Want to Spark Creativity? Ditch Your Chair | Businessnewsdaily.com

June 16, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Taking away your employees’ chairs could be the key to boosting their creativity.

When employees stand during meetings, it boosts the excitement around creative group processes and reduces people’s tendency to defend their turf, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

Andrew Knight, one of the study’s co-authors and an assistant professor at the Olin Business School at Washington University, said removing chairs could be a low-cost way to redesign an office space while also tackling the health effects of sitting in one place for too long.

The Politicians Were Correct – Small Companies Really Do Create Jobs | Allbusiness.com

June 16, 2014June 16, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

With the midterm elections looming, job creation, over-regulation, and big government will again be election issues. Is the government doing too much or too little to support business? Do we need more tax benefits focused on large companies? Should we take away tax benefits to corporations? Who really drives the U.S. economy? Let’s look at the facts.

A recently published study has provided another piece of evidence that the middle market, and not large companies, is driving the growth of U.S. economy. According to the National Center for the Middle Market NCMM, the U.S. middle market saw a 5 percent increase in revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2013. This compares to the 1 percent revenue increase achieved by S&P companies last year.

According to this study, “The first quarter of 2014 marked a resurgence in growth for the U.S. middle market. Middle market companies reported a year-over-year increase in revenue growth for the past 12 months and added workers to the payroll. Looking forward, middle market companies project revenue at a slower pace but expect employment to improve significantly.”

See How Far You Can Go With Your Phone With These Winners From The iPhone Photography Awards | Fastcocreate.com

June 16, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The winners of the iPhone Photography Awards don’t need fancy camera equipment to get the shot. Just their digital devices, a keen eye, and, you know, a perfect moment.

Not everybody can be Annie Leibovitz, and that’s fine. Plenty of people are making do by applying a keen eye for stunning visuals to an iPhone screen. And there’s a contest where these folks are recognized for doing just that.

For the past seven years, the iPhone Photography Awards has been showcasing some of the most amazing photos taken by camera phones around the world. Thousands of Apple addicts enter each year, from hobbyists to serious photographers, submitting their images for consideration. The photos come in 17 categories including Architecture, Sunsets, and Food. But not Selfie, yet, despite seemingly overwhelming demand. The only rule is that the images can’t be photoshop’d in any way, though iPhone and iPad apps are fair game.

5 Ways to Get the Most from Virtual Employees | Inc.com

June 13, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The virtual workforce is growing fast, and bringing many benefits to companies. According to Chris Ducker, an expert on virtual staffing and author of the book, Virtual Freedom, a typical business saves $11,000 a year for each virtual worker they hire. Beyond that, the ability to hire the best people you can find, regardless of whether they work from your office, can produce immeasurable benefitsBut while that’s all well and good, managing virtual employees brings challenges that you just don’t have in a standard office environment. The good news is that these challenges can be conquered with just a bit of effort on your part. Here are 5 tips for managing your virtual employees more effectively than you ever thought possible.

Flavoured Gourmet Toothpick | Coolbusinessideas.com

June 13, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

PhoodStation is launching its new product via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Welcome Castor, the double flavored gourmet toothpick.“Not only are we completely reinventing the toothpick giving it a new design and a perfect pocket-sized packaging, but we also managed to create a unique method for applying a double flavor all-natural aroma and powder on the stick. There is no such thing available on the market today” says David Desjardins, founder and president of This Canadian-made product was created by a team of nutritionist, chef and designers. The available flavors mingle in the mouth, creating a perfect harmony. To date, 10 surprising flavors are offered.

House Votes To Make Small Business Tax Break Permanent | Forbes.com

June 13, 2014June 23, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This week, the House voted to not only extend a tax break for small businesses but to make it permanent.The specific provision that the House advanced involves Section 179 of the Tax Code. Under Section 179, small businesses can immediately write off certain qualifying expenses as a deduction in one year rather than depreciating those costs over a number of years. The result is generally very tax favorable.

12 Personality Traits That Make You a Rockstar Boss Infographic | Entrepreneur.com

June 12, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

Relationships can go two ways. And if a relationship isn’t working, it’s so tempting — and so easy — to look across the table to find the problem. But the problem may be you.As a business owner, if your staff is lackadaisical and underperforming, it’s time to evaluate whether you can be doing a better job as a manager. After all, a team is only as efficient, productive and happy as its leader.

Officevibe, a company dedicated to improving corporate culture through gamification, put together an infographic summarizing what makes a good boss. From always being positive to always being honest, even when it’s hard, take a look at the infographic below for an overview of the fundamental personality traits shared by good managers.

Larger Infographic.

15 indispensable content marketing tips | Econsultancy

June 12, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Some people may hate the term, but there’s no doubt that content marketing has caught on big time. As many people point out, there isn’t anything especially new in the concept of using content to attract customers, but what’s new is that content marketing roles are being created, and teams are being restructured.Content is becoming more tactical as a result. Today sees the release of a new content guide, 100+ Practical Content Marketing Tips: A how-to guide for editors, writers and content creators which presents the lessons we’ve learned from ten years of writing for this blog. Here’s a selection of 15 tips from the report, to give you a taste of the full version.

Best Credit Cards For Bad Credit | The Simple Dollar

June 12, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If your credit is less than perfect, you’ll have a more difficult time obtaining and using a credit card. The flip side is that responsible use of a credit card is a fantastic way to rebuild your credit score.Even with bad credit, you have some great options to start rebuilding your financial future. The best credit cards for bad credit come in two different varieties: secured and unsecured low credit cards.

Should Your LLC Elect S Corporation Status? | Allbusiness.com

June 11, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many entrepreneurs choose to structure their businesses as the ever-so-popular LLC Limited Liability Company or S Corporation. Business owners may struggle with the choice between the structures, but many times but don’t realize that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s possible to have your cake and eat it too by forming an LLC and then electing S corporation status.This is a particularly sound strategy if you have an LLC and the payroll taxes self-employment taxes on the owner/s are high. Here we’ll break down some of the key details on why you should consider an LLC with S corporation election, and how you go about doing it.