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Processing fees. Service fees. Hidden fees. It feels like most companies and services these days have found countless ways to sneakily squeeze money out of me. Even when it’s only a few dollars here and there, it’s the principle of the thing: Why am I being charged in the first place? What can I do to circumvent these fees and save my hard-earned money? Here are some of the most common fees that have been infuriating me lately, and what you can do to avoid paying them. Concert “service” feesIf you’ve tried to buy a concert ticket in recent history, you’ve been slapped with a shocking string of processing, commission, or transaction fees. From secondary sellers like StubHub and Vivid Seats, to primary sellers like Ticketmaster, AXS, and SeatGeek, these fees are built into the modern business model of ticketing live events. Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to sit back and take it. Ticketmaster in particular has been hit with multiple class-action lawsuits for the company’s lack of transparency. How to avoid them: First, check out discount and no-fee ticket sites like TickPick or Goldstar.com. Unfortunately, there’s only one guaranteed way to avoid concert service fees: Contact the box office to look into about buying your tickets in person. Sure, it’s old school (and might prove tricky for in-demand shows), but it’s a surefire way to avoid the “convenience” fee that comes with online transactions. Airbnb feesNext to the cost of concert tickets, Airbnb has gained notoriety for its bullshit fees. I've found the growing consensus is that Airbnb simply isn’t worth its exorbitant service fees. I'll never forget a few years back, there was a viral tweet with a screenshot of a $99/night listing that ended up totaling $413.95 for two nights after fees and taxes were added at checkout. How to avoid them: After you find a listing on Airbnb, try searching for the property description on other sites for offerings that don’t come with Airbnb’s fees. You can also reach out to the host directly and see if they would be interested in conducting business outside of Airbnb in order to avoid fees. For instance, you could arrange to book the property for just one night through Airbnb, and pay for additional nights in person. There’s certainly some risk involved here, but considering how much of a cut Airbnb takes from hosts, you might be able to strike a win-win deal. Seat selection and airline feesOf all the bullshit airline fees these days, “seat selection” might be the shadiest. Paying an additional $20 for my seat? Isn’t that what the ticket is paying for in the first place? During the booking process, it’s not always clear that the seat selection fee is completely avoidable. How to avoid them: When the option pops up to select a seat on your flight, simply skip past this screen. The skip button may be hidden, but it’s there. The airline will automatically assign you a seat for no extra charge. If where you sit is still a concern for you, you can request specific seats if you politely ask the gate agent when you arrive at the airport. For more information, here’s our guide to avoiding seat selection fees. ATM feesWhen you need cash fast, ATM fees are tough to avoid. It’s utter crap to be charged three dollars to access my own money, but, alas, the big banks don’t seem to be listening to my ramblings. How to avoid them: Ideally you can find an ATM owned by the bank you use so it doesn’t cost you to withdraw your money. Otherwise, consider moving your money to a bank that refunds these fees. Another tactic is to take steps to have fee-free cash on hand by using the cash back option when you grocery shop. Personally, I always take out a ten or a twenty on top of my groceries, and I rarely have to resort to finding an ATM when I need cash. Car dealership feesIf there’s someone you can trust to be honest and no-bullshit, it’s a car salesman, right? From advertising fees, delivery fees, undercoating fees—it’s easy to get lost in all the additional charges that get tacked on at a car dealership. How to avoid them: When you buy a new car, you’ll be able to see a factory invoice. Any charges listed there are, unfortunately, legitimate. However, if the dealership charges you a fee that doesn’t appear on the factory invoice, you can avoid paying it. Getting rid of these fees is often as simple as asking the dealer to strike them. Somehow, questioning their legitimacy seems to make them all but disappear. Gym initiation feesWhen you join a new gym, your first bill might come with an “initiation fee.” This sucks, and you should try to get out of it. How to avoid them: Similar to our tip with the car dealership, you should simply ask the gym to waive the fee. Bonus points if you express doubts about your membership, or even make it a condition of signing up for a yearly membership. The gym wants to keep you as a customer, so they’ll be more likely to waive one fee in order to hold on to you. Credit reportsMake a habit of checking your free credit score from sites like Credit Karma or Experian. What you shouldn’t make a habit of is paying a fee for a credit report literally ever, since this likely means you’re falling for a scam. How to avoid them: Head to AnnualCreditReport.com and check your credit health for free. Some banks and credit card companies also offer free credit reports as part of having an account with them. Overdraft fees“Overdraft protection” sounds like a positive thing to stop you from taking out more money than you have in your account. However, when the bank offers overdraft protection, they charge quite the fee for it. You accidentally overdrawing your account by a few cents could turn into an outrageous $50 charge. How to avoid them: An alternative to your bank’s overdraft protection is to link your savings account to your checking account. This way, any overdrafts get pulled from your own funds. If this isn’t possible at your bank, at least set up low-balance alerts so you avoid overdrafts altogether. Bank statement feesA paper bank statement can come with a wild $2 or $3 monthly fee. Those dollars add up, and for no reason other than, what, receiving mail? How to avoid them: Go paperless. It’s as simple as checking a box in your account settings. Good for the environment, and good for your wallet. Online shipping feesAs much as I'd like to support in-person brick and mortar stores, sometimes Amazon one-day shipping is the only option I have. And with shipping costs these days, I know I'm guilty of buying more products just to qualify for free shipping—the classic "spend to save" trap. How to avoid them: Always consolidate orders to avoid multiple shipping charges. Compare shipping rates across multiple retailers before purchasing, and sign up for free shipping programs like Amazon Prime or Walmart+. Plus, you can go for good old-fashioned store pickup options when available. View the full article

Pop quiz: Which two Super Bowl ads were created by Artists Equity Advertising, the commercial creative arm of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s studio Artists Equity? Hint: It was the two starring… Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The big game ads for both Stella Artois and Dunkin were excellent vehicles for both actors. But they’re also the rare occurrence of major advertising investment—which goes well beyond the $8 million just for Super Bowl airtime—going to a boutique creative shop run by Hollywood A-listers. However, this is not a story about Super Bowl ads. It’s about Artists Equity’s approach to capitalizing on the increasingly aligned interests of Hollywood and brand marketers—and how the company just may have the strategy and talent to capitalize on it. Since Affleck and Damon founded Artists Equity in 2022, the studio has been steadily churning out film and TV work. Releases include Air, the unauthorized story of how Nike landed Michael Jordan; the Cillian Murphy drama Small Things Like These; Doug Liman’s The Instigators with Apple Films; William Goldenberg’s Unstoppable on Prime Video; and Jennifer Lopez’ Kiss of the Spider Woman. It’s also behind the upcoming Affleck-starring action sequel The Accountant 2. But since Affleck’s first spin as a Dunkin spokesperson in 2023—anchored by a Super Bowl spot in which when he takes over a Boston-area drive-thru—Artists Equity has been building its advertising team with a few different goals in mind. The first is to provide an added revenue stream and creative outlet for the company. Second, give both brands and talent the best experience and results with advertising that also entertains. It’s far from the only creative shop with those ambitions. But Affleck is confident that Artists Equity Advertising can carve out its own corner of the commercial world, and has a plan on how to do it. A significant part of that plan is bringing to the ad world the company’s filmmaking prowess and the creator-focused approach it takes with its studio projects. Affleck tells Fast Company that his early commercial experiences as a brand spokesperson felt overly transactional. Like a hired gun, brought in to smile and wave, with no creative input or involvement. As a result, the work was unsatisfying to him, and ultimately not as good for the brands as it could have been. “My argument to brands is that there’s a reason why you want to associate this person with the product you’re selling, and the reason is the cultural footprint this person has created,” Affleck says. “And to me, the obvious take is asking them to come in and be part of the creative process, which means sharing the strategy goals, creative goals, and brand goals.” [Image: courtesy Artists Equity Advertising] Glazed ambition The notion of brands involving celebrities or artists in the creative process sounds rather obvious. And it is becoming more common – see Bud Light’s work with comedian Shane Gillis. But it’s still more the exception than the rule. Artists Equity’s advertising business was largely born out of Affleck’s experience with Dunkin. Back in 2022, as a lifelong fan of the brand, Affleck was talking to the company about starring in a Super Bowl ad. At the time, Dunkin had a traditional ad agency working on the spot. But Affleck had an idea. What if he just showed up at a random Massachusetts Dunkin and worked the drive-thru? IT would not only make for a fun spot, but also generate a ton of earned media. The brand was hesitant, but Affleck persisted. “The agency was much smaller at the time, and in order to prove it to them, I said we’d shoot the commercial that they originally wanted, but then asked them to let us try to improve that, and also do the commercial that I think would work,” he says. The result was a Top 5 Super Bowl ad in 2023 on USA Today’s Ad Meter, as well as an 837% increase in social conversations after the Super Bowl, more than any other brand, according to media intelligence firm Meltwater. Dunkin’ CMO Jill McVicar Nelson says the Artists Equity model allows the company to tap into top talent across creative, production, design, and more, allowing them to deliver beautiful, high-impact work at incredible speed. “Because they oversee both creative and production, they move swiftly to finalize assets while maximizing content creation,” she says. “This means we get a wealth of high-quality assets across all channels, with an exceptional eye for production and design in everything they do.” The Super Bowl work continued this year and last, with the DunKings. The line of merch the brand created in 2024—in particular the track suits—sold out in less than 30 minutes. It’s also led to creating a steady stream of work for the brand, including the recent Sabrina Carpenter spot for her Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso. And a merch collab this month with Juicy Couture that sold out in five minutes. “Artists Equity Advertising has their finger on the pulse of culture, and while many may make that claim, they actually walk the walk,” says Nelson. “They don’t just anticipate what consumers will care about; their team is really connected to pop culture through their work across the studio. They bring this unique ability to extend a brand’s presence beyond traditional paid media, and together, we’ve created multi-faceted campaigns that go beyond ads—whether it’s a seven-minute short film, buzzy merchandise, custom songs, compelling social content, and more.” [Image: courtesy Artists Equity Advertising] A-listers behind the scenes Affleck and Damon are obviously the most visible talent in the company’s biggest ads, but Artists Equity Advertising now accounts for nearly a third of the company’s 75-person headcount—a testament to the smart creative hires the company has made in the past two years. Executive creative director Brandon Piece, was the company’s first advertising hire in 2023. Pierce’s creative pedigree spans legendary shops Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny, and Droga5, and before joining Artists Equity Advertising, helped build Hulu’s in-house marketing creative studio. That experience led him to creating Your Attention Please with Craig Robinson, and Amy Schumer’s writers room on season five of Inside Amy Schumer. “Ben is a multi hyphenate creative, obviously on the film side,” says Pierce. “And I like to call myself a multi-hyphenate creative that has found a way to successfully transition from traditional advertising to longer-form storytelling, stuff that feels like entertainment, even if it’s for a brand.” Eight months ago, the company brought in Josh Jeffries as president of advertising. Jeffries’ resume is similarly full of agency experience, including time at Deutsch LA, Anomaly, and 72andSunny. Jeffries—who’s charged with scaling the magic Artists Equity Advertising has been able to conjure over the past few Super Bowls—says the company is being very deliberate in not chasing growth for its own sake, and instead focusing on slowly branching out. “We’re highly selective of who we want to partner with,” Jeffries says, adding the company likely won’t take on more than two more clients beyond Stella and Dunkin in 2025. The agency is working to strike the balance between the work Affleck and Damon do and don’t appear in. After seeing the Dunkin work last year, AB InBev got in touch about its Stella Artois brand, with a goal to help shift its image in the U.S. as an upscale beer to more of a quality everyday indulgence. Enter Dave Beckham. David Beckham was already a brand spokesperson, and Damon had worked with AB InBev in the past, so it was a natural fit for a separated-at-birth concept. The Super Bowl spot is the start of a year-long campaign created by the agency, and most of the work was shot at the same time. “We want to be cognizant of not having the expectation that Ben and Matt are featured in everything that we do,” says Jeffries. “It’s a healthy way to start, obviously, because it works quite well. There has to be an authentic connection to the brand and the talent themselves.” In addition to the Carpenter spot, this past year included Dunkin ads with Kristen Wiig and Will Arnett. The latter was part of the…ahem… Dunkin Cinematic Universe, with Arnett hiring “Dunkinterns” and gettign creeped out by an Affleck robot. Super Bowl post-game In an industry dominated by public holding company behemoths, it’s the rare advertising shop that isn’t pushing to grow as fast and as much as possible. But the strategy for Artists Equity Advertising is about quality over quantity. Not least, Pierce says, because it has a reputation to protect. Pierce says it’s about keeping the spirit of being a creatively-driven company. “Whether it’s a film, a documentary, a commercial, or a billboard, we try to keep that thread through everything that we do here,” he says “Because ultimately everything we put out in the world has Artists Equity attached to it, so it better be at the level of everything else that we’ve established.” It’s easy to see what having a film studio as a sibling within the business can do for the advertising side in terms of creative pedigree and access to top tier talent pool. But Affleck says the ad side brings plenty to the film business. Data research, analytics, social media measurement, have all become a part of the overall business. “The difficulty around obtaining capital in order to produce something is the principal hurdle,” says Affleck. “We’ve gotten much deeper into this side of the business because I see all of it as a means by which artists can demonstrate either the value that they’re bringing, or, more effectively exploit the value that they have.” Advertising and marketing is an industry obsessed with efficiency and efficacy. Those who trade in brand entertainment aim to bridge the gap between art and commerce in a way that delights audiences and helps lift the brand. Much easier said than done. Within this dynamic, Artists Equity Advertising is a bit rare find. Big stars taking big swings for big brands, but also being in the room from the start to collaborate on strategy and creative. Over the last two years, the shop’s growing team has just begun to show how that strategy can pay off for brands and creative partners who embrace the approach. Affleck is excited about the results so far, and the potential in further bridging Hollywood and brandland. “This is a world where the lines are just increasingly blurred,” says Affleck. “I’m interested in how that evolution is taking place, and being part of it.” View the full article

Weeks ago, my partner suggested I develop a recipe for doughnuts made in the air fryer. I tried to explain to him how deep fried doughnuts are always better than baked ones, adding, “unless you wanna throw some Entenmann’s in there.” I laughed, and then shook my head, because I had sealed my own fate. Once it occurred to me, I absolutely needed to test the idea. I bought a variety pack of Entenmann’s doughnuts (including chocolate glazed, powdery crumb nubbins, and classic glazed). I fearfully placed one of each into the basket of my air fryer and pressed Start. I experienced a range of emotions during the next seven minutes, pinging from worry, to hope, to, finally, disbelief: Yes, I’m happy to report that air-fried cheap doughnuts are absolutely sensational. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The process changes the doughnuts appearance, especially the glazed ones. The sugar coating partially melts, exposing the crumb texture of the doughnut beneath. Everything else is uphill from there: Each air fried doughnut was a textural delight—their dry, homogeneous, bread-y consistency transformed into a crunchy exterior with a chewy, caramelized crust. The interior crumb changed too: Instead of a dense, cake-y texture, the crumb opens up a bit (presumably from expanding in the heat) and has an airy feel. The flavor is also improved. All of the existing elements you enjoy in packaged doughnuts are concentrated and enhanced. Normally these doughnuts are one-note sweets, but after air frying, you’ll notice how buttery they are, taste notes of vanilla, and even detect hints of salt. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann It makes logical sense—the heat melts and caramelizes some of the sugars, moisture evaporates, and the doughnut’s surface browns a bit due to the Maillard reaction, creating new, complex flavors. But some flavors, I can’t explain. Why does an air-fried chocolate glazed doughnut taste completely like Fruity Pebbles? You must air fry a chocolate glazed, if only to experience this unexpected transformation. How to air fry cheap doughnutsI wouldn’t air fry specialty bakery doughnuts that cost $5 a pop, because that’s silly. Focus on improving the factory-made doughnuts. To air fry your own cheap doughnuts at home, simply pop the treats into an air fryer set to 350°F on the “air fry” setting for five to seven minutes. Make sure you air fry them on the included metal grate, as some of the sugars from the glaze will drip off and you don't want them to get too moist. When they’re done heating, use metal tongs or a fish spatula to remove them from the grate and place them to cool on a wire rack for about five minutes. Feel free to give them a light sprinkle of flaky salt. They’ll feel really soft and breakable at first, but after cooling, the sugars will recrystallize and the doughnuts will be crispy...and incredible. View the full article

