Small Business - The Huffington Post Small Business news and blog articles from The Huffington Post <![CDATA[5 Essential Tools for the Solopreneur]]> Miranda Marquit Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:32:14 -0400
My freelancing business allows me to live a solopreneur lifestyle, providing me with the freedom to work when and where I want. A solopreneur still has to remain connected to his or her business, though. If you want to more effectively manage your business, giving you more time to do the things you want, consider using the following five essential tools for solopreneurs:


1. Any Task Manager

Do yourself a favor and get a good task manager. For the longest time, I resisted task managers. However, it became difficult to manage my work and my life when I had to try to remember everything. A number of task managers, from to Things to Wunderlist, can help you manage your projects, meetings, interviews, and important life events.

Even just using iCal or Google's Calendar can help you better manage your life. My life is much better organized since adding a task manager.

2. Evernote

I still use a Moleskine notebook for jotting down thoughts, and making notes. However, I am slowly moving over to note-taking apps like Evernote. You can snap pictures, create sticky-notes, highlight, share, and even add audio thoughts. Plus, Evernote makes your thoughts and scribblings searchable so you can easily find what you've been looking for.

Evernote recently announced a partnership with LinkedIn to create the ultimate portable business card organizer. Snap a picture of a business card, and Evernote will bring up the person's LinkedIn information. This makes networking, organizing contacts and creating useful partnerships easy for the solopreneur.

3. GetReponse

Many solopreneurs rely on the Internet, and on email, to drive sales and revenue. With GetResponse, it's easy to to create and monitor sales materials. One of the things GetResponse does especially well is A/B testing. This allows you to figure out which email messages, setups, and other items are leading to the most conversions.

You can also get access to a landing page creator and to smart autoresponders. For solopreneurs offering courses, ebooks and other useful products, the right landing page and autoresponders can be a boon.

4. Social Media and Analytics

Essential to the solopreneur lifestyle is the ability to get out and enjoy life. You can't really do that if you have to sit at the computer all day posting on social media. While you can outsource some of this, another option is to use a social media scheduler like Hootsuite or TweetDeck.

I like Hootsuite quite a bit because it also allows me to interact via social media. I can check responses, and respond back -- no matter where I am. There are also some valuable analytics when you use social media schedulers as well.

It also makes sense to use analytics tools. If you want to see where your traffic is coming from, and track the effectiveness of a campaign, the right tools can make all the difference. Using your analytics tools can provide you with an easy way to see what the signals are saying -- and then make the necessary adjustments that result in increased profitability.

One of the best analytics tools available is Cyfe, which allows you to monitor business data from multiple sources all in one place, whether it's sales or social media. You can also customize your experience to help you better analyze the data. You can also use tools like Google Analytics and Crazy Egg.

5. Skype

Another great tool is Skype. It allows me to stay connected quickly and easily with clients and business partners all over the world. Any sort of meeting application can be a great help to the solopreneur, whether it's Skype, Google Hangouts, or a full-on collaboration app like Glassboard. All of these apps are available on a mobile device, so you can collaborate no matter where you are.

As a solopreneur, I find these tools essential to the success of my business. The fact that they are easy to use, and that they keep me organized, means that I can be just as profitable without spending all day cooped up in my home office. ]]> <![CDATA[3 Smart Ways to Find Your Career Passion]]> Kristen Brown Sat, 12 Jul 2014 09:45:14 -0400
Sometimes a passion is just a little spark that tells you you're on the right track. Sometimes it's that thing that you can do for hours and suddenly time has just slipped right by. Passion can be a lot of things and it differs for every person. Most of the time we have a good idea of what our passions are and which of them could potentially turn into a career opportunity. For many though, a clear passion may not be evident when we're deciding to start a business, shift careers, change companies or just infuse new energy into a stale job.

When that's the case there are three exercises that can help you clarify what your passions are:

  1. Follow the books. Head to your local bookstore or library and spend some time perusing the subjects in the store take note of where you naturally gravitate. You will find those subjects that you are really drawn to are your passions. Maybe you tend to head over to the music section. Maybe you spend a lot of time looking at gardening books. Really start to look at your patterns and your behaviors in the bookstore or library and see what you start pick up what kinds of books you want to check out or purchase. When you get home, note if you are able to read all the way through the books and that you want to go even deeper to learn more about that subject or topic. That sustained level of interest is a really good indication of where your passion may lie.

  2. Watch time. Think about the last time you spent the day doing an activity and time just flew by. It may have been a time you went out to the garden to pull a few weeds and eight hours later you were still out there digging, planting and just being a part of nature. Perhaps you went to the music store to pick up a new CD or some new sheet music and three hours later you were still there. There are a lot of different ways that you can spend your time and it is those times that really feel like you are at peace, those times that make you happy, those times that really align all of your energies that are possible directions that your career could take.

  3. Ask someone. Ask your friends and family what you're good at -- it's as simple as that. If they tell you you're a good listener maybe a life coach is something you should look into. If you're really good with animals maybe you could do something in that area. If you're good at spreadsheets or helping people with their finances, perhaps a career helping businesses with their books is a direction you could take. Everybody has a special gift that they are given and it's up to you to determine what that gift is and how you're going to bestow it upon the world. So ask your friends, family and coworkers what you're good at and then take stock of your own traits, behaviors and patterns. Notice what you're good at, when people gravitate towards you, when you feel like people are relating to you in a positive way -- those are times when a core passion is being showcased.

