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Meta is rolling out ads on its Threads app to all users worldwide, starting next week, with a gradual rollout expected to take months. Threads, Meta’s X rival, has grown rapidly since its July 2023 debut, now surpassing 400 million monthly active users. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly praised the app as a potential “next big hit,” projecting it could reach 1 billion users in a few years. Advertiser access. Advertisers have been able to test Threads ads in the U.S. and Japan over the past year, and last April the platform opened ad access to global advertisers. Meta is making it easy to expand campaigns to Threads via its Advantage+ program or manual campaigns, supporting image, video, carousel, and 4:5 aspect ratio formats. Ads can be managed alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp campaigns in Business Settings. Third party verification. Meta also expanded third-party verification from Facebook and Instagram to Threads, allowing independent brand safety and suitability checks. The company said ad delivery will initially remain “low” as the feature scales globally. Why we care. Threads now gives you access to a fast-growing social platform with 400M+ users, integrated directly into Meta’s ad ecosystem for easy cross-posting. The expansion includes advanced ad formats like video, carousel, and 4:5 images, plus third-party verification for brand safety—helping advertisers avoid risks like deepfakes. Even with initially low delivery, early adoption could give brands a competitive advantage as the platform scales globally. Bottom line. Meta is opening Threads ads to all users worldwide, giving advertisers a new, integrated channel on a rapidly growing platform with advanced formats and brand-safety verification, making early adoption key as the rollout scales. View the full article

For as much as we heard about AI in the past year, the top two best places to work in the U.S. are decidedly AI-free. Crew Carwash, an Indianapolis-based chain of car washes with 55 locations in the Midwest, claimed the top spot on Glassdoor’s list of the best places to work in 2026. In-N-Out Burger, the beloved chain with 400-plus locations, also moved up one spot this year to rank as the second-best place to work in the U.S. From there, however, tech and AI companies dominated nearly one-quarter of Glassdoor’s ranking of the top 100 companies with Nvidia claiming the third spot. But this industry’s representation on the list has actually come down somewhat in recent years, a reflection of shifting dynamics at some of these companies. “This is part of an ongoing trend where many tech employers are trimming some of the things that made the job so appealing over the last year,” Glassdoor chief economist Daniel Zhao told CBS News. “They are pushing harder and harder on efficiency and productivity.” In addition to Nvidia, ServiceNow and EPAM Systems rounded out the top three companies on an inaugural list of the best tech and AI companies. These companies are redefining what “tech-first” means and they’ve scaled rapidly without losing a human element to the workplace, according to a blog post. UNCERTAINTY IN THE JOB MARKET The past year has seen some new career trends emerge that reflect the uncertainty many workers are feeling lately—including so-called “job hugging,” or employees who sit tight in their roles, and “Shrekking,” when some workers opt to take jobs that are “beneath” their qualifications. In 2025, U.S. employers added only 584,000 new jobs, down from two million in 2024, making it the worst year for job growth since 2020 when the COVID pandemic rocked the economy. Glassdoor’s annual ranking, now in its 18th year, honors those companies that its employees love working for based on feedback provided on the platform. It comes at a time when many employees are fed up with work, and overall U.S. employee engagement is at a decade low. “Even amid the uncertainty of 2025, these standout employers have shown resilience, sustaining high levels of employee satisfaction and trust as they navigate change,” Owen Humphries, president at Glassdoor, said in a statement. Bragging rights for those companies with 1,000 employees or more is based entirely on the anonymous reviews that employees posted on the site between October 2024 and October 2025, as there’s no nomination process nor survey of employees. FOCUS ON WORKPLACE CULTURE While identifying those employers that are “getting workplace culture right” is inherent to the ranking, this year’s winners are maintaining high levels of trust and satisfaction among employees, even amid a shifting economic landscape, according to a blog post. Even though they span vastly different industries, the top three employers—Crew, In-N-Out, and Nvidia—share a common theme: They’ve operationalized cultural values, according to Glassdoor. “The best workplaces in 2026 aren’t doing anything revolutionary. They’re doing the fundamentals exceptionally well—and doing them consistently, even when it’s hard.” SHAKEUPS ON LIST Each year, some employers fall off the list to make room for new companies to make their debut—a cohort that included Alaska Airlines and Dutch Bros. this year. There were some other notable shakeups in this year’s ranking. Bain, the top-ranked employer in 2025, fell to the No. 8 spot this year, marking the lowest-ever ranking for the perennial top-5-rated company. Other shakeups saw representation decline among San Francisco-area companies, with only 13 companies making this year’s list, down from 23 in 2025. Meanwhile, New York-area employers have been rising in employee satisfaction, gaining ground with 10 companies represented on the list, up from six last year. HIRING ACTIVITY In addition to charting such shifts in the industries and locations of the best employers, the annual list is intended to help job seekers navigate a competitive job market, according to Humphries. The number of weeks someone is unemployed has been creeping higher to more than 24 weeks, on average, as of December. Combined, this year’s top 10 employers—Crew Carwash, In-N-Out, Nvidia, Ryan, Keller Williams, Mars, ServiceNow, Bain, Houston Methodist, and EPAM Systems—currently have more than 11,000 job postings active on Glassdoor. These awards are intended to be a “trusted guide” for job seekers, Humphries said, by “helping candidates connect with workplaces that reflect their values and career ambitions.” 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. 2026 kicked off with great deals on gaming monitors from Samsung, like the Odyssey OLED G8 and the more budget-friendly Odyssey G50D. But if you were looking for a bigger, curved monitor, Samsung just added the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC to the mix, which is currently $899.99 (originally $1,599.99 at its release). Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED (G93SC) QD-OLED, 240Hz, 0.03ms, DQHD, G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro,Height Adjustable Stand $899.99 at Amazon $1,289.00 Save $389.01 Get Deal Get Deal $899.99 at Amazon $1,289.00 Save $389.01 A nearly $400 discount on a Samsung OLED gaming monitor is worth paying attention to. (OLEDs are inherently expensive, so the best time to get one is on sale.) This monitor happens to be one of the best gaming monitors of 2026, according to IGN (provided you have the proper desk space for it), so if you've been waiting to splurge on the best Ultrawide gaming monitor, this is it. The specs are impressive: 5,120x1,440 resolution, insanely fast 240Hz refresh rate, VRR, and HDR10 compatibility. The 32:9 aspect ratio makes it a super ultra-wide display, the equivalent of putting two regular 16:9 monitors side by side. (You can actually plug two display cables to use it like two 27-inch 1440p monitors if you feel like being productive.) The 0.03ms input lag is minuscule, making competitive gaming with quick response times more than possible. Because this is an OLED, you'll get the best contrast with colors that pop. It offers the signature visuals of an OLED TV, with the specs and responsiveness to handle heavy gaming. Samsung's Quantum Dot technology also lowers the chances of suffering burn-in. In short, for the price, this is the best gaming monitor you can get right now. If you don't believe me, you can read IGN's glowing review of this monitor. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $148.99 (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 — $399.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Below, Charles Knowles shares five key insights from his new book, Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture. Charles is a Professor of Surgery at Queen Mary University of London and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Clinic London. Qualifying as a doctor from the University of Cambridge, he continues to practice as a consultant colorectal surgeon. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to several major international surgical textbooks. What’s the big idea? Problematic drinking is not a problem of weak will or low moral integrity. Why drinking shifts from choice to compulsion for some and not others depends on many complex factors. Listen to the audio version of this Book Bite—read by Charles himself—below, or in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Why do humans consume alcohol? A necessary starting point to understanding why some humans drink too much is understanding why humans consume alcohol at all. Our hominid ancestors evolved to metabolize alcohol over 10 million years ago, pushed by the need to safely consume rotting fruit from the forest floor. We have been deliberately manufacturing alcohol for over 15,000 years, and today it remains our most popular drug, despite many well-acknowledged downsides. Why do we continue to drink it? We can’t still claim this as a nutritional necessity. The vervet monkey on the island of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean is one example of many animal species that consume alcohol, with individuals showing variable enthusiasm for doing so. This attests to a fundamental biological driver. It cannot simply come down to clever advertising, peer pressure, or the price being right at the liquor store. The brain lies at the heart of this. If we ask most people, they will tell us that drinking alcohol makes them feel good and that they have fun drinking it. This is because alcohol is a primary reward; it can chemically alter the levels of certain neurotransmitters in our brains. The combined effects of alcohol on dopamine, but also on endorphins and GABA, lead to psychostimulatory and relaxant effects, in fact, mimicking the effects chemically of cocaine, opioids, and Valium. It is these positive effects of alcohol on the brain that are the fundamental basis of why we and other animals consume alcohol. 2. The drinking scales. Although some people may find it hard to resist, ultimately, we consciously choose to drink. This is a cognitive process that takes information from our senses—the time of day, where we are, who we are with—and processes this information against what we know, using our ability to think intelligently before acting. The positive effects we get from drinking are based on alcohol’s psychostimulatory and relaxant effects. We then come to balance these pros against the common negative effects (hangover, cost, embarrassment, etc.). This balance of the pros and cons is what I call the drinking scales. Everyone has a slightly different balance depending on their positive and negative experiences of alcohol. And this balance changes throughout life with societal norms and values. “Everyone has a slightly different balance depending on their positive and negative experiences of alcohol.” If the drinking scales worked perfectly to provide a logic-based decision all the time, I wouldn’t be writing this book. The problem is that all around us are people for whom the evident harm of drinking should have been sufficient years ago to outweigh any positives, but still they drink. In such people, we can think of the scales as being broken or bypassed. This happens because the brain is wired to allow it to happen. Survival programs deep in the ‘old’ parts of our brain, based around the reward pathway and memory, promote behavior that once aided our survival in the jungle but which now leads to serious consequences rather than any useful purpose. This is the basis of addiction. The question then becomes: why does this happen to some people and not to others? 3. Problematic drinking is not defined by how much we consume. “Why can’t he drink like a normal person?” We hear this said. Many people see problematic drinking as a black-and-white issue. There are normal drinkers, and then those who have a problem. But there is quite a lot of gray. The term gray area drinking has now become popular in community groups. But what do we mean by this compared to medical terms like alcohol dependence or alcohol use disorder? I would recommend that anyone reviewing their relationship with alcohol should look at what I call the three Cs: consumption, consequences, and control. While long-term consumption level may have some important ramifications for health or finances, consequences and control are much more important angles for looking at the problem. Consequences from alcohol range from common downsides (like a hangover) through to serious harms (car accidents, criminality) and chronic health problems affecting the body and brain. Control, however, is perhaps the most important. After all, if we could control our consumption, we could just stop when consequences started occurring. And this brings us back to considering a spectrum where white might be neutrality, a “take it or leave it” approach to drinking, and black is dependence. But what then is gray? I define gray area drinking as someone who relies on alcohol in a way that is making them concerned about the amount they consume and their ability to control it. And it brings in a new concept called alcohol reliance, a state of mind where consumption of alcohol has become a regular habit that is hard to give up, but has not yet led to the behaviors that define alcohol dependence. 4. Bad genes. It seems unfair. Why was I, of all my hard-drinking college buddies, singled out to develop alcohol dependence? This is what I call the “why me” question. Loss of control has very little to do with consumption. Although alcohol is clearly required, we don’t actually drink our way to having a problem. It therefore poses the question of whether there is something biologically different between individuals, and this has been debated since alcoholism became studied as a disease in the 1930s. Twin and adoption studies show that alcoholism has a heritability of about 50 percent, meaning that about half of the risk of developing dependence falls at the door of genetics. Studies of mice breeds show that tolerance to, stimulatory response from, and therefore preference for alcohol can be genetically conferred. In fact, you can genetically engineer mice that mimic several behaviors of dependence. We also know that people with intolerance for alcohol (such as Asian flushing, caused by specific gene variants in liver enzymes) very rarely develop alcohol problems because the experience of drinking is deeply unpleasant. “Twin and adoption studies show that alcoholism has a heritability of about 50 percent.” The sort of experiments performed in mice based on stimulation from alcohol can also be performed in humans. An example is the San Diego cohort study. Measured doses of alcohol were given to young adults who were alcohol naïve, and the amount of stimulation they got from it was measured. Those who were more stimulated went on to have a higher risk of problems later in life. We can define humans who biologically find it fun to drink versus those that rapidly slump in the corner. The latter are relatively protected while the former are at greater risk of alcohol dependence. But this doesn’t mean there is a single bad gene variant. Alcohol related disorders are what we call complex diseases or traits. They’re a mixture of nature and nurture, and the nature is a consequence of hundreds or thousands of subtle variations in our DNA spread across the two billion base pairs of our genome, and not just in the genes themselves. This means we’re looking for a needle in a haystack. In fact, one could say we’re looking for thousands of needles in a haystack, some of which look very much like hay. The results of this exercise are disappointing at the current time. Most genes found overlap with major mental health disorders and ADHD. Some newer discoveries are in taste and in the way our brains rewire throughout life. We do find some genes associated in mice with increased stimulation related to GABA. However, overall, we are a long way off having predictive genetic testing. 5. Bad luck. Despite the scientific fashion for all things genomic, how we turn out in life—our success, happiness, hopes, and dreams—generally has very much to do with the environment we grow up in and the effects of human interactions on our psyche. What we are exposed to during childhood, especially during the critical period of attachment, plays into the sort of later diagnoses that come from a psychiatrist, such as anxiety and depression, but also important personality traits like self-esteem and our social fitness. Many psychological traits create a double weighting on the pros side of the drinking scales. Alcohol doesn’t just seem fun, it also provides relief by its relaxant and, if we drink enough, sedative effects. These dissociative properties can suppress negative feelings, thoughts, and memories; this is particularly true when suppressing the barrage of thoughts that comes with problems like ADHD and neurotic personality. “We may come to falsely associate these rewards with a survival advantage.” But there is another twist here which returns us to thinking about how the drinking scales can be bypassed or broken by the fundamental survival-biased wiring led from our reward pathway. Survival for our ancestors had a great deal to do with social fitness: how we relate to other humans for protection, reciprocal behavior such as hunting, and romantic desirability. If, when we are young, we find a profound solution to fear and social difficulties by using alcohol, we may come to falsely associate these rewards with a survival advantage. Despite the illusion, our brain is still working from the ancestral jungle script. This is perhaps why disorders characterized by problems both of social interaction as well as negative thoughts are so strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Also, it may be no coincidence that the 15,000 years of deliberate alcohol manufacture quickly followed when humans started to live and cooperate in groups. Enjoy our full library of Book Bites—read by the authors!—in the Next Big Idea App. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