What is WordPress? WordPress powers businesses all over the world. It is one of the most popular website building platforms, and it allows you to create a website or blog from scratch or improve an existing website. There are many notable brands, celebrities and companies that use it too. This article discusses what WordPress is and how it can benefit your business. By the end of this post, you should definitely know the answer to the question, “What is WordPress?” What is a WordPress Website? If you ever did an internet search for “What is WordPress?” you’d likely find out more than 1 in 4 websites use the website platform to power their own website (by the way, the term ‘WordPress’ is searched for nearly 3 million times a month!). That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t really answer the question, “What is WordPress?” right? Simply put, WordPress is a content management system (CMS) developed by WordPress experts Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. The duo designed it as a tool to make it easy for people without any coding experience to create a website or blog from scratch. It is a free, open-source software system licensed under GPLv2 (or later), meaning any user can use, modify, or contribute to its codebase. In addition, WordPress’s open-source software system has end-to-end encryption that can be used on your own web server or by a hosting company. Its functionality and ease of use have resulted in a large community of WordPress users and WordPress developers who have created and utilized themes, plugins, and other tools to quickly and easily build anything from huge online stores to a simple blog. 10 Useful WordPress Statistics If you need further help convincing yourselves or others that WordPress is the best CMS system for your business, be sure to check out the following WordPress statistics: It is currently the most popular content management system on the web. People visit WordPress more than the social media giant Twitter, which has a whopping 156 million unique visitors a month. With a WordPress theme-builder like seedprod, even users who aren’t very technically skilled can easily create a custom WordPress theme from scratch. Over 400 million people visit a WordPress website each month. 661 WordPress sites and nearly 300 new WooCommerce stores appear on average each day. There are over 59,000 free plugins available in the WordPress plugin directory. Over 187 countries have at least one active WordPress installation. The WordPress.org website receives over two billion page views per month. The WordPress app has been downloaded over two million times. Out of 1.3 billion websites on the web, more than 455 million sites use WordPress to power their own website. What is WordPress used for? The question closely following “What is WordPress?” is probably “Why do I need to use a WordPress website for my business, anyway, and is WordPress good for small business websites?” Firstly, when you install WordPress and set everything up, you’ll find that it can be used for developing anything from a small business site to an eCommerce storefront and blog. In fact, some of the most popular websites in the world are powered by WordPress, including Samsung, Forbes, The Guardian, and the New York Times. Additionally, small business sites like ours also use WordPress. Secondly, WordPress offers a wide range of versatile features, and new unique functionalities are being introduced regularly. However, versatility is not the sole reason for WordPress’s popularity; it also includes several features that make it an excellent platform for businesses. Here are just a few examples of what you can do with the king of content management systems: Create website content such as custom pages and posts. Easily integrate it with social media platforms. Help your site rank higher in search engine results through SEO capabilities. Track your website’s traffic and performance with analytics tools. Design a website or blog from scratch. Improve an existing website by adding WordPress functionality. Develop membership sites, chatrooms, directories, wikis, galleries, and online courses. Support all media types, such as audio, video, images, and information-related data. How does WordPress Work? Now that you know a little more about what WordPress is let’s take a look at how it works. The working process of WordPress software is a comprehensive procedure that works by combining some core files, a database, files that you add or install, and a dashboard to let you manage the whole thing. There are also many components, such as themes, plugins, and widgets, that work together to give your website the look and functionality you desire. WordPress core Installing core files is the first procedure in WordPress you will do. When you install WordPress (the WordPress core), you get access to two websites: the WordPress dashboard and your website. The WordPress dashboard is where you manage your website—add posts and pages, change settings, install plugins and themes, etc. The database This place is where all your data and website files are stored. If you are using manual WordPress, you need to install the database. If you are using an auto-installer, it will automatically do the installation process. Extra files Extra files are in the forms of plugins, themes and uploads for WordPress, and they help to make your website or blog look unique by allowing you to customize aspects. WordPress dashboard or admin screen To create a website or blog with WordPress, you first need to install it on a web server. You can do this yourself by downloading the software and installing it on your own web server, or you can have a hosting company do it for you. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to the WordPress dashboard and start creating content. You can add posts and pages, change settings, install plugins and themes, etc. Publishing When you’re ready to launch your website or blog, you simply need to publish it by clicking on the “Publish” button in the WordPress dashboard. After that, your website will be live and accessible to the world. You can also use the WordPress dashboard to track your website’s traffic and performance and see how your visitors are accessing your content. Customization, themes, and plugins Themes control the appearance of your site; plugins add features, and widgets put all the pieces together. When you install WordPress, it comes with a core set of themes and plugins that provide the basic structure for your website. You can then install additional themes and plugins from the WordPress.org plugin directory or other sources to add features like a blog, contact form, social media integration, and more. You can also customize your site’s appearance by editing the CSS code for your theme or using child themes to make changes without affecting the original code. And if you need help with any of this, there are plenty of WordPress tutorials and support forums to help you out. Summary ComponentDescription WordPress CoreInitial files you install. Grants access to the WordPress dashboard (for site management) and your actual website. DatabaseStorage for all website data and files. Manual WordPress requires manual installation, while auto-installs handle this automatically. Extra Files (Plugins, Themes)Customization tools to give a unique look to the site. They can be plugins, themes, or uploads. WordPress DashboardOnce WordPress is installed on a server, you can manage content through the dashboard by adding posts/pages, changing settings, and more. PublishingLaunch your website/blog by clicking the "Publish" button in the dashboard. This action makes your site live to the world. Customization, Themes, PluginsThemes dictate the site's look; plugins add features; widgets integrate various elements. WordPress comes with a basic structure, but additional features can be added from various sources. WordPress.org Vs. WordPress.com There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress that you install on your own web server, while WordPress.com is a hosted version where all the hosting and maintenance is taken care of for you. Why You Should Consider WordPress for Your Business WordPress.com allows you to set up your blog for free, but it has several disadvantages. For instance, you can only create a site under a subdomain, and you can’t remove the ads. Here are a few other ways the two stack up against one another. Ease of Use WordPress.org is a little more difficult to use than WordPress.com, as you need to install it on your own web server and manage all the aspects of your website yourself. With WordPress.com, everything is taken care of for you, and getting started is fairly straightforward. WordPress themes WordPress themes make your website look brilliant, and WordPress.org has full WordPress theme support where you can use custom commercial themes and all the other free themes. The .org version of WordPress also lets you use premium WordPress themes to customize, modify or do pretty much anything you like with your website. WordPress.com doesn’t let you customize themes and only has limited theme support where you are limited to the WordPress themes that exist in their repository. WordPress plugins You will likely need WordPress plugins, and the WordPress.org plugin repository is enormous and has a plugin for just about anything you can imagine. In addition, you can find all types of WordPress plugins—from social media to security plugins. Unfortunately, the WordPress.com plugin library offers only around 100 free WordPress plugins, which may not sufficiently meet your requirements. Domain name Your domain name, or your website’s URL, is what takes your visitors to your website. With WordPress.org, you have full control over your domain name and can use any domain you want. WordPress.com limits you to the .wordpress.com subdomain unless you upgrade to a paid plan that gives you a custom domain name. Web hosting account The cost of hosting for your WordPress website is included in the price when you install WordPress.org on your web server. However, WordPress.org does charge a monthly fee for web hosting, which starts at an estimated $46-$100/yr. WordPress.com is free for up to 3GB of storage space, but you have to deal with their ads splashed across your pages. That might not be a big deal for a personal blog, but it might be a deal-breaker for a small business trying to establish its brand. eCommerce With WordPress.org, you can install any eCommerce plugin you want and create an eCommerce site, giving you a full-blown online store. On the other hand, with WordPress.com, you are limited to the basic Shopify eCommerce platform that has some restrictions on what you can sell. Monetization You can monetize your website with WordPress.org by adding ads, selling products, or accepting donations. Meanwhile, you cannot monetize your site on WordPress.com without upgrading to a paid plan that gives you more features. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) This feature is essential since it helps your business site reach the top Google rank in search results. WordPress.org comes with all the SEO features you need to optimize your website for search engines. With free WordPress.com, you don’t have much control over your website SEO since you can’t install the required plugins. Business plan users can install 3rd-party SEO plugins for about $300/yr. Help and support from the WordPress community WordPress.org has a support community with millions of users who are happy to help you out with any issue you might have. You can also get WordPress assistance through the help and support feature. The WordPress Help Team has helped many entrepreneurs build their business websites and do other tasks. That being said, the .com version of WordPress has much less support and is not as active in the support forums. Free software WordPress.com is free and has many features available if you are looking for an easy way to get started. If you want to use WordPress for your small business, the .org version is probably the best option and will cost anywhere from $46 to $100/year. Of course, it isn’t free, but you get more features and control of your WordPress websites. Google Analytics integration Google Analytics is a valuable tool for boosting your website traffic and converting visitors into leads. With WordPress.org, you have access to robust Google Analytics tracking integrated into the platform, allowing you to monitor your website’s performance and understand the origins of your visitors. However, this feature is not available on WordPress.com. Website security There are different types of website security in WordPress, such as backdoors, pharma hacks, malicious redirects, denial of service, and many more. WordPress.org gives you the ability to install a good security plugin and harden the security of your WordPress site with only a few clicks. WordPress.com doesn’t give you this feature. WordPress site customization WordPress.org WordPress.org is the preferred option for users looking to create a more personalized digital presence. This platform offers significant flexibility, enabling extensive changes to both website design and functionality. One of the highlights of WordPress.org is its flexibility to allow direct CSS edits, which means webmasters can tweak the visual appearance down to the smallest detail. Additionally, for those wanting a more sustainable and advanced customization without affecting the primary theme, creating child themes is a beneficial option. A child theme inherits the features and appearance of its parent theme but allows for modifications without affecting the original theme, making it an invaluable tool for developers and designers. WordPress.com: In contrast, WordPress.com is more restrictive when it comes to customization. Users are limited to basic theme alterations, which means direct modifications to CSS or the creation of child themes are off the table. While it’s simpler and more user-friendly, especially for beginners, those with a distinct vision for their website might find it limiting. This platform is perfect for those who appreciate ready-made templates and wish to avoid the complexities of detailed design changes. Mobile-Friendly features Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com are mobile-friendly, meaning they can be used on a PC, tablet or mobile phone. However, WordPress.org has more features that make it easier for your website to look good on mobile devices and screen sizes. Speed WordPress.org is faster than WordPress.com because you are in control of all the aspects of your website and can optimize it for speed. So…which version of WordPress should you choose? If you want more control over your WordPress website and don’t mind managing the technical aspects yourself, then WordPress.org is the better option. If you’re looking for an easy way to get started with a blog or don’t need all the features that WordPress.org offers, then WordPress.com is a good choice. Also importantly, if you’re looking for a business-grade WordPress site, it’s probably going to be best to go with WordPress.org rather than WordPress.com. Business Growth with WordPress: Capabilities and Strategies WordPress is not just a platform for creating websites; it’s a comprehensive ecosystem that can significantly enhance business growth and online presence. Here are some new sections that can add value to the article “What is WordPress?” and how it can benefit businesses further: WordPress for E-commerce Expansion WordPress, coupled with WooCommerce, offers a robust solution for businesses looking to enter or expand in the e-commerce space. WooCommerce is a powerful WordPress plugin that transforms a website into a fully functional online store. With features like product listings, a shopping cart, checkout processes, and secure payment gateways, WordPress combined with WooCommerce offers users a smooth shopping experience. Leveraging WordPress for SEO One of the key strengths of WordPress is its SEO-friendly nature. With plugins like Yoast SEO, businesses can easily optimize their content for search engines right from the WordPress dashboard. This includes editing meta tags, generating sitemaps, and ensuring content readability — all essential factors for improving search engine rankings and attracting more organic traffic. WordPress and Mobile Optimization With the increasing prevalence of mobile internet usage, having a mobile-optimized website is crucial. WordPress themes are responsive by default, meaning they automatically adjust to the screen size of various devices, ensuring your site looks great and functions well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This responsiveness not only enhances user experience but also contributes positively to SEO. WordPress Customization and Flexibility WordPress offers unparalleled customization through thousands of themes and plugins, allowing businesses to tailor their sites to their exact needs and branding. From custom contact forms and appointment booking systems to integrated social media feeds and customer testimonials, the possibilities with WordPress are virtually limitless. This flexibility enables businesses to evolve their websites as they grow, without the need for a complete overhaul. WordPress Community and Support The vast WordPress community is one of its greatest assets. From forums and blogs to WordCamps and meetups, the community offers extensive support, resources, and networking opportunities. Whether you’re looking for advice on theme customization, plugin recommendations, or troubleshooting technical issues, there’s always someone willing to help. WordPress for Content Marketing Content reigns supreme in the realm of digital marketing, and WordPress stands out as the premier platform for managing that content. With its user-friendly editor, Gutenberg, creating and formatting content becomes effortless, empowering businesses to execute a strong content marketing strategy. With features like scheduling posts, categorizing content, and tagging for SEO, WordPress makes it simple to manage a dynamic content calendar. WordPress Security Measures While WordPress is a secure platform, the vast array of themes and plugins can introduce vulnerabilities if not properly managed. However, WordPress continuously updates its software to patch security flaws, and there are numerous security plugins available to safeguard your site further. Regular updates, secure hosting, and best practices in password management can ensure your WordPress site remains safe from threats. Integrating WordPress with Marketing Tools WordPress seamlessly integrates with a plethora of marketing tools and platforms, from email marketing services like Mailchimp to CRM systems like Salesforce. This integration capability enables businesses to streamline their marketing efforts, automate workflows, and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns directly from their WordPress dashboard. How to Start Using WordPress Installing WordPress for your blog or any business is an easy task. Compared to other website builders, the installation of WordPress is user-friendly and can be done faster. The following illustrates the steps for installing WordPress: Step 1: Download and open the WordPress software Step 2: Establish a WordPress database on your web application and a MySQL user with full access and modification capabilities. Step 3: Locate and change wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php, then modify the document to include your database information. Step 4: Upload the WordPress files to your web server’s preferred location Step 5: Access the URL in a web browser to run the WordPress installation script. This should have been the location in which the WordPress files were published. If you are using WordPress.com, you can install almost any WordPress plugin and launch a custom domain for your business site. Step 6: At this step, you can use WordPress. Here, you begin hosting your site, and if you are the WordPress editor, you can start publishing things like WordPress posts and WordPress pages. Step 7: WordPress currently comes with three themes. The current default theme is Twenty Twenty-One, and that’s the first theme you see after logging into your website platform. You can change this to any other theme by going to Appearance > Themes or downloading a new one from the WordPress.org Theme Directory WordPress Tips The following tips and ideas can help you create a WordPress website: Always make sure to decrease your image size to speed up your website. Don’t forget to insert title tags and ALT texts. There will be some posts that you don’t want ads to appear between them. Therefore, you’ll need to hide ads for individual posts. Always edit your permalinks. Add a footer widget to your blog site or business site. Don’t forget to use an SEO plugin. WordPress offers a powerful, flexible, and scalable solution for businesses looking to establish or enhance their online presence. Its ease of use, coupled with extensive customization options and a supportive community, makes it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. By leveraging WordPress’s capabilities, businesses can create engaging, SEO-friendly, and secure websites that drive growth and success in the digital age. Is WordPress Good for Beginners? Yes, it’s surprisingly easy to use for such a powerful website builder. And although there is a little bit of work to installing and publishing your WordPress website, it is about as simple as using Microsoft Word once you get everything going. In brief, whether you are a beginner or an expert, it’s user-friendly right from the start to use WordPress. What are the Disadvantages of WordPress? One of the major disadvantages of WordPress is that more plugins are required for additional features. Also, WordPress websites can go down for no apparent reason and in a way that is difficult to troubleshoot. If you don’t manage your website correctly, it can also tend to be slow and full of spam. Ultimately, the codebase lacks the intuitiveness that some developers expect, making it more challenging to work with WordPress compared to other frameworks. If these challenges are significant for you, consider exploring the best WordPress alternatives to help you launch your site. What Type of Website is WordPress Good For? The following are the types of websites where WordPress is good to use: A blog E-commerce websites Business website Portfolio website Online Community Multilingual websites Frequently asked questions: Is WordPress a web server? Yes, and it’s a web server that handles the majority of high-traffic sites and runs the show. That’s why it’s the webserver of choice for many high-end hosting providers and leading WordPress companies. Can I install WordPress on my personal computer? Yes, you can install WordPress on a PC. What language is WordPress written in? WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) software written in the PHP language associated with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Are multilingual sites allowed in WordPress? Yes, multilingual sites are allowed in WordPress. For example, the popular blogging tool is multilingual, meaning it can be used in different languages. It is also available in 196 languages. Image: Depositphotos This article, "What is WordPress?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