Once you narrow down a few passion areas, the next step is to identify how they could play out career-wise:
  • Look at different traits that you possess in the workplace and how a passion could amplify that.

  • What possible opportunities are there to turn a passion into a paying job?

  • Are there companies that support your passion who you could work for or with?

  • Could you bring your passion into your current job by introducing a new group, cause or project?

  • What industries do your passions fall into and what are the opportunities within them?

If you love beauty products you could join a direct sales company that sells skincare and cosmetics. If you get fired up by helping kids in developing countries, seek out companies that rally around that cause. If you love to run, start a running club at work. Really think big. There is a need for the passion that you have to offer the world. Start with that passion and it will always guide you in the right direction.

Want more tips on personal and professional growth? Listen to The Happy Hour Effect podcast for weekly inspiration.

Share your comments: How have you turned your personal passions into a career?
]]> <![CDATA[Lesbian Moms Turned Away For Family Pass At Ohio Swimming Pool]]> Curtis M. Wong Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:19:21 -0400 reportedly being turned down for a family swimming pool pass in their community.

WBNS Channel 10 reports that Melody Mohn and her partner, Hela Young, attempted to buy a family pass at Galion's Heise Park that included Young, she was told that a city ordinance defined a family as a mother, father and up to three children.

"We're not the only same-sex couple, and we're not the only non-traditional family, either," Mohn, who said she had purchased a family pass for herself and her three children for the past nine years, told NBC 4.

Without the family pass, Mohn noted, she and her children will not be able to visit the pool as often as they'd like. “It costs about $16 each time and that adds up quick,” she told the Coshocton Tribune.

Meanwhile, members of the Galion City Council have vowed to update the ordinance and re-evaluate the wording surrounding the definition of "family," but since the pool closes next month, it's likely Mohn and Young won't be able to obtain a family pass until 2015.

"We certainly don't want to do anything to prevent children and parents to go swimming in our pool," Carl Watt, Galion City Council president, told NBC 4.

He went on to add, "I mean, 20 years ago, it probably fit the scene, but not today. Not today's lifestyle."

In 2012, a Virginia-based fitness club began offering "household" memberships in lieu of "family" memberships after two gay men were stripped of the latter when management discovered they were a same-sex couple. In the meantime, the couple's two-year-old son was reportedly denied access to a swimming pool.

At the time, Will Trinkle described to ABC 13 as being akin to "someone [punching] us in the stomach."

"It's from a place we couldn't imagine that there would be this kind of discrimination and this kind of attack," he added. "We have come a long way but this shows we still have a long way to go."

]]> <![CDATA[Is Your Job a Drug Addiction?]]> Richie Etwaru Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:15:22 -0400 2014-07-10-Drug_Addiction.jpg

You know the danger and risks of an addiction, but the feeling is so good or good enough you convince yourself to engage in the danger and the risk to continue taking/using the drug.

In a conversation with a good friend Rakesh Nigam this morning, we were discussing his pivot away from executive role in large enterprises, and into startups.


Rakesh left his job as a senior Managing Director at an Investment Bank earlier this year and has two entrepreneurial endeavors. He has become a Partner in a niche global consulting firm, Crossbridge whilst also pursuing his dream of a start-up; he co-founded the movie trailer app, which will help you remember the movies you want to watch, recognizing them using sound patented technology. The iOS app comes out this summer.

In discussing his role transition he shared, "The thing about an executive job in a large enterprise is that it is like a drug, it is good enough for you to do it over and over, and not bad enough for you to leave it and go start something of your own."

The reality is if the pay is good (and for many years, it was), the challenges/learnings are good, and the benefits are good it is difficult to leave a "cushy" executive job, and live the life of an entrepreneur.

This calculation cheats many brilliant professionals from the opportunity to go seek their dreams. The calculation sounds like this:

  • I am making a six-figure salary in total today

  • In ten or twenty years I can make a seven-figure salary, and even if I only make that for the last five years of my career I am set

  • I have expenses I need to cover, and I can't take the loss of income for more than two years

  • Plus I go in when I want, I leave when I want, and I am heavily employable

  • Oh, and over 2/3 of startups fail

  • Let me help ...

I am making a six-figure salary in total today - while many times your first startup fails, the second and third startup is where the value is. Your six-figure salary pales in comparison to the hundreds of millions, and in some cases billions (recently) that you can make. The trick is to keep doing the startups; the learning from one to another increases the likelihood that you succeed eventually.

In ten or twenty years I can make a seven-figure salary, and even if I only make that for the last five years of my career I am set - this could not be more of a myth. Most of the "Managing Directors" or "Global Vice Presidents" of companies never really make millions. The reason they are wealthy, is because they invest those high six-figure salaries well. The amount of executives that make seven-figured salaries is a very low percentage; I believe a lower percentage of executives get to seven-figures than the percentage of entrepreneurs that succeed.

I have expenses I need to cover, and I can't take the loss of income for more than two years - the assumption is that when you leave the cushy executive job, and you start a company you earn zero on day one. This is not the case; many folks still consult, speak, write and find "transient" sources of income until the startup begins to drive margins. In addition, you should start your company before you quit, this shortens your runway between quitting and being funded so you can draw a salary!

