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Online reward programs offer a practical way to improve your earnings through various activities, from shopping to completing surveys. By engaging with these platforms, you can accumulate points or cash that can be redeemed for gift cards or cashback. Comprehending the best options available is crucial for maximizing your benefits. In this discussion, you’ll discover the top ten programs that can help you optimize your earning potential effectively. What should you consider when selecting the right program for you? Key Takeaways Mistplay rewards users for playing mobile games, offering points redeemable for gift cards, ideal for gamers seeking extra earnings. Swagbucks provides multiple earning opportunities through surveys, videos, and shopping, making it a versatile choice for participants. Rakuten offers cashback on purchases at thousands of retailers, allowing users to earn money back on everyday spending. MyPoints lets users earn points through shopping and surveys, which can be redeemed for gift cards or cash, maximizing flexibility. InboxDollars pays users directly for taking surveys and watching videos, offering immediate cash rewards for participation. What Are Online Reward Programs? Online reward programs are marketing strategies designed to encourage customer engagement with brands through activities like purchases and referrals. These programs often use points-based systems, where you earn points for transactions, which can be redeemed for discounts, gift cards, or exclusive products. Many consumers show a strong interest in these programs, with 59% more likely to sign up for loyalty programs. When you decide to pursue a loyalty card sign up, you’re joining a system aimed at enhancing your shopping experience. Successful reward programs online typically offer personalized rewards, clear structures, and multi-channel accessibility, making it easy for you to participate. Additionally, brands implementing these programs can see significant financial benefits; some report average earnings exceeding $1 million in loyalty revenue by the third year. This data underlines the effectiveness of online reward programs in cultivating customer loyalty and retention. Benefits of Participating in Reward Programs Participating in reward programs can open up additional income opportunities and provide flexible earning potential that suits your shopping habits. You’ll find that many programs offer easy participation methods, making it simple to start earning rewards without a lot of effort. As you engage with these programs, you’ll likely discover how they can improve your overall shopping experience as well as offering tangible benefits. Additional Income Opportunities Reward programs can considerably boost your income opportunities by providing immediate financial benefits and long-term savings. By participating, you can reveal various advantages that improve your overall spending capability. Earn cash back or points redeemable for discounts. Enjoy personalized offers customized to your shopping habits. Access exclusive membership perks like early sales and special discounts. Benefit from increased engagement through multi-channel loyalty programs. Experience a significant increase in spending, as loyal customers typically spend 67% more than new shoppers. These elements make reward programs not just a way to save money, but a smart strategy for increasing your earnings. Flexible Earning Potential Earning potential in today’s digital environment is increasingly flexible, thanks to various online programs designed to fit seamlessly into your daily life. By participating in reward programs, you can earn points or cash back through everyday activities like shopping, taking surveys, or watching videos. Programs such as Mistplay and MyPoints offer transparent points systems, allowing you to earn rewards at your own pace without considerable time commitment. You can redeem your rewards for gift cards or discounts from popular retailers, enhancing your purchasing capability. Furthermore, many platforms enable you to stack rewards, maximizing your earnings without requiring a full-time dedication. This flexibility can greatly increase your overall income potential, fitting perfectly into your lifestyle. Easy Participation Methods Many people find that engaging with loyalty programs is straightforward and rewarding. These programs are crafted to improve your shopping experience as you receive tangible benefits. Here are some easy participation methods you can expect: Immediate rewards: Earn points right after your purchase. User-friendly interfaces: Navigate earning and redemption processes effortlessly. Personalized offers: Receive promotions customized to your shopping habits. Regular updates: Stay informed about your rewards status and new deals. Improved savings: Enjoy exclusive discounts that can lead to significant savings. Top 10 Online Reward Programs In relation to online reward programs, there are several options that can help you make the most of your time spent on the internet. Mistplay rewards you for playing mobile games, allowing you to earn points redeemable for gift cards from brands like Visa and Walmart. Swagbucks offers diverse earning opportunities through surveys, videos, and online shopping, with flexible redemption options for gift cards or cash via PayPal. Rakuten stands out for its cashback program, giving you a percentage back on purchases at thousands of retailers. MyPoints lets you earn points for shopping, surveys, and games, redeemable for gift cards or cash, partnering with over 2,000 retailers. InboxDollars pays you directly for taking surveys and watching videos, with a straightforward cash payout system, ideal for those seeking immediate rewards. Each program offers unique benefits customized to different preferences and activities. How to Choose the Right Reward Program When choosing the right reward program, start by evaluating the types of rewards offered, whether it’s cash back, points, or gift cards, to see what aligns best with your spending habits. It’s additionally essential to assess the reputation of the program’s company, as positive reviews and clear terms can help you avoid potential scams. Assess Potential Rewards Choosing the right reward program requires careful consideration of the potential rewards and incentives available to you. To maximize your earnings, evaluate the following factors: Immediate versus long-term rewards: Balance quick benefits with sustained gains. Clear rewards structure: Seek programs with straightforward payout systems. Referral incentives: Look for higher payouts for sharing programs with friends. Ease of sharing: Programs that streamline sharing links or codes can boost your earnings. Terms and conditions: Review for any restrictions that might limit your rewards. Evaluate Program Reputation How can you guarantee the reward program you’re considering is trustworthy and beneficial? Start by evaluating its reputation through online reviews and testimonials from current users. This gives you insight into overall satisfaction and reliability. Next, verify the program’s legitimacy by checking its affiliations with well-known brands; reputable organizations are less likely to engage in scams. It’s also essential to review the program’s terms and conditions to avoid hidden fees or complicated redemption processes that could reduce your earnings. Pay attention to the transparency of the rewards structure; successful programs clearly outline how points are earned and redeemed. Finally, consider the program’s longevity; established reward programs with positive customer experiences typically offer more stable and reliable options. Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings To maximize your earnings from online reward programs, it’s essential to adopt a strategic approach that incorporates various methods for enhancing your rewards. Here are some effective tips to help you boost your earnings: Sign up for multiple reward programs to diversify your earning potential. Regularly check for bonus offers and promotions that can increase your rewards during special events. Engage actively with online surveys and market research opportunities for higher payouts. Utilize referral programs by sharing your unique link with friends and family for significant bonuses. Monitor your rewards balance and expiration dates to redeem points before they expire. Common Pitfalls to Avoid While maneuvering through online reward programs can offer considerable benefits, several common pitfalls can hinder your success and earnings. Many users sign up for multiple programs without fully comprehending their terms, leading to confusion and missed opportunities. Neglecting to read the fine print is another mistake; expiration dates for rewards or minimum thresholds for redemption can result in lost earnings. You might underestimate the time commitment needed to engage effectively, which often leads to incomplete participation and reduced benefits. Failing to track your progress and accrued rewards can cause you to overlook bonuses or promotional offers, greatly diminishing potential earnings. Finally, relying solely on passive participation without actively seeking out bonus opportunities, such as referrals or special promotions, can limit the effectiveness of your reward program experience. Stay informed and proactive to maximize your earnings. Success Stories From Reward Program Participants You’ve likely heard about the success stories of those who actively participate in reward programs, showcasing how they can greatly improve your shopping experience. By implementing strategies such as maximizing points through referrals and reviews, many users have reported real-life earnings that positively impact their spending habits. Comprehending these experiences can help you optimize your own rewards, leading to greater benefits and increased loyalty to your favorite brands. Real-Life Earnings Experiences How much can you really earn from online reward programs? Participants have reported significant earnings, showcasing the potential of these platforms. A Mistplay user earned over $200 in gift cards in six months by trying new games and referring friends. GetResponse users made $30 per referral, with some reaching up to $600 in credits. A Fiverr participant earned $500 in Fiverr Credits by referring clients. An Acorns user received $10 per referral, totaling $100 from ten sign-ups. A Dropbox user earned 16 GB of additional storage through referrals, enhancing their user experience. These examples illustrate that with active participation and referral efforts, real earnings can be achieved through various online reward programs. Strategies for Maximizing Rewards Regarding maximizing your rewards from online programs, grasping the strategies that successful participants employ can greatly boost your earnings. Here are some effective approaches: Program Reward Type Potential Earnings GetResponse $30 per referral Significant with strategic sharing Dropbox 16 GB free storage Improved capacity through referrals Chase Bank $50 per new account Up to $500 annually The Future of Online Reward Programs As online reward programs continue to evolve, brands are increasingly focusing on personalization to improve customer experiences. This shift is driven by advancements in technology and data analytics, allowing companies to tailor rewards to individual preferences. Here’s what you can expect: Greater personalization based on your shopping habits. More mobile app-based systems for easier engagement. Improved analytics through artificial intelligence to optimize rewards. Community-driven initiatives that promote emotional connections with brands. Innovative cryptocurrency and blockchain structures for secure transactions. These changes will likely create a more engaging and user-friendly environment for you, encouraging loyalty that goes beyond mere transactions. As brands adapt, you may find that your experiences become more aligned with your specific needs and interests, resulting in a more rewarding relationship with the services you choose. Comparing Different Reward Programs With the evolving terrain of online reward programs, it’s important to compare the various options available to maximize your benefits. For instance, the GetResponse referral program offers $30 credits per successful referral, whereas their affiliate program provides recurring commissions between 40% to 60%. Conversely, Dropbox rewards basic users with 500 MB and Plus users with 1 GB of storage for each referral, allowing for up to 32 GB total. Fiverr’s program gives referrers credits for qualifying purchases, up to $500, whereas new users benefit from a 10% discount. Acorns promotes mutual rewards with $5 for both referrer and referred friend after an investment. Finally, Chase offers a $50 bonus for each friend who opens a checking account, with a cap of $500 annually. Analyzing these options helps you choose the program that best fits your needs and goals. How to Get Started With Reward Programs How can you effectively get started with online reward programs? First, research various programs that suit your interests and spending habits. Platforms like Mistplay for gaming or cash-back options like Rakuten can be great choices. Next, sign up for multiple programs to maximize your earning potential. Remember, different platforms offer unique rewards. Here are some tips to improve your experience: Utilize referral programs to earn bonuses by inviting friends. Regularly check the terms and conditions to stay informed about changes. Track your earnings using program dashboards or apps. Adjust your participation strategies based on your progress. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Most Successful Rewards Program? Determining the most successful rewards program involves analyzing user engagement, revenue impact, and member benefits. Starbucks Rewards stands out with 34.3 million active users, driving 41% of sales through its loyalty system. Sephora’s Beauty Insider nurtures community and repeat purchases, whereas Amazon Prime combines cashback with diverse services. Target Circle personalizes deals, enhancing customer experience, and Ulta Beauty’s program increases spending by 20% among members. Each program shines in different areas, making comparisons complex. What Is the Best App to Earn Rewards? To determine the best app for earning rewards, consider your preferences. Apps like Mistplay let you earn points by playing games, whereas Swagbucks offers various activities like surveys and shopping. Rakuten focuses on cashback for online purchases, and InboxDollars pays you for completing surveys and watching videos. Ibotta allows you to earn cashback on groceries by submitting receipts. Evaluate these options based on your interests and how you want to earn rewards. What Is the World’s Most Generous Rewards Program? The world’s most generous rewards program is often seen as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You can earn a substantial sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after meeting a spending requirement. Members earn 2x points on travel and dining, with a flexible point transfer to travel partners. Added benefits include trip cancellation insurance and no foreign transaction fees, making it a highly valuable option for frequent travelers and diners looking to maximize their rewards. Who Has the Best Rewards System? Determining who’s the best rewards system depends on your spending habits. For flexible travel and cash rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards stands out with its point value ranging from 1.25 to 1.5 cents. If you often fly or stay in hotels, American Express Membership Rewards offers more value through transfers. For straightforward earning, Capital One Venture Rewards gives you 2 miles per dollar spent, making it an appealing choice for frequent travelers. Conclusion In summary, online reward programs offer a practical way to improve your earnings through various activities, such as shopping, surveys, and gaming. By selecting the right program that aligns with your interests and habits, you can maximize your rewards efficiently. Remember to stay informed about each program’s features and terms to make the most of your participation. With careful selection and strategic engagement, you can turn your everyday activities into valuable rewards. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Best Online Reward Programs to Boost Earnings" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Target Corporation on Tuesday reported its all-important fourth-quarter results, which run from the key holiday shopping season in November through January. Unfortunately for the company, its results were, at best, a mixed bag. Yet despite the underwhelming earnings report, shares in the company are currently rising. Here’s what you need to know. Target’s Q4 2025 at a glance Before the opening bell this morning, Target reported its fourth-quarter earnings, which ended on January 31. Out of all the earnings periods Target reports over the year, Q4 is the most important because it covers the holiday shopping season when consumers are traditionally most willing to spend on non-discretionary items—a category that is Target’s bread and butter. Here are the most salient metrics for the quarter: Net sales: $30.45 billion Net earnings: $1.04 billion Adjusted earnings-per-share (EPS): $2.44 The good news for the company is that its adjusted EPS of $2.44 was much better than most analysts were expecting. As CNBC notes, an LSEG survey found that most analysts were expecting an adjusted EPS of $2.16. However, though the company beat on adjusted EPS, its net sales and net earnings both did not meet analyst expectations, and came in lower in Q4 2025 than the same quarter a year earlier. Analysts had expected net sales of $30.48 billion for the quarter. Target came close at $30.44 billion—but even that was down 1.5% from the $30.90 billion the company brought in the same quarter a year earlier. The company’s net earnings of $1.04 billion were also down 5.2% from the same quarter a year earlier. Target’s problems are political and economic Announcing its Q4 2025 results, Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, who has only been in the role since last month, said that the company was focused on its “next chapter of growth, rooted in strengthening our merchandising authority, delivering an elevated and differentiated shopping experience, advancing our use of technology, and continuing to serve and invest in our team and communities.” However, one of the largest challenges that Target is up against is blowback from its community of shoppers. Last summer, Target faced heavy criticism from many of its shoppers for rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the wake of President The President’s second inauguration. More recently, as noted by CNBC, The President’s immigration crackdown has been causing headaches for Target’s new leadership. As noted by the Associated Press, the company’s customers have been vocal in their desire for the company to take a public stand against The President’s policies, particularly after the deaths of ICE protesters in Target’s hometown of Minneapolis. Of course, Target’s stagnating sales over the past few years aren’t limited to political problems. It also continues to face economic ones. The biggest problem for Target is that a majority of the goods it sells are discretionary items, and consumers have been cutting back on those for years as costs continue to rise due to inflation and The President’s tariffs. To make matters worse, many customers have complained for years that Target’s stores were becoming messier and less visually appealing, leading them to shop there less frequently or seek out alternative retailers. Last month, Target announced corporate layoffs as part of its plan to reinvest in the in-store experience. Why is Target stock up despite lackluster sales? Despite Target’s lackluster quarter, shares in the company are currently rising in premarket trading. As of this writing, Target stock (NYSE: TGT) is currently up about 3.7% to $117.45. Factors for this rise could include things like relief from investors that the company at least met analysts’ net sales expectations. Target also announced that it expects modest next sales growth of about 2% for 2026. Given that the company has faced declining or stagnating sales for almost four years, investors are likely to reward the company for any expectation of reversing that trend, no matter how small. Despite Target’s ongoing challenges, the company’s shares have performed decently year-to-date. As of yesterday’s market close, TGT shares were up nearly 16% since the start of the year. Over the past six months, the company’s share price has risen more than 22%. Yet over the past 12 months, TGT shares had declined nearly 9% as of yesterday’s close. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. A lot of TVs are still perfectly fine screens. They’re just stuck with slow menus or outdated apps. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is an easy fix for that, and right now it’s $19.99, down from $39.99, its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. It streams in 4K with HDR10+ support, so compatible TVs get brighter highlights and better contrast. That said, it skips Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, so this is not the model for someone building a high-end home theater setup. But for most living rooms and bedrooms, the picture quality looks more than good enough. It also works fine on 1080p or even 720p TVs, so you don’t need a brand-new screen to make use of it. If you are still deciding, our writer Emily Long breaks down what to consider when choosing a streaming stick. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 at Amazon $39.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Get Deal $19.99 at Amazon $39.99 Save $20.00 As for the Select’s performance, apps open quickly, and scrolling through menus doesn’t feel sluggish. You get all the major services in one place, from Netflix and Disney+ to Prime Video and Apple TV+, plus a large catalog of free ad-supported content. The remote is simple and practical with dedicated buttons for popular apps, a volume rocker, and a microphone button for Alexa+ (it lacks the hands-free Alexa). For gamers, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription paired with a compatible controller lets you stream select Xbox titles straight to your TV, no console required. On the downside, this streaming device runs on Wi-Fi 5 rather than Wi-Fi 6, so it won’t fully benefit from the faster speeds and improved performance of newer routers in crowded networks. Storage is 8GB, which is typical for Fire TV sticks, but it can fill up fast if you download many apps. Also, app installations are limited to the Amazon Appstore since sideloading is blocked. To make the most of that storage, it helps to start with the essentials—here are nine worthwhile Fire TV Stick apps to try. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $119.00 (List Price $179.00) Samsung Galaxy S26, Unlocked Android Smartphone + $100 Gift Card, 512GB, Powerful Processor, Galaxy AI, Immersive Viewing, Durable Battery, 2026, Black — $899.99 (List Price $1,199.99) Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro AI Noise Cancelling 2.0 Wireless Earbuds (Black) + $30 Amazon Gift Card — $249.99 (List Price $279.99) Google Pixel 10a 128GB 6.3" Unlocked Smartphone + $100 Gift Card — $499.00 (List Price $599.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $329.00 (List Price $349.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Soundbar — $99.99 (List Price $119.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Paycheck processing is a vital function in any organization, as it involves calculating and distributing employee wages during adherence to tax laws. It starts with gathering employee data and setting payroll policies, then moves on to calculating gross and net pay based on hours or salaries. Deductions for taxes and benefits are made before payments are issued. Comprehending the intricacies of this process is fundamental for maintaining compliance and accuracy, but there’s more to uncover about its components and challenges. Key Takeaways Paycheck processing involves calculating gross pay, applying deductions, and issuing payments to employees either via checks or direct deposits. The process includes pre-payroll data gathering, actual payroll calculations, and post-payroll activities such as issuing payslips and remitting taxes. Compliance with regulations like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ensures accurate minimum wage and overtime compensation. Common challenges include data accuracy issues and communication breakdowns regarding salary changes, which can lead to employee dissatisfaction. Implementing payroll software and establishing a clear payroll policy can streamline processing and reduce errors, promoting timely compensation for employees. Understanding Paycheck Processing Grasping paycheck processing is vital for both employers and employees, as it guarantees accurate compensation and compliance with tax regulations. The payroll processing process involves several key steps. First, employers calculate gross pay based on hours worked or salaries. Then, they deduct applicable taxes and benefits, including federal, state, local taxes, and contributions to Social Security and Medicare, which employers must match. Comprehending how payroll works helps guarantee these deductions are made correctly. Paychecks can be issued as physical checks or through direct deposits, with direct deposits usually offering quicker access to funds. Furthermore, maintaining accurate payroll records is fundamental to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This includes documentation of hours worked, wages paid, and tax withholdings. Typically, employees receive their paychecks within five days after a pay period ends, depending on the chosen payroll processing method. The Paycheck Processing Cycle The paycheck processing cycle is vital for guaranteeing that employees receive their earnings accurately and on time. This cycle consists of several key stages: pre-payroll activities, the actual payroll process, and post-payroll activities. During the pre-payroll stage, you gather necessary employee data, establish a payroll policy, and ascertain compliance with tax regulations before calculating wages. The actual payroll process involves calculating gross pay based on hours worked or salaries, deducting applicable taxes and benefits, and determining the net pay employees will receive. After that, post-payroll activities include issuing payslips, submitting withheld payroll taxes to the appropriate authorities, and maintaining accurate payroll records for compliance. Typically, processing payroll takes about 1 to 2 days to complete using payroll software. Nevertheless, direct deposit transactions may take an additional 2 to 3 days to clear, so comprehending how long does payroll take to process is fundamental for planning. Key Components of Paycheck Processing Grasping the paycheck processing cycle sets the stage for recognizing the key components that guarantee employees are compensated correctly. Comprehending what payroll means begins with calculating gross pay based on hours worked or salaries, including bonuses or commissions. Next, deductions for taxes, benefits, and other withholdings are subtracted from gross pay to find net pay, which is what employees actually receive. Employers must withhold federal income taxes and FICA, adhering to IRS regulations. Paychecks can be distributed via physical checks, direct deposit, or pay cards, with direct deposit being the preferred method for its efficiency. Finally, accurate recordkeeping is fundamental, as employers must retain payroll records for at least three years to comply with FLSA and state regulations. Component Description Importance Gross Pay Total earnings before deductions Starting point for calculations Deductions Taxes and benefits subtracted from gross pay Determines net pay Payment Methods Options for paycheck distribution Affects employee satisfaction Compliance Adhering to tax regulations Avoids penalties Recordkeeping Maintaining payroll records Vital for legal compliance Payroll Regulations and Compliance Maneuvering the terrain of payroll regulations and compliance is critical for any employer to guarantee proper employee compensation and avoid legal pitfalls. You need to adhere to various regulations, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes minimum wage and overtime pay standards. Moreover, you’re required to withhold FICA taxes for Social Security and Medicare, matching employee contributions at a rate of 7.65%. Don’t forget about the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), which mandates a 6% tax on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages to fund unemployment benefits. Accurate classification of workers as employees or independent contractors is imperative to prevent costly penalties. Finally, timely filing and remittance of payroll taxes are indispensable; late submissions can lead to interest on unpaid taxes and fines from the IRS. Comprehending these regulations helps you maintain compliance and protect your business. Required Documentation for Paycheck Processing To guarantee smooth paycheck processing, gathering the right documentation is a fundamental step every employer must take. Proper documentation guarantees compliance and accuracy throughout the payroll process. Here’s what you need to collect: Form W-4: Determines federal income tax withholding for employees. Form I-9: Verifies employee identity and work authorization. Form W-9: Collects taxpayer identification from contractors. Employee Information: Includes Social Security Numbers (SSNs), state withholding forms, and bank account details for direct deposit. Payroll Records: Must detail hours worked, wage agreements, and any deductions, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Manual vs. Automated Paycheck Processing When considering paycheck processing, you’ll notice a stark difference between manual and automated methods. Manual processing often leads to inaccuracies because of human error and can take several days, especially in larger businesses. Alternatively, automated systems improve accuracy and efficiency, allowing payroll to be completed in one to two days and simultaneously ensuring compliance with regulations. Accuracy in Calculations Accuracy in paycheck calculations is crucial for any business, especially as the number of employees increases. Manual processing can be tedious and prone to errors, whereas automated systems improve precision considerably. Here’s a comparison of both methods: Manual tracking demands thorough attention to detail, increasing the likelihood of mistakes. Automated systems calculate wages, taxes, and deductions in real-time, minimizing errors. Compliance checks in software guarantee adherence to tax regulations, reducing legal risks. Businesses that use payroll software often see accuracy rates climb to over 99%. Manual processes can have error rates as high as 5%, which can lead to costly penalties. Incorporating automated systems not only boosts accuracy but also instills confidence in your payroll processes. Time Efficiency Comparison As many businesses begin with manual paycheck processing, the time efficiency of automated systems quickly becomes apparent as employee numbers grow. Manual processing can take several hours, especially for larger organizations, whereas automated systems often complete the task in just one to two days. For instance, 50% of North American companies finish payroll in 2-3 days, compared to 6-9 days for some Latin American firms. Additionally, human error in manual systems can extend processing time, whereas automation minimizes these inaccuracies. Processing Method Average Processing Time Manual Several hours Automated 1-2 days Streamlining payroll through automation improves overall operational efficiency, allowing businesses to allocate resources effectively. The Importance of Accurate Paycheck Processing Accurate paycheck processing is essential for ensuring that employees receive their compensation on time, which helps maintain morale and productivity. Furthermore, it guarantees compliance with payroll regulations, protecting your organization from potential fines and legal issues. Timely Employee Compensation Timely employee compensation is crucial for nurturing a productive workplace, as it directly affects both morale and financial stability. When you guarantee prompt paycheck processing, you promote trust and engagement among employees. Consider these points: 50% of employees report higher job satisfaction when paid on time. 75% of workers say payroll errors lead to dissatisfaction. Payroll processing usually takes 1 to 2 days with software. 40% of employees might leave if they experience repeated delays. Financial strain from late payments can impact employees’ lives. Regulatory Compliance Assurance Ensuring regulatory compliance in paycheck processing is vital for organizations to navigate the intricacies of labor laws and tax regulations effectively. Compliance means adhering to federal, state, and local laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and IRS tax regulations. Accurate paycheck processing helps you avoid costly penalties and fines, which can soar into thousands for late or incorrect tax filings. To maintain compliance, you must perform timely calculations of wages, overtime, and deductions, as these elements greatly impact your organization’s financial health and reputation. Regularly reviewing payroll practices is necessary, especially with evolving laws like tax codes and minimum wage adjustments. In the end, accurate paycheck processing builds trust and stability among employees, enhancing morale and productivity. How to Create an Effective Payroll Policy Creating an effective payroll policy is essential for any organization, as it lays the groundwork for how employees are compensated and guarantees compliance with legal requirements. To create a solid policy, consider the following elements: Define pay periods: Specify how often employees get paid (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) in line with state laws and employee preferences. Outline timekeeping methods: Clearly state how employees should record their hours worked to guarantee accurate wage calculations. Document overtime eligibility: Detail which employee classifications qualify for overtime pay and how it will be calculated, adhering to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Include mandatory deductions: List payroll deductions such as federal and state taxes, Social Security, and Medicare to maintain transparency. Regularly review and update: Keep your policy current to reflect any changes in laws or regulations, guaranteeing ongoing compliance with payroll standards. Common Challenges in Paycheck Processing In regard to paycheck processing, you’ll often face challenges related to data accuracy and regulatory compliance. Errors in calculations can lead to significant issues, impacting employee satisfaction and potentially resulting in legal consequences. Furthermore, traversing the intricacies of tax regulations requires constant vigilance to avoid costly penalties, making this aspect of payroll management particularly intimidating. Data Accuracy Issues Data accuracy in paycheck processing is vital for maintaining trust and satisfaction among employees. Several common challenges can lead to data inaccuracies that affect paychecks: Incorrect employee information, like Social Security numbers or bank account details, can result in failed direct deposits. Manual entry of hours worked may lead to discrepancies if timesheets aren’t completed accurately. Payroll software errors may occur from outdated systems, causing incorrect tax withholdings. Regular audits and reviews are important; without them, cumulative errors can go unnoticed. Miscommunication about salary changes or deductions can create misunderstandings about paycheck amounts. Addressing these issues proactively can help guarantee that employees receive accurate and timely payments, nurturing a more positive workplace environment. Regulatory Compliance Challenges Regulatory compliance challenges in paycheck processing can considerably impact your business, especially if you’re not fully aware of the myriad of laws and regulations governing payroll. Adhering to guidelines set by agencies like the IRS and DOL is essential, as timely filing and accurate payroll tax reporting help you avoid penalties. Furthermore, you must navigate complex state-specific regulations on minimum wage, overtime pay, and payroll frequency, which often differ from federal standards. Misclassifying employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act can lead to hefty fines and back pay liabilities. It’s mandatory to maintain accurate payroll records for at least three years. Utilizing automated payroll systems can streamline compliance by keeping you updated on regulatory changes and simplifying calculations. Best Practices for Streamlining Payroll Operations To streamline payroll operations effectively, businesses should consider implementing best practices that improve efficiency and accuracy. By adopting these strategies, you can bolster your payroll process and avoid common pitfalls. Implement payroll software to automate calculations and reduce errors, enabling quicker processing within one to two days. Establish a clear payroll policy that outlines pay periods, overtime eligibility, and timekeeping methods, ensuring compliance with regulations. Regularly review and update payroll practices to align with evolving labor laws and tax regulations, preventing fines. Encourage direct deposit for employee payments, cutting administrative costs and ensuring employees receive wages faster, typically within 1-2 business days. Maintain organized payroll records to comply with IRS and Department of Labor regulations, facilitating efficient audits and resolving discrepancies. Frequently Asked Questions What Does Processing a Paycheck Mean? Processing a paycheck means calculating the total earnings an employee has made, which includes their regular hours, overtime, and any bonuses. You then subtract necessary deductions like taxes and benefits to find the net pay. This process guarantees compliance with labor laws and correct tax reporting. After calculations, you can issue payments through checks or direct deposit, typically requiring a few days for bank processing, guaranteeing employees receive their earnings accurately and on time. How Is Payroll Processing Done? To process payroll, you collect employee work hours and calculate gross pay based on their hourly rates or salaries. After that, you’ll withhold necessary deductions, such as taxes and benefits, to determine net pay. You can do this manually or use payroll software for greater efficiency. Once everything’s calculated, you issue payments through methods like direct deposit or checks, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations to avoid penalties. How Long Does It Take for a Paycheck to Be Processed? The time it takes for a paycheck to be processed can vary. Typically, if automated systems are used, payroll can be completed in 1 to 2 days. Nevertheless, manual processing might take longer. After payroll is processed, direct deposits often require an additional 2 to 3 days to appear in employees’ bank accounts. On average, you can expect to receive your paycheck within 5 days after the end of the pay period. Is Payroll Processing Difficult? Yes, payroll processing can be difficult. You’ve got to calculate gross pay, tax withholdings, and deductions accurately, which can be time-consuming, especially with a growing workforce. Compliance with labor regulations adds complexity, as laws can change frequently. The payroll cycle you choose—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—also affects your workload. If you’re not organized, maintaining accurate records and submitting taxes on time can lead to penalties, making a reliable payroll system crucial. Conclusion In summary, paycheck processing is vital for ensuring employees receive accurate compensation as well as adhering to tax regulations. By grasping the paycheck processing cycle, key components, and compliance requirements, you can create effective payroll policies that minimize errors. Addressing common challenges and implementing best practices will streamline your payroll operations, eventually benefiting both your organization and its employees. Prioritizing accuracy in paycheck processing not only cultivates trust but additionally maintains legal compliance, which is critical for any business. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Paycheck Processing and How Does It Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Paycheck processing is a vital function in any organization, as it involves calculating and distributing employee wages during adherence to tax laws. It starts with gathering employee data and setting payroll policies, then moves on to calculating gross and net pay based on hours or salaries. Deductions for taxes and benefits are made before payments are issued. Comprehending the intricacies of this process is fundamental for maintaining compliance and accuracy, but there’s more to uncover about its components and challenges. Key Takeaways Paycheck processing involves calculating gross pay, applying deductions, and issuing payments to employees either via checks or direct deposits. The process includes pre-payroll data gathering, actual payroll calculations, and post-payroll activities such as issuing payslips and remitting taxes. Compliance with regulations like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ensures accurate minimum wage and overtime compensation. Common challenges include data accuracy issues and communication breakdowns regarding salary changes, which can lead to employee dissatisfaction. Implementing payroll software and establishing a clear payroll policy can streamline processing and reduce errors, promoting timely compensation for employees. Understanding Paycheck Processing Grasping paycheck processing is vital for both employers and employees, as it guarantees accurate compensation and compliance with tax regulations. The payroll processing process involves several key steps. First, employers calculate gross pay based on hours worked or salaries. Then, they deduct applicable taxes and benefits, including federal, state, local taxes, and contributions to Social Security and Medicare, which employers must match. Comprehending how payroll works helps guarantee these deductions are made correctly. Paychecks can be issued as physical checks or through direct deposits, with direct deposits usually offering quicker access to funds. Furthermore, maintaining accurate payroll records is fundamental to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This includes documentation of hours worked, wages paid, and tax withholdings. Typically, employees receive their paychecks within five days after a pay period ends, depending on the chosen payroll processing method. The Paycheck Processing Cycle The paycheck processing cycle is vital for guaranteeing that employees receive their earnings accurately and on time. This cycle consists of several key stages: pre-payroll activities, the actual payroll process, and post-payroll activities. During the pre-payroll stage, you gather necessary employee data, establish a payroll policy, and ascertain compliance with tax regulations before calculating wages. The actual payroll process involves calculating gross pay based on hours worked or salaries, deducting applicable taxes and benefits, and determining the net pay employees will receive. After that, post-payroll activities include issuing payslips, submitting withheld payroll taxes to the appropriate authorities, and maintaining accurate payroll records for compliance. Typically, processing payroll takes about 1 to 2 days to complete using payroll software. Nevertheless, direct deposit transactions may take an additional 2 to 3 days to clear, so comprehending how long does payroll take to process is fundamental for planning. Key Components of Paycheck Processing Grasping the paycheck processing cycle sets the stage for recognizing the key components that guarantee employees are compensated correctly. Comprehending what payroll means begins with calculating gross pay based on hours worked or salaries, including bonuses or commissions. Next, deductions for taxes, benefits, and other withholdings are subtracted from gross pay to find net pay, which is what employees actually receive. Employers must withhold federal income taxes and FICA, adhering to IRS regulations. Paychecks can be distributed via physical checks, direct deposit, or pay cards, with direct deposit being the preferred method for its efficiency. Finally, accurate recordkeeping is fundamental, as employers must retain payroll records for at least three years to comply with FLSA and state regulations. Component Description Importance Gross Pay Total earnings before deductions Starting point for calculations Deductions Taxes and benefits subtracted from gross pay Determines net pay Payment Methods Options for paycheck distribution Affects employee satisfaction Compliance Adhering to tax regulations Avoids penalties Recordkeeping Maintaining payroll records Vital for legal compliance Payroll Regulations and Compliance Maneuvering the terrain of payroll regulations and compliance is critical for any employer to guarantee proper employee compensation and avoid legal pitfalls. You need to adhere to various regulations, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes minimum wage and overtime pay standards. Moreover, you’re required to withhold FICA taxes for Social Security and Medicare, matching employee contributions at a rate of 7.65%. Don’t forget about the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), which mandates a 6% tax on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages to fund unemployment benefits. Accurate classification of workers as employees or independent contractors is imperative to prevent costly penalties. Finally, timely filing and remittance of payroll taxes are indispensable; late submissions can lead to interest on unpaid taxes and fines from the IRS. Comprehending these regulations helps you maintain compliance and protect your business. Required Documentation for Paycheck Processing To guarantee smooth paycheck processing, gathering the right documentation is a fundamental step every employer must take. Proper documentation guarantees compliance and accuracy throughout the payroll process. Here’s what you need to collect: Form W-4: Determines federal income tax withholding for employees. Form I-9: Verifies employee identity and work authorization. Form W-9: Collects taxpayer identification from contractors. Employee Information: Includes Social Security Numbers (SSNs), state withholding forms, and bank account details for direct deposit. Payroll Records: Must detail hours worked, wage agreements, and any deductions, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Manual vs. Automated Paycheck Processing When considering paycheck processing, you’ll notice a stark difference between manual and automated methods. Manual processing often leads to inaccuracies because of human error and can take several days, especially in larger businesses. Alternatively, automated systems improve accuracy and efficiency, allowing payroll to be completed in one to two days and simultaneously ensuring compliance with regulations. Accuracy in Calculations Accuracy in paycheck calculations is crucial for any business, especially as the number of employees increases. Manual processing can be tedious and prone to errors, whereas automated systems improve precision considerably. Here’s a comparison of both methods: Manual tracking demands thorough attention to detail, increasing the likelihood of mistakes. Automated systems calculate wages, taxes, and deductions in real-time, minimizing errors. Compliance checks in software guarantee adherence to tax regulations, reducing legal risks. Businesses that use payroll software often see accuracy rates climb to over 99%. Manual processes can have error rates as high as 5%, which can lead to costly penalties. Incorporating automated systems not only boosts accuracy but also instills confidence in your payroll processes. Time Efficiency Comparison As many businesses begin with manual paycheck processing, the time efficiency of automated systems quickly becomes apparent as employee numbers grow. Manual processing can take several hours, especially for larger organizations, whereas automated systems often complete the task in just one to two days. For instance, 50% of North American companies finish payroll in 2-3 days, compared to 6-9 days for some Latin American firms. Additionally, human error in manual systems can extend processing time, whereas automation minimizes these inaccuracies. Processing Method Average Processing Time Manual Several hours Automated 1-2 days Streamlining payroll through automation improves overall operational efficiency, allowing businesses to allocate resources effectively. The Importance of Accurate Paycheck Processing Accurate paycheck processing is essential for ensuring that employees receive their compensation on time, which helps maintain morale and productivity. Furthermore, it guarantees compliance with payroll regulations, protecting your organization from potential fines and legal issues. Timely Employee Compensation Timely employee compensation is crucial for nurturing a productive workplace, as it directly affects both morale and financial stability. When you guarantee prompt paycheck processing, you promote trust and engagement among employees. Consider these points: 50% of employees report higher job satisfaction when paid on time. 75% of workers say payroll errors lead to dissatisfaction. Payroll processing usually takes 1 to 2 days with software. 40% of employees might leave if they experience repeated delays. Financial strain from late payments can impact employees’ lives. Regulatory Compliance Assurance Ensuring regulatory compliance in paycheck processing is vital for organizations to navigate the intricacies of labor laws and tax regulations effectively. Compliance means adhering to federal, state, and local laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and IRS tax regulations. Accurate paycheck processing helps you avoid costly penalties and fines, which can soar into thousands for late or incorrect tax filings. To maintain compliance, you must perform timely calculations of wages, overtime, and deductions, as these elements greatly impact your organization’s financial health and reputation. Regularly reviewing payroll practices is necessary, especially with evolving laws like tax codes and minimum wage adjustments. In the end, accurate paycheck processing builds trust and stability among employees, enhancing morale and productivity. How to Create an Effective Payroll Policy Creating an effective payroll policy is essential for any organization, as it lays the groundwork for how employees are compensated and guarantees compliance with legal requirements. To create a solid policy, consider the following elements: Define pay periods: Specify how often employees get paid (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) in line with state laws and employee preferences. Outline timekeeping methods: Clearly state how employees should record their hours worked to guarantee accurate wage calculations. Document overtime eligibility: Detail which employee classifications qualify for overtime pay and how it will be calculated, adhering to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Include mandatory deductions: List payroll deductions such as federal and state taxes, Social Security, and Medicare to maintain transparency. Regularly review and update: Keep your policy current to reflect any changes in laws or regulations, guaranteeing ongoing compliance with payroll standards. Common Challenges in Paycheck Processing In regard to paycheck processing, you’ll often face challenges related to data accuracy and regulatory compliance. Errors in calculations can lead to significant issues, impacting employee satisfaction and potentially resulting in legal consequences. Furthermore, traversing the intricacies of tax regulations requires constant vigilance to avoid costly penalties, making this aspect of payroll management particularly intimidating. Data Accuracy Issues Data accuracy in paycheck processing is vital for maintaining trust and satisfaction among employees. Several common challenges can lead to data inaccuracies that affect paychecks: Incorrect employee information, like Social Security numbers or bank account details, can result in failed direct deposits. Manual entry of hours worked may lead to discrepancies if timesheets aren’t completed accurately. Payroll software errors may occur from outdated systems, causing incorrect tax withholdings. Regular audits and reviews are important; without them, cumulative errors can go unnoticed. Miscommunication about salary changes or deductions can create misunderstandings about paycheck amounts. Addressing these issues proactively can help guarantee that employees receive accurate and timely payments, nurturing a more positive workplace environment. Regulatory Compliance Challenges Regulatory compliance challenges in paycheck processing can considerably impact your business, especially if you’re not fully aware of the myriad of laws and regulations governing payroll. Adhering to guidelines set by agencies like the IRS and DOL is essential, as timely filing and accurate payroll tax reporting help you avoid penalties. Furthermore, you must navigate complex state-specific regulations on minimum wage, overtime pay, and payroll frequency, which often differ from federal standards. Misclassifying employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act can lead to hefty fines and back pay liabilities. It’s mandatory to maintain accurate payroll records for at least three years. Utilizing automated payroll systems can streamline compliance by keeping you updated on regulatory changes and simplifying calculations. Best Practices for Streamlining Payroll Operations To streamline payroll operations effectively, businesses should consider implementing best practices that improve efficiency and accuracy. By adopting these strategies, you can bolster your payroll process and avoid common pitfalls. Implement payroll software to automate calculations and reduce errors, enabling quicker processing within one to two days. Establish a clear payroll policy that outlines pay periods, overtime eligibility, and timekeeping methods, ensuring compliance with regulations. Regularly review and update payroll practices to align with evolving labor laws and tax regulations, preventing fines. Encourage direct deposit for employee payments, cutting administrative costs and ensuring employees receive wages faster, typically within 1-2 business days. Maintain organized payroll records to comply with IRS and Department of Labor regulations, facilitating efficient audits and resolving discrepancies. Frequently Asked Questions What Does Processing a Paycheck Mean? Processing a paycheck means calculating the total earnings an employee has made, which includes their regular hours, overtime, and any bonuses. You then subtract necessary deductions like taxes and benefits to find the net pay. This process guarantees compliance with labor laws and correct tax reporting. After calculations, you can issue payments through checks or direct deposit, typically requiring a few days for bank processing, guaranteeing employees receive their earnings accurately and on time. How Is Payroll Processing Done? To process payroll, you collect employee work hours and calculate gross pay based on their hourly rates or salaries. After that, you’ll withhold necessary deductions, such as taxes and benefits, to determine net pay. You can do this manually or use payroll software for greater efficiency. Once everything’s calculated, you issue payments through methods like direct deposit or checks, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations to avoid penalties. How Long Does It Take for a Paycheck to Be Processed? The time it takes for a paycheck to be processed can vary. Typically, if automated systems are used, payroll can be completed in 1 to 2 days. Nevertheless, manual processing might take longer. After payroll is processed, direct deposits often require an additional 2 to 3 days to appear in employees’ bank accounts. On average, you can expect to receive your paycheck within 5 days after the end of the pay period. Is Payroll Processing Difficult? Yes, payroll processing can be difficult. You’ve got to calculate gross pay, tax withholdings, and deductions accurately, which can be time-consuming, especially with a growing workforce. Compliance with labor regulations adds complexity, as laws can change frequently. The payroll cycle you choose—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—also affects your workload. If you’re not organized, maintaining accurate records and submitting taxes on time can lead to penalties, making a reliable payroll system crucial. Conclusion In summary, paycheck processing is vital for ensuring employees receive accurate compensation as well as adhering to tax regulations. By grasping the paycheck processing cycle, key components, and compliance requirements, you can create effective payroll policies that minimize errors. Addressing common challenges and implementing best practices will streamline your payroll operations, eventually benefiting both your organization and its employees. Prioritizing accuracy in paycheck processing not only cultivates trust but additionally maintains legal compliance, which is critical for any business. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Paycheck Processing and How Does It Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A quick guide to official economic forecasts presented by UK chancellor Rachel Reeves on Tuesday View the full article

In 2023, as Texas lawmakers debated Senate Bill 13—a controversial bill aimed at restricting certain books in public school libraries and expanding parental oversight—Steve Wandler was among the dozen-plus parents, educators, and advocates who testified before the legislature. Wandler wasn’t just another concerned citizen. He was a Canadian entrepreneur who had relocated to Texas the year before to found Bookmarked, a fledgling startup that promises to help school districts manage their library collections and give parents greater visibility into what their children are reading. The legislation addressed the very issue Wandler believed his company could help solve. The bill, authored by Republican state Senator Angela Paxton, would require districts to pull books featuring content deemed by local school boards to be “profane,” “indecent,” or “sexually explicit,” and expanded parents’ rights to monitor their children’s borrowing histories and restrict what their children could check out. It was part of a broader political push that also included HB 900, which required book vendors to rate school library materials for sexual content (though a federal appeals court later blocked enforcement of the rating mandate as unconstitutionally broad). Wandler spoke in support of SB 13, telling lawmakers it “empowers parental access” and “mandates accountability with the school districts.” His investment in the bill’s passage wasn’t merely rhetorical: Public records show Bookmarked spent at least $80,000 lobbying in favor of the measure, and later hired the powerful Texas lobbying firm Moak Casey to help promote its cause. Still, critics saw SB 13 differently, with free-speech advocates warning the new system amounts to codified censorship. Tasslyn Magnusson, a senior advisor with the Freedom to Read Program at PEN America, says that tools aggregating and circulating lists of challenged titles can reshape library collections in subtle but consequential ways. “When you start flagging books as somehow bad or under issue in other districts and other states, you’re undermining your local community control of what a school should have available for its students,” she tells Fast Company. Texas lawmakers ultimately moved forward anyway. Within months of SB 13’s June 2025 passage, Bookmarked, then without any district clients, began marketing its software as a tool designed to help districts navigate the law’s new requirements, according to brochure materials provided to Fast Company. The platform promised to highlight potentially problematic titles for school boards, streamline review processes, and give parents direct access to their children’s reading histories by integrating with library systems (that checkout data is stored on Amazon Web Services). In an interview with Fast Company, Wandler describes the product as decision support rather than a censorship engine: “We’re just showing you what we find on the internet. We’re not telling you what to do.” In doing so, the Dallas-based upstart quickly became a key player in a new and deeply contested corner of the edtech market, providing its software to more than 150 districts across Texas, according to Wandler—though that footprint is more complicated than it may appear, spanning a mix of paid contracts and free pilot programs. (Wandler says a soon-to-be-released updated version of Bookmarked would standardize pricing at $3 per student.) Bookmarked