Facts About Trademarks You Might Not Have Known You’ve likely heard of trademarks, “words that distinguish one organization from the rest in its niche,” the author says, but you may not have known seven facts about them. Besides the fun fact that trademarks have their roots in the Roman empire, the other six have some bearing for entrepreneurs and businesses looking into establishing their own: you can trademark more than words, such as designs; you cannot trademark descriptive phrases; forming a business entity is not the same as acquiring a trademark; trademarks are distinct from copyrights and patents; your trademark application could be rejected; and finally, trademarks are national rights, which is important if you intend to take your business international. Netflix Avoids Rules Like the Plague. Here’s What It Does Instead In his new book “Great Leaders Have No Rules”, the author (Kevin Kruse) cites Netflix for its success […]

How to Spend Way Less Time on Email Every Day According to a McKinsey analysis, the average professional spends 28% of the work day reading and answering emails. While most have adopted two extreme coping mechanisms to deal with the onslaught – namely, striving for “inbox zero” or completely giving up as their inbox continues to rack up messages unchecked – there is a common-sense middle ground of simply checking email less often. In this article, the author shares time management practices based on his company’s data-supported study, with five detailed takeaways on how we lose valuable time to email (and corresponding tips on how to recover it): over-checking email wastes 21 minutes per day; full inboxes waste 27 minutes per day; using folders to organize and find emails wastes 14 minutes per day; archiving emails into many folders using a mouse wastes 11 minutes per day; and lastly, reading […]

Business Location Strategies for Startups and New SMEs “In a business environment where search engine visibility is often a key to success, having a business location strategy that maximizes local market exposure and search visibility should be a priority,” the author states. He then provides a few startup scenarios with tips on how to choose the right location and workspace depending on what stage your business may be, as well as local search optimization tips. Regardless of whether your startup is at the basement/garage stage or ready for a traditional or flexible workspace, your location plays a key role in the ranking of your website. The Startup’s Guide to Completely Dismissing Work-Related Stress In this article, the author begins with “To develop a business from the ground up is a lot of leg work and long hours — but it doesn’t have to be a stress-inducing process. If you get […]

20 Business Ideas You Can Start With Less Than $10,000 If you’re looking start your own business (or your next one), lack of funding can impede your progress. In this deck of 20 slides, the Entrepreneur staff discusses proven low-cost business ideas that have been launched successfully by entrepreneurs, either as a side or full-time hustle. New Research Reveals 6 Ways Leaders May Be Out of Touch With Their Employees New research from Gallup shows alarming statistics about employee satisfaction. Here the author discusses in six ways leaders may be out of touch with their employees: 78% of employees don’t believe their leaders have a clear direction for the organization; 74% don’t believe their organization delivers on promises to customers; 88% think their company mishandled their onboarding; 86% don’t think their performance review inspired them to improve; over two-thirds of employees are experiencing burnout; and lastly, half of all employees […]

How Virtual Coworking Can Help You Strengthen Your Flexible Workspace Community You may be new to the term “virtual coworking”, but the concept behind it should be familiar: a workspace community that is geared toward enhancing collaboration and networking among its members. As the author explains, unlike physical coworking space, virtual coworking is not confined by limitations to the size of the community (or event) or to time, as it gives members 24/7 access to resources and the activities taking place in a private, online community. He points out that some (if not most) flexible workspace providers already offer an online coworking community, and discusses the many benefits of virtual coworking, from enabling better management of “bad members” to offering a more diverse membership with a lower cost barrier for entry. The 7 best tools for making 2019 your most productive year yet As the year comes to a close, […]

50 World-Changing Startups to Watch Inc. has published a list of the 50 top emerging companies worldwide that “are tackling the world’s most pressing problems” as determined by Kairos, an early-stage investment fund based in New York that finances the most promising problem-solving startups. Its 2018 list of 50 winners were culled from some 2,500 early-stage startups from more than 65 countries worldwide. The 50 startups that made the cut are listed in alphabetical order, and range from a “stealth Los Angeles-based company focused on solving A.I. cybersecurity issues” to a Mexico-City-based venture that “wants to make early breast cancer detection as easy as putting on a bra”. 8 Surefire Ways to Grow Your Business in 2019 An elite group of 2,000 top U.S. entrepreneurs, executives, and investors converged at the exclusive 2018 EY (Ernst and Young) Strategic Growth Forum this year to share what it takes to launch, grow, […]

7 Ways Startup Businesses Can Protect Their Data Even With a Budget The author prefaces this article with the disturbing statistic that “45% of small businesses were victimized by cyber attacks such as data breaches, hacks, and malware infections.” But for startups trying to grow on a tight budget, hiring a professional IT and employing data security solutions can be cost-prohibitive. Here the author discusses seven ways small businesses can protect their data, beginning with recognizing the very real risk of cyber attacks and their consequences, including legal problems, financial loss, and reputation damage. From preventing BYOD (bring your own device) explosion to encrypting sensitive data, these are measures budget-strapped startups can take to avoid being the victim of a cyber attack. Want to get more done? Add these 8 apps to your phone In its annual collection of productivity tips from some of the most productive people in business, […]

Will Flexible Workspaces Disrupt the Traditional Satellite and Branch Office Markets? No longer will flexible workspace be the exclusive domain of entrepreneurs and small business owners, as corporate businesses are seeing the benefits of flex space for their satellite and branch offices. As an alternative to traditional satellite and branch offices, flexible workspace is a tailor-made solution that may prove to be a disruptive, long-term trend in this segment of the office space market. Here the author discusses why there is far more driving the move to a flexible workspace by corporations than merely low-cost office space. Why small biz owners should hope for 4-star reviews over 5 on Yelp and Google As a small business owner, you would think a perfect five-star review rating from Google, Yelp, and other sites would convey its trustworthiness to potential customers. However, according to a study by SmallBusinessPrices.co.uk., people will trust a business […]

Will Flexible Workspaces Disrupt the Traditional Satellite and Branch Office Markets? No longer will flexible workspace be the exclusive domain of entrepreneurs and small business owners, as corporate businesses are seeing the benefits of flex space for their satellite and branch offices. As an alternative to traditional satellite and branch offices, flexible workspace is a tailor-made solution that may prove to be a disruptive, long-term trend in this segment of the office space market. In this article, Telsec’s marketing and community manager discusses why there is far more driving the move to a flexible workspace by corporations than merely low-cost office space. Reduce Turnover of Hourly Workers With These 7 Tips As a business owner, you’re likely familiar with the cost of turnover for hourly employees, factoring in the investment in interviewing, screening, onboarding, and training. Add to that the lost productivity and engagement of dissatisfied employees: in a survey […]

These 4 myths about the skills gap will hold your company back According to PwC’s 21st CEO Survey, an astonishing 80% of executives are concerned about the availability of key skills, leading them to invest more in training and recruiting. In this article, the author cites the coauthor of The Expertise Economy: How The Smartest Companies Use Learning To Engage, Compete, and Succeed, David Blake, in discussing why the skills gap won’t be resolved by outdated training methods and hiring expectations. To source or create employees with the needed skills, Blake contends, leaders need to get past four common myths about learning: colleges will solve the skills gap; traditional school methods are best for company training; quick learners are smarter; and lastly, external factors motivate learning. How The Best Merchant Services Can Help You Avoid Chargebacks Chargebacks are among the most costly business expenses. And while there is no way […]