Plus I go in when I want, I leave when I want, and I am heavily employable - this is the most poignant part of the addiction. There is tremendous freedom in startups. More importantly, no one is ever that employable. You can always find work, but the bet that you can always find good work is as good as betting that you are special and will not get lung cancer from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Oh, and over 2/3 of startups fail - not completely true, a large amount of startups that consist of folks who have never successfully started a company fail. Buy once you have partners that have BTDT "Been There & Done That" the probability of failure gets lower and lower. If you surround yourself with a management team, board of advisors and board of directors that have BTDT you may find that you have a much higher likelihood of success than you think!

So the question is, are you staying with that job because it is a good decision, or are you addicted to it?

I write as a labor of love, in exchange I ask that you share this writing if you think others may find value. ]]> <![CDATA[The Only Advice You Need To Crush Your Internship]]> Nina Friend Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:25:27 -0400
We asked HuffPosters to share advice they would give to their intern selves with the hope that their mistakes and wisdom will help you current and future interns make the best of, and get the most from, your own internship experiences.

Check the ego and the entitlement at the front door. Embrace the opportunities, including the menial tasks.

-Sujata Mitra, Director of Communications, News and Politics

Fake it 'til you make it. You will make it. Jump in head first. You're going to make mistakes no matter what, but you'll make a lot less a lot sooner if you're not afraid of them. Trust yourself. The validity of your gut, your opinion, your taste, and perspective is constant and permanent. Don't apologize (too often). Stand tall. Physical posture translates to emotional confidence. Live by the mantra "can't stop, won't stop."

-Jessica Dickerson, Editorial Fellow Black Voices

No one at the company knows who you are, what you've done before or what you're capable of -- so tell them! Your boss WILL notice if you get in late for work every day.

-Joe Satran, Food and Taste Staff Writer

Be careful what your ringtone is -- while having this one go off in the office is mildly hilarious for everyone else, you probably won't think so. If someone can send you this in response to your question, think again about asking it. Always do what you're doing, no matter what it is, with an enthusiastic attitude. Youtube has a bevy of wonderful Excel and Word tutorials -- use them. Take advantage of classes or trainings your new office offers -- you never know when it'll come in handy. Be proactive -- come up with a project that will leave its mark on the office, even after you're gone.

-Lauren Weber, Author of The Morning Email

I wish my 20-year-old internself knew to not harp so much about your supposed abilities and focus on learning the position. While I managed to do well and find myself in a great job at HuffPost Live, I was always that "hot shot" kid that would walk around talking about how great I am on camera... I just overall tried too hard.

-Jacques Morel, HuffPost Live Production Assistant

Meet anyone and everyone. Whether that means other interns, your boss' boss, or someone in a completely different department. Most employees will be more than willing to grab coffee with you to talk about what they do and how they got where they are. An internship is an amazing place to make as many connections as possible in a short amount of time, and you never know if those people will be hiring down the line.

-Jessica Kane, Director of Millennial Outreach

Unless explicitly told by a superior/supervisor, anything and everything you discuss with mentors and co-workers is a direct invitation to do more and show more of what you can do. There will be few moments where ideas will be given to you as an assignment. This is one of the most direct differences between school and career. Opportunities to make a name for yourself and show off your abilities will almost always come from a situation where you took the initiative without being told.

-Ibrahim Balkhy, Associate Producer HuffPost Live

We learn more by listening than speaking. When I was an intern, I was busy trying to impress my mentors with how much I knew (which in hindsight, wasn't much) instead of learning by listening to them. Be grateful & appreciative that you were chosen for what was a very competitive post. Acting entitled is very off-putting. Remember that you were hired because of your potential, not because of your knowledge base.

-Ann Brenoff, Senior Writer Los Angeles

You want anyone you meet to remember you as that friendly and smart intern, not that intern who complained about making copies. Everyone has to do menial tasks sometime in their life. Your time is now. Do it with a smile. People will remember that you did. In one of my internships in college, my job had a communal kitchen and no one ever did the dishes. I got there early every day because I was commuting from far away, so I always washed whatever dishes were in the sink while I was making my coffee. This is a small thing and who knows if anyone noticed, but it kept the sink a little cleaner, and it wasn't hurting me to help out. If they don't give you enough work, make work for yourself. Think of an area where you can be helpful or a project that you think would be useful somehow, and ask your supervisor if you can work on it. You might not fill up 40 hours with the tasks they give you (in fact, you probably won't), but they will notice if you just hang out on Facebook in that extra time or if you use it proactively to be even more productive and useful at work.

-Ellie Kaufman, Social Impact Fellow

Don't be afraid to reach out to people whose work you admire! One of the main ways I got my internship at HuffPost this summer was cold calling/emailing people whose work I had read or seen from the site and picked their brains for advice on how to enter into the business.

-Amanda Golden, Editorial Intern HuffPost World

Speak up. In meetings, with your editor, and for everything really. If you have opinions, state them. I found (after a couple internships, I was nowhere near this confident with my first) that it's better to be the person who always has an idea than the one who never does.

-Gabriela Kruschewsky, HuffPost Viral Team

Take networking seriously. You may hate the idea that who you know matters, but that sentiment is true. Ask to meet up with as many people in your industry as you can to get to know them. When you hit the ground running looking for jobs, you'll be on job seekers' radar more often. This even includes on Twitter! That's what led me to The Huffington Post -- a job post tweet from an editor I followed.