What is WordPress? WordPress powers businesses all over the world. It is one of the most popular website building platforms, and it allows you to create a website or blog from scratch or improve an existing website. There are many notable brands, celebrities and companies that use it too. This article discusses what WordPress is and how it can benefit your business. By the end of this post, you should definitely know the answer to the question, “What is WordPress?” What is a WordPress Website? If you ever did an internet search for “What is WordPress?” you’d likely find out more than 1 in 4 websites use the website platform to power their own website (by the way, the term ‘WordPress’ is searched for nearly 3 million times a month!). That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t really answer the question, “What is WordPress?” right? Simply put, WordPress is a content management system (CMS) developed by WordPress experts Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. The duo designed it as a tool to make it easy for people without any coding experience to create a website or blog from scratch. It is a free, open-source software system licensed under GPLv2 (or later), meaning any user can use, modify, or contribute to its codebase. In addition, WordPress’s open-source software system has end-to-end encryption that can be used on your own web server or by a hosting company. Its functionality and ease of use have resulted in a large community of WordPress users and WordPress developers who have created and utilized themes, plugins, and other tools to quickly and easily build anything from huge online stores to a simple blog. 10 Useful WordPress Statistics If you need further help convincing yourselves or others that WordPress is the best CMS system for your business, be sure to check out the following WordPress statistics: It is currently the most popular content management system on the web. People visit WordPress more than the social media giant Twitter, which has a whopping 156 million unique visitors a month. With a WordPress theme-builder like seedprod, even users who aren’t very technically skilled can easily create a custom WordPress theme from scratch. Over 400 million people visit a WordPress website each month. 661 WordPress sites and nearly 300 new WooCommerce stores appear on average each day. There are over 59,000 free plugins available in the WordPress plugin directory. Over 187 countries have at least one active WordPress installation. The WordPress.org website receives over two billion page views per month. The WordPress app has been downloaded over two million times. Out of 1.3 billion websites on the web, more than 455 million sites use WordPress to power their own website. What is WordPress used for? The question closely following “What is WordPress?” is probably “Why do I need to use a WordPress website for my business, anyway, and is WordPress good for small business websites?” Firstly, when you install WordPress and set everything up, you’ll find that it can be used for developing anything from a small business site to an eCommerce storefront and blog. In fact, some of the most popular websites in the world are powered by WordPress, including Samsung, Forbes, The Guardian, and the New York Times. Additionally, small business sites like ours also use WordPress. Secondly, WordPress offers a wide range of versatile features, and new unique functionalities are being introduced regularly. However, versatility is not the sole reason for WordPress’s popularity; it also includes several features that make it an excellent platform for businesses. Here are just a few examples of what you can do with the king of content management systems: Create website content such as custom pages and posts. Easily integrate it with social media platforms. Help your site rank higher in search engine results through SEO capabilities. Track your website’s traffic and performance with analytics tools. Design a website or blog from scratch. Improve an existing website by adding WordPress functionality. Develop membership sites, chatrooms, directories, wikis, galleries, and online courses. Support all media types, such as audio, video, images, and information-related data. How does WordPress Work? Now that you know a little more about what WordPress is let’s take a look at how it works. The working process of WordPress software is a comprehensive procedure that works by combining some core files, a database, files that you add or install, and a dashboard to let you manage the whole thing. There are also many components, such as themes, plugins, and widgets, that work together to give your website the look and functionality you desire. WordPress core Installing core files is the first procedure in WordPress you will do. When you install WordPress (the WordPress core), you get access to two websites: the WordPress dashboard and your website. The WordPress dashboard is where you manage your website—add posts and pages, change settings, install plugins and themes, etc. The database This place is where all your data and website files are stored. If you are using manual WordPress, you need to install the database. If you are using an auto-installer, it will automatically do the installation process. Extra files Extra files are in the forms of plugins, themes and uploads for WordPress, and they help to make your website or blog look unique by allowing you to customize aspects. WordPress dashboard or admin screen To create a website or blog with WordPress, you first need to install it on a web server. You can do this yourself by downloading the software and installing it on your own web server, or you can have a hosting company do it for you. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to the WordPress dashboard and start creating content. You can add posts and pages, change settings, install plugins and themes, etc. Publishing When you’re ready to launch your website or blog, you simply need to publish it by clicking on the “Publish” button in the WordPress dashboard. After that, your website will be live and accessible to the world. You can also use the WordPress dashboard to track your website’s traffic and performance and see how your visitors are accessing your content. Customization, themes, and plugins Themes control the appearance of your site; plugins add features, and widgets put all the pieces together. When you install WordPress, it comes with a core set of themes and plugins that provide the basic structure for your website. You can then install additional themes and plugins from the WordPress.org plugin directory or other sources to add features like a blog, contact form, social media integration, and more. You can also customize your site’s appearance by editing the CSS code for your theme or using child themes to make changes without affecting the original code. And if you need help with any of this, there are plenty of WordPress tutorials and support forums to help you out. Summary ComponentDescription WordPress CoreInitial files you install. Grants access to the WordPress dashboard (for site management) and your actual website. DatabaseStorage for all website data and files. Manual WordPress requires manual installation, while auto-installs handle this automatically. Extra Files (Plugins, Themes)Customization tools to give a unique look to the site. They can be plugins, themes, or uploads. WordPress DashboardOnce WordPress is installed on a server, you can manage content through the dashboard by adding posts/pages, changing settings, and more. PublishingLaunch your website/blog by clicking the "Publish" button in the dashboard. This action makes your site live to the world. Customization, Themes, PluginsThemes dictate the site's look; plugins add features; widgets integrate various elements. WordPress comes with a basic structure, but additional features can be added from various sources. WordPress.org Vs. WordPress.com There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress that you install on your own web server, while WordPress.com is a hosted version where all the hosting and maintenance is taken care of for you. Why You Should Consider WordPress for Your Business WordPress.com allows you to set up your blog for free, but it has several disadvantages. For instance, you can only create a site under a subdomain, and you can’t remove the ads. Here are a few other ways the two stack up against one another. Ease of Use WordPress.org is a little more difficult to use than WordPress.com, as you need to install it on your own web server and manage all the aspects of your website yourself. With WordPress.com, everything is taken care of for you, and getting started is fairly straightforward. WordPress themes WordPress themes make your website look brilliant, and WordPress.org has full WordPress theme support where you can use custom commercial themes and all the other free themes. The .org version of WordPress also lets you use premium WordPress themes to customize, modify or do pretty much anything you like with your website. WordPress.com doesn’t let you customize themes and only has limited theme support where you are limited to the WordPress themes that exist in their repository. WordPress plugins You will likely need WordPress plugins, and the WordPress.org plugin repository is enormous and has a plugin for just about anything you can imagine. In addition, you can find all types of WordPress plugins—from social media to security plugins. Unfortunately, the WordPress.com plugin library offers only around 100 free WordPress plugins, which may not sufficiently meet your requirements. Domain name Your domain name, or your website’s URL, is what takes your visitors to your website. With WordPress.org, you have full control over your domain name and can use any domain you want. WordPress.com limits you to the .wordpress.com subdomain unless you upgrade to a paid plan that gives you a custom domain name. Web hosting account The cost of hosting for your WordPress website is included in the price when you install WordPress.org on your web server. However, WordPress.org does charge a monthly fee for web hosting, which starts at an estimated $46-$100/yr. WordPress.com is free for up to 3GB of storage space, but you have to deal with their ads splashed across your pages. That might not be a big deal for a personal blog, but it might be a deal-breaker for a small business trying to establish its brand. eCommerce With WordPress.org, you can install any eCommerce plugin you want and create an eCommerce site, giving you a full-blown online store. On the other hand, with WordPress.com, you are limited to the basic Shopify eCommerce platform that has some restrictions on what you can sell. Monetization You can monetize your website with WordPress.org by adding ads, selling products, or accepting donations. Meanwhile, you cannot monetize your site on WordPress.com without upgrading to a paid plan that gives you more features. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) This feature is essential since it helps your business site reach the top Google rank in search results. WordPress.org comes with all the SEO features you need to optimize your website for search engines. With free WordPress.com, you don’t have much control over your website SEO since you can’t install the required plugins. Business plan users can install 3rd-party SEO plugins for about $300/yr. Help and support from the WordPress community WordPress.org has a support community with millions of users who are happy to help you out with any issue you might have. You can also get WordPress assistance through the help and support feature. The WordPress Help Team has helped many entrepreneurs build their business websites and do other tasks. That being said, the .com version of WordPress has much less support and is not as active in the support forums. Free software WordPress.com is free and has many features available if you are looking for an easy way to get started. If you want to use WordPress for your small business, the .org version is probably the best option and will cost anywhere from $46 to $100/year. Of course, it isn’t free, but you get more features and control of your WordPress websites. Google Analytics integration Google Analytics is a valuable tool for boosting your website traffic and converting visitors into leads. With WordPress.org, you have access to robust Google Analytics tracking integrated into the platform, allowing you to monitor your website’s performance and understand the origins of your visitors. However, this feature is not available on WordPress.com. Website security There are different types of website security in WordPress, such as backdoors, pharma hacks, malicious redirects, denial of service, and many more. WordPress.org gives you the ability to install a good security plugin and harden the security of your WordPress site with only a few clicks. WordPress.com doesn’t give you this feature. WordPress site customization WordPress.org WordPress.org is the preferred option for users looking to create a more personalized digital presence. This platform offers significant flexibility, enabling extensive changes to both website design and functionality. One of the highlights of WordPress.org is its flexibility to allow direct CSS edits, which means webmasters can tweak the visual appearance down to the smallest detail. Additionally, for those wanting a more sustainable and advanced customization without affecting the primary theme, creating child themes is a beneficial option. A child theme inherits the features and appearance of its parent theme but allows for modifications without affecting the original theme, making it an invaluable tool for developers and designers. WordPress.com: In contrast, WordPress.com is more restrictive when it comes to customization. Users are limited to basic theme alterations, which means direct modifications to CSS or the creation of child themes are off the table. While it’s simpler and more user-friendly, especially for beginners, those with a distinct vision for their website might find it limiting. This platform is perfect for those who appreciate ready-made templates and wish to avoid the complexities of detailed design changes. Mobile-Friendly features Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com are mobile-friendly, meaning they can be used on a PC, tablet or mobile phone. However, WordPress.org has more features that make it easier for your website to look good on mobile devices and screen sizes. Speed WordPress.org is faster than WordPress.com because you are in control of all the aspects of your website and can optimize it for speed. So…which version of WordPress should you choose? If you want more control over your WordPress website and don’t mind managing the technical aspects yourself, then WordPress.org is the better option. If you’re looking for an easy way to get started with a blog or don’t need all the features that WordPress.org offers, then WordPress.com is a good choice. Also importantly, if you’re looking for a business-grade WordPress site, it’s probably going to be best to go with WordPress.org rather than WordPress.com. Business Growth with WordPress: Capabilities and Strategies WordPress is not just a platform for creating websites; it’s a comprehensive ecosystem that can significantly enhance business growth and online presence. Here are some new sections that can add value to the article “What is WordPress?” and how it can benefit businesses further: WordPress for E-commerce Expansion WordPress, coupled with WooCommerce, offers a robust solution for businesses looking to enter or expand in the e-commerce space. WooCommerce is a powerful WordPress plugin that transforms a website into a fully functional online store. With features like product listings, a shopping cart, checkout processes, and secure payment gateways, WordPress combined with WooCommerce offers users a smooth shopping experience. Leveraging WordPress for SEO One of the key strengths of WordPress is its SEO-friendly nature. With plugins like Yoast SEO, businesses can easily optimize their content for search engines right from the WordPress dashboard. This includes editing meta tags, generating sitemaps, and ensuring content readability — all essential factors for improving search engine rankings and attracting more organic traffic. WordPress and Mobile Optimization With the increasing prevalence of mobile internet usage, having a mobile-optimized website is crucial. WordPress themes are responsive by default, meaning they automatically adjust to the screen size of various devices, ensuring your site looks great and functions well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This responsiveness not only enhances user experience but also contributes positively to SEO. WordPress Customization and Flexibility WordPress offers unparalleled customization through thousands of themes and plugins, allowing businesses to tailor their sites to their exact needs and branding. From custom contact forms and appointment booking systems to integrated social media feeds and customer testimonials, the possibilities with WordPress are virtually limitless. This flexibility enables businesses to evolve their websites as they grow, without the need for a complete overhaul. WordPress Community and Support The vast WordPress community is one of its greatest assets. From forums and blogs to WordCamps and meetups, the community offers extensive support, resources, and networking opportunities. Whether you’re looking for advice on theme customization, plugin recommendations, or troubleshooting technical issues, there’s always someone willing to help. WordPress for Content Marketing Content reigns supreme in the realm of digital marketing, and WordPress stands out as the premier platform for managing that content. With its user-friendly editor, Gutenberg, creating and formatting content becomes effortless, empowering businesses to execute a strong content marketing strategy. With features like scheduling posts, categorizing content, and tagging for SEO, WordPress makes it simple to manage a dynamic content calendar. WordPress Security Measures While WordPress is a secure platform, the vast array of themes and plugins can introduce vulnerabilities if not properly managed. However, WordPress continuously updates its software to patch security flaws, and there are numerous security plugins available to safeguard your site further. Regular updates, secure hosting, and best practices in password management can ensure your WordPress site remains safe from threats. Integrating WordPress with Marketing Tools WordPress seamlessly integrates with a plethora of marketing tools and platforms, from email marketing services like Mailchimp to CRM systems like Salesforce. This integration capability enables businesses to streamline their marketing efforts, automate workflows, and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns directly from their WordPress dashboard. How to Start Using WordPress Installing WordPress for your blog or any business is an easy task. Compared to other website builders, the installation of WordPress is user-friendly and can be done faster. The following illustrates the steps for installing WordPress: Step 1: Download and open the WordPress software Step 2: Establish a WordPress database on your web application and a MySQL user with full access and modification capabilities. Step 3: Locate and change wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php, then modify the document to include your database information. Step 4: Upload the WordPress files to your web server’s preferred location Step 5: Access the URL in a web browser to run the WordPress installation script. This should have been the location in which the WordPress files were published. If you are using WordPress.com, you can install almost any WordPress plugin and launch a custom domain for your business site. Step 6: At this step, you can use WordPress. Here, you begin hosting your site, and if you are the WordPress editor, you can start publishing things like WordPress posts and WordPress pages. Step 7: WordPress currently comes with three themes. The current default theme is Twenty Twenty-One, and that’s the first theme you see after logging into your website platform. You can change this to any other theme by going to Appearance > Themes or downloading a new one from the WordPress.org Theme Directory WordPress Tips The following tips and ideas can help you create a WordPress website: Always make sure to decrease your image size to speed up your website. Don’t forget to insert title tags and ALT texts. There will be some posts that you don’t want ads to appear between them. Therefore, you’ll need to hide ads for individual posts. Always edit your permalinks. Add a footer widget to your blog site or business site. Don’t forget to use an SEO plugin. WordPress offers a powerful, flexible, and scalable solution for businesses looking to establish or enhance their online presence. Its ease of use, coupled with extensive customization options and a supportive community, makes it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. By leveraging WordPress’s capabilities, businesses can create engaging, SEO-friendly, and secure websites that drive growth and success in the digital age. Is WordPress Good for Beginners? Yes, it’s surprisingly easy to use for such a powerful website builder. And although there is a little bit of work to installing and publishing your WordPress website, it is about as simple as using Microsoft Word once you get everything going. In brief, whether you are a beginner or an expert, it’s user-friendly right from the start to use WordPress. What are the Disadvantages of WordPress? One of the major disadvantages of WordPress is that more plugins are required for additional features. Also, WordPress websites can go down for no apparent reason and in a way that is difficult to troubleshoot. If you don’t manage your website correctly, it can also tend to be slow and full of spam. Ultimately, the codebase lacks the intuitiveness that some developers expect, making it more challenging to work with WordPress compared to other frameworks. If these challenges are significant for you, consider exploring the best WordPress alternatives to help you launch your site. What Type of Website is WordPress Good For? The following are the types of websites where WordPress is good to use: A blog E-commerce websites Business website Portfolio website Online Community Multilingual websites Frequently asked questions: Is WordPress a web server? Yes, and it’s a web server that handles the majority of high-traffic sites and runs the show. That’s why it’s the webserver of choice for many high-end hosting providers and leading WordPress companies. Can I install WordPress on my personal computer? Yes, you can install WordPress on a PC. What language is WordPress written in? WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) software written in the PHP language associated with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Are multilingual sites allowed in WordPress? Yes, multilingual sites are allowed in WordPress. For example, the popular blogging tool is multilingual, meaning it can be used in different languages. It is also available in 196 languages. Image: Depositphotos This article, "What is WordPress?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Washington has decided to abandon both Ukraine and its postwar role in the worldView the full article

