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The long roar of speculation about the Budget has already damaged market confidenceView the full article

As a community organizer in New York City, Sharifa Khan spends a lot of time visiting food distribution hubs, community gardens, and local shelters. While speaking with community members, she often encounters the same issue: people want to get involved in volunteering, but they’re not sure where to start. So, Khan decided to make a tool to address that—and it couldn’t have come at a more important moment. Dora.nyc, short for Directory of Resources & Aid, is a new website dedicated to compiling New York City’s mutual aid offerings into one easy-to-understand resource. It’s designed both for those seeking aid—like food, housing, and immigration services—as well as those looking for places to offer help. The website was created through a collaboration between Khan, who runs an organization called Hope Altars; Cornell PhD student Johan Michalove, who builds digital mutual aid tools through a project called Mutua; and the NYC Resource Library, which compiles lists of local mutual aid resources. dora.nyc The website comes as the government shutdown has led to a pause in the SNAP food aid program, which provides food stamps to about one in eight Americans. This month, millions of low-income Americans have been left without the full benefits that usually help them afford basic necessities. Now that the shutdown has ended, SNAP funding is set to resume, although it’s still unclear how quickly recipients will receive their benefits. Dora.nyc offers New Yorkers a clearer picture of where aid is available—and, Khan and Michalove say, it’s a concept that they think other urban areas could replicate. AsiyahBryce Lacy How to use dora.nyc The dora.nyc page’s UI, designed by Michalove, is organized under two main categories: space and time. On the top of the site is a map of NYC’s five boroughs with markers for resources across the city. “Resources,” in this case, are defined as any kind of aid with a permanent presence in the area. These markers are color-coded by category, like distribution hub, shelter, housing, elder care, community fridge, and more. Users can navigate the map by region and click on any of the markers to learn more about the associated resource. The bottom half of the map is a calendar, organized Monday through Friday, that lists food distribution events by place and time. This part of the website includes recurring food distribution events, but can also feature one-off pop-ups or services that take place on an irregular schedule. dora.nyc Like the map, the calendar section is color-coded by region, and users can filter it by their local borough. Michalove also added an AI-powered search feature that lets users enter queries in plain language, like, “Where is there food near me” or “Where can I find a shelter in Brooklyn,” to easily find resources that match their needs. Anyone who would like to add a new resource or food distribution time to the website can do so via a set of forms in the top right of the site, which are individually vetted by Khan. “When you’re already stressed about needing access to food, and there’s the added stress of figuring out where to go, this can alleviate that one factor,” Khan says. “That is actually something someone mentioned to me directly. They said, ‘When I was struggling to find distro sites, I wish this tool existed.’” Dora.nyc’s premise may seem simple, but the website’s genius is its ability to condense information that’s historically been shared more disparately. Bryce Lacy Why dora.nyc’s premise makes so much sense Khan and Michalove have been working on dora.nyc since the summer, but sped up their development process when they heard the news of the SNAP shutdown. The idea initially came when Khan realized that information about food distribution and other mutual aid events was primarily being shared through social media posts or WhatsApp group chats—spaces that some community members, especially older folks, might not have access to. “I think a lot of times, we assume that everyone has the autonomy to put those pieces together,” Khan says. “That really does neglect a ton of factors that people are facing on a personal basis, like socioeconomic factors that are impacting their capability to go out there and find places to volunteer, for example.” Khan and Michalove pooled both her experience in community organizing and an existing list of resources from NYC Resource Library to build dora.nyc’s foundational database. Eventually, Khan says, she hopes to use dora.nyc to help different shelters across the city share resources among themselves—like, for example, if one food distribution site ends up with extra food items, those might more easily be sent to another site in need. Bryce Lacy So far, Khan has already heard from one site that a visitor found them through the dora.nyc map. She’s also helped several older community members, who may not have access to social media sites like Instagram, to add dora.nyc to their bookmarked websites. “I’ve shown aunties, specifically my Caribbean aunties, how to use it, and you can see the delight on their faces,” Khan says. Michalove and Khan agree that the model could be replicated in other cities, if local community organizers can establish an adequate vetting process for proposed sites. “When you make the goodwill visible, it gives people a direction toward how they can organize and help, because they see, ‘Oh, there are so many community fridges, maybe I could add one to my neighborhood or do a distro where I’m located.’ It gives people more of a focus toward how they can contribute.” 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 small upgrade can make an old TV feel new again, and the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is the kind of plug-and-play streaming device that does exactly that. It’s down to $17.99 right now (from $34.99), which price-tracking sites confirm is its lowest recorded price. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (1080p) $17.99 at Amazon $34.99 Save $17.00 Get Deal Get Deal $17.99 at Amazon $34.99 Save $17.00 PCMag calls it “the best 1080p media hub” for folks sticking to Full HD, and that lines up with how simple it is to set up. The stick slides straight into an HDMI port, and Amazon also includes a short extender in case your TV’s ports are too tight. It runs in 1080p and supports HDR10, so shows and movies mastered for HDR look a bit richer, even on older screens. I wouldn’t expect a dramatic jump in picture quality, but scenes with a lot of contrast—the kind with bright signage or dark backgrounds—look more defined. It also supports Dolby Atmos, which helps when you pair it with a soundbar that can handle it. Using it day to day feels familiar if you’ve used any recent Fire TV interface. You get all the usual streaming services—Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Apple TV+, even Crunchyroll and Twitch. The Alexa button on the remote works like it does on other Fire devices: press, talk, let it find what you want. The remote itself feels simple enough to use, and the built-in volume rocker is helpful if your TV remote is long gone. It relies on a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of storage. That’s enough for the basics, but you’ll feel its limits from time to time. The interface can get choppy, especially when you jump across tabs quickly or open a large library. Reviews also point out that the stick still uses wifi 5 instead of wifi 6, which matters if your home has a lot of devices fighting for bandwidth. This is strictly a 1080p device, so if you have a 4K TV (or plan to get one), the Fire TV Stick 4K is just $7 more and offers smoother performance, better wifi, and Dolby Vision. It also doesn’t support AirPlay or Google Cast, so sending videos from an iPhone or Android phone isn’t as seamless. Still, for someone with an older TV who wants the modern streaming apps in one place, the current $18 price makes it feel like a low-risk upgrade. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds — $84.99 (List Price $129.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $324.99 (List Price $349.00) Shark AV2501AE AI XL Hepa- Safe Self-Emptying Base Robot Vacuum — $294.99 (List Price $649.99) Apple Watch Series 10 — $279.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $297.98 (List Price $399.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Wireless Security Camera (5-Pack) — $159.99 (List Price $399.99) Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus 1080p Security Camera (White) — $99.99 (List Price $179.99) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $24.99 (List Price $49.99) NEW Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $299.00 (List Price $429.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The President’s trade representative Jamieson Greer says tariffs will be reduced to 15%, ending months-long dispute with BernView the full article

There’s a new sheriff in Bentonville. Today, Walmart announced that John Furner will become the company’s new CEO and president, effective February 1 next year, succeeding longtime boss Doug McMillon, who is retiring. McMillon has been at the helm of the retail giant since 2014. Prior to becoming CEO, he led Walmart’s international division for four years, after leading Sam’s Club, a Walmart subsidiary, between 2005 and 2009. “Serving as Walmart’s CEO has been a great honor and I’m thankful to our Board and the Walton family for the opportunity,” McMillon said in a statement Friday. Why is McMillon retiring? “This is the right time to retire because the company’s in such great shape, and John is more than ready to lead this company through another set of transformations,” McMillon said in a separate video message, filmed alongside Furner. Walmart’s team also tells Fast Company that previous CEO transitions have followed a similar pattern. Specifically, they were announced in November and followed a sequence: a successor was named, the transitions started at the end of the year, and the outgoing CEO remained on the board for a period of time in an advisory capacity. McMillon said he believes the company will be in good hands when Furner takes the reins. “I’ve worked with John for more than 20 years. His love for our associates and this company runs deep,” McMillon said. “He’s uniquely capable of leading the company through this next AI-driven transformation. He’s a merchant, an operator, an innovator, and a builder. I know that our future is bright with his leadership.” A tenure marked by growth and technological change Walmart has made notable strides under McMillon’s tenure, including investments in the company’s workforce by increasing wages and expanding employee programs, and more recently, embracing AI by partnering with OpenAI to allow new ways for customers to shop and interact with the brand. It also went under a small but ambitious rebrand this year, the first in decades. Furner is currently the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., a role he’s held since 2019, and is responsible for 1.5 million employees and roughly 4,600 stores. He started at Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, working his way up the corporate ladder. “As we enter a new retail era fueled by innovation and AI, our purpose and our people will continue to guide us,” Furner said in a statement. Walmart’s stock fell around 3% during premarket trading on Friday after the news was released. Year-to-date, shares are up around 14%, and they’re up 104% over the past five years. Walmart will is expected to release its latest earnings numbers on November 20. View the full article

Baseball and bets go hand-in-hand in the Dominican Republic, where professional athletes, musicians and even legislators go public with their wagers. But for every legal bet in the Caribbean country, officials say there are countless more illegal ones. It’s a widespread, multimillion-dollar industry that has come under scrutiny following U.S. federal indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. They are accused of taking bribes from unnamed sports bettors in the Dominican Republic to throw certain pitches and help those bettors win at least $460,000, according to an indictment unsealed Sunday in New York. Ortiz and Clase have both pleaded not guilty. The accusations have dismayed and embarrassed many in the players’ native country. “The case of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz tarnishes the image of Dominican baseball players,” said José de los Santos, a fan of Dominican and Major League Baseball. “Actions of that nature put Dominican and Latino players in the spotlight.” The DR has 3,500 registered betting shops, and those are just the legal ones Sports betting shops are widespread in the Dominican Republic, a country of more than 11 million people where baseball is king. According to data from the Dominican Association of Sports Betting Shops, there are about 3,500 registered businesses, and countless more illegal ones. Quico Tabar, head of the country’s national lottery who was tasked by the president to regulate gambling, recently stated in a public letter that officials have been working for years to regulate betting shops but that “circumstances beyond our control” have not allowed that to happen. He did not elaborate. For Raymond Jiménez, a self-described frequent sports gambler, it’s all the same. He said he chooses the biggest and closest businesses that allow big wagers, regardless of whether they’re legal or not. “I don’t know of any illegal betting shops,” he said. Jiménez said most bets in the Dominican Republic focus on sports including MLB, NBA and NFL games. “I’ve been gambling since 1998, when I was underage,” Jiménez said. “I used to jump the school fence to go into a betting shop at 14 years old. I’ve heard everything, from athletes who sell themselves to gamblers to others who bet against them.” Gambling persists amid corruption Legislators in the Dominican Republic are debating a bill that would create a new entity to regulate and oversee gambling and establish penalties for non-compliance. Meanwhile, chatter about the Clase and Ortiz cases continues to dominate the news and social media, as does the case of Oscar Chalas, the Dominican Republic’s former director of casinos and gambling. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors in late October and admitted responsibility in collecting money from illegal betting shops to allow them to keep operating. Chalas told a judge that each illegal shop paid up to $100 a month, but that he didn’t remember the total amount collected because there were “so many” of them. He also claimed that a former treasury minister knew and approved of the scheme, according to local media reports. The pace of legal and illegal gambling is only expected to surge as local teams and fans prepare for the Dominican Republic’s Professional Baseball League final early next year. One of the country’s most famous public bets involving the local league took place earlier this year. Hall of Famer and former Red Sox star David Ortiz offered fans a 1 million peso ($16,000) wager on social media in favor of the team that went on to win the championship — he ended up with 15 million pesos ($240,000) on the line. That included a 2 million peso ($32,000) bet with Dominican urban singer Bulin 47, but Ortiz forgave him after winning: “You’re good to those who are poor,” he wrote. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB —Martín Adames, Associated Press View the full article