-Mandy Velez, Associate Editor HuffPost Parents

Make a case for a job at the end! Too many interns -- especially these days -- are so excited to be working alongside a company that they don't even think to (or don't think they have the expertise to) apply for a job. In many fields, companies won't come to you when they have an opening. It's just as easy to pay an employee less for the same amount of work. You have to take the reins and apply for that job. I wish I'd have made that case way earlier.

-Andy Campbell, News Editor Crime and Weird


*Taken from The New Rules for Succeeding at Your First Job.

-Farah Miller, Executive Editor HuffPost Family

If I could go back to my intern-self, I'd remind myself that everything you do -- from answering phones, to suggesting ideas, to even getting coffee -- all pays off in the long run. It might not show every day, but at the end of the internship, your supervisors will see that you're a team player and have an ambitious personality, something that could help you get a job once the internship is over!

-Christine Conetta, HuffPost Live Producer

Don’t behave or work like an intern; act as if you are part of the team. The worse thing that can happen is they don’t like you and don’t hire you for working hard and doing your best. You have nothing to lose from pushing yourself and striving to learn. Solve problems both big and small. If you see a problem that can be fixed then fix it. Create a Google doc and share it with your manager that contains a summary of what you worked on, any company events you’ve attended, and anyone important you met or worked with on something specific week by week. If you meet others inside the company that are interested in what you are working on then share it with them too. It will not only help you craft the position on your resume, but will inform everyone you work with of your contributions to the company.

-Joey Meijas, Technology Intern

In college, I always spent so much of my time trying to plan everything and calculate my next move. If I'd stuck to that, I never would have noticed the awesome opportunities that awaited me and got me to where I am now. I would tell my younger self to keep working hard and try to plan, but also to not stress out as much and know that everything will work out for the better.

-Carly Ledbetter, Editorial Fellow Lifestyle

Bring a lunch on the first day. You might not have time to duck out for food!

-Suzy Strutner, Associate Editor Travel

Be yourself, but don't push the boundaries of the current culture too much. You're an intern, not the CEO hired to rock the boat. Don't be timid. They brought you in for the internship because they believe in you, so don't be afraid to show everyone how awesome you are. You might know things that more established employees don't know. (Think how much you could contribute as far as knowledge on new technology!) That said, don't be conceited. Even if you know how the latest social media tool works, your more established co-workers have the wisdom that comes with having experienced a lot more in the industry. You don't want to lose their respect by acting like a know-it-all.

-Sara Bondioli, Deputy Politics Editor

You're smart, but a lot less smart than you think you are. Be humble and be willing to learn from those around you. Being on time counts more than you realize right now. Work ethic matters much more than talent.

-Riddhi Shah, Editorial Director Strategic Partnerships and Social Impact Platforms

Know that you are still an intern. One of the worst things an intern can do is act like they're full-time or equivalent in stature to their managers. And realize others know you're an intern, so it's not only acceptable to ask questions, it's expected.

-Tyler Kingkade, College Editor/Reporter ]]> <![CDATA[5 Signs It's Time to Leave Your Home Office]]> Frank Chalupa Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:20:23 -0400
But how do you know when it's time to make the move to an office outside your home, like a shared office space? Here are the five tell-tale signs:

1.) Your professional image is being compromised.

If there is the sound of a barking dog, child or lawnmower in the background of a client call, it can affect the way you're perceived and make it difficult to focus. If working from home is keeping you from putting your best foot forward, it could be better for your business to office elsewhere.

2.) You want your business to grow.

If your business growth seems to have plateaued, working from home might be to blame. A change of scenery and a dedicated, private office space could be just what you need to spark creativity and take your business to the next level. Plus, if you opt for an office at a shared office center, you'll find the added benefit of built-in networking opportunities, too.

3.) It's not just you.

Do you often meet with clients, or do you have employees or freelancers who come to your office? Rather than shuttle them past your pile of dishes in the sink, or have to offer access to your private bathroom, leasing office space, like that at a shared office center, gives you a professional environment for meetings - and lets you keep your private space private.

4.) The lines are blurred between home and work.

Maintaining separation between your business and personal life is one of the biggest stresses of working from home, according to many home office workers. So, if you're finding the lines are blurring, it may be time to consider leasing space elsewhere.

5.) You want to reward yourself!

After years building your business, the move into professional office space is a very exciting milestone. As a small business owner, nothing is quite as exciting as seeing your name on the office door or building directory. So if you're ready to reward yourself while investing in the future of your business, finding the right office space might be the perfect way to do both. ]]> <![CDATA[America's Lands of Opportunity]]> Hilary Gowins Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:10:49 -0400
It's no secret that Austin has become one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the U.S. -- the city boasted 50,000 technology jobs in 2012 -- but it's also attracting entrepreneurs and young people in many other fields.

The people flocking to Austin -- and cities like it -- ultimately are answering a simple question: Where will it be easiest to live my life and pursue my dreams the way I want to?

For more and more Americans, the answer to that question is in the heart of Texas. Austin's population explosion has been made possible by a state government that promotes innovation instead of regulation, a community that engenders a culture of fresh ideas and a cost of living that can't be found in most other major U.S. cities. Texas has no personal or corporate income tax, and doesn't bog down entrepreneurs and small businesses with excessive red tape.

That's what drew Chicago native Sara Travis, one of the young innovators who fled to Austin to pursue her dreams.

Sara never thought she'd end up in Texas. When she decided to build her own business, Sara knew that she'd get her start in her hometown.

