All Activity

As mortgage rates sank to near 6% in January, consumers looked to do rate-and-term refinances, while originators offered more ARMs and cash-out loans. View the full article

A reader writes: I work for a large, quickly growing international business headquartered in the United States. I’m in HR and often collaborate with finance. My work is challenging, exciting, and I feel valued as an employee. But that’s actually part of the problem. Not to accidentally quote Liam Neeson, but I have a particular set of skills that makes me very difficult to replace. I have strong job security, I’m paid well enough to support my family, I have decent benefits, and I love my coworkers. But I have also been burnt out for over a year. Being neurodivergent and learning how autistic burnout differs from standard burnout has been a wild ride. My managers (yes, plural) are actually very supportive and caring. I was able to sit down with them four months ago and express that I need extra support. The projects I’m working on are too much for me to handle on my own, and because no one else can do the work I do, I’m the owner, point of contact, and bottleneck for a series of projects that are simply never-ending. There is a plan for me to take FMLA to recover, I’ve found and invested in more supports to limit my sensory stimulation in the office, and I’ve been able to instill some boundaries around my work time, but it’s just not enough. They’ve been trying to hire either a junior or a manager to join our team specifically to assist with my job duties, and I trust that they’re doing their best, but this is a difficult job to fill. And the result is I still feel overworked and unprotected from executives, and my mental and physical health are still declining. I have been working with my therapist about feeling guilty for considering quitting. I don’t intend to leave (a) before my current project concludes at the end of Q1 and b) until after my FMLA is concluded, but I also want to have a discussion with them about how they’re at risk of losing me. I’ve been burned out for so long that I’m struggling to even put into words what would need to change in order for me to stay! I know I can’t demand executive behaviors or company culture change, and they are actively trying to hire support. If I leave, so many of the company’s initiatives will come to a halt. I love the work that I do! There are projects and processes that I’ve built from the ground up that I have real pride in and result in really nice feedback from executives, but I haven’t had time to properly document how to replicate them. I don’t feel like I can confide in anyone because we all report to the head of HR. And while I have every reason and past experience to trust that my bosses care about me and wouldn’t retaliate, I can’t afford to do anything to put my job in jeopardy. And I don’t trust that it’s any better anywhere else! How do I have this conversation? Or do I just stay silent and commit to leaving? The way your managers should be looking at this is that they can choose between you doing less work now or you doing no work not too long from now. As painful as they might find the first option, won’t the second option be worse, given how much trouble they’re having even hiring someone just to help you? In other words, either they stomach pulling back on some of your projects now or they lose you altogether and then all those projects grind to a halt. That’s the main contradiction I see in your letter that I don’t think you’re focusing on clearly: if you can’t pull back on your workload now because you’re indispensable, that makes it all the more urgent that they find a way to let you pull back on it … because otherwise you won’t be doing any of it. Now, frankly, it’s okay if they lose you altogether! That’s not your problem to solve for them, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to sacrifice your health and well-being because you’ll be difficult to replace. That’s something they should have been planning for long before now — because you could leave for another job tomorrow, or fall down a well, or all sorts of things that make it terrible planning to have one person as a single point of failure for important work. The fact that they haven’t done that and instead have been content for you to feel it’s all on your shoulders to keep afloat —even when you explicitly told them it was too much — is not good. I understand that you like them and feel they’ve generally been supportive and caring, but that just means that you owe them good work while you’re there and reasonable notice when you leave; it does not mean you owe them your health or quality of life. That’s true in every job, and it is extra true in jobs where you’ve already given an unreasonable amount of yourself. (Ironically, though, giving an unreasonable amount of yourself tends to intensify people’s feelings of obligation rather than lessening them, because it makes you more personally invested in the work.) So if you would rather not try to convince them they need to take things off your plate right now, that is okay! You can just quietly plan to leave at a time that makes sense for you, and you don’t need to put more energy into convincing them to change things. But if you want to have that conversation, the framing to use is: “I’m at the point where I need things off my plate now and can’t keep waiting. I know that there’s no one else to take on some of this, but the choice is that we either remove some of it now — even if it means putting some projects on hold — or we end up in a situation where none of it gets done because the job won’t be sustainable for me to stay in.” Of course, that assumes that a lower workload would solve for this for you. If your burnout is really about executive behavior or company culture, then you’re right that those things are highly unlikely to change. If that’s the case, this conversation may not be worth it, and you should just go ahead and quietly plan your departure. It’s hard to tell how much is that versus workload because you’re not even allowing yourself to consider that a lower workload is possible. (But again, your employer can have some of it done or none of it done, so a good manager will figure out a way to scale things back for you.) The post should I tell my bosses their efforts to support me aren’t enough and they might lose me? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Don’t feel bad splurging on that $7 latte the next time you’re in a mid-afternoon attention slump. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week provides some strong evidence that drinking coffee and tea is linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. The longitudinal research followed a group of around 130,000 people for more than 40 years, collecting behavioral and health information over the course of their lifetimes. The results paint a clear picture: People with a habit of drinking two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea on a daily basis demonstrated a lower risk of dementia compared to their less caffeinated peers. People who drank up to five cups of coffee had around 20 percent less risk of dementia, while those who drank one or more cups of tea showed 15 percent less of developing the neurodegenerative condition. Decaf coffee wasn’t linked to the same benefits, according to the new research. Caffeine is the key ingredient that appears to be providing some protection from cognitive decline for coffee and tea drinkers, possibly through its ability to reduce inflammation in the brain. The molecule we rely on to wake us up in the morning has also shown promise in reducing insulin sensitivity and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes – a big risk factor for age-related cognitive decline. While caffeine appears to be the magic ingredient, other substances in coffee and tea have also been shown to positively impact health. “Beyond caffeine, coffee and tea contain bioactive compounds like polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, and catechins, which offer antioxidant and vascular benefits by reducing oxidative stress and improving cerebrovascular function,” the researchers wrote. “Furthermore, tea components such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate and L-theanine may provide additional benefits by enhancing relaxation and neuroprotection.” Coffee and tea show promise but questions remain With such a massive sample size and so many years of data, the new research on dementia and caffeine is about as robust as an Italian dark roast. Still, the study’s design – asking people about their behavior and tracking their diagnoses – doesn’t lend itself to causal explanations. While the evidence that caffeine provides some neuroprotective effects against one one of the most devastating age-related conditions is exciting, scientists still can’t definitively say what causes the decreased risk, only that coffee and tea intake is correlated with less risk. In the analysis, the research’s authors did control for participants’ genetic risk of developing dementia along with an array of other potential confounding factors, including education, socioeconomic status, smoking, exercise habits and medication use. In spite of its scale and depth, the NIH-funded study still has a few notable limitations beyond the observational nature of its design. The study exclusively relied on large, gender-divided data sets collected from people who work in health-related jobs, drawing on the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study. It also did not collect granular data about the kind of tea the participants consumed, so it’s not clear if green and black tea are created equal or if only caffeinated tea showed promise for keeping people sharp as they age. While the link between coffee and reduced dementia risk is promising, more coffee also doesn’t necessarily mean less risk. Researchers found that the positive impact tapered off after two or three cups of coffee and one to two cups of tea, so don’t go ordering that quad shot or black eye hoping to squeeze even more benefit out of your caffeine intake. Caffeine raises your heart rate and can raise blood pressure too, so keeping your body’s full health picture in mind is important. View the full article

PM ‘not aware’ that Matthew Doyle had campaigned for councillor who admitted having indecent images of children View the full article

Oil and gas exports have sustained Russia’s finances throughout its war against Ukraine. But as the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches, those cash flows have suddenly dwindled to lows not seen in years. It’s the result of new punitive measures from the U.S. and the European Union, U.S. President Donald The President’s tariff pressure against India, and a tightening crackdown on the fleet of sanctions-dodging tankers carrying Russian oil. The drop in revenue is pushing President Vladimir Putin to borrow from Russian banks and raise taxes, keeping state finances on an even keel for now. But those measures only increase strains in a war economy now plagued by slowing growth and stubborn inflation. In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles ($5.1 billion). That’s down from 587 billion ($7.6 billion) in December and from 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025. That’s the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, says Janis Kluge, an expert on the Russian economy at German Institute for International and Security Affairs. A new approach to sanctions To pressure the Kremlin to halt fighting in Ukraine, the The President administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, from Nov. 21. That means anyone buying or shipping their oil runs the risk of being cut off from the U.S banking system — a serious concern for any multinational business. On top of that, on Jan. 21 the EU began banning fuel made from Russia crude — meaning it could no longer be refined somewhere else and shipped to Europe in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel. The head of the EU’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Friday proposed a full ban on shipping services for Russian oil, saying sanctions offered leverage to push Russia to halt the fighting. “We must be clear-eyed: Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so,” she said. The latest sanctions are a step beyond the oil price cap imposed by the Group of Seven democracies under the Biden administration. The $60 per barrel cap, enforced through insurers and shippers based in G-7 countries, was aimed at reducing Russia’s profits, not banning imports, out of concern over higher energy prices. The cap did reduce government oil revenues temporarily, especially after an EU ban on most Russian seaborne oil forced Russia to shift sales to China and India. But Russia built a “shadow fleet” of aging tankers operating beyond the reach of the cap, and revenues rose again. Pressure on India to stop Russian oil imports The President on Feb. 3 agreed to lower tariffs to 18% from 25%, saying Indian President Narendra Modi agreed to halt Russian crude imports, and on Friday removed an additional 25% tariff imposed over continued imports of Russian oil. Modi hasn’t commented. Foreign affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said India’s strategy was “diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was monitoring the statements and remains committed to our “advanced strategic partnership” with New Delhi. In any case, Russian oil shipments to India have declined in recent weeks, from 2 million barrels per day in October to 1.3 million per day in December, according to figures from the Kyiv School of Economics and the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Data firm Kpler says “India is unlikely to fully disengage in the near term” from cheap Russian energy. Ukraine’s allies increasingly have sanctioned individual shadow tankers to deter customers from taking their oil — raising the number to 640 among the U.S., U.K., and EU. U.S. forces have seized vessels linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil, including one sailing under a Russian flag, while France briefly intercepted a suspected shadow fleet vessel. Ukrainian strikes have hit Russian refineries, pipelines, export terminals, and tankers. Russian oil is trading at a steep discount Buyers are now demanding bigger discounts on Russian oil to compensate for the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions and the hassle of finding payment workarounds that skirt banks reluctant to touch the transactions. The discount widened to about $25 per barrel in December, as Russia’s primary crude export, Urals blend, fell below $38 per barrel, compared with about $62.50 per barrel for international benchmark Brent crude. Since Russia’s taxes on oil production are based on the price of oil, that cuts into state revenues. “It’s a cascading or domino effect,” said Mark Esposito, a senior analyst focused on seaborne crude at S&P Global Energy. Including diesel and gasoline created “a really a dynamic sanctions package, a one-two punch that are impacting not only the crude flow, but the refined product flow off of those barrels. … A universal way of saying, if it’s coming from Russian crude, it’s out.” Reluctance to take delivery has meant an inordinate amount — about 125 million barrels — has built up in tankers at sea. That has driven up costs for scarce capacity, with rates for very large oil tankers reaching $125,000 per day “and that’s directly correlated with the ramifications of the sanctions,” said Esposito. Slowing growth strains Russia’s budget On top of that, economic growth has stalled as the boost from war-related spending reaches its limits and as labor shortages put a cap on potential business expansion. And lower growth means less tax revenue. Gross domestic product increased only 0.1% in the third quarter. Forecasts for this year range between 0.6% and 0.9%, down from over 4% in 2023 and 2024. “I think the Kremlin is worried about the overall balance of the budget, because it coincides with the economic downturn,” said Kluge. “And at the same time the costs of the war are not decreasing.” The Kremlin responds by raising taxes and borrowing The Kremlin has resorted to higher taxes and borrowing to fill the gap left by dwindling oil revenues and by slower economic growth. The Kremlin-controlled parliament, the Duma, raised value-added tax paid on consumer purchases at the cash register to 22% from 20% and increased levies on car imports, cigarettes, and alcohol. The government has increased its borrowing from compliant domestic banks. And a national wealth fund still has reserves to patch budget holes. So the Kremlin has money — for now. But raising taxes can slow growth even more. And borrowing risks worsening inflation, brought down to 5.6% through interest rates of 16% from the central bank, down from a peak of 21%. “Give it six months or a year, and it could also affect their thinking about the war,” said Kluge. “I don’t think they will seek a peace deal because of this, but they might want to lower the intensity of the fighting, focus on certain areas of the front and slow the war down. This would be the response if it’s getting too expensive.” —David McHugh, Associated Press View the full article

I'm one of those folks who has completely moved from X to Bluesky, and for the most part, it's been a pretty seamless experience. It's not hard to move your following list over; you can upload (almost) all of your old tweets if you want; and the scrolling and posting experience is almost identical to what you'll remember from the old days of Twitter. The only feature I've missed? Drafts. Finally, drafts have arrived. In a post to the official Bluesky account, the company announced that it's added drafts to the platform, and that they're rolling out now. To create a draft, just start writing a post, and instead of tapping the Post button, hit Cancel or Drafts instead and choose Save draft. What you've written will be saved as a draft that you can return to later. The feature works for pre-written threads, too (made using the + button on the post screen). To see your saved drafts, open a blank post and hit Drafts before typing anything else. You'll see a list of your stored drafts, and you can either tap on a draft to open it, or hit the three-dots button to the right of the drift and then Discard to delete it. Drafts were a big part of Twitter for me—not just because they helped save posts if my connection dropped in the middle of writing them, but because they also gave me some time to consider if I really wanted to post something before taking it live. It's a handy feature for a platform with such a small character limit, where it might be easy to toss a stray thought out into the ether without really knowing how it might land or if you've expressed yourself as well as you could have. I'm not alone, here: A common trend on Twitter was posting screenshots of draft libraries, to give your followers a peak at the half-formed ideas you didn't think were quite ready for prime time. It's a bit of culture I've missed in moving over to the new site, and I'm glad it's now possible once agin. As for where Bluesky could go next, responses to the drafts announcement include requests for more robust DMs or an edit button, although Bluesky staffers have expressed both logistical and ethical concerns with implementing these. In the meantime, there are third-party tools that try to add some of this functionality, but they do come with wonky formatting that an official solution could probably avoid. View the full article

Move by US president escalates tensions already heightened by Ottawa’s auto deal with ChinaView the full article

Google is now advertising its own AI features inside Google Ads — a rare move that puts promotion directly into advertisers’ workflow. What’s happening. Users are seeing promotional messages for AI Max for Search campaigns when they access campaign settings panels. The notifications appear during routine account audits and updates It functions essentially as an internal advertisement for Google’s own tooling Why we care. The in-platform placement shows Google’s push to accelerate AI adoption among advertisers, moving beyond optional rollouts to active promotion. This promotional tactic also suggests Google may increasingly nudge advertisers toward AI-powered tools that reduce manual control, which could impact campaign management strategies. Finally, seeing ads within a paid advertising platform itself is unusual and may signal a shift in how Google pushes product adoption going forward. The big picture. While Google regularly introduces AI-driven features, actively promoting them within existing workflows represents a more aggressive adoption strategy. What to watch. Whether this promotional approach expands to other Google Ads features — and how advertisers respond to marketing within their management interface. First seen. This notification was spotted by Lead Gen PPC Specialist Julie Bacchini, who shared the notification she saw on LinkedIn. View the full article

US commerce secretary grilled in Congress over his relationship with late sex offenderView the full article

Microsoft today launched AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools in beta. AI Performance lets you see where, and how often, your content is cited in AI-generated answers across Microsoft Copilot, Bing’s AI summaries, and select partner integrations, the company said. AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools shows which URLs are cited, which queries trigger those citations, and how citation activity changes over time. Search Engine Land first reported on Jan. 27 that Microsoft was testing the AI Performance report. What’s new. AI Performance is a new, dedicated dashboard inside Bing Webmaster Tools. It tracks citation visibility across supported AI surfaces. Instead of measuring clicks or rankings, it shows whether your content is used to ground AI-generated answers. Microsoft framed the launch as an early step toward Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tooling, designed to help publishers understand how their content shows up in AI-driven discovery. What it looks like. Microsoft shared this image of AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools: What the dashboard shows. The AI Performance dashboard introduces metrics focused specifically on AI citations: Total citations: How many times a site is cited as a source in AI-generated answers during a selected period. Average cited pages: The daily average number of unique URLs from a site referenced across AI experiences. Grounding queries: Sample query phrases AI systems used to retrieve and cite publisher content. Page-level citation activity: Citation counts by URL, highlighting which pages are referenced most often. Visibility trends over time: A timeline view showing how citation activity rises or falls across AI experiences. These metrics only reflect citation frequency. They don’t indicate ranking, prominence, or how a page contributed to a specific AI answer. Why we care. It’s good to know where and how your content gets cited, but Bing Webmaster Tools still won’t reveal how those citations translate into clicks, traffic, or any real business outcome. Without click data, publishers still can’t tell if AI visibility delivers value. How to use it. Microsoft said publishers can use the data to: Confirm which pages are already cited in AI answers. Identify topics that consistently appear across AI-generated responses. Improve clarity, structure, and completeness on indexed pages that are cited less often. The guidance mirrors familiar best practices: clear headings, evidence-backed claims, current information, and consistent entity representation across formats. What’s next. Microsoft said it plans to “improve inclusion, attribution, and visibility across both search results and AI experiences,” and continue to “evolve these capabilities.” Microsoft’s announcement. Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview View the full article

We’re still in the earliest days of artificial intelligence. It was just November 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT, and the world changed. However, enough time has passed for us to have a sufficient perspective to categorize AI and autonomous agents into three distinct eras. Introduction—2024: In the initial shockwave, there was more novelty and hype than practicality around the possibilities of AI. Businesses and leaders understandably struggled to understand what was barreling toward them. Evaluation—2025: There was a reality check for organizations as they began testing, experimenting with, and piloting AI projects in their search for use cases that created value. For various reasons, businesses often failed to achieve the results they expected or sometimes even saw their efforts completely stall. Production—2026: The coming year is when we begin to see a real payoff from business investments as innovative organizations take what they’ve learned and seriously embrace AI, embedding agents throughout their operations to realize value. It’s an absolute certainty that AI activation will become the story of business. We’re witnessing a profound shift from pilots to production agents embedded in real business processes, and it’s going to explode exponentially as AI adoption enters the mainstream enterprise and delivers measurable ROI. And the stakes will be incredibly high for businesses to get it right. TIME TO SEPARATE HYPE AND ACTIVATION Two things can be true at the same time. We can observe heightened speculation about AI alongside the on-the-ground emergence of agentic capabilities in real-world environments. The massive investments in power generation, data centers, and chip innovation are unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed. The market cap of hyperscalers is reaching vertigo-inducing heights. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, frequently references this as a “picks-and-shovels” moment in a modern gold rush because it’s the infrastructure that will enable the innovation that comes next. Much of the conversation today focuses on whether we’re in an AI bubble. That speculation will likely continue, but the real story is what comes next. We’re not spending enough time imagining the world that will emerge on the other side of this period of intense innovation, whatever form that transition takes. From a historical perspective, there have been many boom-and-bust cycles that, over the long run, proved beneficial. I’ve been in the software industry for nearly three decades, which means I know bubbles firsthand. I began my business career in the 1990s, at the dawn of the Internet era, and experienced the dot-com boom and the subsequent crash. The market disruption was profound and painful. Fast forward to today. Can anyone imagine if we couldn’t order a sandwich on our phones and have it delivered in 15 minutes or less? There was an incredible payoff, but that only became apparent over time. Many of the innovations and infrastructure built in that era laid the groundwork for the world we live in today. We need to focus on the long game because AI will improve our lives immeasurably. In moments of rapid technological change, the broader environment typically undergoes significant shifts as innovation accelerates. What’s unmistakable, however, is that the future belongs to companies that view AI not simply as a tool, but as a game-changing intelligence that’s omnipresent in everything they do as they deliver for their customers. It’s why I remain so optimistic about the impact AI will have on all of us. PREDICTIONS FOR 2026 This will be the most productive year in history, as concerns about AI replacing humans fade and the technology instead augments people, enabling them to perform their jobs more effectively and improving their lives. Trust in AI. The level of confidence businesses place in AI to help them run their organizations will increase as they adopt measures that emphasize greater governance and data accuracy. AI translates to ROI. This relates directly to trust. We’ve already begun to see it, but the growth in real business value (substance, not hype) will happen as we move beyond simplistic AI co-pilots to agentic solutions that become integral to making businesses and people more productive. As more agents enter production, it will inevitably lead to sprawl. A mindset shift toward agent governance will be crucial to delivering the greatest return. Race toward AGI. We will reach peak intensity in the development of artificial general intelligence. I expect we’ll see announcements and investments that advance ambitious research initiatives across the field. Flood of mergers and acquisitions. As the pressure to adopt AI intensifies, companies that haven’t kept pace with innovation will be forced to explore new ways to advance their technology roadmaps. We can expect to see more organizations pursuing partnerships and selective acquisitions to strengthen their AI position. It’s going to be a busy year. WHAT WILL DEFINE 2026 We’ve reached the long-heralded moment of divergence between the AI natives and the AI nots. There will be a gap. It will be wide. And it will become painfully clear which category businesses fall into this year. The pressure will grow on CEOs and the board of directors to make AI activation their top technology investment priority. That means stopping experimentation and expecting production results. Businesses can’t afford to fall so far behind that they can’t catch up. The question for you in 2026 is this: What kind of foundation are you building in your business so that AI becomes a competitive advantage? Steve Lucas is the chairman and CEO at Boomi. 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. LG has some of the best OLED TVs on the market, from entry-level models that suit a lower budget to ultra-premium, high-tech options. If you want OLED-quality performance from a reliable brand without breaking the bank, the LG B5 is an intuitive smart TV with the brand’s signature vivid color, contrast-rich visuals, and strong gaming features. Right now, this 77-inch LG B5 OLED TV is $1,500 off at Best Buy in a Presidents Day Deal, bringing its original $2,999.99 price tag down to $1,499.99. LG - 77" Class B5 Series OLED AI 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2025) $1,499.99 at Amazon $2,999.99 Save $1,500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,499.99 at Amazon $2,999.99 Save $1,500.00 The B5 is LG’s most affordable 2025 OLED TV, and its biggest draw is excellent OLED picture quality, with true blacks, strong color accuracy, and detailed contrast (as well as built-in burn-in mitigation). It’s suitable for both streaming and gaming, with 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate with low input lag and VRR, G-Sync, and FreeSync support, as well as HDMI 2.1 ports. It uses the easy-to-navigate webOS platform and includes a range of streaming apps, free channels, and AI features like AI Voice ID, which can recognize individual viewers and switch to their profile. While it has a lot in common with the C4, the lower price tag and the fact that it supports Wi-Fi 6E make this model more appealing for some buyers. And for a huge OLED TV, it’s aggressively priced, making the 77-inch LG B5 OLED TV a smart value buy for gamers and everyday viewers at $1,500 off. However, if you want better brightness and more advanced processing, you may want to level up to the C4 or the newer C5. Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $139.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones — $229.00 (List Price $349.00) Dell 16 DC16255 (AMD Ryzen 7 250, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, 2K Display) — $649.99 (List Price $869.99) HP Omen 35L (Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 5080, 2TB SSD, 64GB RAM) — (List Price $2,949.99 With Code "PRESDAYPC100") HP OmniBook X Flip Ngai 16-Inch (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, Radeon 860M, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, 2K Display) — (List Price $649.99 With Code "PRESDAYPC50") Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A reader writes: I’m managing a difficult employee, “Felix.” Felix has been at my company for five years now. He also happens to be the CEO’s nephew. His performance was never good, but it’s gotten steadily worse. His work frequently has mistakes, he is unreachable for large stretches of the day, and he pushes back on any feedback I give him. At one point, he yelled in my face when I pointed out a repeated problem with his work, saying that he “didn’t respect” my feedback. I’ve documented these issues extensively. I’ve talked to HR repeatedly about putting him on a PIP or even terminating him outright. They say that Felix is unhappy and actively job-searching and that they will work with him to set an end date. Things came to a head at the end of last year, during Felix’s performance review. I gave him poor marks on attitude, work quality, and communication, and he once again yelled at me and told me that my review was unfair and said that the whole team thought I was a jerk. With my HR rep on the call. Who again told me that he was probably going to leave soon on his own. What should I do now? Should I keep pushing to fire him? I’ve been trying to make it work, but I’m at the end of my rope. I answer this question — and two others — over at Inc. today, where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and sometimes updating/expanding my answers to them). You can read it here. Other questions I’m answering there today include: How can I make sure my team doesn’t organize a gift for me? Hiring a friend’s employee The post I manage the CEO’s horrible nephew appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Exceptional customer service support is vital for any business aiming to stand out in a competitive market. By following seven important guidelines, you can greatly improve your customer interactions. These include leveraging AI and automation, embracing multi-channel communication, and ensuring quick response times. Furthermore, focusing on empathy and personalization can nurture stronger relationships. As you consider these strategies, it’s important to understand how each element contributes to a thorough approach to customer satisfaction. Key Takeaways Leverage AI and automation to resolve customer issues efficiently and enhance response times, ensuring 24/7 support availability. Employ an omnichannel approach to meet customers on their preferred communication platforms, fostering consistent interaction. Prioritize quick response times, aiming to acknowledge inquiries within minutes to boost customer satisfaction and brand perception. Personalize customer interactions by utilizing data and CRM tools, ensuring customers feel valued through customized experiences. Train support agents regularly to enhance empathy and active listening skills, allowing them to address customer concerns effectively. Leverage AI and Automation As businesses increasingly seek to improve their customer service, leveraging AI and automation has become vital. AI is projected to resolve 80% of customer issues without human intervention, making it an efficient tool in your customer service guidelines. Advanced chatbots provide instant, 24/7 support, enabling you to address inquiries any time, thereby boosting service accessibility. Furthermore, AI can autonomously manage repetitive tasks like password resets and order returns, allowing your human agents to focus on more complex interactions that require a personal touch. This aligns with your customer care policy, as it elevates overall service quality. Utilizing AI-driven insights can speed up issue resolutions by up to 300%, markedly improving response times. By implementing prepared answers for common inquiries, you can streamline communication, allowing agents to provide quicker and more effective support. Emphasizing AI and automation can transform your customer service operations for the better. Meet Customers Where They Are To improve customer service further, businesses must meet customers where they are. With 73% of customers using multiple channels to connect, it’s essential you adopt an omnichannel approach. This guarantees consistent interactions across touchpoints, enhancing satisfaction and engagement. Here’s a breakdown of preferred communication channels: Channel Preference (%) Phone 30 Email 14 In-Person 13 Chat 10 Social Media 6 Have Empathy Empathy plays a vital role in customer service, as it helps you build strong relationships and effectively manage challenging interactions. By comprehending your customers’ feelings and concerns, you can de-escalate difficult situations and promote a more supportive environment. Active listening is a key component of this process; when you truly listen, you can address issues more effectively. In today’s customer-centric setting, 70% of consumers appreciate a personal touch in their interactions, making empathy an important skill. Utilizing tools trained on real customer interactions can additionally improve your empathetic responses, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty. Prioritizing human needs is particularly important in an AI-integrated environment, ensuring customers feel valued and appreciated. By practicing empathy and adhering to proper customer care etiquette, you can greatly improve customer experiences and nurture long-term loyalty. Put Customers at the Center of Decision-Making To put customers at the center of decision-making, it’s essential to align your business goals with their needs and preferences. By utilizing customer insights effectively, you can make informed choices that improve service quality and satisfaction. Engaging in collaboration across teams guarantees that everyone contributes to a customer-oriented approach, eventually leading to enhanced loyalty and growth. Align Business Goals Aligning business goals with customer needs is essential for nurturing a culture where decisions are informed by customer feedback. When you prioritize customer orientation, you’re not just improving service quality; you’re furthermore enhancing overall customer experience. This means making sure your customer service policy reflects what your customers truly value. Engaging customers in feedback processes builds loyalty and provides insights that can guide your strategic decisions. In addition, sharing customer insights across your organization empowers all departments, encouraging collaboration to meet customer expectations effectively. By focusing on customer-centric decision-making, you create outstanding customer experiences that can drive revenue growth and strengthen brand loyalty. Utilize Insights Effectively Customer insights play a pivotal role in shaping effective decision-making processes within an organization. By prioritizing customer feedback, you can greatly improve service quality and customer satisfaction. Engaging customers in feedback loops not only encourages loyalty but helps identify areas for improvement, leading to customized service strategies. Use customer insights as your guiding star, aligning them with your customer service policy example and ensuring your teams follow customer service rules to live by. Sharing these insights across departments promotes a unified approach, ensuring everyone aligns their strategies with customer needs. Organizations that consistently center their decisions around customer insights tend to outperform competitors in loyalty and overall business performance, eventually driving success in today’s market. Engage in Collaboration How can organizations truly benefit from putting customers at the center of their decision-making processes? By engaging customers in feedback, you cultivate loyalty and improve service quality. When you listen to their insights, you can create exceptional customer experiences. It’s crucial for customer care staff to share these insights across teams, empowering everyone to make informed decisions that align with customer needs. Prioritizing customer input not just builds brand loyalty but additionally improves overall satisfaction. A customer-first approach promotes collaboration across departments, ensuring that each team member understands and acts upon customer preferences. This alignment in customer service manners leads to more effective strategies and a stronger connection between your organization and its clientele, in the end driving success. Be Proactive Being proactive in customer service means anticipating needs and addressing potential issues before they escalate. Proactive service improves overall satisfaction and loyalty by actively engaging with customers. By analyzing customer data, you can identify trends and make real-time recommendations that preemptively tackle problems. This approach not only resolves issues 300% faster but additionally improves the overall customer experience. Instead of waiting for customers to voice complaints, take the initiative to offer solutions and guidance. For instance, customer care personnel can reach out with relevant updates or troubleshooting tips, preventing issues before they arise. This builds trust and cultivates healthier relationships. By implementing proactive strategies, you show your commitment to exceptional service, ensuring customers feel valued and supported. In the end, being proactive isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about creating an environment where customers feel understood and cared for, leading to long-lasting loyalty. Personalize the Experience Personalizing the experience is essential for nurturing meaningful connections with your customers, particularly as 80% of consumers express a preference for customized interactions that meet their specific needs. Utilizing CRM systems can help you track customer preferences and purchase history, enabling you to provide more relevant and personalized service. Incorporating AI tools can further improve personalization, offering customized recommendations based on data insights. Remembering individual customer details, such as past interactions and preferences, greatly improves the overall experience, promoting loyalty and satisfaction. Engage customers through personalized communication, like proactive emails with customized suggestions that resonate with their interests. This approach not only boosts satisfaction but encourages repeat business. As you implement these strategies, refer to this customer service guide to guarantee you’re consistently delivering personalized interactions that truly matter. Provide Quick Customer Service Providing quick customer service is crucial in today’s fast-paced environment, as most consumers expect a response within five minutes. Utilizing efficient communication channels and automated acknowledgment systems can help you meet these expectations, ensuring customers feel valued right from the start. Fast Response Times In today’s fast-paced world, quick customer service isn’t merely a preference; it’s an expectation. With 70% of consumers anticipating a response within five minutes, implementing fast response times is essential. To improve your customer service policy, consider these strategies: Use automated responses to acknowledge inquiries swiftly, reducing perceived wait times. Guarantee timely follow-ups; 64% of customers appreciate fast callbacks for missed messages. Regularly update agents on processes and tools for effective responses. Efficient agent training and streamlined processes will maintain high response times, increasing resolution rates and overall customer satisfaction. Efficient Communication Channels How can businesses guarantee they provide quick customer service while accommodating various communication preferences? By establishing efficient communication channels, you can notably improve response times. Start by implementing a streamlined strategy that allows customers to reach you through their preferred methods, whether it’s email, chat, or social media. Ascertain your agents receive regular training to handle inquiries swiftly and effectively, adhering to service guidelines. Automated Responses can acknowledge customer queries almost instantly, boosting initial satisfaction. Moreover, prioritize fast callbacks for missed messages; timely follow-ups can promote loyalty and improve overall customer experience. Automated Acknowledgment Systems Automated acknowledgment systems can greatly improve customer service by providing instant responses to inquiries, thereby reducing first reply times. By implementing these systems, you can elevate customer satisfaction and retention. Quick service is crucial, as studies show that 70% of consumers prioritize rapid responses when interacting with brands. Handle repetitive queries efficiently, freeing up agents for complex issues. Guarantee timely updates and information about customer inquiries. Boost overall brand perception through expedited communication. Utilizing automated acknowledgment systems streamlines your communication process, making it easier for customers to receive the help they need. This approach not just improves their experience but also allows your team to focus on providing personalized support where it matters most. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 Essentials to Excellent Customer Service? To achieve excellent customer service, focus on seven fundamentals: First, personalize interactions to meet customer needs. Second, empower employees to resolve issues independently. Third, guarantee consistent communication across channels for a unified experience. Fourth, practice proactive problem-solving to anticipate customer concerns. Fifth, measure satisfaction using tools like CSAT and NPS. Sixth, provide timely responses to inquiries. Finally, continually train staff to improve their skills and knowledge in customer service. What Are the Key Elements of Exceptional Customer Service? Key elements of exceptional customer service include personalized interactions that cater to individual needs, proactive engagement to anticipate customer concerns, and quick response times that boost satisfaction. Empathy is vital, as it builds trust and rapport by acknowledging customer emotions. Moreover, utilizing multi-channel approaches guarantees a seamless experience, as customers expect consistent service across various platforms. What Are the 7 R’s of Customer Service? The 7 R’s of customer service are fundamental principles that improve interactions. They include having the Right attitude to engage positively, providing the Right information to address inquiries, ensuring the Right product is available, delivering it at the Right time, offering service in the Right place, targeting the Right customer for your services, and delivering the Right service to meet expectations. Implementing these principles can greatly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. What Are the Essential Skills for Providing Excellent Customer Service? To provide excellent customer service, you need strong problem-solving skills to diagnose issues effectively. Patience is key, as it helps you manage confused or frustrated customers. Emotional intelligence, especially empathy, allows you to relate to their frustrations. Clear communication skills are crucial to convey information without misunderstandings, as active listening guarantees you fully engage with customers and understand their concerns. Together, these skills improve the quality of service you deliver. Conclusion By following these seven fundamental guidelines, you can greatly improve your customer service support. Leveraging AI and automation boosts efficiency, as engaging customers on their preferred channels increases satisfaction. Empathy and personalization promote stronger connections, and proactive measures demonstrate your commitment to their needs. Quick response times are vital in today’s fast-paced environment. By integrating these strategies, you not just improve customer experiences but additionally position your business for long-term success and competitive advantage in the market. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Essential Guidelines for Exceptional Customer Service Support" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In 2023, the science fiction literary magazine Clarkesworld stopped accepting new submissions because so many were generated by artificial intelligence. Near as the editors could tell, many submitters pasted the magazine’s detailed story guidelines into an AI and sent in the results. And they weren’t alone. Other fiction magazines have also reported a high number of AI-generated submissions. This is only one example of a ubiquitous trend. A legacy system relied on the difficulty of writing and cognition to limit volume. Generative AI overwhelms the system because the humans on the receiving end can’t keep up. This is happening everywhere. Newspapers are being inundated by AI-generated letters to the editor, as are academic journals. Lawmakers are inundated with AI-generated constituent comments. Courts around the world are flooded with AI-generated filings, particularly by people representing themselves. AI conferences are flooded with AI-generated research papers. Social media is flooded with AI posts. In music, open source software, education, investigative journalism, and hiring, it’s the same story. Like Clarkesworld’s initial response, some of these institutions shut down their submissions processes. Others have met the offensive of AI inputs with some defensive response, often involving a counteracting use of AI. Academic peer reviewers increasingly use AI to evaluate papers that may have been generated by AI. Social media platforms turn to AI moderators. Court systems use AI to triage and process litigation volumes supercharged by AI. Employers turn to AI tools to review candidate applications. Educators use AI not just to grade papers and administer exams, but as a feedback tool for students. These are all arms races: rapid, adversarial iteration to apply a common technology to opposing purposes. Many of these arms races have clearly deleterious effects. Society suffers if the courts are clogged with frivolous, AI-manufactured cases. There is also harm if the established measures of academic performance—publications and citations—accrue to those researchers most willing to fraudulently submit AI-written letters and papers rather than to those whose ideas have the most impact. The fear is that, in the end, fraudulent behavior enabled by AI will undermine systems and institutions that society relies on. Upsides of AI Yet some of these AI arms races have surprising hidden upsides, and the hope is that at least some institutions will be able to change in ways that make them stronger. Science seems likely to become stronger thanks to AI, yet it faces a problem when the AI makes mistakes. Consider the example of nonsensical, AI-generated phrasing filtering into scientific papers. A scientist using an AI to assist in writing an academic paper can be a good thing, if used carefully and with disclosure. AI is increasingly a primary tool in scientific research: for reviewing literature, programming, and for coding and analyzing data. And for many, it has become a crucial support for expression and scientific communication. Pre-AI, better-funded researchers could hire humans to help them write their academic papers. For many authors whose primary language is not English, hiring this kind of assistance has been an expensive necessity. AI provides it to everyone. In fiction, fraudulently submitted AI-generated works cause harm, both to the human authors now subject to increased competition and to those readers who may feel defrauded after unknowingly reading the work of a machine. But some outlets may welcome AI-assisted submissions with appropriate disclosure and under particular guidelines, and leverage AI to evaluate them against criteria like originality, fit, and quality. Others may refuse AI-generated work, but this will come at a cost. It’s unlikely that any human editor or technology can sustain an ability to differentiate human from machine writing. Instead, outlets that wish to exclusively publish humans will need to limit submissions to a set of authors they trust to not use AI. If these policies are transparent, readers can pick the format they prefer and read happily from either or both types of outlets. We also don’t see any problem if a job seeker uses AI to polish their resumes or write better cover letters: The wealthy and privileged have long had access to human assistance for those things. But it crosses the line when AIs are used to lie about identity and experience, or to cheat on job interviews. Similarly, a democracy requires that its citizens be able to express their opinions to their representatives, or to each other through a medium like the newspaper. The rich and powerful have long been able to hire writers to turn their ideas into persuasive prose, and AIs providing that assistance to more people is a good thing, in our view. Here, AI mistakes and bias can be harmful. Citizens may be using AI for more than just a time-saving shortcut; it may be augmenting their knowledge and capabilities, generating statements about historical, legal, or policy factors they can’t reasonably be expected to independently check. Today’s commercial AI text detectors are far from foolproof. Fraud booster What we don’t want is for lobbyists to use AIs in astroturf campaigns, writing multiple letters and passing them off as individual opinions. This, too, is an older problem that AIs are making worse. What differentiates the positive from the negative here is not any inherent aspect of the technology; it’s the power dynamic. The same technology that reduces the effort required for a citizen to share their lived experience with their legislator also enables corporate interests to misrepresent the public at scale. The former is a power-equalizing application of AI that enhances participatory democracy; the latter is a power-concentrating application that threatens it. In general, we believe writing and cognitive assistance, long available to the rich and powerful, should be available to everyone. +The problem comes when AIs make fraud easier. Any response needs to balance embracing that newfound democratization of access with preventing fraud. There’s no way to turn this technology off. Highly capable AIs are widely available and can run on a laptop. Ethical guidelines and clear professional boundaries can help—for those acting in good faith. But there won’t ever be a way to totally stop academic writers, job seekers, or citizens from using these tools, either as legitimate assistance or to commit fraud. This means more comments, more letters, more applications, more submissions. The problem is that whoever is on the receiving end of this AI-fueled deluge can’t deal with the increased volume. What can help is developing assistive AI tools that benefit institutions and society, while also limiting fraud. And that may mean embracing the use of AI assistance in these adversarial systems, even though the defensive AI will never achieve supremacy. Balancing harms with benefits The science fiction community has been wrestling with AI since 2023. Clarkesworld eventually reopened submissions, claiming that it has an adequate way of separating human- and AI-written stories. No one knows how long, or how well, that will continue to work. The arms race continues. There is no simple way to tell whether the potential benefits of AI will outweigh the harms, now or in the future. But as a society, we can influence the balance of harms it wreaks and opportunities it presents as we muddle our way through the changing technological landscape. Bruce Schneier is an adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Nathan Sanders is an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Upbeat assessment ahead of elections contrasts with traditional Wall Street preference for minimal interventionView the full article

Layoffs are at an all-time high since 2009, and we’re also experiencing the lowest hiring on record in the job market. But AI spending is also reaching all-time highs—especially among Big Tech companies, who are on an extravagant spending spree. As I recently reported, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon are forecast to drop a staggering $650 billion on AI in 2026 alone. And while many companies are pouring a lot of that money—we’re talking hundreds of billions—into building massive data centers, hoping to establish a long-term strategic advantage in the AI-arms race, many are still hiring workers for jobs that utilize AI skills. So, what are those skills? While many people assume the most in demand AI-skill is coding, according to a new report, it’s actually not. Here’s a look at what recruiters and companies are looking for right now. The most in demand AI skills A recent report from online freelance marketplace Upwork found that the AI skill for which hiring is growing fastest is AI video generation and editing (a type of design and creative work). Demand for that skill is up over 329% year over year (YoY). That refers to the ability to use AI tools to cut down on time by generating and editing video content from text, images, or audio. Some of the other AI skills that are most in demand include the following (by category): Coding and web development: Artificial intelligence integration is up 178%. Data science and analytics: Data annotation and labeling is up 154%. Customer service and admin support: E-commerce management is up 130%. Design and creative work: AI image generation and editing is up 95%. Job skills are foundational, not replaceable “While, the World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of workers’ skills will be transformed or become redundant by 2030—only a small share of complex tasks can be fully automated by today’s AI,” according to the report. While workers are increasingly concerned about being displaced by AI, Upwork’s findings show companies still rank talent acquisition and retention as their top strategic priority (consistently ahead of innovation and technology adoption). This means that instead of replacing workers with AI, businesses are still prioritizing adaptable and agile learners slightly ahead of those who can build or understand AI tools (at least, for now). View the full article

In an age where employee experience can significantly impact retention and productivity, small businesses can benefit immensely from effective onboarding processes. SurveyMonkey has recently unveiled improvements to its onboarding surveys aimed specifically at enhancing new hire integration into organizations. With a dual approach combining structured feedback with open-ended responses, these tools offer small business owners actionable insights that can lead to a more engaged workforce. The latest updates focus on the design of onboarding surveys that maximize both quantitative and qualitative data collection. By using scaled questions, SurveyMonkey enables employers to swiftly gauge clarity, confidence, and preparedness among new hires. For instance, a numeric scale might help determine how well a new employee understands their role, while open-ended questions invite them to articulate what aspects of the onboarding process are working or which areas could use improvement. “We used scaled questions to quickly assess clarity, confidence, and preparedness,” a spokesperson for SurveyMonkey stated. “These were paired with open-ended prompts that allowed new hires to explain what was working, what felt confusing, and where they needed more support.” This multifaceted approach not only gathers essential metrics but also empowers employees to share their experiences candidly. One of the key advantages of these surveys lies in their anonymous nature. By allowing new hires to provide feedback without fear of repercussions, businesses can identify potential pitfalls early in the onboarding process. The goal is to surface candid feedback before any hesitation or social pressure affects the quality of the input, ensuring that business owners can refine their onboarding experiences in real-time. For small business owners, implementing these onboarding surveys can be both straightforward and beneficial. By leveraging the data gathered, employers can tailor training programs to address common struggles identified by new employees. Effective onboarding leads to faster acclimatization to the company culture and standards, which can directly reduce turnover rates—a critical concern for small businesses often operating with limited resources. However, small business owners should keep potential challenges in mind. Crafting effective onboarding surveys requires careful consideration of what questions will yield the most valuable data. Additionally, there is the risk that employees may provide constructive criticism that, while essential for growth, could be difficult for management to hear. Business owners will need to foster a culture where feedback is embraced and used constructively. Moreover, while SurveyMonkey’s tools can streamline the data collection process, the interpretation of this data still falls on the shoulders of business leaders. Implementing changes based on survey results may require time, resources, and sometimes even difficult conversations among team members. Hence, small business owners must be prepared not just to collect insights but also to act on them thoughtfully. Ultimately, the enhanced onboarding solutions offered by SurveyMonkey represent an opportunity for small businesses to create more engaging and supportive environments for new employees. As the job market continues to evolve, ensuring that new hires feel welcomed, informed, and prepared is crucial for long-term business sustainability. More information about these onboarding improvements can be found in the original release at SurveyMonkey. By leveraging these innovative tools, small business owners can elevate their onboarding processes, paving the way for a more productive and enthusiastic workforce. Image via Google Gemini This article, "New Onboarding Surveys Foster Candid Feedback from New Hires" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In an age where employee experience can significantly impact retention and productivity, small businesses can benefit immensely from effective onboarding processes. SurveyMonkey has recently unveiled improvements to its onboarding surveys aimed specifically at enhancing new hire integration into organizations. With a dual approach combining structured feedback with open-ended responses, these tools offer small business owners actionable insights that can lead to a more engaged workforce. The latest updates focus on the design of onboarding surveys that maximize both quantitative and qualitative data collection. By using scaled questions, SurveyMonkey enables employers to swiftly gauge clarity, confidence, and preparedness among new hires. For instance, a numeric scale might help determine how well a new employee understands their role, while open-ended questions invite them to articulate what aspects of the onboarding process are working or which areas could use improvement. “We used scaled questions to quickly assess clarity, confidence, and preparedness,” a spokesperson for SurveyMonkey stated. “These were paired with open-ended prompts that allowed new hires to explain what was working, what felt confusing, and where they needed more support.” This multifaceted approach not only gathers essential metrics but also empowers employees to share their experiences candidly. One of the key advantages of these surveys lies in their anonymous nature. By allowing new hires to provide feedback without fear of repercussions, businesses can identify potential pitfalls early in the onboarding process. The goal is to surface candid feedback before any hesitation or social pressure affects the quality of the input, ensuring that business owners can refine their onboarding experiences in real-time. For small business owners, implementing these onboarding surveys can be both straightforward and beneficial. By leveraging the data gathered, employers can tailor training programs to address common struggles identified by new employees. Effective onboarding leads to faster acclimatization to the company culture and standards, which can directly reduce turnover rates—a critical concern for small businesses often operating with limited resources. However, small business owners should keep potential challenges in mind. Crafting effective onboarding surveys requires careful consideration of what questions will yield the most valuable data. Additionally, there is the risk that employees may provide constructive criticism that, while essential for growth, could be difficult for management to hear. Business owners will need to foster a culture where feedback is embraced and used constructively. Moreover, while SurveyMonkey’s tools can streamline the data collection process, the interpretation of this data still falls on the shoulders of business leaders. Implementing changes based on survey results may require time, resources, and sometimes even difficult conversations among team members. Hence, small business owners must be prepared not just to collect insights but also to act on them thoughtfully. Ultimately, the enhanced onboarding solutions offered by SurveyMonkey represent an opportunity for small businesses to create more engaging and supportive environments for new employees. As the job market continues to evolve, ensuring that new hires feel welcomed, informed, and prepared is crucial for long-term business sustainability. More information about these onboarding improvements can be found in the original release at SurveyMonkey. By leveraging these innovative tools, small business owners can elevate their onboarding processes, paving the way for a more productive and enthusiastic workforce. Image via Google Gemini This article, "New Onboarding Surveys Foster Candid Feedback from New Hires" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest in history, and it’s meeting a growing American soccer fanbase on home turf for the first time since the ’90s. With companies paying millions to reach these fans, the challenge is standing out from the noise. On this episode of FC Explains, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explores what he’s learned from Men in Blazers co-founder Roger Bennett about how brands can leverage compelling storytelling and authentic fan culture, which sometimes matter more than the action on the field. Beer also shares insights from executives at major brands like Verizon and Anheuser-Busch about their World Cup marketing strategies to build lasting fan connections through global league sponsorships and tournament partnerships, while avoiding the “cultural wallpaper” effect that often happens at major sporting events. View the full article

If you're of a certain age, you might remember mixtapes: cassettes made up of a series of tracks you or a friend think work well together, or otherwise enjoy. (They took some work to put together, too.) Digital music sort of killed mixtapes, but, in their place, came playlists. You could easily put together a collection of your favorite songs, and either burn them to a CD, or, as streaming took over, let the playlist itself grow as large as you wanted. Anyone can make a playlist, but there's an art to it. Someone with a keen ear for music can build a playlist you can let play for hours. Maybe you have a friend who's good at making playlists, or maybe you're that friend in your group. They can be a fun way to share music, and find some new music to add to your own library. Now, generative AI wants to replace human intervention altogether. Rather than you or a friend building a playlist, you can ask AI to do it for you. And YouTube Music is the latest service to give it a try. YouTube announced its new AI playlist generator in a post on X on Monday. If you subscribe to either YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium, you can ask YouTube's AI to make a playlist based on whatever parameters you want. To try it out, open YouTube Music, then head to your Library and tap "New." Next, choose the new "AI Playlist" option, then enter the type of music you're looking for. You could ask YouTube Music to generate a playlist of pop-punk songs, or to make something to play when focusing on work. Really, it's whatever you want, and if the AI gets it wrong, you can try it again. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. It's pretty straightforward, and nothing revolutionary. Other music streaming services have their own AI playlist generators too. Spotify, for example, has had one for a couple of years, but recently rolled out Prompted Playlist as well, which lets you generate playlists that update with time, and takes your listening history into account. With this update, however, YouTube is likely trying to drum up some interest in its streaming service and encourage users to pay for it. Just this week, the company put lyrics—once a free feature—behind the Premium paywall. I suppose it thinks that if you can't read what your favorite artists are singing, and you'd like to have a bot make your playlists for you, you might just subscribe to its platform. This could be a good change in the long run for YouTube Music subscribers. I'm on Apple Music, so I don't really use AI-generated playlists. I like the Apple-curated playlists, as well as the ones my friends and I make and share. But who knows: Maybe human-generated playlists are going the way of the mixtape. View the full article

B2B advertising faces a distinct challenge: most automation tools weren’t built for lead generation. Ecommerce campaigns benefit from hundreds of conversions that fuel machine learning. B2B marketers don’t have that luxury. They deal with lower conversion volume, longer sales cycles, and no clear cart value to guide optimization. The good news? Automation can still work. Melissa Mackey, Head of Paid Search at Compound Growth Marketing, says the right strategy and signals can turn automation into a powerful driver of B2B leads. Below is a summary of the key insights and recommendations she shared at SMX Next. The fundamental challenge: Why automation struggles with lead gen Automation systems are built for ecommerce success, which creates three core obstacles for B2B marketers: Customer journey length: Automation performs best with short journeys. A user visits, buys, and checks out within minutes. B2B journeys can last 18 to 24 months. Offline conversions only look back 90 days, leaving a large gap between early engagement and closed revenue. Conversion volume requirements: Google’s automation works best with about 30 leads per campaign per month. Google says it can function with less, but performance is often inconsistent below that level. Ecommerce campaigns easily hit hundreds of monthly conversions. B2B lead gen rarely does. The cart value problem: In ecommerce, value is instant and obvious. A $10 purchase tells the system something very different than a $100 purchase. Lead generation has no cart. True value often isn’t clear until prospects move through multiple funnel stages — sometimes months later. The solution: Sending the right signals Despite these challenges, proven strategies can make automation work for B2B lead generation. Offline conversions: Your number one priority Connecting your CRM to Google Ads or Microsoft Ads is essential for making automation work in lead generation. This isn’t optional. It’s the foundation. If you haven’t done this yet, stop and fix it first. In Google Ads’ Data Manager, you’ll find hundreds of CRM integration options. The most common B2B setups include: HubSpot and Salesforce: Both offer native, seamless integrations with Google Ads. Setup is simple. Once connected, customer stages and CRM data flow directly into the platform. Other CRMs: If you don’t use HubSpot or Salesforce, you can build a custom data table with only the fields you want to share. Use connectors like Snowflake to send that data to Google Ads while protecting user privacy and still supplying strong automation signals. Third-party integrations: If your CRM doesn’t integrate directly, tools like Zapier can connect almost anything to Google Ads. There’s a cost, but the performance gains typically pay for it many times over. Embrace micro conversions with strategic values Micro conversions signal intent. They show a “hand raiser” — someone engaged on your site who isn’t an MQL yet but clearly interested. The key is assigning relative value to these actions, even when you don’t know their exact revenue impact. Use a simple hierarchy to train automation what matters most: Video views (value: 1): Shows curiosity, but qualification is unclear. Ungated asset downloads (value: 10): Indicates stronger engagement and added effort. Form fills (value: 100): Reflects meaningful commitment and willingness to share personal information. Marketing qualified leads (value: 1,000): The highest-value signal and top optimization priority. This value structure tells automation that one MQL matters more than 999 video views. Without these distinctions, campaigns chase impressive conversion rates driven by low-value actions — while real leads slip through the cracks. Making Performance Max work for lead generation You might dismiss Performance Max (PMax) for lead generation — and for good reason. Run it on a basic maximize conversions strategy, and it usually produces junk leads and wastes budget. But PMax can deliver exceptional results when you combine conversion values and offline conversion data with a Target ROAS bid strategy. One real client example shows what’s possible. They tracked three offline conversion actions — leads, opportunities, and customers — and valued customers at 50 times a lead. The results were dramatic: Leads increased 150% Opportunities increased 350% Closed deals increased 200% Closed deals became the campaign’s top-performing metric because they reflected real, paying customers. The key difference? Using conversion values with a Target ROAS strategy instead of basic maximize conversions. Campaign-specific goals: An underutilized feature Campaign-specific goals let you optimize campaigns for different conversion actions, giving you far more control and flexibility. You can set conversion goals at the account level or make them campaign-specific. With campaign-specific goals, you can: Run a mid-funnel campaign optimized only for lead form submissions using informational keywords. Build audiences from those form fills to capture engaged prospects. Launch a separate campaign optimized for qualified leads, targeting that warm audience with higher-value offers like demos or trials. This approach avoids asking someone to “marry you on the first date.” It also keeps campaigns from competing against themselves by trying to optimize for conflicting goals. Portfolio bidding: Reaching the data threshold faster Portfolio bidding groups similar campaigns so you can reach the critical 30-conversions-per-month threshold faster. For example, four separate campaigns might generate 12, 11, 0, and 15 conversions. On their own, none qualify. Grouped into a single portfolio, they total 38 conversions — giving automation far more data to optimize against. You may still need separate campaigns for valid reasons — regional reporting, distinct budgets, or operational constraints. Portfolio bidding lets you keep that structure while still feeding the system enough volume to perform. Bonus benefit: Portfolio bidding lets you set maximum CPCs. This prevents runaway bids when automation aggressively targets high-propensity users. This level of control is otherwise only available through tools like SA360. First-party audiences: Powerful targeting signals First-party audiences send strong signals about who you want to reach, which is critical for AI-powered campaigns. If HubSpot or Salesforce is connected to Google Ads, you can import audiences and use them strategically: Customer lists: Use them as exclusions to avoid paying for existing customers, or as lookalikes in Demand Gen campaigns. Contact lists: Use them for observation to signal ideal audience traits, or for targeting to retarget engaged users. Audiences make it much easier to trust broad match keywords and AI-driven campaign types like PMax or AI Max — approaches that often feel too loose for B2B without strong audience signals in place. Leveraging AI for B2B lead generation AI tools can significantly improve B2B advertising efficiency when you use them with intent. The key is remembering that most AI is trained on consumer behavior, not B2B buying patterns. The essential B2B prompt addition Always tell the AI you’re selling to other businesses. Start prompts with clear context, like: “You’re a SaaS company that sells to other businesses.” That single line shifts the AI’s lens away from consumer assumptions and toward B2B realities. Client onboarding and profile creation Use AI to build detailed client profiles by feeding it clear inputs, including: What you sell and your core value. Your unique selling propositions. Target personas. Ideal customer profiles. Create a master template or a custom GPT for each client. This foundation sharpens every downstream AI task and dramatically improves accuracy and relevance. Competitor research in minutes, not hours Competitive analysis that once took 20–30 hours can now be done in 10–15 minutes. Ask AI to analyze your competitors and break down: Current offers Positioning and messaging Value propositions Customer sentiment Social proof Pricing strategies AI delivers clean, well-structured tables you can screenshot for client decks or drop straight into Google Sheets for sorting and filtering. Use this insight to spot gaps, uncover opportunities, and identify clear strategic advantages. Competitor keyword analysis Use tools like Semrush or SpyFu to pull competitor keyword lists, then let AI do the heavy lifting. Create a spreadsheet with columns for each competitor’s keywords alongside your client’s keywords. Then ask the AI to: Identify keywords competitors rank for that you don’t to uncover gaps to fill. Identify keywords you own that competitors don’t to surface unique advantages. Group keywords by theme to reveal patterns and inform campaign structure. What once took hours of pivot tables, filtering, and manual cleanup now takes AI about five minutes. Automating routine tasks Negative keyword review: Create an AI artifact that learns your filtering rules and decision logic. Feed it search query reports, and it returns clear add-or-ignore recommendations. You spend time reviewing decisions instead of doing first-pass analysis, which makes SQR reviews faster and easier to run more often. Ad copy generation: Tools like RSA generators can produce headlines and descriptions from sample keywords and destination URLs. Pair them with your custom client GPT for even stronger starting points. Always review AI-generated copy, but refining solid drafts is far faster than writing from scratch. Experiments: testing what works The Experiments feature is widely underused. Put it to work by testing: Different bid strategies, including portfolio vs. standard Match types Landing pages Campaign structures Google Ads automatically reports performance, so there’s no manual math. It even includes insight summaries that tell you what to do next — apply the changes, end the experiment, or run a follow-up test. Solutions: Pre-built scripts made easy Solutions are prebuilt Google Ads scripts that automate common tasks, including: Reporting and dashboards Anomaly detection Link checking Flexible budgeting Negative keyword list creation Instead of hunting down scripts and pasting code, you answer a few setup questions and the solution runs automatically. Use caution with complex enterprise accounts, but for simpler structures, these tools can save a significant amount of time. Key takeaways Automation wasn’t built for lead generation, but with the right strategy, you can still make it work for B2B. Send the right signals: Offline conversions with assigned values aren’t optional. First-party audiences add critical targeting context. Together, these signals make AI-driven campaigns work for B2B. AI is your friend: Use AI to automate repetitive work — not to replace people. Take 50 search query reports off your team’s plate so they can focus on strategy instead of tedious analysis. Leverage platform tools: Experiments, Solutions, campaign-specific goals, and portfolio bidding are powerful features many advertisers ignore. Use what’s already built into your ad platforms to get more out of every campaign. Watch: It’s time to embrace automation for B2B lead gen View the full article

BMW has issued a recall of 87,394 vehicles over a defect that could cause the engine to overheat and start a fire. The recall, issued on Jan. 30, covers models made between 2021 and 2024. It includes nine BMW models, as well as one Toyota model, which shares similar structures and parts. The recalled BMW vehicles include: Toyota Supra, 2021-2023, BMW 5 Series, 2021-2024, BMW Z4, 2021-2022, BMW 2 Series Coupe, 2022-2023, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, 2022-2024, BMW 4 Series Convertible, 2021-2024, BMW 4 Series Coupe, 2021-2023, BMW 3 Series, 2021-2024, BMW X4, 2021-2023, and BMW X3, 2021-2024. In a blog post BMW said the defect involves “unexpected wear on an internal component” which may “cause the starter to stop working properly—sometimes surfacing first as a no-start condition—but the higher-stakes concern is heat.” It continued, “NHTSA’s report says that ‘in an extreme case; the issue could cause a thermal event or fire when starting the engine, or while the engine is running.” Just months ago, BMW issued a similar recall. In October, the company recalled 145,000 vehicles over a starter defect that could overheat and spark a fire. Prior to that, it recalled 200,000 vehicles for the same reason. Still, BMW is not the only car company to appear plagued by recalls as of late. At the end of last year, Ford recalled over 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles over a parking function issue. Porsche recalled over 173,000 vehicles over a problem with the rearview camera image. Earlier in 2025, the NHTSA also issued similar recalls of Hyundai Motor America, Ford Motor, Toyota Motor, and Chrysler vehicles. The recall notice indicates that BMW is not aware of any accident or injuries, for both the BMW vehicles, as well as the Toyota Supra vehicles, due to the issue. It also noted that dealers will replace the engine starter at no cost to owners. Notification letters are expected to be mailed to vehicle owners on March 24, 2026. View the full article

I don’t care if you own a car, SUV, minivan, pickup truck, private jet, or one of each. This essay isn’t a judgment on consumerism. It’s about how the forces shaping our automotive obsession ripple into land use policy, infrastructure funding, government subsidies, and every facet of urbanism. Once upon a time, did Americans flock to dealerships out of pure need—or were they herded by subversive forces? Was it free will or predestination? The automobile’s rise was a masterclass in what the military would call a psychological operation, a psy-op. In a flash, the “household automobile” became the “personal automobile,” thanks to advertising genius that turned utility into aspiration. The godfather of modern PR At the heart of this shift was Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s nephew and the godfather of modern public relations. Bernays didn’t sell cars; he sold dreams, using emotional triggers to link vehicles with individualism, prestige, and progress. His tactics transformed cars from practical tools into must-have symbols of self-expression. Drawing from Uncle Freud, Bernays targeted subconscious desires. Early- and mid-20th century ads were dry, like user manuals highlighting features. Bernays led the marketing pivot to allure. Chevrolet’s 1950s “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” campaign painted cars as portals to adventure and family memories. Manufacturers introduced annual model updates, rendering last year’s ride obsolete, a strategy Bernays tested for GM after Henry Ford dismissed it as sleazy. It worked brilliantly, birthing “planned obsolescence” and embedding perpetual consumption into our culture. Edward Bernays Ford’s Model T was pitched as “the universal car,” bridging class divides. GM segmented their market with Chevrolets for “practical families” and Buicks for status-seekers. It’s funny that people today want to dismiss the consumerism psy-op as conspiracy theory, even though Bernays documented and openly bragged about his methods in TV and radio interviews over his 103-year life. Cars: A timeline Here’s a snapshot of some of the auto industry’s milestones: 1900-1910: From 8,000 registered cars in 1900 to over 400,000 by 1910, fueled by early hype. 1908-1916: Henry Ford’s assembly line dropped the Model T’s price from $825 to $360, marketed as “the car for everyman” to symbolize modernity. 1920s: Automakers spent the equivalent of $2 billion in today’s dollars on ads that shifted from facts to feelings. 1920s-1950s: GM’s yearly changes cut car lifespans from five years to two-three, creating upgrade culture. 1950s: Over $300 million spent on ads emphasizing freedom and status; car ownership ranked second only to homes as a status symbol. 1960s-1970s: 80% of cars bought on credit, with ads focused on lifestyle, then pivoted to “green” virtue-signaling amid environmental concerns. 21st Century: Auto ads remain a top-10 spender for a population of buyers that is predominantly completely on personal cars to get around. Emotional forces The best advertisers understand that humans are feeling creatures who sometimes think, as opposed to thinking creatures who sometimes feel. Cereal, shoes, cars—it all preys on the same impulses. The auto industry’s success defied logic because even as saturation hit, demand surged. They were and are enjoying the outcomes of a culture that believes everyone 16-and-up needs their own personal car. I’m a car owner, and I’ll be the first to tell you motor vehicles are incredible inventions. The more I learn about human behavior and our decision-making process, the more examples I see in my own life where my behavior was nudged by outside forces tugging my emotional strings. If you’re interested in changing how the built environment is planned, designed, and maintained, understanding the power and tools of persuasion will help you immensely. So much of culture is downstream from propaganda. View the full article

If you’re on the hunt for budget-friendly craft supplies, there are several excellent options available. Stores like Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabrics, and Michaels often have sales and coupons that can help you save money. Furthermore, Dollar Tree offers a wide variety of inexpensive materials. Thrift stores and garage sales can provide unique finds, whereas craft reuse centers promote sustainability with affordable supplies. To explore even more options, consider looking into online stores that specialize in cost-effective craft materials. Key Takeaways Local thrift stores often have discounted craft supplies, including fabric, yarn, and vintage items, perfect for budget-conscious crafters. Yard sales can be treasure troves for inexpensive crafting materials, with opportunities to negotiate prices for unique finds. Craft reuse centers promote eco-friendly crafting, offering a variety of donated supplies at low costs while supporting community initiatives. Online retailers frequently run sales and promotions, enabling access to a wider range of craft supplies at competitive prices. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle provide affordable or free options for sourcing craft materials within your community. Your Own Home When you’re looking to save money on craft supplies, your own home can be a treasure trove of materials. Common items like toilet paper rolls and egg cartons can easily be repurposed into free craft items for various projects. Cardboard from cereal boxes serves well for creating structures or stencils. Recycling old newspapers and magazines offers unique materials for decoupage and scrapbooking, eliminating the need to buy new supplies. Water bottles and milk cartons can transform into planters or organizers, showcasing their versatility. Check kids’ rooms and offices for unused art supplies, as these hidden treasures can fuel new creative projects without visiting cheap craft stores or searching for scrapbooking supplies near me. Yard Sales Yard sales can be a treasure trove for crafters looking for unique supplies at a fraction of retail prices. Many local garage sales feature specific areas dedicated to crafting materials, where you might score everything from fabric and tools to vintage patterns. Unique Craft Finds Exploring local garage sales can uncover a treasure trove of unique craft supplies at unbeatable prices. You’ll often find fabric, art supplies, and gently used crafting tools that aren’t readily available in retail stores. Searching for specific items, like card making supplies near me, on Craigslist can help you pinpoint sales featuring exactly what you need. Many sellers are keen to clear out their homes, providing opportunities to haggle for even better deals on crafting supplies. Furthermore, seasonal yard sales can yield themed crafting items, such as Halloween decorations or holiday materials, at reduced prices. Keep an eye out for free craft stuff, as some sellers might be looking to give away items instead of selling them. Local Garage Sales Local garage sales offer an excellent opportunity to find a wide range of craft supplies at considerably lower prices than traditional retail stores. These sales often include unique items such as fabric, tools, and vintage crafting materials, making them a true craft depot for budget-conscious crafters. You can use websites like Craigslist to locate garage sales in your area, helping you target specific items or general supplies. Many sellers are open to negotiating prices, allowing you to score even better deals. Furthermore, seasonal events and community gatherings often coincide with these sales, providing you with even more chances to find budget-friendly crafting supplies. Don’t miss out on these hidden gems in your neighborhood! Your Neighborhood How can you tap into your neighborhood’s crafting potential? Start by exploring platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, and OfferUp. These websites often have listings for cheap or even free craft supplies from your neighbors. Networking with those around you can likewise be beneficial; many may have leftover materials from previous projects that they’re willing to give away or sell at a low price. Keep an eye out for seasonal events in your area, as they can inspire new projects and provide access to unique materials. Furthermore, consider joining local community groups that organize craft swaps, allowing you to exchange supplies and expand your crafting arsenal without breaking the bank. Thrift Stores Thrift stores provide a treasure trove of crafting supplies at prices that won’t strain your budget. You can often find a wide variety of both used and new materials, making them an ideal destination for budget-conscious crafters. These stores typically have dedicated sections for craft items, featuring fabric, yarn, and decorative pieces that you can repurpose for your projects. Moreover, you might discover unique materials like vintage books and magazines perfect for decoupage, or even old jewelry that can be transformed into beadwork. Dollar Stores For budget-conscious crafters seeking affordable materials, dollar stores are an excellent option that complements the treasures found in thrift stores. They offer a wide variety of cheap craft supplies for just a dollar, making them ideal for your projects. In these stores, you can find popular items like wooden craft sticks, clothespins, tissue paper, decorative craft tape, and various adhesives. Don’t overlook the office and party supply sections, where you may discover additional crafting materials. Useful items such as vases, candle holders, floral foam, beads, and glitter are often available too. By regularly checking for new arrivals and seasonal items, you can uncover exciting and affordable supplies that can enhance your DIY projects without breaking the bank. Craft Reuse Centers Craft reuse centers offer sustainable crafting solutions by accepting donations of materials and reselling them at budget-friendly prices. You’ll find a wide variety of supplies, from gently used items to vintage finds, perfect for sparking your creativity. Plus, these centers often host workshops and community events, making them a great resource for both new and experienced crafters looking to connect with others. Sustainable Crafting Solutions As you explore sustainable crafting solutions, consider visiting craft reuse centers, which play an essential role in promoting eco-friendly practices. These centers accept donations of crafting supplies, helping to keep materials out of landfills during offering them for resale at budget-friendly prices. You’ll find a diverse range of supplies suitable for both kids and adults, making it easy to find what you need for your projects. Shopping at these centers allows you to discover unique materials that can inspire your creativity. Many craft reuse centers additionally host community programs and workshops, encouraging collaboration among local crafters. By supporting these centers, you save money and contribute to a greener planet. Variety of Supplies As many traditional craft stores concentrate on a specific range of products, craft reuse centers offer an impressive variety of supplies that cater to diverse crafting needs. These centers focus on sustainability by accepting donations, ensuring that materials are repurposed instead of ending up in landfills. You can find supplies for various crafts, including sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, and mixed media projects. Many reuse centers provide a community space for workshops and events, welcoming both children and adults. During your exploration, you might discover unexpected finds like vintage items and one-of-a-kind supplies that aren’t available in mainstream stores. This variety not only improves your crafting experience but encourages creativity and innovation in your projects. Budget-Friendly Prices In regards to finding budget-friendly prices for crafting supplies, craft reuse centers stand out as an excellent option. These centers focus on keeping crafting materials out of landfills by accepting donations and reselling them at markedly lower prices than traditional stores. You’ll find a wide variety of supplies suitable for various types of crafting, from fabric and paint to beads and paper. Both kids and adults can explore creative opportunities during their environmentally conscious activities. Furthermore, you might discover unique items that aren’t available elsewhere, enriching your crafting experience. Online Stores In regard to finding affordable craft supplies, online stores present a wealth of options that can cater to any budget. Websites like Amazon and eBay offer a wide selection of craft materials at competitive prices, making it easy to shop from home. You can explore sites such as Oriental Trading and Fabric.com, where discounts on various items guarantee good value for your purchases. Many online retailers frequently run deals and promotions, allowing you to snag items at considerably reduced prices. If you’re searching for unique or hard-to-find materials, niche online craft suppliers can expand your options beyond local stores. Plus, online shopping makes price comparison across multiple retailers straightforward, helping you find the best deals available. Frequently Asked Questions What Types of Crafts Can I Make With Budget Supplies? You can create a variety of crafts with budget supplies. Consider making greeting cards using cardstock, decorative paper, and stamps. You could as well try your hand at painting or drawing with affordable paints and sketchbooks. DIY home decor projects, like painted flower pots or upcycled furniture, are great options. Furthermore, you can craft jewelry using beads and string. Explore sewing simple projects, such as tote bags or pillowcases, with fabric scraps. How Can I Find Sales at Craft Stores? To find sales at craft stores, start by signing up for newsletters or loyalty programs, as they often provide exclusive discounts. Check store websites for weekly ads and promotions. Utilize social media platforms where many stores announce flash sales and special events. You can additionally download coupon apps that aggregate deals from various RetailMeNot retailers. Finally, visit during major holidays, when many craft stores frequently offer significant markdowns on supplies. Are There Membership Discounts for Frequent Buyers? Yes, many craft stores offer membership discounts for frequent buyers. By signing up for loyalty programs, you can receive exclusive deals, early access to sales, and points in the direction of future purchases. For example, stores like Michaels and Joann often provide rewards programs where you earn points for every dollar spent. Furthermore, some stores may offer special coupons or discounts on your birthday or during promotional events for members. Always check the store’s website for details. What Should I Look for in Quality Craft Supplies? When selecting quality craft supplies, look for durability, ease of use, and consistency. Check materials; for example, high-quality paper should be thick and smooth, whereas paints should blend well without clumping. Review customer feedback to gauge performance and longevity. Make sure tools, like scissors or brushes, feel comfortable in your hand and perform their tasks effectively. Additionally, consider the brand reputation; established brands often provide reliable products backed by good warranties. Can I Return Unused Items to Craft Stores? Yes, you can usually return unused items to craft stores, but policies vary by retailer. Most stores require a receipt, and some may offer store credit instead of refunds. Check the specific return window, which often ranges from 30 to 90 days. Items must be in original packaging, and be free of damage. Always verify the return policy on the store’s website or at the register to avoid any surprises. Conclusion In conclusion, finding budget-friendly craft supplies is achievable with various options available. Your own home can yield unused materials, whereas yard sales and thrift stores often present unique and affordable items. Dollar stores and craft reuse centers provide inexpensive alternatives, and online stores can offer competitive prices. By exploring these sources, you can gather key supplies without overspending, allowing you to engage in your creative projects sustainably and economically. Consider these options to improve your crafting experience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Best Cheap Craft Stores for Budget Supplies" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article