was initially backed by angel investors and remains angel funded, according to Wandler, who says the company is now seeking additional capital after gaining traction in Texas. He describes the company’s tech as a practical solution, one that helps districts maneuver an increasingly complex legal environment while connecting families more directly to their children’s reading. He acknowledges the fears over a system that might accelerate book removals, but insists his company has been a neutral player. “We try to be Switzerland,” he says. “And it’s hard to be Switzerland.” ‘The process is almost unattainable’ In marketing materials issued in June 2025 and shared with Fast Company, Bookmarked presents itself as a shield against risk. OnShelf, its AI-powered platform that tracks school library catalogs and calls out books that could draw complaints under the new laws, would help districts “navigate SB 13 with confidence and clarity,” Bookmarked promised. In practice, OnShelf works by ingesting a school district’s library catalog and comparing it against a growing database of titles that have been challenged or restricted elsewhere. According to internal company documents viewed by Fast Company, its AI engine “scans and collects” online data daily—including news reports, advocacy lists, and district records—to track books that have been banned or challenged across the U.S. and generate a list of “potential flags.” OnShelf also, per internal documents, supplies librarians with weekly automated emails “summarizing the ‘health’ of their collection based on any new nationwide challenge trends.” The company’s early development was closely tied to a Texas public-school superintendent. Jason Cochran, now head of Krum Independent School District (ISD) in North Texas, says he approached Wandler with the original idea and helped shape an early version of the product. Cochran today retains a small ownership stake (less than 1%, he says) and serves informally as an advisor. His district uses the software free of charge, an arrangement he says he requested in part to avoid conflicts tied to his ownership stake. (Some have questioned whether Cochran’s dual role as a district leader and a financial stakeholder in a vendor serving schools presents a conflict of interest.) Cochran says the tool has helped his district spot challenged books and ensure “there wasn’t anything on the radar that was going to cause conflict.” Bookmarked arrived at a moment of profound uncertainty. Across the United States, efforts to challenge and remove books from schools had surged dramatically. In 2024, the American Library Association recorded 821 censorship attempts targeting 2,452 unique titles, reflecting a shift toward organized bulk challenges wherein efforts to remove large numbers of books rely in part on prepared lists from conservative advocates. (By comparison, the annual average from 2001 to 2020 was just 273 titles.) Among the books banned by districts in Texas so far: Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens, Between the World and Me, Gender Queer, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. As the San Antonio Express-News reports, Bookmarked has already had sweeping real-world effects in Texas districts. About an hour south of Austin, in New Braunfels ISD, administrators used the software to identify more than 450 library books that might violate SB 13—prompting the district to close its library for two weeks while officials reviewed titles ranging from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to The Handmaid’s Tale. Similarly, in the West Texas city of Abilene, the platform sounded the alarm on more than 300 books for review during an early pilot program, according to reporting by the literary news website Book Riot. In Abilene, the relationship reportedly soured quickly. Lyndsey Williamson, Abilene’s executive director of secondary education, wrote in a September email that the company “made promises they couldn’t keep,” per the Express-News. (Abilene ISD did not respond to Fast Company’s request for comment.) Separately, one parent who lives in a district that uses the software tells Fast Company they had a hard time actually removing their child from the system entirely, claiming that doing so required multiple emails and signed release forms. ‘There was no way to keep up with that information’ Of course, not every district has had that experience. In Canyon ISD, a roughly 11,500-student system in the Texas Panhandle, administrators describe the software as a useful compliance tool. To Lisa Hill, the district’s director of instruction, the appeal was straightforward: As book challenges accelerated nationally, districts lacked a centralized way to track them. “There was no way to keep up with that information on a broad scale,” she says. Hill says the platform supplements rather than replaces librarians’ expertise and aligns with the state’s emphasis on parental oversight. “All librarians have a master’s degree in library science,” she says, but no one can realistically read every title that enters a collection. The system, in her view, adds visibility for overtaxed district employees. But that additional visibility, skeptics argue, can quickly turn into pressure. Perhaps most concerning is the dragnet effect: the risk that the software floods districts with questionable warnings, forcing educators to sort through lists that may be incomplete or misleading. That dynamic, says Anne Russey, a Texas parent and cofounder of the advocacy group Texas Freedom to Read Project, can cause librarians to act quickly rather than carefully—especially when administrations are already overwhelmed (and perhaps extra cautious on account of the recently passed SB 412, which essentially nixed longstanding legal protections for educators for providing materials deemed harmful to minors). “Maintaining a library is a normal part of library science that these certified professional librarians have all learned how to do,” she says. Leila Green Little, a Texas parent and lead plaintiff in a recent federal lawsuit over library censorship, is more blunt in her assessment: “Bookmarked is a solution to a problem that does not exist,” she says. Wandler, for his part, doesn’t entirely dispute the criticism. He acknowledges that the data his platform draws from is imperfect at best. Books get marked as banned or challenged even when districts ultimately keep them on shelves, producing alerts that don’t always tell the full story. But the platform, he insists, is only surfacing information. “We just show you [that] To Kill a Mockingbird has 20 flags on it. Do with it what you please,” he says. The 1960 novel has been challenged in districts across the U.S. over its use of racial slurs and depictions of racism, a deeply ironic twist given that the book is widely regarded as a critique of racism itself. Wandler is also candid about the stumbles along the way: “We’ve made a ton of mistakes,” he says, ”as startups do.” That’s why, he adds, Bookmarked is currently rebuilding the product from the ground up. The new version, now being piloted and slated for a broader April rollout, shifts focus from simply surfacing “book intelligence” to better helping districts navigate the byzantine approval workflow SB 13 requires (think elements like teacher book submissions and committee review). “Nobody built a product to be able to manage the process that this law has created,” Wandler says. “The process is almost unattainable, like it’s impossible for them to be able to do the work that the law does.” View the full article

Gold-medal moments for American athletes abounded at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Among a slew of highlights, Alysa Liu brought the U.S. Olympic gold in singles figure skating for the first time since 2002, Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin topped the podium in Alpine skiing. The Paralympics, which start March 6, will likely see more medals for women athletes, and many of them will be celebrating in Las Vegas this summer. But data from ticket exchange and resale site StubHub shows that the U.S. women’s hockey team’s triumph over Canada for gold in Milan will have a lasting effect on attendance at Professional Women’s Hockey League games. The company’s internal data shows a 38% year-over-year increase in demand for tickets to Professional Women’s Hockey League games for the first eight weeks of 2026, buoyed by an overnight spike following the U.S. women’s team winning gold. Demand for PWHL tickets is up nearly 60% compared to pre-Olympic levels. Strong demand for women’s sports is why StubHub is launching HerSportsHub, a centralized site for buying tickets to women’s sporting events via the platform. “When people get inspired by a big moment — whether it’s the Olympics or a breakout season — they don’t just watch,” Jill Gonzalez, StubHub’s head of consumer, product and technology communications, told Fast Company in a statement. “They want to be there and StubHub’s role is to make it as easy as possible to get in.” It’s not just hockey. Fans will have easy access to resale tickets for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Women’s Basketball, and more. The launch leaves plenty of time for hockey fans to get to a PWHL game before the season ends in April, and comes just in time for March Madness (women’s games start March 18), the NWSL season starting on March 13, and the WNBA season tip-off on May 8. All those sports gained new fans after the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 2024, StubHub says, demand for WNBA tickets surged 360% over 2023, and 150% for the NWSL over 2023. “Women’s sports are a fixture, and more fans are showing up every day,” Gonzalez told Fast Company. “HerSportsHub is a dedicated space to find the games they care about most and turn that excitement into a live experience.” View the full article

Inside a new HP laptop, the copper in its heat sink comes straight from old HP devices—making the company the first to reuse its own recycled metal in a closed loop. In partnership with HP, the Australia-based startup Mint Innovation took in circuit boards from thousands of old HP computers and servers, and then recycled them to supply pure refined copper back to the company. The process is designed to be more sustainable than traditional smelting. Instead of melting down metals in a furnace—an energy-intensive, polluting process—the startup uses a mix of chemicals and biology to recover valuable materials. “What HP is effectively doing is mining e-waste of their own appliances,” says Mint president Matt Bedingfield. “They’re taking responsibility for their full supply chain to turn it into the next generation of devices.” Old circuit boards are shredded and run through a series of tanks containing custom biological materials that pull out metals like gold and copper. The “biosorption” process works like a magnet, using electrons to attract specific elements. When gold is dissolved, for example, and electrons are stripped from its surface, it’s drawn to biological matter with extra electrons. Gold “is the economic enabler” for the process, Bedingfield says: “If you don’t recover the gold, you don’t make any profit. So after the gold, then we go and we recover the copper, then the silver, the tin, and the palladium.” Copper is particularly important at the moment. “In the U.S. right now, we’re about a million tons short on copper,” he says. “Copper is required for every single bit of the energy transition. It’s required for the data centers that we’re building. So that gap is only going to grow. The HPs and Apples and other OEMs in other industries, they’re all looking for copper to begin with. And then they’re looking for sustainable copper.” For HP, it’s part of a bigger push to help build new circular supply chains for the electronics industry. The quality of the recycled material is identical to new copper, the company says. Mint recycles in batches, so it’s possible to directly trace that a recycled material came specifically from a particular manufacturer’s products; in a furnace, that’s impossible to track. The company has orders from HP to continue recycling additional batches of products, Bedingfield says. In its first project, HP used the recycled copper in heat sinks because it knew it had enough supply to outfit the HP EliteBook X G2 Series and HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC. Future work could involve additional materials like gold. Scaling it won’t be simple: HP ships about 57 million laptops a year—second only to Lenovo, per Gartner—and brand-specific e-waste isn’t predictable. But the company is exploring how it can grow. Mint currently works in an industrial-scale prototype facility in Australia, but is currently starting to build up a sample line in Texas. It’s aiming to secure long-term investment to build out a full new plant in Texas that could open next year. The recycling facilities have a small footprint. “They’re designed in a way where we can go to the scrap,” says Bedingfield. “We’re able to go into cities and drop plants, so you’re not moving the material all around the world as is done today.” View the full article

Roger Bennett is the witty and charismatic co-host of the popular “Men in Blazers” soccer media network. Born in Liverpool, England, he moved to the United States and has since helped popularize the sport in this country through podcasts, television shows, and books, including his best-selling memoir Reborn in the USA. His new book, WE ARE THE WORLD (CUP), is a personal history of what he calls “the world’s greatest sporting event.” In the following excerpt, he chronicles his experience of the 1994 World Cup, the last event held in the U.S prior to this summer’s tournament. 1994 was also the year Bennett moved to the U.S. The 1994 World Cup brought football to the United States of America. And also me. Straight after university, I moved to Chicago, finally completing a three-generational odyssey. According to our family myth, my “great-grandfather the butcher” had originally intended to move to Chicago, the great “Hog Capital of the World,” when he boarded a boat in Odessa and headed for the promised land at the turn of the twentieth century. When that boat docked to refuel in Liverpool, he, and several hundred of the other, clearly lower IQ travelers, saw the three tall buildings on the Merseyside skyline, believed they were in New York City and disembarked. Eighty years and two generations later, I completed my family’s journey. When the plane landed at O’Hare Airport, I felt the urge to mark the weight of the moment and dropped to my knees dramatically on the tarmac, a move I had seen Pope John Paul II execute many times upon arrival in a foreign land. I was momentarily overcome by a surge of adrenaline but, unsure what to do next, quickly became self-conscious as the other passengers pushed their way impatiently around me with their carry-ons. I peeled myself up and tried to play it cool as I joined them on the shuttle bus, attempting to ignore the fact I now had acquired a sticky oil stain on the left knee of my jeans that I could never quite remove. It is one thing to land at an airport as a tourist ready to tear up the city for a time-bound period. It is an entirely different feeling to arrive in a place with no return ticket, and the hope and fear that accompanies any leap into the unknown. I was a twenty-two-year-old quasi-man landing with big dreams in the American Midwest. An area I was largely unfamiliar with and in which I lacked any kind of support network of family or friends. The only things I had brought with me were a law degree I had miraculously managed to secure, a vague grasp on rudimentary life skills, an enormous ’fro, and little in the way of financial resources. My father had been unimpressed by the woeful lack of direction I had demonstrated after graduation and became irritated at my vague talk of signing up to be an air steward or doing a postgraduate degree in peace studies. Late one night after I had come back inebriated from the local pub in Liverpool, he informed me that he was cutting me off. “A man can think and think in life, Roger,” he said with equal measures of exasperation and contempt, “but sometimes he simply has to learn to do.” That decision forced my hand and spurred me into “doing.” Picking up my life and heading to Chicago, then overstaying my tourist visa was the sum total of my plan. Under the table and off the books Upon arrival, I looked at a map of the city, saw there was a neighborhood in the far northside named Rogers Park, and, based solely on its name echoing my own, elected to set up shop there. My immediate challenge was to make some money. Lacking a work visa, I hustled like Tony Montana in the early scenes of Scarface, throwing myself into any opportunity that would pay me illegally under the table and off the books. For the first year, I made just enough to live, as a truly clueless yet enthusiastic baker on the early morning shift in a local French pâtisserie and a well-meaning but utterly bewildered waiter at a soul food restaurant at night. In between, I picked up shifts restocking books in a local library, which really meant me sleeping in the stacks. I cobbled together just enough to rent my small, totally empty apartment. If I scrounged food from the restaurant, I could occasionally put my surplus tip money toward treating myself to a $4 bottle of Kentucky Gentleman bourbon whiskey. The soul food restaurant—Orly’s in Hyde Park on the South Side of the city—provided an eye-opening initial glimpse of America. The cooks were all elderly African American South Siders, the busboys young Latinos from the West Side, the barman and manager were a pair of white suburban bros who ruled the place and largely spent their nights crassly hitting on the other servers who, besides me, were all attractive young female students at the University of Chicago. I bonded most of all with the kindly Mexican busboys, who loved to talk football while poking fun at my long, curly hair and round spectacles, alternating between two nicknames they quickly coined for me: “lady” and “Juan Lennon.” Two of the dishwashers were a pair of brothers from Mexico, and they took time to show me how to game the system and set up the basics any illegal alien needs to survive: a black market Social Security number, healthcare, and a bank account; teaching me how to furnish an empty apartment for free by scavenging for couches, desks, and kitchen tables dumped in alleyways across the city on the last day of any month, aka moving day. Arby’s, Michael Jordan, and Lake Shore Drive The extent to which I missed my family back in Liverpool surprised me. This was before AOL became omnipresent and when long-distance phone calls were still prohibitively expensive, so we corresponded like Victorians, by letter. I would stay late at night, alone, in the library’s office, typing out long letters to my parents with just my pointer fingers, determined to convey the minutiae of my work and the details of America that exhilarated me. The celestial taste of Arby’s; the intensity of the bruising NBA playoff series between the Michael Jordan–less Chicago Bulls and the boastful New York Knicks of Patrick Ewing, which felt like a high-stakes collision in which the future of good and evil were at stake; the thrill of driving down Lake Shore Drive in a cab at night, and speeding past illuminated skyscraper after skyscraper, an experience which made me feel like I was living on the set of a sci-fi movie. The mundanity of the letters they mailed back to me in return, 90 percent of which revolved around complaints about the perpetually damp, rainy weather, reinforced my confidence that the journey I was on was the right one. The only thing I truly and achingly missed was football. Soccer. As thrilling as it was for me to be able to immerse myself in the new American sporting traditions of Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox, and Notre Dame gamedays, English football was my foundational text. It was how I understood and made sense of the world. My ballast in life’s stormy sea. I was well aware that the sport had outsider status in the United States. Yet, I was still shocked by just how hard it was to follow in my new home. This game that thrilled the rest of the world, had stopped wars, and spurred revolutions barely made a dent on the American sporting subconscious. In a national survey of favorite spectator sports released shortly after my arrival, it ranked 67th. Tractor-pulling was 66th. ‘Holding a major skiing competition in an African country’ To be clear, Americans