She founded The Brew Hub, a mobile coffee-vending business that sells iced coffees and teas, in 2013. For more than a year, Sara petitioned the city of Chicago to give her a permit so she could legally operate her popular business throughout Chicago neighborhoods.

But city bureaucrats just took her in circles, and eventually Sara had to make a tough decision: continue operating illegally without hopes of legitimately growing The Brew Hub, or move.

In 2014, she and her business shipped off to Austin.

"In Austin, I was sitting in a little room filling out paperwork -- we filled it all out, turned it in, gave them some money and we had a permit," she said.

"We can always come home to Chicago, and that's something we want to pursue, but Texas is ready for us."

Sara was fed up with over-regulation, a lack of government transparency and unwelcoming city officials in Chicago -- but setting up shop was much smoother down South.

Sara isn't alone.

Chicago's population has dropped to 1920s levels. Illinois loses one person every 10 minutes to net out-migration, and that's a direct result of the state's unwelcoming approach to people like Sara who want to start a business and make a living.

Austin's lure is similar to the appeal that our country still clings to on a global scale -- a place where you can be free to pursue your ambitions.

Other states hold variations of that same promise, and are drawing in new residents in droves with low costs of living and professional opportunity.

Florida has grown to a population of 19.5 million in 2013 from 16 million in 2010, a jump of 22 percent. Florida recently became the second-most populous state in the U.S., according to Travis Brown, entrepreneur and author of "How Money Walks."

And it's not just retirees setting down roots in Florida. Residents age 65 and older make up only 18.7 percent of the state's population.

Florida boasts the fourth-largest economy in the country and the 21st-largest economy in the world. The state has the second-largest aviation and aerospace industry in the nation, employing more than 80,000 workers. It also has a significant manufacturing base, with more than 316,000 workers in companies such as Coca-Cola and Hitatchi Cable.

Florida has gained $86 billion in adjusted gross income from other states such as New York ($16.8 billion), New Jersey ($10.2 billion) and Illinois ($6.2 billion), Brown said.

Florida's boom in population and income, like Texas', is no coincidence. The state doesn't tax personal income, has a low corporate income tax rate and consistently ranks among the best states in which to do business.

"Florida has cut a record number of regulations and taxes impacting small business with Gov. Rick Scott," Brown said.

Like Florida, Tennessee is another state that offers low taxation and regulation, and is seeing a boom in population as a result.

Tennessee was recently named the third-best state in the country to do business, and was recognized as the top state in the country by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when it comes to low levels of taxation and regulation.

The Volunteer State has grown to 6.5 million people in 2013, up from 5.7 million in 2010.

That's also due in large part to the state's affordability. Tennessee has the second-lowest cost of living in the United States, bolstered by its lack of a personal income tax.

People respond to policies, regardless of whether they're small business owners trying to get a start or a low-income worker looking for the best place to take the first step in advancing his or her career. When states cut red tape and ease tax burdens, they create economic opportunity.

As Texas, Florida and Tennessee have all proven in recent years, if you build it, they will come. ]]> <![CDATA[Obama Cuts In Line At Franklin Barbecue, Makes Up For It By Paying It Forward]]> Ryan Grenoble Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:04:37 -0400
After speaking in Austin, Texas, Thursday, President Obama stopped in at Franklin Barbecue, a restaurant Austin360 says is "well known for its great brisket and extremely long waits." Since presidents apparently have schedules to keep, Obama cut to the front of the hours-long line -- then bought lunch for those behind him as a thank-you.

"I know this is a long line," Obama reportedly told the crowd, apologizing for his actions. "I feel real bad, but -- I’m gonna cut."

The restaurant's owner, Aaron Franklin, told the Austin American-Statesman the president is the first person he's allowed to skip the line, adding that Obama ordered enough meat to "feed a small village."

That village includes the two people Obama jumped in line. They put "three pounds of beef, two pounds of ribs, a half-pound of sausage and a half-pound of turkey" on the president's tab, reports the Houston Chronicle. After hearing their order, Obama joked, "Now hold on. How many folks are you guys feeding? Just kidding."

Per Austin360, Obama ended up paying around $300 for his own order, and an undisclosed amount more to cover the people he cut in line.

See photos from Obama's barbecue outing, below:

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Co-worker friendships could be the key to getting the most out of your youngest employees, new research suggests.

Nearly 60 percent of workers ages 18 to 24 say friendships in the workplace make them happy, according to a study from LinkedIn. Additionally, 50 percent say work friends keep them motivated, and 39 percent say work friends make them more productive.

It's not just millennials who enjoy having friends in the office; nearly half of all the employees surveyed believe they are happier when they are friends with their co-workers.

"Relationships matter because they help us feel connected, making us more motivated and productive," Catherine Fisher, LinkedIn's director of corporate communications, wrote on the company's blog. "It's much easier to share feedback with someone if you have built up a solid rapport, or ask someone for advice if you have invested in the relationship."

The research revealed that personal relationships among co-workers have evolved in recent years. Nearly 70 percent of millennial professionals are likely to share personal details — including salary, relationships and family issues — with co-workers, compared to only about one-third of baby boomers.

This shift in personal relationships from generation to generation is also affecting how employees communicate with their bosses. The research discovered that one in three millennials have texted their manager outside of work hours for a nonwork-related issue, compared to only 10 percent of baby boomers.

