Astell & Kern A&futura SE100 Hands-On Impressions | Digital Trends

Astell & Kern is one of those pesky audio companies that just won’t stop innovating, like that annoying classmate who was always pushing the grade curve and reminding the teacher of that missing pop quiz. This utterly meticulous engineering is what has kept the niche brand in business so long, and it’s also what leads to impressive evolutions like the company’s new A&futura SE100 portable player ($1,700).

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How Do You Know Your Employees Are Putting in Their Hours | The Startup Magazine

If you have employees that work from home or from the road, the thought has probably crossed your mind: How can I be sure my people are working and not goofing off while billing my company?

This issue is probably most prevalent for those who work with an outside or traveling salesforce or a team of people who work from home. Traveling is part of the job in sales, but how can you be sure they are out there selling? For those workers who work remotely, how can you be sure they are working instead of napping?

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What could happen next after Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort convictions | Business Insider

Last week featured some of the biggest drama of President Donald Trump’s tenure so far.

In courtrooms separated by about 200 miles, Trump’s former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts of federal felonies, two of which were campaign-finance violations that he said Trump “directed” him to make, while the president’s ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort was convicted on eight felony counts while the jury was hung on another 10 counts he faced.

So what’s next?

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Who is Your Customer? | Peter Mehit

We all need more customers. Growing top line revenue is survival. Without setting the table, you have no chance to make a profit, or even just stay in the game. With so much hype around the internet and social media, more established forms of marketing are being discounted. Yet the elevation of social media, which is a tactic, as an end all, be all strategy to reach your customer, does a disservice to those who must plot the direction of their company’s marketing efforts.

No where is this more apparent than in small business where owners and managers are bombarded by sales pitches for different types of tactics. Some owners will be swayed by a good pitch and buy the tactic. Others will not feel comfortable and will not do anything. If neither of these persons has identified their customer, neither choice is helpful to their business.

Continue reading “Who is Your Customer? | Peter Mehit”

Uber ‘to focus on bikes over cars’ | BBC News

Uber says it plans to focus more on its electric scooter and bike business, and less on cars, despite the fact it could hurt profits.

Boss Dara Khosrowshahi said that individual modes of transport were better suited to inner city travel.

He also forecast users would make more frequent shorter journeys in future.

“During rush hour, it is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person 10 blocks,” he told the Financial Times.

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This Family Lost Its Footwear Company in the Iranian Revolution. Now, it Makes 1.2 Million Shoes a Year in Georgia | Inc.com

The lives of Bahman Irvani and his daughter, Sara Irvani, have followed the same trajectory. Both were born to successful entrepreneurs and worked, as children, in their parents’ shoe companies. Both attended boarding school in England and studied finance at Cambridge. Both intended to take over their family businesses.

But Bahman never succeeded his father. The 1979 Iranian Revolution swept away the family’s footwear company–a multinational enterprise with 60 factories–15 months after he joined full-time. Sara’s succession looks more propitious. Last year she became CEO of Okabashi, a plastic sandal and flip-flop manufacturer founded by Bahman in 1984. In March she unveiled a fresh direction for the business with a new line of eco-friendly shoes under the name Third Oak.

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How to Make the Most Out of That Work Trip | Inc.com

I’m constantly traveling for work. If you look at my calendar, you’ll find more days where I’m away from New York City than I’m here at home. And while I love getting to see different parts of the world–and different parts of this country–traveling for work can sometimes feel like a chore.

That’s a bad attitude to have. I’m lucky enough–as are many other entrepreneurs–to be able to get out of town and see things that some people only dream of as part of my job.

The fact that I can even complain about flight delays or jet lag is a privilege in and of itself, something I definitely have to remind myself of every now and then. So next time you’re feeling wary of an upcoming work trip, try these tips I’ve developed over the years to make the most of it, and thus maximize your productivity, even on the go:

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Monsanto faces a surge in lawsuits following cancer ruling | BBC News

American agro-chemicals company Monsanto is facing a surge in lawsuits that may cost its new owners, Bayer, billions in damages.

Monsanto manufactures glyphosate-based weedkillers which some believe are carcinogenic.

Last month it lost a $289m (£225m) court case that alleged its products Roundup and RangerPro had led to a Californian man’s terminal cancer.

Bayer said the number of outstanding cases had risen from 5,200 to 8,000.

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Make Money Without Losing Family Time | Lucy Reed

Family Time

Being a single parent is difficult on numerous levels. Between taking kids to activities such as sports practices and after-school programs, there is little time left in the day for enjoying their company. Single parenting often is financially stressful as well. Everything falls on your shoulder when you are a single parent. This can be scary or empowering.

For those looking to fill in the income gap on their monthly budget, the increased number of freelancing opportunities may be the perfect way to make some extra income without missing out on family time. At home gig range from doing remote skilled work to selling items online. Most of these jobs require little more than a computer, knowledge about a specific field and the confidence to take a stab at the work.

Continue reading “Make Money Without Losing Family Time | Lucy Reed”