were not just apathetic toward the game I loved. They seemed to take a perverse delight in actively and openly despising it in the 1990s. Most nations would have announced a national holiday if FIFA awarded them the hosting rights to the tournament. Yet, when the United States was given the honors, their decision was received with a general tenor of bewilderment. On the floor of Congress, Representative Jack Kemp, a former professional quarterback, felt the need to defend his nation’s honor by saying, “I think it is important for all those young men out there who someday hope to play real football, where you throw it and kick it and run with it and put it in your hands, that a distinction should be made that football is democratic capitalism whereas soccer is a European socialist sport.” One journalist compared the honor of hosting the biggest sports event in the world to “holding a major skiing competition in an African country.” A sense of contempt reinforced by rumors that began to abound that FIFA were attempting to “Americanize” the sport by splitting the game into four quarters rather than two halves to increase the amount of advertising they could jam into the broadcast. I was baffled by the lack of noise around the whole affair. The World Cup was something I had always counted down to, with a sense of joyous anticipation, but that sense began to be replaced by a gnawing feeling of unease that the Americans were going to blow this—to transform the most celebrated event in the world into the equivalent of a Weird Al cover song. The tournament draw, which took place in December 1993, live from Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip, dialed my sense of disquiet up to eleven. The football world had never seen the likes of a veritable night of a thousand stars including Barry Manilow, Julio Iglesias, and Faye Dunaway. Few seemed to know what they were doing there. ESPN’s host, that veritable broadcasting legend Bob Ley, declared the spectacle to be akin to “Salvador Dalí producing a state lottery.” Fittingly for such a surreal occasion, it was Robin Williams who stole the spotlight. First, the comedian described the draw bracket as “the world’s biggest Keno game,” then proceeded to refer repeatedly to FIFA’s General Secretary, Sepp Blatter, as “Sepp Bladder” even after the Swiss administrator testily corrected him, insisting, “This is not a comedy!” Beneath the pizzazz, the significance for the future of the sport could not have been higher. US midfield star Tab Ramos was one of the pitifully few American players who had managed to find a pathway to play club football in Europe, and he worried aloud, “I think this will be the last chance, the last go-round for soccer to make it big here.” If those were the stakes, it did not seem to be going very well. New York Times columnist George Vecsey noted: “The United States was chosen, by the way, because of all the money to be made here, not because of our soccer prowess. Our country has been rented as a giant stadium and hotel and television studio for the next thirty-one days.” Panic truly kicked in when a national poll undertaken three weeks before the tournament’s kickoff discovered that 71 percent of Americans were still not aware it was about to be played in their country. The prospect of empty stadiums felt very real. In the weeks running up to the kickoff, a late flurry of marketing materials featuring images of Reggie Jackson and Michael Jordan pretending to juggle the football were unfurled in a last-ditch effort to create excitement. That did not exactly inspire confidence, as if athletes from other sports were needed to give heartland Americans permission to watch the foreigners’ game. An unshakable terror that no one would show up The moment of truth came June 17, 1994, when the opening match was held, by chance, at Soldier Field in my adopted hometown of Chicago. The night before the tournament began, my mood ricocheted between the dizzying sense of childish anticipation I always experienced on World Cup eve, and an unshakable terror that America was throwing a party for the sport I loved, and that no one would turn up. In my destitute state, there was no chance I could afford a ticket for the opener, which featured reigning World Cup champions Germany against Bolivia, yet I felt a need—more than that, a responsibility—to travel down to the stadium to pay witness to the scene. Partially to respect the moment and come as close to this tournament in the flesh as I had ever been. But mostly to help fill in as an extra, and create the sense of a crowd, hoping to build the fiction of America caring in the worst-case scenario, as so many doomsayers were saying, that the venue was deserted. I need not have worried. With a searing sense of relief, I found Soldier Field to be as overwhelmed as if the Bears were playing the Packers. Yes, it felt like half of Baden-Württemberg had traveled to cheer on Germany, and every Bolivian in the vicinity of Chicago had massed by Lake Michigan. But there were also thousands of families, congregating around the ticket gates, with the kind of crackling sense of anticipation emitted when entering the circus. In truth, this was unlike any football crowd I had experienced before. There was little noise. No audible chanting. Few team colors. Yet I soaked in the scene with relief and wonder. America had turned up. The fact that many of those in attendance seemed to know little about what was about to happen felt like nitpicking. This emotion was reinforced by a big-screen television near the gate broadcasting a short video in which iconic baseball manager Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers declared his unshakable belief that even if the country had no idea what the World Cup was, America would win it. Ticketless, I raced home on the L to catch the razzamatazz-filled opening ceremony on my television, which, like the rest of my furniture, had been rescued from the alleyway behind my apartment. I had jerry-rigged an antenna out of a clothes hanger, so the picture was scratchy, but visible enough to witness the spectacle that managed to blend a message of American good intentions, celebrity pageantry, and gesturing at heartfelt passion for soccer. A nearly sold-out crowd, including President Clinton, was privy to a ceremony that began with emcee hometown hero Oprah Winfrey screaming, “Let’s celebrate!” before tripping off the stage and seemingly maiming herself just seconds after welcoming a worldwide television audience of a billion. That slapstick opening set a tone the rest of the celebrity guests then strove to one-up. Singer Jon Secada suffered a dislocated shoulder when a trapdoor from which he was meant to emerge onto the stage misbehaved, forcing him to sing with just his head and shoulders protruding from a hole in the floor. Richard Marx, a Chicago native with a spectacular mullett, sang the national anthem. Diana Ross added to the surreal display by prancing around and lip-syncing, “I’m Coming Out,” a performance capped by her slicing a penalty quite wide of a goal from less than five yards out. Nonetheless, the crossbar still split into two, as if she had shot with accuracy and potency. A clumsy piece of footballing choreography gone wrong amidst glamor and glitz, which felt like a cruel metaphor for all that was to come. The psychedelic out-of-place, out-of-body celebrity moment was echoed, and eclipsed, later that night, by the breaking news of O.J. Simpson’s infamous white Bronco chase. An earth-shattering celebrity cultural moment, which even preempted the NBA final and easily overshadowed the day’s football, the personal highlight of which came just a minute into the opener when the ball flew into the stands, and the game was held up while the fan who caught it was ordered to throw it back, after being told this was not Wrigley Field and you were not allowed to keep that ball as a memento. A Peroni- and Guinness-fueled epic gang rumble It took twenty-four hours before the fuse was truly lit on the World Cup, driving it straight to the front of America’s sporting cortex. A game billed as “the Showdown in the Swamp” pitched Italy against Ireland in the crackling heat of Giants Stadium in New Jersey. A confluence of time and context. Thirty-two million Americans claim Irish descent, roughly half have Italian roots, and the greater New York area had largely been built by their ancestors and thus overflows with both hyphenated identities. This game felt like the type of Peroni- and Guinness-fueled epic gang rumble Scorsese would have directed in one of his early movies. A fight for pride born of echoed pasts taking place in the swamplands near the Hudson. The Italian team had long been a traditional footballing superpower. Handsome, slick-haired footballers like the iconic Roberto Baggio and Paolo Maldini played for the biggest clubs in the world. Ireland was a mob of scrappy, bar-brawling upstarts in comparison. A Dirty Dozen–esque mob—many of whom were English-born but had chosen to represent Ireland because of their own familial lineage. They were managed by a charismatic, beer-drinking, straight-talking former English World Cup winner, Jack Charlton, who was so beloved, he achieved honorary Irishman status and was christened “St. Jack.” The English National Team had yet again failed to qualify, so a lot of English fans spent the early days of the tournament desperately trying to discover secret Irish roots of their own. I watched this game in a packed bar in Rogers Park, stuffed with Irish Americans and a ton of non-Irish Americans who just felt a vicarious kinship courtesy of their Notre Dame fandom. As I entered, a large old man dressed as a leprechaun kissed me on the top of my head while screaming to no one in particular, “Our boys are on the craic with it!” As Jameson-inflected as these words smelled, they turned out to be prophetic. My leprechaun friend may have passed out before kickoff, but had he been conscious, he would have loved what he saw. The fearless Irish snatched the lead with a euphoric strike from midfielder Ray Houghton, a Glasgow-born son of an Irishman, who audaciously clipped the ball past the despairing fingers of the Italian goalkeeper. The collective defensive intensity Charlton had instilled did the rest, as a green-and-white-cloaked Giants Stadium rocked to the sound of bagpipes and the thump of bodhráns as a chant of “You’ll never beat the Irish!” resounded. The final scoreline, chaotic energy of the occasion, and medical miracle that 75,000 Irish fans somehow survived nasty cases of sunburn drove the event into the hearts of the American viewing public. This tournament had kicked off for real. Maradona the villain This being a World Cup, Diego Maradona of course grabbed center stage. The golden street urchin had been the hero of the 1986 win. He played the role of villain in this one. Having worn out his welcome in Italian football, “El Pibe de Oro” fled Europe with his career imploding and personal life in meltdown. A fifteen-month ban earned in 1991 for testing positive for cocaine was the least of his problems. Maradona had been charged with smuggling $840,000 worth of blow into Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in 1990, and his reputation was further pockmarked by rumors of paternity suits, tax charges, and intimate connections to Naples’s Camorra crime family. A beleaguered, overweight Maradona returned home to Buenos Aires in search of sanctuary. As he arrived, the notion the player was physically or mentally ready to lead the national team to the 1994 World Cup appeared as believable as a storyline from a Philip K. Dick fantasy. Yet, the star resurfaced sensationally on the eve of the tournament, having somehow shed twenty-six pounds in a month. His message was one of redemption. “I am tired of all those who said I was fat and no longer the great Maradona,” he proclaimed. “They will see the real Diego at the World Cup.” The icon did not know how true those words would prove to be. Aged thirty-three, the little warhorse prepared to drag his tattered body into battle one more time. His fourth World Cup would begin against Greece at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. A light aircraft buzzed above the field pulling a banner that proclaimed “Maradona–Prima Dona” ahead of the game, and the star lived up to his billing. In the 60th minute of the 4–0 victory, Diego received the ball in the box, jinked to his left, and rifled the ball into the top corner, then celebrated the achievement in hopped-up style, charging a sideline television camera and flashing his maniacal mug toward it. Tight-lipped after the game, Maradona would only declare, “I’m letting my actions speak for themselves.” Four days later, the player was selected for random drug testing after a 2–1 win against Nigeria. FIFA quickly announced the Argentine had tested positive for five variants of ephedrine. The Guardian would later note the way Maradona had celebrated his goal against Greece was as conclusive as any drug test: “Broadcast around the world, his contorted features made him look like a lunatic, flying on a cocktail of adrenalin and every recreational drug known to man.” Faced with the disgrace of being expelled from the tournament, Maradona first sought pity from Argentinian television. “They killed me,” he said. “They have retired me from soccer. I don’t think I want another revenge, my soul is broken.” He then proceeded to appeal to his nation’s easily fired-up paranoia, adamantly declaring, “They didn’t beat us on the pitch. We were beaten off the pitch and that is what hurts my soul.” As his team moved on to meet Bulgaria in the Cotton Bowl, Maradona loyalists in the Argentine media seized on Dallas’s reputation as the cradle of conspiracy theories. “In this city, where thirty years before Kennedy was assassinated, the theories surrounding footballer Maradona will now be explained. Was he ‘randomly’ selected for a drug test?” they asked. Not embarrassing themselves FIFA dispatched Sepp Blatter to smother any doubts. “The king is dead, we play on,” he declared. A shattered Argentinian squad mustered the requisite sound bites about “winning it for Diego.” But leaderless and disoriented, they proceeded to wilt against Bulgaria and were finally sent home by Gheorghe Hagi, Ilie Dumitrescu, and the elegant Romanians in the Round of 16. Even Maradona’s fall from grace could not dampen the American energy now building up around the tournament. The stadiums were packed, never more than when the US team first strolled onto the field in Detroit’s Pontiac Silverdome. I knew so little about the team. Few Americans did to be honest. Hosting duties meant their qualification had been automatic, a mixed blessing as a woefully inexperienced squad faced four long years in which it had been deprived of the one thing that could battle-harden the players: competitive matches that mattered. This challenge was reinforced by the reality that only a handful of American soccer players had found professional opportunities in Europe. American soccer players had as much credibility in the eyes of European scouts as aspirational English quarterbacks would have received in the NFL. A couple of players including the cocky gunslinger John Harkes and physically gifted striker Eric Wynalda had gained the attention of minor clubs in England, Spain, and Germany. The rest were left struggling to make a living playing indoors or on a local team, which provided the salary equivalent of an internship. The personal stakes could not have been higher for these men. The focus was on not embarrassing themselves. They were not just playing for their nation; they were fighting for the very future of their sport. Desperate to avoid the humiliation of becoming the first home team in history unable to emerge from the World Cup’s opening round, the United States Soccer Federation had undertaken a bold experiment, establishing a residential training center for its team to live together, essentially living off a tiny stipend and their enormous shared dreams, for eighteen months in Mission Viejo, California. Crap the bed, and the profile of soccer in the United States would never recover. The mission was simple. They had to get out of the group stages. Their draw had been tough. In the opening round, they would face a robust Switzerland, dark horse Romania, and sandwiched in between, the truly fearsome Colombians, who had just whipped Argentina 5–0 in qualifying and whom Pelé himself had picked to win the entire tournament. First up were the Swiss, who had drawn and beaten Italy in qualifying. I watched from the futon on the floor of my boxy Rogers Park apartment, nervously adjusting the wire hanger to try and coax a clearer signal. The blurry images on my television made it look like the US team were swaggering onto the field wearing a faux stonewashed denim jersey. Then the commentator mentioned that the US team were indeed wearing faux stonewashed denim jerseys and that was the very second I fell in love with this team of goatee- and mullet-sporting risk-takers, dreamers, and pioneers. Sweatbox conditions Tellingly, kickoff was slated for 11:30 a.m. so that broadcasters ABC did not have to cut into their coverage of the US Open, an event they deemed to be far more important. At that time, Midwest temperatures topped 106 degrees, and so this, the World Cup’s first-ever indoor game, was played in sweatbox conditions. I felt enormous empathy for the players as I could not afford air-conditioning in my Chicago apartment and was sweating up a storm myself as I watched in just my underpants and T-shirt. The Swiss looked like they were poised to melt. In contrast, the American players looked utterly amped. So few of them had ever played before a truly large crowd—never mind one that was 100 percent pro-American. As the cameraman panned their eyes during the national anthem, they looked like a group of men who knew this was their time to show the world that American football was about something more than a bold choice in football jersey design. That carried through once the opening whistle blew. The Americans were not the most sophisticated in tactic or touch. But what they clearly lacked as footballers, they compensated for with collective fitness, ferocity of tackle, and an unshakable team spirit embodied by the sheer number of high fives they doled out to each other in-game. Rock ’n’ roll hustle, idiosyncratic style, and can-do spirit wrapped in frosted denim A beanpole ginger center back, Alexi Lalas, caught my eye. A gangly mix of lanky leg and flowing red hair. He looked less like a footballer and more like a guy who worked behind the counter at a record store in some suburban Detroit mall, turning kids on to Van Halen’s latest album one sale at a time. But on the field, in the global spotlight that day, Lalas appeared as if he embodied America itself. All rock ’n’ roll hustle, idiosyncratic style, and can-do spirit wrapped in frosted denim. As if David Lee Roth had taken the World Cup stage. Both shirt and athlete unlike anything I had seen play football before. When Switzerland opened the scoring off a free kick, it fleetingly felt like the sum of the American players’ fears was about to become real. But just five minutes later, the US won a free kick of their own, 28 yards out. Up stepped Eric Wynalda, the maverick, hotheaded striker who looked like an extra ripped from a beach scene in Baywatch. Wynalda composed himself, then swung his foot to strike as casually as if he were on the Californian fields in which he had mastered the game as a kid in Orange County. That ball seemed to be in the air forever, silencing the stadium as it flew, spinning away from the goal-keeper’s panicked dive straight into the corner, greeted with a crescendo of noise like that experienced by a diver breaking the waterline and resurfacing. Wynalda was as shocked as anyone watching at home. The goal was a relief. It not only enabled the US to hold on for a draw and a point, but it also validated the sense that their quest to qualify was in the realms of the possible. The fearsome Colombians awaited four days later in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California. Again, I watched alone in my apartment, cowering as the South Americans in their ecstatic yellow attempted to blow their opponents away from the opening kickoff, attacking with hunger and intensity. It felt like a borderline miracle when the game was still scoreless five minutes in. The Colombians hit the post, and American defender Fernando Clavijo scooped the ball off the line in a way which defied science. But football—especially World Cup football, with