Implemented in January, the Biden administration rule addressed flood risk in designated zones, setting building levels that were higher than FEMA standards. View the full article

Toyota announced plans to restructure its board on Tuesday in what it described as an attempt to bring in more diverse views and give a larger roles to auditors. Among six appointments is Christopher Reynolds, now an executive in the automaker’s North American operations. As a lawyer, and son of a Ford worker, he brings experience in human resources and risk management, according to Toyota. The number of women on the 10-person board will grow from one to two with the appointments of Kumi Fujisawa, an independent outsider and entrepreneur, and Hiromi Osada, previously a Toyota auditor. George Olcott, previously an auditor, will also join the board. The number of outside members will rise from four to five. Takanori Azuma, a Toyota Human Resources official, said the new board includes auditors for the first time. The company’s internal controls have come under scrutiny since it admitted to cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models last year. Azuma said the additions are designed to bring diverse views to its leadership as “weapons for survival” in a changing environment. “It would be a mistake to assume that what we think up internally will be what our customers and people around the world can empathize with,” he said. The maker of the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models has been trying to transform itself into what it calls “a mobility company” as the auto industry undergoes drastic changes including the arrival of powerful relative newcomers like Tesla and BYD. Chairman Akio Toyoda, from the company’s founding family, and Chief Executive Koji Sato’s positions will remain unchanged. The company will seek approval for the new board at a general shareholders’ meeting later this year. Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama —Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer View the full article

Clicks, the iPhone keyboard accessory that went viral during CES 2024, is now coming to multiple Android phones—Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25, and the Moto Razr+ (2024). Clicks adds a physical QWERTY keyboard to your smartphone, and also functions as a case for your device. Up until now, Clicks was available exclusively for all iPhone 15 and 16 devices, as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. When the first iPhone launched, it sounded a death knell for smartphones with physical keyboards, as the world moved to bar-shaped phones with big screens. Touchscreen typing is good enough for most people, but Clicks is betting on the fact that content creators, vloggers, and people who value productivity may find it easier to type on a physical keyboard. I know for a fact that I make far fewer typos on my MacBook than I do on my iPhone, but the downside with Clicks is that it adds a lot of heft to your phone. It changes the weight distribution of your phone, and some people may find it harder to use their phones since it will feel more top-heavy. Clicks says Android users can customize typing settings on their device using a companion app, such as changing the function of shortcut buttons. Each Clicks case has a few shortcut buttons that vary by device, but a search button appears on all variants of the keyboard. The company says the keys have metal dome switches that provide tactile feedback and that the keys are backlit, so you don't need to switch back to the on-screen keyboard whenever you lose light. Since the keyboard is below the screen, you can use your phone's entire display all the time. That's a perk, especially for apps that benefit from added screen real estate, but it does make your phone bulky enough that it may not easily fit in your pocket or purse. That said, you don't need to remove the case to charge your phone, since Clicks supports USB-C passthrough charging. For Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, Clicks supports wireless charging, too. Credit: Clicks On Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, Click is available in two colors: Surge (yellow) and Onyx (black). The company says it expects to start shipping these cases by late April. For the Motorola Razr+ (2024), the color options are Electric (blue) and Onyx, and the case is expected to ship late May. Finally, for the Galaxy S25, the color variants are Pinot (a reddish brown) and Onyx, and shipping is expected in June. Pre-orders for all Android variants of the keyboard accessory open today on the company's website at an introductory price of $99. That price is valid until March 21. If you order after that, the final price is $139. View the full article

Many things remain uncertain about AI’s future impact on our lives. One that isn’t in doubt is that more and more of the world’s software will be written, at least in part, by software. Already, 25% of Google’s code is generated by AI, CEO Sundar Pichai said last October. By 2028, projects research firm Gartner, 75% of enterprise developers will use AI tools in their work. This trend is reflected in programmers’ embrace of products such as GitHub Copilot and Cursor, which let them call on generative AI to fill in some of the specific code as they tackle a project—essentially a fancy form of autocomplete for software engineering. The next step beyond that is AI coding assistance that’s more agentic—capable of handling at least certain tasks from start to finish without constant supervision. That’s what a San Francisco startup called Factory offers with its platform, which officially debuts today. “Our mission, at a high level, is to bring autonomy to software engineering,” says Factory CEO Matan Grinberg, who founded the company with CTO Eno Reyes. Its platform includes agents—Factory calls them Droids—that “automate tasks in the software development lifecycle, and in particular tasks that developers don’t want to do—testing, debugging, refactoring, migrations, all that ugly stuff,” explains Grinberg. Factory aims to go beyond the code-autocomplete features offered by tools such as GitHub Copilot. Rather than replacing something like the GitHub Copilot, Factory aims to provide a new layer for software projects that’s compatible with the processes and products a team already has in place. “For those who use Copilot, it’s like, ‘Okay, cool—I brought this down from [Factory],’” says Grinberg. “‘Now there’s some other things I want to do.’” ‘I had a bit of an existential crisis’ Grinberg and Reyes were respectively 24 and 23 when they started Factory in 2023—by all accounts, a whirlwind of an experience. It started when Grinberg, who’d studied string theory at Princeton and was working on a PhD in physics at Berkeley, suddenly began questioning his trajectory in life. “I realized that I had spent basically the last decade obsessed with physics,” he says, “and I was only doing it because it was hard, not because I actually loved it. Which is obviously a horrible reason to pursue a career path. So, I had a bit of an existential crisis.” Grinberg found a new obsession in AI, a technology whose destiny had been permanently altered by the arrival of ChatGPT. He was particularly fascinated by program synthesis (later better known as code generation): the science of teaching software to write software. He became a regular at AI hackathons, including the one where he met Reyes, who’d written his thesis on deep learning and worked on language models at Microsoft and Hugging Face. (The two had been at Princeton at the same time and—despite having overlapping circles of friends— had somehow managed not to know each other.) At Hugging Face, “I was working with Databricks, Bloomberg, Grammarly—everyone wanted code gen,” says Reyes. He’d already collaborated on an AI code generator for finance applications. “There’s way more opportunity here,” he remembers thinking. Factory’s platform lets users select code and other data to incorporate into collections called Workflows. This is where a classic Silicon Valley element of serendipity kicked in. At almost the same moment Grinberg and Reyes connected, Grinberg had sent an unsolicited email to Shaun Maguire, a partner at venture capital titan Sequoia, seeking career advice. “It’s very rare that cold emails actually turn into something,” says Maguire. But like Grinberg, Maguire had a background in high-energy physics theory. And when he learned that Grinberg had coauthored a paper with legendary physicist Juan Maldacena, the credential blew his socks off. In person, Maguire was even more impressed by Grinberg: “I was shocked that not only does this guy like have the IQ to write a string theory paper with Juan Maldacena as an undergrad, but he also has charisma and sales ability and empathy.” He immediately encouraged Grinberg to pivot from PhD student to startup founder—a goal Grinberg now acknowledges he’d already had in mind, though he’d kept it to himself. A week later, Grinberg returned with the idea that became Factory. By then, the GitHub Copilot had shown that AI could produce lines of code usable in a production environment. But as the name Copilot indicates, it was doing so under the watchful eye of a human programmer. Grinberg was thinking ahead to AI that could perform some straightforward tasks more independently—in other words, agentic AI, though nobody was bandying around the term at the time. “His point was, ‘Copilot is great, but soon we’re going to have junior developers in a box,’” remembers Maguire. “And that’s what he wanted to work towards.” Sequoia helped get Grinberg and Reyes on their way by leading Factory’s $5 million seed round of funding. It followed up by leading a $15 million Series A round in 2024. ‘Delegating away some tasks’ Grinberg emphasizes that Factory doesn’t envision AI taking over coding in a sweeping fashion anytime soon. Instead, the exact nature of the human-computer collaboration will vary from area to area. “Software developers of the future will be delegating away some tasks,” he says. “They will be pairing with AI on others. And they will be more directly hands-on working on some things with suggestions from AI as they do it.” In a demo, he showed me how the company’s platform uses AI to let engineering teams create shareable, easily digestible collections of all the code and other data associated with a particular project. Known as Workflows, they don’t just help humans keep tabs on what’s where. They’re also a starting point for the Droid agents, which can take on useful grunt work relating to the code encompassed by a Workflow. For example, many programmers use a system called Mermaid to create diagrams about works in progress—say, a chart documenting all the dependencies that various blocks of code might have on each other. Instead of personally writing the lines of JavaScript necessary to create a Mermaid diagram, a user might have a Droid do the job and then save the results as a code snippet for later use. Similarly, if a project has code that lacks comments—embedded explanations documenting what the software is doing and how it does it—a Droid can add them. Among the software development tasks Factory’s AI can assist with is one of the most basic of them all: debugging. Those are examples of tasks that many teams might happily offload to AI. But the whole point is that users can ask Droids to undertake assignments on the fly—“something as spontaneous as ’Hey, can you generate me a customer usage dashboard?’” says Grinberg. Such a dashboard could draw on any relevant data the user added to the Workflow in question. And like everything Droids create, it would be reusable. Of course, there’s nothing new about using dashboards to help wrangle complex projects. In the past, however, they’ve been one-size-fits-all tools hard-coded by a platform provider. By using generative AI, Factory wants to pioneer a more fluid approach in which its customers can call on Droids to construct the functionality they want when they want it. Instead of being “set in stone,” says Reyes, a team’s working environment can consist in part of “LLM-generated, malleable pieces of content.” That malleability includes the ability to choose the large language models that power Factory’s AI: “We support everything, basically,” says Grinberg. Even freshly-minted, cutting-edge models are on the list, including xAI’s Grok 3 (announced last week) and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.7 (announced on Monday). By riding atop all the major LLMs, Factory expects to get more powerful as they do, opening up scenarios where Droids grow competent at work that’s presently beyond their skill set. “Building for what’s going to be possible in a year or two is how we got here first,” says Reyes. “And we’re already building for what will be possible a year or two in the future.” Which is not to say that Factory fully understands how its customers will use its platform. As with all things generative AI, nobody knows for sure what it can and can’t do well until someone gives it a try. “We just want a ton of people to see this new paradigm of interacting with software,” says Grinberg. “It’s just going to be so much fun to have all these people who have really strong opinions get their hands dirty.” View the full article

Decision to plunder the development budget brings end to era of Britain as an ‘aid superpower’ View the full article

Mr. Cooper expects close to 350 former Flagstar employees to be integrated as team members. View the full article