Excelling in fundamental sales negotiation skills is critical for your success in a competitive market. Comprehending how to listen actively and leverage data can greatly improve your communication with buyers. By focusing on key performance indicators, you can refine your tactics and measure your outcomes effectively. Preparing for negotiations and anticipating objections likewise play important roles. These strategies not only assist in closing deals but likewise nurture lasting relationships. What other skills could boost your negotiation game? Key Takeaways Master active listening to understand client needs and build rapport for lasting relationships. Utilize data-driven negotiation techniques to tailor strategies and enhance credibility. Analyze historical sales data to identify buyer behavior patterns and refine tactics. Establish clear negotiation goals and prepare alternative offers to encourage collaboration. Leverage key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success and focus discussions effectively. Understanding Sales Negotiation Sales negotiation is a fundamental process where buyers and sellers engage in discussions to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Comprehending sales negotiation involves recognizing that it’s not merely about closing deals but in addition addressing the emotional and financial concerns of the buyer. You’ll need strong negotiation skills for salespeople, including clear communication to prevent misunderstandings and align expectations. Effective negotiation cultivates trust and rapport, indispensable for long-term relationships. Additionally, mastering advanced negotiation for institutional sales can improve your ability to navigate complex interactions. It’s critical to engage in back-and-forth dialogue, addressing concerns and compromises, as this collaborative approach leads to satisfactory outcomes for both parties involved. Importance of Negotiation in Sales Negotiation plays a pivotal role in the sales process, as it helps create agreements that are beneficial to both parties involved. By mastering effective sales negotiation skills, you can cultivate trust and improve long-term relationships with buyers. This process allows you to align your offerings with the buyer’s strategic objectives, clearly communicating the value of your solution. Successful negotiations lead to higher average deal sizes and improved customer satisfaction during reducing discounting, ultimately preserving your profit margins. Furthermore, a well-executed negotiation process boosts your brand reputation by preventing misunderstandings and frustrations. Companies that prioritize negotiation training for their sales teams often see better revenue forecasting and higher closure rates, making negotiation a crucial aspect of successful sales strategies. Essential Sales Negotiation Skills To master fundamental sales negotiation skills, you need to focus on two key areas: preparation and active listening. Preparation involves thoroughly researching your product, comprehending customer needs, and being aware of market dynamics so you can tailor your approach effectively. Meanwhile, active listening techniques allow you to pick up on underlying concerns and objections, enabling you to respond appropriately and cultivate a more productive dialogue. Preparation and Research Preparation and research are foundational elements in achieving successful outcomes in negotiations. By thoroughly comprehending the buyer’s business model and industry pressures, you can identify their needs and expectations, which improves your negotiation strategy. Analyzing past purchasing behavior and any existing relationships with competitors can provide valuable insights that inform your approach. Before negotiations, set clear goals and define acceptable alternatives to maintain focus. Gathering data on market trends and pricing fortifies your position, allowing you to anchor discussions with informed benchmarks. Furthermore, preparing for potential objections by mapping out responses helps you address concerns confidently and maintain momentum. This groundwork guarantees you enter negotiations well-equipped, facilitating a more effective and productive dialogue. Active Listening Techniques Entering negotiations well-prepared sets the stage for productive conversations, but the effectiveness of those discussions greatly depends on your ability to listen actively. Active listening involves fully concentrating on the speaker, which nurtures trust and rapport. Techniques like paraphrasing and summarizing clarify points and show you value their input. Active Listening Techniques Benefits Paraphrasing Clarifies comprehension Summarizing Reinforces key points Non-verbal cues Shows engagement Open-ended questions Uncovers deeper insights Effective Sales Negotiation Strategies When you’re preparing for a sales negotiation, thorough research is key to comprehending both your product and the buyer’s needs. Active listening techniques can greatly improve your ability to address concerns and objections, ensuring that you fully grasp the buyer’s perspective. Preparation and Research Thorough research lays the groundwork for effective sales negotiations, as it equips you with crucial insights into the buyer’s business model, industry challenges, and specific needs. This preparation enables you to formulate alternative offers and set clear negotiation goals, improving your leverage during discussions. By anticipating objections and preparing responses that emphasize long-term value, you can close deals without excessive discounting. Furthermore, utilizing data from your research helps communicate the economic and operational impact of your offerings, aligning discussions with the buyer’s strategic goals. Mapping out potential negotiation scenarios guarantees you can adapt your strategies dynamically. Key Elements Benefits Strategies Buyer Insights Customized conversations Research thoroughly Alternative Offers Boosted negotiation leverage Prepare multiple scenarios Anticipating Objections Improved closing likelihood Highlight long-term value Data Utilization Aligned discussions Communicate impacts clearly Dynamic Strategies Adaptability in negotiations Map potential outcomes Active Listening Techniques Active listening is a critical skill during sales negotiations, as it allows you to fully engage with the other party and uncover their underlying needs and concerns. To improve your active listening, try paraphrasing the speaker’s words and employing mirroring techniques; this builds rapport and encourages open dialogue. Incorporate empathetic responses to validate your counterpart’s feelings, which can help reduce tension and promote collaboration. Asking clarifying questions not only shows your engagement but also guarantees you grasp their position deeply, leading to customized solutions. Regularly practicing skills like summarizing key points and acknowledging emotions can greatly improve your negotiation outcomes, helping you build long-term relationships with clients and achieving mutually beneficial agreements. Preparation Is Crucial Preparation is essential for successful sales negotiations, as it allows you to understand the buyer’s business model and tailor your value proposition effectively. A well-prepared sales team is more likely to close deals, as thorough preparation builds confidence and reduces reliance on emotional decision-making. Here are some key aspects of effective preparation: Conduct extensive research on industry pressures and competitor offerings to anticipate objections. Set clear negotiation goals to maintain focus and direction during discussions. Prepare alternative offers in advance to adapt to changing dynamics and encourage collaboration. Active Listening In the context of successful sales negotiations, listening attentively can greatly impact the outcome of discussions. Active listening involves fully concentrating, comprehending, and responding to what the other party says. This skill helps uncover deeper needs and concerns, cultivating trust and rapport between negotiators. Research shows that effective active listening can increase the likelihood of closing deals by up to 60%. Techniques like paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions improve comprehension and demonstrate genuine engagement. Furthermore, paying attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues allows you to pick up on emotions and motivations, which can be vital for addressing objections. Regular practice of active listening not just enhances communication but also leads to longer-lasting business relationships and higher customer satisfaction. Data-Driven Negotiation Data-driven negotiation leverages analytics and insights to improve the effectiveness of negotiation strategies, greatly increasing the likelihood of favorable outcomes. By utilizing data, you can tailor your approach to better align with client needs, enhancing both your position and the perceived value of your offer. Consider these key points: Historical sales data helps you identify patterns in buyer behavior, allowing for strategic adjustments. Implementing key performance indicators (KPIs) can refine your negotiation tactics and reduce unnecessary discounting practices. Presenting evidence of past performance and ROI boosts buyer confidence, making them more willing to agree to premium pricing. Incorporating data into your negotiations not merely strengthens your arguments but also supports your credibility, leading to a higher success rate in closing deals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 Elements of Negotiation? The seven elements of negotiation are interests, options, alternatives, legitimacy, communication, relationship, and commitment. Interests refer to each party’s underlying needs. Options are potential solutions that satisfy these interests. Alternatives, or BATNA, provide fallback plans if negotiations fail. Legitimacy focuses on fair standards, whereas communication emphasizes clarity and active listening. The relationship involves maintaining rapport between parties, and commitment guarantees all parties agree on the terms reached during negotiations. What Are the 7 Steps of Negotiation? The seven steps of negotiation include preparation, where you gather information and set your goals; establishing rapport to build trust; defining the agenda to clarify discussion points; exchanging information to understand both parties’ needs; bargaining to reach a mutually beneficial agreement; closing the deal with clear terms; and implementing and following up on the agreement to guarantee all commitments are met. Each step is vital for achieving a successful negotiation outcome. What Are the 5 C’s of Negotiation? The 5 C’s of negotiation are Communication, Collaboration, Compromise, Creativity, and Confidence. Effective communication involves clear dialogue and active listening, which promotes comprehension. Collaboration encourages working together to achieve common goals. Compromise requires making concessions to reach agreements. Creativity allows for innovative solutions that address both parties’ needs. Finally, confidence helps you approach negotiations assertively, influencing outcomes positively. Mastering these elements can greatly improve your negotiation effectiveness and relationship-building skills. What Is the 70/30 Rule in Negotiation? The 70/30 rule in negotiation suggests you should spend 70% of your time listening and comprehending the other party’s needs, whereas only 30% should be spent presenting your position. This approach encourages better communication, allowing you to uncover hidden objections and align your proposals with the other party’s priorities. Conclusion Acquiring the seven crucial sales negotiation skills is fundamental for your success in today’s market. By focusing on active listening, utilizing data-driven techniques, and preparing thoroughly, you can improve your negotiation outcomes. Comprehending KPIs and leveraging historical sales data will allow you to present compelling proposals that justify your pricing. In the end, these skills not just help you close deals more effectively but additionally cultivate long-term relationships with clients, ensuring ongoing success in your sales career. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Master 7 Essential Sales Negotiation Skills for Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Excelling in fundamental sales negotiation skills is critical for your success in a competitive market. Comprehending how to listen actively and leverage data can greatly improve your communication with buyers. By focusing on key performance indicators, you can refine your tactics and measure your outcomes effectively. Preparing for negotiations and anticipating objections likewise play important roles. These strategies not only assist in closing deals but likewise nurture lasting relationships. What other skills could boost your negotiation game? Key Takeaways Master active listening to understand client needs and build rapport for lasting relationships. Utilize data-driven negotiation techniques to tailor strategies and enhance credibility. Analyze historical sales data to identify buyer behavior patterns and refine tactics. Establish clear negotiation goals and prepare alternative offers to encourage collaboration. Leverage key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success and focus discussions effectively. Understanding Sales Negotiation Sales negotiation is a fundamental process where buyers and sellers engage in discussions to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Comprehending sales negotiation involves recognizing that it’s not merely about closing deals but in addition addressing the emotional and financial concerns of the buyer. You’ll need strong negotiation skills for salespeople, including clear communication to prevent misunderstandings and align expectations. Effective negotiation cultivates trust and rapport, indispensable for long-term relationships. Additionally, mastering advanced negotiation for institutional sales can improve your ability to navigate complex interactions. It’s critical to engage in back-and-forth dialogue, addressing concerns and compromises, as this collaborative approach leads to satisfactory outcomes for both parties involved. Importance of Negotiation in Sales Negotiation plays a pivotal role in the sales process, as it helps create agreements that are beneficial to both parties involved. By mastering effective sales negotiation skills, you can cultivate trust and improve long-term relationships with buyers. This process allows you to align your offerings with the buyer’s strategic objectives, clearly communicating the value of your solution. Successful negotiations lead to higher average deal sizes and improved customer satisfaction during reducing discounting, ultimately preserving your profit margins. Furthermore, a well-executed negotiation process boosts your brand reputation by preventing misunderstandings and frustrations. Companies that prioritize negotiation training for their sales teams often see better revenue forecasting and higher closure rates, making negotiation a crucial aspect of successful sales strategies. Essential Sales Negotiation Skills To master fundamental sales negotiation skills, you need to focus on two key areas: preparation and active listening. Preparation involves thoroughly researching your product, comprehending customer needs, and being aware of market dynamics so you can tailor your approach effectively. Meanwhile, active listening techniques allow you to pick up on underlying concerns and objections, enabling you to respond appropriately and cultivate a more productive dialogue. Preparation and Research Preparation and research are foundational elements in achieving successful outcomes in negotiations. By thoroughly comprehending the buyer’s business model and industry pressures, you can identify their needs and expectations, which improves your negotiation strategy. Analyzing past purchasing behavior and any existing relationships with competitors can provide valuable insights that inform your approach. Before negotiations, set clear goals and define acceptable alternatives to maintain focus. Gathering data on market trends and pricing fortifies your position, allowing you to anchor discussions with informed benchmarks. Furthermore, preparing for potential objections by mapping out responses helps you address concerns confidently and maintain momentum. This groundwork guarantees you enter negotiations well-equipped, facilitating a more effective and productive dialogue. Active Listening Techniques Entering negotiations well-prepared sets the stage for productive conversations, but the effectiveness of those discussions greatly depends on your ability to listen actively. Active listening involves fully concentrating on the speaker, which nurtures trust and rapport. Techniques like paraphrasing and summarizing clarify points and show you value their input. Active Listening Techniques Benefits Paraphrasing Clarifies comprehension Summarizing Reinforces key points Non-verbal cues Shows engagement Open-ended questions Uncovers deeper insights Effective Sales Negotiation Strategies When you’re preparing for a sales negotiation, thorough research is key to comprehending both your product and the buyer’s needs. Active listening techniques can greatly improve your ability to address concerns and objections, ensuring that you fully grasp the buyer’s perspective. Preparation and Research Thorough research lays the groundwork for effective sales negotiations, as it equips you with crucial insights into the buyer’s business model, industry challenges, and specific needs. This preparation enables you to formulate alternative offers and set clear negotiation goals, improving your leverage during discussions. By anticipating objections and preparing responses that emphasize long-term value, you can close deals without excessive discounting. Furthermore, utilizing data from your research helps communicate the economic and operational impact of your offerings, aligning discussions with the buyer’s strategic goals. Mapping out potential negotiation scenarios guarantees you can adapt your strategies dynamically. Key Elements Benefits Strategies Buyer Insights Customized conversations Research thoroughly Alternative Offers Boosted negotiation leverage Prepare multiple scenarios Anticipating Objections Improved closing likelihood Highlight long-term value Data Utilization Aligned discussions Communicate impacts clearly Dynamic Strategies Adaptability in negotiations Map potential outcomes Active Listening Techniques Active listening is a critical skill during sales negotiations, as it allows you to fully engage with the other party and uncover their underlying needs and concerns. To improve your active listening, try paraphrasing the speaker’s words and employing mirroring techniques; this builds rapport and encourages open dialogue. Incorporate empathetic responses to validate your counterpart’s feelings, which can help reduce tension and promote collaboration. Asking clarifying questions not only shows your engagement but also guarantees you grasp their position deeply, leading to customized solutions. Regularly practicing skills like summarizing key points and acknowledging emotions can greatly improve your negotiation outcomes, helping you build long-term relationships with clients and achieving mutually beneficial agreements. Preparation Is Crucial Preparation is essential for successful sales negotiations, as it allows you to understand the buyer’s business model and tailor your value proposition effectively. A well-prepared sales team is more likely to close deals, as thorough preparation builds confidence and reduces reliance on emotional decision-making. Here are some key aspects of effective preparation: Conduct extensive research on industry pressures and competitor offerings to anticipate objections. Set clear negotiation goals to maintain focus and direction during discussions. Prepare alternative offers in advance to adapt to changing dynamics and encourage collaboration. Active Listening In the context of successful sales negotiations, listening attentively can greatly impact the outcome of discussions. Active listening involves fully concentrating, comprehending, and responding to what the other party says. This skill helps uncover deeper needs and concerns, cultivating trust and rapport between negotiators. Research shows that effective active listening can increase the likelihood of closing deals by up to 60%. Techniques like paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions improve comprehension and demonstrate genuine engagement. Furthermore, paying attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues allows you to pick up on emotions and motivations, which can be vital for addressing objections. Regular practice of active listening not just enhances communication but also leads to longer-lasting business relationships and higher customer satisfaction. Data-Driven Negotiation Data-driven negotiation leverages analytics and insights to improve the effectiveness of negotiation strategies, greatly increasing the likelihood of favorable outcomes. By utilizing data, you can tailor your approach to better align with client needs, enhancing both your position and the perceived value of your offer. Consider these key points: Historical sales data helps you identify patterns in buyer behavior, allowing for strategic adjustments. Implementing key performance indicators (KPIs) can refine your negotiation tactics and reduce unnecessary discounting practices. Presenting evidence of past performance and ROI boosts buyer confidence, making them more willing to agree to premium pricing. Incorporating data into your negotiations not merely strengthens your arguments but also supports your credibility, leading to a higher success rate in closing deals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 Elements of Negotiation? The seven elements of negotiation are interests, options, alternatives, legitimacy, communication, relationship, and commitment. Interests refer to each party’s underlying needs. Options are potential solutions that satisfy these interests. Alternatives, or BATNA, provide fallback plans if negotiations fail. Legitimacy focuses on fair standards, whereas communication emphasizes clarity and active listening. The relationship involves maintaining rapport between parties, and commitment guarantees all parties agree on the terms reached during negotiations. What Are the 7 Steps of Negotiation? The seven steps of negotiation include preparation, where you gather information and set your goals; establishing rapport to build trust; defining the agenda to clarify discussion points; exchanging information to understand both parties’ needs; bargaining to reach a mutually beneficial agreement; closing the deal with clear terms; and implementing and following up on the agreement to guarantee all commitments are met. Each step is vital for achieving a successful negotiation outcome. What Are the 5 C’s of Negotiation? The 5 C’s of negotiation are Communication, Collaboration, Compromise, Creativity, and Confidence. Effective communication involves clear dialogue and active listening, which promotes comprehension. Collaboration encourages working together to achieve common goals. Compromise requires making concessions to reach agreements. Creativity allows for innovative solutions that address both parties’ needs. Finally, confidence helps you approach negotiations assertively, influencing outcomes positively. Mastering these elements can greatly improve your negotiation effectiveness and relationship-building skills. What Is the 70/30 Rule in Negotiation? The 70/30 rule in negotiation suggests you should spend 70% of your time listening and comprehending the other party’s needs, whereas only 30% should be spent presenting your position. This approach encourages better communication, allowing you to uncover hidden objections and align your proposals with the other party’s priorities. Conclusion Acquiring the seven crucial sales negotiation skills is fundamental for your success in today’s market. By focusing on active listening, utilizing data-driven techniques, and preparing thoroughly, you can improve your negotiation outcomes. Comprehending KPIs and leveraging historical sales data will allow you to present compelling proposals that justify your pricing. In the end, these skills not just help you close deals more effectively but additionally cultivate long-term relationships with clients, ensuring ongoing success in your sales career. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Master 7 Essential Sales Negotiation Skills for Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

