You own a small business. You have always done things the same way from day one. You try to do most things yourself. It’s all in your head. You’ve probably asked yourself, “Written business procedures, do I really need any?” What’s wrong with this picture?
Category: Tools and Information
Minicars Fall Short for Small Overlap Frontal Protection | iihs.org
ARLINGTON, Va. — Only 1 minicar out of 11 tested achieves an acceptable rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s small overlap front crash test, making these tiny vehicles the worst performing group of any evaluated so far.
How Successful People Stay Calm – Forbes.com
The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control.
If you’ve followed my work, you’ve read some startling research summaries that explore the havoc stress can wreak on one’s physical and mental health (such as the Yale study, which found that prolonged stress causes degeneration in the area of the brain responsible for self-control). The tricky thing about stress (and the anxiety that comes with it) is that it’s an absolutely necessary emotion. Our brains are wired such that it’s difficult to take action until we feel at least some level of this emotional state. In fact, performance peaks under the heightened activation that comes with moderate levels of stress. As long as the stress isn’t prolonged, it’s harmless.
Are Precious Metals Good Investments? | Generation X Finance
Precious metals have been toted as a solution to some of this volatility. These metals are generally viewed as “liquid” and don’t bear many obvious risks. So why aren’t more financial analysts telling you to invest in precious metals?
Well That Stinks! Reporters Blow Cow Farts Out Of Proportion | Scientific American
Apparently cows are terrorists too. Last month, journalists reported—in what can only be described as a “chicken-run” scenario of cows plotting their big escape—that a herd of dairy cows in central Germany caused an explosion in their housing facility.
Tax Changes for Small Businesses in 2014 | Businessnewsdaily.com
Tax season is a stressful time for everyone, but for business owners, the pressure can be especially high. From January to April, it’s a whirlwind of sorting receipts and pay stubs, reviewing ledgers and completing IRS forms to ensure that everything is properly prepared and filed. Even though most businesses use an accountant, digging up all the necessary documentation and information needed for tax filing can still be a hassle.
Being unaware of important tax filing changes can add to the stress of this season. Mark Faggiano, CEO of tax automation software company TaxJar, noted several changes from last year that will affect small business owners:
Wow! The Most Amazing Images in Science This Week | LiveScience
For the first time in five years, intrepid visitors to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore can make the icy trek along the frozen waters of Lake Superior to glimpse the millions of icicles — some several stories tall — that embellish the region’s incredible ice caves.
5 Customer Service Approaches to Avoid | Businessnewsdaily.com
Keeping your customers happy is the key to earning their trust and their business. Some companies do this well, and go above and beyond to make sure their customers are satisfied. Others seem to view customer service as an afterthought.
“It’s always befuddling to watch businesses that say they focus on customer service turn around and act like their customers don’t matter,” said Aishwarya Hariharan, product marketer at customer support software company Freshdesk. “They claim that no one matters more [than their customers], but their approach just doesn’t seem to reflect it.”
Randi Zuckerberg’s Book About Web Addiction — Daily Intelligencer
Randi Zuckerberg, the karaoke-singing, reality-show-producing sister of Facebook CEO Mark, is coming out with a children’s book that amounts to a passive-aggressive swipe at the obsessive social-media culture her brothers company helped create.
Ask the Nutritionist: Diet vs. Exercise? | Eating Well
If you really want to see that number on the scale drop, what you put in your mouth matters most. People who simply cut calories to slim down lose about 2 pounds a week, says a study in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. At the same time, people who exercise but don’t restrict calories drop less than half a pound each week.
Dispatches From The Front 