Lifting is about as simple as an exercise gets: You pick the thing up, and you put the thing down. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to walk into the gym and just pick the thing up. A proper warmup can help you to be ready for your lifting, so let’s talk about how to build your best lifting warmup routine. Why a warmup is important (and when it may not be)First, let’s talk about why we warm up. People often talk about warmups as if they will magically prevent injury, or that skipping one will result in some other disaster. That’s not necessarily true. They also won’t really do much for your chances of suffering from soreness (or not) after the workout, either. If you feel comfortable walking straight from the front door to the squat rack, you don’t need to add a warmup. You will probably benefit from a warmup if any of these are true of your lifting workouts: You feel achy or creaky at the beginning of workouts. The first few sets always feel heavier than they should. You have trouble getting into positions that you need for the workout (like the bottom of a squat). You do exercises that get you breathing hard, like circuit training or anything where you're rushing to complete reps to a timer. A warmup can address one or all of those concerns, preparing you for the job of lifting. Your muscles will work better when they’re warm (like, literally at a higher temperature). You’ll also want to be ready to move in all of the ways that the lift requires. If your ankles are stiff, for example, getting them moving will help them to be able to flex more during your squat. If you're worried about your warmup taking forever, good news—you only need to include the parts of the warmup that you, personally need to benefit from. Two people might warm up in completely different ways for the same workout. So let's talk about the different components of a warmup, and how to know which ones you need. Cardio warms you up and gets you ready for workBefore lifting, a lot of folks like to hop on the treadmill or rower for five to 10 minutes, or perhaps do some jumping jacks. A cardio warmup like one of these offers a few benefits: It physically warms up your muscles, It gets at least some of your muscles and joints moving. It gets your energy systems (enzymes, etc) into the groove of supplying extra power to your muscles. Remember how, when you run, the first mile (or the first 10 minutes or so) feels sluggish? That’s because your body is ramping up those energy systems so you can use them more efficiently during the rest of your workout. If your lifting workout keeps your heart rate high—like a Crossfit-style WOD—this cardio warmup is essential for making the rest of the workout not suck. If you’re just going to be lifting at your own pace, cardio isn’t essential, but the warmth and movement may still help you feel better and serve as a mental and physical introduction to the work you’re about to do. Mobility work gets you ready to reach specific positionsWe’re not (just) talking about stretching here. If you want to work on your flexibility by doing long, deep static stretches, that’s best saved for after the workout. As you’re getting ready to lift, you may want to instead do some mobility work. Mobility, in this context, means being able to move in the ways that your workout requires. If you’re going to do some squats, and your calves and ankles tend to be stiff, and this stiffness prevents you from getting as deep into the squat as you’d like, then you should spend some time before doing your squats working on your ankle mobility. (We have some specific suggestions for that here.) Apply this same principle to whatever exercise you’re planning. If you have a hard time arching your back in the bench press, do some upper back mobility work first (I like to lie on my back on top of a foam roller). If you’re going to do snatches or overhead squats, you may want to do some shoulder stretches. Stretching before a workout can give you a temporary boost to your flexibility that lasts through the workout. This stage is where foam rolling and dynamic stretching can come in. Foam rolling can help loosen up a muscle, like a little massage. And dynamic stretches are warmup movements that take your joints through whatever range of motion you will be asking them to do later. Google “mobility work for ___” and you’ll get plenty of ideas. Ultimately, what you use in this section of the warmup should be whatever will best help you to be successful later in the workout. Experiment with adding moves in or taking them out. "Activation" exercises prepare your musclesSometimes it’s nice to do an exercise that uses whatever muscles you’ll be using in the main workout, but with lighter weights or even via a totally different movement. For example, banded glute bridges could help you get ready for a workout where the focus is squats or hip thrusts. To be totally clear, you don’t need to “activate” muscles to be able to use them later, even though purveyors of booty bands will try to convince you this is an essential step. These exercises just give your muscles a preview of what they’ll be doing in the main event, and can help you get through your warmup sets of the main lift (see below) a bit more quickly. For more on what activation exercises are really doing, see my explainer. Technique drills help you perfect your skillsIf you’re doing a lift that requires precise technique, you may want to practice drills that help with that specific lift. For example, before I do snatches, I like to do drills with just the bar: maybe some hang snatches, or overhead squats, or tall snatches. Again, select exercises for this stage based on what technique work you need to practice. Goblet squats may be a good primer for barbell squats, for example. Your warmup sets with the empty bar or lighter weightsThis step is essential if you're doing a heavy lift. Let’s say you’re going to do squats at 200 pounds today. Just because you’ve warmed up with cardio or mobility doesn’t mean you're ready to load 200 pounds on the bar and go for it. Instead, you'll do some squats with the empty bar, and then maybe with 95 pounds, 135 pounds, 155 pounds, and 185 pounds. While the other warmup components we discussed are negotiable, most lifting coaches would agree that these warmup sets with the bar are mandatory. They can often even replace most of the above steps, because if you do enough warmup sets, you’ll be getting your body warm, moving through the necessary motions, activating your muscles, and practicing the technique of the lift you’re about to do. Start by doing a set of the same number of reps you will do for your working sets, or more. So if you’re going to do five reps at 200 pounds, start with a set of 5–10 reps with only a bar. Then add some weight, and then add some more, and then some more, until you get to the target weight for your first working set of the day. The exact jumps in weight aren’t important so long as you have several stops on your way to the working set for the day. How to customize your warmupI like to think about warming up for lifting as combining my warmup sets (as described in the section above) plus whatever I need that my warmup sets don’t adequately cover. So if you feel like you need more mobility work than warmup sets alone will give you, you might walk in the gym, do five minutes on the treadmill to warm up your legs, and then do some foam rolling and ankle stretches before you start squatting. You haven’t done any technique or activation work, but that’s fine if you don’t feel you need it. Or if your mobility is fine but you’re planning on doing a circuit-style workout and you hate that you’re always getting out of breath between lifts, you might benefit from a more thorough cardio warmup to make sure you’re ready for the fast pace of the workout. It’s fine for your warmup to be different for each workout, or for it to change over time. Older athletes often find they need more warmup time than they did when they were younger, and we all might need more of a warmup in cold weather than when it’s hot out. Figure out what makes sense for you, and build your warmup accordingly. View the full article

A new album called “Is This What We Want?” features a stellar list of more than 1,000 musicians—and the sound of silence. With contributions from artists including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, and Damon Albarn, the album was released Tuesday to protest proposed British changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control. The U.K. government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out. Critics of the idea fear that will make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and will undermine Britain’s creative industries. Elton John and Paul McCartney are among those who have spoken out against the plan. The protest album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, to show what they fear will be the fate of creative venues if the plan goes through. The titles of the 12 tracks spell out: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.” Profits will be donated to the musicians’ charity Help Musicians. “The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them,” said composer and AI developer Ed Newton-Rex, who organized the album. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary,” Newton-Rex said. “The U.K. can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus.” Britain’s center-left Labour Party government says it wants to make the U.K. a world leader in AI. In December, it announced a consultation into how copyright law can “enable creators and right holders to exercise control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works for AI training” while also ensuring “AI developers have easy access to a broad range of high-quality creative content.” The consultation closes on Tuesday. Publishers, artists’ organizations and media companies, including the Associated Press, have banded together as the Creative Rights in AI Coalition to oppose weakening copyright protections. Several U.K. newspapers ran wraparounds over their front pages on Tuesday, criticizing the government consultation and saying: “Let’s protect the creative industries—it’s only fair.” —Jill Lawless, Associated Press View the full article

Today, February 25, is a make-or-break day for Super Micro Computer (aka Supermicro) and its stock, which trades on the Nasdaq under the SMCI ticker. That’s because by the end of today, the beleaguered server company needs to file its delinquent Form 10-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If it fails to do so, the company’s shares may be delisted from the Nasdaq. Here’s what you need to know about its stock price ahead of the deadline and the possible outcomes should Super Micro Computer fail to meet its requirements. SMCI stock price sinks ahead of filing deadline As of the time of this writing, in early trading SMCI’s stock price is down over 8% to to above $47 per share. Today’s stock price fall follows an 8% fall yesterday. Much of the market is down this week, including big tech stocks, although not as dramatically. One reason for SMCI’s fall is most likely jitters as to whether the company will indeed file its delinquent Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2024, as well as additional forms for the first two fiscal 2025 quarters with the SEC. The forms are both a legal requirement and a condition of being listed on the Nasdaq. Supermicro missed the earlier filing deadlines amidst a swath of negative news last year, which has rattled investors since August. Most prominently, the company has faced allegations of accounting irregularities. These allegations, along with a failure to file specific financial forms, have led to the stock price fluctuating wildly since the fall. Concerns surrounding these issues have led to a 22% decline in SMCI’s stock price over the past six months. In November, the stock bottomed out at below $18 per share—a far cry from its high of over $122 per share earlier in the year. However, despite the company’s most recent declines this week, SMCI stock has still recovered a fair amount since its November lows. Year to date, the stock is up over 55%. Where that stock price goes from here—at least in the near term—may largely depend on whether Supermicro meets its filing deadlines today. Will Super Micro Computer meet its 10-K filing deadline? Surprisingly, despite today being the deadline for the 10-K filing, Supermicro has not given any update on it since last week. On February 19, the company addressed the filing in a Q2 2025 preliminary report. At the time Super Micro Computer said that it “continues to work diligently toward the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024.” It went on to state that “Based on information currently available, the Company believes it will make such filings by February 25, 2025.” Fast Company has reached out to Supermicro for an update on the filings. We will update this post if we hear back. What happens if Super Micro Computer misses its deadline? If Supermicro misses its deadline, SMCI stock may very well be delisted from the Nasdaq after the market closes today. However, as noted by MarketWatch, a Wedbush analyst says that Super Micro has the option of asking for another extension to file the required forms. That extension could be for as many as 180 days. This means today will likely end in one of the three following ways for Super Micro Computer: Supermicro may file its delinquent SEC forms by the deadline. Supermicro may not meet the deadline but receive an extension. Supermicro may not meet its deadline and not receive an extension. If Super Micro Computer achieves option No. 1—meeting the deadline today—it’s possible that investors will react kindly. The next best-case scenario is option No. 2, where the company does not meet the deadline but receives an extension. Option No. 3 is the worst outcome. As of the time of this writing, which of the three above options comes to pass remains to be seen. This story is developing… View the full article