MacOS is great in all kinds of ways, but it's far from the most customizable operating system out there. Sure, it's not locked down to the extent iOS and iPadOS are, but compared to Linux and even Windows, macOS really doesn't let you change the look and feel very much. But that isn't to say there's no room to tweak the operating system to make it the way you like—if you know where to look. Here are a few third-party tools that let you make macOS your own. Use a custom cursorIt's pretty easy to change how the mouse pointer looks on Windows and Linux—you just need to dig around in the settings. On macOS, you can only change the size of the pointer. Unless, that is, you install the free and open source Mousecape. This application lets you create a cursor, then use it in place of the default system ones. You can also install cursors made by others. There's no centralized collection of cursors for this, unfortunately, but I found a fun hand on Github, some Wii cursors, and a decent collection on DeviantArt. You could also try your hand at creating your own set. Note that Tahoe users will have to download an updated fork in order to use Mousecape—the main build doesn't work at the moment. You'll need to install a pre-release download as of this writing. Use any website as your wallpaper Credit: Justin Pot Some great wallpapers, including dynamic ones, are included with macOS. There's also the option to use your own photos. But what macOS doesn't offer are custom, animated wallpapers. Enter Plash. This free application lets you turn any website into a macOS wallpaper, which opens up all kinds of interactive possibilities. A few sites included let you look out a random stranger's window, see real-time weather data, or take in some animated pixel art, but you can use any website you can think of. It's a lot of fun to play around with. Clean up the menu bar Credit: Justin Pot The macOS menu bar is a bit of a mess. Windows makes it relatively easy to hide icons by dragging them to a secondary area. Apple hasn't offered anything like this until Tahoe, which added a way to disable any icon in the settings. The problem: it's all or nothing. Hide an icon in the settings and there's no quick way to access it other than going back into the settings and turning it back on. For that, you'll need a third party app. I personally recommend Ice, which is the best free app for cleaning up your menu bar. My coworker Pranay recommends Barbee, another great option. Both make it easy to hide menu bar icons in a secondary bar accessible by hitting an icon, similar to how it works on Windows. Every Mac user should install some sort of tool like this. Change your folder icons Credit: Justin Pot This one isn't unofficial, exactly, but it's so buried it might as well be. You can change the icon for any folder, document, or even application by right-clicking it, clicking "Get Info", then dragging an image to the icon in the window that opens. Weird, right? But it works, meaning you can customize folders to look however you want. I talked about this in an article with more details. This gets really fun if you install Fancy Folders, a free application seen in the image above which allows you to create folder icons in the color of your choice, complete with either the text or icon of your choice. It's a lot of fun to play with, and can be very useful for visually keeping things organized. View the full article

It should come as a shock to no one: The 2026 Latin Grammy Awards were all about Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar won album of the year for his landmark release “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” After thanking his family and all those who worked on the album, he ended his speech with “Puerto Rico, I love you, thank you.” Those are powerful words honoring a record that doubles as a love letter for his island. The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was destined to dominate from the jump. He also won the first award of the night, for música urbana album. Halfway through the show, the singer found himself back on stage accepting the música urbana song trophy for “DTmF.” “I never practice my speeches,” he said in Spanish. And then he showed up for a third time: to perform “Weltita” with Chuwi. He wasn’t the only one with reason to celebrate: Song of the year went to Karol G, Andrés Jael Correa Ríos and Édgar Barrera for “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” And Alejandro Sanz took home record of the year for “¿Y Ahora Qué?” Live from Sin City, the 26th annual Latin Grammys were both energetic and eclectic. Take Raphael, the 2025 Person of the Year, who launched into an emotive rendition of “Qué Sabe Nadie” and “Mi Gran Noche,” inviting the crowd to sing along. That was after Santana kicked things off — specifically, Maluma singing Santana’s 1970 hit “Oye Como Va” with the guitar legend himself. It was just the beginning of a memorable medley, talents of today celebrating Santana — Christian Nodal joining in for “Corazón Espinoza” and Grupo Frontera for their 2025 collaboration with the virtuosic musician, “Me Retiro.” Performances hit hard and fast: Aitana brought her dreamy electro-pop, Sanz delivered a medley of “El Vino De Tu Boca” and “Las Guapas,” Rauw Alejandro channeled Puerto Rico in Vegas with “Khé?,” the bachata “Silencio,” “Falsedad” and “Carita Linda.” Then: Danny Lux, Kakalo and Ivan Cornejo brought contemporary Mexicana sounds. Pepe Aguilar followed, with his life-affirming mariachi — “El Cihualteco” into “El Fuereño.” Elena Rose slowed things down with “Me Lo Merezco.” Karol G and the legendary Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solís dueted the romantic ballad “Coleccionando Heridas.” Two of the biggest groups in regional Mexican music – Grupo Frontera and Fuerza Regida – launched into their joint hit, “Me Jalo,” before the latter took over for “Marlboro Rojo.” That’s a cut from their record-breaking 2025 album “111xpantia.” Carín León’s lovely raspy vocal tone carried throughout “Ahí Estabas Tú”; then he was joined by Kacey Musgraves for “Lost in Translation.” Not long after, León took home the trophy in competitive contemporary Mexican album category for “Palabra De To’s (Seca).” Morat brought the pop-rock with “Faltas Tú” and Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso brought a kind of outsider, artistic spirit. Joaquina delivered a full-bodied “Quise Quererte.” Any aspiring artists watching would be wise to take a page out of the Brazilian singer Liniker’s book; “Negona Dos Olhos Terríveis” was one of the night’s most joyful. The same, of course, should be said about norteño band Los Tigres del Norte. The coveted best new artist trophy was handed out to Paloma Morphy. Traditional tropical album went to Gloria Estefan for “Raíces.” Not long afterward, she hit the stage for “La Vecina” and “Chirriqui Chirri,” joined by Nathy Peluso for the latter. Then ranchero/mariachi album went to Christian Nodal for “¿Quién + Como Yo?” Most of the evening’s awards were handed out during a pre-televised Premiere Ceremony. That included: Bad Bunny’s “Voy A Llevarte Pa Pr” winning for reggaeton performance. Argentinian duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso cleaned house then, too: taking home their first Latin Grammys for short and long form music video, alternative song, as well as alternative music album for “Papota,” and pop song for “El dia del amigo.” That’s five wins, making them the most awarded act at the 2025 show. The three-hour award show aired live from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was hosted by the dynamic duo of Maluma and actor, producer and musician Roselyn Sánchez. This story has been updated to correct that Maluma helped open the Latin Grammys, not Miguel. —Maria Sherman, AP Music Writer View the full article

The stock market survived the longest government shutdown in U.S. history with minimal impact. But it tumbled on Thursday, November 13, amid a sell-off of tech stocks as worries about overinflated values and interest rate cuts grew. Take the S&P 500, which shrank 1.66% to 6,739.49, or the Dow Jones Industrial average, which went down by 1.65% to 47,457.22—both at their lowest in over a month. It was only the day before that the Dow had surpassed 48,000, reaching a new record high. The Nasdaq composite met a similar fate, dropping 2.29% to its month low of 22,870.36. Many tech stocks felt the effect. Shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla (Nasdaq:TSLA) dropped 6.64% on Thursday, followed by another 4.78% at one point during after-hours and premarket trading on Friday. Palantir Technologies (Nasdaq:PLTR), which has been repeatedly pointed to as an example of overinflated value, saw its shares fall 6.53% Thursday and an additional 4.30% in after-hours and premarket trading. As of yesterday’s closing bell, Palantir was still trading 127.61% up in 2025. Nvidia Corporation, which just became the first company to hit a $5 trillion valuation in late October, also saw its shares (Nasdaq:NVDA) fall. Shares of the AI chip designer closed down 3.58% and, like its fellow tech companies, saw that drop continue through after-hours and premarket trading with a decline of 3.33%. Nvidia’s stock had already fallen Tuesday, following the news that Softbank sold its 32 million Nvidia shares—worth $5.8 billion—in October. These drops occurred alongside a decreasing likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates when it meets on December 9 and 10. According to CME FedWatch, the likelihood for a rate cut reached over 98% a month ago, but sank to 62.9% on Wednesday and 50.1% on Thursday. View the full article

Head of US division will take over from February after current boss retiresView the full article