its international squads who are essentially as practiced as All-Star teams—is a game of moments. And in the 35th minute, the United States forayed upfield. John Harkes, the cocksure son of Kearny, New Jersey, who had played in England for four years and had instantly adopted a fake Cockney accent, whipped in a cross. Colombian defender Andrés Escobar, a fine man widely known as “The Gentleman of Football,” made the unfortunate decision to stretch out a leg and block it, but he only succeeded in redirecting the ball past his own flat-footed goalkeeper into his own net. Escobar’s own goal is what is remembered from the game. Ten days later, he would return home and was shot to death while leaving a Medellín nightclub in the early morning hours. The assassin fired half a dozen times, yelling “Goal!” after every shot. But in the moment, when that ball bobbled off his foot into the back of the net, the American players felt only ecstasy. Even though I was watching alone in my apartment, I was moved to shake up a bottle of Budweiser and spray it around the room, creating a beer puddle that sat in the middle of the floor long after the tournament was a memory. I was to housekeeping what Diego Maradona was to legal weight loss. ‘Miracle on Grass’ Emboldened, the United States conjured a second goal right after halftime, a stunning moment of real counterattacking football, finished off by the speed freak Earnie Stewart, a Dutch-born dual-national with an American serviceman father. The celebrations were an astonishing moment for the team. You could tell by their rapturous reactions; this was a group of men proving themselves to themselves with the world watching. Now they knew, as American footballers, they could face a big team in a big game and win. To me it all felt transcendent. An epiphany akin to witnessing a baby being born, only with 90,000 people in the delivery room. At the final whistle, the Americans soaked in their moment, walking around the Rose Bowl—the historic American sporting shrine—shirts off, American flags draped round their shoulders, with the delirious crowd bellowing, “USA! USA! USA!” After all their work and sacrifice, these men had just shown that American footballers could belong in the game with the rest of the world. The next day, headline writers gave the performance the ultimate sports accolade, hailing the victory as a “Miracle on Grass!” Miracle or not, the third game did not go as planned. A 1–0 loss to the canny Romanians. The United States finished third in their group with four points, scraping into the knock-out stages by virtue of being one of four third-placed teams who advanced into the sixteen-team second round. Next, they would face Brazil, the fiercest of opponents and number 1 team in the world. The match was to be played in Stanford, California, on July Fourth to boot. Could they do it? I watched the players’ interviews, and it was clear by listening that having qualified from the group and achieved their goal—avoiding humiliation—all the pressure was off. Anything felt possible. Once again, I watched the game alone in my apartment. I did not have a lot of money and, in reality, I did not have a lot of friends. In truth, I felt immensely lonely, but I loved this team of try-hards. I connected with them. When I watched them, they seemed to embody a sense of hope that I needed in my own life at the time. If a group of footballing duffers in stone-wash shirts could take on the powerful Brazilians in the World Cup and win, I too might find my way to glory. Or at least a television without a coat hanger for an antenna. A moral victory However, there was no way to mask the gulf in class between these two teams. It was evident the moment they walked side by side onto the pitch. Brazil’s deadly striking duo Romário and Bebeto, feared around the world, took the field alongside Cobi Jones, a twenty-four-year-old legal student from California. This Brazil team were different from past iterations. The battering they had received from the European teams over the past decade had forced them to add defensive steel to their offensive flamboyance. Their jerseys were still the traditional golden yellow, but this was a pragmatic, functional, almost soulless squad who advanced on the strength of their physicality, which peaked on the stroke of halftime. American midfielder Tab Ramos attempted to nutmeg his opponent, Leonardo, who retorted by headhunting, with cruel, blunt application of his elbow to Ramos’s skull. A shocking moment of violence that earned the Brazilian a red card and left the American in agony on the ground, knocking him out of the game with a fractured skull. Theoretically, the Americans now had a one-man advantage, but you could not tell from the way they responded. Their players’ focus was utterly broken by that moment of savagery, which had knocked out their creative heartbeat. The Brazilians became relentless. In the bright sunlight that would melt lesser men, they glimmered like a shoal of fighting fish sensing the weakness of their prey. The Brazilian goal, when it came in the 74th minute, was almost a relief. A precise Bebeto shot driven low, callously and cruelly through the desperate legs of Alexi Lalas and past a despairing goalkeeper into the corner of the net. Despite the loss, the US mood at the final whistle was far from despondent. Even in defeat, this young, raw team of American nobodies had earned a moral victory. They had not soiled themselves with the nation watching. Television ratings were high. The US boys had proven they could go toe-to-toe with the world’s best by harnessing a collective spirit, exiting with millions of T-shirts and celebratory tchotchkes sold, and the feeling of a match lit and something powerful loosened deep in the nation’s consciousness. Sitting in my shit Chicago apartment, I thought of all the American icons that had drawn me to the United States in the first place, patriots who glowed with bold self-confidence. Ferris Bueller, the Super Bowl–winning Chicago Bears, the Beastie Boys. This American football team now fit in that pantheon. They were the rare US sporting entity who were scrappy underdogs. A gaggle who acted as if they willed themselves to believe something, it was no fantasy. Brazil’s spiritless football became a symbol of the entire tournament. Below the celebrity glitz and American naivete, the play was mediocre, and the games pockmarked by overzealous refereeing that broke up play. Fittingly, the final was one of the most soul-crushing the tournament has ever witnessed. I had not wanted to watch alone and went out solo to take it in, draining a generous stranger’s pitchers of beer, at a packed Hyde Park bar, Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap. The energy, which was at Mardi Gras levels at kickoff, soon burned off as the Brazilians’ cocked fist was negated by Italy’s smothering play. As the two teams conspired to provide every soccer cynic’s worst nightmare—the first goalless final, 120 minutes of dreary soccer followed by penalties—the bar became quieter and emptier. I could almost imagine the teeth-gnashing of every investor who had just stepped up to own a team in the soon-to-be-launched American club league: Major League Soccer. ‘Divine ponytail’ One of the reasons I love football is that even in the dullest of spectacles, a moment of human revelation can occur on an almost biblical scale. Italy had been carried to the final by the wizardry of one man: Roberto Baggio, an almost mystical figure, known for his signature “Divine ponytail” (Il Divin Codino), his conversion to Buddhism, and the way he seemed to float just above play, beyond the grasp of the mere mortals with whom he was sharing the field. Baggio’s five goals in the tournament had propelled his team to the final. In the fifth and final round of penalties, with Brazil leading 3–2 and Italy needing to score to keep hope alive, it was Baggio who stepped to the spot. It had been his tournament. Now, the hopes of all Italy rested on his shoulders. With just the goalkeeper to beat from a mere 12 yards, he proceeded to sky the ball 3 feet over the crossbar. At the pub I was in, it felt like we had just witnessed a human tragedy. Screams accompanied the replays of the ball soaring into the Pasadena sky, as Baggio, that quasi-holy man, doubled over in astonished agony, hands on knees in private mourning. A hallowed figure who so often appeared to rise above the limits of what was humanly possible, frozen in a moment of mortality. It was fitting that two diabolical penalties bookended the tournament. Diana Ross’s showbiz miss opened it, and Baggio’s elegiac catastrophe brought it to an emotional close and handed Brazil a fourth World Cup win, at last. Their first in twenty-four long years. Many Americans had their lives changed by the tournament. European teams deigned to welcome a handful into their teams, most noticeably Alexi Lalas, who played fleetingly in Italy, a cameo in which his greatest achievement may have happened off the field when he was invited to strum his guitar as a support act on a leg of a Hootie & the Blowfish tour. Most of the players were reduced to jester-like side-hustles with Tony Meola accepting a chance to try out as a kicker for the New York Jets, which reeked of a PR stunt, as did his being attacked by “soccer-playing pitbulls” on Jay Leno. In the end, the legacy of this World Cup was mixed. Records had been broken in terms of attendance, but those who expected American fans’ sporting appetites to be transformed instantly and forever by the tournament would be disappointed. The spike in interest in football soon burned off as if the World Cup had been a giant circus, which momentarily thrilled before leaving town. A year later, when my beloved club team Everton reached the semifinal of a major tournament, I was unable to find a single cable channel that could summon a broadcast, despite a frantic search of Chicagoland sports bars. Utterly defeated, I ended up calling my father in Liverpool and persuaded him to hold his telephone against the radio so I could hear the local broadcast and follow the action. A long-distance connection that was worth every cent, even though the bill was so eye-bulgingly expensive, it took me seven months to pay off in installments. Each time I chipped away at my football-induced telecom debt, I felt a numbing angst as if the World Cup in America had never happened. ‘The long cut’ Deprived of my football fix, my American life continued to progress, relying on hustle, grind, and the kindness of strangers. Professionally, I astonished myself by finding utility in the law degree I had somehow earned. I gained work as a welfare rights advocate. This was the height of the Clinton Welfare debate in which the safety net had been shredded. Working with a nonprofit who agreed to apply for a visa for me, I trained homeless men to talk to the media, telling the story of their descent into the streets and highlighting the vast number of hidden challenges that existed between them and job security. The homeless guys I worked with were sweet and earnest. They lived on the streets south of the city in the area around Robert Taylor Homes. A vast, bleak public housing project that consisted of dozens of identical, hulking buildings spread out in a line for two miles. Having grown up in Liverpool, I thought I was used to grim neighborhoods awash with hopelessness. The Robert Taylor Homes were another level altogether. This was a heart-wrenching island of abject poverty. The work was fulfilling and soul-destroying in equal measure. Lacking football in my life, I threw myself into the Chicago music scene for solace. Uncle Tupelo’s album Anodyne had just been released. I saved up enough to watch the band play gigs at the legendary Lounge Ax. Their track “The Long Cut” was my anthem, and I listened to its message of struggle and eventual promise on repeat on my Discman: Come on let’s take the long cut I think that’s what we need If you wanna take the long cut We’ll get there eventually. The lead singer, Jeff Tweedy, was singing about his fraught relationships with his bandmates, but the lyrics always held a double meaning for me, reflecting the journey I hoped soccer had just begun in my chosen home. Excerpted from the book WE ARE THE WORLD (CUP) by Roger Bennett. Copyright © 2026 by In Loving Memory of the Recent Past 2 Inc. From Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission. View the full article

Zig-zagging around the glass-and-steel perimeter of the UC Berkeley Grimes Engineering Center, 36 thin metal rods could be what it takes to prevent the building’s total destruction. The rods are the central element of a novel seismic-responsive structural system that is designed to help the building snap back to its original shape in the event of a major earthquake. Their trick is an embedded cluster of taut cables made from a highly flexible compound called a shape-memory alloy that’s capable of bending under tension—like the lateral shaking in a California earthquake—and then straightening out. Developed by the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), which also designed the building, the shape-memory alloy tension rod system is making it possible for architects and engineers to create truly earthquake-resilient buildings. David Shook, a senior associate principal based in SOM’s San Francisco office, helped develop the shape-memory alloy system for the building. He says testing showed it to be able to bend more than 25 times as much as typical structural steel, which he compares to a coat hanger. “When you bend it, it stays,” Shook says, while the shape-memory alloy tension rod system “can behave more like a rubber band.” A building that can snap back into place after an earthquake is important not only for life safety but also for the ongoing use of a building in a post-disaster scenario, says structural engineer Mark Sarkisian, a partner at SOM who’s also based in San Francisco. The current building code “allows for your building to be damaged structurally in a way that still protects life and stays stable during an earthquake. But after the earthquake, there are big questions around whether that building can go back into service or not,” Sarkisian says. “What SOM has really pushed hard on for many years is can we come up with seismic systems that are essentially elastic?” What is a shape memory alloy? Shape-memory alloys make that possible. Commonly used by NASA and the aerospace industry and also to make heart stents, shape-memory alloys are new to architecture. This system is being used for what SOM says is the first time at the Grimes Engineering Center, a student center and educational space in the middle of several engineering-focused buildings on UC Berkeley’s campus. “The medical industry has been using a lot of super elastic shape-memory alloys. So as the production of that material has gone up, the price has been going down and we kind of hit a point here where it made sense to start using it in a building,” Shook says. This particular building was an ideal opportunity. It’s located about a quarter of a mile from the Hayward Fault, considered one of the most dangerous fault lines in the seismically active San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also a part of UC Berkeley’s vaunted engineering school, known for its work on earthquake-resilient buildings and structural engineering. “This is a place where they test, understand, and deploy new technologies in seismic zones year after year after year,” Sarkisian says. “It’s remarkable what the professors here have done. And it’s really fun to be able to work with them to bring this forward in a very visual way.” Like an engineering student doing an assignment in one of its classrooms, the building not only offers a solution to the problem, it shows its work. The shape-memory alloy tension rod system, made from a nickel-titanium alloy, is intentionally left out in the open on the perimeter of the building, demonstrating its functionality as part of the building’s minimal glass-and-steel architectural expression. A teaching tool Technically this is also an adaptive reuse project, with a new three-story, 36,000-square-foot pavilion added atop the base of the former Bechtel Engineering Center, built in 1980. The original building was a mostly subterranean Brutalist structure made of reinforced concrete, with a library and an auditorium sitting below a landscaped roof deck. The new design replaced the landscaping with the pavilion, trading the weight of the soil and planting for the mass of the new pavilion. Because it utilizes so much of the original building’s foundation and structure, the project’s embodied carbon was measured to be 42% lower than industry baselines. In many ways, the building is meant to be a teaching tool as well as an example for other projects to follow. The real test of its worth will come with the next major earthquake to hit the region. Shook says SOM ran extensive physical tests and computer simulations that show the shape-memory alloy tension rod system performing as planned, even during the biggest possible earthquake expected to strike. Unlike buildings that might have a cracked wall or an off-kilter lean after a big earthquake, the Grimes Engineering Center likely won’t offer any hint that it’s even experienced a tremor. “The building’s going to come back to plumb,” Shook says. View the full article

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Jane, chief commercial officer at a global professional services firm, watched issues that once stayed contained begin to climb the chain of command. As the issues grew, senior leaders were increasingly pulled into operational mishaps. Facing margin pressure and accelerating AI-driven change, the CEO redirected the leadership development budget and narrowed his focus. The move made sense. But as roles expanded and support narrowed, more decisions required senior intervention. What seemed manageable in isolation accumulated across teams. As AI automates routine work, organizations require a new set of leadership skills that technology can’t replace. Yet many organizations treat AI as another IT rollout rather than a fundamental shift in how leaders must operate. A recent report from management software TalentLMS shows organizations under pressure are reducing structured development—even as role scope, decision load, and AI exposure increase. For companies, postponing investment in leaders and managers today will hinder execution tomorrow. Through our work advising and coaching senior leaders (Jenny as an executive advisor and leadership development expert, and Kathryn as an executive and team coach), we’ve seen this dynamic repeat. Organizations that sustain performance don’t wait for conditions to improve. They continue to build leadership capability while pressure remains high. 1. Reframe leadership capability as business risk, not engagement When companies pull back on leadership development, they rarely question whether it matters. They question whether it mitigates the risks they manage daily, like revenue and investor confidence. But leaders responsible for building capability describe results in terms of engagement, satisfaction, and participation. Their conversations misalign. To regain traction, leadership development must be reframed as risk. Leadership capability determines how quickly decisions are made, how reliably priorities cascade, and how smoothly work transfers across teams. When that capability thins, execution becomes less predictable—even if top-line metrics remain intact. AI raises the stakes. As workflows automate, the remaining work requires sharper judgment about what to delegate to machines and where human coordination is essential. When leaders lack that clarity, they don’t just move slower. They raise the cost of every critical decision. At Jane’s firm, the early warning signs appeared in the metrics. Decision turnaround times lengthened during disruptions. Onboarding processes extended for expanded roles. Escalations required more senior intervention than before. Jane reframed the conversation in commercial terms. She pushed to see timelines in revenue-critical roles and tied it to performance, for one, and linked decision turnaround directly to the risk of renewal. Leadership development was no longer positioned as a talent initiative. It became a safeguard for protecting delivery, revenue, and client retention. McKinsey research finds that organizations that consistently invest in human capital outperform their peers on revenue growth and earnings stability. The real issue is not belief in leadership development. The issue is whether the business still works a year from now without it. 2. Build proof systems, not programs Companies don’t fund intentions. They fund evidence. They want proof that leadership development changes behavior and that behavior improves performance. The most effective organizations build proof systems: targeted, time-bound experiments that test whether development shifts behavior where it matters most. Instead of launching broad programs, they focus on a few behaviors—who owns decisions, effective escalation, cross-functional coordination—and measure whether they change in the flow of real work, tying them directly to business outcomes. Jane didn’t ask for a relaunch. She focused on one pressure point: decisions escalating upward under stress. She paired coaching with client work and tracked two operational indicators—where decisions were made, and how quickly client teams aligned. Each week, she shared the data. Within months, decisions requiring senior intervention fell by roughly a third, and alignment during client escalations improved. Delivery became more predictable. The investment was no longer theoretical. It was visible in the work. Proof systems shift the conversation from belief to results. Instead of defending participation rates, leaders show how development changes outcomes. In skeptical environments, that shift sustains executive support. 