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When you’re considering starting a franchise, comprehension of the costs involved is essential. Initial investments can range from $15,000 to $300,000, depending on the franchise type. You’ll face various expenses, including franchise fees, equipment, and inventory, alongside ongoing costs like royalty fees that typically take a percentage of your sales. Knowing these details will help you plan effectively, but there’s much more to explore about financing options and other financial considerations. Key Takeaways Franchise startup costs typically range from $100,000 to $300,000, influenced by brand, industry, and location. Initial setup costs can vary from $26,000 to $84,500, while first-year investment estimates range from $48,500 to $160,000. Franchise fees are non-negotiable, and ongoing expenses such as royalty fees (3% to 6% of sales) must be considered. Legal costs for developing the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) can range from $15,000 to $45,000, plus state filing fees. Financing options include SBA loans, traditional loans, and franchisor assistance, aiding in managing startup costs effectively. General Franchise Opening Costs When you’re considering opening a franchise, it’s essential to understand the general franchise opening costs involved. Typically, franchise startup costs range from $100,000 to $300,000, influenced by the franchise brand, industry, and location. Franchise fees, which are non-negotiable, serve as entry charges into the franchise system and are set by franchisors based on market competitiveness. Other common expenses include office supplies, industry-specific equipment, leasehold improvements, and initial inventory, all contributing to the total startup costs. Moreover, the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) outlines detailed investment costs, including initial purchase funds and ongoing working capital needs. Don’t forget to factor in professional services for permits, insurance, and working capital to cover several months of operating expenses. Understanding Franchise Startup Costs When you’re considering a franchise, comprehension of startup costs is essential for your financial planning. The initial investment typically includes franchise fees, equipment, and real estate, whereas ongoing royalty fees can impact your cash flow. Furthermore, various financing options are available, so it’s important to explore what’s outlined in the Franchise Disclosure Document to make informed decisions. Initial Investment Breakdown Grasping the initial investment breakdown for starting a franchise is crucial, as these costs can greatly affect your financial planning. Typically, initial investments range from $100,000 to $300,000, depending on the franchise brand, industry, and location. Franchise fees, which are non-negotiable licensing fees set by franchisors, notably impact your total startup costs. The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) outlines detailed investment costs, including initial purchase funds and necessary working capital. Common expenses include real estate, equipment, supplies, insurance, and other operational costs. It’s likewise wise to explore financing options like SBA loans or franchisor financing. Comprehending these elements can help you assess potential profits, such as those from a Chick-fil-A franchise, and prepare for financial success. Ongoing Royalty Fees Grasping ongoing royalty fees is essential for anyone considering a franchise, as these costs can greatly affect your bottom line. Typically, royalty fees range from 3% to 6% of monthly gross sales, but this varies by franchisor. For instance, some franchises, like Dream Vacations, charge between 1.5% to 3% of annual commissionable sales, whereas others like Complete Weddings + Events require 8% of annual gross revenue. Comprehending these fees is significant, especially if you’re curious about how much it costs to franchise Chick-fil-A, where operator income depends on franchise revenue. Franchise Royalty Fee Range Notes Dream Vacations 1.5% – 3% Based on annual commissionable sales Complete Weddings + Events 8% Of annual gross revenue Help-U-Sell Real Estate 6% On gross commissions earned Motto Mortgage $4,500/month after 6 months No initial royalties Financing Options Available Comprehending the financial aspects of starting a franchise is crucial for anyone looking to invest. Startup costs typically range from $10,000 to $5 million, with most investments between $100,000 and $300,000. To navigate these costs, the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is invaluable, especially Item 7, which outlines initial and ongoing capital needs. Financing options include SBA loans, which provide banks with partial guarantees, traditional commercial loans, and alternative methods like crowdfunding. Many franchisors furthermore offer financing assistance or collaborate with lenders, noted in Item 10 of the FDD. Moreover, personal loans from family or friends can be considered, but verify you have written agreements to clarify terms and protect all parties involved. Typical Franchise Fees When considering the cost to start a franchise, it’s essential to understand the typical franchise fees, which usually range from $10,000 to $50,000. These fees, set by franchisors, are typically non-negotiable and reflect the costs of providing initial support and resources to new franchisees. The amount often depends on market competitiveness and brand recognition. Moreover, franchisors may offer limited-time promotions, like deferred fees or discounts, to entice potential franchisees in new markets. It’s significant to recognize that the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) outlines these fees clearly, ensuring transparency. Beyond the initial fee, you might face other expenses, such as real estate costs, professional services, equipment purchases, and ongoing royalty fees, which can vary by franchise brand. Components of the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) When considering a franchise, it’s essential to understand the components of the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), particularly the initial investment breakdown and ongoing fees overview. The FDD details the upfront costs you’ll face when starting the franchise, in addition to the recurring fees that will impact your budget as you operate. Initial Investment Breakdown The initial investment breakdown for starting a franchise is a crucial component detailed in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Typically, the total investment ranges from $100,000 to $300,000, depending on the franchise brand and industry. Item 7 of the FDD outlines estimated initial purchase funds, which cover equipment, inventory, and other necessary expenses. Legal costs for preparing the FDD can range from $15,000 to $45,000, as it requires the expertise of a franchise lawyer. Furthermore, first-year sales costs can add between $22,500 and $75,500, contributing to a total first-year investment of approximately $48,500 to $160,000. Don’t forget state filing and registration fees, which may add another $1,000 to $4,500 to your initial costs. Ongoing Fees Overview After grasping the initial investment breakdown, it’s important to contemplate the ongoing fees associated with running a franchise, as outlined in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Typically, ongoing royalty fees range from 1% to 10% of your gross sales, depending on the franchise brand. You’ll likewise likely contribute an additional 1% to 4% for advertising, which supports marketing efforts. Training and support costs can vary based on your franchise agreement and might be included in your startup expenses. Moreover, some franchises require payment for technology or Microsoft services to keep operational systems running smoothly. The FDD will detail any additional fees related to compliance, renewal, or other necessary services, ensuring you have a thorough grasp of ongoing financial commitments. Estimated Costs for the First Year of Franchise Operations Starting a franchise can be an exciting venture, but it’s vital to comprehend the estimated costs for the first year of operations. The initial setup typically ranges from $26,000 to $84,500, shifting your business from owner to franchisor. Furthermore, first-year sales costs can reach $22,500 to $75,500. This brings your total first-year investment to about $48,500 to $160,000. Legal costs for developing the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) are important and can range from $15,000 to $45,000. You should also anticipate $2,500 to $5,000 for audited financial statements and state filing fees between $1,000 and $4,500 for incorporation, trademark filings, and FDD registration. Comprehending these costs helps you plan effectively for your franchise venture. Financing Options for Franchise Startup Costs How can you effectively fund your franchise startup costs? Exploring various financing options can help you secure the necessary funds. Here are some methods to take into account: Franchisor Assistance: Many franchisors offer financing support or partner with lenders to create customized programs for franchisees. Alternative Sources: Look into personal savings, crowdfunding, angel investors, or grants. Networking within the franchise community may reveal additional resources. Family and Friends: They can provide loans or act as partners, but it’s essential to have written agreements that outline terms to protect all involved parties. Exploring SBA Loans for Franchise Financing When you’re considering financing options for your franchise, SBA loans can be a valuable resource. These loans, particularly the General Small Business 7(a) loan, provide benefits like lower down payments and longer repayment periods, making them attractive for franchisees. Comprehending the application process and eligibility criteria is essential, as it can improve your chances of securing the funding you need to start your business. SBA Loan Benefits As you explore financing options for your franchise, SBA loans emerge as a leading choice due to their favorable terms and support customized for new business owners. These loans, particularly the General Small Business 7(a) loan, offer several advantages: Coverage of Startup Costs: They can finance franchise fees, equipment, and working capital. Lower Down Payments: SBA loans usually require less upfront capital, easing your initial financial burden. Longer Repayment Terms: These loans offer extended repayment periods, making monthly payments more manageable. With a strong credit score of around 680 and a detailed business plan, you can benefit from a streamlined funding process, especially if your franchise is SBA-approved. This combination makes SBA loans a practical option for aspiring franchisees. Application Process Overview Comprehending the application process for SBA loans is essential to securing financing for your franchise. The Small Business Administration doesn’t lend money directly but offers guarantees to banks, which can make financing more accessible. To qualify, you’ll need a solid business plan that outlines your executive summary, company description, market analysis, management structure, and financial projections. Lenders evaluate your creditworthiness using the “5 Cs”: Capacity, Capital, Collateral, Conditions, and Credit history. A strong credit score is vital. If you’re pursuing an “SBA approved” franchise, you’ll find streamlined processes that improve your chances of securing funding. Furthermore, Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) often indicate if franchisors provide financing options or partner with lenders, which can aid your search for funding. Other Forms of Franchise Financing Several financing options exist for those looking to start a franchise, each catering to different needs and circumstances. Comprehending these can help you choose the best route for your investment. SBA Loans: These provide partial guarantees to banks, simplifying the funding process for franchisees. Alternative Methods: Personal savings, crowdfunding, and angel investors offer various ways to finance your venture. Franchisor Assistance: Many franchisors now help franchisees by offering financing options or partnerships with affiliates. Additionally, consider family and friends for financial support, but make certain you establish written agreements to protect everyone involved. Online marketplaces like Boefly and Biz2Credit connect you with lenders, whereas services like FranFund can streamline access to financing solutions customized for franchisees. The Importance of a Solid Business Plan Creating a solid business plan is vital for your success as a franchisee since it serves as a roadmap for your venture, outlining your goals, strategies, and financial expectations. Your business plan should include a detailed market analysis to identify potential customers and assess competition within your franchise’s territory. Financial projections are critical, covering startup costs, ongoing expenses, and projected revenue, enabling you to budget realistically and manage cash flow effectively. A well-structured business plan likewise boosts your credibility with lenders and franchisors, increasing your chances of securing financing and support. Incorporating insights from the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) guarantees alignment with franchisor expectations, making your plan more robust and actionable. Common Misconceptions About Franchise Costs Though many people think that all franchises demand a hefty initial investment, this isn’t the case. In fact, you can find low-cost franchises starting for as little as $15,000. Here are some common misconceptions about franchise costs: Franchise fees are typically non-negotiable, set by franchisors based on market standards. The initial investment isn’t the only expense; ongoing costs like royalty fees and marketing contributions are important to take into account. Franchises don’t guarantee immediate profitability; many owners face initial losses before seeing returns. It’s significant to review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) carefully. This document outlines both initial costs and ongoing expenses, providing critical information for making informed decisions about your franchise investment. Frequently Asked Questions Why Does It Only Cost $10,000 to Open a Chick-Fil-A? Chick-fil-A’s low $10,000 startup cost is mainly due to the company covering vital expenses like real estate and equipment. This approach allows you to focus on running the business rather than worrying about hefty investments. Nonetheless, you’ll need to commit to long hours and active involvement in daily operations, as Chick-fil-A prefers hands-on franchisees. The competitive selection process additionally emphasizes your dedication to the brand and community impact, ensuring alignment with company values. What Is the Cheapest Franchise to Start? If you’re looking for the cheapest franchise to start, Dream Vacations is a solid option, requiring only $9,800 in startup costs. Other affordable choices include TSS Photography at $10,500, and Complete Weddings + Events at $10,000. Each of these franchises offers unique opportunities with manageable fees. Image One and Help-U-Sell Real Estate likewise provide low-cost entries into their respective markets, making them attractive for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking minimal initial investments. What Does a Chick-Fil-A Franchise Cost? Opening a Chick-fil-A franchise costs around $10,000, which is relatively low compared to other franchises. Nonetheless, you’ll need to commit to long hours and direct involvement in daily operations. Instead of traditional royalty fees, you share about 15% of your sales with the corporate entity. The selection process is competitive, focusing on candidates with strong entrepreneurial skills and community involvement, whereas Chick-fil-A offers extensive training and support to maintain brand standards. Which Franchise Is Best for Beginners? If you’re a beginner looking for a franchise, consider options like Dream Vacations or TSS Photography. They’ve low startup costs and offer crucial training and support. Franchises like Complete Weddings + Events can similarly be appealing because of their potential for significant annual sales. Look for franchises that provide ongoing assistance and manageable royalty fees, as these factors can greatly improve your chances of success in the competitive market. Conclusion Starting a franchise involves various costs, including initial fees, equipment, and ongoing royalties. Comprehending these expenses is vital for effective financial planning. By exploring financing options like SBA loans and creating a solid business plan, you can navigate the financial terrain more effectively. Remember, the initial investment can vary widely, so thorough research is fundamental. Being well-informed will help you make sound decisions and set your franchise up for long-term success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "How Much Does It Cost to Start a Franchise?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re looking for free accounting software for home use, there are several excellent options available. Programs like Wave Accounting and Zoho Books excel in user-friendliness and crucial features. You’ll find tools for invoicing, expense tracking, and even inventory management. Each software caters to individual needs, making financial management easier. Curious about which one suits you best? Let’s explore the top ten choices in detail. Key Takeaways Wave Accounting offers unlimited invoicing and receipt scanning, making it ideal for freelancers and small businesses. ZipBooks provides seamless bank integration for automatic transaction imports and unlimited invoicing capabilities. GnuCash is a free, open-source option with robust reporting and a double-entry accounting system. Akaunting supports customizable invoicing and multi-currency transactions, catering to diverse financial needs. BrightBook simplifies financial management, perfect for users new to accounting without complex features. Wave Accounting: Best for Easy Invoicing When you’re looking for a straightforward invoicing solution, Wave Accounting stands out as an excellent choice, especially for freelancers and small businesses. This platform offers unlimited invoicing and estimates, allowing you to generate professional bills in just a few clicks. Its user-friendly interface simplifies the invoicing process, so you can focus on your work rather than paperwork. With Wave’s free plan, you’ll find crucial features like receipt scanning, income and expense tracking, and reporting dashboards—all without hidden fees. Additionally, you can manage multiple businesses under one account, making it a flexible option for various personal accounting programs free. Accessible via mobile apps, Wave lets you handle your financial tasks on the go, making it an ideal home accounting software solution. If you’re searching for free accounting software for home use, Wave Accounting provides an efficient way to streamline your invoicing and financial management. Zoho Books: Best for Overall Free Accounting Software Zoho Books stands out as the best overall free accounting software because of its thorough feature set, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing tiers. With the ability to manage invoicing, banking integration, and expense tracking, it caters perfectly to micro businesses earning $50,000 or less. Plus, the free version offers vital tools for one user and an accountant, making it a practical choice for home use. Comprehensive Feature Set For micro businesses seeking a robust accounting solution, the extensive feature set of Zoho Books makes it an excellent choice. This household bookkeeping software free offers invoicing, expense tracking, and client management, all vital for small home-based operations. You can send up to 1,000 invoices annually, providing flexibility to manage your finances efficiently. With its free checkbook register software for Windows 10, you can also record and monitor your transactions seamlessly. Moreover, Zoho Books delivers extensive reporting capabilities, enabling you to analyze your financial performance effectively. Rated 4.3/5 for banking and reporting, it stands out among free accounting options. As your business grows, you can add users for just $3 per seat per month, ensuring scalability without breaking the bank. User-Friendly Interface Maneuvering through accounting software can often feel overwhelming, but with Zoho Books, you’ll find a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process. Designed for efficiency, this software thrives in providing an intuitive experience, making it suitable even for those unfamiliar with accounting. Here’s what you can expect: Streamlined Dashboard: Easily access all your financial data at a glance. Simple Invoice Creation: Send up to 1,000 invoices effortlessly. Expense Tracking: Monitor your spending without complex setups. Responsive Support: Get help via email, even with the free plan. Whether you need offline personal finance software, personal check register software, or free checkbook software, Zoho Books offers an accessible solution that meets your needs efficiently. Affordable Pricing Tiers In regards to finding affordable accounting solutions, Zoho Books stands out with its competitive pricing tiers. Their free accounting software plan is perfect for micro businesses earning $50,000 or less, allowing you to manage up to 1,000 invoices annually for one user and an accountant. This robust checkbook software includes features like invoicing, expense tracking, and extensive reporting, ideal for home use. If your business grows, additional tiers start at just $20 per month, granting access to more users and advanced functionalities. Plus, you can test the Premium plan with a 14-day free trial before committing. Zoho Books’ excellent user experience and email support in the free plan make it a top choice for anyone seeking freeware checkbook solutions. ZipBooks: Best for Free Bank Account Connection ZipBooks stands out for its ability to seamlessly connect with your bank account, automatically importing transactions to simplify your financial management. With features like unlimited invoicing capabilities and support for both cash and accrual reporting, it adapts to your specific needs. This user-friendly platform likewise integrates with popular payment processors like Square and PayPal, making it easier for you to manage your finances effectively at home. Key Features Highlighted For those seeking a reliable and cost-effective accounting solution, ZipBooks stands out with its impressive features customized for home use. Here are some key highlights: Unlimited Invoicing: You can create and send professional invoices at no cost, making it easy to manage your billing. Flexible Accounting Methods: Switch between cash and accrual accounting based on your financial management preferences. Basic Financial Reporting: Generate crucial reports to analyze your income and expenses, providing valuable insights into your finances. User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed to be accessible, even for those without extensive accounting experience, ensuring a smooth user experience. These features collectively improve ZipBooks’ appeal for home users looking to simplify their financial management. Seamless Integration With Banks When managing your finances, connecting your bank account to accounting software can streamline the process considerably. ZipBooks stands out in this area, offering seamless integration with various financial institutions. This feature allows you to import transactions automatically, making reconciliation straightforward and efficient. You can choose between cash and accrual accounting methods, giving you flexibility in managing your finances. The software lets you categorize transactions easily and create custom tags, enhancing your tracking and reporting capabilities. With a user-friendly interface, even those with limited accounting experience can navigate the bank connection process effortlessly. This integration enables real-time financial monitoring, helping you maintain an accurate overview of your cash flow and expenses, ensuring you stay on top of your financial situation. Unlimited Invoicing Capabilities Unlimited invoicing capabilities are crucial for anyone managing finances at home, and this is where ZipBooks stands out. With its free offering, you can create and send as many invoices as you need without any restrictions. Here are some key features that make ZipBooks a top choice: Seamless integration with bank accounts allows for automatic transaction imports. You can easily monitor cash flow using both cash and accrual accounting methods. Professional invoice customization improves the presentation of your billing documents. The straightforward interface enables you to manage invoicing without needing extensive accounting knowledge. These features guarantee that your financial management remains efficient, making ZipBooks an indispensable tool for effective home accounting. ProfitBooks: Best for Inventory Management ProfitBooks stands out as a top choice for users seeking effective inventory management solutions customized for startups and small businesses. This software helps you track stock levels and manage sales orders efficiently, ensuring you have what you need when you need it. With features like invoicing, estimates, and sales orders, ProfitBooks supports accurate billing processes for your inventory-related transactions. Here’s a quick comparison of key features: Feature Description Inventory Management Real-time tracking of stock levels Multi-Warehouse Support Manage multiple warehouses seamlessly Pricing Starts at $20/month for extensive access Performance Rating 4.7/5 in accounts receivable These capabilities make ProfitBooks a cost-effective solution for growing businesses, helping you prevent stockouts and overstock situations, critical for efficient inventory control. Odoo: Best for Customization For businesses looking for a highly customizable accounting solution, Odoo stands out as a prime option. This platform offers an array of apps that can be adjusted to fit your specific needs, making it suitable for various industries. Here are some key features: Flexible Options: Access both free and paid applications, allowing you to scale features as your business evolves. Unlimited Users: Enjoy the benefit of unlimited user access, which is ideal if you plan to expand your workforce without additional costs. Customizable Reports: Generate financial reports that reflect your unique operations, providing valuable insights. Open Architecture: Odoo’s structure supports extensive integrations, enhancing operational efficiency across different business functions. With these capabilities, Odoo provides a robust accounting solution that adapts to your business’s changing requirements. GnuCash: Best for Desktop Accounting Software GnuCash emerges as a strong choice for those seeking desktop accounting software that combines robustness with ease of use. This free, open-source program features a double-entry accounting system, making it suitable for managing personal finances or small business accounts. One significant advantage is its support for multiple currencies, allowing you to handle accounts, stocks, income, and expenses in various currencies efficiently. GnuCash also stands out in its reporting capabilities, providing standard financial reports and graphs that aid in thorough financial analysis. Available for Linux, Windows, and macOS, it guarantees cross-platform compatibility, so you can work on your preferred operating system. In addition, you’ll benefit from community-driven support via mailing lists and detailed documentation, which promotes collaboration and assistance among users. With its combination of features and accessibility, GnuCash stands out as a reliable option for your desktop accounting needs. Manager: Best for Desktop-Based Free Accounting Software If you’re looking for a strong yet user-friendly accounting solution, Manager stands out as the best free desktop-based accounting software for home use. Rated 4.1/5, it offers an extensive suite of features customized for small home-based businesses. Here’s what you can expect: Unlimited Data Entry: You can enter as much data as you need without restrictions. Cross-Platform Accessibility: Available on Linux, macOS, and Windows, it works on various devices. Robust General Accounting Features: It shines in managing accounts receivable and generating reports. No Hidden Fees: All features are accessible without any costs. However, it’s important to note that the free version lacks cloud backup and direct third-party integrations. In spite of this, Manager remains a solid choice for effective financial management at home. NCH Express Accounts: Best for Small Teams When managing finances for a small team of five employees or fewer, NCH Express Accounts offers a practical solution customized to your needs. This free accounting software simplifies the process of invoicing and financial reporting, automating invoice generation and providing over 20 customizable reports to help you track income and expenses efficiently. You’ll appreciate features like bank reconciliation and expense tracking, all presented through a user-friendly interface that improves usability for your team. NCH Express Accounts likewise supports multiple currencies, making it an excellent choice if your business involves international transactions. Furthermore, it’s compatible with various operating systems, including Windows and Mac OS, ensuring flexibility for small teams using different devices. Akaunting: Best Open-Source Accounting Software Akaunting stands out as a top choice for open-source accounting software, offering customizable invoicing options that allow you to design invoices that fit your brand perfectly. With unlimited user access, you can easily collaborate with team members or clients without worrying about additional costs. Plus, its multi-currency support makes managing international transactions seamless, providing flexibility for your global business needs. Customizable Invoicing Options Many small business owners and freelancers find that having customizable invoicing options is crucial for maintaining a professional appearance and managing their finances effectively. Akaunting offers a robust invoicing system that allows you to tailor invoices to your branding. Here are some key features that improve your invoicing experience: Fully Customizable Templates: Create invoices that reflect your unique style and services. Unlimited Invoicing: Manage as many invoices as you need without extra costs. Expense Tracking: Monitor expenses alongside invoices to gain a clearer financial overview. Payment Gateway Integration: Facilitate online payments directly through invoices, boosting cash flow. These features empower you to manage your finances efficiently during projecting a professional image to your clients. Unlimited User Access If you’re looking for accounting software that supports collaboration without the burden of extra costs, you’ll find Akaunting’s unlimited user access feature particularly appealing. This open-source platform allows you to add as many users as you need, making it perfect for families or small businesses. You won’t face escalating fees with each new member, so you can manage your finances together effortlessly. Furthermore, Akaunting offers customizable invoicing options, ensuring your invoices reflect your unique branding. Its robust expense management tools help you track and categorize expenses efficiently, contributing to better financial oversight. In addition, with community-driven support, you can easily find resources and assistance from fellow users, enhancing your experience as you navigate the software. Multi-Currency Support When managing finances across borders, having reliable multi-currency support is essential, especially for those involved in international transactions. Akaunting shines in this area, offering features that streamline your financial processes. Here’s how you can benefit: Seamless Transactions: Easily manage transactions in different currencies without hassle. Customizable Invoicing: Create invoices customized to various currencies and client preferences. Real-Time Exchange Rates: Get accurate conversions for financial transactions with up-to-date exchange rates. Comprehensive Reporting: Track and manage expenses across multiple currencies for better financial oversight. With Akaunting, you can efficiently handle your finances, making it an ideal choice for businesses with international clients or operations. This multi-currency feature improves your accounting experience considerably. BrightBook: Best for Freelancers and Self-Employed Professionals For freelancers and self-employed professionals, BrightBook stands out as an effective, free accounting software option that simplifies financial management. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate, allowing you to focus on your work rather than get bogged down in complex accounting tasks. With BrightBook, you can create multiple free accounts, which is perfect for managing finances across various clients or projects. The software supports basic bill and expense tracking, ensuring you can efficiently monitor your financial activities without complicated processes. You’ll appreciate the online accessibility, enabling you to manage your finances from anywhere with an internet connection. Although it lacks some advanced features found in paid accounting software, BrightBook serves as a practical solution for those who need fundamental accounting tools at no cost. If you’re looking for straightforward financial management without the hassle, BrightBook is definitely worth considering. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Free Accounting Software for Personal Use? When you’re looking for the best free accounting software for personal use, consider options like Wave Accounting for its user-friendly interface and unlimited invoicing. GnuCash is great if you value privacy and need thorough tracking. For small businesses, Zoho Books offers a free tier with vital features. If you prefer desktop solutions, Manager provides robust tools offline. Each option has unique strengths, so choose one that aligns with your specific financial management needs. What Is the Simplest Bookkeeping Software? The simplest bookkeeping software focuses on user-friendly interfaces and crucial features. You’ll find options that include invoicing, expense tracking, and basic reporting, making financial management accessible. Wave Accounting’s straightforward tools suit freelancers, whereas Zoho Books offers a free plan for micro businesses. For unlimited invoicing, consider ZipBooks, and if you prefer open-source, GnuCash provides a double-entry system. Each option allows you to easily manage your finances without extensive accounting knowledge. Is There an App Like Quickbooks for Personal Use? Yes, there are several apps like QuickBooks customized for personal use. Wave Accounting offers unlimited invoicing and expense tracking at no cost. ZipBooks likewise has a free plan, integrating with payment platforms like Square. GnuCash serves as an open-source solution for managing expenses and bank accounts. Furthermore, Manager.io provides crucial accounting features for free, whereas BrightBook is designed for freelancers, focusing on basic bill and expense tracking without fees. Is Google Sheets Good for Bookkeeping? Google Sheets is a good option for bookkeeping since it’s versatile and user-friendly. You can create customized spreadsheets to track your income, expenses, and budgets without any cost. Its real-time collaboration feature allows you to share and edit financial data with others, which is ideal for households. With built-in functions and templates, you can automate calculations and set up your accounting system quickly, making it a practical choice for home users. Conclusion In conclusion, selecting the right free accounting software for home use can greatly improve your financial management. Each option, from Wave Accounting’s easy invoicing to GnuCash’s robust reporting, offers distinct advantages customized to various needs. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or managing personal finances, these tools simplify tasks like expense tracking and invoicing. By evaluating the features of each software, you can find the best fit to streamline your accounting processes efficiently and effectively. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Best Free Accounting Software for Home Use" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

SAP SE is taking a bold step into the future of artificial intelligence by announcing its acquisition of Prior Labs, a pioneer in Tabular Foundation Models (TFMs). This strategic move not only highlights SAP’s commitment to advancing AI capabilities but also positions small businesses to harness the power of tailored AI solutions designed specifically for structured data. With plans to invest over €1 billion over the next four years, SAP aims to scale Prior Labs into a leading frontier AI lab focused on the structured data critical to today’s business operations. The transition creates an opportunity for small business owners to integrate cutting-edge AI technology into their practices, encouraging smarter decision-making and improved operational efficiencies. Philipp Herzig, SAP’s CTO, emphasized the significance of this acquisition, stating, “Early on, SAP recognized that the greatest untapped opportunity in enterprise AI wasn’t large language models; it was AI built for the structured data that runs the world’s businesses.” This assertion underscores SAP’s focus on developing AI that fully understands and predicts outcomes based on analytical trends in tabular data—an essential aspect of many small businesses’ operations. The technology that Prior Labs brings can accurately predict business outcomes related to payment delays, supplier risks, customer churn, and upsell opportunities. By utilizing TFMs, small business owners can transition from relying on rudimentary big data analysis to impressive predictions tailored specifically for their operational needs. A key benefit for small businesses is the user-friendly interface that enables users to pose questions in natural language and run predictive analyses without needing advanced data science skills. The ability to generate “what-if” scenarios allows small business owners to make informed decisions swiftly—resulting in not just time savings but also potential cost reductions. Prior Labs also offers an open-source tool, TabPFN, which has garnered over 3 million downloads, showing its popularity among developers looking to leverage AI for tabular data applications. SAP’s commitment to supporting this open-source strategy ensures small businesses can access robust, adaptable tools for their needs. While the potential benefits are significant, small business owners may also want to consider the challenges associated with integrating new AI technologies. Adapting to advanced AI systems might require training staff or possibly hiring new talent, which could stretch limited resources. Furthermore, as with any new technology, there’s an inherent risk involving data privacy and compliance, especially with GDPR regulations already impacting many businesses across Europe. As SAP and Prior Labs work to deliver TFMs with enhanced predictive capabilities, businesses that adapt early may find themselves reaping rewards that position them ahead of their competitors. With TFMs designed to understand tabular data natively, these tools will be capable of integrating statistical reasoning directly from data, providing insights that move beyond mere correlation to deeper levels of causation. Frank Hutter, CEO of Prior Labs, shared his enthusiasm for the new phase of their journey, stating, “Joining the SAP family gives us the resources, data environment, and customer reach to take this category to its full potential.” For small business owners, this means access to an arsenal of advanced AI tools that can translate complex data into actionable insights. As the transaction is anticipated to close in Q2 or Q3 of 2026, it’s essential for small business owners to stay informed about these developments. By embracing tailored AI solutions such as those emerging from this acquisition, small businesses can take significant steps toward evolving their operations and leveraging their data effectively. Small business owners keen on exploring these advancements can find more information on SAP’s plans and Prior Labs’ innovative models by visiting SAP News Center. The future of AI for structured data is bright, and those willing to adapt may find themselves leading the charge in their respective industries. Image via Google Gemini This article, "SAP to Acquire Prior Labs to Lead in Tabular Foundation Models for AI" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Do you have a viable business idea? To determine this, you need to identify your unique value proposition and understand the specific problems your idea addresses. Engaging with potential customers for feedback is crucial, as is analyzing your competition to find your market niche. By evaluating your resources and developing a sustainable business model, you can increase your chances of success. But how do you start this process effectively? Key Takeaways Identify a specific problem that your business idea addresses and ensure it resonates with a broad audience. Validate your idea through market research and engage potential customers for unbiased feedback. Analyze competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and identify gaps your idea can fill. Assess your financial resources, skilled labor availability, and access to essential technology for operational success. Develop a sustainable business model that ensures revenue exceeds costs and allows for scalability. Identify a Unique Value Proposition Identifying a unique value proposition (UVP) is vital for any business looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace. A well-defined UVP articulates how your product or service solves specific problems or meets customer needs better than competitors. To uncover your UVP, consider employing the “seven why’s” technique—this helps clarify what makes your offering distinct. Your UVP should resonate with your target audience, addressing their pain points as you illustrate the benefits they’ll receive. Successful businesses often differentiate themselves through their approach, branding, and customer experience, all of which should be included in your UVP. This clarity improves marketing efforts, increasing brand recognition and loyalty, making it a key component for securing business support and potential business loans for small businesses. Understand the Problem You Want to Solve Comprehending the problem you want to solve is a critical step in developing a viable business idea, as it lays the foundation for your product or service. Identifying a specific problem guarantees your idea addresses challenges faced by many. Often, issues within your personal network reflect wider concerns. Conducting market research helps validate the problem’s relevance, assuring demand for your solution. Engaging with potential customers reveals their pain points and refines your business concept. Problem Identification Solution Exploration Identify key issues Develop potential solutions Research target audience Test solutions with feedback Analyze competition Iterate based on insights Assess feasibility (business loans, grants) Finalize your business idea Gather Candid Feedback From Potential Customers To refine your business idea, you need to engage directly with your target audience through focused conversations. Conducting interviews or distributing surveys can help you gather crucial insights about their needs and preferences. Engaging Target Audience Directly Engaging directly with your target audience is essential for gaining candid feedback that can shape your business ideas. Conducting 10 to 20 discussions can provide invaluable insights into your product concepts. Utilize tools like Survey Monkey or Google Forms to craft structured surveys, capturing diverse opinions efficiently. Social media platforms likewise offer quick polls or feedback opportunities, allowing you to gauge customer interest in real-time without significant investment. It’s important to seek candid feedback from individuals outside your personal network, as this uncovers unbiased insights that highlight both strengths and weaknesses in your business concept. Conducting Effective Conversations When you want to gather candid feedback from potential customers, conducting effective conversations is crucial. Engaging in 10 to 20 discussions can provide valuable insights into their needs and preferences, helping you refine your business idea. Use direct communication methods, like phone calls and emails, to encourage open dialogue. Consider seeking opinions from individuals outside your personal circle to avoid bias in your feedback. Structure your conversations to explore specific product features and overall service value, which can lead to actionable insights. Actively listen to the feedback you receive, and be open to adapting your business concept based on this input. This willingness to iterate can greatly improve your market fit and overall viability. Utilizing Surveys and Polls Surveys and polls serve as influential tools for gathering candid feedback from potential customers, allowing you to pinpoint their preferences and needs regarding your product or service. You can effectively conduct surveys using platforms like Survey Monkey or Google Forms, which provide structured feedback. Social media also offers a quick way to create polls, engaging your audience during the collection of insights on specific features. For deeper comprehension, consider direct communication methods like phone calls or emails, which enable personalized interactions. Aim to conduct 10 to 20 conversations to gain significant insights that can inform your product development and marketing strategies. Nevertheless, interpret survey results cautiously, as they may not always reflect actual purchasing behavior or preferences accurately. Analyze Your Competition To effectively analyze your competition, it’s crucial to identify existing businesses that tackle the same problem your venture aims to solve. This insight allows you to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how to do it: Create a scoring chart to assess competitor features, pricing, customer service, and marketing strategies. Utilize SWOT analysis to gain a thorough view of your competitors and spot market gaps. Review customer feedback on competitors to discover what consumers value and what issues remain unresolved. Regularly monitor competitor activities, such as product launches and promotional strategies, to adapt your approach. Learn From the Results of Others Learning from the results of others can greatly improve your comprehension of what makes a business successful. Many entrepreneurs identify specific problems within their networks and create solutions, leading to viable business ideas. Research shows that 42% of startups fail because of a lack of market demand, highlighting the need to validate concepts early. Engaging early adopters is crucial; surveys indicate that 70% of those who implemented customer suggestions experienced better product-market fit and increased sales. Furthermore, startups with a clear unique value proposition are 60% more likely to secure initial funding. Companies like Slack and Instagram illustrate the strength of pivoting based on market feedback, eventually finding success through adaptation and customer insight. Validate Demand Through Customer Conversations To validate demand, start by engaging directly with 10 to 20 potential users; this step is essential in identifying their needs and preferences. Honest conversations can provide insights into specific pain points and whether your product effectively addresses them. Furthermore, consider using surveys or polls to gather wider feedback, which can further refine your comprehension of customer desires and purchasing behaviors. Engaging With Potential Users Engaging with potential users is crucial for validating demand and ensuring your business idea resonates with the market. Direct conversations can reveal invaluable insights about their needs and preferences. Here are some effective strategies to reflect on: Conduct 10 to 20 conversations to gather significant feedback and assess market interest. Utilize focus group techniques, such as informal interviews or surveys, to obtain objective opinions. Gather feedback from diverse customer segments to highlight varying expectations and desires. Listen to potential customers’ reactions and suggestions to refine your business idea and build relationships. Identifying Needs and Preferences How can you effectively identify the needs and preferences of your potential customers? Engaging in 10 to 20 conversations with them can yield significant insights, helping you validate demand for your product or service. Direct feedback reveals whether your offering aligns with their needs and highlights their preferred purchasing methods, whether online or in-person. Although surveys and social media polls can gather opinions, keep in mind that responses may not always reflect actual buying behavior. Testing small-scale trials lets you gauge customer interest without extensive resources. Iterating your business concept based on this feedback is vital for refining your offering and improving its market fit, eventually enhancing your chances of success in the competitive terrain. Gathering Honest Insights Gathering honest insights from potential customers is a pivotal step in validating the demand for your product or service. Engaging in conversations with 10 to 20 potential customers can uncover valuable information about their needs and preferences. Here’s how to effectively gather insights: Direct Communication: Use phone calls or emails for candid feedback, as these methods often yield more authentic responses than surveys. Surveys: Utilize platforms like Survey Monkey or Google Forms, but remain aware of their limitations in capturing true customer intentions. Focus Groups: Conduct informal discussions with individuals outside your close circle to gain objective opinions. Feedback Loop: Actively seek and analyze feedback to refine your business idea and improve product development strategies. Assess Your Access to Resources Evaluating your access to resources is a crucial step in establishing a viable business. Start by reviewing your financial resources, including personal savings, potential investors, and loan options, ensuring you can cover startup costs and initial expenses. Next, consider the availability of skilled labor in your area, as having qualified employees can improve your operational efficiency and service quality. Furthermore, evaluate your access to critical technology, like eCommerce platforms and accounting software, which can streamline operations. Investigate local business support services, such as mentorship programs and incubators, for guidance and networking opportunities. Finally, review your ability to secure a suitable location, whether physical or digital, as this can greatly impact customer reach and overall success. Develop a Sustainable Business Model Developing a sustainable business model is essential for long-term success, as it not just helps you address a significant problem for a broad audience but in addition assures that your revenue consistently exceeds operational costs. To create an effective model, consider the following: Focus on a significant problem: Confirm your business addresses a need that many people share. Prioritize scalability: Design your model to grow revenue without a proportional rise in costs, which boosts profit margins. Incorporate recurring revenue: Explore options like subscription services to stabilize cash flow and improve predictability. Engage in market research: Regularly gather customer feedback to adapt your offerings and maintain relevance. Plan for Access to Capital and Initial Sales When you’re planning for access to capital and initial sales, it’s essential to start by accurately evaluating your startup funding needs. Identify all potential expenses, such as equipment, rent, and marketing, to guarantee you have enough capital for both expected and unforeseen costs. Explore various funding options like loans, crowdfunding, and grants, and create a detailed financial plan outlining how you’ll allocate and manage this capital during the initial sales phase. Develop a marketing strategy that effectively communicates your unique value proposition through low-cost channels, like social media. Engage with potential customers early to validate your business idea and refine your offerings based on their feedback, as you closely monitor cash flow to anticipate financial challenges in these critical early stages. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Viable Business Idea? A viable business idea is one that addresses a significant problem faced by a considerable audience, ensuring it can grow and sustain itself. It should be intuitive, making it easy for consumers to understand and engage with. Market viability relies on having paying customers, demonstrating demand. Furthermore, a well-defined pricing strategy that aligns with customer expectations is crucial, as it impacts both perception and the overall potential for success in the marketplace. How Do You Know if Your Business Idea Is Viable? To know if your business idea is viable, analyze the target market and assess competitors. Determine if there’s substantial demand for your solution and how it stands out. Conduct feasibility checks, like customer profiling and gathering feedback, to guarantee your offering meets market needs. Furthermore, test your idea through low-cost prototypes to obtain real feedback. Finally, establish a pricing strategy that aligns with customer expectations and market standards for better success potential. What Is Considered a Viable Business? A viable business is one that consistently generates profit by ensuring revenue surpasses operational costs. It addresses significant problems for a broad audience, meeting identifiable customer needs. Scalability is crucial, as a viable business can grow revenue without a proportional increase in costs. Furthermore, being rooted in a growing market boosts long-term success. Finally, intuitive solutions that are easy to understand increase customer engagement, making your product or service more appealing. What Does It Mean When I Ask You Is Your Business Idea Viable? When you ask if your business idea is viable, you’re inquiring about its potential to generate profit and address a significant market need. You should evaluate whether your concept can scale effectively, meaning it can grow without proportional cost increases. Conducting thorough market research is crucial to confirm customer demand and willingness to pay. Furthermore, obtaining feedback helps refine your idea and guarantees your pricing strategy aligns with perceived value and market competitiveness. Conclusion In summary, determining if you have a viable business idea requires a clear comprehension of your unique value proposition and the problems it addresses. Engage with potential customers for feedback, analyze your competition, and validate demand through conversations. Assess your resources and develop a sustainable business model to guarantee long-term success. By following these steps and iterating based on insights, you can improve your chances of launching a successful venture in today’s competitive marketplace. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Do You Have a Viable Business Idea?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Do you have a viable business idea? To determine this, you need to identify your unique value proposition and understand the specific problems your idea addresses. Engaging with potential customers for feedback is crucial, as is analyzing your competition to find your market niche. By evaluating your resources and developing a sustainable business model, you can increase your chances of success. But how do you start this process effectively? Key Takeaways Identify a specific problem that your business idea addresses and ensure it resonates with a broad audience. Validate your idea through market research and engage potential customers for unbiased feedback. Analyze competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and identify gaps your idea can fill. Assess your financial resources, skilled labor availability, and access to essential technology for operational success. Develop a sustainable business model that ensures revenue exceeds costs and allows for scalability. Identify a Unique Value Proposition Identifying a unique value proposition (UVP) is vital for any business looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace. A well-defined UVP articulates how your product or service solves specific problems or meets customer needs better than competitors. To uncover your UVP, consider employing the “seven why’s” technique—this helps clarify what makes your offering distinct. Your UVP should resonate with your target audience, addressing their pain points as you illustrate the benefits they’ll receive. Successful businesses often differentiate themselves through their approach, branding, and customer experience, all of which should be included in your UVP. This clarity improves marketing efforts, increasing brand recognition and loyalty, making it a key component for securing business support and potential business loans for small businesses. Understand the Problem You Want to Solve Comprehending the problem you want to solve is a critical step in developing a viable business idea, as it lays the foundation for your product or service. Identifying a specific problem guarantees your idea addresses challenges faced by many. Often, issues within your personal network reflect wider concerns. Conducting market research helps validate the problem’s relevance, assuring demand for your solution. Engaging with potential customers reveals their pain points and refines your business concept. Problem Identification Solution Exploration Identify key issues Develop potential solutions Research target audience Test solutions with feedback Analyze competition Iterate based on insights Assess feasibility (business loans, grants) Finalize your business idea Gather Candid Feedback From Potential Customers To refine your business idea, you need to engage directly with your target audience through focused conversations. Conducting interviews or distributing surveys can help you gather crucial insights about their needs and preferences. Engaging Target Audience Directly Engaging directly with your target audience is essential for gaining candid feedback that can shape your business ideas. Conducting 10 to 20 discussions can provide invaluable insights into your product concepts. Utilize tools like Survey Monkey or Google Forms to craft structured surveys, capturing diverse opinions efficiently. Social media platforms likewise offer quick polls or feedback opportunities, allowing you to gauge customer interest in real-time without significant investment. It’s important to seek candid feedback from individuals outside your personal network, as this uncovers unbiased insights that highlight both strengths and weaknesses in your business concept. Conducting Effective Conversations When you want to gather candid feedback from potential customers, conducting effective conversations is crucial. Engaging in 10 to 20 discussions can provide valuable insights into their needs and preferences, helping you refine your business idea. Use direct communication methods, like phone calls and emails, to encourage open dialogue. Consider seeking opinions from individuals outside your personal circle to avoid bias in your feedback. Structure your conversations to explore specific product features and overall service value, which can lead to actionable insights. Actively listen to the feedback you receive, and be open to adapting your business concept based on this input. This willingness to iterate can greatly improve your market fit and overall viability. Utilizing Surveys and Polls Surveys and polls serve as influential tools for gathering candid feedback from potential customers, allowing you to pinpoint their preferences and needs regarding your product or service. You can effectively conduct surveys using platforms like Survey Monkey or Google Forms, which provide structured feedback. Social media also offers a quick way to create polls, engaging your audience during the collection of insights on specific features. For deeper comprehension, consider direct communication methods like phone calls or emails, which enable personalized interactions. Aim to conduct 10 to 20 conversations to gain significant insights that can inform your product development and marketing strategies. Nevertheless, interpret survey results cautiously, as they may not always reflect actual purchasing behavior or preferences accurately. Analyze Your Competition To effectively analyze your competition, it’s crucial to identify existing businesses that tackle the same problem your venture aims to solve. This insight allows you to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how to do it: Create a scoring chart to assess competitor features, pricing, customer service, and marketing strategies. Utilize SWOT analysis to gain a thorough view of your competitors and spot market gaps. Review customer feedback on competitors to discover what consumers value and what issues remain unresolved. Regularly monitor competitor activities, such as product launches and promotional strategies, to adapt your approach. Learn From the Results of Others Learning from the results of others can greatly improve your comprehension of what makes a business successful. Many entrepreneurs identify specific problems within their networks and create solutions, leading to viable business ideas. Research shows that 42% of startups fail because of a lack of market demand, highlighting the need to validate concepts early. Engaging early adopters is crucial; surveys indicate that 70% of those who implemented customer suggestions experienced better product-market fit and increased sales. Furthermore, startups with a clear unique value proposition are 60% more likely to secure initial funding. Companies like Slack and Instagram illustrate the strength of pivoting based on market feedback, eventually finding success through adaptation and customer insight. Validate Demand Through Customer Conversations To validate demand, start by engaging directly with 10 to 20 potential users; this step is essential in identifying their needs and preferences. Honest conversations can provide insights into specific pain points and whether your product effectively addresses them. Furthermore, consider using surveys or polls to gather wider feedback, which can further refine your comprehension of customer desires and purchasing behaviors. Engaging With Potential Users Engaging with potential users is crucial for validating demand and ensuring your business idea resonates with the market. Direct conversations can reveal invaluable insights about their needs and preferences. Here are some effective strategies to reflect on: Conduct 10 to 20 conversations to gather significant feedback and assess market interest. Utilize focus group techniques, such as informal interviews or surveys, to obtain objective opinions. Gather feedback from diverse customer segments to highlight varying expectations and desires. Listen to potential customers’ reactions and suggestions to refine your business idea and build relationships. Identifying Needs and Preferences How can you effectively identify the needs and preferences of your potential customers? Engaging in 10 to 20 conversations with them can yield significant insights, helping you validate demand for your product or service. Direct feedback reveals whether your offering aligns with their needs and highlights their preferred purchasing methods, whether online or in-person. Although surveys and social media polls can gather opinions, keep in mind that responses may not always reflect actual buying behavior. Testing small-scale trials lets you gauge customer interest without extensive resources. Iterating your business concept based on this feedback is vital for refining your offering and improving its market fit, eventually enhancing your chances of success in the competitive terrain. Gathering Honest Insights Gathering honest insights from potential customers is a pivotal step in validating the demand for your product or service. Engaging in conversations with 10 to 20 potential customers can uncover valuable information about their needs and preferences. Here’s how to effectively gather insights: Direct Communication: Use phone calls or emails for candid feedback, as these methods often yield more authentic responses than surveys. Surveys: Utilize platforms like Survey Monkey or Google Forms, but remain aware of their limitations in capturing true customer intentions. Focus Groups: Conduct informal discussions with individuals outside your close circle to gain objective opinions. Feedback Loop: Actively seek and analyze feedback to refine your business idea and improve product development strategies. Assess Your Access to Resources Evaluating your access to resources is a crucial step in establishing a viable business. Start by reviewing your financial resources, including personal savings, potential investors, and loan options, ensuring you can cover startup costs and initial expenses. Next, consider the availability of skilled labor in your area, as having qualified employees can improve your operational efficiency and service quality. Furthermore, evaluate your access to critical technology, like eCommerce platforms and accounting software, which can streamline operations. Investigate local business support services, such as mentorship programs and incubators, for guidance and networking opportunities. Finally, review your ability to secure a suitable location, whether physical or digital, as this can greatly impact customer reach and overall success. Develop a Sustainable Business Model Developing a sustainable business model is essential for long-term success, as it not just helps you address a significant problem for a broad audience but in addition assures that your revenue consistently exceeds operational costs. To create an effective model, consider the following: Focus on a significant problem: Confirm your business addresses a need that many people share. Prioritize scalability: Design your model to grow revenue without a proportional rise in costs, which boosts profit margins. Incorporate recurring revenue: Explore options like subscription services to stabilize cash flow and improve predictability. Engage in market research: Regularly gather customer feedback to adapt your offerings and maintain relevance. Plan for Access to Capital and Initial Sales When you’re planning for access to capital and initial sales, it’s essential to start by accurately evaluating your startup funding needs. Identify all potential expenses, such as equipment, rent, and marketing, to guarantee you have enough capital for both expected and unforeseen costs. Explore various funding options like loans, crowdfunding, and grants, and create a detailed financial plan outlining how you’ll allocate and manage this capital during the initial sales phase. Develop a marketing strategy that effectively communicates your unique value proposition through low-cost channels, like social media. Engage with potential customers early to validate your business idea and refine your offerings based on their feedback, as you closely monitor cash flow to anticipate financial challenges in these critical early stages. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Viable Business Idea? A viable business idea is one that addresses a significant problem faced by a considerable audience, ensuring it can grow and sustain itself. It should be intuitive, making it easy for consumers to understand and engage with. Market viability relies on having paying customers, demonstrating demand. Furthermore, a well-defined pricing strategy that aligns with customer expectations is crucial, as it impacts both perception and the overall potential for success in the marketplace. How Do You Know if Your Business Idea Is Viable? To know if your business idea is viable, analyze the target market and assess competitors. Determine if there’s substantial demand for your solution and how it stands out. Conduct feasibility checks, like customer profiling and gathering feedback, to guarantee your offering meets market needs. Furthermore, test your idea through low-cost prototypes to obtain real feedback. Finally, establish a pricing strategy that aligns with customer expectations and market standards for better success potential. What Is Considered a Viable Business? A viable business is one that consistently generates profit by ensuring revenue surpasses operational costs. It addresses significant problems for a broad audience, meeting identifiable customer needs. Scalability is crucial, as a viable business can grow revenue without a proportional increase in costs. Furthermore, being rooted in a growing market boosts long-term success. Finally, intuitive solutions that are easy to understand increase customer engagement, making your product or service more appealing. What Does It Mean When I Ask You Is Your Business Idea Viable? When you ask if your business idea is viable, you’re inquiring about its potential to generate profit and address a significant market need. You should evaluate whether your concept can scale effectively, meaning it can grow without proportional cost increases. Conducting thorough market research is crucial to confirm customer demand and willingness to pay. Furthermore, obtaining feedback helps refine your idea and guarantees your pricing strategy aligns with perceived value and market competitiveness. Conclusion In summary, determining if you have a viable business idea requires a clear comprehension of your unique value proposition and the problems it addresses. Engage with potential customers for feedback, analyze your competition, and validate demand through conversations. Assess your resources and develop a sustainable business model to guarantee long-term success. By following these steps and iterating based on insights, you can improve your chances of launching a successful venture in today’s competitive marketplace. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Do You Have a Viable Business Idea?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Starting a sole proprietorship can be straightforward if you follow the right steps. First, you’ll need to select a unique business name that aligns with your vision and check its availability. Once you have a name, you’ll file an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office. This initial step sets the foundation for your business. Next, you’ll need to understand the necessary licenses and permits required for your specific industry, as these vary widely. Key Takeaways Choose a unique business name that reflects your values and check for its availability in government databases. File an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office if your business name differs from your legal name. Obtain necessary licenses and permits based on local laws, including a general business license and any industry-specific permits. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online through the IRS website for tax identification purposes. Register for state taxes through the Texas Comptroller’s website to fulfill your tax obligations and ensure compliance. Choose a Unique Business Name Choosing a unique business name is an important first step in establishing your sole proprietorship. This name should reflect your business values during being memorable to create a solid identity. Make sure your chosen name is unique and not misleading, as it shouldn’t imply affiliation with any government entity. Conduct a thorough search in government databases to confirm it’s not already registered or trademarked. If your business name differs from your legal name, you’ll need to file an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office. This is vital for obtaining your sole proprietorship business license. A clear, appropriate name can greatly impact your branding and how customers perceive your business, so choose wisely as you learn how to start a sole proprietorship. File an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) Filing an Assumed Name Certificate, commonly referred to as a DBA (Doing Business As), is a crucial step for any sole proprietor wishing to operate under a name different from their legal name. To do this in Texas, you’ll need to file the DBA with your county clerk’s office. The process typically involves completing a specific form, which can often be processed in as little as two minutes in counties like McLennan. Filing fees range from $20 to $50, making it an affordable option. Make sure your chosen name is unique and doesn’t infringe on existing trademarks. After filing, register the DBA in all counties where you’ll conduct business to stay compliant as you learn how to become a sole proprietor. Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits Before you can legally operate your sole proprietorship, you’ll need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits, which are critical for compliance with local regulations. The requirements vary based on your business type and location, so it’s important to research local laws. In Texas, most businesses require a general business license, costing between $50 to $100, depending on where you’re located. Furthermore, industry-specific permits may be necessary; for instance, food-related businesses often need health permits, which can range from $25 to several hundred dollars. To guarantee you’re meeting all requirements, check with local government offices or their websites. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Once you’ve secured the necessary licenses and permits to operate your sole proprietorship, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the next step. This number, issued by the IRS, is crucial for tax identification purposes and helps to separate your personal and business finances. You can apply for an EIN online through the IRS website, typically receiving your number immediately after completing the application. On the other hand, you can submit Form SS-4 via mail or fax, though this method may take longer. Although having an EIN is beneficial for establishing business credit and opening a business bank account, keep in mind that you’re not required to obtain one if you don’t have employees and prefer using your Social Security Number for tax purposes. Register for State Taxes Registering for state taxes is a vital step in ensuring your sole proprietorship complies with local regulations. In Texas Comptroller‘s website. This process is important for fulfilling state tax obligations, including sales and employer taxes. To help you understand the requirements, here’s a quick overview of the key taxes you may encounter: Tax Type Description Registration Needed? Sales Tax Collect sales tax on taxable goods/services Yes Franchise Tax Applicable based on business structure and revenue Yes (if applicable) Employer Taxes Taxes for employees if you hire Yes Other Local Taxes Various local taxes may apply Yes (if applicable) Penalties for Non-compliance Interest on unpaid taxes Avoid by registering Consider consulting a tax professional for guidance. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Set Myself up as a Sole Proprietor? To set yourself up as a sole proprietor, start by selecting a unique business name that accurately represents your services. If you choose a name other than your legal one, file an Assumed Name Certificate with your local county clerk. Next, research and obtain any necessary licenses or permits for your business. Finally, apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and open a dedicated business bank account to manage your finances effectively. How Is a Sole Proprietorship Easy to Start and Finish? A sole proprietorship is easy to start as you can launch your business quickly, often within a single day. You simply choose a business name, register a DBA if necessary, and obtain any required licenses. With minimal startup costs, usually under $100, you maintain complete control over your operations, allowing for swift decision-making. Closing your business is just as straightforward; you can stop operations without any formal paperwork or notifications. What Steps Do New Sole Proprietorships Take? When starting a new sole proprietorship, you’ll first choose a unique business name, which could be your legal name or a fictitious one. If you opt for a DBA, file an Assumed Name Certificate with your county clerk. Next, obtain necessary permits and licenses, and acquire an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Finally, register for state taxes, including any applicable sales tax permits, ensuring all legal obligations are met. How Much Is It to Start a Sole Proprietorship in Texas? Starting a sole proprietorship in Texas typically costs between $20 and $200. You’ll mainly pay for a DBA filing, usually under $20, and general business licenses that range from $50 to $100, depending on local requirements. If your business needs specific permits, those can add $25 or more. Conclusion In summary, starting a sole proprietorship involves a few vital steps. By choosing a unique business name, filing an Assumed Name Certificate, obtaining necessary licenses, applying for an EIN, and registering for state taxes, you can establish your business legally and efficiently. Each step is significant to guarantee compliance with local regulations and tax obligations. Following this guide will help you navigate the process smoothly, laying a solid foundation for your entrepreneurial expedition. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Simple Steps to Apply for a Sole Proprietorship" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Starting a sole proprietorship can be straightforward if you follow the right steps. First, you’ll need to select a unique business name that aligns with your vision and check its availability. Once you have a name, you’ll file an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office. This initial step sets the foundation for your business. Next, you’ll need to understand the necessary licenses and permits required for your specific industry, as these vary widely. Key Takeaways Choose a unique business name that reflects your values and check for its availability in government databases. File an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office if your business name differs from your legal name. Obtain necessary licenses and permits based on local laws, including a general business license and any industry-specific permits. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online through the IRS website for tax identification purposes. Register for state taxes through the Texas Comptroller’s website to fulfill your tax obligations and ensure compliance. Choose a Unique Business Name Choosing a unique business name is an important first step in establishing your sole proprietorship. This name should reflect your business values during being memorable to create a solid identity. Make sure your chosen name is unique and not misleading, as it shouldn’t imply affiliation with any government entity. Conduct a thorough search in government databases to confirm it’s not already registered or trademarked. If your business name differs from your legal name, you’ll need to file an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with your county clerk’s office. This is vital for obtaining your sole proprietorship business license. A clear, appropriate name can greatly impact your branding and how customers perceive your business, so choose wisely as you learn how to start a sole proprietorship. File an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) Filing an Assumed Name Certificate, commonly referred to as a DBA (Doing Business As), is a crucial step for any sole proprietor wishing to operate under a name different from their legal name. To do this in Texas, you’ll need to file the DBA with your county clerk’s office. The process typically involves completing a specific form, which can often be processed in as little as two minutes in counties like McLennan. Filing fees range from $20 to $50, making it an affordable option. Make sure your chosen name is unique and doesn’t infringe on existing trademarks. After filing, register the DBA in all counties where you’ll conduct business to stay compliant as you learn how to become a sole proprietor. Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits Before you can legally operate your sole proprietorship, you’ll need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits, which are critical for compliance with local regulations. The requirements vary based on your business type and location, so it’s important to research local laws. In Texas, most businesses require a general business license, costing between $50 to $100, depending on where you’re located. Furthermore, industry-specific permits may be necessary; for instance, food-related businesses often need health permits, which can range from $25 to several hundred dollars. To guarantee you’re meeting all requirements, check with local government offices or their websites. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Once you’ve secured the necessary licenses and permits to operate your sole proprietorship, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the next step. This number, issued by the IRS, is crucial for tax identification purposes and helps to separate your personal and business finances. You can apply for an EIN online through the IRS website, typically receiving your number immediately after completing the application. On the other hand, you can submit Form SS-4 via mail or fax, though this method may take longer. Although having an EIN is beneficial for establishing business credit and opening a business bank account, keep in mind that you’re not required to obtain one if you don’t have employees and prefer using your Social Security Number for tax purposes. Register for State Taxes Registering for state taxes is a vital step in ensuring your sole proprietorship complies with local regulations. In Texas Comptroller‘s website. This process is important for fulfilling state tax obligations, including sales and employer taxes. To help you understand the requirements, here’s a quick overview of the key taxes you may encounter: Tax Type Description Registration Needed? Sales Tax Collect sales tax on taxable goods/services Yes Franchise Tax Applicable based on business structure and revenue Yes (if applicable) Employer Taxes Taxes for employees if you hire Yes Other Local Taxes Various local taxes may apply Yes (if applicable) Penalties for Non-compliance Interest on unpaid taxes Avoid by registering Consider consulting a tax professional for guidance. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Set Myself up as a Sole Proprietor? To set yourself up as a sole proprietor, start by selecting a unique business name that accurately represents your services. If you choose a name other than your legal one, file an Assumed Name Certificate with your local county clerk. Next, research and obtain any necessary licenses or permits for your business. Finally, apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and open a dedicated business bank account to manage your finances effectively. How Is a Sole Proprietorship Easy to Start and Finish? A sole proprietorship is easy to start as you can launch your business quickly, often within a single day. You simply choose a business name, register a DBA if necessary, and obtain any required licenses. With minimal startup costs, usually under $100, you maintain complete control over your operations, allowing for swift decision-making. Closing your business is just as straightforward; you can stop operations without any formal paperwork or notifications. What Steps Do New Sole Proprietorships Take? When starting a new sole proprietorship, you’ll first choose a unique business name, which could be your legal name or a fictitious one. If you opt for a DBA, file an Assumed Name Certificate with your county clerk. Next, obtain necessary permits and licenses, and acquire an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Finally, register for state taxes, including any applicable sales tax permits, ensuring all legal obligations are met. How Much Is It to Start a Sole Proprietorship in Texas? Starting a sole proprietorship in Texas typically costs between $20 and $200. You’ll mainly pay for a DBA filing, usually under $20, and general business licenses that range from $50 to $100, depending on local requirements. If your business needs specific permits, those can add $25 or more. Conclusion In summary, starting a sole proprietorship involves a few vital steps. By choosing a unique business name, filing an Assumed Name Certificate, obtaining necessary licenses, applying for an EIN, and registering for state taxes, you can establish your business legally and efficiently. Each step is significant to guarantee compliance with local regulations and tax obligations. Following this guide will help you navigate the process smoothly, laying a solid foundation for your entrepreneurial expedition. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Simple Steps to Apply for a Sole Proprietorship" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Judging by a slew of recent corporate announcements, your next “co-worker” might be an artificial intelligence agent—doing the work of an assistant, job scheduler, morning debriefer, learning coach and more. JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, describes a clear vision for a new world of omnipresent AI agents: “Every employee will have their own personalized AI assistant; every process is powered by AI agents, and every client experience has an AI concierge.” In brick-and-mortar retail, Walmart is already implementing its vision around agents, which involves support of customers, in-store employees and other business areas, with supervisor agents assigning tasks to subagents much like managers oversee employees. What these and many other large organizations realize is that agents don’t just answer questions, like an AI-powered search engine or simple chatbot. They complete real work by planning tasks, taking actions and checking results to achieve a goal. But there’s a problem. Companies in industries ranging from finance and tech to logistics and legal are rapidly embracing the promise of AI agents. But the flesh-and-blood workers they’re meant to assist—and sometimes replace—are struggling to adapt, hurting morale and productivity in the process. The result is a growing climate of fear about AI job insecurity. FOBO—fear of becoming obsolete—is now a thing. A recent survey by consultancy KPMG found that 52% of workers report they are concerned that AI could eventually take their jobs. And some are fighting back. In another survey, nearly one-third said they are actively sabotaging their company’s AI strategy. To make matters worse, some of these AI agents are going rogue, deleting data or executing other unintended actions. My research on AI and agent capabilities, value and risk, as well as emerging studies of the cognitive implications of AI, the future of work and the role of AI in workplace inequality, suggest two key lessons for anyone navigating this new AI agent reality: First, learn how the agents you’re working with operate, including what they do well, where they fall short and how to catch mistakes. Second, lean into your fundamentally human strengths. These are things agents can’t replicate. Doing so can also help you sustain your own health and well-being. Rise of the AI agents AI agents began entering the workforce in 2025—mainly in tech, finance and customer service—as the next stage of the generative AI revolution. But in 2026, the AI-powered automators are increasingly being deployed in other areas, such as legal and compliance, supply chain management, research and development, healthcare services and retail. One example is global transportation giant FedEx, which is planning an entire AI agent workforce for its logistic network. The company plans to create “manager agents,” “audit agents” and “worker agents” to create a trail of accountability for their actions, according to The Wall Street Journal. The theme of agents working together is echoed by North American food service company Gordon Food Service, which is using cross-team agents to reshape its product sourcing strategy. As companies rapidly adopt the latest AI systems, agents are taking on increasingly diverse roles in the workplace that leverage their ability to do autonomous work. It’s all driven by economics, with 88% of early corporate adopters reporting a return on investment on at least one use of an AI agent, according to a Google survey of senior business leaders. Retail giant Amazon says customers who engage with its Rufus AI agent while shopping are 60% more likely to make a purchase compared with those who don’t get help from Rufus. Overall, Rufus is expected to generate over $10 billion in additional annual sales for Amazon, compared with a baseline without Rufus. Anticipating gains from agents, global consultancy McKinsey already has 25,000 agents doing various tasks. It plans to have as many AI agents as human workers by 2027. And new model releases, such as Anthropic’s Mythos, will expand what is possible and likely accelerate agent deployment. Agents still can’t do it alone A 2023 study I conducted found that AI has the capacity to simulate human capabilities such as cognition, decision-making, creativity and collaboration with people and other agents. The simulation is imperfect, however, so agents need support. For example, agents are resourceful and relentless. They try repeatedly until they get results, without the loss of motivation humans sometimes experience. But they can also behave unpredictably, even taking harmful actions, such as deleting emails or conducting a smear campaign. And research illustrates that agents can be easily tricked into bad behavior, such as overcorrecting when told not to do something, being persuaded by human appeals to urgency and simple manipulation tricks. Agents can be quirky too, using odd emojis in formal business writing or responding cynically when you just want the facts. And unlike humans, agents lack emotion, self-awareness or intent. When they fail, such as by pursuing misaligned goals, it’s not personal any more than an espresso machine can break out of spite. In short, agents can act in unpredictable ways, and it’s difficult to know when that will happen. Managing this uncertainty is a new task for employees, and it comes at a time when many employers have heightened expectations of productivity gains from adopting AI agents. The bottom line is that if you understand how your agent behaves, you’ll be able to be more productive working with them, be in a better position to avoid risks and be more valued yourself. Get to know your agent So what do you do if your boss suddenly tells you you’ll be working with an AI agent from now on? Just like you would with a new human colleague, the first thing you should do is get to know it. In essence, you need to learn how to collaborate with agents effectively, how to evaluate their performance, what makes them tick and associated ethical implications. And then jump right in. Give the agent a task and observe how it responds. Try different approaches and pay attention to its output quality, behavior and style. Focus on three essentials: Clarity of intent: Define exactly what to do in clear instructions, what information your agent needs, the role your agent is performing, limitations on behavior, and what success looks like for the task. Evaluate results against clear criteria. Guide the agent during the task by answering questions as they arise. Overall, this will help you effectively use and critically evaluate AI agents. Leaning into your humanness Your agent deskmate still needs you—and your humanness—to be effective. There’s a growing understanding that in a world of ubiquitous agents, certain skills, such as analyzing information, are becoming less important, while other skills, such as interpersonal and communication skills, are increasing in importance. Think about it: No AI agent can read a room like a human can and pick up on the vibe. But making the switch will not be easy. It will require psychological work. Researcher Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic suggests connecting with others as only humans can do, and unlocking your curiosity, while your agent handles the drudgery. In other words, focus on qualities that AI agents don’t have, such as the ability to pick up on nonverbal cues, deliver a pitch with a human touch, manage conflict and build relationships. These skills are the glue that holds human teams together. AI agents are likely to become a significant part of the workplace. But how and how fast that will happen is unknown. To make the best of it, learn how to work effectively with agents and embrace your own humanness. This way, you’ll be in a better position to make informed decisions about how to interact with humans and agents alike. Nigel Melville is an associate professor of information systems at the University of Michigan. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Pressure is an inevitable part of modern workplaces, but when poorly managed, it can quickly turn into harmful stress. The solution isn’t to eliminate pressure from work entirely, but to respond to it in the right way. Even small, intentional shifts can have a significant impact on how we cope, protect our wellbeing, and sustain high performance. Here, six experts share their simple, actionable tips for individuals and leaders that can make a big difference in handling everyday stress more effectively. Reinforce psychological safety Ultimately, whether we feel able to manage stress at work comes down to the environment around us and our relationships with our manager and colleagues. Safe spaces are built and reinforced through everyday, small actions. “Psychological safety creates structure to give people what they need to thrive and do their best work, acting as the human-centered foundation of healthy workplace cultures,” says Helen Beedham, organizational expert, speaker, and author of People Glue. Without it, stress often goes unspoken and unaddressed. Beedham emphasizes that it’s a collective effort that must be actively supported by leaders, managers, and peers; without this secure foundation and ongoing reinforcement, people’s freedom to express themselves and their concerns will quickly falter. Recognizing individuality is also key; some need more encouragement and structure, while others are naturally more comfortable speaking up. At its core, it’s about creating the conditions for trust, openness, and meaningful engagement. “When these conditions are in place, people feel safe to share what’s troubling them without fear of criticism or consequences,” Beedham notes. Reframe doubt Most leaders experiencing stressful decision-making assume the issues lie in their confidence, resilience, or capability. “But often the real problem is that they’ve never been taught how to work with doubt. They’ve been conditioned to push through it, hide it, or override it,” argues Jenny Williams, MCC, a leading Executive and Systemic Team Coach, and author of Brilliant Doubt. Doubt encourages us to challenge assumptions, stress-test decisions, and identify risks. It transforms into strategic thinking when used to illuminate blind spots and prompt better questions. The shift happens when doubt stops being treated as a flaw and starts being recognized as useful information. “Leaders should pause, reflect, and question: could there be another way to see this?” says Williams. Certainty thrives in the fast lane, doubt lives in the pause. When leaders learn to listen to doubt in this way, it becomes less of an emotional burden, encouraging more of a practical input into better thinking. In time, it becomes more deliberate, conversations open up earlier, assumptions are tested rather than defended, and the emotional load reduces. “When leaders stop pretending certainty and allow doubt to have a legitimate place in the process, they no longer carry the full weight of every decision alone, helping to alleviate any feelings of stress,” Williams concludes. Anchor yourself in meaning Stress often comes from feeling disconnected, not just overworked. For Angela Rixon, founder and CEO of The Centre for Meaningful Work Ltd and author of Meaning Over Purpose, reconnecting with what makes your work matter is a small but powerful way to manage stress. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 89% of Gen Zs and 92% of millennials say purpose is important to their job satisfaction and wellbeing, while four in ten say that not getting a sense of meaning or purpose from work contributes to stress and anxiety. That is why Rixon emphasizes staying connected to meaning, especially under pressure. “When work feels meaningful, people are more resilient, motivated, and mentally well.” To find that meaning, she encourages people to focus on their contribution, not just their tasks. “Shifting your perspective from ‘What do I have to do today?’ to ‘What difference does this make?’ can have a big impact on how you feel.” She also suggests shaping your role where possible, taking on tasks that play to your strengths or seeking out work that feels meaningful. As Rixon puts it, “Changing how you connect with your work can be just as powerful as changing the work itself.” Practice turning inward When stress builds at work, the instinct is often to look outward—at deadlines, workloads, or other people. We look for what’s causing it. We look for what needs fixing. But that outward focus can keep us reactive. On the surface, we may appear composed; internally, the mind is racing, our thinking tightens, and our responses become shorter than we intend. Rochelle Trow, HR Executive and author of Anchored, suggests a different first move: turn inward. “When pressure rises, pause and name what’s happening in you—frustration, urgency, fear of getting it wrong. That small act interrupts the automatic reaction and creates a gap between trigger and response,” she explains. “From there, you’re less likely to send the sharp email, agree too quickly, or push a decision before it’s ready. You’re responding, not just relieving the tension in the moment.” Self-awareness doesn’t remove the pressure. The deadline is still there, and the workload hasn’t disappeared. But you have a choice again. And even a few seconds of choice can shift the tone of a conversation, the direction of a decision, or the outcome of a day. In high-pressure environments, the quality of that choice shapes what happens next—for you and for the people around you. Embed energy recovery According to Lesley Cooper, founder of WorkingWell and author of Brave New Leader, a simple but key way to cope with work stress is effective energy management. “There are always going to be times when you have to work to tight timelines, accept difficult feedback, or face things not going to plan. However, managing energy rather than just job lists helps people respond better to these stress-inducing situations,” she says. If teams are making time for focused effort, they also need allocated time for focused recovery. “Taking time away from screens and engaging in non-work-related activities should be actively encouraged across all levels of the organization to support energy management throughout the day,” she adds. Intentional recovery—the practice of breaking the linearity of work every 90–120 minutes—should therefore be built into organizational culture so that employees know it’s part of the working rhythm rather than considered slacking. “Stepping away from work tasks will help you and your teams recharge energy reserves and prevent stress from escalating. As a leader, you should model this behavior and ensure others follow suit,” Cooper states. Lean on your network Stress tends to manifest itself when people lack a support system, which is why Emma Maslen, founder and CEO of inspir’em and author of The Personal Board of You Inc., recommends turning to your network for help when you feel the demands mounting. “Especially as a leader, with others relying on your guidance, it can be difficult to seek support within your organization, which is why creating your own personal board of advisers is invaluable.” A ‘personal board’ is a group of people whom you can turn to for advice when you feel stressed and uncertain. By tapping into your network, you can access fresh perspectives on the situations or decisions that may be causing you stress. Maslen highlights the benefits of forming your own board of advisers: “Regularly consulting a personal board can help refine your goals, ensure you’re on the right path, and keep stress at bay.” She concludes, “By opening up to others and sharing the load, you’re better equipped to approach challenges with clarity and confidence—without feeling like you have to carry the burden alone.” View the full article

Google added more link surfaces to AI Search, but not new reporting for publishers. Studies continue to show lower clicks when AI responses appear. The post Google Expands AI Search Links Without New Click Data appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

German company backed by Spotify’s Daniel Ek set to raise $1.2bn in latest funding round View the full article