Effective retail inventory management is key for running a successful retail business because it allows you to maintain optimal stock levels, minimize carrying costs, and meet customer demand. It ensures that the right products are available at the right time and place, helping to prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve cash flow. Retail stores can improve operational efficiency, increase profitability, and provide a better customer experience by optimizing their inventory levels and processes. Using effective inventory tracking and control, a business owner can optimize stock levels, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales. What is Retail Inventory Management? Retail inventory management refers to the strategic planning, monitoring, and control of merchandise stock levels within a retail environment. It involves activities such as forecasting demand, setting reorder points, tracking inventory turnover, and optimizing stock levels to meet customer demand while minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Effective retail inventory management ensures that retailers have the right products available at the right time and place to meet customer needs and maximize sales opportunities. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory Management Here are the steps to take to develop your best retail inventory management system and processes. 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software: Research and evaluate different retail management software for the best options based on your business needs and budget. For retail management software, consider factors such as features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, and customer support. Select the software that best aligns with your requirements and implement it according to the vendor’s guidelines. 2. Implement an Inventory Management System Develop clear procedures and protocols for receiving, storing, and tracking inventory for your retail store. Train employees on how to use the inventory management system effectively. Establish workflows at your retail store for managing stock levels, replenishment, and order fulfillment. Integrate the inventory management system with other business systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) and accounting software, for seamless operations. 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records Schedule regular updates at your retail store to inventory records to ensure accuracy. Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology to streamline data entry and minimize errors. Set up automated alerts for low stock levels, discrepancies, or potential issues. Assign responsibility for retail inventory updates to specific employees or teams to ensure accountability. 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits Plan and schedule regular physical inventory audits or cycle counts as an integral part of your inventory management process. Utilize inventory management software or manual counting techniques to align physical inventory with the documented inventory levels. Investigate and resolve any discrepancies identified during the audit process. Analyze audit findings to identify trends, root causes of inventory discrepancies, and areas for improvement to better manage inventory. 5. Optimize Stock Levels Utilize sales data, demand forecasting, and historical trends to set appropriate stock levels and manage inventory. Implement inventory control measures such as ABC analysis and safety stock to optimize inventory levels. Establish reorder points and replenishment triggers to ensure timely restocking. Continuously monitor and adjust stock levels based on changing demand patterns, seasonality, and market trends to manage inventory costs. By following these actionable steps, retail store business owners can create and maintain an effective inventory management system that improves efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory ManagementKey ActionsConsiderationsObjectives 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software- Research and evaluate software options - Consider features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, customer support - Select and implement the chosen software- Business needs - Budget constraints - Future growth potential- To have a robust system that aligns with business requirements and supports efficient inventory management 2. Implement an Inventory Management System- Develop inventory procedures and protocols - Train employees on system use - Establish workflows for stock management and order fulfillment - Integrate with POS and accounting software- User-friendliness of the system - Integration with existing business systems - Employee training and adoption- To ensure accurate and efficient inventory tracking and management through standardized processes and system integration 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records- Schedule regular inventory updates - Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology - Set up automated alerts for inventory issues - Assign inventory update responsibilities- Accuracy and timeliness of data entry - Technology adoption and use - Accountability in inventory management- To maintain up-to-date and accurate inventory records, minimizing errors and enabling timely decision-making 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits- Plan and schedule inventory audits - Reconcile physical inventory with system records - Investigate discrepancies - Analyze audit findings for improvement- Methodology of audits (physical counts, cycle counting) - Frequency of audits - Resolution processes for discrepancies- To verify inventory accuracy, identify issues, and implement corrective actions to improve inventory management practices 5. Optimize Stock Levels- Utilize sales data and forecasting for stock levels - Implement control measures (e.g., ABC analysis) - Establish reorder points - Monitor and adjust stock levels based on demand- Demand forecasting accuracy - Inventory carrying costs - Market trends and seasonality- To balance inventory investment with customer demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts and managing inventory costs efficiently Best Practices in Retail Inventory Management Of course, using your “best fit” retail inventory management software is key, but you also need to back that up with some hands-on work. That will help you keep inventory costs down. Accurate Demand Forecasting Regular Audits and Cycle Counts: Conduct regular physical inventory audits and cycle counts to verify stock levels and identify discrepancies. This helps in maintaining inventory accuracy and identifying any issues such as shrinkage or theft. Cross-Channel Inventory Integration: If operating across multiple sales channels (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms), integrate inventory management systems to provide a unified view of inventory levels and prevent overselling or stockouts. Seasonal and Promotional Planning: Anticipate seasonal demand fluctuations and plan inventory levels accordingly. Additionally, align inventory levels with promotional campaigns and events to capitalize on sales opportunities while minimizing excess inventory. Forecasting and Demand Planning: Utilize historical sales data, market trends, and other factors to forecast demand accurately. This helps in determining appropriate inventory levels and avoiding stockouts or overstock situations. Accurate Demand Forecasting using sales data and market trends helps predict customer demand. Efficient Supplier Management Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure reliable and timely deliveries, which ensures timely restocking. Negotiate better terms such as discounts, flexible payment terms, and returns policies to improve inventory management efficiency. Maintaining quality control is vital for inventory management. Leveraging Data for Inventory Optimization There are several ways to apply data analytics and insights gathered from retail management software, which can help you make informed decisions about stock levels, product placement, and sales strategies. ABC Analysis: Use the ABC analysis technique to categorize inventory based on its value and prioritize management efforts accordingly. “A” items are high-value items that contribute significantly to revenue and should be closely monitored. “B” items are moderate in value and require regular attention, while “C” items are low-value items with lower priority. Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory: Implement JIT inventory management practices to minimize carrying costs and reduce the risk of obsolete inventory. With JIT, inventory is ordered and received only when needed, helping to optimize cash flow and warehouse inventory management. Tips for Successful Retail Inventory Management Effective retail inventory management is crucial for operating a successful retail business. It ensures that you have the appropriate products available at the right time to satisfy customer demand, prevent stockouts, and reduce excess inventory. Below are detailed tips for successful retail inventory management, which include essential elements of the inventory management process: Understand the Basic Components of Inventory Management: Inventory Tracking: Establish systems to monitor inventory levels, manage orders, track sales, and oversee deliveries. Demand Forecasting: Use historical sales data to predict future demand for products. Stock Replenishment: Determine reorder points and quantities to maintain optimal stock levels. Inventory Audits: Regularly compare physical inventory counts with system records to identify discrepancies. Research for the Best Retail Management Software: Evaluate Features: Look for software with features like real-time inventory tracking, analytics, and integration with your sales channels. Consider Scalability: Choose a system that can grow with your business, accommodating more products and higher volumes of sales, or even specialty programs like warehouse inventory management software. Seek User-Friendly Interfaces: Ensure the order management software is easy for you and your staff to use to minimize errors and training time. Read Reviews and Ask for Recommendations: Learn from the experiences of others in your industry. Prioritize Accuracy in Inventory Processes: Implement Barcoding Systems: Use barcodes to accurately track inventory movement and reduce manual entry errors. Train Staff Regularly: Ensure all employees understand the importance of accuracy in inventory management and how to properly use inventory systems. Perform Regular Audits: Arrange for frequent inventory counts to verify the accuracy of your inventory records. Utilize Cycle Counting: Instead of a full inventory count, regularly audit a subset of inventory so that every item is checked periodically. Maintain a Customer-Focused Approach: Understand Customer Preferences: Keep track of which products are popular and stock accordingly. Monitor Trends: Stay aware of industry trends and customer feedback to quickly adapt your inventory to meet market demands. Offer Alternatives: When popular items are out of stock, have alternative products available to meet customer needs. Enhance Shopping Experience: Use inventory data to organize store layouts and online product placements in a way that enhances shopping experience. Optimize Inventory Levels: Balance Stock Levels: Maintain enough stock to meet demand without overstocking, using techniques like just-in-time (JIT) inventory. Analyze Sales Data: Regularly review sales data to identify slow-moving items and adjust inventory levels accordingly. Manage Supplier Relationships: Build strong relationships with suppliers for reliable lead times and flexible order quantities. Leverage Technology for Efficiency: Integrate Systems: Make sure that your inventory management system is compatible with point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, and accounting software to facilitate smooth operations. Utilize Mobile Devices: Mobile solutions are used for inventory counts and accessing inventory data from anywhere in the store or warehouse. The best inventory app for your needs will come with robust features and a user-friendly interface. By focusing on these key areas, retailers can develop a robust inventory management strategy that not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BApH54Oyleo%3Fsi%3DCBW28JmATagXdIMq Inventory Management: Essential for Your Retail Business Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or opening your first retail store, implementing a robust inventory tracking system is essential. Effective retail inventory management systems play a critical role in achieving retail success, helping you stay competitive and meet customer demand. This can be a manual system or a more sophisticated software solution, depending on the size and complexity of your operations. Inventory management software can help track stock levels, sales trends, and reorder points, making it easier to optimize inventory levels. Continuously monitor and evaluate inventory management processes for areas of improvement. Solicit feedback from staff and stakeholders, and be open to adopting new technologies and best practices to optimize small business inventory management efficiency over time. FAQ What are the key components of effective retail inventory management? Effective retail inventory management comprises several key components, including accurate tracking of stock levels, demand forecasting, efficient ordering and replenishment processes, proper organization and categorization of inventory, as well as regular audits and analysis to identify trends and optimize stocking levels. What steps should retailers take to improve inventory management? Retailers can enhance their inventory management by implementing measures such as adopting inventory management software, setting up automated reorder points, establishing clear inventory control policies, optimizing storage space, implementing barcode or RFID systems for better tracking, conducting regular inventory audits, and fostering collaboration between inventory management and other departments. How can retailers effectively forecast demand for their products? Retailers can forecast demand by analyzing historical sales data, monitoring market trends and consumer behavior, leveraging data analytics tools, collaborating with suppliers and distributors for insights, conducting customer surveys and feedback analysis, and considering external factors such as seasonality, promotions, and economic conditions. What are the common challenges faced in retail inventory management? Common challenges in retail inventory management include overstocking or understocking, inaccurate demand forecasting, inefficient manual processes, lack of real-time visibility into inventory levels, poor inventory tracking leading to shrinkage or loss, inadequate communication between different departments, and difficulties in managing perishable or seasonal goods. How can retailers minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking? Retailers can minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking by implementing demand forecasting techniques, setting optimal reorder points based on historical data and lead times, establishing safety stock levels to account for variability in demand, monitoring sales trends and adjusting inventory levels accordingly, and fostering collaboration between sales, marketing, and inventory management teams. What role does technology play in modern retail inventory management? Technology is essential to contemporary retail inventory management, offering a variety of tools that enhance efficiency. These include inventory management software, barcode and RFID systems, point-of-sale (POS) systems equipped with inventory tracking features, data analytics platforms for demand forecasting and trend analysis, and integration with e-commerce platforms to ensure smooth inventory management across both online and offline channels. What are some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs? Some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs include maintaining lean inventory levels by adopting just-in-time (JIT) inventory management, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers for better pricing and delivery terms, optimizing warehouse layout and storage systems for efficient space utilization, implementing markdown strategies for slow-moving or obsolete inventory, and continuously monitoring and analyzing inventory performance metrics to identify areas for improvement. Read More: How to open a retail store checklist How to increase sales in retail Image: Envato Elements This article, "Retail Inventory Management: Best Practices, Steps, and Tips" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Effective retail inventory management is key for running a successful retail business because it allows you to maintain optimal stock levels, minimize carrying costs, and meet customer demand. It ensures that the right products are available at the right time and place, helping to prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve cash flow. Retail stores can improve operational efficiency, increase profitability, and provide a better customer experience by optimizing their inventory levels and processes. Using effective inventory tracking and control, a business owner can optimize stock levels, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales. What is Retail Inventory Management? Retail inventory management refers to the strategic planning, monitoring, and control of merchandise stock levels within a retail environment. It involves activities such as forecasting demand, setting reorder points, tracking inventory turnover, and optimizing stock levels to meet customer demand while minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Effective retail inventory management ensures that retailers have the right products available at the right time and place to meet customer needs and maximize sales opportunities. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory Management Here are the steps to take to develop your best retail inventory management system and processes. 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software: Research and evaluate different retail management software for the best options based on your business needs and budget. For retail management software, consider factors such as features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, and customer support. Select the software that best aligns with your requirements and implement it according to the vendor’s guidelines. 2. Implement an Inventory Management System Develop clear procedures and protocols for receiving, storing, and tracking inventory for your retail store. Train employees on how to use the inventory management system effectively. Establish workflows at your retail store for managing stock levels, replenishment, and order fulfillment. Integrate the inventory management system with other business systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) and accounting software, for seamless operations. 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records Schedule regular updates at your retail store to inventory records to ensure accuracy. Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology to streamline data entry and minimize errors. Set up automated alerts for low stock levels, discrepancies, or potential issues. Assign responsibility for retail inventory updates to specific employees or teams to ensure accountability. 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits Plan and schedule regular physical inventory audits or cycle counts as an integral part of your inventory management process. Utilize inventory management software or manual counting techniques to align physical inventory with the documented inventory levels. Investigate and resolve any discrepancies identified during the audit process. Analyze audit findings to identify trends, root causes of inventory discrepancies, and areas for improvement to better manage inventory. 5. Optimize Stock Levels Utilize sales data, demand forecasting, and historical trends to set appropriate stock levels and manage inventory. Implement inventory control measures such as ABC analysis and safety stock to optimize inventory levels. Establish reorder points and replenishment triggers to ensure timely restocking. Continuously monitor and adjust stock levels based on changing demand patterns, seasonality, and market trends to manage inventory costs. By following these actionable steps, retail store business owners can create and maintain an effective inventory management system that improves efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory ManagementKey ActionsConsiderationsObjectives 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software- Research and evaluate software options - Consider features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, customer support - Select and implement the chosen software- Business needs - Budget constraints - Future growth potential- To have a robust system that aligns with business requirements and supports efficient inventory management 2. Implement an Inventory Management System- Develop inventory procedures and protocols - Train employees on system use - Establish workflows for stock management and order fulfillment - Integrate with POS and accounting software- User-friendliness of the system - Integration with existing business systems - Employee training and adoption- To ensure accurate and efficient inventory tracking and management through standardized processes and system integration 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records- Schedule regular inventory updates - Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology - Set up automated alerts for inventory issues - Assign inventory update responsibilities- Accuracy and timeliness of data entry - Technology adoption and use - Accountability in inventory management- To maintain up-to-date and accurate inventory records, minimizing errors and enabling timely decision-making 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits- Plan and schedule inventory audits - Reconcile physical inventory with system records - Investigate discrepancies - Analyze audit findings for improvement- Methodology of audits (physical counts, cycle counting) - Frequency of audits - Resolution processes for discrepancies- To verify inventory accuracy, identify issues, and implement corrective actions to improve inventory management practices 5. Optimize Stock Levels- Utilize sales data and forecasting for stock levels - Implement control measures (e.g., ABC analysis) - Establish reorder points - Monitor and adjust stock levels based on demand- Demand forecasting accuracy - Inventory carrying costs - Market trends and seasonality- To balance inventory investment with customer demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts and managing inventory costs efficiently Best Practices in Retail Inventory Management Of course, using your “best fit” retail inventory management software is key, but you also need to back that up with some hands-on work. That will help you keep inventory costs down. Accurate Demand Forecasting Regular Audits and Cycle Counts: Conduct regular physical inventory audits and cycle counts to verify stock levels and identify discrepancies. This helps in maintaining inventory accuracy and identifying any issues such as shrinkage or theft. Cross-Channel Inventory Integration: If operating across multiple sales channels (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms), integrate inventory management systems to provide a unified view of inventory levels and prevent overselling or stockouts. Seasonal and Promotional Planning: Anticipate seasonal demand fluctuations and plan inventory levels accordingly. Additionally, align inventory levels with promotional campaigns and events to capitalize on sales opportunities while minimizing excess inventory. Forecasting and Demand Planning: Utilize historical sales data, market trends, and other factors to forecast demand accurately. This helps in determining appropriate inventory levels and avoiding stockouts or overstock situations. Accurate Demand Forecasting using sales data and market trends helps predict customer demand. Efficient Supplier Management Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure reliable and timely deliveries, which ensures timely restocking. Negotiate better terms such as discounts, flexible payment terms, and returns policies to improve inventory management efficiency. Maintaining quality control is vital for inventory management. Leveraging Data for Inventory Optimization There are several ways to apply data analytics and insights gathered from retail management software, which can help you make informed decisions about stock levels, product placement, and sales strategies. ABC Analysis: Use the ABC analysis technique to categorize inventory based on its value and prioritize management efforts accordingly. “A” items are high-value items that contribute significantly to revenue and should be closely monitored. “B” items are moderate in value and require regular attention, while “C” items are low-value items with lower priority. Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory: Implement JIT inventory management practices to minimize carrying costs and reduce the risk of obsolete inventory. With JIT, inventory is ordered and received only when needed, helping to optimize cash flow and warehouse inventory management. Tips for Successful Retail Inventory Management Effective retail inventory management is crucial for operating a successful retail business. It ensures that you have the appropriate products available at the right time to satisfy customer demand, prevent stockouts, and reduce excess inventory. Below are detailed tips for successful retail inventory management, which include essential elements of the inventory management process: Understand the Basic Components of Inventory Management: Inventory Tracking: Establish systems to monitor inventory levels, manage orders, track sales, and oversee deliveries. Demand Forecasting: Use historical sales data to predict future demand for products. Stock Replenishment: Determine reorder points and quantities to maintain optimal stock levels. Inventory Audits: Regularly compare physical inventory counts with system records to identify discrepancies. Research for the Best Retail Management Software: Evaluate Features: Look for software with features like real-time inventory tracking, analytics, and integration with your sales channels. Consider Scalability: Choose a system that can grow with your business, accommodating more products and higher volumes of sales, or even specialty programs like warehouse inventory management software. Seek User-Friendly Interfaces: Ensure the order management software is easy for you and your staff to use to minimize errors and training time. Read Reviews and Ask for Recommendations: Learn from the experiences of others in your industry. Prioritize Accuracy in Inventory Processes: Implement Barcoding Systems: Use barcodes to accurately track inventory movement and reduce manual entry errors. Train Staff Regularly: Ensure all employees understand the importance of accuracy in inventory management and how to properly use inventory systems. Perform Regular Audits: Arrange for frequent inventory counts to verify the accuracy of your inventory records. Utilize Cycle Counting: Instead of a full inventory count, regularly audit a subset of inventory so that every item is checked periodically. Maintain a Customer-Focused Approach: Understand Customer Preferences: Keep track of which products are popular and stock accordingly. Monitor Trends: Stay aware of industry trends and customer feedback to quickly adapt your inventory to meet market demands. Offer Alternatives: When popular items are out of stock, have alternative products available to meet customer needs. Enhance Shopping Experience: Use inventory data to organize store layouts and online product placements in a way that enhances shopping experience. Optimize Inventory Levels: Balance Stock Levels: Maintain enough stock to meet demand without overstocking, using techniques like just-in-time (JIT) inventory. Analyze Sales Data: Regularly review sales data to identify slow-moving items and adjust inventory levels accordingly. Manage Supplier Relationships: Build strong relationships with suppliers for reliable lead times and flexible order quantities. Leverage Technology for Efficiency: Integrate Systems: Make sure that your inventory management system is compatible with point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, and accounting software to facilitate smooth operations. Utilize Mobile Devices: Mobile solutions are used for inventory counts and accessing inventory data from anywhere in the store or warehouse. The best inventory app for your needs will come with robust features and a user-friendly interface. By focusing on these key areas, retailers can develop a robust inventory management strategy that not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BApH54Oyleo%3Fsi%3DCBW28JmATagXdIMq Inventory Management: Essential for Your Retail Business Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or opening your first retail store, implementing a robust inventory tracking system is essential. Effective retail inventory management systems play a critical role in achieving retail success, helping you stay competitive and meet customer demand. This can be a manual system or a more sophisticated software solution, depending on the size and complexity of your operations. Inventory management software can help track stock levels, sales trends, and reorder points, making it easier to optimize inventory levels. Continuously monitor and evaluate inventory management processes for areas of improvement. Solicit feedback from staff and stakeholders, and be open to adopting new technologies and best practices to optimize small business inventory management efficiency over time. FAQ What are the key components of effective retail inventory management? Effective retail inventory management comprises several key components, including accurate tracking of stock levels, demand forecasting, efficient ordering and replenishment processes, proper organization and categorization of inventory, as well as regular audits and analysis to identify trends and optimize stocking levels. What steps should retailers take to improve inventory management? Retailers can enhance their inventory management by implementing measures such as adopting inventory management software, setting up automated reorder points, establishing clear inventory control policies, optimizing storage space, implementing barcode or RFID systems for better tracking, conducting regular inventory audits, and fostering collaboration between inventory management and other departments. How can retailers effectively forecast demand for their products? Retailers can forecast demand by analyzing historical sales data, monitoring market trends and consumer behavior, leveraging data analytics tools, collaborating with suppliers and distributors for insights, conducting customer surveys and feedback analysis, and considering external factors such as seasonality, promotions, and economic conditions. What are the common challenges faced in retail inventory management? Common challenges in retail inventory management include overstocking or understocking, inaccurate demand forecasting, inefficient manual processes, lack of real-time visibility into inventory levels, poor inventory tracking leading to shrinkage or loss, inadequate communication between different departments, and difficulties in managing perishable or seasonal goods. How can retailers minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking? Retailers can minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking by implementing demand forecasting techniques, setting optimal reorder points based on historical data and lead times, establishing safety stock levels to account for variability in demand, monitoring sales trends and adjusting inventory levels accordingly, and fostering collaboration between sales, marketing, and inventory management teams. What role does technology play in modern retail inventory management? Technology is essential to contemporary retail inventory management, offering a variety of tools that enhance efficiency. These include inventory management software, barcode and RFID systems, point-of-sale (POS) systems equipped with inventory tracking features, data analytics platforms for demand forecasting and trend analysis, and integration with e-commerce platforms to ensure smooth inventory management across both online and offline channels. What are some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs? Some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs include maintaining lean inventory levels by adopting just-in-time (JIT) inventory management, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers for better pricing and delivery terms, optimizing warehouse layout and storage systems for efficient space utilization, implementing markdown strategies for slow-moving or obsolete inventory, and continuously monitoring and analyzing inventory performance metrics to identify areas for improvement. Read More: How to open a retail store checklist How to increase sales in retail Image: Envato Elements This article, "Retail Inventory Management: Best Practices, Steps, and Tips" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Americans’ inflation expectations surge as rising prices for staples and tariff worries hit sentiment, key survey showsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. These days, you don't need to be a spy to have tracking devices. If you're an Apple user, AirTags use Find My to track anything that you can put these devices on. Right now, Amazon has the four-pack for $67.99 (originally $99)—a new record-low price according to price-tracking tools—likely because the AirTag 2 release date is approaching. If four is too many, you can also get a single AirTag on sale for $22.99 (originally $29). Apple AirTag $22.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.00 Save $6.01 Get Deal Get Deal $22.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.00 Save $6.01 Apple AirTag Tracker (4-Pack) $67.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.00 Save $31.01 Get Deal Get Deal $67.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.00 Save $31.01 SEE -1 MORE AirTags are mostly marketed for purses, keys, and travel bags (airlines are adopting their use now), but there are examples of people using them much more creatively (someone on this Reddit post used it on their dog collar and trained it to come back whenever they pressed the "play sound" feature). The AirTag works with Apple's network of iOS devices to create a Bluetooth tracker. Essentially, every person with an iPhone (or iPad) is part of this iOS network, and as long as one of these people gets within Bluetooth range of your AirTag, it will show up as the last location on your Find My app. As you can see on PCMag's "excellent" review of the AirTag, the Find My app has a screen that points you in the direction of your AirTag like a compass, including the distance it is from you. There is also an option to play a sound—which is perfect for locating, say, a remote that's buried under the couch. Once the AirTag is more than 30 feet from your phone, the network of iOS users will kick in. When the AirTag is closer than 30 feet, it uses your own Bluetooth. There are security measures in place set by Apple, including end-to-end encryption, so that nobody (not even Apple), knows where your AirTag is except for you. The batteries last about a year and are replaceable. There is also no monthly charge for these, unlike competitors like Tile or Chipolo for Android users. View the full article

