Marvelously Minimalist ZYP-ZYP Tape Dispenser | Design Milk

September 9, 2016September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Consider the average disposable transparent plastic adhesive tape dispenser, a design so common and recognizable, it’s exterior package is as synonymous with its content as a tissue box is to the tissues within. The upside down elephant profile design holds and dispenses the roll as needed, so it’s fair to say it’s a successful solution for a mundane task.

But in time those plastic teeth begin to fail and sometimes stop cutting strips effectively. What if you could minimize the form further while retaining these functional features, and in the process eliminate the plastic dispenser completely? The ZYP-ZYP Tape Dispenser is a solution to that effect.

How to Take Back Control of Your PR From Journalists | All Business

September 9, 2016September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I was thinking about this recently: When did we hand the keys over to journalists when it comes to shining the spotlight on our businesses? We now have to jump through hoops, write the perfect pitch letter, and stroke their egos to even be considered worth writing about. And even then, there are no guarantees that we’ll get in print (or digital print, as it were).

So why do we give journalists all our power?

I think we’ve become accustomed to this system where journalists are the despots in charge of granting attention to the companies they deem worthy, and so we write press releases and pitches desperate to fall in their good graces. But the world of marketing and PR has changed drastically, and we no longer need that archaic system. As entrepreneurs, we’re perfectly capable of generating a buzz about our brands without their help.

ITT Tech Students Should Take Their Money And Run, Experts Say | NBC News

September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The shuttering of all ITT Technical Institute locations is leaving its 43,000 students with an unexpected lesson in harsh realities and unanswered questions about what will happen to their credits and tuition fees.

The closure of 137 campuses in 39 states comes after the career-oriented school has been the subject of several state and federal investigations.

In a 2014 lawsuit filed against ITT’s parent company, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleged that “Federal aid, mostly loans taken out by consumers, comprises the overwhelming majority of ITT’s revenue” and when that funding wasn’t enough to cover the full cost of tuition, the CFPB accused the company of “Pushing students into expensive, high-risk loans that ITT knew were likely to default.”

4 Employee Training Tactics That Actually Work | Business News Daily

September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

One of the most important ways to set a new employee up for success is to train that person well. Every job has a learning curve, and proper training is key to helping employees assimilate their new roles and your company’s culture.

Handing a new employee a pamphlet or a pile of notes may be easy, but it’s not going to help your team members learn how to do their jobs well. Business News Daily asked business leaders to outline a few training methods that help employees stay engaged and motivated throughout the process.

How to Manage Employee Expenses | The Startup Magazine

September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Over the last few years, we have all been shocked and disturbed at the extent of the politician expense scandals. However, it’s not just these high power, high profile individual’s that have been known to abuse the system; it’s reported that 14.5% of business expense reimbursement schemes are abused. In fact, over 4 years The Royal Academy of Music was defrauded of £200,000 by a director.

Employee expenses are often politely described as a ‘headache’ – headache? Let’s try migraine inducing. In all seriousness, they can present themselves as one of the biggest challenges that owners will face.

It’s a fine line, in this era of trust and transparency, where the business hierarchy is removed and employees are all treated with equal respect and responsibility – you may feel pressured to supply your team with company credit cards with revolving credit limits. The bottom line is, don’t succumb to this if you are cautious, especially if you are still in the early days; but with this in mind the process needs to be addressed and formulated into one that is clear and fair; employees are within their rights to claim for genuine business expenses.

Can Tom Selleck Convince Seniors Reverse Mortgages Aren’t Too Good to Be True? | Adweek

September 7, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

If you were around in 1987, you might remember People magazine naming Tom Selleck the “sexiest man in the world.” You might recall how that famous, mustached face graced the covers of the glossies and tabloids, or how Magnum, P.I.—the CBS series that pulled in up to 18.7 million weekly viewers during its eight-year run—made Selleck among the most recognizable faces in America. Playing an ex-special ops Vietnam vet in the show, Selleck skillfully blended his devilish playboy charm with a smart, hardened, patriotic side. It was an unbeatable combo—and it’s one a company called American Advisors Group is hoping can still work its old magic nearly three decades after Magnum ended.

Selleck, still swarthy and handsome at 71, has continued to play tough, no-nonsense TV characters, most recently Commissioner Frank Reagan on the CBS series Blue Bloods. But Selleck’s latest screen appearance is unlike anything he’s done before. Selleck recently began pitching AAG’s reverse mortgages. (A new spot is scheduled to debut today; watch the first one below.)

Introvert Or Extrovert? Here’s How Losing The Labels Leads To Greater Success | Forbes

September 7, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’m going to make a bold statement: The majority of articles on how to identify introverts and extroverts are wrong. In my own company (like many others), the greatest members embody the characteristics of both. The classic advice has us mislabeled. So here’s my proposal: Why use these labels at all?

If you were to watch the majority of my leadership team in a meeting, for example, you’d say they’re introverts. They’re neither loud nor gregarious. “Your top sales guy isn’t animated? What’s wrong with him?” people might say. Or, “He’s not extroverted enough to lead.”

Smartphone apps now account for half the time Americans spend online | TechCrunch

September 2, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Here’s a stat that’s sure to worry Google: smartphone applications now account for half the time that U.S. users spend online, up from 41 percent back in July 2014, according to a new report from comScore. And when you add tablet applications into the mix, that figure rises to nearly 60 percent.

The new milestone was achieved this July, the report says, and is a testament to our increasing reliance on native mobile applications to deliver us the information we need, as well as the entertainment and distractions we crave – things we used to turn to the web for, in previous years.

This shift towards apps is exactly why Google has been working to integrate the “web of apps” into its search engine, and to make surfacing the information hidden in apps something its Google Search app is capable of handling.

Back To School: Tax Breaks For Food Allergies, Celiac Disease & Other Special Diets | Forbes

September 2, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The outcry over the steep increase in price for the EpiPen illustrates just how many Americans have serious allergies – including food allergies. Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. The numbers are even more dramatic in children: 1 in every 13 children under 18 years of age in the U.S. has a food allergy. That translates to two children in every classroom across the country.

Food allergies in the classroom can make lunch and snack time at schools tricky. However, in addition to factoring in allergies, many parents struggle with accommodating additional dietary restrictions. It can be tough to figure out kids’ eating habits at the best of times, but once you add in other factors such as religion, ethics and morality, and concerns about obesity and cholesterol, it’s even more complicated. Fortunately, organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free foods are a bit easier to find than in years past, but you do pay a premium for them at the register. It raises the question: if you have to pay out of pocket to keep you or your child healthy, can you claim a tax benefit?

Why more people are suddenly dying on U.S. roads | Money CNN

September 1, 2016August 31, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

U.S. roads have taken a deadlier turn to a degree we haven’t seen in nearly five decades.

For years, statistics surrounding road safety had seen a vast improvement. But now that’s changed.

In 2015, there were 35,092 reported deaths on U.S. roads, up 7.2% from 2014 — the largest jump since 1966. Meanwhile, the National Safety Council said last week 2016 is on track to be even worse. Fatalities were up 9% in the first half of the year.

The federal government on Monday issued what it called an unprecedented call to action to determine what’s gone wrong.

So what can we blame for this sudden reversal? Some of the answers from experts might surprise you: smartphone use, fracking — a trendy method of drilling for oil — climate change and a strong economy all play a role.