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Forty-three days later, the U.S. government shutdown has come to an end. While it wreaked havoc on government services, flights, and paychecks for federal workers, stock market appears to have come through it unscathed. In fact, by some measures, it improved. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 46,441.10 on the first day of the shutdown. Since October 1, it has grown over 4%, reaching over 48,000 for the first time on Wednesday, November 12. While the record number came as the shutdown’s end became a sure thing, the Dow had continued to rise throughout the period. The S&P 500 also followed a mostly upward trajectory throughout the shutdown. It opened at 6,664.92 on October 1 and closed at 6,850.92 on Wednesday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also grew about 4% during the shutdown period, even despite concerns of an AI bubble that had dinged shares of major tech companies like Nvidia and Palantir earlier this month. How do government shutdowns typically impact stock markets? Historically, shutdowns have not had a significant effect on the markets. “Government shutdowns tend to be high profile though low-impact market events,” Truist, a financial company, reported ahead ahead of the most recent shutdown. “In the previous 20 shutdowns, there has been almost no change, on average, for the S&P 500, while it has been in positive territory 50% of the time during the shutdown period.” As the shutdown began, Bloomberg shared data demonstrating the S&P 500’s seemingly unrelated growth and decline during shutdowns. It further reported on the impact of what some experts see as a 16-year-long bull run in U.S. markets. Both Bloomberg and, more recently, MarketWatch point to historically elevated stocks that have created what many see as inflated valuations for quite a few companies, including many in the tech industry. View the full article

Airline will use funds from US private capital firm to finance cabin upgrades and Starlink WiFi View the full article

As electric bills keep soaring, The President has tried to blame clean energy for the higher prices. But new research suggests the public isn’t buying it—and that clean energy could soon own the affordability argument. A new briefing from the nonprofit Potential Energy Coalition looks at how to talk about clean energy in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, when some advocates have suggested talking less about climate change as a reason to move away from fossil fuels. Renewable energy is, however, the cheapest form of power—and many people recognize this. In a survey of more than 15,000 Americans, the nonprofit found that 38% already recognize that clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. Another 15% think that they cost the same, while 20% say that they don’t know. Fewer than a third think that fossil-fueled power has a cost advantage. (When asked an open-ended question about what’s causing the surge in energy bills, only 2% mentioned clean energy; the majority blamed corporate greed and politics, followed by weather and inflation.) “Cost-of-living concerns are viewed by many elites as an obstacle to talking about clean energy—as a reason to run away or change the topic,” says Will Howard, head of insights and advisory services at Potential Energy Coalition. “But the reality is, shying away from the topic is the last thing we should do. Plenty of people already see the cost benefits of clean energy—and with the right message, many more do, too.” The group tested various messages, including one that talked about rising demand for energy and the fact that clean sources are most affordable way to get it. After seeing that message, the belief that clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels jumped up by 27 points. “Our messaging in the test was able to significantly increase the perception, which I think speaks to the fact that while there may historically be a green premium that people perceive, a really large amount of this is pretty movable,” says Howard. “People don’t come to this with a really firm understanding or a high level of confidence of their own understanding of the issue, and it’s fairly malleable. If you show them the right message, they can actually shift the way they’re thinking about these energy sources and the costs associated with them.” The nonprofit also tested messages about climate. Since The President’s election, both business and politicians have moved away from talking about climate change. Some climate startups quickly pivoted to rebrand their products as focused on national security. A recent Searchlight Institute report suggested that the first rule in solving climate change is “don’t say climate change.” But Potential Energy Coalition’s research suggests that climate messages were equally effective, and respondents in their surveys were still as concerned about climate as they had been in the past. “If you’re looking at how much did you persuade people to take action on climate, or how much did you persuade people to transition to clean energy—those two metrics specifically—a message about the urgent consequences of climate change is just as effective or more effective than talking about affordability,” says Howard. The research suggests climate advocates should weave in key attributes that resonated in the tests, including the fact that clean energy is local, unlimited, and proven. One mistake, Howard says, is that some messages talk about clean energy as new or innovative—solar and wind power have been around for decades. “There’s a price tag that comes with being new, and it’s [also] the opposite of proven,” he says. “What we saw in the testing is that being proven—we’ve been trying to do solar for 50 years or more—and the fact that prices have come down so much over the last 25 years on these clean energy sources, is actually much more reassuring and drives affordability perception much more.” Another challenge is that people sometimes balk at the idea of building new infrastructure because of the upfront costs. But because of the surge in demand for new power, the choice isn’t between building renewables or just leaving fossil plants in place—it’s building renewables or adding more fossil fuels that have volatile, increasing costs. “The first step is getting them out of that binary and leveling the playing field of like, okay, hold on, we have to build something. So what should we build?” he says. The nonprofit, founded by a former corporate marketing executive who wanted to help tackle the problem of climate change, sees clean energy as a brand—not in the traditional sense of a company’s brand, in the sense that the phrase “clean energy” evokes a certain feeling and a shared public understanding. That brand is strong, Howard says. “The clean energy brand is better than we think, and it’s easy to strengthen it further if we’re disciplined about emphasizing the right attributes,” he says. “Specifically, not being afraid to position clean energy as the cheaper, better choice because it’s local, an unlimited resource, and a proven technology.” View the full article

A few years ago, my neighborhood went through an extended blackout, and I had to take a few ice cold showers during the cold weather, and that reminded me that I shouldn’t take hot water for granted. Yet, most people don’t spend much time thinking about their hot water heaters. And when they break down, most of us just replace them with the same type and move on. But heating up that water is expensive—typically close to 20% of your home’s total energy footprint goes into hot water, and it’s usually the second-largest energy-related expense. That’s why you should consider a heat pump water heater—if you can make it work. How does a heat pump water heater work? Where traditional water heaters use gas or electricity to directly heat water, a heat pump water heater works like a reverse refrigerator, pulling warm air over hot condenser coils that are either wrapped around a water tank or that go through the tank directly. The heat is transferred to the water, and the result is the same: A constant supply of hot water you can access any time you need it. There are a lot of benefits that come with a heat pump water heater: More efficient. It’s estimated that heat pump water heaters can reduce your energy costs by as much as 75%. Considering that heating water is your second-largest energy expense, that can mean significant savings over time. Environmentally friendly. Heat pump water heaters are also pretty clean in terms of pollution. It’s estimated they can reduce the amount of carbon your house contributes to the atmosphere by as much as 75%. Tax Incentives and rebates. You can get a tax rebate of up to 30% of the installation cost to a maximum of $2,000 if you install a heat pump water heater, and many states also offer incentives. That means you can get an immediate financial benefit before the efficiency savings kick in. Downsides to a heat pump water heaterYou might be wondering why everyone doesn’t install a heat pump water heater, considering their advantages. There are some downsides: Cost. Heat pump water heaters are typically more expensive than traditional water heaters, with total costs as high as $5,000—on par with a tankless water heater’s cost. This can be offset by tax rebates and the energy savings over time, but represents an immediate obstacle for many people. Climate. Heat pump water heaters need ambient heat to work—they’re generally designed to work best in temperatures between 40 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to install them outdoors (which many people do, because of their size—see below) you’ll need to be located in an area where it doesn’t get too cold, or you might find yourself without sufficient hot water, or with lukewarm water at best. It should be noted that if the heat pump water heater is installed in a space where ambient heat is produced—alongside a boiler, for example—it can actually use the waste heat from the other appliances to work. This might take extra planning, however. You can also find hybrid models that include a traditional heating element as a backup that kicks in when the temperatures get too low. Space. Heat pump water heaters tend to be pretty big, and they need a lot of air circulation to work properly, which is why they’re often installed outdoors. They can be installed indoors, but it’s generally suggested that they be in a room at least 450 cubic feet in size in order to work at peak efficiency. Condensation. Because of how they operate, heat pump water heaters cool down the space where they’re located, pulling heat into their water tank. As a result, there can be a lot of condensation which will need to be drained. That might require a drain be installed if there isn’t one already in place; otherwise, you might need to install a pump to remove the extra water (which can be used elsewhere—to water a garden, for example). View the full article

Visitors to dozens of Starbucks stores across more than 40 cities may be greeted with picket lines today as Starbucks baristas go on strike. And it’s a strike that couldn’t come at a worse time for Starbucks, as today is the company’s annual Red Cup Day, which kicks off the Seattle coffee giant’s holiday sales season. Here’s what to know: What’s happened? Today, unionized Starbucks baristas went on strike at more than 65 Starbucks locations across 42 cities. The baristas are members of the Starbucks Workers Union (SBWU), a collective that says it includes over 12,000 Starbucks workers across 550 unionized stores. The union says it has been in stalled negotiations with Starbucks over three primary issues. Those issues include better working hours to improve staffing in Starbucks stores, higher take-home pay, and a resolution to hundreds of unfair labor practice charges for union busting. The stalled negotiations are the main driver for the union’s strike actions kicking off today. Both Starbucks and the Starbucks Workers Union blame each other for the stalled negotiations. It should also be noted that Starbucks disputes SBWU’s claim that the union represents 12,000 members. Starbucks says the union represents “approximately 9,500 partners in 550 coffeehouses.” The strike actions will initially involve around 1,000 unionized baristas, but SBWU says those numbers could grow as the strike progresses. And it is a strike designed to put maximum pressure on Starbucks leaders. The strike kicks off today, a day that Starbucks designates as Red Cup Day, which kicks off its annual holiday sales. Customers can get a free reusable red cup with the purchase of a holiday-themed drink at a Starbucks store. What does the Starbucks Workers Union say? In a press release announcing the strike, SBWU representatives blamed the stalled negotiations on Starbucks. “We’re turning the Red Cup Season into the Red Cup Rebellion. Starbucks’ refusal to settle a fair union contract and end union busting is forcing us to take drastic action,” a Starbucks barista and SBWU member said. “We’re striking for a fair union contract, resolution of unfair labor practices, and a better future at Starbucks.” Michelle Eisen, a spokesperson for Starbucks Workers United, added, “Starbucks knows where we stand. We’ve been clear and consistent on what baristas need to succeed: more take-home pay, better hours, resolving legal issues. Bring us NEW proposals that address these issues so we can finalize a contract. Until then, you’ll see us and our allies on the picket line.” The union says it would cost Starbucks less than one day’s worth of sales to finalize a fair contract with its workers—but that is something the multibillion-dollar coffee chain has so far failed to do. What does Starbucks say? Jaci Anderson, director of global communications at Starbucks, told Fast Company in an email that despite the strike kicking off today, the company was currently seeing “minimal impact” across its stores. Anderson went on to say that the company was disappointed that SBWU called for a strike instead of returning to the table for negotiations. “We’ve been very clear—when the union is ready to come back to the bargaining table, we’re ready to talk,” Anderson said, adding, “Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks offers the best job in retail, including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners.” Starbucks also pointed to a November 5 letter published by chief partner officer Sara Kelly. In that letter, Kelly criticized some of SBWU’s proposals, including immediate pay increases of 65% as well as additional payments for other aspects of work. “Some of the proposals would significantly affect store operations and customer experience, including the ability to shut down channels like Mobile Order when there are just five orders in the queue,” Kelly wrote. “These aren’t serious, evidence-based proposals.” The company has also disputed SBWU’s assertion that it would cost the company just one day of sales to finalize the union’s contract demands. When is the Starbucks barista strike? The Starbucks barista strike begins today, Thursday, November 13. How many stores will be on strike? To begin with, more than 65 stores will see baristas taking part in strike action. However, that number could expand in the future. The Starbucks Workers Union represents 550 Starbucks stores across the country. Where will the strike take place? Initially, the Starbucks barista strike will take place at more than 65 Starbucks locations across 42 cities. The website No Contract, No Coffee has a full list and map. The cities are: Anaheim, CA Long Beach, CA San Diego, CA Santa Clarita, CA Santa Cruz, CA Scotts Valley, CA Seal Beach, CA Soquel, CA Colorado Springs, CO Lafayette, CO Des Plaines, IL Evanston, IL Geneva, IL Alpharetta, GA Roswell, GA Chanhassen, MN Minneapolis, MN Saint Louis, MO Brooklyn, NY New York, NY Columbus, OH Lewis Center, OH Reynoldsburg, OH Upper Arlington, OH Worthington, OH Beaverton, OR Damascus, OR Eugene, OR Gresham, OR Portland, OR Dickson City, PA Lancaster, PA Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA Austin, TX Dallas, TX Denton, TX Farmers Branch, TX Mechanicsville, VA Richmond, VA Redmond, WA Seattle, WA When will the strike end? That likely depends on how long it takes Starbucks and SBWU to come back to the table. “With no set end date to the strike, baristas across more than 550 current union stores are prepared to continue escalating to make this the largest, longest strike in company history if Starbucks fails to deliver a fair union contract and resolve unfair labor practice charges,” the SBWU warned. This story is developing… View the full article

A business registration address is the official location where your business is registered, and it plays an important role in your overall operations. It’s where legal documents and important communications are sent, ensuring you comply with local regulations. Having a legitimate physical address improves your business’s credibility and professionalism, as well as protecting your privacy. Comprehending the implications of this address is vital for smooth business management, but there’s more to think about regarding maintaining this aspect effectively. Key Takeaways A business registration address is the official location where a business is registered, essential for legal correspondence and communication. It must be a legitimate physical address, not a P.O. box, to ensure compliance with local regulations. This address serves as the point for receiving important legal documents and notices, reducing the risk of missing critical communications. It enhances the professional image of the business, fostering trust among clients and partners while safeguarding personal privacy. Timely updates to the business registration address are crucial to avoid penalties and maintain operational licenses and compliance. Defining a Business Registration Address A business registration address is a fundamental element for any company, as it serves as the official location for receiving important communications and legal documents. This address must be a legitimate physical location, distinct from your operational addresses, guaranteeing it’s accessible to the public for legal notices. It can’t be a P.O. box or solely virtual, as compliance with local regulations is imperative, especially for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions. Often, this address doubles as the registered office, where a registered agent may be designated to guarantee timely receipt of significant legal documents. Your LLC address establishes credibility and trust with government agencies, suppliers, and clients, making it a cornerstone of your business identity and operations. Legal Requirements for a Business Registration Address Comprehending the legal requirements for a business registration address is crucial for compliance and operational success. Your business address for LLC must be a legitimate physical location; PO boxes aren’t accepted for receiving legal documents. This address acts as your official contact point for government notices and legal communications. Many jurisdictions require that the registered address be accessible to the public during regular business hours for legal actions. If you’re considering whether to use your home address for your LLC, keep in mind that you must appoint a registered agent linked to your registered office. Failing to maintain a valid business registration address can lead to legal discrepancies, including losing your operating license and missing critical communications. Importance of a Physical Location Even though you might think that any address could suffice for your business registration, the reality is that having a legitimate physical location is vital for several reasons. A registered address allows for the receipt of legal documents and government notices, ensuring compliance with registration laws. It additionally provides a tangible address for serving legal papers in case of disputes. Furthermore, having a physical location improves your credibility and professionalism, which can strengthen relationships with clients and regulatory bodies. Many jurisdictions require this address to be displayed on official stationery. If you’re wondering, “can I use my home address for my LLC?”, it’s important to check local regulations. Alternatively, you can explore how to get a business address for LLC to meet these requirements effectively. Compliance With Local Regulations Ensuring compliance with local regulations is vital for any business, as it both safeguards your operations and establishes your legitimacy in the eyes of the law. Your registered office address must be a legitimate physical location that can receive legal documents, ensuring you meet jurisdictional laws. Many jurisdictions require that you display this address on official communications, enhancing transparency and accountability. Furthermore, maintaining regular business hours at this address is important for accessibility, allowing legal papers to be delivered without hindrance. Neglecting compliance can lead to penalties, loss of business licenses, and disruptions in your operations. It’s also important to stay updated, as annual maintenance and re-registration of the address may be necessary to adhere to evolving local laws and regulations. Benefits of Having a Business Registration Address Having a business registration address offers several advantages that go beyond mere compliance with local regulations. First, it serves as the official location for receiving legal documents and government notices, ensuring you stay informed about important updates. This dedicated address also protects your privacy, keeping your personal address confidential and reducing unwanted attention to your home. Furthermore, having a stable point of contact for legal communications minimizes the risk of missing significant documents, which is essential for your business operations. In addition, a business registration address streamlines correspondence and mail handling, leading to improved operational efficiency and quicker responses to inquiries. Enhancing Professional Image How can a professional business registration address improve your company’s image? A credible address boosts trust among clients and partners, making it easier for them to engage with you. By using a registered office instead of your home address, you protect your privacy and avoid unwanted attention. Here are four key benefits: Stability: A dedicated business address signals reliability, attracting investors and nurturing long-term relationships. Brand Perception: A professional address sets you apart from competitors who may lack formal locations. Client Preference: Many potential customers prefer businesses with a physical address, reflecting professionalism and compliance. Privacy Protection: Keeping your home life separate from your business helps maintain personal boundaries. Investing in a business registration address truly pays off. Trust and Reliability Factors A business registration address is a crucial element in establishing trust and reliability in the eyes of clients and partners. This address serves as the official point of contact for receiving legal documents, which reinforces transparency and accountability. When you use a legitimate business registration address, you project a professional image that nurtures credibility among stakeholders. Additionally, a registered office address is publicly accessible, allowing clients and regulatory bodies to verify your business’s legitimacy. Consistency in your business address guarantees timely receipt of important communications, reducing the risk of missed legal notices. Businesses located in reputable areas are often perceived as more stable and trustworthy, positively influencing customer relationships and forging stronger business partnerships. Using a Virtual Office as a Business Registration Address Using a virtual office as your business registration address can be an effective solution for maintaining a professional presence without the overhead costs of a traditional office space. This option not only adheres to legal requirements but additionally keeps your personal address private. Here are some benefits of using a virtual office: Legitimate Address: Provides a physical location for official registrations. Professional Image: Improves credibility with clients and partners. Mail Handling: Offers services like mail forwarding to guarantee you receive important documents without delay. Scalability: Allows you to establish a presence in multiple locations without significant costs. Cost-Effective Solutions for Businesses When you’re looking to cut costs, utilizing a virtual office can be a smart move for your business. This solution not just provides a professional address but likewise saves you from the hefty expenses of a physical office, which can often exceed $1,000 a month. Virtual Office Benefits Maintaining a professional image for your business can be crucial, especially in today’s competitive market, and a virtual office offers an economical way to achieve that without the burden of hefty overhead costs. Here are four key benefits of utilizing a virtual office: Real Business Address: You get a legitimate physical address for official correspondence, enhancing credibility. Cost Savings: Save up to 80% on operational costs compared to traditional office spaces, ideal for startups. Additional Services: Enjoy mail handling, meeting room access, and administrative support, boosting efficiency. Market Expansion: Establish a presence in multiple locations without the financial strain of multiple offices. With the flexibility of virtual offices, you can adapt to changing circumstances as you remain compliant with legal requirements for a registered business address. Cost Savings Comparison Though traditional office spaces can quickly drain your budget with high rent and utility costs, opting for a virtual business address presents a more economical alternative that can greatly cut overhead expenses. By utilizing a virtual address, you can save up to 50% on overhead costs, including rent and utilities. This choice likewise helps you avoid zoning law issues and potential fines associated with using a residential address, resulting in additional compliance savings. A registered office address lets you operate remotely while meeting legal requirements, reducing maintenance costs. In addition, outsourcing mail handling and registered agent services streamlines operations and minimizes staffing expenses. Finally, investing in a professional business address improves your credibility, attracting more clients and potentially increasing revenue without significant additional costs. Changing Your Business Registration Address When you need to change your business registration address, it’s essential to notify the relevant authorities quickly, usually within 14 days, to stay compliant and avoid potential penalties. The process can often be completed online or by submitting specific forms, depending on your jurisdiction. Don’t forget to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of the new address to guarantee smooth operations and communication. Process for Address Change Changing your business registration address is a straightforward process, but it requires timely action to avoid potential legal complications. Follow these steps to guarantee a smooth shift: Notify the relevant state agency: Usually, this is the Secretary of State. Complete the required form: Fill out the official address change form, which may have a fee attached. Confirm compliance: Ensure that your new address meets local regulations and is a legitimate physical location, as P.O. boxes aren’t accepted. Inform key stakeholders: After submitting the change, notify your registered agent, business partners, and vendors to maintain clear communication. Failing to update your address can lead to serious issues, such as losing your operating license or missing compliance notices. Notify Relevant Authorities Notifying relevant authorities without delay is essential after changing your business registration address to guarantee compliance and avoid penalties. You should inform the Secretary of State and the IRS within 14 days to prevent missed communications, legal notices, and potential loss of your operating license. The notification process may involve filling out specific forms or submitting an online update through their official systems, depending on your jurisdiction. Furthermore, it’s important to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of the new address to maintain effective communication and operational continuity. Regularly reviewing and updating your business registration information helps prevent legal discrepancies and guarantees your business remains in good standing with local regulations. Importance of Timeliness Keeping your business registration address up to date is crucial for maintaining compliance with legal obligations. Timely updates help you avoid penalties and guarantee that you stay informed. Most jurisdictions require you to notify authorities within a specific timeframe, often within 14 days. Here’s why timely updates matter: Avoid Missed Notices: Outdated addresses can lead to missed legal notices. Prevent Legal Actions: Not updating your address may result in adverse legal consequences. Maintain Licenses: Failing to comply might lead to losing your business license. Ensure Smooth Communication: Immediate notification to relevant parties prevents operational disruptions. Regularly reviewing your business registration address not only supports compliance but likewise maintains your credibility with clients and regulatory bodies. Notification Process for Address Changes To guarantee compliance and maintain good standing, it’s essential to notify relevant state authorities about any changes to your business registration address within a specified timeframe—usually within 14 days. Failing to do so can lead to missed legal documents and communications, jeopardizing your business’s compliance status. The notification process typically involves submitting official forms to the Secretary of State or the equivalent regulatory body in your jurisdiction. Furthermore, it’s important to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of your new address to facilitate seamless communication and legal compliance. Regularly maintaining and re-registering your business address is likewise necessary to keep it current and compliant with local regulations, preventing discrepancies in legal documentation. The Role of a Registered Agent A registered agent plays an essential role in your business by receiving important legal documents and government notices on your behalf. They must be available during business hours to guarantee you don’t miss critical communications, which could lead to legal issues down the line. Appointing a registered agent not merely keeps you compliant with state regulations but additionally helps protect your privacy by keeping your personal address off public records. Responsibilities of Registered Agents Though you may not think about it often, the responsibilities of registered agents are pivotal for the smooth operation of a business. They serve as the official point of contact for your business, guaranteeing that important documents reach you without delay. Here are their key responsibilities: Receiving Legal Documents: They accept tax notices and court papers on your behalf. Maintaining a Physical Address: They must have a registered office address in the state of registration. Availability During Business Hours: They’re required to be accessible during regular hours to receive communications. Forwarding Documents Swiftly: They guarantee that all received documents are sent to you quickly, helping maintain compliance with state laws. Without a registered agent, your business could face penalties and legal complications. Importance of Timely Notifications Timely notifications are vital for the smooth operation of your business, especially in relation to legal matters. A registered agent plays an important role in guaranteeing you receive important communications, such as tax bills and court summons, without delay. This can prevent costly legal repercussions. Here’s a quick overview of their importance: Aspect Importance Consequences of Delay Legal Documents Guarantees timely receipt Missed deadlines, penalties Compliance Maintains adherence to laws Loss of operating license Privacy Keeps personal addresses private Increased exposure to risks Address Updates Significant for effective delivery Missed important notifications How H&Co Can Assist With Registration Addresses When you’re looking to establish a business presence in different jurisdictions, H&Co offers crucial support in securing reliable registration addresses. Their services guarantee your business remains compliant and operational across borders. Here’s how H&Co can assist: Entity Management: Through Corpag, H&Co provides compliant registered office addresses customized to your needs. Global Reach: With over 29 locations, they simplify international registered agent services, enhancing your cross-border operations. Compliance Maintenance: H&Co manages legal correspondence and filings, minimizing risks of legal discrepancies. Privacy Protection: They safeguard your information during operations, allowing you to focus on growth without legal address worries. Frequently Asked Questions Is a Business Address Necessary? Yes, a business address is vital. It provides a legitimate location for receiving legal documents and government notices, which is crucial for compliance with state regulations. This address further improves your business’s credibility and professionalism, allowing effective communication with clients and suppliers. Moreover, using a physical address protects your personal privacy by separating business and personal correspondence, which is particularly important for home-based entrepreneurs. Without it, you risk facing legal complications. What Is a Business’s Registered Address? A business’s registered address is the official location where it receives important legal documents and government correspondence. This address must be a physical location, not a P.O. box, ensuring accessibility for legal communications. It’s distinct from your operational address, which you use for day-to-day activities. Each jurisdiction has specific regulations regarding this address, and failing to maintain a valid one can lead to legal issues or penalties, underscoring its importance for compliance. Do I Need an Address to Register My Business? Yes, you need an address to register your business. This address acts as your official point of contact for legal documents and government communications, ensuring compliance with state regulations. It’s essential to provide a valid physical address, as using a P.O. box often leads to rejections of filings. A registered agent or virtual office can help maintain privacy during fulfilling this requirement, allowing you to operate your business legally and efficiently. How Important Is a Business Address? A business address is vital for several reasons. It provides a legitimate location for receiving important legal documents and government notices. This location improves your credibility with clients and suppliers, giving your business a professional image. Furthermore, it helps separate your personal and business affairs, protecting your privacy. Compliance with local regulations often requires a physical address, making it necessary for legal standing and operational success. Conclusion In conclusion, a business registration address is essential for establishing your business’s legal identity and credibility. It complies with local regulations, helps protect your privacy, and guarantees you receive important communications. Whether you’re starting a new venture or changing locations, comprehending the significance of this address is critical for smooth operations. By securing a reliable registration address, you improve your professionalism and build trust with clients and partners, finally contributing to your business’s success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Business Registration Address and Why Is It Necessary?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A business registration address is the official location where your business is registered, and it plays an important role in your overall operations. It’s where legal documents and important communications are sent, ensuring you comply with local regulations. Having a legitimate physical address improves your business’s credibility and professionalism, as well as protecting your privacy. Comprehending the implications of this address is vital for smooth business management, but there’s more to think about regarding maintaining this aspect effectively. Key Takeaways A business registration address is the official location where a business is registered, essential for legal correspondence and communication. It must be a legitimate physical address, not a P.O. box, to ensure compliance with local regulations. This address serves as the point for receiving important legal documents and notices, reducing the risk of missing critical communications. It enhances the professional image of the business, fostering trust among clients and partners while safeguarding personal privacy. Timely updates to the business registration address are crucial to avoid penalties and maintain operational licenses and compliance. Defining a Business Registration Address A business registration address is a fundamental element for any company, as it serves as the official location for receiving important communications and legal documents. This address must be a legitimate physical location, distinct from your operational addresses, guaranteeing it’s accessible to the public for legal notices. It can’t be a P.O. box or solely virtual, as compliance with local regulations is imperative, especially for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions. Often, this address doubles as the registered office, where a registered agent may be designated to guarantee timely receipt of significant legal documents. Your LLC address establishes credibility and trust with government agencies, suppliers, and clients, making it a cornerstone of your business identity and operations. Legal Requirements for a Business Registration Address Comprehending the legal requirements for a business registration address is crucial for compliance and operational success. Your business address for LLC must be a legitimate physical location; PO boxes aren’t accepted for receiving legal documents. This address acts as your official contact point for government notices and legal communications. Many jurisdictions require that the registered address be accessible to the public during regular business hours for legal actions. If you’re considering whether to use your home address for your LLC, keep in mind that you must appoint a registered agent linked to your registered office. Failing to maintain a valid business registration address can lead to legal discrepancies, including losing your operating license and missing critical communications. Importance of a Physical Location Even though you might think that any address could suffice for your business registration, the reality is that having a legitimate physical location is vital for several reasons. A registered address allows for the receipt of legal documents and government notices, ensuring compliance with registration laws. It additionally provides a tangible address for serving legal papers in case of disputes. Furthermore, having a physical location improves your credibility and professionalism, which can strengthen relationships with clients and regulatory bodies. Many jurisdictions require this address to be displayed on official stationery. If you’re wondering, “can I use my home address for my LLC?”, it’s important to check local regulations. Alternatively, you can explore how to get a business address for LLC to meet these requirements effectively. Compliance With Local Regulations Ensuring compliance with local regulations is vital for any business, as it both safeguards your operations and establishes your legitimacy in the eyes of the law. Your registered office address must be a legitimate physical location that can receive legal documents, ensuring you meet jurisdictional laws. Many jurisdictions require that you display this address on official communications, enhancing transparency and accountability. Furthermore, maintaining regular business hours at this address is important for accessibility, allowing legal papers to be delivered without hindrance. Neglecting compliance can lead to penalties, loss of business licenses, and disruptions in your operations. It’s also important to stay updated, as annual maintenance and re-registration of the address may be necessary to adhere to evolving local laws and regulations. Benefits of Having a Business Registration Address Having a business registration address offers several advantages that go beyond mere compliance with local regulations. First, it serves as the official location for receiving legal documents and government notices, ensuring you stay informed about important updates. This dedicated address also protects your privacy, keeping your personal address confidential and reducing unwanted attention to your home. Furthermore, having a stable point of contact for legal communications minimizes the risk of missing significant documents, which is essential for your business operations. In addition, a business registration address streamlines correspondence and mail handling, leading to improved operational efficiency and quicker responses to inquiries. Enhancing Professional Image How can a professional business registration address improve your company’s image? A credible address boosts trust among clients and partners, making it easier for them to engage with you. By using a registered office instead of your home address, you protect your privacy and avoid unwanted attention. Here are four key benefits: Stability: A dedicated business address signals reliability, attracting investors and nurturing long-term relationships. Brand Perception: A professional address sets you apart from competitors who may lack formal locations. Client Preference: Many potential customers prefer businesses with a physical address, reflecting professionalism and compliance. Privacy Protection: Keeping your home life separate from your business helps maintain personal boundaries. Investing in a business registration address truly pays off. Trust and Reliability Factors A business registration address is a crucial element in establishing trust and reliability in the eyes of clients and partners. This address serves as the official point of contact for receiving legal documents, which reinforces transparency and accountability. When you use a legitimate business registration address, you project a professional image that nurtures credibility among stakeholders. Additionally, a registered office address is publicly accessible, allowing clients and regulatory bodies to verify your business’s legitimacy. Consistency in your business address guarantees timely receipt of important communications, reducing the risk of missed legal notices. Businesses located in reputable areas are often perceived as more stable and trustworthy, positively influencing customer relationships and forging stronger business partnerships. Using a Virtual Office as a Business Registration Address Using a virtual office as your business registration address can be an effective solution for maintaining a professional presence without the overhead costs of a traditional office space. This option not only adheres to legal requirements but additionally keeps your personal address private. Here are some benefits of using a virtual office: Legitimate Address: Provides a physical location for official registrations. Professional Image: Improves credibility with clients and partners. Mail Handling: Offers services like mail forwarding to guarantee you receive important documents without delay. Scalability: Allows you to establish a presence in multiple locations without significant costs. Cost-Effective Solutions for Businesses When you’re looking to cut costs, utilizing a virtual office can be a smart move for your business. This solution not just provides a professional address but likewise saves you from the hefty expenses of a physical office, which can often exceed $1,000 a month. Virtual Office Benefits Maintaining a professional image for your business can be crucial, especially in today’s competitive market, and a virtual office offers an economical way to achieve that without the burden of hefty overhead costs. Here are four key benefits of utilizing a virtual office: Real Business Address: You get a legitimate physical address for official correspondence, enhancing credibility. Cost Savings: Save up to 80% on operational costs compared to traditional office spaces, ideal for startups. Additional Services: Enjoy mail handling, meeting room access, and administrative support, boosting efficiency. Market Expansion: Establish a presence in multiple locations without the financial strain of multiple offices. With the flexibility of virtual offices, you can adapt to changing circumstances as you remain compliant with legal requirements for a registered business address. Cost Savings Comparison Though traditional office spaces can quickly drain your budget with high rent and utility costs, opting for a virtual business address presents a more economical alternative that can greatly cut overhead expenses. By utilizing a virtual address, you can save up to 50% on overhead costs, including rent and utilities. This choice likewise helps you avoid zoning law issues and potential fines associated with using a residential address, resulting in additional compliance savings. A registered office address lets you operate remotely while meeting legal requirements, reducing maintenance costs. In addition, outsourcing mail handling and registered agent services streamlines operations and minimizes staffing expenses. Finally, investing in a professional business address improves your credibility, attracting more clients and potentially increasing revenue without significant additional costs. Changing Your Business Registration Address When you need to change your business registration address, it’s essential to notify the relevant authorities quickly, usually within 14 days, to stay compliant and avoid potential penalties. The process can often be completed online or by submitting specific forms, depending on your jurisdiction. Don’t forget to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of the new address to guarantee smooth operations and communication. Process for Address Change Changing your business registration address is a straightforward process, but it requires timely action to avoid potential legal complications. Follow these steps to guarantee a smooth shift: Notify the relevant state agency: Usually, this is the Secretary of State. Complete the required form: Fill out the official address change form, which may have a fee attached. Confirm compliance: Ensure that your new address meets local regulations and is a legitimate physical location, as P.O. boxes aren’t accepted. Inform key stakeholders: After submitting the change, notify your registered agent, business partners, and vendors to maintain clear communication. Failing to update your address can lead to serious issues, such as losing your operating license or missing compliance notices. Notify Relevant Authorities Notifying relevant authorities without delay is essential after changing your business registration address to guarantee compliance and avoid penalties. You should inform the Secretary of State and the IRS within 14 days to prevent missed communications, legal notices, and potential loss of your operating license. The notification process may involve filling out specific forms or submitting an online update through their official systems, depending on your jurisdiction. Furthermore, it’s important to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of the new address to maintain effective communication and operational continuity. Regularly reviewing and updating your business registration information helps prevent legal discrepancies and guarantees your business remains in good standing with local regulations. Importance of Timeliness Keeping your business registration address up to date is crucial for maintaining compliance with legal obligations. Timely updates help you avoid penalties and guarantee that you stay informed. Most jurisdictions require you to notify authorities within a specific timeframe, often within 14 days. Here’s why timely updates matter: Avoid Missed Notices: Outdated addresses can lead to missed legal notices. Prevent Legal Actions: Not updating your address may result in adverse legal consequences. Maintain Licenses: Failing to comply might lead to losing your business license. Ensure Smooth Communication: Immediate notification to relevant parties prevents operational disruptions. Regularly reviewing your business registration address not only supports compliance but likewise maintains your credibility with clients and regulatory bodies. Notification Process for Address Changes To guarantee compliance and maintain good standing, it’s essential to notify relevant state authorities about any changes to your business registration address within a specified timeframe—usually within 14 days. Failing to do so can lead to missed legal documents and communications, jeopardizing your business’s compliance status. The notification process typically involves submitting official forms to the Secretary of State or the equivalent regulatory body in your jurisdiction. Furthermore, it’s important to inform your registered agent, business partners, and vendors of your new address to facilitate seamless communication and legal compliance. Regularly maintaining and re-registering your business address is likewise necessary to keep it current and compliant with local regulations, preventing discrepancies in legal documentation. The Role of a Registered Agent A registered agent plays an essential role in your business by receiving important legal documents and government notices on your behalf. They must be available during business hours to guarantee you don’t miss critical communications, which could lead to legal issues down the line. Appointing a registered agent not merely keeps you compliant with state regulations but additionally helps protect your privacy by keeping your personal address off public records. Responsibilities of Registered Agents Though you may not think about it often, the responsibilities of registered agents are pivotal for the smooth operation of a business. They serve as the official point of contact for your business, guaranteeing that important documents reach you without delay. Here are their key responsibilities: Receiving Legal Documents: They accept tax notices and court papers on your behalf. Maintaining a Physical Address: They must have a registered office address in the state of registration. Availability During Business Hours: They’re required to be accessible during regular hours to receive communications. Forwarding Documents Swiftly: They guarantee that all received documents are sent to you quickly, helping maintain compliance with state laws. Without a registered agent, your business could face penalties and legal complications. Importance of Timely Notifications Timely notifications are vital for the smooth operation of your business, especially in relation to legal matters. A registered agent plays an important role in guaranteeing you receive important communications, such as tax bills and court summons, without delay. This can prevent costly legal repercussions. Here’s a quick overview of their importance: Aspect Importance Consequences of Delay Legal Documents Guarantees timely receipt Missed deadlines, penalties Compliance Maintains adherence to laws Loss of operating license Privacy Keeps personal addresses private Increased exposure to risks Address Updates Significant for effective delivery Missed important notifications How H&Co Can Assist With Registration Addresses When you’re looking to establish a business presence in different jurisdictions, H&Co offers crucial support in securing reliable registration addresses. Their services guarantee your business remains compliant and operational across borders. Here’s how H&Co can assist: Entity Management: Through Corpag, H&Co provides compliant registered office addresses customized to your needs. Global Reach: With over 29 locations, they simplify international registered agent services, enhancing your cross-border operations. Compliance Maintenance: H&Co manages legal correspondence and filings, minimizing risks of legal discrepancies. Privacy Protection: They safeguard your information during operations, allowing you to focus on growth without legal address worries. Frequently Asked Questions Is a Business Address Necessary? Yes, a business address is vital. It provides a legitimate location for receiving legal documents and government notices, which is crucial for compliance with state regulations. This address further improves your business’s credibility and professionalism, allowing effective communication with clients and suppliers. Moreover, using a physical address protects your personal privacy by separating business and personal correspondence, which is particularly important for home-based entrepreneurs. Without it, you risk facing legal complications. What Is a Business’s Registered Address? A business’s registered address is the official location where it receives important legal documents and government correspondence. This address must be a physical location, not a P.O. box, ensuring accessibility for legal communications. It’s distinct from your operational address, which you use for day-to-day activities. Each jurisdiction has specific regulations regarding this address, and failing to maintain a valid one can lead to legal issues or penalties, underscoring its importance for compliance. Do I Need an Address to Register My Business? Yes, you need an address to register your business. This address acts as your official point of contact for legal documents and government communications, ensuring compliance with state regulations. It’s essential to provide a valid physical address, as using a P.O. box often leads to rejections of filings. A registered agent or virtual office can help maintain privacy during fulfilling this requirement, allowing you to operate your business legally and efficiently. How Important Is a Business Address? A business address is vital for several reasons. It provides a legitimate location for receiving important legal documents and government notices. This location improves your credibility with clients and suppliers, giving your business a professional image. Furthermore, it helps separate your personal and business affairs, protecting your privacy. Compliance with local regulations often requires a physical address, making it necessary for legal standing and operational success. Conclusion In conclusion, a business registration address is essential for establishing your business’s legal identity and credibility. It complies with local regulations, helps protect your privacy, and guarantees you receive important communications. Whether you’re starting a new venture or changing locations, comprehending the significance of this address is critical for smooth operations. By securing a reliable registration address, you improve your professionalism and build trust with clients and partners, finally contributing to your business’s success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Business Registration Address and Why Is It Necessary?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When people say they work 40 hours a week, are they really working 40 hours—or are they spending a lot of that time waiting on colleagues to respond to emails, chatting with coworkers, and wasting away in meetings? Hell, even when you're alone at your desk, are you locked in on that spreadsheet or graphics project for eight straight hours, or might you be sipping a drink or texting your spouse every once in a while? There are simply some hours that aren’t true work hours, even if they occur during the work day. Times like these are known as idle time or downtime—but there’s a difference between the two, and understanding that can actually help you work smarter and be more productive. The difference between idle time and downtimeThese terms don’t just refer to the time experienced by people in the workplace; they also refer to—and come from—the tools we use to get our jobs done. The terms come from the tech world. Essentially, idle time is any time when an asset is waiting to run or isn’t scheduled to run, and downtime is when the asset can’t run, due to an outage or planned maintenance. For example, idle time happens when you’re waiting for your computer to boot up; downtime happens when the computer just won’t turn on. Outside of tech, idle time happens as you wait for a coworker to formulate a response to a question you asked, but downtime happens when they just don't respond and you're waiting in limbo, unable to work without their answer. So, for people, idle time is nonproductive time that occurs when there’s a lack of demand or an unforeseen work stoppage. When you have all the tools you need available to you, but no reason to use them, you’re in idle time. If you’re working on a pitch deck, for instance, and need approval from a higher-up before you move forward on it, you’re idle while you wait for that approval, even though you could open the program to work on it. The reason you don't do that isn't that you don't have the tools; it's that you don't want to waste time doing it wrong. Downtime isn’t necessarily bad. Throughout the day, you need to take breaks from working. In fact, taking regular breaks makes you more productive, but that's more if you intend to take them, instead of having them foisted on you by someone or something else's failure to provide the tools you need. You can run into idle time that is caused by what corporate psychologists call “the dead-time effect,” which is when you’re overworked and stop being productive. In the productivity world, this is known as Illich's Law: The more you work without a break, the less productive you eventually get as the quality of your work declines. It’s better to pre-plan downtime than let idle time occur because of burnout. The trick to making idle and downtime work for you and your company is scheduling. Scheduling around idle and downtimeDowntime can also occur when too many people are away from the office, say, on vacations or out sick. In that case, unlike idle time, a job can’t just be done whenever everything is ready, as the key tools—in this case, the people—are completely offline. To avoid losses from idle time and downtime, you need a solid scheduling plan. First, you should personally schedule around idle time. For instance, if you work in an environment that depends on the delivery of certain assets or products, pad time into your schedule to account for how long that might take. If it should take one day, leave padding for two, and fill up any idle slots with work you can accomplish without the shipment, if any. Use time boxing and time blocking, or the complete filling of your calendar, for this, and set two deadlines: the ideal date the shipment (or whatever you need) will be there, and a flexible time that you could still make work. For scheduling around downtime, make sure that you update your company-wide calendar whenever you’re going to be out and check for others’ outages when you’re making your personal schedule. Others’ downtime could lead to yours if you don’t account for the things you’ll need from them and get those before they’re gone. View the full article

President Donald The President signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travelers at airports and generated long lines at some food banks. The shutdown magnified partisan divisions in Washington as The President took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands. The Republican president blamed the situation on Democrats and suggested voters shouldn’t reward the party during next year’s midterm elections. “So I just want to tell the American people, you should not forget this,” The President said. “When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.” The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure Monday. Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate policy fight to be held at another time. “We told you 43 days ago from bitter experience that government shutdowns don’t work,” said Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “They never achieve the objective that you announce. And guess what? You haven’t achieved that objective yet, and you’re not going to.” A bitter end after a long stalemate The frustration and pressures generated by the shutdown was reflected when lawmakers debated the spending measure on the House floor. Republicans said Democrats sought to use the pain generated by the shutdown to prevail in a policy dispute. “They knew it would cause pain and they did it anyway,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. Democrats said Republicans raced to pass tax breaks earlier this year that they say mostly will benefit the wealthy. But the bill before the House Wednesday “leaves families twisting in the wind with zero guarantee there will ever, ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help everyday people pay for their health care,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would not give up on the subsidy extension even if the vote did not go their way. “This fight is not over,” Jeffries said. “We’re just getting started.” The House had not been in legislative session since Sept. 19, when it passed a short-term measure to keep the government open when the new budget year began in October. Johnson sent lawmakers home after that vote and put the onus on the Senate to act, saying House Republicans had done their job. What’s in the bill to end the shutdown The legislation is the result of a deal reached by eight senators who broke ranks with the Democrats after reaching the conclusion that Republicans would not bend on using a government funding to bill to extend the health care tax credits. The compromise funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of government funding through Jan. 30. Republicans promised to hold a vote by mid-December to extend the health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success. The bill includes a reversal of the firing of federal workers by the The President administration since the shutdown began. It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over. The bill for the Agriculture Department means people who rely on key food assistance programs will see those benefits funded without threat of interruption through the rest of the budget year. The package includes $203.5 million to boost security for lawmakers and an additional $28 million for the security of Supreme Court justices. Democrats also decried language in the bill that would give senators the opportunity to sue when a federal agency or employee searches their electronic records without notifying them, allowing for up to $500,000 in potential damages for each violation. The language seems aimed at helping Republican senators pursue damages if their phone records were analyzed by the FBI as part of an investigation into The President’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The provisions drew criticism from Republicans as well. Johnson said he was “very angry about it.” “That was dropped in at the last minute, and I did not appreciate that, nor did most of the House members,” Johnson said, promising a vote on the matter as early as next week. The biggest point of contention, though, was the fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit that makes health insurance more affordable through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. “It’s a subsidy on top of a subsidy. Our friends added it during COVID,” Cole said. “COVID is over. They set a date certain that the subsidies would run out. They chose the date.” Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the enhanced tax credit was designed to give more people access to health care and no Republican voted for it. “All they have done is try to eliminate access to health care in our country. The country is catching on to them,” Pelosi said. Without the enhanced tax credit, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans. More than 2 million people would lose health insurance coverage altogether next year, the Congressional Budget Office projected. Health care debate ahead It’s unclear whether the parties will find any common ground on health care before the December vote in the Senate. Johnson has said he will not commit to bringing it up in his chamber. Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19 pandemic-era tax credits as premiums will soar for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies. Some argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals rather than go directly to insurance companies. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday that she was supportive of extending the tax credits with changes, such as new income caps. Some Democrats have signaled they could be open to that idea. House Democrats expressed great skepticism that the Senate effort would lead to a breakthrough. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Republicans have wanted to repeal the health overhaul for the past 15 years. “That’s where they’re trying to go,” she said. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. Follow the AP’s coverage of the federal government shutdown at https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown. —Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown, Associated Press 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. The PowerBoy 2-in-1 Retro Gaming Console and Fast-Charging Power Bank mixes the old with the new, and it's currently on sale for $79.99 at StackSocial. At first glance, it appears to be a simple handheld game console from the early 2000s, complete with a 3-inch IPS display and a familiar D-pad layout. But hidden inside that nostalgic shell is a 5000mAh magnetic power bank capable of 22.5W fast charging. You can play 1,500 preloaded games, covering everything from side-scrollers to puzzle titles, or use it to recharge your phone during a long commute. Performance-wise, the PowerBoy runs on a 900MHz ARM9 CPU with 64MB of RAM, which is modest but more than enough for retro titles. Games load instantly, controls are responsive, and the 320x320 full-color screen gives old sprites a surprisingly crisp look. If you enjoy tinkering, there’s room for more, as its TF card slot lets you expand storage and add your own ROMs, although you’ll need to supply your own card. Beyond gaming, it doubles as a mini media player that can handle MP4 videos, MP3s, photos, and even eBooks. The 5000mAh battery isn’t just for the console itself; it can charge your phone, earbuds, or smartwatch multiple times through its built-in multi-device cables, which are compatible with USB, Apple, Android, and Huawei devices. You can even charge three gadgets simultaneously, making it a surprisingly practical companion for travel or workdays. The design is compact and lightweight, measuring approximately 6.3 inches in width and weighing under a pound, making it easy to carry. It’s not designed for modern gaming or heavy use, but that’s not its intended purpose. It’s for filling quiet moments, revisiting old favorites, or keeping your phone alive when the battery warning hits. The 12-hour playtime gives it plenty of staying power, and since it doesn’t rely on wifi, it’s a solid offline entertainment option. If you want something simple, nostalgic, and functional all in one, the PowerBoy makes a solid case for pocketing a little retro fun with real-world usefulness. 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) — $319.35 (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 — $309.99 (List Price $429.00) Google Pixel 9 128GB Unlocked 6.9" OLED Smartphone (Obsidian) — $544.98 (List Price $799.00) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $328.00 (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) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The outgoing head of the Secret Intelligence Service on the rise of China, why Putin is not interested in talks — and how screen spies aren’t always far from the truthView the full article

SMART goals are a helpful way to turn your ideas and to-dos into actionable plans for the near and far future, but they're not always the best approach. If you work on a larger team or need to track highly ambitious, long-term goals, for example, SMART might not be the best method to turn to. Other goal-tracking methods, like FAST and PACT, may be a better fit. You'll need to start by familiarizing yourself with these alternate methods, but once you do, you'll see that they are more tailored to specific needs and might just be your best bet. When should you use SMART goals?SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—that's what the acronym spells out. When you make them, you make sure your goal sticks to all five of those requirements, usually writing it out in a sentence like this: “By the end of the month, I will have aced three practice quizzes to prepare for my chemistry test.” It’s specific because it says what you’re going to do and why, measurable because you’re setting an amount of quizzes and expected grade on each, achievable because it can reasonably be done, relevant because it has to do with a pressing need, and time-bound because it’s related to a forthcoming deadline. Because they're so customizable, SMART goals are used by students, workers, and anyone who needs to break down their to-do list into manageable action items, but they can be limiting for the same reasons they work so well on an individual level. For example, they can be too specific to be broadly applicable, so if you have to do the same sort of task at work every month, you’ll redo the SMART goal every time instead of creating a process to follow. They’re also not ideal for collaboration because while you can share a SMART goal with others, it doesn’t leave much room to be concise and authoritative about who needs to do what to reach the goal. When FAST goals make senseThe first helpful SMART goal alternative is the FAST goal, which is especially useful if you’re in a position to lead or delegate, but is generally good for teams overall. FAST stands for the following: Frequent discussions Ambitious scope Specific measurements Transparent When using SMART goals, you analyze your desired end result through the lens of how achievable it is and when you’ll have it done. With a FAST goal, you’re looking less at the elements that define the final product and more at how you will collaborate to get there. FAST goals enable teams to adapt and evolve as the project goes on because they require frequent discussions and transparency about what the ambitious goal is and how its success will be defined. Still, you need to have a plan in place to follow the FAST goal, since it is a little vague. What are "frequent" discussions, for instance? You need to hammer that out with the team and set a goal dictating what frequent means and how you'll conduct those meetings. Say your team at work has to build a report for the end of the quarter. You already know when it’s due, so you don’t need to incorporate timeliness, like you would with a SMART goal. Instead, consider the task through the FAST lens, setting up regular times to meet and discuss it and creating clear communication channels so everyone can stay on the same page. The success of the project might be measured by manager feedback, client response, the enhancement of processes, or increases in sales; you need to define early on what “success” will look like, but staying communicative and transparent will help—and will enable you to make the end goal ambitious. Here, I'd recommend incorporating a single source of truth, or SSOT. That's essentially a folder everyone has access to that includes every resource anyone might need. For the hypothetical project of the end-of-quarter report, your SSOT might include monthly reports, a template for the bigger report, contact information for clients whose data will appear on the report, and so on. The first document in the SSOT should be one outlining the FAST goal by setting requirements for the frequent discussions, detailing the scope, defining the specific measurements of success, and, by its nature, being transparent. When to use PACT goalsPACT goals, like FAST goals, focus more on the process of achieving a desired result than the measurements of the result itself. Here’s what PACT stands for: Purposeful Actionable Continuous Trackable Like a SMART goal, PACT works well if you’re tackling something on your own, but it is more process-driven. Let’s say your goal is to get in shape. With a SMART goal, you might have to define it like, “By the first day of summer, I will have worked out for five hours per week, lost 20 pounds, and increased my muscle mass by 5%.” It’s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, but once you write that down, you’re on your own fighting your way to the finish line. A PACT goal might look more like, “To get in better shape and improve my health, I will work out five times a week and monitor my weight loss and muscle gain using my smart scale.” Instead of being time-bound, this approach takes the process itself into consideration—but also incorporates purposefulness, reminding you why you’re doing what you’re doing. You still take actions and track metrics, but the goal is rooted in purpose and relies on continuity, not a defined end result. Keeping the purpose front and center is important, as it helps you stay motivated and reminds you of what you’re really working toward. If you’re building a report at work, you can get caught up in the absolutism of knowing this is your assigned task and you have to do it, which can lead to losing sight of why you're actually toiling. If you bear in mind that you’re building the report so your company can bring in more clients or enhance internal operations, you remember that this could lead to more business, accolades, or even a raise for you. Tracking your progress is also key to staying motivated and moving toward an end goal, even if it isn’t as rigidly defined as a SMART goal might be. Again, you'll need a document that outlines all this. Think of it like a mission statement and stick it in the SSOT. Here, it might be like, "Our team will compile the report by each dedicating one hour of time to it a day for the next month, inputting our work hours and achievements into the attached spreadsheet, and meeting every Friday to discuss progress." View the full article

TfL says changes needed to ensure scheme remains effective at managing trafficView the full article

Denying reality is one of the most persistent, successful strategies in Donald The President’s playbook. It helped him inject ambiguity into an electoral defeat in 2020, dismiss his surging unpopularity more broadly, and contend he never said things he actually said on live television. Some aspects of reality, however, are simply undeniable, such as the amount of money in one’s bank account and how far it will go at the supermarket. Nevertheless, since Democratic politicians like Zohran Mamdani won big on November 4 with a message of affordability, The President has been falsely insisting America has seldom been more affordable than it is right now. It’s a messaging strategy that may prove an even bigger miscalculation than The President’s galactically fuzzy tariff math. “The reason I don’t want to talk about affordability is because everybody knows that it’s far less expensive under The President than it was under Sleepy Joe Biden,” The President said on November 7 during a summit with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The president has also insisted recently that “every price is down,” “gas is nearly $2,” and energy and inflation are both “way down.” It should go without saying, of course, that none of this is true. And even some of the president’s historically reality-challenged supporters are taking notice. High prices are getting harder to hide Grocery prices are up, with record costs for beef and coffee. Gas prices are hovering around $3, having not come close to $2 since March 2020. Electricity bills are up 11%, and inflation in October 2025 was at 3%—up from 2.6% a year prior. Also, while The President keeps touting Walmart’s reduced price on its Thanksgiving dinner this year, he refuses to acknowledge the sale is due to the company including less food in this year’s meal and a higher proportion of products from its Great Value private brand compared to name brands. (When an NBC reporter asked The President about this discrepancy, he dismissed her question as “fake news.”) As the high-spending holiday season approaches, and as people prepare to watch their health insurance premiums rise, it’s only going to get harder for The President to maintain his sunny economic forecast without his supporters noticing the thunderstorms just outside their own financial window. It might temporarily help The President’s case that due to the government shutdown the U.S. will have to wait a while to get fresh economic data. Still, plenty of other economic indicators abound. The labor market appears to be weakening amid slow job growth and massive layoffs. Consumer sentiment has slumped to its lowest levels since mid-2022—around the time inflation hit a 40-year high under Biden. The share of first-time homebuyers has fallen to a record low of 21% this year. Even The President’s Treasury secretary, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, conceded “There are sectors of the economy that are in recession,” which may or may not have earned him a private tongue-lashing for the ages. And one economic indicator that should especially concern the president is the uncharacteristically adversarial interview he faced on Fox News this week. A new angle from Ingraham Laura Ingraham is typically one of The President’s staunchest defenders on the network, where there is steep competition for the title. On November 10, though, she pushed back against the president’s claim that the economy is “as strong as it’s ever been,” asking why people are anxious about it if that’s the case. Elsewhere, she questioned the wisdom of his recent move to raise the 30-year mortgage to a 50-year one, and threw shade at the constellation of chintzy gold nonsense now festooning the Oval Office, asking whether it came from Home Depot. Before getting too carried away with the significance of this interview, it should be noted that Ingraham went right back to vehemently defending The President hours later. Not all The President supporters will likely have their concerns as easily assuaged, though. It would be one thing if The President simply deflected blame for high costs in 2025. He could trot out any flavor of low-effort spin pinning high electricity bills and persistent inflation on those dastardly Democrats, whose unfair and possibly illegal shutdown wrecked an otherwise perfect economy. But doing so would mean acknowledging that his vast and sundry collection of campaign promises about bringing down prices have gone largely unfulfilled. Faced with the prospect of accountability, he is instead once again denying reality. As of November 11, for instance, the White House was boasting about positive economic data cherry-picked from the inaugural DoorDash State of Local Commerce Report, citing its four-item “Breakfast Basics Index” with the mic-drop confidence of total vindication. People of all political stripes will occasionally swallow lies from their leaders like bitter pills, but sticker shock tends to be spin-proof. Although the economic outlook was indeed rosy for Biden in 2024, the former president had a hard time conveying as much to people hit hard by inflation. The reality in grocery stores looked a lot different than what some economic forecasters were reading in the tea leaves, giving plenty of single-issue voters a case of cognitive dissonance. But if Biden faced a vibecession, The President could be fomenting a real one. The gulf has widened between what the administration is saying and what people are experiencing—and The President’s cratering approval ratings suggest that those feelings are bipartisan. Whenever The President finally switches gears from denying reality to casting blame, some of his cash-strapped supporters won’t buy it. Believing the president might be something they literally can’t afford to do. View the full article

Your pennies are now collector’s items. The last penny was minted Wednesday at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, spelling the end of America’s longest-running coin design. More than Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe or Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, it’s sculptor and medalist Victor David Brenner’s profile of Abraham Lincoln on the humble penny that’s actually believed to be the most-reproduced piece of art in the history of the world: the U.S. Mint estimates some 300 billion pennies remain in circulation. And even though no new pennies will be minted, the coin will remain legal tender—good news for those inclined to give a penny, take a penny at their local gas station. The penny’s rise to government-issued pop art status begins in 1793 when the Mint’s first one-cent coin went into circulation. That first copper coin showed an image of a long-haired woman representing liberty, a design element that was mandated by law. The Coinage Act of 1792 required coins have an “impression emblematic of liberty,” though it was later changed, paving the way for Lincoln to be featured. The design of the reverse side of the first one-cent coins in 1793 showed a chain of 15 links representing the 15 states in the Union at the time, but the links were swapped out for a wreath in later coins because the chains were misinterpreted for symbolizing slavery, according to the Mint. The Mint says early coins from before 1909 showed personifications of liberty in the form of a woman rather than showing U.S. presidents in part because some lawmakers thought putting the head of state on a coin was too similar to the U.K. where the monarch is pictured on currency. Wiki Commons In 1909, then-President Teddy Roosevelt marked the occasion of Lincoln’s 100th birthday by putting his likeness on the penny. Roosevelt selected the rendering by Brenner, a Jewish, Lithuanian immigrant who was then considered one of the best relief artists in the country, and who had designed a bas-relief of Lincoln based on a photo by Mathew Brady. It was the first time a President’s likeness appeared on a U.S. coin. Since Lincoln took over, the reverse or “tails” side of the penny has rotated through different designs, including an image of the Lincoln Memorial by Frank Gasparro from 1959 to 2008. After that, the Mint introduced four designs representing Lincoln’s life in 2009 for his 200th birthday, like a log cabin, followed by the “Union Shield” to symbolize Lincoln preserving the Union in 2010. The Mint says the cost of producing a single penny has risen from 1.42 cents in 2015 to 3.69 cents in 2025, and President Donald The President said in February he asked the Treasury Department to stop producing new pennies. With the billions of pennies still in circulation, it will be some time before Brenner’s famed Lincoln portrait will completely be history. Even if you melted down every penny on Earth, you couldn’t get rid of it, because in 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover took one to Mars. View the full article

How do you explain the laws of physics to a toddler? A new children’s book, titled Simple Machines Made Simple, wants to demystify mechanical engineering for kids as young as a year old. It recently beat its Kickstarter goal by 700%—raising more than seven times its target. It will be available to ship early next year. But Simple Machines Made Simple isn’t your typical picture book. Instead of drawings, the book features working models that kids can interact with, like spinning a wheel, sliding a knob up an inclined plane, and pushing a wedge into a block that splits into two. The kids may not graduate with a physics degree, but they might come away with a curiosity for the world around them. “Maybe they can’t explain it, but it starts to build intuition for how things work,” says Chase Roberts, a computer engineer who created the book. Roberts, who spent the better part of a decade making phone apps, moved away from technology in 2021 to more tangible objects that can teach kids basic and useful skills. His first book, Computer Engineering for Babies (2021), used buttons and LEDs to explain to kids how computers “think” by teaching them basic logic gates like NOT, AND, OR, and XOR. The sequel, Computer Engineering for Big Babies (2023), swapped buttons for rocker switches and introduced more LEDs to challenge slightly older readers. Roberts was planning a third sequel when he caught one of his three young children catapulting cereal off a spoon one morning. The idea for a book about mechanical engineering was born. Book vs. machine Sooner or later, our children will find out they can learn how something works by simply prompting ChatGPT or asking Gemini. What, then, is the point of teaching them how pulleys or wedges or even computers work? For Roberts, it’s about instilling fundamental skills from a young age. “We still learn to add and multiply even though we have calculators,” he says. “My kids in elementary school are learning how to multiply and divide on paper because we’ve decided it’s still important.” To help both kids and parents look for “simple machines” in their everyday lives, Roberts has included examples for each machine in the book. Wheels appear in scooters, roller skates, and pizza slicers. Escalators and ramps are nothing but inclined planes. Shovels, knives, and axes act as wedges. “Being able to play with these machines, all together in one place, we’re giving it a name and drawing attention to how magical they are,” he says. “It’s pretty amazing that we figured out these ways to leverage the world. There’s this [lever] you can’t turn, but if we add a huge rod to it, it’s not that hard.” Making engineering fun Roberts’s books appear to have struck a chord. “I get emails from people all the time saying ‘This is my daughter’s favorite book,’” he says, even though his actual target audience is less the kids but the adults who buy the books for them. More often than not, his target audience is made up of engineers. In fact, Computer Engineering for Babies went viral after Roberts posted about the book on Reddit, specifically the Arduino subreddit, where people discuss everything related to the popular microcontroller that Roberts used in his first book. “I thought, Those are my people. If anybody’s going to appreciate it, it’s these guys.” According to Roberts, his books tend to resonate with engineers not only because they speak the same language but also because they manage to repackage complex systems into something fun that engineers can finally share with their kids. As it turns out, the best way to teach kids how things work is to play with them. View the full article

Data is an omnipresent facet of modern existence, yet the current discourse around it is often too technical, academic, and inaccessible to the average person. Speak Data, the book I’ve just published with my coauthor Phillip Cox, emerges from more than 15 years of living and working with data, both as designers and as human beings. Instead of a textbook or how-to manual for designers, we imagined a more accessible exploration of the human side of data, enlivened by the perspectives of experts and practitioners from many disciplines—from medicine and science to art, culture, and advocacy. In an era when we are all talking about AI, the climate crisis, surveillance and privacy, and how technology shapes our choices, we wanted to reframe data not as something cold or distant, but as something deeply personal: a tool we (as human beings) can wield to understand ourselves and the world better. The book explores what we call Data Humanism, an approach that brings context, nuance, narrative, and imperfection back to the center of how we collect, design, and communicate data. In this excerpt, organizational psychologist and best-selling author Adam Grant reflects on how we interpret and communicate data, especially in moments of uncertainty, and why stories and emotions are just as essential to understanding information as statistics themselves. Adam Grant is the Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management and Professor of Psychology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Yet that impressive title barely covers the full breadth of his activities. Adam is an academic researcher, an award-winning teacher, a best-selling author, a podcaster, and a public intellectual. He’s interested in big human topics like motivation, generosity, rethinking, and potential. He’s also the author of six books, including the best-selling Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. In this conversation, Adam talks about learning lessons from the pandemic; datum versus data; and how abstract numbers can lead to very real human outcomes. As a psychologist studying organizational behavior, data is a tool that you use every day. What do you think people get wrong about data the most? People often have a very hard time accepting data that challenge their intuition or experience. I always want to tell them that if the evidence disagrees with your experience, you shouldn’t immediately say the data are wrong. It might be that you’re an outlier, that your experience is not representative, and the data are actually revealing a trend that you simply don’t fit. A lot of my work relates to how people interpret social science research, because that’s where I confront the general public. One thing I see a lot is people reading a study and then figuring, well, that study was done with a sample of only a few thousand people in this industry or that country, and dismissing the results because of that. This is basic confirmation bias and desirability bias. You shouldn’t trust your personal opinion over rigorous evidence gathered across many people. In an article you wrote for The Guardian, you describe arguing with a friend on the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. You wrote, “I had fallen victim to what psychologists call binary bias. It’s when we take a complex spectrum and oversimplify it into two categories. If we want to have better arguments, we need to look for the shades of grey.” This is more or less what you’re talking about. With all that in mind, what is the utility of data? The analogy I use is medicine. Today we have evidence-based medicine, but once upon a time, medical professionals tried to solve problems via bloodletting and lobotomies. Thanks to randomized controlled trials and careful longitudinal studies, we now have much safer and more reliable treatments. With evidence-based medicine, people are living longer and are healthier. So now look at how we interpret data from medicine. If you were to summarize all the randomized controlled trials of the average effect of ibuprofen on pain reduction and express the findings in the form of a correlation from -1 to +1, most people would think the correlation would be 0.7 or 0.8. After all, we have a lot of Advil in the world. But in actuality, an analysis showed that the average correlation was 0.14. That’s shockingly low to a lot of people, but the fact that it’s a small effect doesn’t mean it’s insignificant. That’s the first lesson: Patterns in data do not have to be large to be consequential. You play that effect out over millions and millions of people, and a lot of people will benefit. And that benefit will be widely distributed. Secondly, the treatment doesn’t have the same effect on everyone. There are contingencies. So instead of asking whether Advil is effective, we want to ask: For whom is it effective? When is it effective? This question of when and for whom allows us to look at the data and say: This is real, but only under certain circumstances. Now we need to know how widespread those circumstances are. This is real for some people. What are the commonalities of those people? The last lesson from medicine is that what’s effective evolves over time. The problems we’re trying to treat can change. We need to update our evidence and ask: What are the best available data on any given question or for solving a given problem? Is there a reason why what was true 10, 20, 30 years ago may not apply today? I would still rather base my opinions on strong evidence that’s old than no evidence at all, but we need to keep an eye on how things evolve as our contexts change. Exactly. What’s the context? What are the nuances? Data is a snapshot in time. Tomorrow, or in a month, things might be different. Especially when we see data represented in a very definite and defined way, we assume it has absolute power to always represent a situation. This became a problem during the pandemic, of course. I think the biggest pandemic takeaway regarding the role of data is that experts and public officials did a remarkably terrible job communicating about uncertainty and contingency. I should have known it was going to happen. Chapter 8 in my book Think Again, which I wrote before the pandemic, was about how you don’t lose trust when you say, “More research needs to be done,” or “Here are the initial conclusions, but there are conditions under which they may not hold,” or “Here is what our initial trials suggest. Once we’ve done more trials, we’ll update our conclusions.” And let people know what that process looks like and how the scientific research is not only done, but accumulated. This is probably the most useful thing I’ve said to a friend of mine who is very skeptical about vaccines after three-plus years of debate. He would say to me, “One study says this and one study says the opposite!” My response is that you shouldn’t weigh both sides equally. You should weigh strong evidence more heavily than weak evidence. We need to be much more nuanced in how we communicate. We need to clarify where there’s uncertainty. We need to highlight where there are contingencies. We need to be as open about what we don’t know as about what we do know. One of the things we saw during COVID-19 is that source credibility dominates message credibility. People will believe a weak argument from someone they trust much more readily than a strong argument from someone they don’t trust. One of the ways you become a trusted source is by very clearly admitting your uncertainty, showing intellectual humility, and expressing doubt where appropriate. I hope we don’t have to keep relearning that lesson over and over again. What’s your personal definition of data? Data are information gathered through systematic and rigorous observation. We love that you say data are. To us as well, data is plural. A datum, or a data point, is one piece of information. Data are the collections of those observations. To change the subject slightly, you’ve spoken in the past about the relative power of data versus stories to influence people and change minds. This is also something we think a lot about in our work. When do you think a really powerful statistic is appropriate, versus when a human story is going to be more effective? And when can they be combined? It’s a false dichotomy to say they can’t be combined. My point of view on the responsible use of stories is that we should start with the data and then find stories that illuminate the data. Stories are often more effective at evoking emotion. They allow us to distance ourselves from our own perspectives a bit. In addition to immersing ourselves in the narrative, they immerse us in a character. We get transported into stories, and we tend to experience them more than we evaluate them. Sometimes that can make people less rigorous in scrutinizing data, and that becomes a problem when the stories aren’t guided by data. The more surprising data are, the more likely they are to capture attention. If you have data that challenge people’s intuition, you’re much more likely to pique their curiosity. But you have to be careful, because, as the sociologist Murray Davis wrote in his classic paper “That’s Interesting!,” people are intrigued when you challenge their weakly held intuitions, whereas they get defensive when you question their strongly held intuitions. So there’s nuance there. From a visual perspective, we try to anchor stories in more aggregated data, but then disaggregate them by pulling out a couple of data points that can explain the context. By doing this in a narrative way, it can become more accessible, like a plot of a book. That’s really fascinating. Another way to tell a story about data is to start with what people would expect, then lead them to overturning their assumptions. People often find that journey revealing and enlightening, and it can become an emotional arc. Yet another thing I’ve learned is to present a surprising result and then ask people how they would explain it. It opens their minds quite a bit: they generate reasons they find persuasive, and thus become active participants in the dialogue. Instead of preaching your view or prosecuting theirs, you engage them in the process of thinking like a scientist and generating hypotheses. I quite enjoy that. View the full article

Fed Gov. Stephan Miran has spent his short tenure at the central bank arguing that disinflation in housing and immigration reforms will tamp down inflation in the near term. But other economists say the timing, degree and context of those effects is very much in question. View the full article

Jack Schlossberg announced he’s running for Congress. And instead of using his last name in his campaign logo, the 32-year-old—born John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg—is using the nickname he shares with his famous grandfather, John F. Kennedy. Schlossberg’s “Jack for New York” logo underlines the “New” in the city’s name in red as if to emphasize a new generation. A red “12” appears in small print at the top right of “New York” to indicate he’s running to represent Manhattan’s 12th District in the U.S. House. Schlossberg tagged designer and Only NY cofounder Micah Belamarich in a social media post showing the logo. Belamarich did not respond to a request for comment. It’s standard operating procedure for candidates to use their last names in political logos, though there are notable exceptions (hi, Bernie!). One study of 2020 campaign logos found female candidates are more likely to use their first names in their logos than male candidates, as their first names communicate their gender to voters in a simple way. For Schlossberg, his first name connects him to the Kennedy family legacy without saying “Kennedy.” “Let’s Back Jack” was a slogan used in support of Kennedy in 1960. In 2026, it will be a rallying call for Schlossberg in what could be a competitive primary to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler in one of the most Democratic districts in the country. Already, two New York state assemblymen, Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, are running for the seat. The campaign has found other ways to give a nod to the candidate’s storied political heritage without explicitly referencing the Kennedy name. Schlossberg’s logo and branding use typography that evokes mid-20th-century signage (check the “Our Man Jack” sign in the background of one shot in this Instagram gallery) alongside a contemporary take on the classic red, white, and blue color palette. A “12 for 12” list on the campaign website lists off not policy proposals, but rather 12 “promises to the people of New York’s 12th District” that sound like qualifications for a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, including service, strength, accountability, and optimism. Overall, it’s a brand that’s nostalgic but still feels contemporary, and combined with Schlossberg’s name recognition and vociferous social media posting, it’s one that could find success in a city that just elected another well-branded and social media-fluent candidate as mayor. “This is the best part of the greatest city on earth,” Schlossberg said about the district in his announcement video on TikTok, calling New York “the financial and media capital of the world.” He added: “This district should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy, and drive of this district and translate that into political power in Washington.” Though JFK’s presidential campaign happened 65 years ago, it continues to inspire political branding and advertising, even across party lines. A super PAC ran a 2024 Super Bowl ad for Schlossberg’s cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that ripped off one of the 1960 Kennedy campaign ads. And today, there’s campaign merch available for Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley that mimics the style of JFK’s, with the candidates’ portraits on a background of horizontal red, white, and blue stripes. Images of Schlossberg on his campaign website pay homage to his famous family. One shot of Schlossberg backlit against a wall that’s decorated with U.S. and New York flags recalls a photo of a 29-year-old Kennedy running for Congress, while photos of Schlossberg in a suit on a bike emulate his uncle, George magazine founder John F. Kennedy Jr. By evoking the Kennedy dynasty through image, typography, and nickname, Schlossberg is tapping into his family legacy without using the famous family surname. “Jack” says enough. View the full article

From the outside looking in, the life of a content creator is enviable. Shopping, jet-setting, star-studded events, all documented for their audience of thousands. But new research tells a different story. A study by Creators 4 Mental Health, conducted in partnership with Lupiani Insights & Strategies and sponsored by Opus, BeReal, Social Currant, Statusphere, and the nonprofit AAKOMA Project, spoke to more than 500 full- and part-time creators across North America about their work, mental health, and well-being. One in ten creators reported having suicidal thoughts tied to their work. That rate is nearly double the national average of 5.5%, according to the National Institutes of Health. Only 8% of creators described their mental health as excellent. For those who have been in the industry for more than five years, that number drops to 4%. The report found that 65% experience anxiety or depression related to their work, and 62% feel burned out. Rather than getting better over time, this only gets worse. Those who have worked five years or more report the highest rates of burnout, stress, and financial instability. Content creation is a numbers game. Yet those who check analytics obsessively also have significantly worse emotional well-being scores. Of those surveyed, 65% said they obsess over content performance, and 58% said their self-worth declines when content underperforms. Likes, views, and engagement directly correlate to how much money content creators can make, either through creator funds or negotiating brand deals. However, nearly 69% of creators said their income is unpredictable or inconsistent, a factor that also strongly correlates with poor mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Far from the cushy work life some would imagine, burnout impacts creators almost as much as the wider U.S. population. The difference is that creators often face these challenges without access to any kind of specialized mental healthcare or workplace benefits. “Creators are the new workforce of the digital age, doing the work of entire teams without support and protections,” says Shira Lazar, Emmy-nominated creator and founder of Creators 4 Mental Health. “This study is a wake-up call for platforms, brands, and policymakers to treat creator mental health as a workforce issue, not a personal problem.” As much as creators’ complaints about the industry are often met with calls to quit or “get a real job,” content creation as a career path isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the creator economy is growing rapidly, expected to nearly double in value to $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. Instead, change has to start with the platforms and brands that rely on content creators’ labor. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they want income stability tools built into social media platforms; 59% said they want transparent pay rates from brands. “These results are a clear call to action for brands, platforms, nonprofits, and creators themselves,” says Lazar. “Creators are suffering as a result of their work, and something has got to give.” View the full article

College across the country may soon start seeing a much older demographic roaming their campuses. According to a report from the higher education publication Best Colleges, at least 84 public or nonprofit colleges have announced they would merge or close over the past five years. Almost half of those are outright closures, as small colleges struggle to keep up with rising costs amid falling enrollment. In many instances, the shuttering of a college means the mothballing of its campus. But while some campuses are being left idle with no future plans, a growing number are finding new life in the form of senior living facilities. That doesn’t mean just moving seniors into old dorm buildings. Some adaptation projects are showing that college campuses have room and opportunity for building reuse and building redesign to accommodate the special needs of senior residents. “College sites are absolutely prime because they have a slightly larger scale, they have infrastructure running to them, and they have open space that can be utilized,” says Sargent C. Gardiner, partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, who has worked on multiple college campus adaptation projects. One of the firm’s most recent projects is the Newbury of Brookline, a luxury senior living community in Massachusetts built from and around the former buildings of Newbury College, which shuttered in 2019. Located just outside Boston, the campus centered around a historic mansion and had been used by the college since the early 1980s. Now, that historic mansion has been joined by a newly constructed six-story building that holds 159 units of independent, assisted, and memory care living facilities for seniors. Amenities include an indoor saltwater pool, a fitness center, art rooms, and a rooftop bar. Operated by Kisco Senior Living, the Newbury of Brookline has monthly rents that start at $10,000. This project is part of a trend in higher education, particularly at smaller colleges, which are turning to real estate development as a way of buttressing their bottom line, or, in the case of closed colleges, finding entirely new lives. In dozens of projects across the country, colleges are turning over parts of their campuses for redevelopment as housing, and often senior housing. Old buildings, new use On the campus of the State University of New York’s Purchase College, a new senior living facility recently opened that includes 174 independent living apartments, 46 villas, 36 assisted-living residences, and 32 memory care suites. In Denver, the closed Johnson & Wales University is now home to 154 units of affordable housing. More are likely on the way. Wells College in Aurora, New York, closed in June and one of the proposals for the property includes housing. Meanwhile, senior housing is also on the table for the campus of the College of Saint Rose, in Albany, New York, which closed in 2024. On the campus of the former Newbury College, Gardiner says the project was carefully designed to fit into the campus and mesh with the existing facilities. It was also important to blend the architecture with the surrounding community, which has many historic buildings and classical building styles. “There are a lot of people embedded in the neighborhood that really care about the neighborhood, and really care about the architectural character. They don’t want to see it ruined,” Gardiner says. “It was very clear from the very beginning that they needed somebody that could talk the talk of regional architectural languages.” Robert A.M. Stern Architects, one of the foremost classical architecture firms in the U.S., has deep experience designing new buildings that fit their context. But while the central building of the former college campus is a historic mansion, the site itself has been a college for decades. That gave the architects the leeway to design a building with the look and feel of the historic structures in the area, but at a more institutional scale. Uniquely, the building is much taller than its neighbors. “The central portion of it rises to six stories, which is unheard of in many senior living areas, especially in a suburban neighborhood,” says Gardiner. “But going up was the key to this project.” It was able to accommodate a significant amount of units while preserving open space and a stand of old growth trees. “That allowed the project to just nestle in and sort of feel like it was always here,” Gardiner says. The height also opened up another unique amenity for the project, creating room for a rooftop deck attached to the building’s bar, where residents can go for an evening drink and take in views of downtown Boston in the distance. All of this—along with its tony location—is why there’s such a relatively high price point for residences at the Newbury of Brookline. It’s part of the appeal and the business logic of turning a former college into this new sort of campus. But the concept won’t work just anywhere, Gardiner says. A big campus far removed from urban amenities or, importantly, good healthcare, may not pencil out as well as a campus that’s better connected or even in a city center. “The green acre sites may get gobbled up by some other use,” he says. “It’s these in-between, irregular sites where you can sort of squeeze the caulking in.” As more colleges in these areas struggle to survive, this kind of rebirth may be just what their campuses, and older adults, need. 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Delegation is supposed to get easier the higher you rise. In reality, it becomes challenging in a different way, Common delegation advice is helpful for first-time managers, who typically have trouble letting go. But for senior leaders, effective delegation looks different. It’s not about handing off tasks. It’s about leading through a paradox. They need to stay close enough to align and coach, but they also need to step back enough to empower and grow others. At this level, for many, the risk isn’t micromanagement, but over-detachment. When you’re too removed, you miss chances to align strategy, spot risks, or coach your leaders. Delegation is about managing a polarity These risks don’t happen by chance. They’re likely to happen when we don’t see what delegation really is: a polarity to manage. It’s a continuous balancing act of two interdependent poles, involvement and autonomy. Both are valuable. And there are downsides to doing too much of both. That is the essence of polarity management, which Barry Johnson first described in his 1992 book, Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Yet it remains more relevant than ever for leaders today. Polarities are paradoxes and tensions you can’t solve, but only manage, over time. Think speed and quality; short-term and long-term; stability and change. Two poles of a polarity are interdependent, so you cannot choose one as a “solution” and neglect the other, just like involvement and autonomy. To get the benefits of one, you need to attend to the other. Senior leaders live in this paradox every day, but few think about delegation as the polarity it actually is. It’s not about choosing between involvement and autonomy, control or letting go, but about continuously managing the tension between the two. The trap of the pendulum effect Most leaders have a natural preference. Some stay deeply involved, others pride themselves on giving their people wide latitude. Both preferences work—until they don’t. When there’s too much autonomy, it can lead to organizational misalignment, missed risks, and late-stage pivots. But when there’s too much involvement, that creates decision bottlenecks at the top, and team members can feel micromanaged and disempowered. The actual trap is the pendulum effect—leaders swinging from one pole to the other. If too much autonomy leads to drift, they jump back in and get more involved, potentially exerting too much control. When that frustrates and disempowers their team members, they swing back to being hands-off. And the cycle repeats. Breaking the cycle requires a different mindset. Leaders need to see delegation as a polarity to balance. That means recognizing the pattern, anticipating the shifts, and proactively balancing the upsides of both poles before the downsides start to emerge. The art of high-impact delegation at senior levels, therefore, lies in cycling between involvement and autonomy. You need to be able to switch between the two depending on the stakes and context of the work, and trust in the relationships and capabilities of your team members. There is no perfect and stable point of balance. It’s a continuous practice of adjustment. How to show up differently A tech company I’ve worked with trained all its senior leaders to look at delegation through a polarity lens, while emphasizing that involvement was an integral part of their culture. Leaders mapped out their tendencies, learned to recognize early warning signs of leaning too much into one pole, and experimented with new ways of showing up. A few big shifts stood out: Where they showed up changed They realized involvement wasn’t about hovering everywhere. It was about leaning in with more focus and attention when the stakes were highest. This means critical work like high-stakes or unusually complex projects, when they need to coach, support, or provide people with stretch opportunities. This was also crucial during strategic moments when they needed perspective to align across the organization. How they showed up changed Instead of inserting themselves or taking over, leaders leaned on dialogue. They were: Asking big-picture questions about context, impact, or purpose, like “Why are we doing this?” or “Who else will be impacted?” Helping teams zoom out to see risks, interdependencies, and strategic connections. Clarifying expectations and roles upfront, and using check-ins for alignment, problem-solving, and coaching—not just updates. The result? Leaders weren’t doing more of the work themselves, as many had feared. They were actually influencing the work, bringing perspective, context, and coaching in ways that elevated their teams. Through modeling deeper thinking and strategizing, their teams started internalizing those behaviors and applied them independently, even when the leader wasn’t present. And once leaders got comfortable with polarity thinking, they started applying it elsewhere—candor and care, stability and change, results, and relationships. They stopped asking which side was “right” and started asking how to get the best of both. That development shift—from either/or choices to both/and leadership—is what unlocks deeper effectiveness, not just in delegation but in leading in complexity. Leading with the paradox So how can you put this into practice? You can start by doing the following: Reflect on your patterns. Notice when you overdo autonomy or involvement. Watch for the early warning signs: drift, misalignment, bottlenecks, and disengagement. Ask yourself the following questions: How do you intentionally cycle between the two poles, depending on context and capability? How do you ensure your involvement adds value without disempowering? How do you ensure autonomy doesn’t become detachment? Align expectations upfront. Be clear on outcomes, roles, responsibilities, and decision boundaries. You should also discuss and align around your work styles and preferences for updating and keeping each other informed. Continuously calibrate. Contexts shift. Projects evolve. People grow. Ask yourself: “What requires my attention right now? Where will involvement matter most? Where can I step back to create space?” Trust your intuition and check in with your teams. This cycle of reflection, alignment, and calibration allows you to balance both poles of the delegation paradox over time without getting stuck in either. Delegation at senior levels isn’t about handing off tasks and hoping for the best. Treating delegation as a polarity–rather than a skill to master—helps leaders embrace it as an ongoing practice. Leaders who do this well don’t ask, “Am I delegating enough?” They ask, “Am I balancing involvement and autonomy in a way that serves the whole organization, my teams, and the individuals I lead?” View the full article

Motivation comes and go, but consistency is what will get you the results. That’s a principle I’ve tried to live by for as long as I can remember. For the most part, it has served me pretty well. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that being consistent while being unmotivated can be energy draining. And when mental and physical energy is lacking, it can be difficult to be consistent. Earlier this year, I found myself in a bit of a motivation rut. I’d had a very busy six months of work. As a freelancer, this is something that I’m definitely grateful for and don’t take for granted. When things started to slow down for a little bit, I figured that I would finally have the headspace to get started on some side projects and goals that had been brewing in my head. Yet despite being excited about them all, I struggled to find the energy (and motivation) to take consistent action. Identifying the source After a little bit of introspection, I suspected that two things were getting in my way. First, my emotional attachment to the goals gave me too many excuses not to start. I wanted my side projects to succeed, so I could find all sorts of reasons as to why it just wasn’t quite the right time to start. And this led to the second point: I struggled to break down the goals into smaller steps, because I couldn’t stop ruminating on what might happen if the first step didn’t work out. The solution was simple. I needed to be less emotionally invested in the outcome, and take those small steps consistently. But what’s simple isn’t always easy. After years of writing and editing about productivity, I’ve learned that sometimes you need to take the long way to get somewhere. In the past, I experienced many flow-on benefits from taking on a challenging and scary physical goal. So I committed to training for my first boxing fight. Establishing a routine and confidence The fight I signed for required me to commit to a 12-week training camp, where I trained alongside other fighters of similar level (which in my case, is extremely novice as I’d only started boxing seriously for about six months prior). For the first four weeks, I didn’t have the energy to do anything else beyond training and my freelance work. It took a little bit of time to get my body and mind to adapt to the physical load, dial in my nutrition, and understand how to recover. All so I can do it all over again the next day. But halfway through the training camp, my mind and body started to adapt. I noticed that I started to have more mental energy to work towards the side projects I’d been putting off. First, I was able to break down my goals into tiny, little, doable steps. Once I did that, I could finally start to take small actions. I also stopped overthinking about what would happen. The flow-on effects of setting a low-stakes goal I was familiar with the concept of habit-stacking, a term that means stacking new behaviors to existing habits. For example, say you have a habit of eating dinner at 6 p.m. You can “stack” going for a walk after your meal if you wanted to add some more physical activity to your day. But I wondered whether there was a similar rationale when it comes to goal-stacking. I was especially curious about the impact that setting a low-stakes goal can have on working towards a higher stakes one. Dr. Gina Cleo, habit researcher and author of The Habit Revolution, said that there is. “When we take on a low-stakes goal, like training for a boxing match or learning a new skill just for fun, it can reignite our sense of agency,” she says. “We experience progress, mastery, and momentum in one domain, which spills over into others.” “This happens because success triggers a release of dopamine, the brain’s motivation and reward chemical. Once that circuit is active, it improves focus, confidence, and willingness to take on challenges elsewhere. So a seemingly small or playful goal can become a catalyst for renewed energy and drive in the areas that feel ‘heavier’ or higher-pressure,” she goes on to say. The power of taking small actions The idea of mastery in boxing feels a long, long way away. But as a novice fighter, I’m acutely aware of every incremental and tiny progress. I’m still a few weeks away from my fight, but stacking a series of small improvements week by week has triggered a sense of momentum. I could then leverage that to take action in other parts of my life, like starting my side projects. Dr. Cleo explains, “Progress creates what psychologists call a ‘success loop.’ As you start ticking off small wins, your brain registers that you’re capable, and that confidence fuels motivation for other goals.” It was a powerful reminder that sometimes, all it takes is a series of small actions to trigger bigger ones. This is a practice that Leo Shen, engineering graduate turned elite amateur boxer (and my boxing coach), implements in his own life. For him, the foundational goal is finding small ways to control your environment. That might mean putting your running shoes and socks by your bed so that it’s easier to go for a run. Or it could look like eating a nutritious breakfast that nourishes you so you’ll continue to do the same for lunch and dinner. He says, “You create the environment where you’re more likely to be disciplined, and then everything falls into place. Once you control the environment, then it becomes a habit. You have to stack the dominoes before you can push them over.” Building a strong foundation Pursuing a challenging physical goal has forced me to do exactly that—control my environment so that I can train and recover to the best of my ability. In turn, those healthy practices have given me the mental and physical energy to make small progress on my professional goals. I know that regardless of what happens on fight night, I’ve built a foundation and a routine that I can rely on. And as a result, I’ll have the energy (and motivation) to take consistent action towards something that once felt too overwhelming to start. View the full article

Party will find it easier to push for leadership challenge now it is in power compared with oppositionView the full article

A practical way to get back in control of your inbox Email was designed to help us communicate. For many people managers and people professionals, it now creates more pressure than clarity. Messages arrive faster than they can be processed, and inboxes become crowded with tasks, questions, updates and CCs. The result is a workday shaped around reacting, rather than making progress. To help teams reset their habits, Productivity Ninja Lee and Head of Learning Success Deane ran a live Ninja Skills Booster on how to bring your inbox back under control in a simple, sustainable way. You can now watch the recording on demand here. Why email becomes overwhelming Most inboxes grow because people are trying to keep up, not because they’re disorganised. Throughout the day, we scan, reopen, save for later and carry half-finished thoughts in our heads. As this builds, the inbox becomes a mix of tasks, reminders and unresolved decisions. The impact is familiar: • difficulty spotting what matters • pressure to be constantly available • hesitation about deleting anything • a sense of being behind, even when you’re working hard This isn’t a personal failing. It’s a workload and habit problem, and it can be fixed. One change to try today When a new message arrives, ask: Does this need my action, someone else’s action, or no action at all? This one question reduces re-reading, frees up mental space and stops the inbox from becoming a running to-do list. If your team needs practical support to reduce email overload and work with more clarity, our Getting Your Inbox to Zero workshop gives them the habits, structure and confidence to stay on top of email long term. The post Why email still gets in the way of good work appeared first on Think Productive UK. View the full article