"I'm not suggesting we all start texting our managers at any hour about our latest crush or favorite new shirt, but it does indicate that our growing workforce wants to have more of a connection," Fisher wrote.

Fisher offered several tips to help managers who aren't comfortable with becoming too personal with their employees, while also helping to ensure their millennial employees feel connected:

  • Don't limit conversations to email or formal meetings. Take awalking meeting. Walking meetings are part of LinkedIn’s culture, and they are popular because people tend to relax during a walk, which allows for a more open and creative discussion. Plus, not having a phone or computer interrupt you every second allows you to be more focused on the person you are talking to, and ultimately more connected, Fisher said.
  • Take an interest in their personal lives. While you may not want to give relationship advice, you should have an interest in your teammates as people. Take a few minutes during every one-on-one meeting to connect on a personal level. If your colleague always jets out with her yoga mat, ask her about it. Work is only a part of who people are. If you get to know people's other passions, it may give you a glimpse into what motivates them.
  • Congratulate, share and like. A simple gesture on social media can do wonders for employee morale. Think how great it feels to get "a job well done" email from your boss, and then imagine having the same recognition shared with your network. It feels great to get acknowledged for your hard work, and by sharing it publicly, you also help to build your professional brand.

The study was based on surveys of more than 11,500 full-time working professionals from around the world.

Originally published on Business News Daily.

Copyright 2014 BusinessNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]]]> ]]> <![CDATA[May 10,000 Cloud Startups Bloom]]> Sramana Mitra Fri, 11 Jul 2014 11:19:09 -0400 2014-07-11-sunflowers.jpg

The cloud services market has fueled a boom of immensely successful startups, most of which have raised millions in venture funding. Take analytics platform company Birst, which started off in the high-end financial sector, raised $64 million in venture capital, and is now growing fast as a regular Silicon Valley-style pre-IPO company. Technology Business Management solutions provider Apptio raised a $7 million series A to get started and within the year got to $6 million in annual recurring revenue. Its customers include 29 of the Fortune 100 companies and has to date raised a whopping $136 million.

Business analytics provider Adaptive Insights raised $100 million in funding and has over 2000 customers. Huddle, enterprise collaboration service provider, raised $38.2 million in funding and now has close to 80 percent of the Fortune 500 as clients. Email marketing company iContact bootstrapped for three years to $1 million using services and then raised $53.4 million in three rounds. They eventually got acquired for $169 million. Mobile website maker DudaMobile bootstrapped using a paycheck and then went on to raise $18.6 million.

However, not all cloud startups have gone the heavy funding route. There are many under-the-radar cloud/SaaS startups that are also developing as bootstrapped businesses. Analytics company DataSong has bootstrapped all the way---for 11 years---and expects to do $6.5 million in revenue in 2014. Another such company in our 1M/1M premium program is Happy Grasshopper, which has chosen to bootstrap so far, and is approaching a $3 million run rate in 2014.

Founded in October 2010 by serial and parallel entrepreneur Dan Stewart, Happy Grasshopper is an e-mail marketing company that focuses on providing fun, engaging content to help salespeople and small businesses build and nurture their relationships with leads and past customers. Prior to founding the company, Dan, an Inc. 500/5000 honoree, was the president of a CRM company where he noticed a clear need for effective e-mail marketing campaigns.

Rather than funding, what really propelled Happy Grasshoppers on the path to success was a blog post in a real estate Facebook group called 'What Should I Spend My Money On?' A real estate trainer happened to mention the company on stage at a large event, which gave them their initial few dozen customers. One thing led to another, and they quickly grew to several hundred customers.

After nearly four years, Happy Grasshopper now has more than 10,000 customers across 50 verticals, including real estate, insurance, automobile, and financial sales, but their key focus remains real estate. They have conclusively proved that their conversational approach yields dramatically higher open rates, and creates much stronger engagement with prospects, past customers, and potential recruits. The team of professional writers at Happy Grasshopper create timely, interesting messages designed to prompt a response, making it easier to stay in touch with a network. The secret to their success lies in understanding the reason or need for reaching out to customers.

In the crowded e-mail marketing landscape, Happy Grasshopper is regarded as a less painful, more effective solution than do-it-yourself e-mail service providers such as Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and iContact.

In 2013, Happy Grasshopper began offering its platform as a white label solution and is seeing traction among marketing companies wishing to provide e-mail marketing services, and political action committees wanting to make use of the unique "one through many" messaging their platform enables.

Since October of 2013, the company has grown 400 percent, and much of their growth has come from channel and white label partnerships with organizations like Fidelity National Financial and Curaytor. The 1,900-member sales force of Fidelity National Financial is currently being trained on presenting Happy Grasshopper to real estate and mortgage professionals nationwide. In their first month, with only a small percentage of sales executives trained, this yielded over 900 referrals for free trials.

Of course, it has helped that Dan is a veteran bootstrapper and Happy Grasshopper is his seventh company. Since inception, the new company has been able to rely on cash infusions from his other companies. They continue to invest about 110 percent of Happy Grasshopper's revenues back into the company.

Till date, they have turned away all acquisition inquiries. Dan says, "Like any bootstrapping entrepreneurs, we have our moments of exhaustion, but I'm doing exactly what I want to do, with exactly whom I want to do it, for the best people in the world. Why would I ever want to give that up?"