As an aspiring entrepreneur, you need to grasp fundamental small business advice that can steer your venture toward success. Staying organized is vital; it involves managing financial records and utilizing project management tools effectively. Furthermore, you must learn to be flexible, adapting to market changes and customer feedback. These foundational steps pave the way for automating tasks and prioritizing customer service, yet there’s more to explore that can enhance your business even further. Key Takeaways Stay organized by maintaining accurate financial records and using project management tools to enhance productivity and collaboration. Be flexible in adapting to market changes and actively listen to customer feedback to improve services and offerings. Automate processes like CRM, accounting, and payroll to save time, reduce errors, and enhance efficiency. Prioritize exceptional customer service to boost retention rates and increase profitability through satisfied customers’ referrals. Build personal connections and a professional network to create collaboration opportunities and foster loyalty among customers. Stay Organized Staying organized is fundamental for any entrepreneur looking to run a successful business. Accurate records of your finances are essential; by recording transactions weekly, you can spot financial trends and issues early on. Using project management software like Trello or Notion can streamline your task assignment and deadline management, boosting productivity. Planning your social media campaigns and email marketing in advance with automation tools saves time and guarantees consistent customer engagement. Centralizing documentation on a shared platform makes access easier for your team, enhancing collaboration. Furthermore, creating a daily to-do list and prioritizing high-priority tasks greatly improves efficiency, making sure you address critical responsibilities swiftly. For more insights, consider consulting a business advisor for small businesses or visiting local business centers for customized small business advice. Learn to Be Flexible Organizational skills lay the groundwork for running a successful business, but the ability to adapt is equally important. Being flexible in response to changing market conditions can markedly reduce your risk of obsolescence, keeping your business relevant and competitive. Listening to customer feedback is vital; 70% of customers prefer brands that do so, which can help you adjust your business model or pricing strategy. Furthermore, consider updating your website design to improve user experience, potentially boosting conversion rates by 200%. A business advisor can guide you through these changes, and exploring a local business center near you may offer more resources. Automate as Many Things as Possible In today’s fast-paced business environment, automating various tasks can considerably streamline your operations and improve efficiency. By implementing tools like CRM systems, accounting software, and payroll solutions, you can save time, reduce errors, and enhance customer engagement. Furthermore, setting up automated emails and chatbots can help you maintain customer satisfaction as you free up your resources for more strategic activities. Streamline Operations With Technology Streamlining operations with technology is essential for any entrepreneur looking to improve efficiency and reduce costs. By adopting various tools, you can automate repetitive tasks and focus on growth. Here are some effective strategies: Implement CRM tools to automate follow-ups with leads, enhancing conversion rates and saving time. Utilize QuickBooks for streamlined bookkeeping, reducing manual data entry as well as providing real-time financial insights. Set up automated email campaigns to recover up to 15% of abandoned shopping carts, boosting potential revenue effortlessly. Integrate ADP to automate payment processes and tax calculations, minimizing errors and ensuring compliance. Enhance Efficiency Through Automation Finding ways to improve efficiency can considerably impact your business’s bottom line. Implementing automation tools, like CRM systems, can handle customer follow-ups automatically, allowing you to focus on strategic growth. Utilizing accounting software can reduce manual data entry errors by up to 90%, streamlining bookkeeping processes and saving valuable time. Automated email campaigns targeting abandoned shopping carts can recover about 10-15% of lost sales, greatly boosting your revenue. Additionally, chatbots can provide instant customer support outside business hours, enhancing customer satisfaction as well as reducing your staff’s workload. Finally, payroll software can expedite payroll processing by over 50%, ensuring timely payments and compliance with tax regulations, thereby enhancing your overall operational efficiency. Embrace automation to maximize productivity and drive success. Focus on Customer Service Though many aspects of running a small business demand attention, focusing on customer service can greatly impact your bottom line. Prioritizing exceptional customer service can boost your retention rates by up to 25%, enhancing profitability. Here are four key strategies to implement: Listen to Feedback: Actively seek and respond to customer feedback, which can increase satisfaction and loyalty by 10-15%. Timely Communication: Respond without delay to inquiries, improving your ratings by up to 30%. Create Positive Experiences: Guarantee every interaction is positive; satisfied customers recommend your business to an average of 3 to 4 people. Adopt a Customer-Centric Approach: Companies prioritizing customer service see profits 60% higher than those that don’t. Investing in customer service pays off remarkably. Understand Financial Management Financial management is a cornerstone of any successful small business. Maintaining a positive cash flow is vital, as 82% of small businesses fail because of cash flow mismanagement. To navigate financial uncertainties, establish a thorough budget that includes all expenses, revenue projections, and contingency plans. Regularly reviewing financial statements, such as income statements and balance sheets, provides insights into your business performance and informs strategic decision-making. Utilizing accounting software can streamline your financial management, reducing manual errors and ensuring accurate tracking of income and expenses. Furthermore, consulting with financial professionals can improve your comprehension of tax obligations and help identify potential deductions, ultimately impacting your overall business profitability positively. Prioritize these practices to strengthen your financial foundation. Develop a Marketing Strategy When you develop a marketing strategy, it’s essential to blend both digital and traditional channels to maximize your reach and engagement. Allocate at least 70% of your budget to digital marketing for ideal results. Here are some effective tactics to reflect on: Utilize social media: Engaging actively can boost your lead generation by an average of 126%. Implement targeted advertising: Using platforms like Google Ads can yield a return on investment of up to 400% when customized to specific audiences. Collaborate with influencers: This can expand your reach by 11 times, connecting you authentically with potential customers. Regularly review performance data: Companies that analyze their data are five times more likely to make faster, more effective decisions. Network and Build Relationships To grow your business effectively, you should prioritize networking and relationship-building. Attend networking events to meet potential partners and investors, as you leverage online platforms to expand your reach and connect with a broader audience. Don’t forget to follow up diligently with your contacts; maintaining these relationships can lead to valuable referrals and opportunities that traditional marketing might miss. Attend Networking Events Networking events are essential for entrepreneurs looking to expand their business opportunities and build meaningful relationships. By attending these gatherings, you can connect with a diverse group of professionals who may help your business grow. Here’s how to maximize your networking experience: Meet potential investors who may be interested in funding your projects. Form partnerships with other entrepreneurs, leading to valuable collaborations. Gain insights into market trends by engaging with industry experts at conferences. Follow up with contacts you make, as 70% of people will refer a business after a personal connection. Leverage Online Platforms In the current digital era, leveraging online platforms is crucial for entrepreneurs aiming to expand their professional networks and build valuable relationships. Start by utilizing platforms like LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals, which can lead to potential partnerships and collaborations that improve your business visibility. Joining relevant online forums and groups allows you to share insights and ask questions, nurturing relationships with peers and opening doors to networking opportunities. Participate in virtual networking events and webinars to broaden your professional circle and gain insights from industry leaders. Furthermore, engage with customers and fellow entrepreneurs on social media to create a community, leading to referrals. Follow Up Diligently After meeting new contacts at networking events, following up diligently is essential for building lasting relationships. This process demonstrates your genuine interest and commitment to maintaining connections. Here are some effective follow-up strategies: Send personalized messages that reference specific topics discussed, increasing response rates by up to 30%. Be persistent; studies show that 80% of sales require five follow-ups after the initial meeting. Engage on social media platforms, like LinkedIn, to facilitate ongoing communication and share updates. Schedule regular follow-ups to keep your business top-of-mind, enhancing referral opportunities and collaboration. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Advice for Entrepreneurs? The best advice for you as an entrepreneur is to maintain a clear vision and mission that directs your decisions. Build a strong network, as connections often lead to opportunities. Prioritize financial management, ensuring you budget accurately to avoid cash flow issues. Engage in continuous learning through education and mentorship, adapting to market changes. Ultimately, focus on exceptional customer service, since satisfied customers are likely to pay more for a better experience. Is $10,000 Enough to Start a Small Business? Yes, $10,000 can be enough to start a small business, particularly in service-based industries with lower overhead. You’ll need to budget carefully, focusing on vital expenses like legal fees, marketing, and initial equipment. Consider a lean startup model, working from home and utilizing cost-effective tools. Nevertheless, keep in mind that around 30% of small businesses fail within two years, so thorough market research and a solid business plan are key for success. How to Succeed in Business 9 Tips for Small Business Growth? To succeed in business, focus on building strong customer relationships by delivering exceptional service and seeking feedback. Develop a thorough marketing strategy that blends digital and traditional methods, adjusting based on performance data. Embrace technology to streamline operations and gather insights. Set clear, SMART goals to guide your growth. Finally, network effectively by attending industry events, as many successful businesses credit networking for their achievements. These steps can greatly improve your business’s growth potential. What Skills Do Entrepreneurs Need to Successfully Manage a Small Business? To successfully manage a small business, you need strong financial management skills to monitor cash flow effectively. Communication skills help you build relationships with customers and employees, whereas problem-solving abilities allow you to tackle challenges creatively. Marketing skills are crucial for promoting your products, and time management skills enable you to balance various responsibilities efficiently. Acquiring these skills will improve your ability to navigate the intricacies of running a small business. Conclusion In summary, mastering these seven crucial small business advice tips can greatly enhance your chances of success. By staying organized, being flexible, automating tasks, prioritizing customer service, comprehending financial management, developing a marketing strategy, and networking effectively, you create a strong foundation for your business. Each of these strategies contributes to a more resilient operation, nurturing growth and customer loyalty. Implementing these practices will help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the competitive entrepreneurial environment. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Essential Small Business Advice Tips for Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As an aspiring entrepreneur, you need to grasp fundamental small business advice that can steer your venture toward success. Staying organized is vital; it involves managing financial records and utilizing project management tools effectively. Furthermore, you must learn to be flexible, adapting to market changes and customer feedback. These foundational steps pave the way for automating tasks and prioritizing customer service, yet there’s more to explore that can enhance your business even further. Key Takeaways Stay organized by maintaining accurate financial records and using project management tools to enhance productivity and collaboration. Be flexible in adapting to market changes and actively listen to customer feedback to improve services and offerings. Automate processes like CRM, accounting, and payroll to save time, reduce errors, and enhance efficiency. Prioritize exceptional customer service to boost retention rates and increase profitability through satisfied customers’ referrals. Build personal connections and a professional network to create collaboration opportunities and foster loyalty among customers. Stay Organized Staying organized is fundamental for any entrepreneur looking to run a successful business. Accurate records of your finances are essential; by recording transactions weekly, you can spot financial trends and issues early on. Using project management software like Trello or Notion can streamline your task assignment and deadline management, boosting productivity. Planning your social media campaigns and email marketing in advance with automation tools saves time and guarantees consistent customer engagement. Centralizing documentation on a shared platform makes access easier for your team, enhancing collaboration. Furthermore, creating a daily to-do list and prioritizing high-priority tasks greatly improves efficiency, making sure you address critical responsibilities swiftly. For more insights, consider consulting a business advisor for small businesses or visiting local business centers for customized small business advice. Learn to Be Flexible Organizational skills lay the groundwork for running a successful business, but the ability to adapt is equally important. Being flexible in response to changing market conditions can markedly reduce your risk of obsolescence, keeping your business relevant and competitive. Listening to customer feedback is vital; 70% of customers prefer brands that do so, which can help you adjust your business model or pricing strategy. Furthermore, consider updating your website design to improve user experience, potentially boosting conversion rates by 200%. A business advisor can guide you through these changes, and exploring a local business center near you may offer more resources. Automate as Many Things as Possible In today’s fast-paced business environment, automating various tasks can considerably streamline your operations and improve efficiency. By implementing tools like CRM systems, accounting software, and payroll solutions, you can save time, reduce errors, and enhance customer engagement. Furthermore, setting up automated emails and chatbots can help you maintain customer satisfaction as you free up your resources for more strategic activities. Streamline Operations With Technology Streamlining operations with technology is essential for any entrepreneur looking to improve efficiency and reduce costs. By adopting various tools, you can automate repetitive tasks and focus on growth. Here are some effective strategies: Implement CRM tools to automate follow-ups with leads, enhancing conversion rates and saving time. Utilize QuickBooks for streamlined bookkeeping, reducing manual data entry as well as providing real-time financial insights. Set up automated email campaigns to recover up to 15% of abandoned shopping carts, boosting potential revenue effortlessly. Integrate ADP to automate payment processes and tax calculations, minimizing errors and ensuring compliance. Enhance Efficiency Through Automation Finding ways to improve efficiency can considerably impact your business’s bottom line. Implementing automation tools, like CRM systems, can handle customer follow-ups automatically, allowing you to focus on strategic growth. Utilizing accounting software can reduce manual data entry errors by up to 90%, streamlining bookkeeping processes and saving valuable time. Automated email campaigns targeting abandoned shopping carts can recover about 10-15% of lost sales, greatly boosting your revenue. Additionally, chatbots can provide instant customer support outside business hours, enhancing customer satisfaction as well as reducing your staff’s workload. Finally, payroll software can expedite payroll processing by over 50%, ensuring timely payments and compliance with tax regulations, thereby enhancing your overall operational efficiency. Embrace automation to maximize productivity and drive success. Focus on Customer Service Though many aspects of running a small business demand attention, focusing on customer service can greatly impact your bottom line. Prioritizing exceptional customer service can boost your retention rates by up to 25%, enhancing profitability. Here are four key strategies to implement: Listen to Feedback: Actively seek and respond to customer feedback, which can increase satisfaction and loyalty by 10-15%. Timely Communication: Respond without delay to inquiries, improving your ratings by up to 30%. Create Positive Experiences: Guarantee every interaction is positive; satisfied customers recommend your business to an average of 3 to 4 people. Adopt a Customer-Centric Approach: Companies prioritizing customer service see profits 60% higher than those that don’t. Investing in customer service pays off remarkably. Understand Financial Management Financial management is a cornerstone of any successful small business. Maintaining a positive cash flow is vital, as 82% of small businesses fail because of cash flow mismanagement. To navigate financial uncertainties, establish a thorough budget that includes all expenses, revenue projections, and contingency plans. Regularly reviewing financial statements, such as income statements and balance sheets, provides insights into your business performance and informs strategic decision-making. Utilizing accounting software can streamline your financial management, reducing manual errors and ensuring accurate tracking of income and expenses. Furthermore, consulting with financial professionals can improve your comprehension of tax obligations and help identify potential deductions, ultimately impacting your overall business profitability positively. Prioritize these practices to strengthen your financial foundation. Develop a Marketing Strategy When you develop a marketing strategy, it’s essential to blend both digital and traditional channels to maximize your reach and engagement. Allocate at least 70% of your budget to digital marketing for ideal results. Here are some effective tactics to reflect on: Utilize social media: Engaging actively can boost your lead generation by an average of 126%. Implement targeted advertising: Using platforms like Google Ads can yield a return on investment of up to 400% when customized to specific audiences. Collaborate with influencers: This can expand your reach by 11 times, connecting you authentically with potential customers. Regularly review performance data: Companies that analyze their data are five times more likely to make faster, more effective decisions. Network and Build Relationships To grow your business effectively, you should prioritize networking and relationship-building. Attend networking events to meet potential partners and investors, as you leverage online platforms to expand your reach and connect with a broader audience. Don’t forget to follow up diligently with your contacts; maintaining these relationships can lead to valuable referrals and opportunities that traditional marketing might miss. Attend Networking Events Networking events are essential for entrepreneurs looking to expand their business opportunities and build meaningful relationships. By attending these gatherings, you can connect with a diverse group of professionals who may help your business grow. Here’s how to maximize your networking experience: Meet potential investors who may be interested in funding your projects. Form partnerships with other entrepreneurs, leading to valuable collaborations. Gain insights into market trends by engaging with industry experts at conferences. Follow up with contacts you make, as 70% of people will refer a business after a personal connection. Leverage Online Platforms In the current digital era, leveraging online platforms is crucial for entrepreneurs aiming to expand their professional networks and build valuable relationships. Start by utilizing platforms like LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals, which can lead to potential partnerships and collaborations that improve your business visibility. Joining relevant online forums and groups allows you to share insights and ask questions, nurturing relationships with peers and opening doors to networking opportunities. Participate in virtual networking events and webinars to broaden your professional circle and gain insights from industry leaders. Furthermore, engage with customers and fellow entrepreneurs on social media to create a community, leading to referrals. Follow Up Diligently After meeting new contacts at networking events, following up diligently is essential for building lasting relationships. This process demonstrates your genuine interest and commitment to maintaining connections. Here are some effective follow-up strategies: Send personalized messages that reference specific topics discussed, increasing response rates by up to 30%. Be persistent; studies show that 80% of sales require five follow-ups after the initial meeting. Engage on social media platforms, like LinkedIn, to facilitate ongoing communication and share updates. Schedule regular follow-ups to keep your business top-of-mind, enhancing referral opportunities and collaboration. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Advice for Entrepreneurs? The best advice for you as an entrepreneur is to maintain a clear vision and mission that directs your decisions. Build a strong network, as connections often lead to opportunities. Prioritize financial management, ensuring you budget accurately to avoid cash flow issues. Engage in continuous learning through education and mentorship, adapting to market changes. Ultimately, focus on exceptional customer service, since satisfied customers are likely to pay more for a better experience. Is $10,000 Enough to Start a Small Business? Yes, $10,000 can be enough to start a small business, particularly in service-based industries with lower overhead. You’ll need to budget carefully, focusing on vital expenses like legal fees, marketing, and initial equipment. Consider a lean startup model, working from home and utilizing cost-effective tools. Nevertheless, keep in mind that around 30% of small businesses fail within two years, so thorough market research and a solid business plan are key for success. How to Succeed in Business 9 Tips for Small Business Growth? To succeed in business, focus on building strong customer relationships by delivering exceptional service and seeking feedback. Develop a thorough marketing strategy that blends digital and traditional methods, adjusting based on performance data. Embrace technology to streamline operations and gather insights. Set clear, SMART goals to guide your growth. Finally, network effectively by attending industry events, as many successful businesses credit networking for their achievements. These steps can greatly improve your business’s growth potential. What Skills Do Entrepreneurs Need to Successfully Manage a Small Business? To successfully manage a small business, you need strong financial management skills to monitor cash flow effectively. Communication skills help you build relationships with customers and employees, whereas problem-solving abilities allow you to tackle challenges creatively. Marketing skills are crucial for promoting your products, and time management skills enable you to balance various responsibilities efficiently. Acquiring these skills will improve your ability to navigate the intricacies of running a small business. Conclusion In summary, mastering these seven crucial small business advice tips can greatly enhance your chances of success. By staying organized, being flexible, automating tasks, prioritizing customer service, comprehending financial management, developing a marketing strategy, and networking effectively, you create a strong foundation for your business. Each of these strategies contributes to a more resilient operation, nurturing growth and customer loyalty. Implementing these practices will help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the competitive entrepreneurial environment. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Essential Small Business Advice Tips for Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Scheduling your day is an important part of being productive. You can (and should) prioritize your to-dos by timeliness and time box your way to a jam-packed, detailed schedule, but there’s more to time management than that. You should also consider dividing up not only your day, but your week overall, to maximize productivity. The trick here is to theme your workdays. Instead of jumping from task to task on any given day, try grouping all the similar ones together and parking them on a specific day, when your schedule allows. By putting similar tasks together on the same day, you’ll stay in that “zone” longer, focusing only on what needs to be done in it. If all the things you have to do have something in common, you’ll stay focused on the central theme of the day’s work as you move from task to task. How to divvy up themed days for productivityFirst, start by thinking about why you want to do what you're doing. I don't mean you need to get all philosophical, but adding a "why" to your to-do list is valuable. You don't just want to clean your house because you have to, but because you want a safe, comfortable space or because your mom is coming to say for a week and you want her to feel cozy (and not harp on you about any lingering dust). You don't just want to finish your big project at work because it was assigned to you, but because you want to grow in your career, stay employed, or get a promotion. If thinking this way is a stretch for you, try setting SMART goals around your tasks. SMART goals are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound (in accordance with the acronym) and they help you stay focused on why you're doing what you're doing, as well as how you're going to do it. Set these intentions so you feel like you have something to work toward. That's where the daily themes come in. If you complete similar tasks over the course of one day, you are striving for an intention—meeting whatever goal you’ve set for that day’s theme—and staying focused on it from task to task. Say you have a big project at work. Here's how your first three days could look: Consider getting all administrative-type work done on Mondays. Designate Mondays for responding to emails, sending out new ones, taking calls, or scheduling meetings. Make sure you use this day to request any resources, details, or answers you need from others involved in the project, so you have everything you need for the following days. Creative activities, like brainstorming or designing, could be handled Tuesday, while Wednesday could be for research. You could also theme your days by project, according to Leonard Alexandru, an engineering director at Deloitte who has written about the value of themed days. Instead of dedicating time every day to multiple projects, consider assigning each project its own specific day of the week for work, so a project that requires a big focus on management should take up a whole day while one that requires you to focus on marketing, communications, sales, or whatever else should be on another. Why this works (and what to keep in mind)I do this around my apartment: One day is for cleaning my bedroom, the other is for the living room, and another is for the kitchen. It is that simple—and broadly applicable beyond your job. Hell, if you do strength training, you probably already do arm day, back day, leg day, etc. You wouldn't do a lat pulldown on leg day because it wouldn't make sense to exhaust your whole body, nor divert your focus from your glutes and quads. The reason it works is the same reason divvying up gym days works. When you are focused entirely on one thing, you do better at it, which makes you more productive at it. When you throw everything into the metaphorical blender, you lose that focus. Plus, the stress of figuring out what to do at a given time is gone, leaving you open to just get to work. You can "eat the frog" (that is, tackle your biggest task first) or work off a system like 1-3-5, which calls on you to take care of one major task, three medium-sized ones, and five smaller ones. With a themed grouping, you don't have to decide what those are; you just go. Try setting each day’s theme as an all-day event on whatever calendar software you use, so you’ll have a reminder at the top of the page about what to focus on each day. Just knowing your Thursdays are for client meetings, for instance, relieves you of the anxiety of deciding what to prioritize that day or when to schedule those meetings. It eliminates decision fatigue and keeps you on-task without you having to think too hard about what activity should go in what slot during your busy week. Obviously, a necessary or urgent meeting could crop up on a day that isn't Thursday. It's fine to take it, of course, but try to keep the general framework of the themed days whenever you can. View the full article