3. Embed capability in the operating model, not in initiatives The most successful organizations integrate leadership investment into how a business actually runs, so it becomes structural rather than optional. When leadership development is treated as a set of programs, it competes for attention and budget with every other discretionary investment. When it’s embedded in the operating model, it becomes part of how performance is managed. CEOs don’t resist funding leadership capability because they doubt its importance. They resist it because they can’t clearly see how it operates as part of day-to-day performance. As AI reshapes work, leadership capability becomes a constraint on execution. Technical skills alone are no longer enough; judgment, coordination, and adaptability now drive performance. Organizations that navigate transformation well don’t just invest in tools—they pair strategic resets with targeted skill-building and executive coaching tied directly to performance. For Jane, this meant integrating leadership behaviors directly into operating reviews—not as a separate development discussion, but alongside delivery, revenue, and client metrics. Leadership readiness and decision-making were reviewed alongside financial performance. When these behaviors sit inside operating reviews, they stop competing for attention. Leadership capability shows up in how decisions are made, how work is handed off across functions, how quickly leaders adapt to new demands, and how consistently priorities are translated into action. When capability renewal is woven into operating rhythms—pipeline reviews, quarterly planning, team transitions—it stops being optional. It becomes part of how the organization sustains performance under pressure. The question isn’t whether leadership development has value. It’s whether that value is visible in the company’s performance. When leadership capability is treated as strategic infrastructure rather than a discretionary expense, it stops being debated and starts being defended. View the full article

Sales has historically been a true proving ground for new technological breakthroughs. CRM systems, predictive analytics, tools that promise better targeting, faster follow-up, and higher close rates have to be proven, or shown to be false in the realm of sales. The next technology to be proven is agentic AI. Agentic AI will create the most profound transformation sales will undergo in this century. Agentic AI systems can act independently, pursue goals, adapt to context, and collaborate with humans through the duration of a sales cycle, no matter how short or elongated. AI alone already saves sales team members over two hours a day in admin tasks, and agentics will make this even more impactful. Your commitment to and ability to leverage agentic AI will define success over the next decade. Agentic AI changes sales as we know it Agentic AI will move sales from a series of human-led tasks to an automated sales cycle. Currently almost all sales teams spend massive amounts of time researching accounts, classifying leads, scheduling call out days, sending cold emails, logging activity in their CRM, and forecasting potential revenues. Agentic AI can be leveraged to automate most of this with minimal human input. In this new reality, sales team members will be the manager of an AI agent. They can prompt their personal AI assistant to identify businesses within a particular vertical, or even geographical area that shows signs of being in-market for what the team is selling. Once those businesses are identified and vetted, the salesperson can then tell the AI agent to begin outreach via emails, or targeted marketing to warm the lead up before the person reaches out or steps in to introduce themselves. This changes how sales strategies are designed. Campaigns will become dynamic and messaging will evolve in real time based on buyer behavior. Territory planning, pipeline management, and forecasting will be continuously optimized rather than reviewed in weekly meetings. The result is a sales organization that is continually ahead and not forced into being reactive. AI agents become more effective than human agents, in some ways AI agents are already faster than humans, more consistent, and can work without rest and scale endlessly. They do not forget to follow up, and never get tired of reaching out or feel discouraged at rejection or lack of response from what they thought was a “great lead.” In terms of the workload and daily tasks of a salesperson, 57% can already be automated, but the job of a salesperson cannot be automated away. At the end of the sales cycle, there will always be two or more people that need to agree to terms for a deal to be signed. To this day, we all want to work with and make deals with people that we know, that we like, and that we trust. Enterprise sales with complex negotiations rely heavily on trust, judgment, and the nuance that exists with interpersonal and multi-person business relationships. AI agents handle volume and optimization, but humans will still be the answer when a deal requires empathy, creativity, and strategic thinking. Potential limits and barriers The biggest barrier to successful use of agentics is not the technology itself, but organizational readiness. Most sales teams are still structured in a way that humans control every step of the sales process. For agentic AI to give you the return it is capable of, you’ll need to restructure your teams and their processes to give more responsibility and trust to automation. As with any new technology, the fuel that runs its engine is data. And, if you put bad gasoline in your engine, it will sputter and leave you stranded on the side of the road on the way to a lucrative deal. Fragmented CRM data, inconsistent customer records, and poor integration across systems will sabotage your use of agentics. You must also spend time with all stakeholders internally to create clear, and fluid rules around autonomy, escalation, and accountability. If not you risk loss of control, unwanted results, and damage to the reputation of your organization. You must also address fears from your people that they are being slowly replaced. Leaders have to be explicit that agentic AI is here to augment and amplify the team’s ability and increase their close rates. Clearly lay out for them what AI will do and what control the salesperson will have. Host one-on-ones and even group open houses to address all fears and worries with transparent and open dialogue. The next three years of agentic AI The most significant development in agentics will be contextual and emotional intelligence. AI agents will become better at interpreting tone, intent, and sentiment, whether written or spoken. These agents will then be able to adjust messaging style and cadence in a manner that will closer mirror what a human would do. There will also be advances in multi-AI agent collaboration. Instead of a single AI handling a task, networks of specialized agents will work together. One agent could focus on account research, another on messaging, another on pricing strategy, and another on forecasting. They then are a team working as one to help your sales team members close more business more quickly. Preparation starts with mindset Sales leaders must stop asking how agentic AI can assist existing processes and start asking how processes should change to best maximize agentic AI and its potential. This means redesigning roles, metrics, and workflows from the ground up. Then, you have to commit to investment in data and infrastructure. Clean and accurate data is non-negotiable. Prioritize integration of agentics across your CRM, marketing automation, customer success, and product usage data to give AI agents a complete view of the business, its existing customer base, and its sales geography. Also, you have to train the entire team, including yourself. This isn’t technology you set and forget, it is ever evolving and dynamic. If you want the best return on investment, learn the technology and ensure that all your leaders and frontline team know the technology in and out. Make sure everyone sees what great results are and what poor results will look like. Agentic AI is not a technology of the future, it’s already reshaping how the most advanced sales organizations operate. The question is no longer whether this shift will happen, but who will adapt fast enough to it and leverage its abilities to maximize return and revenue. View the full article

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There’s a lot of money changing hands in the tech world these days. AI companies are racing to secure a steady supply of compute. Chipmakers are placing bets on who they expect to go the distance. And, occasionally, competitors are even investing in one another. OpenAI, on Friday, announced a $110 billion funding round, with $50 billion coming from Amazon and $30 billion from Nvidia, along with other backers. AMD and Meta last week unveiled a partnership that will see the chipmaker deploy 6 gigawatts’ worth of graphics processing units to Meta’s AI data centers, while the social media/AI giant may take up to a 10% stake in AMD. That announcement came just a few months after OpenAI and AMD struck a virtually identical deal. Nvidia, meanwhile, has become one of Intel’s largest shareholders, buying a 4% stake last September. And Amazon may buy up to 2.7% of semiconductor company STMicroelectronics over the next seven years. It’s a dizzying pace of deals and investments. But are they strategic, or a way to inflate AI’s growth by blurring the lines between real demand and companies effectively buying from themselves? The answer is complicated. The AI horse race Deals like the Meta/AMD collaboration certainly carry strategic value. The chipmaker secures long-term demand for its products, while AI companies lock in a reliable supply of the chips they need to stay competitive. That creates a feedback loop of sorts: Spending on chips fuels growth at the supplier level, which leads to more advanced chips, which in turn justifies more spending. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. “The AI industry represents a small core of companies that are building this ecosystem they believe will define the next era of technology,” says Jacob Bourne, an analyst with Emarketer. “Deals like this really underscore that belief.” Part of what’s driving this dealmaking is the jockeying for position among the dominant players. Nvidia commands a formidable market share, but AMD is working to carve out a stronger foothold, emphasizing lower costs. By landing deals like the ones it has with OpenAI and Meta, AMD gains both visibility and credibility in the AI space—even as it continues to operate in Nvidia’s shadow. However, says Bourne, while these deals have clear upsides for both sides, they also highlight how concentrated the current market is for the end product. “It illustrates we’re not dealing with a very diversified industry here,” he says. “This is not a validation of organic demand for AI. They’re making these deals and it’s circular. It’s a blurring of the line between customer revenue and partner investments.” A multibillion dollar bet on the future So, yes, the somewhat incestuous relationship between AI companies and AI chipmakers could be described as subsidized usage, but that usage is fueled by belief in the product. While there’s not a tremendous organic demand for AI right now, the companies behind the AMD (and other) deals are able to stockpile chips while cutting costs, says Bourne. The circular spending is essentially a bet on the long-term future of AI. Both chipmakers and AI companies acknowledge there will be pain points in the near and mid term. Those could include hurdles in consumer and corporate adoption, or cash flow problems that prevent AI companies from meeting their spending commitments. By diversifying in the way they currently are, the companies apparently believe they can protect themselves from those pain points. “There’s fierce competition among this small cohort of companies, while they’re also reliant on each other,” says Bourne. “They’re trying to stake claims in this ecosystem, really betting on the power of broader AI demand in the marketplace in the future.” View the full article

Since 2018, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma has dished out $10,000 to more than 4,000 remote workers for moving there—and according to a new study, generated more than four-times that sum in economic impact. Cities and towns have long offered tax incentives and other perks to employers that bring jobs. In recent years, however, the Tulsa Remote program—which is primarily funded by community-based nonprofit the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF)—has proven that there can be equal or greater value in recruiting mobile workers one at a time. Though $10,000 might sound like a hefty sum, new research suggests each dollar given returns $4.31 to the local economy, including $2.09 in direct taxes and $1.80 in local job creation. “It’s about getting out of the old-fashioned way of thinking about economic development,” says Justin Harlan, managing director of Tulsa Remote. “It’s a little bit harder, but the return is there; it just takes a little bit different thinking, especially in today’s world where flexible workers have so much choice in terms of geography.” Most participants admit they wouldn’t have applied if not for the cash incentive. But for Harlan and Tulsa Remote, the focus is on helping new residents put down roots during their mandatory one-year stay. To that end, Tulsa Remote connects them with fellow program members and alumni, local nonprofits and business leaders, and a dedicated staff member to assist their transition. Since launch, 96% of participants completed their first year, and 70% have remained long-term. One even ran for mayor. Over the years, and especially in the wake of the pandemic, many communities have tried to emulate Tulsa’s model, but few have seen the same success. Pulling Back on Cash Rewards Savannah, Georgia, for example, once offered remote workers $2,000 to relocate. “We saw success with the incentive for 2020 and 2021,” explains Angela Hendrix, the chief marketing and public affairs officer for the Savannah Economic Development Authority. “But after that people were not moving quite as much for remote jobs.” A 2018 program that paid remote workers $7,500 to move to Vermont lost funding in 2023, after resources were allocated to more pressing needs like COVID and flooding, says Nick Grimley, the deputy commissioner of that state’s Department of Economic Development. Similar programs in the Shoals region of Alabama, in Rochester, New York and in Topeka, Kansas—which once offered remote workers between $5,000 and $15,000 for making the move—have since ended their programs. Some cite declining remote work opportunities in the wake of return-to-office (RTO) mandates, some expressed concerns over housing availability, while others say the programs were only funded temporarily. “In August of 2020, we added a remote worker option, where we offered anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000 for a remote worker to relocate, based on their income and whether or not they were renting or purchasing a home,” explains Trina Goss, the vice president of business and talent initiatives for Go Topeka. Goss explains that the remote worker incentive program was launched in tandem with a program that reimbursed employers for half of their employees’ relocation costs after one year. That program remains, and Topeka has since added similar cash incentives for military personnel and former Topeka residents. Those programs, according to Goss, offer an incredible 34 times return on investment over the course of five years, assuming the recipient remains. That is ultimately where the program struggled with remote workers: not in the attraction, but retention. “There are a lot of communities that offer incentives for remote workers, it’s become a very popular thing, and I think there are individuals who chase incentives,” Goss says. “They may come to Topeka for a year because we’re offering them $5,000, then they go to Tulsa because they’re offering this much money. Especially if they don’t have kids, they can easily go all over.” Goss says that Topeka’s new incentive programs require a home purchase to help guard against those incentive chasers. At the same time, she admits that there are things the city could have done to make it harder for remote workers to leave after they collect the cash. “We have learned through surveys that new residents sometimes struggle with getting engaged in the community, meeting people, ‘finding their tribe’ so to speak,” she says. “We fell short on that for a while, honestly, but we’re planning to launch some better engagement opportunities this year.” Remote Workers Wanted In the wake of the pandemic, many small and mid-sized cities temporarily converted business relocation incentive programs to attract remote individual workers with cash, only to switch back. More recently, however, smaller and more rural communities have seen success using the same playbook. “What you’ll see on our site is a lot of places that have been considered ‘flyover country,’ or that historically have exported talent out,” says Evan Hock, the chief operating officer of MakeMyMove, an online platform that connects remote workers looking for a new place to call home with cities and towns offering incentives. “They’re not able to participate in a traditional economic development play, which is recruiting a business to relocate, so they’re starting to view this as a viable tool to bring economic impact to their communities.” Hock co-founded MakeMyMove alongside fellow former Angie’s List executives Bill Oesterle and Mike Rutz in late 2020. The platform initially launched with 20 communities in their home state of Indiana and now includes 180 that are recruiting remote workers to communities in Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Oklahoma. By Hock’s estimate, about three quarters offer cash incentives, which typically range from $2,500 to $15,000. New Opportunities, and Competition According to a study conducted by Indiana University on behalf of MakeMyMove, for every $100,000 of annual income that relocated workers bring, the community sees an annual economic impact of $83,000 in the form of tax revenues, local spending and job creation. “What we’re seeing is communities starting to compete on non-monetary amenities and incentives to get people connected to that place,” Hock says. “For instance, Bloomington and Muncie, Indiana both let you serve on the board of a local nonprofit as a way to give back but also help them build new friend groups and professional networks.” Offering incentives that go beyond cash, according to Hock, will become more important as competition for mobile talent grows not just locally and nationally, but globally. “I think we’re going to see across the U.S. adoption of this sort of retail economic development recruitment programs, but we also see it as a global phenomenon,” he says. “The same issues that Indiana’s dealing with Italy is dealing with—and we’re seeing a lot of these programs spring up internationally trying to attract smart people.” View the full article