A reader writes: I manage a small team of customer service/account managers. I have a long-term client who is quite particular and has dealt with one of my employees for a few years now. Recently, I’ve brought a new employee on board and we decided to transition this account over to her. The client sent me a polite, but very stern email after about one week, requesting to be put back in the original employee’s hands immediately. Nothing really happened to prompt this, the new employee hasn’t done anything wrong, and our strategic goal for this year is to split up clients in a way that means she should be handled by the new employee. I personally think it’s quite rude to demand someone be returned to your account, but I can’t see how I could refuse her either, which may be taken badly by my new employee! What are your thoughts? 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: Can I ask why someone took a mental health day? I’m bombarded with requests for my time The post a difficult client will only deal with one of my employees appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Heads up, workers of the world: Microsoft 365 is currently down. Microsoft's flagship work suite, which includes tools like Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook, is currently experiencing issues impacting users. It's not yet clear exactly why these problems are occurring, but according to Downdetector (owned by Lifehacker parent company Ziff Davis) thousands of users are reporting issues. There are any number of causes that could trigger a widespread outage like this, and in all likelihood, Microsoft will have the issue isolated and fixed soon—especially considering how many companies and users rely on Microsoft 365 to function. But it does follow a number of high-profile outages this week. Just this morning, Yahoo! and AOL were both down. Last week, X experienced an outage, as did Verizon—quite famously, I might add. While we wait for a fix, there's not much you can do on your end. If your Microsoft apps are acting up, you can try to work with any of the offline tools you have access to. If you have other means of communication other than Teams, run with that. There's nothing short of Microsoft issuing a patch on their end that will bring back online functionality here. View the full article