There are many such success stories in the cloud computing world. A recent Forrester report estimates that the public cloud market will reach $191 billion by 2020, from $58 billion in 2013. While this growth is the reason why there are so many heavily venture funded startups in this space, cloud platforms and applications have themselves been big growth and change drivers. They enable easy adoption and scalability without incurring high infrastructure costs. This is what I see as the driving force for the mushrooming of numerous cloud startups that are blooming without any venture funding.

May 10,000 such startups bloom!

(Photo: Ken Slade, Flickr) ]]> <![CDATA[How to Close Sales Pitches 100 Percent of The Time]]> Cheryl Rosner Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:00:29 -0400 Last week I was asked if I'd been eaten by alligators, told I was harder to reach than Jennifer Lawrence and asked if Stayful wanted to be as big as Priceline. All sales pitches -- while cute and fun to read -- forgot to tell me the most important thing: How their product would specifically improve my business.

We all probably receive 1-3 email sales pitches each day. I read each one. I try to respond to as many as possible but -- probably like you -- my email box is spoiled with an overwhelming number of opportunities.

I've been selling most of my career and as most salespeople know the easiest person to sell is a fellow salesperson. So why do these pitches fail? Better yet, how will a pitch succeed 100 percent of the time?

Here you go:

1. Know your Prospect.
2. State your Value Proposition.
3. Apply your value proposition to your prospect's business.
4. Provide proof of success.
5. Give a free trial. (Ask for payment following success).
6. Ask for the business.

Here's what this looks like:

I noticed you do not have a refer-a friend program. RAF programs we've implemented with our easy, seamless solution result in X new leads and Y new customers. Our customers achieve X% conversion rate on referral leads. Based on what we know about your business from public data, we think our solution can help Stayful get at least the same results our other customers. ABC Company achieved the above results with our solution. We'd love to have you speak with them.

We can offer a trial of our solution free for 3 months. If we make your goals, we would appreciate if you paid us a success fee in the form of a share of the revenue we helped you produce. But only if we earn it.

We'd love to get started increasing your business by implementing a RAF program.

Let's talk or meet on Friday at 2pm for 25 minutes. We will not waste your time and we will show up with a plan.

I find it easy to say yes to this approach, unless of course, increasing business is not part of the plan.

So no, alligators have not eaten me. Yes, I am swamped. However there is always time for people and products that can help me come up for air and stay there.

]]> <![CDATA[The Perfect Way To Say No (And Make It Stick)]]> Nicole Edine Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:32:06 -0400 Saying yes to too many opportunities, too many projects, and too many people is a recipe for failure. As entrepreneur Derek Sivers likes to say, "No more 'yes.' It's either, 'Hell yeah!' or 'no.'"

The problem is, when most of us say no, it too often turns into a yes. Maybe a friend pleads. Or a vendor begs. Or a customer argues and cajoles and chips away at our resolve until no becomes maybe and maybe becomes yes, and we wind up agreeing to something we wish we hadn't.

Or--and this is even more likely--maybe you chip away at your own resolve until you wind up doing something you didn't want to do but you eventually couldn't say no to yourself.

So what is the best way to say no? It's easy: Stop saying "can't" and start saying "don't." It works. Science says so.

Here's why.

Researchers conducted a simple study: One group was given a simple temptation and told to say, in the face of that temptation, "I can't do (that)." The other group was told to say, "I don'tdo (that)."

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What happened?

  • Participants told to say, "I can't," gave in to the temptation 61% of the time.

  • Participants told to say, "I don't," gave in 36% of the time.

Pretty cool, right? It gets better.

Then the researchers conducted another study. Participants were told to set a personal long-term health and wellness goal. When their motivation inevitably flagged, one group was told to say, "I can't miss my workout." Another group was told to say, "I don't miss workouts." (The control group was not given a temptation-avoidance strategy.)

Ten days later, they found:

  • 3 out of 10 control group members stuck to their goal.

  • 1 out of 10 "I can't" group members stuck to their goal.

  • 8 out of 10 "I don't" group members stuck to their goal.

Not only was "I can't" less effective than "I don't," "I can't" was less effective than no strategy at all.

Why? According to the researchers, "The refusal frame 'I don't' is more persuasive than the refusal frame 'I can't' because the former connotes conviction to a higher degree…perceived conviction mediates the influence of refusal frame on persuasiveness."

Or in language the rest of us understand, when we say, "I can't" we automatically give ourselves a way out. Sure, I could…but this time I'm choosing not to. Pretty much. At least I think so. But then again, maybe I could…

But when we say, "I don't," we're powerful. We're determined. We're not making a choice. What we do--or don't do--is based on who we are.

Which sounds more powerful, affirming and empowering?

  • "I can't give you a discount" or "We don't discount our products."

  • "I can't cut corners on this project" or "We don't relax our quality standards."

  • "I can't skip my workout today" or "I don't miss workouts."

"I don't" always wins, because "I don't" leaves no room for argument, compromise, or discussion -- especially with yourself.

How many times have you said, "I can't," only to end up doing what you said you couldn't do? My guess is a bunch. That's because other people hear "can't" and automatically think, "Okay…but under what circumstances can you do what I'm asking?"

Most people hear, "I can't," as something they can find ways to get around. (Shoot, most of the time when we say, "I can't" to ourselves, we immediately start thinking of ways to get around it--that's why so few people achieve their personal and professional goals.)

