The convergence of a number of economic conditions and consumer trends has hatched a business environment in the U.S. that embraces small business, and we are on the verge of revitalized small business communities across the country. To determine which U.S. cities are the most amenable to the wave of small business owners that will establish local roots in the upcoming year, we have developed a unique set of criteria based on data available within Radius.
Category: Tools and Information
The Power of Video Throughout the Customer Journey | ducttapemarketing.com/blog/
The business benefits of video for brand discovery, web traffic and customer engagement have been widely documented over the years. But do people really find videos helpful in making purchasing decisions? In a recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, we learned that videos created by businesses really do help people make more confident shopping decisions and feel more connected to a brand. A whopping 96 percent of all respondents said they find video helpful when making purchase decisions online, and 73 percent said they are more likely to purchase a product after watching a marketing video. These are pretty convincing reasons to invest in video!
E-cigarettes’s Effect on Cells Similar to That of Tobacco Smoke | Scientific American
Electronic cigarettes can change gene expression in a similar way to tobacco, according to one of the first studies to investigate the biological effects of the devices.
Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting on 6 April in San Diego, California, the research looked at human bronchial cells that contained some mutations found in smokers at risk of lung cancer. The cells were immortalized, grown in culture medium that had been exposed to e-cigarette vapor and their gene expression profiled
5 Free Apps For Keeping Great Notes | Fast Company
As always, while they’re free now, we can’t guarantee how long they’ll last–so don’t wait too long.
Papyrus (Android)
A simple stylus app that’s a decent alternative to Evernote’s new Handwriting feature. Draw, write, select, and move parts of the note around pages. Premium features include PDF editing, which could be worth the extra cost.
Uber vs. Lyft: The $500 Million Battle | WIRED
The pink mustache on the front of the car is the giveaway. Lyft isn’t like a regular taxi company. In fact, Lyft will tell you it’s not a taxi company at all. Instead, the company markets itself as a way to share rides: regular people with their own cars making their empty seats available to strangers via an app in exchange for money.
All that sharing has apparently started to add up. Yesterday, Lyft announced it had made a deal for $250 million in new financing. The company plans to use the money to expand its ride-sharing service across the U.S. and around the world after growing from two cities to thirty over the past year, says CEO Logan Green. Ride-sharing rival Uber secured about the same amount last summer. Lyft tries to distinguish itself from Uber by emphasizing the “sharing” part of ride-sharing, while Uber focuses on the “ride.” Now that the two are on more equal financial footing, the contest can truly get underway to determine which vision will decide the future of transportation — and whether sharing will really have anything to do with it at all.
How Google Picks New Employees (Hint: It’s Not About Your Degree) | forbes.com
I’ve been having disagreements for years about the usefulness of college degrees as a measure of someone’s ability to be an outstanding employee. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t think it’s ever a bad thing to have a degree. I just think people make an assumption about formal education that’s often untrue. They assume that if two people are exactly the same in terms of age, life and job experience and demographics, and one has a college degree and the other doesn’t – that the one who has the degree will be a better employee and have a more successful career.
Want to Know How Customers Find You? Read This | Allbusiness.com
Are you still advertising and marketing your small business based on how customers used to find your business years ago? Then wake up and smell the coffee: The way customers buy has changed in the last few years, and if the way you’re marketing your business isn’t keeping up, you’re going to be left behind.
Hovering in a helicopter – The strangest place I’ve closed a business deal | CNNMoney
As proof that business waits for no one, these people shunned the corner office and closed deals strapped to a biplane, fishing for marlin — even in the bathroom.
Still Using Windows XP? How to Protect Your Business | businessnewsdaily
If you’re still using Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system, you could be the target of cybercriminals.
Starting this week, Microsoft is no longer providing technical support or security updates for the 12-year-old XP operating system, or for its Office 2003 software suite, which includes Word, Excel and Outlook.
10 Questions to Ask When Working With an Accountant | Entrepreneur.com
Solely relying on free or inexpensive online small-business accounting tools instead of investing the services of a trained professional accountant can be a costly mistake that entrepreneurs make all too often. Don’t be one of them.
Springing for a licensed accountant can be worth every extra penny you spend, says ff Venture Capital chief financial officer Alex Katz. A qualified, certified public accountant (CPA) can tip you off to potentially irreversible financial missteps and brand new tax savings opportunities that you might not know exist. And we doubt most barebones digital accounting solutions could bring red flags like these to your attention as effectively as an accountant.
When you do invest in the services of a reputable accountant, it’s important to know what to ask and when — not only to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth, but also to ensure he or she helps you do what’s best for your business and your bottom line.
Dispatches From The Front 