Emotional intelligence matters, and not just on a personal level. Research shows developing greater emotional intelligence can lead to higher performance and pay, as well as better professional and personal relationships. The better you can understand and manage your emotions, and the emotions of people around you, the greater your chances of success. So how emotionally intelligent are you? You could take an emotional intelligence test. Or you could just see how you answer the following questions. “Do I ask for advice instead of feedback?” Say you’re okay with getting feedback, even when it’s critical. (Plenty of people who claim they do, really don’t.) You may even enjoy getting critical feedback. But that doesn’t mean other people like to give you the feedback you need. Research shows when feedback is requested rather than volunteered, it tends to be too vague. Too fluffy. Too, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings so I’ll just be nice,” to be of any real value. But when you ask for advice? Harvard Business School researchers found that compared to asking for feedback, asking for advice resulted in respondents providing 34 percent more areas of improvement, and 56 percent more ways to improve. In short, emotionally intelligent people realize that asking another person to provide feedback (saying, “How did I do?”) puts them on the spot. On the other hand, asking another person for advice (saying, “What can (or should) I do?”) is flattering. Asking someone for advice implicitly shows you respect their knowledge, skills, experience, etc. Do that, and two great things happen: you get the input you need, and they feel valued, trusted, and happy to offer guidance they know will help you. Win-win. “Do I appreciate (even if I don’t like) negative feedback?” But what if you’re given feedback you didn’t request? That’s the farthest thing from fun. No one likes to be told what they can do better. Research shows most people rarely appreciate feedback when it’s negative. And when they do receive constructive criticism, they rarely use it to improve their performance. (In fact, studies show that within days we tend to totally forget the negative feedback we receive.) Emotionally intelligent people keep their feelings in check and embrace — or at least put aside — the discomfort to find ways to improve. A study published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning found that we’re far more likely to recall evaluative feedback (feedback about something we’ve already completed) than directive feedback (feedback on how we could improve on a future task.) That’s why emotionally intelligent people embrace — again, even if they don’t enjoy — critical feedback. They focus on what it says about the task, not about themselves. Instead of avoiding feedback that threatens how you currently perceive yourself, use it to improve how you will someday perceive yourself. Smarter, more skilled, more talented, more inclusive… more of whatever you someday hope to be. “Do I often praise other people?” Do you feel you don’t receive enough recognition and praise? Science says you’re not alone. Two out of three employees surveyed feel they don’t receive enough praise, and nearly three-fourths say they receive some form of positive feedback less than once a week. Clearly that doesn’t feel great. Emotionally intelligent people recognize that what they want — or need — is what they can give to people they know. A kind word. A sincere thank-you. Plenty of people you know — employees, vendors, customers, friends, family, etc. — deserve a kind word. A sincere thank-you. But you should also recognize people you don’t know. A store clerk. A delivery person. A customer service rep. Because praise that is unexpected, like the gift that is given “just because,” is often even more powerful. “Do I willingly admit my mistakes?” As Daniel Coyle writes in his book The Culture Code, Navy SEAL Dave Cooper feels the most important words a leader can say are, “I screwed that up.” While that might sound odd, since conventional wisdom says leaders should project unshakable confidence, and admitting weakness risks creating more weakness, emotionally intelligent people realize strong cultures can only be built when people feel safe enough to tell one another the truth. Which starts with leaders who admit they aren’t perfect. The result is a vulnerability loop: one person allows themself to be vulnerable and admits a mistake or a shortcoming, which allows another person to do the same. In time, that leads to more open exchanges that build trust and drive performance. And helps people focus on how they can get better, together. “Do I often skip past the small talk?” Say you’re at a conference and just met someone new. Do you whip out the small talk? Science says you shouldn’t. A series of studies published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychologyfound that the more awkward and uncomfortable a conversation with another person sounded, the more they tended to bond with the other person, and the more they liked the other person. Participants felt less awkward, more connected, and a lot happier after those conversations than they expected to feel. Emotionally intelligent people realize that the deeper the conversation, especially with someone they don’t know, the more likely they both are to enjoy it. Keep in mind “deep” doesn’t have to be too deep. When researchers asked people to come up with what they considered to be “deeper” questions, the most common were pretty straightforward: What do you love doing? What do you regret most? Where do you see yourself in five years? As the researchers write, “Our research suggests that the person next to you would probably be happier talking about their passions and purpose than the weather or ‘What’s up?’” And so do you. View the full article