But how many times have you said, "I don't," and later given in to temptation or pressure? My guess is far fewer times.

Most people won't dispute, "I don't," because "don't" doesn't sound like a decision: "Don't" sounds like a conviction, one that offers no room for discussion or argument.

"I can't" sounds tissue paper thin because it's a decision based on external reasons or causes.

"I don't" sounds like a brick wall because it comes from deep inside you. It's part of your identity. It's who you are.

Harness the Power of "I Don't"

When you really need to say no, simply start saying, "I don't."

"We don't offer discounts." Say, you really don't want to offer discounts because not only will your margins suffer, but also competing on price is a slippery slope you can't afford to step onto. Instead of saying, weakly and almost apologetically, "I'm sorry but we can't drop our prices any lower," say firmly and with conviction, "We don't offer discounts."

And then either remain silent and wait for a response or shift the conversation to what you may be wiling to do, like providing a quicker turnaround or extending payment terms or breaking a large order down into smaller shipments.

Use "I don't" to ensure what must be non-negotiable remains non-negotiable and then shift to terms you are willing to negotiate.

"I don't have time right now." Say, an aspiring entrepreneur asks, "Can you give me 10 minutes to give me feedback on my idea?" You'd love to say yes to everyone but that's not possible. Saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't" immediately results in "But I promise it will only take a minute, so here's what we've done..." and you're trapped. Now you either have to hear him out or be rude. Either way you lose.

Instead say, "I'm sorry, but I don't have time right now. Give me your card and possibly we can schedule a meeting." You'll get a card and then you can say yes on your terms.

"I don't care what other people think."

Most of the time, we should worry about what other people think--but not if it stands in the way of living the life we really want to live.

I can't care? Heck with that. I don't care.

You shouldn't care; it's your life, and there's only one option: Live it your way.

]]> <![CDATA[Obama Asking Companies To Pay Suppliers Faster]]> Sara Bondioli Fri, 11 Jul 2014 08:50:18 -0400

Walgreens, FedEx and IBM are among the other companies with household names that have agreed to participate. The initiative comes as Obama is attempting to use his power to bring people together to spur economic growth despite opposition to his legislative agenda in Congress.]]> <![CDATA[Secrets From The Brains Of 13 Creative Geniuses]]> Farah Mohamed Fri, 11 Jul 2014 08:37:42 -0400
"Who would this book help?" she couldn't stop herself from thinking. "What if I channeled the effort and energy I’d invested in it into a career that might save people’s lives?" ]]> <![CDATA[Lose My Number, Please]]> Ann Brenoff Fri, 11 Jul 2014 07:36:43 -0400
Being a veteran of a couple of real IRS audits, I didn't panic. Among the things my audits taught me is that the IRS, as a rule, prefers not to actually use phones -- even on those occasions when you want to talk to them. No, they prefer snail mail for any sort of direct contact with taxpayers; perhaps it's a solidarity pact the IRS has with the US Postal Service to help keep the post office on life support?

Anyway, even the IRS' website tells you they don't like talking to you on the phone: "The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail. The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone." So I knew this wasn't really the IRS calling me for a phone chat. I also knew that I hadn't evaded any taxes.

Still, I played the phone message for my husband.

"Call them back and see what they want," he suggested. I didn't, because I already knew what they wanted: my money and/or my identity. I googled the number and sure enough, it's been linked to phone scammers.

Phone scams that use the IRS' name are apparently running pretty rampant, even though we are well past tax season. So just to be absolutely clear, the IRS won't call you. It won't text you or email you either. It also won't reach out to you Facebook or any other social media channel. And if someone claiming to be representing the IRS is doing any of this, the IRS asks that you report it to them at ‪

But the phony IRS is just part of the larger problem. Much more annoying than any one single phone scam is the proliferation of phone scamming in general. And while the elderly may be the most vulnerable -- especially when the scammers prey on the idea that perhaps the victim just "forgot" to pay this bill, or "forgot" they wanted the carpet cleaner to call them back -- scamming people is clearly a big industry.

I would have to note: If it wasn't working, people still wouldn't be doing it. So for as obviously fraudulent as some of these scams appear, someone is falling for them.

Just last week, I was trying to work from home and was interrupted by about 6 scam calls inside about an hour. Some pretended they knew me; one insisted that he was calling because I had asked him to; and several dropped the call when a live person answered. All of them got the phone slammed in their ear, but as a rule, nothing seems to stop the daily onslaught of calls -- certainly not being on the Do Not Call Registry, the FTC's feeble and ineffectual solution. There are also equally ineffective state registries. If you wanted, you could spend all day reporting scam callers to registries and your phone would likely still keep ringing off the hook with phony charities wanting your money and solar panel salesmen who insist you told them to call.

The only reason we keep the land line is that our cell phone reception in our house is so spotty and on occasion, we need to make a call from the house. But of late, we are questioning the wisdom (and need) to keep our land line. We certainly don't need it if all it really does is make the jobs of scammers easier for them.

Which got me thinking: If a toothless Do Not Call Registry is the best the government can come up with to protect us from scammers, maybe we should all instead be speaking with our wallets to the Big Phone Carrier industry. How is it they can't figure out some technology to stop it? On some levels, they are co-conspirators to the problem and maybe they should be busted for doing so little to protect their customers? Verizon, Sprint, AT&T: I'm ready to start a Do Not Patronize Registry.

Earlier on Huff/Post50: