4 Myths About In-Person Work, Dispelled | Harvard Business Review

October 12, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Employee engagement has reached frightening lows in just about every industry, which understandably has leaders deeply worried and looking for answers to see them through the Great Reshuffle. All of this trouble started, so the logic often goes, when the pandemic forced many into remote work and we stopped being together. Surely bringing people back to working side by side and returning to in-person gatherings like learning events is the magical solution. Right?

Not quite. For starters, surveys consistently show that people are looking for more flexibility and choice about where they work, not less. The ability to work remotely has become more valued than ever before, and that’s not going away, particularly given that these trends are significantly stronger among younger workers.

Should Your Business Offer Customized Products? | Business

October 12, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As customer data becomes widely available, many companies are customizing products.

Branding and marketing have shifted away from mass-market appeal as today’s customers seek increasingly individualized experiences. The way to earn and keep loyal customers is no longer to create one thing everyone wants; it’s to provide thoughtfully tailored products and services to each individual.

Customers are much more likely to share a customized product ⁠– whether it is a bottle of soda with their name on it or vitamins tailored to their specific needs ⁠– with their friends or on social media. Even the method of customization has shifted away from such things as monogrammed luggage to products that actually benefit the customer.

The Google Pixel Tablet is a bad idea that might just work | Digital Trends

October 11, 2022October 10, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google is bringing a strange new addition to its Pixel line of products next year: an Android tablet. Though the company has been building up to a Pixel Watch for years with back-to-back acquisitions, the Pixel Tablet seemingly came out of nowhere when it was initially teased at Google I/O in May. And during Google’s hardware event for the Pixel 7, we got an even better glimpse at it.

Although the Android tablet niche is one that’s struggled for a while, Google is taking an interesting approach with the Pixel Tablet. In addition to functioning as a “normal” tablet, Google is also positioning the Pixel Tablet as a dashboard for its ecosystem of smart home appliances. Google’s recent history with large-screen devices is nothing short of a mess, leading me to believe the Pixel Tablet is destined for failure. But it’s also a bad idea that just might work.

6 Ways Your Business Can Get High Ticket Sales | The Startup Magazine

October 11, 2022October 10, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There exist two kinds of entrepreneurs in the business world: those who are satisfied with selling products that generate low rewards; and those that prefer to work with high ticket sales financing clients that are willing to spend more money compared to regular customers. Here we’ll focus on high ticket sales tips that will drive revenue growth.

It might sound like a very lucrative opportunity to land clients that are willing to spend more than the normal person. However, it also comes with higher risks. Many business advisors even suggest sustainable models with low ticket sales with fewer risks. But you may find that your financial growth is moving at such a slow pace. You might not be able to focus on expanding your business as you’ll end up investing a lot of time searching for new leads.

Samsung warns of 32% hit to profits on chip slump | BBC News

October 10, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Technology giant Samsung has warned of a 32% slide in its profits as demand for electronic devices and the memory chips that power them shrinks due to the global economic slowdown.

The South Korean company estimates its quarterly operating profit was about 10.8tn won ($7.6bn; £6.9bn).

On Thursday, US chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also said it was hit by a fall in demand for computers.

It comes as people cut back on purchases as the cost of living rises.

Samsung’s profits from its microprocessor-making business suffered as the global price of memory chips plunged due to weakening demand for consumer electronics.

Source: Read More

Recalled EV? Automakers shouldn’t get to count it toward fleetwide fuel economy | TechCrunch

October 10, 2022October 9, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

ln February, I received a letter from Chrysler saying that our 2017 Pacifica Hybrid was subject to a new recall. Several of the minivans had inexplicably caught fire and, given the evidence, the automaker suspected it might have to do with the high-voltage battery pack. The recall notice told us not to recharge the vehicle or park it near a house or garage — or any other building, for that matter.

The fix? The company didn’t have one nor could it tell me when it might.

Having covered recalls like this before, I figured we’d be in it for the long haul. And I was right. A few days ago, nearly eight months after the recall first went out, Stellantis, Chrysler’s parent company, said it had a fix. There would be a software update and dealers would inspect and replace any suspect batteries.

Troublingly, the automaker still hasn’t found what caused the dozen fires, but it said the fixes would prevent them from happening.

Swatted: A Shooting Hoax Spree Is Terrorizing Schools Across the US | WIRED

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AT 1:15 PM on September 15, a man who identified himself as Tom Gomez called Sangamon County Central Dispatch in Illinois to report that two gunmen had shot a dozen students at Springfield High School. According to audio of the call obtained by WIRED, the man was specific. The caller, breathing heavily, told dispatchers that he was locked inside a math classroom with other students and that the two men, both dressed in blue pants and green jackets, were killing students in the adjacent classroom: room 219.

Within five minutes, Springfield Police were at the high school’s second floor, descending on the room where they were told a mass murder had occurred. The problem is that, according to police records, Springfield High doesn’t have a room 219. In fact, there was no shooting at all.

Drive-Thru Workers Slam Pay-It-Forward Chains: ‘Tip Instead’ | Entrepreneur

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Doing a kind deed for others is usually a good thing, but in certain situations, it could inadvertently make things worse for others involved.

And according to a former Starbucks barista, “pay-it-forward” chains are one of those things that employees would like you to stop. In a video that has now garnered over 2.4 million views, TikTok’er “Tiffany” explained to viewers why it’s best to “break the chain.”

Pay-it-forward lines are simple in concept — one customer gets to the register at a drive-thru and offers to pay for the person behind them, thus inciting a chain of customers paying for one another.

5 Benefits of Email Marketing | Cool Business Ideas

October 6, 2022October 5, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

As a business owner or marketing professional, you are likely aware of the importance of email marketing and the major role it can play in advertising for your company. While the importance of email marketing has been stressed by advertising professionals in recent years, some business executives still might not understand the countless benefits that email marketing can have for a company.

Here are some of the benefits of email marketing, which make it one of the most successful advertising tactics that any company can utilize.

Facebook is giving us a little bit more control over our feeds | Mashable

October 6, 2022October 5, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As someone who spends an unfortunately significant amount of time on Facebook, there are so many things I would like to see less often. Facebook’s parent company Meta has now, decades after its platform was released to the public, given us that option.

What we see in our Facebook feed is often fueled by the much-criticized algorithm. For instance, if you like a bunch of hiking Groups and Pages, interact with a ton of photos of the outdoors, and post about your backpacking adventures, you might be met with more recommended posts from creators and communities related to hiking. As Facebook puts it, “what you see in your Feed is uniquely personalized to your interests through machine learning.”