Investors in Bitcoin are waking up to another bad morning for the world’s preeminent cryptocurrency. As of the time of this writing, the price of one token is down 6.55% in the last 24 hours to just above $95,000 per coin. It’s a low that Bitcoin has not seen since May. Today’s selloff continues a monthlong trend in which Bitcoin has now lost about 20% of its value. But what’s driving this most recent selloffs? Two culprits are most likely at play. Uncertainty of Fed rate cuts Next month, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce a decision on whether it will change interest rates. The Fed has three options: increase rates, hold rates at current levels, or cut (decrease) rates. Until recently, Wall Street was pretty bullish about the likelihood that the Fed would cut rates in December. When the Fed cuts rates, it’s generally seen as beneficial because rate cuts boost liquidity in markets. Increased liquidity generally prompts investors to allocate more to risk assets. Risk assets include assets like cryptocurrencies and highly volatile stocks (such as AI-adjacent stocks lately). So a Fed rate cut in December would boost liquidity, likely driving investors toward risk assets, including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which would likely rise in price. But now, as NBC News notes, in recent days, traders think there is only around a 50% chance that the Fed will cut rates in December. At the beginning of November, the majority of traders thought there was a 90% chance the Fed would do so. This uncertainty over whether the Fed will cut rates in December is likely one of the biggest factors behind Bitcoin’s fall today. Selloff of tech and crypto stocks Bitcoin is generally seen as a risk asset since its price is highly volatile compared to more traditionally stable assets like bonds. But Bitcoin isn’t the only risk asset. Many tech stocks are seen as risk assets—particularly ones operating in the AI space—because their prices can swing so widely as of late. And as of the past day, those risky tech assets have been plummeting. Yesterday alone, the prices of some major tech and AI-adjacent stocks dropped significantly due to both uncertainty about Fed rate cuts and growing fears of an AI bubble. Those drops yesterday included: Palantir Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: PLTR): down 6.53% Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC): down 5.23% Nvidia Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA): down 3.58% Tesla, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA): down 6.64% Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN): down 2.71% Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG): down 2.89% Meanwhile, those traditional tech stocks weren’t the only ones getting hit hard yesterday. As noted by CoinCentral, crypto stocks in the mining and trading space also had a pretty bad day, including: Bitfarms Ltd. (Nasdaq: BITF): down 17.98% Bitdeer Technologies Group (Nasdaq: BTDR): down 20.3% Coinbase Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: COIN): down 6.86% Gemini Space Station, Inc. (Nasdaq: GEMI): down 9.78% Bullish (NYSE: BLSH): down 9.85% When investors see risk asset stocks declining sharply—particularly ones operating in the crypto space—it may drive an outflow of investment in cryptocurrencies themselves as they seek safer and more stable investment assets to park their money in. Bitcoin has had a chaotic 2025 Being an investor in Bitcoin has certainly had its highs and lows this year. The token began trading just above $94,000 per coin just after the new year. It got a crypto-friendly The President administration boost around the time of President The President’s inauguration later that month. But after trading above six figures for the first few months of the year, Bitcoin took a hit, along with most of the stock market, thanks to President The President’s Liberation Day tariffs, which injected more uncertainty into investors’ minds than they had experienced in a long time. By April, Bitcoin had fallen to just above $76,000. However, the crypto recovered nicely since then, steadily rising until it hit an all-time high of over $126,000 in October. But since then, Bitcoin has steadily declined. And after its recent fall, Bitcoin is now up only about 2.8% for the year. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Pomodoro technique is a superstar in the world of productivity methods because its premise—that you should work hard for 25 minutes, then reward yourself with a few minutes off—is effective and appealing. But that doesn’t mean it works perfectly for everyone. Like any other method, it’s adaptable and, once you get the hang of it, should be customized to meet your unique needs. And if you find that Pomodoro's 25-minute work sessions with five-minute cooldowns aren’t cutting it for you, there's a similar but more flexible alternative: flowtime. What is the flowtime technique?The flowtime technique is a spin on Pomodoro, and as such, relies on the same principles: You work for a while, then get a break. The difference is that you determine how long the work and rest time last. Sometimes referred to as “flowmodoro,” this method is also all about keeping you in the zone on a task, luring you into deep work by using the goal of taking a break to keep you going. The break is crucial, so no matter how long you work, you do have to take one. Not only is that the motivator to keep you focused, but your productivity will take a massive hit if you work too long. Flowtime—or any technique designed to help you accomplish deep work—is useless if you end up producing dreck. The key here is the uninterrupted work you do while you’re gunning for that break. Like Pomodoro, you’re supposed to stay focused intently on a single task for the duration of your grind time, rather than do a little work, check your phone, type a little more, check your email, etc. Don't multitask, either, since it will actually make you less efficient. The only way flowtime is truly different from Pomodoro that you decide how long you work for, instead of relying on the "25 on, five off" framework. With Pomodoro, you are stricter, typically using a timer to keep you working and from checking your phone. You may not think you need the timer with the flowtime technique, but you should use one that has a stopwatch function to track how long you actually end up working and keep it on hand for days when you need the extra structure of the timer itself. In fact, once you finish a few days of flowtime and figure out your own working habits with the stopwatch, you'll need the timer so you can set it in personalized increments. This where I recommend using an app to help you manage things. My favorite is FocusPomo, which blocks your distracting apps for you whenever you're in a focus session. These sessions are customizable, so they don't have to be 25 minutes, and once you use it for a while, you get useful data on how long you work and when you may have gotten distracted. How to set up your personal flowtimeThe downside to using flowtime over Pomodoro is the same as the upside: You’re in charge of how long you work. While the Pomodoro technique is straightforward and outlines exactly how long you get to work and play, setting up your personal flowtime requires a little bit more effort and thought. You’ll need about a week to figure it out before you fully put it into action. During this exploratory setup period, here’s what you do: Track when you start working on a specific task with no distractions. You can use time-tracking software, but in this case a spreadsheet might be better because you also… Write down when you start feeling restless, distracted, or disinterested. Check your stopwatch to see exactly how long you were working, then take a break. Jot down when you feel energized enough to get back to the task and restart your stopwatch. Repeat until the task is done, then mark down when you finished, and how you feel overall. In a spreadsheet, dedicate one sheet to each task that needs to get done. Your columns can be labeled however makes sense to you, but something like the below—including a date, start and break times, and an ultimate conclusion time—is helpful. After using the spreadsheet for a while, you’ll get a sense of how long you can usually stand working on something before you need a break and how long those breaks typically need to be for you to feel rejuvenated enough to get back at it. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Once you have a sense of your own work abilities and preferences, you can put them into action. If you can usually focus on cleaning for 15 minutes, start setting your timer for 15 minutes every time you clean, then give yourself a break that works for you, whether it’s five or 10 minutes. Commit to getting back to the task. From personal experience, this part matters a lot. I can think of plenty of times when I did not commit to getting back to it, but I notice I feel significantly less motivated when that happens. Focus on those feelings of self-satisfaction, and use them to motivate you to get back at it. You can challenge yourself to add more time to your work sessions gradually, but that’s optional. If your specific method is working for you, great. If you want to get better at focusing for long periods of time, start by adding one minute every time you do a task, inching it from, say, 15 to 16 to 17 minutes every time. It’s helpful to go back to the spreadsheet if you plan to do this, so you can see if you’re starting to tap out too early and readjust your flowtime. Bear in mind that you need to run through that experimental period for every single kind of task. If you're working on an application for grad school and feel extremely motivated, the time might fly by, and you may discover you can work for an hour with no problem. If your house is a mess and you struggle to find cleaning motivation, you may not be able to do more than 15 or 20 minutes of that at a time. It wouldn't make sense to block out an hour for cleaning just because it's something else you can do for an hour—you're only setting yourself up to fail. Unfortunately, this means the preparation period for flowtime adoption is lengthy, but it is worth it. This isn’t an easy way out if Pomodoro doesn’t work for you. Rather, it’s a challenge to find a time combination that does work for you. Something is always better than nothing, so find the flowtime that fits your needs and tap into the power of uninterrupted work with the promise of breaks, even if it looks a little different from the norm. Don't get discouraged if you don't feel like you're working in long enough chunks at first; productivity falls off when you don't give yourself enough breaks, so look at this as a way of making sure that doesn't happen. View the full article

US private equity group walked away due to regulatory uncertainty and negative commentary from newspaperView the full article

Hi there, and welcome back to Fast Company’s Plugged In. Last year, I left Twitter gradually, then all at once. Throughout 2024, Elon Musk’s wildly irresponsible stewardship of his social network—I refuse to call it X—left me increasingly disengaged. But the role he played in Donald The President’s reelection proved to be my breaking point. As of this week, it’s been a year since my last tweet. Now, I can’t claim to have abandoned Twitter entirely. I’m still lurking, though only sporadically. When my reporting for a story leads me there—it’s certainly one of the principal places people talk about AI—I go. Add up all my activity, and it amounts to maybe 2% of the time I once spent on the service. (Strangely enough, when I do check in, my feed is flooded with tweets from Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who’s still in federal prison but seemingly using the platform as an exercise in reputational repair.) Largely weaning myself off the social network that served as my principal online hangout for more than 15 years has been an unalloyed blessing. Before I stopped tweeting, I felt increasingly embarrassed by my participation in a club led by Musk. The 12 months since then have been his most indefensible to date, from the pointless humanitarian nightmare inflicted by DOGE cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to Grok going Nazi. Being appalled from a distance has been far preferable to tweeting my way through it. The fact that I’m a happy ex-Twitter addict isn’t just a moral stance. For all of Musk’s still-unfulfilled blather about turning Twitter into an “everything app,” the site is shrinking. That’s true in a literal, daily-active-users sense, where it’s now at risk of being consistently surpassed by Meta’s Threads. However, I’m thinking more of Twitter’s cultural relevance. The site that once aspired to be “the pulse of the planet” is clinging to the residue of what it once was. The tweets still flow, but the spark of life is gone. That’s not a universally held opinion, of course. If there’s a case for staying on Twitter, it’s the one outlined by The Argument’s Jerusalem Desmas in a piece titled, well, “The case for staying on Twitter.” Calling it “the most influential public square we have,” she maintains that departing the site for an alternative such as Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon amounts to deplatforming yourself. If Twitter were a public square, her argument might be airtight. But public squares aren’t private enterprises operated to serve their owners’ interests. Twitter is. That’s true even before you consider Musk’s whim-based management, which has gamed the conversation in ways that consistently make it worse. That said, I may have stayed on Twitter as long as I did in part because nothing else out there seemed any closer to being the internet’s one true forum. Certainly not its most populous rival, Threads: Every time Meta changes its mind about whether it wants to discourage or boost conversations about news and politics, it’s a reminder that the company is algorithmically shaping the discourse. One of the lessons I’ve learned over the past year is that we don’t need a single, defining hub of Twitter-style conversation. Why resign yourself to tolerating Musk’s vision for social networking when you can assemble your own? Instead of choosing between Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon, I’ve been posting to all three simultaneously using Openvibe. I’m also having fun with two apps that weave Bluesky and Mastodon posts together with items from RSS feeds and other sources: Flipboard’s Surf and Iconfactory’s Tapestry. And sometimes I use two fine single-service third-party apps: Graysky for Bluesky and Icecubes for Mastodon. My new social network-of-networks is smaller than the one I once had on Twitter, where I peaked at around 95,000 followers. The quality of the conversation is excellent, though, in part because the vast majority of people whose tweets I once cared about are active on the services I use now. And Musk doesn’t get to pull any of the levers, though he does pop up as a character—most recently when Bluesky was awash in glee over Joyce Carol Oates eviscerating him on Twitter. It’s to all the Twitter rivals’ credit that they’re partaking in the open ecosystem reflected in the various apps I’m running. (Bluesky and Mastodon are all in, while Threads is still dipping its toe.) Meanwhile, Musk has doubled down on Twitter’s long-standing policy of preventing people from using the service in any way except via its official apps and website. The service’s walled-off nature is yet another reason why it feels like it’s fading away. I stopped tweeting because I couldn’t stand having my online identity wed to Musk’s any longer. Now I’m sorry I didn’t divorce myself from his mess earlier. We’ll never get the lovable Twitter of yore back, but I’m too busy enjoying my post-Twitter social networking life to be all that wistful. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on fastcompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company The secret to phone detoxing Hint: You’ve got it in the bag, kiddo. Read More → Creators are suffering from a mental health crisis, new study shows One in 10 creators in North America reported having suicidal thoughts tied to their work, a rate that’s nearly double the national average. Read More → If AI won’t follow the rules, should the media even try? With AI scraping content and ignoring paywalls, publishers face a brutal choice: play defense, go on offense, or get left behind. Read More → Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey are getting AI voice clones with ElevenLabs Caine said in a statement that ElevenLabs is ‘using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.’ Read More → Why did SoftBank sell off its Nvidia stake? The move underscores CEO Masayoshi Son’s contrasting views of the futures of Nvidia and OpenAI. Read More → Meet your new AI tutor Try new learning modes in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Read More → View the full article

Is there such a thing as being too attractive? For fitness influencers, it turns out there might be. Contrary to popular belief, new research suggests that being too good-looking can actually be a disadvantage, particularly in the online fitness space. The study, coauthored by researchers at the University of Dayton and University of Oregon, found that the more attractive the influencer, the lower the engagement they received on their social media posts. The reason? It all comes down to a sense of relatability, and what researchers have termed the “beauty backfire effect.” In the study, researchers showed 299 U.S. adults mock Instagram posts featuring a highly attractive female fitness influencer, a moderately attractive one, or a text-only control. The “halo effect” and “pretty privilege” are both widely studied phenomena where people’s good looks often work to their advantage. Yet the highly attractive influencer scored lowest on both relatability and engagement. Participants also reported a dip in self-esteem after viewing her post. The moderately attractive influencer, on the other hand, boosted participants’ confidence. It makes sense. When attempting to conjure up motivation to get off the sofa and go to the gym, scrolling through posts of rock-hard abs and fit-fluencers barely breaking a sweat can sometimes have the opposite effect. Researchers also linked this to social comparison theory. We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to others. Sometimes that comparison can be motivating, other times it can be discouraging. If a fitness influencer is too attractive, the body ideal they are selling no longer feels attainable. In a follow-up study, researchers found that highly attractive female fitness influencers faced stronger backlash than equally attractive men. This backfire effect is also most apparent in the fitness space. When the same experiment was conducted with finance influencers, appearance didn’t have as much of an impact. Relatability is often an influencer’s most valuable currency. Social media has evolved from overly polished posts and curated feeds to a focus on authenticity. Today, people gravitate toward influencers with day jobs, tuning in to watch them go about their normal lives, rather than mega-influencers partying with celebrities or jet-setting every other week whose lives feels out of reach—or out of touch. The last study backs this up. While the “beauty backfire” effect can undermine influencers trying to grow their followings, it’s not unavoidable. If those deemed highly attractive pair their posts with modest captions, talking about their struggles or insecurities, the relatability gap closes. If they’re boastful or adopt self-congratulatory language, the gap widens again. If you’re having trouble racking up the likes on social media, it could just be that you’re too good-looking. View the full article

On July 29, 2025, at 9:45 a.m., Christine Ressy was supposed to be undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones. Instead, Ressy, a 49-year-old hairdresser in New York City, found herself holding back tears in the waiting room of a Manhattan hospital. Unless she paid half of her $10,933 bill prior to surgery, her doctor simply could not operate, she had been told. Because Ressy was uninsured, she had hoped to receive a cash-pay discount or find some other way to negotiate costs. She wanted to see an itemized receipt after her surgery before paying up, and had prepared a $500 cash deposit. She had done all this on the advice of her most trusted advocate: ChatGPT. Ressy’s conversations with ChatGPT about the cost of her surgery spanned more than 28,000 words. The platform assured her that she was allowed to push back against medical cost estimates, offering scripts for phone calls and email drafts to send billing departments. In the hospital, Ressy messaged ChatGPT again. “I’m crying beyond tears,” she wrote. She was willing to pay, but did not want to do so upfront. The staff is “pressuring me,” she said. What should she do? “You are not the problem here,” ChatGPT responded, sending Ressy a yellow heart emoji. Ressy was simply a “patient asking to be treated fairly,” the AI platform said. “They are pressuring you at your most vulnerable—and that is wrong.” Ressy went to the check-in desk and repeated a new ChatGPT script: This time, she wanted documentation that she had, as instructed, arrived two hours early for surgery, had offered a good faith deposit, and that the hospital would not be admitting her. One of the medical billers overheard Ressy, then mentioned the phrase “charity care.” Ressy was previously told on the phone that she made too much to qualify for any financial assistance. Now, the biller brought Ressy to the billing office and gave her a document to sign. Two hours after her scheduled appointment, Ressy went into surgery. Three months later, the only money Ressy has paid is the $500 she brought as a deposit. She never received a bill for her surgery, and she is currently negotiating the cost of her anesthesia. “I didn’t know I had any of these options,” Ressy tells Fast Company. “ChatGPT said it’s legal, it’s necessary, and it’s expected to negotiate—I didn’t know that.” Ressy is one of a growing number of people using ChatGPT and other AI tools to untangle the convoluted finances of the American healthcare system. As insurers invest in artificial intelligence, many patients feel the system is increasingly lacking in humanity. A ProPublica report found that Cigna denied 300,000 requests over a two-month period in 2023, with physicians spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each case. Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana are all facing class-action lawsuits that allege the insurers’ AI models denied patients lifesaving care, with denials that ran counter to doctors’ recommendations. Patients often are informed of these denials in confusing form letters that leave patients scrambling mere days—or even hours—before scheduled treatments. Now, thousands of patients are using platforms to appeal rejected claims, according to Alicia Graham, the CEO of AI startup Claimable. Others, like Ressy, are asking for scripts to help them negotiate the cost of care. Jessica Cunningham, a mother of four and content creator in Southern California, tells Fast Company she runs all of her family’s hospital bills through ChatGPT to make sure they are not being overcharged. In a confounding system, seemingly controlled by bots and byzantine policies, AI can feel like a lifeline. “It makes me feel like I have the smartest person in the world looking out for me,” Gordon says. “They don’t know what to do next” With its opaque pricing and convoluted policies, it’s easy to feel confused by the American healthcare system. A Gallup poll found that just 17% of Americans are aware of the cost of healthcare procedures before receiving care. Trying to navigate the medical system is an exhausting process, with more than 80% of patients and caregivers telling the Patient Insight Institute that they spent five or more hours a week on administrative tasks. Eighteen percent said they spent “too many hours to count.” Then there is the financial burden: according to a 2022 survey, four in ten Americans are in medical debt. Erin Bradshaw, the executive vice president of the Patient Advocacy Foundation, says that by the time people reach out to the nonprofit, they are already overwhelmed. Most are not aware that many hospitals are open to negotiating costs, nor that hospitals have charitable or discount programs. Even if patients are aware of these options, few know who to contact or what to say. “Often the barrier is they don’t even know what to do next, because you’re dealing with a health crisis to begin with,” Bradshaw says. Decoding hospitals and insurers’ policies can feel like trying to read another language. One of the most powerful aspects of AI platforms is their ability to analyze vast amounts of text nearly instantaneously, with ChatGPT reading hundreds of words in just a few seconds. Often, people simply surrender when the process becomes too overwhelming. If AI platforms can provide support for patients—even if it’s just by scanning documents and suggesting questions to ask—it can be a great tool for self-advocacy, Bradshaw says. At the same time, Bradshaw and other healthcare experts caution against relying solely on AI. Part of their caution is due to privacy concerns. Artificial intelligence is able to provide better results with more information, so if you upload your bills and medical records, you will likely get more fine-tuned responses. However, this information does not necessarily remain private, as most AI platforms save and collect user data. It’s a stark departure from the privacy-obsessed world of medicine, where Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) demands strict protection of sensitive health information. Also complicating matters is AI platforms’ quirk of offering up occasionally inaccurate information. Different states and healthcare systems have vastly different policies. What works in one situation might not apply in another, no matter what ChatGPT says. And sometimes, AI platforms are just straight-up wrong. Earlier this year, for example, CNN reported that the FDA’s AI platform was making officials’ jobs more difficult by misrepresenting research and hallucinating nonexistent studies. That does not mean patients should avoid AI altogether. They just need to check its sources, ensuring the original documents actually support platforms’ statements. Alternatively, experts advise seeking out platforms trained specifically to answer these types of questions. Courage to take action In January, the Marshall Allen Project launched the “Marshall Allen Clone,” or MAC. The journalist Marshall Allen, author of “Never Pay the First Bill (And Other Ways to Fight The Healthcare System and Win),” spent his career publishing investigations that helped patients better navigate the healthcare system. After Allen died unexpectedly in 2024, the Marshall Allen Project built MAC, an AI tool trained on Allen’s reporting. The free platform offers personalized answers to people like Ressy struggling to negotiate costs or untangle their options. “The general AI does a really good job of giving people a great starting point,” Andrew Gordon, a healthcare researcher who volunteers with the Marshall Allen Project, tells Fast Company. What sets the MAC apart is its training on the intricacies of the system. When a patient is advocating for themselves for the first time, Gordon says, feeling secure in the accuracy of this advice can be especially powerful. “It’s a North Star, it’s confidence, and it’s courage to take action,” Gordon adds. Other organizations are building even more specific AI tools. Claimable, a startup that launched in 2024 and one of Fast Company‘s 2025 World Changing Ideas, uses AI to generate and submit appeals for patients who have been denied healthcare coverage. The startup is a seed stage company with investors including Walkabout Ventures and Quiet Capital. In less than a year, Claimable has recovered nearly $20 million for patients. Cofounder Alicia Graham tells Fast Company she was drawn to the idea after finding out that up to 99% of people whose claims are denied never file an appeal. Yet, when patients do push back against these denials, a sizable portion — up to 80% — win, allowing access to treatments previously out of financial reach. To use Claimable, which costs $39.95 per appeal, patients upload their medical and insurance information and answer a handful of questions. (Unlike most AI platforms, Claimable privately protects this information, in compliance with HIPAA.) The platform generates an appeal, drawing on specific insurance policies, local legislation, and relevant medical research. This kind of tedious work can take hours. Claimable creates a letter in minutes, then submits the appeal to the necessary parties. Michael Henry was one of the many patients who did not realize he could appeal rejected claims until he heard about Claimable. Henry, a chief of human resources in Battle Creek, Michigan, had started rationing his GLP-1 shots in late 2024 when Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan announced it would no longer cover medications such as Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Henry tried another weight-loss drug, but it did not work. He did not want to pay $1,200 a month. So, instead of injecting himself weekly, Henry—who was previously diagnosed as prediabetic—cut his shots to every other week, rationing out his remaining medication. By July, Henry was almost out. He was listening to an episode of “On the Pen,” a podcast about GLP-1s, featuring an interview with Zach Veigulis, another Claimable cofounder. Henry collected his documents and filled out Claimable’s questionnaire. The next day, he got a call from his doctors’ office. He had been approved. Henry picked up his medication later the same day. The United States is still in the early days of patients using AI to navigate the $5 trillion healthcare system. AI is not always the solution. Not every appeal is approved and not every attempt at negotiation succeeds. Artificial intelligence does not address patients’ fundamental concerns about the healthcare system, from its opaque pricing to confusion and suspicion around denials. Americans on all sides of the negotiation seem ready to let AI take the reins when it comes to healthcare. Disturbingly, this could mean that artificial intelligence platforms working with insurers will be financially incentivized to deny patients’ claims. A pilot program that is set to launch in January, for example, will use AI platforms to review prior authorizations of treatments. The platforms will be paid a share of the money saved by rejecting treatment. The ideal future of health insurance would be a system free from concerns of systemic bias, or at least one that does not require superhuman computing capabilities to understand. But as insurers implement new technology, AI can at least offer patients a new tool—and a new confidence—to push back against a system that leaves many feeling powerless. “The more people that appeal, the better,” Claimable cofounder Gordon says. “The more people challenge—if they feel they’ve been unjustly denied—the better for everyone.” View the full article

