Accounting Mistakes Your Small Business Should Avoid | Business

August 6, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When growing your business, few tasks matter as much as tracking your company’s finances. In the beginning, many small business owners try to manage their books on their own instead of using an in-house accountant or bookkeeper.

However, for many business owners, going it alone can lead to costly and easily avoidable mistakes. Here are some of the biggest accounting mistakes that can derail small businesses, along with some tips for avoiding them.

11 accounting mistakes to watch out for

Stay aware of the following avoidable financial accounting mistakes:

1. Failing to hire an experienced finance professional

Even experienced accountants and bookkeepers make mistakes — but they’re finance professionals, and chances are, you aren’t. Even if you are, is it really worth the extra time investment to manage your business’s books on your own? Hiring a professional minimizes the potential for errors in areas such as tracking expenses, paying vendors on time, reconciling bank accounts, and running payroll.

The 6 Biggest Email Marketing Challenges and How To Fix Them | Business

August 6, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Email is an effective and affordable marketing tactic. Implementing email marketing is straightforward, thanks to email templates and platforms that allow you to segment your lists and track results. Notably, email helps you deliver personalized content based on customer purchase history and prospect engagement, and customers can respond directly to offers.

However, like all marketing channels, email marketing has its share of obstacles to overcome. We’ll examine the most significant issues plaguing marketers and how to use email marketing best practices to solve them.

Email marketing challenges and solutions

The biggest email marketing challenges include earning new subscribers, increasing open rates, retaining subscribers, improving deliverability, boosting click-through rates, and achieving a measurable return on investment (ROI).

Google throws shade at Apple’s Siri AI delay in latest Pixel 10 teaser | Digital Trends

August 5, 2025August 4, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As Google builds up to the Pixel 10 launch on August 20, the company has posted a cheeky 30-second video on YouTube that playfully throws shade on the delayed AI-enhanced Siri features, which were first announced at WWDC 2024 and meant to land on iPhones in April 2025.

The voice over begins by saying, “If you buy a new phone because of a feature that’s coming soon, but it’s been coming soon for a full year, you could change your definition of soon” – a direct jab at Apple.
The video (above) continues, showing us the outline of the Pixel 10 while the voice muses, “or you could just… change your phone” – cheeky.

Samsung Galaxy S26 tipped for major iPhone-challenging payment upgrade | Digital Trends

August 5, 2025August 4, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A fresh report from Korea claims the Samsung Galaxy S26 – the next flagship smartphone we expect Samsung to launch – will arrive with enhanced NFC connectivity for improved contactless payments.

According to South Korean outlet ETNews (via SamMobile), Samsung could include a dedicated NFC antenna in its Galaxy S26 series handsets, alongside the NFC coil which it currently uses in its phones.
Samsung will apparently place the antenna on the top edge of the S26, with the NFC coil in its traditional position on the rear.
Having the antenna on the top edge should make it easier to tap-and-pay at contactless payment checkouts, something which iPhone users already enjoy.

Licensed vs. Insured Home Builders: Key Differences Explained | The Startup Magazine

August 4, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When choosing a home builder for your next construction or renovation project, one of the most overlooked yet essential considerations is whether they are licensed and insured. Understanding the difference between a licensed and insured home builder can protect your investment, safeguard your property, and even protect your family’s safety. A licensed builder is approved by the state or local licensing authority and has passed exams and demonstrated technical knowledge and experience. An insured builder has the proper insurance policies in place to cover liabilities such as worksite injuries or property damage.

The home builder licensing distinction may sound simple, but it carries complex legal and financial implications. Licensed builders comply with building codes, ensure structural safety, and meet professional standards. Insured builders, on the other hand, are financially prepared to cover any mishaps or accidents, sparing homeowners from footing expensive bills. The key takeaway is this: working with a licensed and insured home builder is not just a best practice—it’s a form of risk management that can save time, money, and stress.

In this article, we’ll break down the difference between licensing and insurance, explore why both matter, and help you make an informed decision when hiring a builder for your home.

Why Startups and CISOs are Betting on CTEM for Faster, Smarter Risk Reduction | The Startup Magazine

August 4, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The ROI of continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) is becoming clearer in 2025 as security teams shift from reactive defenses to proactive, risk-based prioritization.

Forrester Consulting’s just-released Total Economic Impact™ study cites a 321% return on investment (ROI) using Threat Exposure Management — a cybersecurity vertical that’s becoming hard to ignore in a market obsessed with both protection and performance.

For those of us tracking where enterprise budgets are moving, this is a concrete validation that cyber intelligence is delivering measurable, strategic returns.

More importantly, it signals an inflection point for a corner of cybersecurity that is increasingly valued by public markets.

The global exposure management market is projected to grow from roughly $2.2 billion in 2024 to reach $7.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 28.3 %.

A Mourning Industry Grapples With the Future of Office Security | Business Insider

August 1, 2025July 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The deadly shooting in a Midtown skyscraper on Monday evening dealt an especially painful blow to New York City’s commercial real estate community.

Two of the four victims worked in real estate: Wesley Lepatner, the 43-year-old CEO of a large Blackstone real estate fund, and Julia Hyman, a young associate at Rudin Management, a commercial landlord that owns the tower where the shooting took place.

The setting — a notable skyscraper along Park Avenue — also hit close to home. As a premier office building in one of the top office districts in the nation, the site of the violence has raised unsettling questions among real estate professionals about how to better protect tenants. While no one can fully defend against someone bent on violence (Monday’s gunman appeared prepared to die), conversations are already underway in an industry now mourning two of its own.

Apple Salaries Revealed: How Much AI Staffers, Engineers Make in 2025 | Business Insider

August 1, 2025July 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Four of Apple’s top AI researchers have defected to Meta in the past month, Bloomberg reported, and Apple has upped pay for researchers within its Apple Foundation Models (AFM) group, Bloomberg reported — another symptom of the ongoing talent wars.

Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI platform last year. At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, said Apple’s work on Siri needed “more time.”

Proton releases a new app for two-factor authentication | TechCrunch

July 31, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Privacy-focused productivity tool company Proton released a new authenticator app today, allowing users to log in to services using dynamically generated two-factor authentication codes.

The free app is available on all platforms starting today, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The app allows users to sync codes and accounts across devices. The company said that just like its other products, Proton Authenticator is open source and uses end-to-end encryption to protect user data.

Users can easily import login codes from other authentication apps, the company said. Plus, the app automatically backs up codes and also works without any internet connection.