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In my early twenties, I spent my summers backpacking through Pondicherry in South India, Yogyakarta in Indonesia, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. I often traveled by myself, with my Lonely Planet guidebooks as my only companion. Since the 1970s, these iconic blue books have helped generations of young travelers navigate off the beaten track around the world. Written by a network of 450 local writers and experts, I found the Lonely Planet guides crucial as I tried to figure out what neighborhoods were worth visiting, where to stay, how to avoid tourist traps, and what restaurants locals love. But as essential as these books are—they’re the top travel guidebook brand in the U.S.—they do have some drawbacks. On a recent trip to Kyoto, I found myself constantly transferring information from my book to my phone—pinning locations on Google Maps, writing out day-by-day plans on my Notes app. In the age of the smartphone, Lonely Planet could use a technology update. Today, Lonely Planet is bridging the gap between its guidebooks and your phone. It’s launching an ambitious new mobile app packed with all of the knowledge and storytelling in its books, but outfitted with valuable features that travelers need as they’re planning trips and in the midst of traveling. When you come across a museum or restaurant that intrigues you, you can save it onto an itinerary or map. When you’re caught in a downpour in Barcelona, you can use the app to find things to do nearby. And unlike other travel content on the internet, the Lonely Planet app isn’t bogged down with sponsored listings or a deluge of reviews from fellow tourists. The content is tightly curated by the 450 local experts and editors that craft Lonely Planet’s guidebooks. And while many features of the app will be free, some premium content will come with a fee. The launch of the Lonely Planet app is a clear sign that this 53 year old travel brand is moving beyond its roots as a publisher and now sees itself as a travel platform. But as the company embraces technology, one challenge it faces is figuring out how to nurture the success of its physical guidebooks—which are more popular than ever—even as it drives customers to the new app. From Backpack to Platform Lonely Planet was born in 1973, when Tony and Maureen Wheeler self-published a scrappy guide to travel through Asia. The premise was radical for its time: practical, irreverent travel advice aimed at young people with more curiosity than cash. The guidebooks became a phenomenon. Generations of travelers have collected them, proudly displaying them on bookshelves as a sign of a life well lived. In the aftermath of the pandemic, as travel picked up, the books grew in popularity, driven in part by a younger audience that Lonely Planet has been courting through Instagram and its own direct-to-consumer store. “The brand became a community,” says Paul Yanover, who joined Lonely Planet as CEO a year ago. “People see the book tucked under someone’s arm—you’re traveling through India, I’m traveling through India—and there’s a bit of kinship.” Paul Yanover Yanover was among the many travelers who has relied on Lonely Planet guides to explore the world, but he also sees an opportunity to digitize the travel brand. He is well equipped for this task. He served as Fandango’s CEO between 2012 and 2022, finding ways to make it easier for movie-lovers to book tickets. Before Fandango, during his decade at Disney, he rose to managing director of Disney Online and helped fans engage with their favorite Disney content on the internet. These companies already had strong brands and scale; by incorporating more technology into their operations, Yanover felt like he could make them even more relevant to consumers. He believes he can do the same with Lonely Planet. His goal is to digitize the beloved brand without losing the qualities that made it so special: expert knowledge and a powerful sense of community. “In some ways we’re on a mission to restore Lonely Planet to a form of what it already was,” he says. What it already was, at its best, was not just a publisher, but a living guide that connected people to places and to each other. Over the past year, Yanover has laid the groundwork for Lonely Planet’s digital transformation: a brand refresh, a redesigned website, the launch of Lonely Planet Journeys (a curated travel concierge service powered by a network of local trip planners), and an expanding catalog of inspiration books alongside its flagship guidebooks. The app is the capstone. How The App Works The app is built around a theory of how people actually plan travel. It begins with a spark of inspiration, which then leads to collecting bits of information: what cities to visit, what neighborhood to stay in, what to see and eat. “There’s an enormous amount of information you’re collecting from friends, a magazine, Instagram, your Lonely Planet book,” Yanover says. “Then what do you do? You reduce it.” The app is designed to mirror that journey. It has four core sections. Discover is the inspiration engine—scrolling, article-based, full of vertical video and curated picks, all written by Lonely Planet’s global network of more than 450 local contributors and editors. (Think: “Five coffee shops you have to visit in Mexico city,” or “The next great undiscovered beach in Spain.”) When you have picked where you want to go, you move to Guides: reimagined digital guidebooks that go deep on a particular city. “At the core of the app are our in-depth destination guides driven by our local experts,” says Aly Yee, who leads digital business. “Every recommendation comes from someone who’s actually been there.” My Planet is the collection space, where you can save anything from Discover or Guides. And the Trip Builder is where it all comes together into an actual itinerary, complete with a map updated with all your saved places and the ability to drag and drop items, distinguish between firm commitments and loose possibilities, and organize by day. “The trip building tools are really focused on allowing you to customize it to the way that you travel,” Yee says. “You can craft itineraries using samples from our experts and then drag and drop things to make it personalized.” The app also has a distinctive in-destination mode. As you arrive somewhere, it shifts—surfacing expert picks nearby, so you’re never starting from scratch, never staring at your phone trying to remember which restaurant you bookmarked six weeks ago. After all, a trip rarely goes exactly as planned, so you need to be able to pivot quickly when it suddenly starts raining or you decide you’re tired of museums. Development kicked off about a year ago, led by Neil Ishibashi, who runs product and design, working alongside Yee. They brought in outside partner Arctouch to help build and deliver the product. At launch, users will get the full experience for free, as Lonely Planet gathers information about how people actually use the app. But over time, users will be able to pay for individual guides, or unlock all the content through an annual membership that will also include other perks, like members-only books or better pricing on Lonely Planet Journeys. The Future of Travel—and the Humans Who Will Guide It The experience of travel is changing. AI is upending search and recommendations, synthesizing millions of online reviews. Social media is flooded with travel inspiration from influencers sponsored by hotels. And yet, paradoxically, Yanover believes there’s a growing hunger for something more grounded—human perspective, editorial taste, the kind of insight that can’t be replicated by a large language model. “Our unique differentiator, especially in today’s AI world, is that we’re a human-powered network that’s providing advice and insight and recommendation,” Yanover says. That’s not to say that Lonely Planet is avoiding AI. But rather than simply using it to generate algorithmic itineraries, Lonely Planet is exploring how it can make the human guides more accessible. In the app, there will be an agent trained on all the Lonely Planet guide books and experts: AI as a means to access human expertise, not replace it. Ultimately, Yanover believes that Lonely Planet’s place in the digital age isn’t about offering more efficiency, but contextualizing your trip with storytelling and local insight. This is, in fact, similar to what the original yellow-and-green books offered to a generation of backpackers: a trusted friend who’s been there, who knows the history, who has taste, and who can help you make the trip your own. View the full article

Around the globe, employers and employees are facing unprecedented situations. We’ve jumped from pandemic to geopolitical conflict, economic volatility to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. At this point, aliens could arrive on Earth tomorrow, and nobody would question it. With 89% of businesses having experienced multiple major challenges in recent years (according to a PwC report), we’re clearly leading through the age of constant disruption. When turbulence was rare and temporary, businesses could rely on stability and resilience to preserve productivity until it passed. But today’s challenges aren’t isolated. They’re common and relentless. When there’s no clear endpoint, you can’t rely on “business as usual” to see you through. Why leaders need to accept reality The situation we’re facing is unprecedented for most leaders today, and it’s showing. More than 70% of CEOs admit they’re unsure which challenges to prioritize, according to a 2026 survey. Almost half say their knowledge and skills aren’t keeping up with the pace of change, and 40% admit their anxiety has increased as a result. You know these aren’t normal times, but you don’t want to trouble your team, so you insist everything is fine. At the same time, you’re not providing peace of mind. Your team reads the same headlines you do, and they know what’s going on in your industry and the wider world. All you’re really doing is showing your team that you have no idea how to navigate the uncertainty. That isn’t a great sign of leadership you can rely on during tough times. The right way to deal with disruption When issues arise, many leaders default to being ruthless. They slash headcount and put productivity and profit above all else. But all this does is pile pressure on people who are already struggling. It doesn’t provide long-term success, and even in the short term, it could accelerate the decline. Your workforce is dealing with the same fears you are in their personal lives. They’re worried that AI will replace them, and rising expenses will leave them in the red. If they believe that they’re easily disposable, you don’t see them as more than a mere resource, you shouldn’t be surprised when they quiet quit or start looking elsewhere. You also shouldn’t be surprised when productivity declines at the first sign of difficulty. What these troubling times can provide is a useful reminder that empathy is a critical leadership skill. Care and compassion provide a sense of psychological safety and strengthen loyalty. That frees the mind to focus on work and encourages employees to fight for the cause. Here’s how leaders can use empathy to deal with disruption in the right way Consider the personal impact Many of the issues impacting your business will affect employees on a personal level. There will be times when they can’t find the energy to get into the office, let alone focus on their work. That isn’t your cue to let them go, but to listen to their problems, acknowledge what they’re dealing with, and support them as best you can. When workers know they aren’t going to lose their jobs the second their performance wobbles, it makes it that bit easier to overcome stress and stay productive. Communicate early, communicate often Silence is uncomfortable. If you don’t communicate, your team’s anxious minds will fill in the gaps. They’ll convince themselves that the reason you’re not acknowledging the challenges is that you’re busy finalizing the list of layoffs or figuring out how little runway there is left. Even if you don’t have all the answers, sharing what you know and how you plan to face it will help to calm fears and maintain focus. Monitor energy, not output During difficult moments, you should expect productivity to dip. It’s cause for concern if it doesn’t. The problem is, some employees embody “business as usual.” They fight against burnout without ever admitting it. You need to pay attention to signs beyond output, such as mood, socialization, or energy levels. Don’t wait for your team to tell you they’re struggling. Make breaks mandatory, reward achievements with an extra day off, and keep the after-work drinks alive, even if nobody is in the mood. Teach resilience and adaptability One of the kindest things you can do for your team is teach them how to cope with hardship. We encourage our employees to prototype, try new tools, and explore creative ideas, even if they fall well outside of their core responsibilities. They often fail, and that’s incredibly rewarding. Remember, failure isn’t a waste of time; it’s an opportunity to pick themselves up and try again. Putting people ahead of profit During times of disruption, leaders can’t do it all alone. They need committed teams, determined to weather the storm. You don’t build that kind of loyalty by putting people second. Employers who show genuine care earn higher engagement, trust, and loyalty in return. Research by EY shows that 86% of workers believe empathetic leadership boosts morale, and 85% say it increases their productivity. As for unempathetic organizations? Over half of your team will be looking for a new role in the next six months, only adding to the disruption. Sure, the numbers might dip while people navigate life outside the office. But hard times pass, as this one will, and the support that you show now will pay off in a more resilient, determined team with the same commitment and loyalty you’ve shown them. View the full article

There’s a saying: you can’t control the world, but you can control yourself. This perspective is critical when navigating an uncertain economy. I learned this lesson the hard way, right out of college, when taking my first steps into the full-time workforce. The timing was around the 2008 Recession. Despite being lucky to land a job that I loved, the economic instability pushed me to realize I could not depend on a corporate role for my livelihood long-term. So I started exploring freelancing in 2010, when I went on Craigslist and searched for freelance writing roles. That’s how I landed my first client. In 2011, one year after building my portfolio, I earned an extra $20,000 on top of my full-time job. In my second year, that number grew to $90,000 at about 10 hours per week. That was only the beginning. Almost two decades later, my freelance business is my full-time foundation. It consistently sustains six figures in annual revenue and has helped insulate me from economic uncertainty. If you’re curious to start your own journey, balancing full-time work and freelancing, here are the exact first steps I’d recommend if I were getting started again: Approach it like a business, not a series of gigs The average freelance income in the U.S. is around $99,230 per year in 2025, with top earners making over $200,000, according to Investopedia’s freelance income analysis. But those numbers don’t come from chasing one-off gigs. They come from building repeatable systems: clear offerings, reliable clients, and predictable revenue. Where gigs are fleeting and irregular, businesses provide true infrastructure as engines for revenue. Starting a business is about building something durable. When you’re looking for a full-time job, your goal is to get hired based on your individual capabilities. When you’re building a business, you’re creating a service entity with defined value, pricing, processes, and delivery. That foundation is essential for a stable footing. Choose a freelance business focus that brings you true fulfillment Freelancing takes motivation, especially on top of a full-time schedule. That’s why it’s critical to pick a focus that inspires you. Ideally, when you freelance, the work should complement the high demands of a full-time role. It should not add additional stress or pressure. If you’re a marketing strategist in your full-time role, consider freelancing as a designer, influencer program strategist, career coach, or fitness instructor. Done right, with a formula that works for you, freelancing can be enjoyable and fulfilling. Keep in mind, according to Upwork, 78% of skilled freelancers report satisfaction with their pay compared to 64% of those employed full-time. Establish strict and clear boundaries with your full-time job This means reading your employment contract to identify potential conflict of interest and disclosures, along with potentially consulting with an attorney to understand the laws in your region. It also means being mindful not to freelance on company time or to use your work laptop for client projects. Keep in mind, cross-pollinating intellectual property has the potential to cause legal problems for your employer and your freelance clients. Separation is key. Protect your personal time: family, friends, and wellness Learn to recognize the early signs of burnout, and make sure that you’re taking the best possible care of yourself. Taking these steps early-on is critical, as working a 40-plus hour week in addition to self-employment has the potential to lead to long-term health consequences. Balance looks different for everyone, and your routines may ebb and flow as your life situation changes. Define a clear, focused offering that you can package up and sell One of the strongest ways that a business, especially a one-person freelance operation, can gain efficiency is through a clear offering that customers want to buy. If you’re not sure what this offering should be, start networking through meetups and associations both in real life and virtually. Share your ideas and ask for feedback. You might find that it takes time to lock down what you’re offering—you may spend your entire first year or two figuring out what you’re selling, exactly. Take your time. Be open with your employer and clients The timing for this conversation will be when you’re ready to publicize your self-employment ambitions. Approach the discussion from a stance of humanity and mutual-empowerment. Here’s how: Mention, specifically, what you appreciate about your job and your intention to stay at the company. Discuss that entrepreneurship is of interest to you, so you’ve started a freelancing practice. Share that you’re maintaining strict professional boundaries in accordance with your employment contract. Emphasize that you are not freelancing on company time or with company equipment. Keep the dialogue open, and welcome your employer to share concerns. Likewise, ensure that your clients know that you’re employed, so that they do not expect immediate responses or phone calls during work hours. Consult with legal, accounting, and tax advisers When you begin generating revenue, you will need a contract to onboard your clients. You may also need licenses and registrations, depending on your area of specialization. When you earn money through your freelance practice, you will need billing infrastructure to collect those funds, which you will need to pay taxes on. Connecting the dots About one year into my freelancing journey, I honed in on several productized services that my customers valued. The asynchronous nature of this work means that I could build my business after hours and on weekends. It was hard, commuting three hours a day in Los Angeles traffic. But it was doable. Above all, I was respectful to and open with my employer. When I told my managers and the executives at my company, they were supportive. I asked them to write a short note to acknowledge and approve the situation to HR, and they did. I stayed in my full-time role for almost three more years and was promoted twice, along with pay increases that doubled my salary. My after-hours freelancing practice taught me to have an owner’s mindset, which was a valued skill in my full-time role. I quickly grew into higher levels at the company. Thanks to disciplined time management, I prioritized time for family, health, and wellness. It’s an asset that continues to grow with me. View the full article

Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver update on public financesView the full article