8 Tips For Converting Blog Readers Into Customers | Getentrepreneurial

July 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to content marketing, getting visitors to your website is hailed as the ultimate goal.

So, what happens when you reach that goal? What happens when you publish a blog post for your business which goes viral overnight or your blog becomes a huge hit, reaching millions of people who then click and land on your website?

Do your phones starting ringing off the hook? Are you bombarded with sales, leads, orders, sign ups? Does your brand become a household name? Is your business front-page news?

Having created ‘viral content’ for businesses on a number of occasions, I can categorically (and unfortunately) say that the answer to all of those questions is no.

Private spaceflight trade group rebrands itself to look more like NASA | Mashable

July 13, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Space is sexy and badass — and it doesn’t necessarily take a government agency to get you there.

That’s the central theme of a brand overhaul unveiled this week at the Commercial Spaceflight Foundation, a trade group for the dozens of startups in the nascent private space travel industry.

The group is hoping that the new look and a more active approach to promoting itself will attract more public attention and allow it to tap into the same awestruck regard that people tend to have for NASA.

“We want to make that that sexy, badass persona that NASA has established in the government space exploration realm is carried forward into the private commercial space industry,” says David Moritz, founder and CEO of Viceroy Creative, the ad agency behind the rebrand.

These Shoes Are Knit From Recycled Water Bottles | Co.Exist

July 11, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Two weeks ago, this new shoe was three plastic water bottles. After ground-up bottles are turned into recycled filament fiber and delivered to a factory, a San Francisco-based startup uses a proprietary process to 3D-knit the fiber into a seamless, essentially waste-free shoe. The knitting process takes just six minutes.

Rothy’s, the startup making the shoe, wanted to make better footwear than they saw on the market. But as they tried to figure out how to also make the shoe more sustainable, they realized that they could dramatically reduce the materials that are normally thrown out in construction.

Theresa May is next British prime minister; Leadsom quits Conservative race | Business Insider

July 11, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Theresa May will become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening.

Current Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Monday afternoon that he intends to resign by Wednesday evening, paving the way for the Home Secretary to take over much earlier than initially expected.

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Cameron said he was “delighted” May was going to be his successor and lauded her as a “strong” politician.

Conservative party official Graham Brady confirmed earlier in the day that he was set to formally appoint May as the party’s new leader after her only challenger, Andrea Leadsom, pulled out at about noon in the UK.

What You Must Know About New Overtime Rules: 9 Point Checklist | Small Biz Trends

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On May 18, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced final updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “white collar” overtime exemptions.

The new overtime rules (known as the “final rule”) increase the salary threshold needed to qualify for overtime exemption from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to $913 per week ($47,476 per year.) and affect 4.2 million workers.

Also, the total annual compensation requirement needed to meet the highly compensated employee (HCE) exemption will increase from $100,000 per year to $134,004.

Any business that employs workers with salaries under the new threshold will need to consider their best course of action or face paying thousands in higher wages. They could also be subject to employee lawsuits for failure to comply with the rule. No business is exempt, regardless of size.

Eating Europe Food Tours | Cool Hunting

July 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When you’re in a new city for one night, randomly picking a restaurant from the lists friends have emailed (or what Yelp or Instagram might suggest) has the potential to be a bust. But also, there’s no interaction with the city and its people. The best use of your time, we highly recommend, is getting yourself on an Eating Europe Tour. Currently in Rome, Florence, Prague, Amsterdam, London, and soon Venice, these guided food tours are a whirlwind of history, craft dishes and drinks, hidden local gems and bumping elbows with the rest of the city. On a recent trip to London, we joined in on the 3.5 hour long Twilight Soho Food Tour (£84 per person) and it was an evening we won’t forget.

Comcast’s Netflix Deal Could Open a New Front in Net Neutrality War | WIRED

July 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Watching Netflix using Comcast is about to get a little easier.

The longtime rivals recently confirmed that Comcast’s X1 interactive television box will offer Netflix, obviating the need for a smart TV or third-party device like a Roku or Chromecast. The two companies said little more than the combination arrives “later this year,” and it remains to be seen whether you’ll pay a separate fee to use Netflix. The answer almost certainly is yes. The bigger question is whether you’ll also need Comcast Internet service to watch Netflix over X1—and, if so, whether watching Netflix will eat into your Internet data plan.

7 Reasons All Entrepreneurs Should Strive for Better Writing | Entrepreneur

July 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Some people see entrepreneurs as leaders. Others see them as inventors. Still others see them as salespeople, or as general businesspeople. But very few people see entrepreneurs as writers.

On the surface, writing and entrepreneurship seem like completely unrelated concepts. Sure, you’ll do some writing as an entrepreneur, like in any professional position, but it’s not fundamentally necessary to become a successful business owner. Or is it?

I’d like to submit that all entrepreneurs have a role as a writer, or at the very least that they can benefit from writing regularly. Why?

Your TSA Airport Horror Show Has Been Fixed—for Now | Bloomberg

July 7, 2016July 6, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The 2016 U.S. Airport Summer From Hell tour has been postponed, though the band may reschedule for later this summer.

After weeks in which airlines and airports issued dire warnings that the Transportation Security Administration was likely to suffer nightmarish security-screening delays, the queues have returned to their traditional, non-newsworthy duration. The TSA even boasted on Tuesday about average wait times of less than 10 minutes over the July 4 holiday weekend, as well as PreCheck lanes half that duration.

“TSA’s success this weekend is a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the agency–both its leadership and, more importantly, those on the front lines at the airports,” Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement. He added that the agency is “not declaring victory” and plans to do more.

Half a million hoverboards recalled in US | BBC News

July 7, 2016July 6, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A major recall of hoverboards is under way in the US.

The callback affects China-made models sold under a variety of brands and affects about 501,000 units.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it followed at least 99 incidents where battery packs had overheated.

In some cases they caught fire leading to burn injuries and property damage. Owners are being told to contact the companies responsible, which should fix the problem or issue a full refund.