Home Depot broke a two-year slump in same store sales during the fourth quarter as customer demand improved in a housing market that has been buffeted by soaring mortgage rates and a scarcity of homes up for sale. Revenue for the Atlanta company climbed to $39.7 billion from $34.79 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet were calling for $39.15 billion. Home Depot Inc. said Tuesday that the extra week in the quarter added approximately $2.5 billion in sales for the period. Sales at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, edged up 0.8%. In the U.S., comparable store sales rose 1.3%. It is the first quarterly increase since January 2023 and much better than the 1.5% decline expected on Wall Street. The extra week in the quarter was not included in the same-store sales results. “The fact that US comparable sales are back in the black after declining for eight quarters or two years is a very clear win for Home Depot, and it suggests that the home improvement market as a whole might finally be reaching the nadir of its more sluggish performance,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, wrote Tuesday. However, Home Depot said Tuesday that it expects per-share earnings to decline about 2% this year on sales growth of approximately 2.8%. Shares slipped about 2% before the opening bell. Customer transactions rose 7.6% in the quarter. The amount shoppers spent climbed slightly to $89.11 per average ticket from $88.87 in the prior-year period. “Our fourth quarter results exceeded our expectations as we saw greater engagement in home improvement spend, despite ongoing pressure on large remodeling projects,” said Chair and CEO Ted Decker said in a statement. “Throughout the year, we remained steadfast in our investments across our strategic initiatives to position ourselves for continued success, despite uncertain macroeconomic conditions and a higher interest rate environment that impacted home improvement demand.” Home improvement retailers like Home Depot have contended with homeowners putting off bigger projects due to higher borrowing costs and lingering concerns about inflation. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last month as rising mortgage rates and prices put off many would-be homebuyers despite a wider selection of properties on the market. Sales fell 4.9% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units, the National Association of Realtors said last week. Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 19th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.8% in January from a year earlier to $396,900. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Home Depot earned $3 billion, or $3.02 per share, for the three months ended February 2. A year earlier it earned $2.8 billion, or $2.82 per share. Removing certain items, earnings were $3.13 per share. That’s better than the $3.04 per share that Wall Street anticipated. —Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer View the full article

The airline industry is notoriously hard to decarbonize: large jets traveling long distances can’t feasibly use batteries, and sustainable aviation fuel is still only produced in tiny volumes. As airlines explore a range of options, United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund just invested in one possible solution—a system that uses crushed rocks to capture CO2 for use in fuel or to store underground. The fund announced today that it invested an unspecified amount in Heirloom, a company that uses a powder made from limestone to pull CO2 from the air, relying on the material’s natural ability to absorb the greenhouse gas. At a facility in California’s Central Valley, robots stack trays of the limestone powder into tall stacks exposed to outdoor air. Then the powder is heated in furnaces to release the CO2 so it can be used or stored. United also now has an agreement with Heirloom that gives it the right to buy up to half a million tons of carbon dioxide removal from the startup. “We can either sequester it and track it as a carbon removal credit, or we can use it for [sustainable aviation fuel],” says Andrew Chang, managing director at United Airlines Ventures. [Photo: Heirloom] The investors liked the basic simplicity of the technology. “We understand how limestone can capture and release CO2,” Chang says. “It is not a novel, unproven technology or catalyst or chemical pathway. It works: Heat it and cool it and it’ll lock and unlock CO2.” Several other companies are paying Heirloom for the service of carbon removal to offset emissions, including Microsoft, which has a long-term contract to buy as much as 315,000 metric tons of CO2 removal from the startup. If the captured CO2 is combined with green hydrogen, it can be made into fuel that can be used on existing planes. Some other sustainable aviation fuel is limited because of the feedstock—making jet fuel from corn, for example, poses environmental challenges because of the amount of land that’s needed to grow it. (United has separately invested in biofuels made from corn, along with several other approaches.) But CO2 has a supply advantage: There’s more than enough extra CO2 in the atmosphere to meet the industry’s needs. Some startups, including Twelve and Infinium, are now beginning to scale up production of CO2-based sustainable aviation fuel. The carbon footprint is as much as 94% less than conventional jet fuel. (If airlines also pay Heirloom to remove CO2 and store it, that can help offset the remaining carbon footprint.) Right now, this type of sustainable aviation fuel is two to four times as expensive as traditional fuel, though as airlines work on long-term plans to cut emissions by 2050, there’s a path to eventual price parity. The same approach could be used to cut emissions in other hard-to-decarbonize industries, like cargo shipping. United’s investment will help Heirloom scale up production faster. “The funding will be used to continue to drive down the cost of the technology, develop additional projects, and provide the funding needed to subsequently access infrastructure capital,” says Heirloom spokesperson Scott Coriell. The startup is focused on what it calls “deployment-led innovation,” using real-world installations to help it iterate and reduce costs. “As we continue to build larger projects, costs will come down and the market will grow,” he says. “The critical objective to scale [direct air capture] is to repeat this cycle again and again.” Ultimately, though huge volumes of captured CO2 could be used to make fuel, the carbon removal industry will have to grow even faster to deal with the problem of CO2 in the atmosphere; even as companies cut emissions, pulling CO2 out of the air is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Around a trillion extra tons of CO2 have been added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, and the number keeps growing. As it’s captured, much of it will be stored. “We believe that over time, the vast majority of CO2 will end up underground,” Coriell says. “Even in a world where aviation, and other hard-to-abate industries, transition to cleaner fuels, there will still be billions of tons of CO2 emissions that will need to be abated each year.” View the full article

A national gauge of prices rose 3.9% from a year earlier, according to data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller. View the full article

An annual United Nations conference on biodiversity that ran out of time last year will resume its work Tuesday in Rome with money at the top of the agenda. That is, how to spend what’s been pledged so far—and how to raise a lot more to help preserve plant and animal life on Earth. The talks in Colombia known as COP16 yielded some significant outcomes before they broke up in November, including an agreement that requires companies that benefit from genetic resources in nature—say, by developing medicines from rainforest plants—to share the benefits. And steps were taken to give Indigenous peoples and local communities a stronger voice in conservation matters. But two weeks turned out to be not enough time to get everything done. The Cali talks followed the historic 2022 COP15 accord in Montreal, which included 23 measures aimed at protecting biodiversity. Those included putting 30% of the planet and 30% of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030, known as the Global Biodiversity Framework. “Montreal was about the ‘what’—what are we all working towards together?” said Georgina Chandler, head of policy and campaigns for the Zoological Society London. “Cali was supposed to focus on the ‘how’—putting the plans and the financing in place to ensure we can actually implement this framework.” “They eventually lost a quorum because people simply went home,” said Linda Krueger of The Nature Conservancy, who is in Rome for the two days of talks. “And so now we’re having to finish these last critical decisions, which are some of the the nitty-gritty decisions on financing, on resource mobilization, and on the planning and monitoring and reporting requirements under the Global Biodiversity Framework.” The overall financial aim was to achieve $20 billion a year in the fund by 2025, and then $30 billion by 2030. So far, only $383 million had been pledged as of November, from 12 nations or subnations: Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Province of Québec, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Participants will discuss establishing a “global financing instrument for biodiversity” intended to effectively distribute the money raised. And a big part of the talks will be about raising more money. ‘Completely off track’ on larger financial goal Chandler and Kruger both said the finance points at Colombia’s talks were particularly contentious. “It’s really about how do we collect the money and how do we get it distributed fairly, get it to the ground where it’s needed most, so that that’s really the core issue,” said Kruger. Oscar Soria, chief executive of The Common Initiative, a think tank specializing in global economic and environmental policy, was pessimistic about raising a great deal more money. “We are completely off track in terms of achieving that money,” Soria said. Key sources of biodiversity finance are shrinking or disappearing, he said. “What was supposed to be a good Colombian telenovela in which people will actually bring the right resources, and the happy ending of bringing their money, could actually end up being a tragic Italian opera, where no one actually agrees to anything and everyone loses,” Soria said. Susana Muhamad, Colombia’s former environment minister and the COP16 president, said she’s hopeful of “a good message from Rome.” “That message is that still, even with a very fragmented geopolitical landscape, with a world increasingly in conflict, we can still get an agreement on some fundamental issues,” Muhamad said in a statement. “And one of the most important is the need to protect life in this crisis of climate change and biodiversity.” Global wildlife populations have plunged on average by 73% in 50 years, according to an October report from the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London. “Biodiversity is basically essential to our livelihoods and well-being,” Chandler said. “It’s essential to the the air we breathe, the water we drink, rainfall that food systems rely on, protecting us from increasing temperatures and increasing storm occurrences as well.” Chandler said deforestation in the Amazon has far-reaching impacts across South America, just as it does in the Congo Basin and other major biodiverse regions worldwide. “We know that has an impact on rainfall, on food systems, on soil integrity in other countries. So it’s not just something that’s kind of small and isolated. It’s a widespread problem,” she said. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. —Steven Grattan, Associated Press View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe You’ve settled into your workspace, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, ready to dive into the strategic plan your boss eagerly awaits. But just as you begin – Ping. A Slack message from your finance partner: “Don’t forget to send budget requests by EOD.” You barely process this before – Ping. An email from your dentist’s office reminding you to schedule your biannual cleaning. You take a breath, but – Ping. Workday lets you know your direct report’s timesheet is ready for approval. In mere moments, your focus time spirals into chaos, your to-do list expanding with relentless urgency. This barrage of notifications is more than just a minor inconvenience; it’s a plague on productivity. Just as we cross a to-do off our list, another one pops up. It’s no wonder that two-thirds of employees end their day with unresolved tasks on their to-do lists. So, how are we supposed to manage to-dos flying at us from every direction? Which ones do we swat away and which do we prioritize? And, how are the people who seem to stay on top of it all doing it!? We set out to find answers to these questions by conducting a survey of 6,000 knowledge workers across six countries about their to-do list practices. Let’s dig into what we learned. A note on our survey methodology The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 6,000 knowledge workers in 6 markets: US, UK, Australia, India, Germany and France, with a quota of 1,000 respondents per market, between December 20th, 2024, and January 12th, 2025, using an email invitation and an online survey. State of the to-do list Being organized is widely recognized as a significant advantage when it comes to managing tasks effectively. In fact, a remarkable 89% of workers believe that the most organized individuals are typically the ones who accomplish the most. Wanting to be part of this crowd, 82% of people have established a formal system to keep their to-dos organized. However, these systems are like snowflakes – no two are exactly alike. Interestingly, over half (52%) of knowledge workers admit that their organizational methods may appear chaotic to outsiders, yet they firmly believe that these approaches work well for them. Regardless of how different our to-do lists may look, we all share the satisfying feeling that accompanies crossing an item off the list. In fact, a striking 70% of professionals with a to-do list prefer the thrill of marking an item complete over receiving praise from a coworker. Dueling lists: personal vs. work to-dos We also surveyed individuals about how they organize their personal versus professional to-dos. We found nearly half (47%) of employees maintain two distinct to-do lists to track their personal and work responsibilities. In contrast, about a quarter (23%) opt to consolidate all tasks into a single to-do list, while 21% only keep a to-do list for work-related tasks, leaving personal reminders to rely solely on memory. We also found that people are juggling their to-dos – both personal and work – in many places: calendars, notebooks, productivity apps. So which is the best approach? Keep personal and work tasks separate, or together? Track tasks in one place, or several? While everyone has their own preference, our research suggests the more you use organizational systems and tools from your workplace to track all tasks, the better off you will be. Individuals who use an organizational system they learned at work are 1.4x more likely to consider themselves organized than those who rely on a system they designed on their own. Furthermore, organized individuals are twice as likely to use tools from their workplace to organize their personal to-dos. The disorganization domino effect Within a team, individual productivity is part of a highly complex and interconnected web. You may have all your ducks in a row, but a disorganized colleague can halt your (and your team’s) forward momentum. If you don’t consider yourself a particularly organized person, beware, as people have very little patience for their less organized coworkers. Almost 4 in 5 (78%) of respondents said they’d rather take on extra work than be forced to collaborate with a disorganized colleague. (Kind of like being the school group project member who throws their hands up and says, “fine, I’ll do it all myself.”) Furthermore, almost two-thirds of workers said they’d fire a disorganized team member if it meant improving overall results. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise how resentful workers can be of a less-than-organized teammate. The lack of order can cause serious delays – and serious bad feelings. Improve personal productivity in three steps Tip #1: Timebox An easy first step, we’ve found, to get a better handle of your to-dos, is to hone your ability to estimate how long a particular task is going to take. Then, set aside that time in your calendar, and do your best to protect it. This technique is called “timeboxing,” and it’s especially useful for people who struggle with procrastination or who often find themselves haplessly attempting to make progress on multiple projects at once, in the same short window. (Spoiler: this rarely works out. Your attention span is only so flexible.) Timeboxing is a tried-and-true technique for keeping productivity and alignment high. In a recent experiment with Atlassians, we found that 68% made more progress when they timeboxed their calendar, and goal clarity improved for 55%. The takeaway? When you orient your day around the most important tasks you need to accomplish, you’re – by design – identifying your most important work. Better yet: make your calendar visible to your whole team so they can see what you’re working on, when you’re doing it, and the amount of time it’ll take for you to see it through. Trello now includes a Planner feature that lets you move to-dos over to your calendar right from your Trello board – and vice versa. Tip #2: Give your to-do list a makeover Did you know that organized people are 1.4x more likely to delete items from their to-do list if they don’t complete them within a few days? Rather than letting tasks linger (and eventually end up on the chopping block), get in the habit of saying “no” earlier than later. And remember, if a task is neither impactful nor urgent, it may not need to be on your to-do list in the first place.With Trello, everyone can be freed from having to track down to-dos from multiple lists. All your captured to-dos land right in your Trello Inbox, where you can review, sort, and filter new to-dos and organize however you prefer. Tip #3: Chart your daily “top to-do” – and follow it! To-doing and timeboxing are all well and good, so long as you have a clear understanding of what you’re working toward. This is where the “top to-do” comes in. At the end of each workday, take a few minutes to set a top to-do for the following day, and rejigger your schedule to ensure it’s set up to enable you all the time and space you need to get it done. The top to-do should be one (just one!) high-impact task on your plate that you can’t delegate or ignore – or quietly delete from your to-do list. Starting small is key. Accomplishing ONE big thing every day gives you strong momentum. It’s easy for deep-working, task-accomplishing time to take a backseat to meetings, pings, and returning emails. Real productivity means making way for real work; a top to-do is a surefire way of getting there. Meet your personal productivity potential Our to-do lists are as much of a work in progress as we are. As our assignments, teams, and work styles evolve, so should the systems and tools we have in place to organize it all. Pairing a flexible to-do list tool like Trello* with the strategies outlined in this post will set you on your way toward a more organized version of yourself. Embrace the process! Check out our Product blog for all the nitty-gritty details on the all-new Trello! Read the blog Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post To-do list trickledown: How to stay organized and keep your team on track appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