Every workplace seems to have one. A manager who goes silent for days, then suddenly reappears in the team chat the moment senior leadership checks in. They’ll swoop in to take credit for the work they hadn’t touched, and say, “Oh yes, we’ve been addressing that.” This type of boss shows up when there’s an audience, then vanishes as soon as the higher-ups leave. I’ve started calling them the performative manager, because that’s exactly what they are. The rise of the performative manager To performative managers, actually leading isn’t really the point. All they care about is looking like they’re leading. Performative managers care more about optics than outcomes, and their favorite project is themselves. It sounds like something out of a bad office comedy, but it’s a reality that’s become easier to spot as more work happens online. A Resume Genius Report found that 62% of Gen Z employees face high performance expectations but little support, and more than half rarely get feedback from their managers. That’s not a small problem. Gallup research shows that managers shape roughly 70% of how engaged a team feels, which means one bad boss can drag an entire department down. Think your boss might be a performative manager? Here are five signs to watch for: 1. They promise support, then ghost you the second you need it If your boss is great at saying “I’m here for you” but never proves it, you might be dealing with a performative manager. They love looking supportive, but rarely follow through. One of my friends, let’s call her Sarah, learned this the hard way. During her first one-on-one at a banking firm, her manager said all the right things, such as “If there’s a problem, we’ll work through it together.” It sounded reassuring at the time. But when client requests started piling up and Sarah was drowning in email, that same manager was nowhere to be found. Sarah eventually figured things out on her own and sought help from her coworkers instead. What to do: When your manager disappears, get scrappy. Ask teammates for insight, look for past examples, or test a solution yourself. The more resourceful you become, the less you’ll need to wait around for someone else’s “guidance.” 2. They only come to you during performance review season If your boss suddenly remembers you exist right before review season, chances are they’re preparing for their evaluation, not yours. You’ll recognize the signs: more one-on-ones, warmer Slack messages, and maybe even a surprise “training session” that conveniently proves how engaged they’ve been all along. What to do: Use that sudden burst of attention to your advantage. Bring up projects you’ve led, the impact you’ve made, and what kind of support would help you grow next. Document your achievements (and keep them visible) so there’s a clear record of your work. If your success makes them uneasy, don’t shrink back. Instead, play it smart: share wins in ways that highlight the whole team’s progress, for example, mentioning how your idea helped everyone hit a deadline or made a process easier. 3. They repeat your solution verbatim in meetings You share an idea with your manager, and it’s crickets. Later on, your manager repeats the idea word for word in a meeting, and suddenly it’s “brilliant.” It’s not that they don’t hear you. They just save your insight for when it benefits them most. What to do: As tempting as it might be, resist the urge to confront them mid-meeting. Instead, start putting your ideas in writing where you have a clear trail in emails, shared docs, or Slack channels. If your idea suddenly reappears in a meeting, jump in with calm confidence: “Yes, that’s exactly what I was exploring earlier, and here’s how we could take it further.” It’s respectful, direct, and makes it clear that the idea started with you. You might also want to consider looping in higher-ups and collaborators so that it becomes more difficult for anyone else to take credit for your contribution. If you can, build relationships with other managers or team leads who notice your work. Good leaders can spot performative ones, and having someone credible to back you up helps protect your reputation. 4. They never admit they’re wrong My former colleague Dan used to lose his mind over his previous manager. “He’d ask what I thought about a problem,” Dan told me, “then immediately cut me off with, ‘No, that’s incorrect,’ even when I was literally describing the right solution.” Performative managers can’t stand being wrong because they see it as a threat to their authority. They prioritize looking competent over actually improving. And when something does go wrong, they’re quick to turn the spotlight elsewhere. If higher-ups are asking questions, that “miscommunication” or “missed deadline” suddenly becomes your fault. Over time, this can slip into gaslighting. You might start replaying conversations in your head, trying to figure out if you really missed something. You didn’t. What to do: When disagreements come up, reframe your input in neutral terms, like: “Let’s test both options and see which one works best.” Staying outcome-focused protects your time and mental health. If your manager pins the blame on you, respond factually and calmly. Reference what you had agreed on or shared: “As mentioned in the update last week, I followed the plan we discussed.” No one really wins an argument by losing their temper, but you can by keeping receipts. 5. They turn mentoring into a show of ego If “never admitting they’re wrong” is annoying, this is its final form. My friend Sarah called her manager “a walking pop quiz” who acted like everything was already his idea, and “everyone else was just trying to catch up to his galaxy brain.” For Sarah, every one-on-one started the same way: “So, what do you think went wrong here?” followed by a smug “Nope,” regardless of what she’d say. Performative managers enjoy playing teacher to remind everyone how smart they are. Beneath the surface, it’s less about teaching and more about control. What to do: Try to make these interactions short and focused. If they interrupt your work with “learning opportunities,” politely acknowledge them, give a brief update on your progress, and find a natural way to end the conversation. You can always wrap things up with a soft exit like, “I need to prep for my next meeting, but I’ll send you an update later.” Performative managers rarely fool people for long. The corporate world has no shortage of them, and knowing how to navigate them without losing your sanity will help you work smarter. Your power move isn’t calling them out. Let them perform. The real professionals are too busy getting things done. View the full article

If you’ve ever taken a sick pet to the vet’s office, you know the pain of seeing your four-footed family member hurting. Then, of course, comes the secondary anguish of figuring how to pay for their veterinary care, which may have you wishing you’d ponied up for pet insurance. While Insurify reports that the average cost of a routine vet visit is about $138 for a cat and $214 for a dog, emergency veterinary care can run the gamut from $300 to $10,000, according to Marketwatch. The insurance industry touts pet insurance as the financial solution to the high cost of veterinary care. Like human health insurance, you pay monthly premiums so that your pet insurance will help cover veterinary bills for your dog or cat (and in some cases for your exotic pet) when you make a claim. But is pet insurance worth the money? And does it truly help lower the cost of pet ownership? Here’s the skinny on pet insurance so you can decide if it’s right for your fur babies, reptile pals, and/or feathered friends. Coverage options Typically, there are three types of coverage options for pet insurance: accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness coverage, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). Just like it sounds, accident-only will pay for veterinary care when your pet needs treatment because of an accident. This is the least expensive type of pet insurance coverage. Accident and illness coverage will cover treatment for accidents and also any other injuries, disease, or changes to your pet’s normal health. This might include some kind of embedded wellness coverage, but that is usually a rider or add-on to an accident and illness policy. Finally, wellness coverage—which most insurers will not sell as a standalone plan—is a preventative or routine care plan. It generally includes coverage for things like vaccinations, tests, and dental work. This is the most expensive type of pet insurance available, in part because it’s usually purchased alongside an accident and illness policy. Coverage limitations If this sounds a little too straightforward and lacking in insurance industry shenanigans, don’t worry! There are shenanigans aplenty. To start, every insurance company gets to decide which specific ailments, conditions, and veterinary services it will cover, and of course not everything is covered by every plan. Coverage can vary depending on the specific breed of your pet, since some breeds are prone to hereditary and congenital disorders that insurers will not cover. Additionally, diagnostic exams for illnesses generally aren’t covered, even if treatment for the illness itself is. And then there’s the exclusion for pre-existing conditions. Just like human health insurance, pet insurance won’t cover any preexisting health problems. Many pet insurers define “preexisting” pretty liberally, too, considering any health issue that occurs within a year of purchasing the policy to be a preexisting condition. Premium expectations To receive the pet insurance coverage, you’ll pay a monthly premium, just like with your human health insurance. Paying these monthly premiums makes it possible to afford the high cost of veterinary care for your pets. NAPHIA found that in 2024, accident-only pet insurance premiums cost an average of $16.10 per month ($193.29 annually) for dogs and $9.17 per month ($110.03 annually) for cats. Accident and illness coverage cost an average of $62.44 ($749.29 annually) for dogs and $32.21 per month ($386.47 annually) for cats in 2024. But the operative word here is “average.” Just as health insurance companies may increase premiums each year, many pet insurers may raise premiums as your pets age, since the likelihood of filing a claim increases as Zeus and Jasper age. That can make pet insurance premiums more difficult to keep up with as your furry companions are more likely to need age-related medical intervention. Add in the potential higher premium prices for hereditary or congenital conditions for certain breeds, and premiums may be out of reach for some pet owners. Premium affordability That’s not to say that you have no control over the cost of premiums. Just like with other types of insurance, making tweaks to your policy can help lower your premium prices. For instance, increasing your deductible is an easy way to lower your premiums to a more affordable level. Just make sure you have a plan for meeting the higher deductible if you need to make a claim. Alternatively, you could increase your coinsurance amount, which refers to the amount of money the policyholder must pay toward the cost of a claim. Most pet insurance offers a default coinsurance amount of 80%, meaning the insurer pays 80% of the claim, while the policyholder covers the remaining 20%. Choosing a coinsurance amount of 70% or less can help reduce your monthly premium costs. Claims process One important difference between your health insurance and pet insurance is how the claims process works. Pet insurance almost universally requires you to pay your vet out of pocket and file a claim with your insurer for reimbursement—after you have met your annual deductible. In other words, even though pet insurance can make eye-watering vet bills more affordable and make heart-wrenching medical decisions for your beloved animal less fraught, it’s not as though this kind of insurance relieves you of the immediate financial stress of a vet visit. Even if you have pet insurance, you still need to have either the cash or the credit available to pay the vet before you can be reimbursed. What’s best for Bella and Loki? Considering the coverage gaps, reimbursement requirements, and potential caveats, you might be thinking pet insurance is more trouble than it’s worth. If you have the financial discipline to make it happen, put aside an amount equal to a monthly premium into a savings account for your pet’s future veterinary care. But if that doesn’t sound like something you’re likely to do, pet insurance can be a good way to protect your animal companions without having to make heartbreaking financial decisions. Make sure you understand what coverage options are available from various pet insurance providers, as well as the coverage limitations. Even if the premiums are relatively low for your pets now, find out if they may go up as your pets age. Remember, you can help keep your premiums affordable by increasing your deductible or your coinsurance amount. And whether or not you decide to get a pet insurance policy, remember that the claims process is based on a reimbursement model. Even with insurance, you need to pay the veterinarian out of pocket for covered care and get reimbursed, so you’ll still need to have access to funds to pay for kitty’s kidney stone removal at the time of care. Which means it’s a good idea to beef up your emergency fund whether or not you opt for pet insurance. Then you can enjoy the wagging tails and throaty purrs without worry. View the full article

If you were one of the millions of children who grew up reading Goodnight Moon before bed, chances are its iconic green bedroom is permanently seared into your memory. Now, for the next four months, you have the opportunity to sleep in the Goodnight Moon room IRL. The Goodnight Moon room has been faithfully re-created—down to the red balloon, bowl of mush, and cow jumping over the moon—for a new immersive suite at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The room can accommodate up to two adults and two children, and a booking in the suite comes with perks like four tickets to the View Boston observation deck, a $150 daily food and beverage credit, complimentary moon and star cookies, and even the supplies to make your own bowl of mush. It’s available to book now through February 28, 2026, starting at $399 per night. The activation is part of a broader campaign for Marriott Bonvoy’s Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. Marriott partnered with representatives of the late Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown and illustrator Clement Hurd, alongside ad agency Wieden+Kennedy New York, to create a new ad inspired by the bedtime ritual in the book. Creating a real-life version of the Goodnight Moon room as part of this campaign is a savvy strategy for garnering engagement, given that other companies like Airbnb and Skittles have recently found success through similar activations. In 2025, peak nostalgia fodder looks like revisiting the cultural icons of our childhoods. Why themed stays are the next frontier of social media marketing Real-life versions of pop culture’s most recognizable locations have become a kind of niche tourist destination (and social media gold mine for brands) over the past few years. In 2023, Airbnb created a rentable version of Barbie’s Dreamhouse, complete with a giant pool and an outdoor disco. The house garnered more than 13,000 press hits and more than 250 million social media impressions. It was so successful that on an earnings call CEO Brian Chesky told investors it attracted twice as many impressions as the company’s IPO announcement. The following year, Airbnb introduced a dedicated Icons feature, which lets users choose from pop-culture-inspired locations like the house from Disney-Pixar’s Up, the X-Mansion from X-Men ’97, or Prince’s Purple Rain house. Other brands have also jumped on board the themed-stay concept: In May 2024 Skittles unveiled an ultra-colorful Manhattan apartment inspired by the candy itself; and in July of this year Olipop launched a series of hotel rooms in Austin inspired by its soda flavors. Marriott’s take on the trend taps into Americans’ near-universal memories of one of the most comforting bedrooms ever illustrated. How the Sheraton Boston re-created Goodnight Moon Goodnight Moon was published in 1947, and is based on Brown’s own childhood memories of wishing “good night” to the items in her room alongside her sister, Roberta. As of 2017, it had sold more than 48 million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages. The book’s repetitive structure is one reason for its choke hold on the psyche of so many young children, but its illustration style is also undeniably part of its staying power. The surrealist, almost uncanny maximalism of the work feels somehow ahead of its time—and it’s inspired plenty of artists, including more than a dozen contributors to a 2021 art exhibition at the New York City studio Fort Makers. To replicate Goodnight Moon’s iconic setting down to the smallest detail, Marriott tapped Favour Agency, a company that specializes in building immersive experiences. According to Rebecca Payne, Favour’s senior director of experiences, the process started with color-matching every element of the space as closely as possible. While she says it was “easy enough” to pull accurate Pantones for the yellow furniture and green walls, elements like the complementary green blanket on the bed and red carpet needed to be chosen carefully. “There was certainly some trial and error because time did not allow for every single piece to be fully customized,” Payne explains. “But without that level of detail, the final result would have fallen flat. It needed to be perfect.” For more whimsical parts of the design, Payne’s team sought out bespoke solutions. The red balloon, for example, is actually a sculpture affixed to the ceiling, while the fireplace is custom-built out of wood pieces and LED lighting. The most important element of the project, Payne says, was to capture the familiarity and warmth of the original illustration. “What a cozy space Clement Hurd created in his illustrations,” Payne says. “The crackling fire and oversized bed just make you want to curl up and fall asleep.” View the full article