other financial institutions.

The professionals there were by no means bitcoin faithful. Most bankers’ views on the digital currency — or virtual commodity, depending on who you ask — ranged from puzzled to noncommittal. Lester Joseph, manager of the global financial crimes intelligence group at Wells Fargo, said the bank doesn’t have a grand plan for bitcoin.

“We don’t really have a strategy,” Joseph said during a panel called the Nexus Between Banking and Bitcoin Companies. “We just try to understand it and try to manage the risk.”

What’s Up With That: Your Best Thinking Seems to Happen in the Shower | WIRED

August 5, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You’re in the shower. The water sounds like a gentle, rainy static, and feels like a Plinko massage. You’ve just started to lather up and suddenly, you’re hit with a flash of brilliance. Maybe it’s the answer to a vexing problem at work, the location of your lost USB drive, or perhaps it’s just a random, inconsequential yet totally satisfying insight.

But, by the time you towel off, the idea already has spiraled away down the drain. We all get these kinds of thoughts, and they don’t just happen in the shower. Long drives, short walks, even something like pulling weeds, all seem to have the right mix of monotony and engagement to trigger a revelation. They also happen to be activities where it’s difficult to take notes. It turns out that aimless engagement in an activity is a great catalyst for free association, but introducing a pen and paper can sterilize the effort.

Cash Flow Management Tips for Small Businesses | Businessnewsdaily.com

August 5, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Managing cash flow is a challenge that many small business owners don’t realize can make or break a business, but streamlining the process is easier than you might think.

“Many great operators who understand their industry and how to deliver for the customers don’t have an understanding of what it takes to grow, maintain or create efficiencies in their operating cycle to empower their business,” said Quincy Miller, executive vice president and head of business and commercial enterprise banking sales at RBS Citizens Financial Group.

“Companies that have accelerated their receivables, streamlined their banking operations and established more-advantageous payment terms and processes with their vendors, suppliers and customers have a definite competitive advantage in today’s marketplace, no matter their business,” Miller said.

Manta Chair | Designnobis.com

August 4, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Inspired by Manta fish, Manta Chair has a unique look with its elaborate lines. Combining structural elements made of wood, steel and plastics, it uses materials in harmony. The stackable chair offers a variety of colors in its transparent seating. Using one wooden leg for the back and spine, design follows a minimalistic approach and aims for a light, simple chair. Either for home or office environment, it is designed to become a prestigious object pleasing the eye.

See More Pictures.

Does Your Company Suffer from a Weak Website? | Allbusiness.com

August 4, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are you doing the bare minimum when it comes to your small business website? Just having a website is no longer enough if it ever was. You’ve got to take action to get potential customers to discover, engage with and buy from your business. And that means creating an integrated online marketing plan where all parts of your Web presence work together.

Deluxe Corporation recently polled small business owners to find out what they’re doing online. Here’s some of what they found:

Small business owners say word-of-mouth is their most important way of engaging with customers 73 percent. However, they don’t seem to realize that social media has become a crucial part of word-of-mouth. Just 21 percent say social media is an important way to engage with customers; in comparison, 40 percent say business cards are.

What about websites? While two-thirds of small business owners have a business website, that number is still way too small. As I mentioned earlier, having a website is the bare minimum these days. Small business owners are also falling short in what features they have on their website. Fewer than half have photos or videos; just 32 percent use search engine optimization SEO, and only 28 percent have reviews or social media share/follow buttons.

Your Unwanted Gift Cards–These Guys Are Building An Empire With Them | Forbes.com

August 1, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

Inside a dim office secured by a sensor lock, eight young men in yarmulkes sit before computer screens sifting through tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards. Toiling under a latticed ceiling, the workers some in their late teens field orders to buy pre-owned cards online, fetching each meticulously catalogued item from the company’s man-size vault, where at least $3 million worth wait for new owners at any given time.

Once assembled, orders are carried to a shipping and receiving room beneath the vault chamber, where another group of skullcapped employees mails them out. Newly acquired gift cards are scanned to check their value, catalogued and bar-coded for easy search. “You’ve got to find that exact card, and you’ve got to find it quickly,” says Elliot Bohm, CEO and co-founder of CardCash.com , a company in Lakewood, N.J. that grossed $56 million last year buying and reselling the gift cards that nobody wanted.

Is Your Environment Hurting Your Chances for Success? | Inc.com

August 1, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There is no doubt that environment influences how you think, believe, and live. In the field of psychology, there is an ongoing debate on nature versus nurture, both regarded as powerful influencers on confidence and the ability to succeed. But how do these factors shape entrepreneurs? I would argue that though the past plays a significant role in who you become, the choice of environment in which to work–especially as you’re working your way up–is another important part of the success equation.

Buckminster Fuller, an American neo-futuristic architect, said it perfectly: “Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.

“Whatever work environment you are in, a certain intelligence or talent is always valued. If you happen to have an intelligence that is aligned that of the company, then you will rise to the top quickly. The problem is that it’s a losing battle for those that don’t have the valued intelligence–and that kills their confidence in the process.

10 Ways You Can Blow a First Impression | Entrepreneur.com

July 31, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Ever hear the saying, “you only have one chance at a first impression”? Of course you have, because you didn’t just fall off the turnip truck yesterday.

The difficulty with first impressions is that when you meet someone new, you don’t often know if that person could be highly valuable to you or your business. Yep, that random person at that restaurant or the baseball game that was just introduced to you by a friend could work for or own the company that you’re currently trying to sell your new product line to.

But you won’t know that until you walk into their office and realize that you’ve recently met. Let’s just hope that you didn’t make one of these 10 first impression killers.

The #1 Thing You Forget In Your Marketing Budget | Wonderbranding.com

July 29, 2014July 28, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Type “marketing budget template” into a search engine and you’ll find several examples, from the most basic to impressively detailed.

But 99 percent of the time there’s one important line item missing – your Cost of Occupancy.

Cost of Occupancy = Yearly Rent or Mortgage

Your yearly cost of rent or mortgage payments should be treated as a marketing expenditure.

Why?

You sell a product or service that relies on foot traffic. The better your location, the more visible you are to potential customers.

The more visible your location is to potential customers, the less advertising you need.

Location = Advertising

Therefore, your Cost of Occupancy should be designated as a line item in your marketing budget.

How to Answer Your Most Confusing Emails | Mashable.com

July 28, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every now and again, I’ll receive one of those emails that makes me say: “Huh?” My face contorts into an expression of massive confusion, and I’m left not quite sure what to respond. I can tell from the length or the content of the email that a response is needed, but something about the message has made even getting started on a response a huge headache.

For those days where you’re faced with a similar conundrum, here’s my advice: Do not engage the nonsensical email, and throw it back in the other person’s court instead.

To help you out, I’ve compiled my suggested responses to the four most common types of confusing emails I receive.

1. The rambling non-ask

This type of email is the worst offender. Usually quite long, with a lot of detail, the rambling non-ask email is often unstructured — and unclear as to what the sender is really after. You re-read it then re-read it again after you’ve had some coffee, and realize that it’s not your fuzzy brain — it’s some seriously fuzzy communication.

Your response

Thanks so much for your email, [name]. There’s a lot to think about here. In the interest of getting back to you promptly, could you help me understand exactly what you’d like me to assist with?