If you’re a small business owner looking to create a comprehensive employee training plan, you’re in luck! Here are training plan template options, each designed to help you develop your employees’ skills and knowledge. What is an Employee Training Plan Template? An employee training plan template is a document used to outline the training sessions and development activities a company plans to provide to its employees. What Should a Training Plan Template Include? A well-designed training plan template should include several key elements to ensure the success of any training session. These include… Identifying Training Needs A successful training plan template should begin with a thorough training needs assessment, a review of job descriptions and performance evaluations, and an identification of knowledge or skill gaps. Determine priority areas for training. Training Objectives Establish clear and measurable goals aligned with business strategy. Focus on relevant and timely topics and set realistic expectations for learning outcomes. Ensure objectives can be tracked and measured. A Scalable Training Process Develop a structured training program that incorporates different delivery methods, assign roles and responsibilities, and determine evaluation and feedback mechanisms. Ensure the process can be scaled to meet changing business needs. Learning Outcomes Define what learners should be able to do after training and create assessment criteria to measure progress. Ensure outcomes align with business needs and provide opportunities for ongoing learning and development. Track outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. The Best Employee Training Plan Templates for Small Businesses Before you continue to the list that follows, you can reference this handy condensed table that summarizes the key features and offerings of the top employee training plan templates for small businesses. #Training Plan Template ProviderKey Features and Offerings 1.ZavvyExternal Training Library with on-demand video courses and live training. 2.Monday.comWork OS platform for centralizing work, processes, and boosting productivity. 3.Whatfix18 free employee training plan templates tailored to individual needs. 4.Template.netEmployee Training Schedule Template in various formats for easy customization. 5.SharePointEmployee Training Management with features like scheduling and feedback collection. 6.SmartsheetFree training plan templates for staff, monthly, weekly, and more. 7.CreatelyCustomizable templates for planning and visualizing effective training programs. 8.ExcelDataProReady-to-use Employee Training Log Excel Template for managing training data. 9.Seismic (customer services)Pre-made customer service training manual with modification options. 10.Betterteam (onboarding)Employee Onboarding Process template and checklist for effective integration. 11.Stakeholdermap.comDownloadable training plan template in PDF and Word formats. 12.NorthpassEditable employee training manual PowerPoint template with tips and strategies. 13.VenngageCustomizable training plan templates, including new hire and manager training plans. 14.IndeedTraining plan templates for new employees, individuals, and corporate training. 15.WorkableNew hire training checklist for smooth onboarding. 16.WalkMeFree employee training templates for various purposes, including skills gap analysis. 17.HelpjuiceTemplates for needs assessment, employee development plans, and leadership training. 18.ScribeHowCustomizable employee training plan templates, including employee development. 19.TemplateLabNumerous employee training plan templates in Word and Excel formats. 20.StackbyEmployee Training Management Template for organizing and monitoring training programs. Creating an employee training plan can be challenging for small businesses. Fortunately, there are many pre-designed templates available that can simplify the process. Here are 20 of the best options. Zavvy Zavvy’s External Training Library offers various training resources in categories such as Compliance, Soft Skills, Sales, Marketing, Tech, Product & Design, and Data. These include on-demand video courses, live training, and immersive training. Monday.com Monday.com is a Work OS platform that helps teams centralize their work, processes, and tools and customize workflows to boost employee productivity. It offers tailored products for different business aspects and has over 180,000 customers globally. Whatfix Whatfix provides 18 free employee training plan templates to create an effective employee development plan tailored to individual employee needs. The templates include new-hire training, training needs assessment, individual employee training, and an employee development plan template. Template.net Template.net provides an Employee Training Schedule Template in multiple formats, including Word, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Excel, Apple Numbers, and Apple Pages. This allows for easy customization and effective organization of employee training schedules. You can also enjoy the convenience of instant downloads for improved efficiency. Sharepoint SharePoint Employee Training Management streamlines activities like scheduling, registration, material sharing, and feedback collection. Features include a training catalog, event scheduling, attendee enrollment, attendance status, and feedback. Source code available. Smartsheet Smartsheet provides free training plan templates for staff, monthly, weekly, daily, annual, employee, new hire, and project plans, with customizable Excel, Word, and PDF formats. They also offer cloud-based HR management tools. Creately Creately offers customizable templates and tools to help organizations plan and organize effective employee training programs. With real-time collaboration, multiple export options, and integrations, it simplifies creating, visualizing, and sharing training plans. Creately is trusted by over 10 million users, including NASA, Facebook, and Amazon. ExcelDataPro ExcelDataPro offers a ready-to-use Employee Training Log Excel Template with predefined formulas. The template allows for recording and managing employee training data, including employee details, training schedules, and training output. It is beneficial for HR professionals, consultants, and other HR staff to manage and record employee training data easily. Seismic (customer services) This free customer service training template by Seismic is a resource that offers a pre-made manual to achieve consistent and thorough training for customer service. The template covers basic principles, do’s and don’ts, and training tips that are easy to modify as needed. Betterteam (onboarding) Betterteam offers a free Employee Onboarding Process template and checklist in Excel format to help companies integrate new employees effectively by providing necessary knowledge and behaviors. The onboarding process is essential for new hires to perform effectively. Stakeholdermap.com Stakeholdermap.com offers a free downloadable training plan template in both PDF and Word formats for managers to deliver effective training and organizational change. The template is fully editable and contains everything needed for a successful training plan. Northpass Northpass offers an editable employee training manual PowerPoint template with tips and strategies to create effective training content. The template includes information on composition and structure and can be downloaded from their website. Venngage Venngage provides over 20 customizable training plan templates for businesses, including new hire and manager training plans, employee development plans, and training need assessments. Users can edit text, colors, and images with the drag-and-drop editor. Indeed Indeed offers three types of training plan templates including a new employee training plan, individual training plan, and corporate training plan. These templates can be customized to develop the skills of new hires and existing employees. Workable Workable suggests a new hire training checklist to smoothly onboard employees. The process includes company overview, policies, benefits package, role-specific and IT setup training, followed by security and safety training a month and three months after the start date, respectively. WalkMe WalkMe provides a range of free employee training templates, which include new-hire training, individual employee training, employee development plans, training policies, SOPs, DEI training, skills gap analysis, and pre-training surveys. Helpjuice Helpjuice provides templates for pre-training needs assessment, employee development plans, better employee onboarding plans, and leadership training plans to facilitate professional growth, identify gaps in skills, and improve team performance. ScribeHow ScribeHow offers four customizable employee training plan templates, including employee development, training needs assessment, new-hire training, and individual employee training plans. These templates have a general format, with sections on how to duplicate and use them. TemplateLab TemplateLab provides 43 Employee Training Plan templates in Word and Excel formats, including training plans, schedules, training curricula, and program templates to help employers provide the necessary training that strengthens employees’ skills, reduces weaknesses, and boosts company growth. Stackby Stackby’s Employee Training Management Template lets you organize and monitor ongoing and upcoming employee training programs, including recording program details, participants, and feedback. Easy to use, customizable, and accessible with a simple copy. Training Plan Apps Training plan apps provide a convenient and efficient way for small businesses to manage their employee training programs. Here are some top training plan apps for your consideration: CYPHER Matrix LMS This is a comprehensive and customizable employee training platform with an intuitive UI, mobile app, and real-time analytics. It offers affordable pricing for all business sizes, starting at $549 monthly for 100 users. Gamification features keep employees engaged. iSpring Learn LMS iSpring Learn is a user-friendly LMS for employee, compliance, or product training. Plans start at $2.87 per user each month and include iSpring Suite for creating courses. Suitable for small to midsize businesses with an intuitive interface and affordable plans. TalentLMS TalentLMS offers an intuitive user interface with gamification features, including badges, points, and leaderboards. Small businesses can use the forever-free plan or choose from affordable plans with unlimited courses starting from $69 per month. Why Would a Small Business Owner Need an Employee Training Plan Template? A training plan template can help a small business owner ensure that employees are properly trained and that the company meets its objectives while improving productivity and enhancing employee performance. Before reading further, every business can use team members with excellent capabilities, Right? So be sure to check out this companion video on how to rapidly improve team capabilities with an Excel Skills & Matrix template. Types of Training Plan Template When it comes to designing an employee training plan, businesses have several types of templates to choose from. Here are some common types of training plan templates. Pre-Training Needs Assessment Before designing a training plan, identify employee skill and knowledge gaps, determine areas in which training is needed, and use assessment results to inform the training plan design. New Hire Training Plan A new hire training plan should orientate new employees to the company culture, cover basic policies and procedures, and train them on job-specific tasks and responsibilities to get them up to speed quickly. Safety Training Safety training is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of employees. It is important to educate employees on emergency response procedures and to review health and safety regulations in order to uphold a safe working environment. Specialized Training Specialized training helps employees develop specific skills, such as leadership or technical skills, and train them on new equipment or technology. This helps employees prepare for future career growth. Blended Learning Approaches Blended learning approaches are a game-changer in employee training. By combining traditional classroom methods with digital learning modules, businesses can cater to diverse learning preferences among their employees. This approach not only accommodates different learning styles but also offers the flexibility of time and location. Blended learning in your training plan ensures a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience, making it an essential component of any modern training strategy. Customizable Training Templates The one-size-fits-all approach rarely works in employee training. Recognizing this, customizable training templates are crucial. They allow businesses to tailor training content to specific business needs and employee roles. Customization can range from modifying existing content to creating entirely new modules specific to the business’s operations or industry. This flexibility ensures that the training is relevant, practical, and directly aligned with the company’s objectives. Continuous Learning and Development A dynamic business environment requires continuous learning and development. Training plans should not just focus on immediate skill gaps but also on long-term employee development. Incorporating elements like advanced training for future roles, leadership development, and cross-functional skills can foster a culture of growth and adaptability. This approach not only enhances employee skills but also prepares them for future challenges and opportunities within the company. Leveraging Technology in Training Technology plays a pivotal role in modern employee training. Leveraging tools like Learning Management Systems (LMS) can revolutionize the delivery and management of training programs. These systems allow for efficient tracking of employee progress, offer interactive and multimedia content, and can even provide personalized learning paths. Integrating technology in training not only streamlines the process but also enhances the learning experience for employees. Feedback and Evaluation Effective training plans are iterative, and feedback and evaluation are their cornerstones. Regular assessments, employee surveys, and feedback sessions are vital in understanding the effectiveness of the training. They provide insights into what works and what needs improvement. This ongoing evaluation process ensures that the training remains relevant, effective, and aligned with both employee needs and business goals. Training ROI Measurement Measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of training programs is essential in demonstrating their value to the business. This involves evaluating the impact of training on employee performance and overall business outcomes. Methods like performance metrics before and after training, employee productivity rates, and the quality of work can provide tangible data. Understanding the ROI helps in justifying the training expenses and guides future investment in employee development. Structured Training Program A structured training program establishes a comprehensive training plan using a variety of training methods to meet the needs of different learners. Measure progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. How Much Do Training Plan Templates Cost for a Small Business? The prices of training plan templates for small businesses can differ significantly; some are available for free online, while others may cost several hundred dollars. The Bottom Line Creating an employee training plan is essential for small businesses to ensure employee development and growth. With the help of the 20 training plan templates we discussed, businesses can design a comprehensive training plan, from pre-training needs assessment to structured training programs. Other essential business tasks such as employee onboarding, SWOT analysis, diversified employee benefits, using a work schedule app, having an action plan, employee bonus, employee of the month program, and giving an employee financial help can also be managed effectively with proper planning. To ensure your small business’s long-term success, consider investing time and resources to write a business plan. Employee Training Plan Template FAQs What is a Training Plan Outline? A training plan outline is a structured framework that identifies the goals, learning objectives, and methods of delivering training. What are The Basic Components of a Training Program? The basic components of a training program include goals and objectives, content, instructional methods, assessment, and evaluation. How Do You Write a New Hire Training Template? To create a new hire employee training plan template, begin with an orientation that introduces the company culture, followed by an overview of policies, procedures, and job-specific tasks. Are There Any Free Employee Training Plan Templates? Yes, many free employee training plan templates are available online. Look for reputable sources and customize templates to meet specific business needs. What are The 5 Steps in a Good Employee Training Program? A well-designed employee training program typically consists of the following five steps: Assessing Training Needs: Conduct a thorough analysis to identify the specific training needs within your organization. Determine the skills and knowledge gaps that exist and prioritize the areas that require attention. Consider factors such as job roles, performance evaluations, employee feedback, and future business goals to inform your assessment. Designing the Training Plan: Based on the identified training needs, develop a comprehensive plan outlining the objectives, content, and delivery methods of the training program. Select suitable training methods, including instructor-led sessions, e-learning modules, workshops, or on-the-job training, depending on the specific skills being taught. Define the timeline and logistics for the training, which includes scheduling, required resources, and participant prerequisites. Delivering the Training: Implement the training program according to the designed plan. Conduct training sessions using engaging instructional techniques, interactive activities, and practical examples to ensure effective learning. Provide clear instructions, resources, and support materials to facilitate understanding and skill acquisition. Utilize various training formats, such as classroom sessions, online modules, simulations, or a blend of different approaches, to cater to different learning styles and preferences. Evaluating the Training: Assess the effectiveness of the training program through various evaluation methods. Gather feedback from participants to gauge their satisfaction, understanding, and perceived value of the training. Measure the progress and improvement of participants’ skills and knowledge before and after the training using assessments, tests, or performance evaluations. Analyze the training outcomes against the predefined objectives to determine the program’s success and areas for improvement. Revising the Training Plan as Needed: Based on the evaluation results and feedback, identify areas where the training program can be enhanced or modified. Incorporate suggestions for improvement and adapt the training content, delivery methods, or instructional approach accordingly. Continuously monitor and update the training program to align with evolving business needs, industry trends, and employee development requirements. Here is the list of information in tabular form. You can hang it on a wall, put it on a clipboard, or bring it up on a smart device for easy viewing and reference: Steps in a Good Employee Training ProgramKey Actions and Considerations 1. Assessing Training Needs- Conduct a thorough analysis of training needs within the organization. - Identify skills and knowledge gaps. - Prioritize areas for training. 2. Designing the Training Plan- Develop a comprehensive plan with clear objectives and content. - Determine suitable training methods and delivery formats. - Establish a timeline and logistical details. 3. Delivering the Training- Implement the training using engaging and interactive instructional techniques. - Provide necessary resources and support materials. - Cater to different learning styles and preferences. 4. Evaluating the Training- Gather participant feedback and satisfaction levels. - Assess progress through assessments or performance evaluations. - Measure the effectiveness of the training against predefined objectives. 5. Revising the Training Plan- Incorporate feedback and suggestions for improvement. - Adapt the training content and methods based on evaluation results. - Continuously update the program to align with evolving needs. By following these five essential steps and using excellent employee training plan templates, organizations can create a robust employee training program that addresses skill gaps, enhances performance, and fosters continuous learning and development within the workforce. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Employee Training Plan Template Options for Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article