‘Stepping stone to Mars’: Minimoons may help us become an interplanetary species, says MIT astrophysicist Richard Binzel | Live Science

February 20, 2024February 19, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

More than 30,000 asteroids are traveling on paths that bring them close to Earth. Some are giant boulders with the potential to smash into our planet, and others are little rocks known as minimoons moving harmlessly alongside Earth. For half a century, Richard Binzel, an astronomer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has dedicated his career to studying them.

Live Science spoke with Binzel about minimoons and how these little rocks could eventually help humanity take its first trip to Mars.

7 Free Visual Voicemail Services | Business News Daily

February 16, 2024February 15, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s been nearly two decades since the first visual voicemail services reached the market. The speech-to-text translation space has evolved considerably since then. Today, products offer more accurate transcriptions amid a broader selection of service providers.

We’ll explore how visual voicemail can benefit organizations and busy professionals and share some free visual voicemail apps to consider.

Prioritization – Using Your Time and Energy Effectively | LifeHack

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Prioritization is like using a map for your day. It shows you the best route to take, so you don’t waste time on detours. When you prioritize, you take control of your time, deciding what matters most. It’s about keeping your focus sharp and not letting small, unimportant tasks pull you off course.

In today’s world, society often places a gold star on those who appear to do it all. We’re repeatedly told to admire the overachievers: the parent who juggles a career with raising three kids, the entrepreneur who manages five different start-ups, or the artist who, somehow, also finds time to run marathons. Being a master of all trades is seen as the ultimate goal.

But, let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves: is it even possible to excel in every single thing? And even if it were, would the results be as exceptional as we’d hope?

What Are Distractions in a Nutshell (And How to Deal With Them) | LifeHack

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Distractions are like roadblocks in your day, steering you off course. Taking control of those distractions puts you back in the driver’s seat of your time. It’s about focusing on the road ahead and not letting the small stuff take you off track.

This world, buzzing with countless elements vying for your attention, is the new normal. It’s as if everything around us is designed to pull us away from what really matters – our focus, our productivity, and our ability to get things done. It’s a monumental task to keep our eyes on the prize when there’s so much noise.

Imagine being in a boxing ring where, instead of one opponent, you’re pitted against many, all swinging at you from every direction. That’s what it’s like to fight against distractions. But here’s the kicker – according to the American Psychological Association,[1] when we hop from task to task, it isn’t a harmless jump. In fact, we end up squandering up to 40% of our productive time, simply because our brains need to readjust and redirect.

The Dirty Truth About Lab-Grown Diamonds | Fast Company

February 14, 2024February 13, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The muted sounds of hammering and sanding drift down to the first floor of Bario Neal, a jewelry store in Philadelphia, where rustic artwork that mimics nature hangs on warmly lit walls.

Waiting for one of those rings is Haley Farlow, a 28-year-old second-grade teacher who has been designing her three-stone engagement ring with her boyfriend. They care about price and also don’t want jewelry that takes a toll on the Earth, or exploits people in mining. So they’re planning on buying diamonds grown in a laboratory.

“Most of my friends all have lab-grown. And I think it just fits our lifestyle and, you know, the economy and what we’re living through,” said Farlow.

12 Clever Ways to Maintain Brand Awareness | AllBusiness.com

February 13, 2024February 12, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Becoming a consistent and quality resource for reporters, engaging in social causes, and creating and using a consistent hashtag are only a few of the ways these marketing leaders and business leaders keep their brands top of mind year-round. Read on for their best PR tips.

PR tips to maintain brand awareness

1. Never stop pitching

“It’s crucial to constantly pitch new content ideas to your press and media contacts. If you only submit the same ideas, they will become stale; consistent outreach to journalists and sending new data or thought leadership will improve the likelihood that your brand is represented.”

—Logan Mallory, Motivosity

2. Require marketing staff to come up with ideas for digital marketing campaigns

What Are the Biggest 2024 Cybersecurity Threats? | AllBusiness.com

February 13, 2024February 12, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cybersecurity professionals and hackers have effectively been engaged in a global conflict since 1988, when the first computer virus was launched. The so-called Morris worm was unleashed from a computer at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It infected upwards of 6,000 computers within 24 hours, resulting in damage that some estimate in the millions.

Since that watershed moment, cybersecurity experts have worked tirelessly to create ways to protect the digital assets in business networks, while their criminal counterparts devised insidious schemes to profit from the creativity and honest labor of others. Cybercriminals are again sharpening their technological knives, so to speak, and businesses should remain on high alert for these threats in 2024.

How to Say Thank You for Supporting My Small Business | Small Biz Trends

February 12, 2024February 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Your small business wouldn’t be where it is today without your valued customers. The holiday season and new year can be an ideal opportunity to say thank you and show your appreciation. If you’re looking for ways to say thank you for supporting my small business, here are some ideas.

Why Is It Important to Thank Loyal Customers?

Thanking customers can be an easy way to foster business loyalty. If you show your appreciation in a tangible way, customers may be more likely to continue purchasing from your business and interacting with your content or initiatives.

Top Examples of Small Business Thank You Message to Customers

If you’re looking to build customer loyalty and show your appreciation to your customers, the following ideas may help. Some may work specifically for long-time clients, while others can appeal to both new and returning customers. Here are some ideas and templates to get you started.

Entrepreneur Quiz to Test Personality – See if Starting a Business is Right | Small Biz Trends

February 12, 2024February 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Do you have an entrepreneurial personality? Do you have the right mindset and leadership style? This personality quiz helps you see how well you fit into entrepreneurship and whether starting a business is right for you. Scroll down to take our simple entrepreneur quiz and see!

Psychology of the Entrepreneur

People often wonder if they would be successful as an entrepreneur. After all, startups are not for the faint of heart. It takes more than a good business idea to be successful in a startup. You need guts. Passion. A positive can-do attitude. That’s where an entrepreneur quiz comes in.

The simple fact is, that not all of us have entrepreneurial personalities. What if it turns out you are one of those people NOT suited to start a business? It doesn’t mean you can’t be successful in life. It just may be better for you to take a different career path.

Many people would rather know what they are good at, upfront, before they spend a lot of time pursuing a career. And that is the idea behind this entrepreneur quiz. Based on two decades of experience starting and running small businesses, we wanted to illustrate how entrepreneurs think and what makes them tick. The questions below help you walk in the shoes of a startup entrepreneur for a few short minutes. A score of 70% or more is good.