LinkedIn has released a comprehensive analysis that highlights significant trends in hiring and job creation, particularly relevant for small business owners navigating today’s competitive landscape. As the job market continues to evolve, understanding these dynamics is crucial for small businesses looking to attract and retain talent. One of the standout findings is the overall increase in LinkedIn’s hiring rates across key global markets. The percentage of LinkedIn members adding new employers to their profiles has seen a noticeable uptick, suggesting that job opportunities are on the rise. This is particularly salient for small businesses, which often compete with larger corporations for skilled workers. Being aware of these trends can help small business owners strategize their recruitment processes effectively. Moreover, the analysis indicates a specific growth in AI-related jobs. The surge in positions such as AI Engineer and Data Annotator highlights an increasing demand for tech-savvy talent. For small business owners, offering opportunities in these emerging fields can be a pivotal way to enhance their workforce’s skill sets, making their companies more competitive. Small businesses that leverage new technology can not only increase efficiency but also attract a younger workforce eager to work in innovative environments. The LinkedIn report also emphasizes founder activity, noting an increase in the number of unique companies formed. This uptick signals a buoyant entrepreneurial climate, which is promising for small business owners who might be looking for potential collaborations or partnerships. Networking with other growing businesses can yield fresh ideas and opportunities beneficial to all parties involved. LinkedIn’s data on job openings—notably, the ratio of unique applicants per job—reveals that while opportunities are expanding, competition for qualified candidates remains fierce. This might challenge small businesses that typically lack extensive recruitment budgets. Adapting to this reality may require small business owners to refine their hiring practices, enhancing their employer brand to attract talent by emphasizing unique workplace culture and growth opportunities. However, with the growth in AI and tech-related roles comes a potential skills gap that small business owners may face. The report suggests that while new jobs in these sectors are burgeoning, the availability of qualified applicants may not meet demand. Small business leaders may need to invest in training programs or partner with educational institutions to develop a pipeline of talent equipped with the necessary skills. Additionally, the latest data shows an increasing number of workers acquiring skills in AI. This marks an essential pivot in workforce development, providing small businesses an opportunity to benefit from a talent pool that is increasingly aware of and capable in the digital landscape. Engaging in continuous learning and professional development tailored to evolving tech trends will not only enhance employee skill sets but also position small businesses as desirable employers. As the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index indicates, sentiment towards job security and career prospects is largely positive among jobholders. Encouragingly, this means that small business owners can capitalize on a workforce looking for stable employment while enhancing company loyalty. Offering competitive salaries and benefits, coupled with a vibrant company culture, can significantly impact retention rates. However, small business owners should also remain mindful of the challenges posed by rising expectations for remote and flexible work arrangements. As workers become increasingly discerning about their employment options, businesses need to stay aligned with current trends to meet candidate demands. Flexibility in work arrangements, plus a focus on employee well-being, can be central to attracting and retaining top talent. The implications of this LinkedIn analysis serve as a vital reminder for small business owners to remain flexible and adapt to shifting job market trends. By embracing technology and fostering a culture of continuous learning, they can not only meet current hiring challenges but actively position themselves for future success. For complete insights on these findings, check the original press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "LinkedIn Reports Surge in AI and Data Center Job Postings Amid Hiring Boom" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Netflix's February slate is heavy on returning original series, not least of which is the second half of Bridgerton season four. The last four episodes of the period romance drop on Feb. 26. In the third installment of thriller The Night Agent (Feb. 19), FBI agent Peter Sutherland, played by Gabriel Basso, investigates a dark money network alongside a journalist while trying not to get killed by assassins. The Lincoln Lawyer (Feb. 5) and Love Is Blind (Feb. 11) are back as well. For Olympics fans, there's docuseries Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing (Feb. 1), which goes behind the scenes with the couples competing in ice dancing in the 2026 Winter Games. Also on the sports lineup is season 8 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive (date TBD). Other documentary releases include Queen of Chess (Feb. 6), which tells the story of chess legend Judit Polgár, and Being Gordon Ramsay (Feb. 18). Taylor Tomlinson has a new comedy special—Prodigal Daughter (Feb. 24)—as do Sommore (Chandelier Fly, Feb. 17) and Mo Gilligan (In The Moment, Feb. 3). Finally, catch the new adult animated series Strip Law (Feb. 20), featuring performances from Adam Scott, Janelle James, and Stephen Root. The 10-episode show sees a Vegas lawyer team up with a local magician to "bring some flash and pizzazz to the stupidest cases the city can throw at them." Here's everything else coming to Netflix in February, and everything that's leaving. What's coming to Netflix in February 2026Coming soonBAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai—Netflix Series Formula 1: Drive to Survive: Season 8—Netflix Documentary In the Mud: Season 2—Netflix Series New episodesStar Search—Netflix Live Event Available February 1Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing—Netflix Documentary The American President The Bucket List Crazy, Stupid, Love. Ex Machina Flipped Focus The Glass House Heartland: Season 18 Hell or High Water Homefront How to Train Your Dragon How to Train Your Dragon 2 Independence Day Lee Daniels' The Butler Letters to Juliet Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates The Mirror Has Two Faces Mississippi Grind Mrs. Doubtfire Night at the Museum Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Rumor Has It… Vertical Limit The Way Home: Season 3 You've Got Mail Zero Dark Thirty Available February 3Mo Gilligan: In The Moment—Netflix Comedy Special Night Court: Seasons 1-3 Available February 4Is It Cake? Valentines—Netflix Series Available February 5Cash Queens—Netflix Series The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 4—Netflix Series Samuel: Season 1 Search Party: Seasons 1-5 Unfamiliar—Netflix Series Available February 6Overboard (2018) Queen of Chess—Netflix Documentary Salvador—Netflix Series Yoh! Bestie—Netflix Film Available February 9Matter of Time—Netflix Documentary The Creature Cases: Chapter 7—Netflix Family Available February 10Free Fire How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Motorvalley—Netflix Series This is I—Netflix Film Available February 11Kohrra: Season 2—Netflix Series Lead Children—Netflix Series Love Is Blind: Season 10—Netflix Series State of Fear—Netflix Film What I Like About You: Seasons 1-4 Available February 12The Black Phone How To Get To Heaven From Belfast—Netflix Series Million-Follower Detective—Netflix Series Available February 13A Father's Miracle—Netflix Film The Art of Sarah—Netflix Series Bunny Museum of Innocence—Netflix Series Suburgatory: Seasons 1-3 Tyler Perry's Joe’s College Road Trip—Netflix Film Available February 15The Hunting Party: Season 1 Stargate SG-1: Seasons 1-10 Available February 17Sommore: Chandelier Fly—Netflix Comedy Special Star Search—Netflix Live Event Available February 18Being Gordon Ramsay—Netflix Documentary Available February 19Life After Beth The Iron Claw The Night Agent: Season 3—Netflix Series The Swedish Connection—Netflix Film Wakefield Available February 20The Addams Family The Addams Family 2 The Expendables The Expendables 2 The Expendables 3 The Expendables 4 Firebreak—Netflix Film Laggies Mike & Molly: Seasons 1-6 The Orphans—Netflix Film Pavane—Netflix Film Strip Law—Netflix Series Available February 24Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter—Netflix Comedy Special Available February 26Bridgerton: Season 4 Part 2—Netflix Series Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Seasons 7-8 Crap Happens—Netflix Series Available February 27Trap House What's leaving Netflix in February 2026Leaving February 128 Days Later Charlie's Angels Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Did You Hear About the Morgans? Dr. Dolittle Dr. Dolittle 2 Forever My Girl Groundhog Day I Still Know What You Did Last Summer Kath and Kim: Seasons 1-4 Licorice Pizza Memoirs of a Geisha Parasite Radio RV The Patriot The Terminator What Lies Beneath Leaving February 5Election Mean Girls Leaving February 6Bride Wars Leaving February 8Spencer Leaving February 15Everybody's Fine Leaving February 16Warrior: Seasons 1-3 Leaving February 17Zodiac Leaving February 18Don't Say a Word The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Leaving February 20Operation Finale Shakespeare in Love Leaving February 21Cocaine Cowboys 2 Leaving February 22Red Leaving February 24The Island Leaving February 26Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Seasons 3-4 Leaving February 27Bones & All Bottoms View the full article

If the same URL appears in both a Google AI Overview and the classic 10 blue links, Google Search Console counts it as a single impression, not two. That clarification comes directly from Google’s John Mueller. The background. Mark Williams-Cook, director at SEO agency Candour and founder of AlsoAsked, shared it publicly on LinkedIn after a discussion sparked by Jamie Indigo. The question emerged as SEOs try to understand how AI Overviews affect visibility metrics when a page appears multiple times on the same results page. Williams-Cook initially assumed the URL might generate two impressions. That assumption was based on how older SERP features, such as tweet boxes, were historically counted. Testing the scenario would be difficult, but Mueller ultimately confirmed that Search Console consolidates those appearances. What’s happening. Google treats an AI Overview as a single position in the search results. All links within that Overview share the same position, and standard impression rules apply. When a URL appears more than once in the same search experience — whether inside an AI Overview or in traditional organic listings — Search Console doesn’t count those appearances as separate impressions for the same query. Why this happens. Google defines an impression as a user seeing, or potentially seeing, a link in the current set of results. Multiple appearances of the same URL on one results page are aggregated rather than counted individually. This approach is consistent with how Google handles impressions for other SERP features, such as knowledge panels. Scrolling away and back, or encountering the same URL in multiple elements on the page, does not generate additional impressions. Why we care. Many SEOs are struggling to interpret performance in this AI-driven era of search. It helps to know that appearing in both AI Overviews and traditional listings will not increase impression counts. Even so, showing up in an AI Overview and as a blue link on the same SERP still matters. It boosts brand visibility and reinforces authority and credibility with Google users. View the full article

Strategies for building your dream team. By Jackie Meyer The Balanced Millionaire: Advisor Edition Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

Strategies for building your dream team. By Jackie Meyer The Balanced Millionaire: Advisor Edition Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

They can be great tools but you have to use them properly. By August Aquila MAX: Maximize Productivity, Profitability and Client Retention Go PRO for members-only access to more August J. Aquila. View the full article

They can be great tools but you have to use them properly. By August Aquila MAX: Maximize Productivity, Profitability and Client Retention Go PRO for members-only access to more August J. Aquila. View the full article

OpenAI is preparing to launch impression-based ads inside ChatGPT as early as February, marking a faster-than-expected step into advertising. What’s happening. According to a report, OpenAI is already testing ads with select advertisers and plans to charge on a pay-per-impression (PPM) basis, rather than the more familiar pay-per-click model. The test is expected to be limited, with advertisers committing under $1 million each and no self-serve buying tools available yet. Why we care. Ads inside ChatGPT could create an entirely new ad surface tied to conversational AI — but the initial model favors OpenAI’s revenue certainty over advertiser measurement. While this pay-per-impression model limits traditional performance measurement, it offers early access to a brand-safe, intent-rich placement that could shape how conversational ads evolve. Getting in early may help advertisers influence formats, pricing, and standards before ChatGPT advertising scales more broadly. The backdrop. Just last week, OpenAI formally announced plans to introduce ads alongside the launch of ChatGPT Go, its $8/month ad-supported tier. Ads will also appear for free users, but not for Plus, Pro, or Enterprise customers — at least for now. Why impressions. A PPM model ensures OpenAI earns revenue even if users don’t interact with ads, but it leaves advertisers with limited insight into performance. The company has hinted that user follow-up questions about sponsored products could become a future engagement signal — and potentially another monetization layer. The tension. CEO Sam Altman has long described ads as a “last resort,” raising questions about whether rising infrastructure costs are accelerating OpenAI’s timeline. While CFO Sarah Friar says revenue is growing as fast as compute spending, key details about profitability remain unclear. Between the lines. Ads will appear at the bottom of ChatGPT responses, clearly labeled and separated from organic answers — a cautious rollout that prioritizes trust while testing commercial viability. Bottom line. OpenAI is moving quickly from principle to practice on advertising, starting with impression-based ads that prioritize scale and revenue — even as questions remain about effectiveness, transparency, and what comes next. View the full article

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it will appeal the November ruling in favor of Meta in its antitrust case against the social media giant. The FTC said it continues to allege that, for more than a decade, Meta Platforms Inc. has “illegally maintained a monopoly” in social networking through anticompetitive conduct “by buying the significant competitive threats it identified in Instagram and WhatsApp.” Meta had prevailed over the existential challenge to its business that could have forced the tech giant to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp after a judge ruled that the company does not hold a monopoly in social networking. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued his ruling on Nov. 18 after the historic antitrust trial wrapped up in late May. His decision runs in sharp contrast to two separate rulings that branded Google an illegal monopoly in both search and online advertising, dealing regulatory blows to the tech industry that for years enjoyed nearly unbridled growth. In a statement, Meta said the court’s decision “to reject the FTC’s arguments is correct, and recognizes the fierce competition we face. We will remain focused on innovating and investing in America.” —Associated Press View the full article

The company reported net income of $5.6 million in 2025, up 61.9% from the year prior, while mortgage banking revenue decreased by $120,000, or 39.5%. View the full article

After a brief sell-off in the run-up to Donald The President’s speech to global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, markets are up, after the president backed off earlier claims and ruled out using force to acquire Greenland. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 451 points, or about 1%, and the S&P 500 was up 67 points, also about 1%, in midday trading at the time of this writing. The Nasdaq was up about 0.7%. On the issue of acquiring Greenland, The President said the following: “We never asked for anything, and we never got anything . . . We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable.” “But I won’t do that. Okay?” The President continued. “Now everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, good.’ That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.” The President has threatened to impose anywhere from 10% to 25% tariffs on our longtime European allies (the U.K., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland) over their reluctance to hand over Greenland, which had previously triggered a sell-off of U.S. assets, Axios reported. European nations own an estimated $8 trillion of U.S. bonds and equities. The 10-year Treasury price turned higher and its yield turned lower following The President’s comments. The U.S. dollar index pared its decline with other currencies. Although The President backed off claims of U.S. military action in Greenland, he did double down on his plans to acquire Greenland, saying he was “seeking immediate negotiations” to discuss the matter. View the full article

When considering commercial land loans, it’s important to understand the various factors that influence interest rates. These include market conditions, your creditworthiness, and specific property characteristics. Lenders evaluate the loan-to-value ratio and debt coverage ratio, along with their own policies. Each of these elements plays a vital role in determining the rates you’ll encounter. As you navigate this terrain, you’ll want to grasp how each factor interrelates and impacts your borrowing options. Key Takeaways Loan-to-Value Ratio: Standard LTV ratios around 75% influence interest rates; lower LTVs reduce perceived risk and can lead to better terms. Creditworthiness: Higher credit scores (above 700) significantly improve loan rates, while lower scores may result in higher costs. Property Location: Properties in prime locations attract lower rates, while rural or less desirable areas often incur higher interest costs. Economic Conditions: Inflation and national economic health impact borrowing costs, often leading to increased interest rates during uncertain times. Loan Terms: Shorter loan terms generally offer lower rates due to reduced risk, while longer terms can increase the overall interest paid. Current Commercial Land Loan Rates As of November 2025, you’ll find that current commercial land loan rates typically range from 5.26% to 15%, which varies based on factors like the type of land and specific loan conditions. For instance, if you’re considering land for development, rates may start higher, often around 7.25%, especially for properties in less desirable locations. The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for these loans is usually capped at 75%, which can directly influence the interest rate lenders offer. If you have a strong credit score above 700, you may qualify for more favorable commercial land loan rates, enhancing your financing options. To understand how these rates affect your potential investment, using a commercial real estate mortgage calculator can be beneficial. Market Conditions and Economic Influences Grasping the market conditions and economic influences surrounding commercial land loans is vital for making informed financial decisions. Several factors can notably impact your borrowing costs and loan rates. Here are three key influences to reflect on: Inflation and Economic Growth: Higher inflation typically leads to increased borrowing costs, affecting your loan rate. National Economy Health: Indicators like GDP growth and consumer confidence shape lender offerings, often resulting in fluctuating interest rates. Central Bank Policies: Changes in the federal funds rate directly affect the interest rates commercial banks offer, influencing your loan terms. Furthermore, during economic expansions, rising demand for commercial real estate can lead to heightened competition among lenders, further driving up loan rates. Conversely, global economic uncertainties may prompt lenders to adopt a cautious approach, which can also raise your borrowing costs. Recognizing these conditions helps you navigate the commercial land loan environment effectively. Property-Specific Factors When you’re considering a commercial land loan, property-specific factors like location and condition are essential. Properties in prime locations usually attract more favorable rates, whereas those needing extensive repairs can lead to higher costs because of increased risk for lenders. Comprehending these elements can help you make more informed decisions about your financing options. Location Importance The location of commercial land plays a crucial role in determining loan rates, primarily because lenders evaluating the perceived risk associated with different areas. Properties in high-demand urban locations typically attract lower rates as they’re seen as safer investments. Conversely, land in rural or less desirable areas often incurs higher rates, reflecting the perceived risk of lower income potential. Key factors impacting your loan rates include: Proximity to Amenities: Locations near vital services and transportation options typically yield better rates. Economic Growth: Areas experiencing revitalization or economic development attract favorable rates owing to potential property value increases. Local Market Conditions: Zoning regulations and development activity greatly influence the attractiveness of a location for lenders. Property Condition Impact Although location significantly affects loan rates, the state of the property itself additionally plays a crucial role in the lending process. Lenders evaluate property conditions during underwriting, as they directly influence perceived risk. If a property requires substantial repairs, you’ll likely encounter higher interest rates. Conversely, well-maintained properties in desirable areas attract lower rates because of their stability. Property Condition Impact on Loan Rates Poor Condition Higher rates, larger down payment Average Condition Moderate rates Excellent Condition Lower rates, better terms Properties with strong income potential or positive tenant history may qualify for better rates, whereas properties in disrepair often come with stricter loan terms to mitigate risks. Borrower’s Creditworthiness When you’re seeking a commercial land loan, your creditworthiness plays a vital role in determining the rates you’ll receive. A credit score of 680 or higher can open doors to better terms, whereas a score above 740 often leads to the most favorable rates. Furthermore, lenders will evaluate your debt coverage ratio and overall financial health, as these factors indicate your ability to meet loan obligations. Credit Score Importance Securing favorable commercial land loan rates hinges greatly on your credit score, as lenders view it as a key indicator of your creditworthiness. A higher credit score markedly increases your chances of obtaining better rates, especially with milestones at 680, 700, 720, 740, and 780. Here’s why your credit score matters: Risk Assessment: Lenders see stronger credit scores as lower risk, leading to lower interest rates. Competitive Rates: Maintaining a score above 700 can help you qualify for more competitive rates, potentially saving you thousands in interest. Comprehensive Evaluation: Lenders assess both personal and business credit scores, meaning a solid financial history in both areas boosts your loan appeal and reduces rates. Understanding this can greatly impact your borrowing experience. Debt Coverage Ratio The Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR) is an essential factor in determining a borrower’s creditworthiness, as it measures the ability to generate sufficient income to cover debt obligations. To calculate your DCR, subtract all property expenses from your rental income, which includes mortgage payments, taxes, and maintenance costs. A DCR of 1.2 or greater is often necessary to qualify for better loan rates, whereas a DCR below 1.0 indicates insufficient income to meet debt, possibly resulting in higher rates or loan denials. Lenders typically favor borrowers with a DCR of 1.25 or higher, as this illustrates financial stability and reduces the risk of cash flow shortfalls, ultimately leading to more favorable loan terms. Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio Comprehending the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is crucial for anyone evaluating a commercial land loan, as it directly impacts the terms and conditions of your financing. The LTV ratio compares the loan amount to the appraised value of the property, and typically, lower LTV ratios lead to more favorable loan terms. Here are three key points to evaluate: Standard LTV Ratio: Commercial land loans usually start with an LTV ratio of around 75%, requiring a down payment of at least 25%. Risk Assessment: Higher LTV ratios can increase perceived risk for lenders, potentially resulting in higher interest rates and less favorable conditions. Ideal Ratio: An LTV ratio of 60% or lower is often ideal, as it reflects a lower risk profile, helping you secure better loan terms. Understanding these factors can greatly influence your financing experience. Loan Term and Amortization Period When you’re considering a commercial land loan, the loan term and amortization period play essential roles in determining your interest rates and monthly payments. Shorter loan terms usually come with lower interest rates, as they reduce lender risk, whereas longer amortization periods can lower your monthly payments but increase your total interest costs over time. Comprehending these factors will help you make informed decisions about your financing options and overall loan affordability. Impact on Interest Rates Comprehending how loan terms and amortization periods affect interest rates is vital for anyone contemplating a commercial land loan. The loan term can greatly influence the rates available to you; shorter terms often come with lower rates because of reduced lender risk. Conversely, longer amortization periods typically result in higher overall interest costs, which may lead to increased rates. Here are three key points to reflect on: Shorter loan terms typically attract lower interest rates because of perceived lower risk. Longer amortization periods can increase total interest paid, impacting overall loan costs. Fixed-rate loans may have higher rates compared to adjustable-rate mortgages with shorter terms. Understanding these factors is important to making informed financing decisions. Monthly Payment Calculations Comprehending how loan terms and amortization periods impact your monthly payments is crucial for effective financial planning. The loan term directly affects your monthly payment; shorter terms mean higher payments but lower overall interest costs. Conversely, longer terms lead to lower monthly payments as they increase the total interest paid over the loan’s life. Typically, commercial land loans have amortization periods ranging from 15 to 30 years, influencing your cash flow and budgeting strategies. For instance, a 10-year loan term may come with higher monthly payments but often offers better interest rates. Balancing the loan term and amortization period is important—although a 30-year amortization reduces monthly payments, it can substantially increase your total interest payout over time. Lender Policies and Competition Comprehending lender policies and the competitive environment is crucial for anyone seeking a commercial land loan. Lender policies can vary markedly, impacting the rates and terms of your loan. Here are three key factors to evaluate: Rate Competitiveness: Some LendingTree offer competitive rates to attract borrowers, whereas others impose stricter requirements, leading to higher interest rates. Market Competition: A crowded lending market can encourage lenders to lower interest rates or provide attractive incentives to secure your business. Lending Options: With various lenders, including traditional Wells Fargo, credit unions, and alternative lenders, you have a higher chance of finding terms that fit your specific needs. Additionally, be aware that lender policies regarding loan-to-value ratios and credit assessments can differ, which may affect the overall appeal of loan offers. Staying informed about these factors will help you make a more educated decision. Fixed vs. Variable Interest Rates When you’re evaluating commercial land loans, comprehending the difference between fixed and variable interest rates is essential. Fixed interest rates remain constant throughout the loan term, providing you with predictable monthly payments and stability against market fluctuations. This predictability can be particularly beneficial if you plan to hold your property long-term. Conversely, variable interest rates fluctuate based on market indices, such as the prime rate or LIBOR. Although these rates might offer lower initial costs, they carry the risk of increasing payments over time, which can complicate your financial planning. Typically, fixed-rate loans have higher initial interest rates than variable-rate loans, reflecting the lender’s compensation for the stability they provide. In the end, grasping these implications can help you align your choice with your financial strategies and market conditions, ensuring you make an informed decision that suits your needs. Prepayment Penalties and Their Impact Prepayment penalties can considerably impact your financial strategy when dealing with commercial land loans. These fees, charged when you pay off your loan early, protect the lender’s expected cash flow from interest payments. Comprehending their implications is crucial for your financial planning. Here are three key points to reflect on: Duration: Prepayment penalties can last from a few months to five years. Longer penalties often lead to lower interest rates, making them a trade-off you should evaluate carefully. Refinancing and Selling: These penalties can discourage you from refinancing or selling your property quickly, which may limit your options if market conditions change. Variability: The specific terms and conditions of these penalties can vary widely between lenders, affecting the overall cost of your loan. Being aware of these factors will help you make informed decisions regarding your commercial land financing. Understanding the Loan Size and Structure Grasping the size and structure of a commercial land loan is vital for making informed financial decisions. The loan size greatly impacts interest rates; larger loans often qualify for better rates since banks want to deploy capital efficiently. Usually, commercial loans have a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio starting at 75%. A lower LTV can lead to more favorable rates, reflecting reduced risk for lenders. The loan structure also plays an important role; for instance, fixed-rate loans provide stability, whereas variable rates can fluctuate. Shorter loan terms may yield lower rates, but longer amortization periods can increase overall interest costs. Moreover, prepayment penalties are common, with longer penalty durations often resulting in lower rates, safeguarding the lender’s cash flow. Finally, whether you’re opting for a cash-out refinance or a straight refinance can impact your loan’s appeal, with straight refinances typically offering better rates and terms. Frequently Asked Questions What Drives Commercial Real Estate Loan Rates? Commercial real estate loan rates are driven by several key factors. The type of property you’re financing, your credit score, and the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio all play significant roles. A lower LTV usually means less risk for lenders, which can lead to better rates for you. Furthermore, economic conditions like inflation and overall market demand can cause fluctuations. Finally, the structure of your loan, including terms and penalties, can likewise impact your interest rate. What Are the 5 Cs of Commercial Banking? The 5 Cs of commercial banking are crucial for evaluating a borrower’s creditworthiness. First, there’s Character, which reflects your credit history and reputation. Next is Capacity, indicating your ability to repay the loan based on income and cash flow. Capital represents your investment in the project, showing lenders you’re committed. Collateral involves the assets securing the loan, providing safety for lenders. Finally, Conditions refer to the economic environment affecting your loan terms. What Are Commercial Loan Rates Based On? Commercial loan rates depend on several key factors. You’ll find that market conditions, like inflation and economic growth, play a significant role in rate fluctuations. The type of property matters too; multifamily loans often start lower than hospitality loans. Your creditworthiness is essential; higher scores can secure better rates. Furthermore, the loan-to-value ratio and loan structure—such as term length and fixed or variable rates—also influence what lenders offer you. What Are the Three Main Factors That Affect Interest Rates? The three main factors that affect interest rates include your creditworthiness, the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, and economic conditions. Your credit score determines how lenders perceive your risk; higher scores usually mean better rates. A lower LTV ratio signals less risk to lenders, often resulting in lower rates. Finally, broader economic factors, like inflation and growth, can influence overall interest rates, impacting the rates you receive on loans. Conclusion In conclusion, grasping the various factors that impact commercial land loan rates is vital for making informed borrowing decisions. From market conditions and economic influences to specific property characteristics and borrower creditworthiness, each element plays a significant role. Furthermore, the loan-to-value ratio, lender policies, and the choice between fixed and variable rates can further affect costs. By considering these factors, you can better navigate the lending environment and secure favorable loan terms for your commercial property investments. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Key Factors Impacting Commercial Land Loan Rates" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

President The President's restrictions on institutional investors extend to single-family homes involved in loan workouts by government-related mortgage agencies. View the full article

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says Gemini won’t get ads — at least for now — as Google prioritizes trust and core assistant quality over monetization. What’s new. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hassabis said Google has “no plans” to introduce ads into Gemini, emphasizing a focus on building a better, more capable assistant across use cases and form factors. He suggested that monetization can wait while the technology matures. The contrast. The comments come just days after OpenAI announced it would begin testing ads in the free and low-cost tiers of ChatGPT. Hassabis called the move “interesting,” suggesting it may reflect revenue pressure rather than long-term product strategy. Why we care. Google’s repeated refusal to place ads in Gemini signals that AI assistant monetization won’t mirror search or social anytime soon, limiting near-term ad inventory in conversational AI. As competitors like OpenAI move ahead with ads, this creates a split ecosystem where advertisers may need to test new formats outside Google first. Longer term, Google’s stance suggests that any future Gemini ad products — if they arrive — will likely be more constrained, trust-focused, and slower to scale, shaping how brands plan for AI-driven media. Not the first denial. This marks the second time Google leadership has publicly ruled out ads in Gemini. In December, Google Ads president Dan Taylor said in a statement on X that ads were not coming to Gemini in 2026, signaling internal alignment on keeping the product ad-free, at least in the near term. Trust at stake. Hassabis expressed skepticism about how advertising fits into a deeply personal AI assistant, warning that recommendations must remain unbiased and genuinely helpful. While ads could work in theory, he said poor execution could quickly erode user trust. Bottom line. Google, whose core business is advertising, is showing restraint in AI assistants — at least publicly — to avoid blurring the line between help and influence as Gemini evolves. Dig Deeper. Google’s AI boss: No plans for ads in Gemini (Substack) View the full article

Treasury yield breakouts signal technical damage, with higher yields likely before any recovery despite choppy markets, according to the CEO of IF Securities. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It took me a while to get comfortable with wearing earbuds. I grew up in the era of headphones, and never quite liked the idea of sticking something into my ears on the regular. If that sounds like you, Sony's got your back. Its newest earbuds, the Linkbuds Clip, are clip-ons. Sony's not the first brand to take this idea to market—Anker's Soundcore brand has a number of more affordable options. But for premium clip-on earbuds, it's pretty much this, the slightly more expensive Bose, and the slightly sportier Shokz. Compared to that competition, Sony's new model is looking like a solid choice. These earbuds fit snugly around your ear with an adjustable ear cushion, and include the niceties that Sony's Linkbuds have become known for. That means an optional built-in voice boost mode to help you hear vocals better; adaptive audio that can raise or lower your volume based on your environment; a motion sensor for tapping gestures (which you can actually perform near your ear instead of on the earbuds themselves); and—new with this model—a bone-conduction sensor. Sony's pitching that last bit as being especially good for calls, as the bone conduction sensor will be able to detect specifically when you are speaking, and, working alongside some "AI noise reduction," should be able to reduce background noise. Battery life has also been improved over Sony's last Linkbuds, the Linkbuds Open. There, you got 22 hours of battery life with the case, but here, Sony is promising up to 37. The buds themselves should provide up to nine hours of battery life. Speaking of the Linkbuds Open, that model also had a unique design, as the bulk of the earbud was designed to sit in your upper ear, while a ring that actually produced the sound sat just outside your ear canal. It was a design that aimed for an experience akin to "open-back" headphones, meaning you'd be able to completely hear your surroundings with the earbuds in without needing a transparency mode. Credit: Sony The Linkbuds Clip want to keep that same open-back experience, while allowing for greater comfort and flexibility. Sony told me that the Linkbuds Open do sit closer to the eardrum if worn correctly, which can provide a better listening experience, but that differing ear shapes made it hard for some customers to use as intended. I was sent a pair of Linkbuds Clip for review, and while I haven't had much time to test them yet, I can confirm that they fit pretty snugly on my ears right out of the box. Over the next week, I'm excited to try the Linkbuds Clip both while out and about in New York City, and while exercising. Aside from enhanced comfort over in-ear earbuds, you'll be fully aware of your surroundings while wearing these, which should help with safety or any spur-of-the-moment conversations you might need to have (Sony is also marketing these towards parents who might need to constantly keep an ear out for their kids). I also sometimes feel like my in-ear earbuds can block airflow while I'm doing cardio, which I worry makes it harder for me to cool off, so I'm curious to see if these can help with that. The one downside is that, as is the case with open-back headphones, there can be some sound leakage, which means others might be able to hear whatever you're listening to. That's something I'll need to test over time, although Sony does say it has an optional sound leakage reduction mode. There's also no noise canceling, but that's to be expected when the idea is to stay aware of your surroundings. I've been a big fan of Sony's audio products over the years, especially its software and listening modes. My full review of the Linkbuds Clip will be coming soon, but if you're already convinced, you can snag your own pair for $230 over at Sony's website, or through stores like Amazon. The case comes in four colors, but you can also grab a silicone case cover, which covers half of the case, to help you mix and match over on Sony's website for $12.50. Extra air cushions of any color are also available alongside upper case covers, while bottom case covers come with a keychain. View the full article

A reader writes: I’m writing for some advice on how to help my mentee set expectations at work. I work at a small educational site. Alice came to us through an independent living program for young adults with disabilities, and she was absolutely fantastic as a volunteer. She was extremely passionate about the work and already had independently picked up a bunch of extremely niche skills (for anonymity let’s say it’s reconstructing historical rice sculptures) that would normally take years of training, so most of the guidance I was giving her was more in relation to her soft skills and building confidence in her own abilities. She also has A Lot going on in her personal life. It isn’t my place to go into any of the details but, long story short, she really needs to find an independent living situation away from her family. I pushed hard for us to hire her. As a small nonprofit, we didn’t have full-time or permanent positions available, but we did have a part-time seasonal position at our sister site, which she took. It hasn’t gone well. Now, some of this is due to the fact that the site she joined is perpetually understaffed, so everyone there has to wear a bunch of hats. Part of it is due to the fact that the supervisor at that site has no expertise in her niche specialization and doesn’t realize how long projects like, say, rice sculptures should actually take. Part of it is because it’s her first job, and she doesn’t know how to say, “Six rice sculptures in a month is impractical, you’re getting four at most.” But some of it is more along the lines of, “She was asked to cover the front desk during someone else’s lunch, and this was Bad” or “She was asked to help with a school tour, and it was Bad.” I can understand looking at the circumstances and saying, “This is more stressful than what I signed on for,” but she’s describing it to me as “an abusive hellhole” and … it’s just not that. It’s a little hectic, but if she pushed back on the unreasonable expectations, I know that the supervisor would agree. I’ve worked with the guy intermittently for three years. He’s perpetually overwhelmed, but he isn’t malicious. And I feel bad about this on both ends, because Alice hates the job I pushed for her to get, and she isn’t doing that job well. I would still gladly write a reference for whatever she chooses to do after the seasonal position ends, but … I also wouldn’t push for her to be rehired, having seen how she’s handled it this time. Since I supervised her as a volunteer, she looks up to me as a mentor. I’m trying to help her adjust her expectations and parse the difference between “hectic but unavoidable,” “bad management,” “actually abusive,” and “actually completely normal.” Do you have any advice? There are two paths you could take here, and you could do either or both. The first one is to just give Alice very calm, reality-based responses as things come up in the moment. For example: Alice: “It’s ridiculous that Jim expects me to do six rice sculptures a month. There’s no way that’s possible.” You: “Six a month is unrealistic, but he’s almost certainly relying on you to speak up and tell him if that’s the case. He hired you in part because you have expertise on this that he doesn’t have, and so he figures you’ll tell him what is and isn’t doable. Do you feel comfortable doing that? We can talk through how to have that conversation if you want.” Alice: “It just seems bananas to me!” You: “It’s pretty normal for your boss to need your input on what is and isn’t realistic. It would be a mistake to assume there’s no room for you to reset those expectations. In fact, part of doing your job well is sharing that perspective!” Alice: “I can’t believe they asked me to cover the front desk during someone’s lunch.” You: “I’m not that surprised by that. That kind of thing can be unavoidable at really small organizations.” Alice: “It’s ridiculously chaotic here, I’m being pulled into X and Y and Z and they just expect me to do all of it.” You: “It’s pretty normal at small organizations to be expected to wear a lot of hats — so that part isn’t surprising; it’s just the nature of the work. But they’re probably relying on you to speak up about how much you can and can’t get done; they won’t know unless you tell them, and there’s usually an assumption that you will speak up if you need help or have been assigned too much.” Alice: “It’s an abusive hellhole!” You: “Hmmm, from everything you’ve said it sounds like a pretty typical small organization. If it’s not for you, that’s of course completely legitimate. But I think it’s helpful to recognize that a lot of this is pretty normal, even if it’s not your cup of tea, so that you can calibrate your reactions and also so that you know what is and isn’t realistic to expect as you’re looking at other jobs.” The other approach is to address it as a more big-picture conversation — framing it, for example, as: “I wanted to talk to you about how things are going at SisterOrg. I’ve noticed you seem pretty unhappy about things like X and Y, and I wanted to be straight with you that that stuff is really normal in this field. You can definitely decide you don’t like it and want to work in a field with different norms, but I worry when I hear you characterizing it as a hellhole, because I think you might be bringing some unrealistic expectations to the field.” I’d probably go with the first path — calm, reality-based corrections in the moment — and see if they seem to affect her thinking or not. If they don’t, at that point you could move to the bigger-picture conversation. It’s also worth remembering that you don’t have to solve this for Alice. It’s a kindness to give her candid, realistic feedback, but what she does with it from there is up to her. If she’s just not be in a place to hear it or accept it right now, that’s not a failing on your part. The post how can I help my mentee set more realistic expectations about work? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

How can you win love and loyalty from your customers, your employees, your fans—and even the people in your life? Taylor Swift answered this question perfectly with just one word: “Overdeliver.” Overdelivering will impress your customers, create loyal employees and fans, and make all your relationships stronger. “I wanted to overserve the fans in terms of the amount of songs that they were going to hear and how far I was going to push myself,” she says in her new docuseries, The End of an Era. As you likely know, she made good on that plan. The Eras Tour show ran three-and-a-half hours, divided into 10 distinct eras covering different albums. Then she added another era partway through when she released The Tortured Poets Department. There were a few songs that changed every night, and guest appearances by other performers, such as Ed Sheeran. Oh, and an elaborate illusion where she dove into the stage. After the tour, in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, she explained her reasoning. “I wanted to overdeliver. I really wanted to give people more than they expected,” she said. “It just really felt like something that I had to do. Because I’m like, ‘I know these tickets are going to be hard to get.’ I didn’t know how hard they would be to get.” (The show sold out everywhere, and many fans actually flew to different locations just so they could attend.) Swift continued, “People have lives and priorities. And if they’re going to dedicate any part of those lives to coming to this big show, to packing stadiums like this, I want to overdeliver on production, overdeliver on the length of it, the exertion, the kind of surprises they’re seeing. And really, I’m endlessly proud of feeling like we achieved that.” Swift shows empathy for her fans Swift was expressing a key element of emotional intelligence: empathy. She was looking at the situation from her fans’ point of view. It’s rare to hear any big star say that their fans have priorities other than their next show or album. For Swift to acknowledge that Swifties have their own lives is highly refreshing. So is her awareness that it’s hard to get tickets to her shows, and her belief that she owes her audiences more because of it. Even if you don’t have millions of raving fans spending hundreds of dollars to come listen to you, overdelivering is a good practice and a good mindset. When you surprise people by giving them more than they expected, more than they asked for, or even more than they paid for, they will remember you. And they likely will come back. There’s a growing community of Inc. readers who get a daily text from me with a micro-challenge, suggestion, or question. (Want to learn more? Here’s some information about the texts and a special invitation to a two-month free trial.) Many are entrepreneurs or business leaders who know how important it is to have repeat customers, loyal fans, and people who are steadfastly in their corner. Consistently overdelivering is a very effective way to make that happen. —Inc. View the full article

Grasping the definition of a franchise agreement is crucial for anyone considering entering this business model. This document outlines the critical relationship between franchisor and franchisee, detailing rights and obligations that govern their partnership. It covers various aspects, such as fees, training requirements, and territory rights. Knowing these elements can help you navigate the intricacies of the agreement. As you explore further, you’ll uncover the importance of legal counsel in ensuring a fair and beneficial arrangement. Key Takeaways A franchise agreement is a legal contract defining the relationship and responsibilities between the franchisor and franchisee. It grants the franchisee rights to use the franchisor’s brand, trademarks, and business model while outlining financial obligations. Key elements include trademark usage, advertising contributions, and insurance requirements essential for maintaining brand standards. The agreement specifies renewal and termination processes, including conditions for renewal and grounds for termination. Legal counsel is vital for ensuring clarity, compliance, and favorable terms in the franchise agreement. What Is a Franchise Agreement? A franchise agreement is a crucial legal document that establishes the relationship between a franchisor and a franchisee. This franchise agreement definition serves as a thorough outline of the rights, obligations, and protections for both parties when operating a franchise business. It typically grants you, the franchisee, the right to utilize the franchisor’s brand, trademarks, and business model, minimizing your risk in starting a new venture. Although there’s no standard franchise agreement format, these contracts usually include key components such as initial and ongoing fees, training support, marketing obligations, territory rights, and termination conditions. Given the complexity of these contracts, seeking legal counsel is critical to guarantee clarity and compliance, protecting your interests throughout the franchise relationship. Types of Franchise Agreements When considering franchise agreements, you’ll encounter different types that cater to various business goals and levels of experience. A Single-Unit Franchise Agreement lets you operate one location, making it a great starting point for newcomers. Conversely, Master Franchise Opportunities give you the exclusive rights to sell and manage franchises within a specific region, which can greatly expand your business footprint. Single-Unit Franchise Agreements Single-Unit Franchise Agreements grant you the exclusive right to operate a specific franchise location, making them particularly appealing for individuals new to the franchising world or those who prefer hands-on management of a single unit. With a lower initial investment than multi-unit agreements, this option is accessible for first-time franchisees. Duration Initial Investment Support Level 5 to 10 years Lower Initial & Ongoing Brand Standards Franchise Contract Template Franchise Agreement Form As a franchisee, you’ll need to adhere to the franchisor’s brand standards and operational guidelines. You’ll likewise receive training to guarantee you have the necessary skills to run your business successfully. Master Franchise Opportunities How can a Master Franchise Agreement improve your business opportunities? This agreement gives you exclusive rights to sell and operate franchises within a designated territory. You’ll have the authority to recruit, train, and support sub-franchisees, which can notably expand your market presence. Although the initial investment is typically higher than that of a single-unit franchise, the potential for increased revenue is substantial, as you earn fees from both your own units and those of your sub-franchisees. Nevertheless, you must meet specific performance metrics and obligations to maintain your rights and guarantee brand consistency. Key Elements of Franchise Agreements Franchise agreements contain several key elements that establish the relationship between franchisors and franchisees, ensuring both parties comprehend their rights and responsibilities. One essential element is the trademark usage clause, which dictates how you can use the franchisor’s trademarks during brand consistency. Furthermore, the agreement outlines advertising standards, requiring you to contribute to marketing funds and meet minimum advertising expenditures based on your revenue. Insurance requirements are also specified, mandating coverage types like general liability and workers’ compensation. Finally, the agreement includes renewal, transfer, and termination clauses, detailing the processes for renewing your agreement, transferring ownership, or facing termination if you don’t comply with performance expectations. Grasping these elements is imperative for a successful franchise relationship. Initial Fees and Ongoing Fees When entering a franchise, grasp of the financial obligations is vital, as these costs can greatly influence your business’s viability. The franchise agreement outlines initial fees you’ll need to pay before opening, which often includes the franchise fee and costs for required purchases. Furthermore, ongoing fees are part of your commitment, typically structured as royalties based on a percentage of your gross revenue or as a flat fee. Payment intervals for these fees are specified in the agreement, often requiring monthly or weekly payments. You’ll likewise need to account for extra costs, such as advertising fund contributions, ensuring you’re promoting the brand effectively. Comprehending these fees is key for evaluating your financial investment and operational sustainability. Training and Support Requirements Training and support are critical components of a successful franchise operation. Your franchise agreement will outline initial training specifics, including location, required attendees, and costs for additional participants. This training is vital for onboarding, covering operational procedures, customer service standards, and marketing strategies to maintain consistency across locations. Ongoing support is equally important, guaranteeing you adapt to market changes effectively. You’ll likely benefit from: Regular updates on product offerings and services. Marketing assistance customized to your franchise needs. Access to workshops and training programs to stay informed on industry trends. These elements guarantee you maintain brand standards and have the necessary resources throughout your franchise experience, greatly contributing to your operational effectiveness. Advertising and Marketing Obligations Advertising and marketing obligations are critical for building and maintaining brand visibility in your franchise business. Typically, franchise agreements require you to allocate a minimum percentage of your gross revenue toward advertising efforts. These expenses often include contributions to brand funds, local initiatives, and cooperative marketing campaigns. You’ll additionally need to develop a marketing budget for your grand opening to establish a strong presence in your local market. Adhering to these obligations is fundamental, as franchisors may impose penalties or restrictions for non-compliance, reinforcing the importance of following brand standards. Consistency in your advertising efforts is crucial, so make sure you align with the guidelines in the franchisor’s brand manual to maintain uniform messaging across all locations. Territory Rights and Development Comprehending territory rights and development in a franchise agreement is essential for your success as a franchisee. These rights grant you exclusive access to operate within a designated area, shielding you from competition with other franchisees of the same brand. The development schedule details when you must open your location(s), ensuring brand presence. Franchisors often require your chosen location to align with brand standards and strategic goals. You might face conditions about the number of units to open within a specific timeframe, promoting consistent growth. The agreement clarifies the repercussions of not developing the territory as outlined, potentially jeopardizing your rights to that area. Understanding these aspects helps you navigate your franchise experience effectively. Renewal and Termination Clauses When considering renewal and termination clauses in your franchise agreement, it’s vital to understand the processes involved. Renewal clauses typically outline how you can extend your franchise term, often dependent on meeting specific performance metrics. Conversely, termination conditions detail the circumstances under which the franchise relationship can end, emphasizing the significance of knowing your rights and obligations. Renewal Process Overview Grasping the renewal process in a franchise agreement is crucial for maintaining your business continuity. Typically, you’ll need to notify your franchisor of your intent to renew within a specified timeframe, often between 6 months to 1 year before your agreement expires. Key points to remember include: Renewal clauses set conditions you must meet, like adhering to brand standards and paying all fees. The renewal period usually aligns with your initial term, extending for an additional 5 to 10 years if requirements are satisfied. A review process may be necessary, including performance evaluations and compliance checks to guarantee you still meet franchisor expectations. Understanding these elements helps you navigate the renewal process effectively and secure your franchise’s future. Termination Conditions Explained Grasping termination conditions in a franchise agreement is just as crucial as comprehending the renewal process. Termination clauses specify when either party can end the agreement, typically owing to breaches of contract, bankruptcy, or unmet performance metrics. It’s important to recognize that a “cure” period may allow you to fix certain issues before termination occurs. Both you and the franchisor must follow the outlined termination process, including providing written notice as specified in the agreement. Conversely, renewal clauses detail how you can extend your franchise, often requiring you to notify the franchisor within a certain timeframe before the contract expires. Comprehending these conditions is critical for maintaining operational stability and recovering your investment effectively. Franchisee Rights and Responsibilities Franchisees hold vital rights and responsibilities that shape their experience within the franchising system. You have the right to operate under the franchisor’s established brand and utilize its trademarks, but you additionally have significant obligations. You’re responsible for paying initial franchise fees, ongoing royalties, and contributing to advertising funds. Adhering to the franchisor’s brand standards is fundamental, including maintaining product quality and customer service expectations as outlined in the brand manual. You must participate in training programs and keep accurate records, regularly reporting sales and inventory levels to guarantee compliance. Understanding these rights and responsibilities helps you navigate the franchising terrain effectively, securing a successful partnership with your franchisor. Importance of Legal Counsel in Franchise Agreements When entering a franchise agreement, having legal counsel by your side can be vital for guaranteeing that the terms are favorable and clearly articulated. Legal experts help define both parties’ rights and obligations, markedly reducing the risk of future disputes. They can identify potential pitfalls, like unclear terms or unfavorable conditions, that could impact your business operations. Additionally, lawyers specializing in franchising offer insights into compliance with local regulations, which is indispensable for avoiding legal issues down the line. With their assistance, you can negotiate better terms, enhancing your potential for success. Benefits of Legal Counsel Description Clear Definitions Guarantees rights and obligations are defined. Identify Pitfalls Detects unclear terms and unfavorable conditions. Compliance Insights Advises on local regulations and industry standards. Negotiation Assistance Helps negotiate fees, royalties, and territory rights. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 4 P’s of Franchising? The 4 P’s of franchising are Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. You need to guarantee your product maintains quality and consistency across locations. For pricing, align with market expectations during guaranteeing profitability. When choosing a place, consider demographics and seek franchisor approval to optimize visibility. Finally, your promotion strategies should create brand awareness and engage customers, often requiring contributions to a cooperative advertising fund from franchisees for effective marketing efforts. What Is the Meaning of Franchise Agreement? A franchise agreement is a legal contract between you, the franchisee, and the franchisor. It outlines your rights and responsibilities, allowing you to use the franchisor’s brand and business model. Typically, you’ll pay initial fees and ongoing royalties. The agreement covers training requirements, operational guidelines, and advertising obligations, ensuring both parties understand their roles. It’s crucial to grasp these terms, as they dictate how you operate within the franchise system. Why Does It Only Cost $10k to Own a Chick-Fil-A Franchise? Chick-Fil-A‘s franchise fee is just $10,000 because of its unique operator structure, where you manage the restaurant without ownership. This model minimizes initial costs, unlike many franchises that require substantial investments. Nevertheless, you’ll need to cover ongoing expenses like equipment and construction, leading to total investments between $200,000 and $2 million. Chick-Fil-A’s strict operational control and focus on franchisee alignment with company values also contribute to keeping the initial fee low. How to Franchise Step by Step? To franchise step by step, start by developing a solid business plan that outlines your concept and target market. Next, create a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) that meets legal standards. Then, draft a Franchise Agreement detailing rights and responsibilities. After that, establish an extensive training program for franchisees, covering operations and brand standards. Finally, implement a marketing plan to guarantee cohesive brand promotion across all franchise locations, maintaining consistency and visibility in the market. Conclusion In conclusion, grasping a franchise agreement is crucial for both franchisees and franchisors. By familiarizing yourself with its key components, such as fees, training, and territory rights, you can navigate the intricacies of the franchising process more effectively. Always consider seeking legal counsel to guarantee compliance and protect your interests. This proactive approach can lead to a more successful franchising experience, helping you build a strong business partnership as you adhere to the established guidelines and obligations. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Understanding the Definition of a Franchise Agreement: A Step-by-Step Guide" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article