My 2020 M1 MacBook Air still runs well, but conserving hard drive space as years of files, media, and software accumulate is a continual challenge. So I was miffed when I read security researcher Alexander Hanff’s May 4 report that Google Chrome has been automatically downloading an over-4GB AI model called Gemini Nano onto everyone’s computer, without asking for consent or providing notification. Chrome is not my main browser (I’m a Firefox diehard), and Gemini is not my main AI (that would be Claude). I’m paying a hefty hard-drive tax for something I don’t use. Simply deleting the file, called weights.bin, is useless. Chrome just downloads it again. And most of the advice on how to get around that doesn’t work—at least in my extensive testing. A lot of what I discuss here applies to both Macs and PCs, but the techiest advice is for Macs, as that’s where it’s been most studied and where I was best able to test it. Google added Gemini Nano in version 126 of Chrome, released in June 2024. But Hanff’s extensive forensic reporting of how it operates on a Mac brought the issue center stage this week, spawning a raft of tech advice articles. In response, Google issued a short statement saying that, in fact, there is a simple toggle in Chrome to disable and remove Gemini Nano. None of that advice may actually work on your system. Gemini Nano is designed to speed up in-browser AI features such as improving writing and editing by running jobs on your computer, rather than sending your data to Google’s cloud. You may find this useful, and be happy to keep Gemini Nano installed. But if you do want to ditch it, you may have to take more complicated steps than what Google and the press have been telling you. What didn’t work A statement Google sent to me and the rest of the media, reads, in part: “In February, we began rolling out the ability for users to easily turn off and remove the model directly in Chrome settings. Once disabled, the model will no longer download or update. More details in our help center article.” It took nearly two years for Google to start “rolling out” the kill switch, and it appears to be a slow roll. I’ve examined the latest version of Chrome (V 148) in two installations on macOS 26 and one on Windows 11. Only the Windows version has the new toggle, called “On-device AI.” This does disable and remove the model. As for my Mac, a Google spokesperson declined to say anything beyond the statement or offer a sense of when I might get the upgrade. I’m not alone. Some tech journalists who picked up the story did not have it. Now the internet is buzzing with work-arounds for removing Gemini Nano that don’t actually work—at least not on my two macOS setups. The advice being circulated centers around Chrome “flags” that turn features on or off. You can get there by typing “chrome://flags” in the browser’s address bar. The common advice is to search for and select “Disabled” for a feature called: “Enables optimization guide on device Enables the optimization guide to execute models on device. – Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS” I made that change and also disabled flags for the six Gemini Nano services (including help for writing, rewriting, proofing, and summarizing text). But a fresh Gemini Nano quickly appeared. What does work: a step-by-step guide If you don’t like the idea of Google claiming over 4GB of disk space, here are the steps, in order of complexity, to remedy the issue. (Google’s statement does say that “the model will automatically uninstall if the device is low on resources,” without providing more details.) Step 1. See if you have the toggle Start by looking for the toggle in Chrome by clicking Settings > System or typing “chrome://settings/system” into the address bar. If you see “On-device AI,” simply toggle it off and restart Chrome. (Step 3 shows how to confirm that it worked.) If you don’t have the feature, check that Chrome is up to date. Go to Settings > About Chrome, or type “chrome://settings/help.” If the page says that “Chrome is up to date,” you’ve done all you can. Chrome will likely be on an iteration of Version 148, such as “148.0.7778.97 (Official Build).” Step 2. Back up your computer From here onward, you will be digging into your operating system, where a wrong step could cause things to break. First, make a full-system backup with software such as Apple’s Time Machine. Step 3. Look for Gemini Nano on your disk Whether or not you have the AI toggle in Chrome, you should look to see if the files are on your disk. On Macs, open a Finder window by clicking Cmd + N from the desktop, and press Cmd + Shift + . (the period character) to reveal hidden system files. Then navigate to Users > [your user name] > Library > Application Support > Google. Right-click the “Chrome” folder, select “Make Alias,” and drag the alias to your desktop so you can get back to it quickly later. Then click the original “Chrome” folder to see what’s inside. On PCs, in File Explorer, go to Local Disk > This PC > [your user name] > AppData > Google > Chrome. Right-click “Chrome” and select Show more options > Create shortcut, and drag the shortcut to the desktop. Then click Chrome > User Data. On either system, look for a folder called OptGuideOnDeviceModel. Double-clicking will probably bring you to a folder with a number such as “2025.8.8.1141.” Inside that, you will find several files, including weights.bin—the 4GB+ AI model that makes up most of the package. Step 4. Assess the situation If the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder is not present or is empty, it may be because you do have the toggle in Chrome, and it’s working. Or your system is simply too old to run Gemini Nano. But click that desktop shortcut periodically to see if anything changes. If Gemini Nano is there, and you aren’t comfortable digging into your macOS or Windows innards, consider other options: Delete Chrome if removing Gemini Nano is more important to you than using the browser, or just live with Gemini Nano if it’s not. Eventually, you should get the toggle to remove the AI model. If you are willing to tinker, I’ll walk you through the process for macOS, where there may be more need based on my informal polling, and where I was able to thoroughly test. It’s also simpler. Step 5. Force Chrome to stop re-downloading Gemini Nano If Chrome doesn’t yet give you the option to remove the model, you’ll have to manually delete it, then set macOS to stop Chrome from downloading Gemini Nano again. This requires copying and pasting a single line of instructions into the back end of macOS. Quit Chrome, then launch the Terminal app by clicking Applications > Utilities > Terminal. You’ll see a black screen with plain white text (or possibly the inverse). The last line will include your username and a prompt. Mine looks like “seancaptain@Seans-Air ~ %.” Copy this exact line, paste it into Terminal, and press Return: defaults write com.google.Chrome GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings -int 1 That “-int 1” part basically says “Don’t install Gemini Nano.” This might look scary, but if you type something wrong, Terminal will likely just reject it and give you an error message. If it works, Terminal won’t show anything. No news is good news Caution: Theoretically, you could restore Gemini Nano by entering a slightly different command (defaults delete com.google.Chrome GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings). However, that did not bring it back for me in multiple tests, on multiple systems, over several hours. So Gemini Nano may be gone indefinitely if you take this step. (Or restore from backup if you feel remorse.) Step 6. Delete Gemini Nano Click your desktop shortcut to the Chrome folder, then drag the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder into the Trash and empty the Trash. But leave the Chrome folder open so you can keep an eye on it. Step 7. See if it worked Launch the Chrome app. Then click your desktop shortcut to the Chrome folder and watch to see if the OptGuideOnDeviceModel appears. If it’s still absent after an hour or so of using Chrome, the process works. If it does reappear, repeat Steps 3 and 4. This process should eventually stick. But as it goes beyond regular consumer tech operations, there may be quirks to your system that only a pro or sophisticated user could diagnose. Fortunately, you made that system backup, right? Why should we have to do this? Google’s quiet bundling of Gemini Nano and slow rollout of ways to get rid of it seem to have hit a nerve. Tech, especially AI, is moving faster than most anyone can hope to keep up with. Emotions run from fear (Will I lose my job? Are they spying on me?) to extreme annoyance (What are all these damn pop-ups offering to think for me?). These latest anxieties come atop years of mistrust based on tech companies gathering data they said they didn’t, using it in ways they said they wouldn’t, and losing it to hackers in ways they said they couldn’t. All that frustration landed with a whopping 4GB thud this week. Hanff was not a dispassionate reporter of this phenomenon. “You reached in to my device, changed a configuration (the Chrome profile flags), and gave yourself permission to install something I did not authorize,” he wrote in a follow-up post on May 7. (I exchanged some emails with Hanff on technical aspects of the Gemini Nano install and removal.) Both of his posts cite laws that he believes Google has violated by doing this, including the European ePrivacy Directive, the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulations, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and Chapter 9 of the Maltese Criminal Code. Hanff also makes a strident ecological argument, calculating a cost in extra CO2 emissions of pushing out the software ranging from 6,000 to 60,000 metric tons (tonnes). I haven’t checked his math, but he publishes a detailed methodology. There may be a long debate on the harms or benefits of the mass Gemini Nano deployment. But the scale in itself is noteworthy. A giant company, with a giant user base, put out a giant upgrade with relatively tiny explanation and, until recently, no way to undo it. It may be called “Nano,” but this download is causing big headaches. View the full article

Exclusive social hub planned for renovated vault as NYSE competes with Nasdaq for lucrative tech IPOsView the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Zillow economists use an economic model known as the Zillow Market Heat Index to gauge the competitiveness of housing markets across the country. This model looks at key indicators—including home price changes, inventory levels, and days on the market—to generate a score showing whether a market favors sellers or buyers. Higher scores point to hotter, seller-friendly metro housing markets. Lower scores signal cooler markets where buyers hold more negotiating power. According to Zillow: Score of 70 or higher = strong seller’s market Score from 55 to 69 = seller’s market Score from 44 to 55 = neutral market Score from 28 to 44 = buyer’s market Score of 27 or lower = strong buyer’s market Nationally, Zillow rates the U.S. housing market at 55 in spring 2026. That said, Zillow’s reading varies significantly across the country. Among the 250 largest metro-area housing markets, these 20 are the hottest markets, where sellers have the most power: Rochester, New York → 174 Buffalo → 115 Racine, Wisconsin → 109 Syracuse, New York → 107 San Francisco → 105 Charleston, West Virginia → 103 Manchester, New Hampshire → 96 Hartford, Connecticut → 94 San Jose → 90 Albany, New York → 90 Milwaukee → 87 Bridgeport, Connecticut → 85 Rochester, Minnesota → 84 Poughkeepsie, New York → 81 Madison, Wisconsin → 81 Ann Arbor, Michigan → 81 Boston → 80 Grand Rapids, Michigan → 80 Springfield, Massachusetts → 79 Abilene, Texas → 79 Among the 250 largest metro-area housing markets, these 20 are the coldest markets, where buyers have the most power: Macon, Georgia → 25 Terre Haute, Indiana → 25 Florence, South Carolina → 27 Naples, Florida → 29 Brownsville, Texas → 30 Gulfport, Mississippi → 30 Longview, Texas → 30 Jackson, Tennessee → 34 Fort Smith, Arkansas → 35 Punta Gorda, Florida → 36 McAllen, Texas → 37 Cape Coral, Florida → 37 Miami → 38 Fayetteville, Arkansas → 38 Asheville, NC → 38 Laredo, Texas → 38 Panama City, Florida → 38 North Port, Florida → 39 Port St. Lucie, Florida → 39 Corpus Christi, Texas → 39 Does ResiClub agree with Zillow’s assessment? Directionally, ResiClub agrees with Zillow’s identification of regional housing markets where buyers have gained the most leverage—particularly along the Gulf Coast—as well as markets where sellers have retained relatively more control, including parts of the Northeast and Midwest. That said, while many Northeast and Midwest markets still tilt toward sellers compared to the rest of the country, ResiClub believes Zillow somewhat overstates the degree of seller strength based on other market indicators. Based on ResiClub’s housing analysis, much of Florida (particularly Southwest Florida) and chunks of Texas (particularly areas with a lot of new single-family home construction) are the softest chunk of the U.S. housing market, where buyers have the most power. Not too far behind are pockets of Colorado, Georgia, and Arizona, where homebuilders have been clearing some built-up unsold spec inventory. What did this Zillow analysis look like back in spring 2021, during the pandemic housing boom? Below is Zillow’s March 2021 reading—published in April 2021. View the full article

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: A big-budget blockbuster World Cup ad from a footwear giant features a laundry list of star players, celebrities, and a storyline that revolves around a big game in an unexpected place or with unexpected characters. This could describe Nike’s classic 2002 “Cage” ad, Adidas’s 2006 “José” ad, Nike’s 2014 “Winner Stays” spot . . . You get the idea. But it’s also a broad summary of Adidas’s newest World Cup commercial, “Backyard Legends,” which launched on May 7 via star Timothée Chalamet’s Instagram. The five-minute advertising epic opens with Oscar-nominated actor Chalamet trying to put together the greatest street soccer team ever, starting with Team USA star Trinity Rodman, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Team England, and Spanish teen sensation Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona. Turns out there is a legendary street soccer crew that hasn’t been beaten since 1996, and Chalamet is determined to end their streak. We get a peek into the mysterious street ballers’ past, as they upset ’90s stars including David Beckham and Zinedine “Zizou” Zidane. Bad Bunny and Lionel Messi are there to take in the action. Lola USA—a new Omnicom franken-agency forged in April when the holding company combined 180 and Adam&EveDDB New York—created the spot. The magic trick it pulls off is how it manages to take a less-than unique story device (famous players, unexpected game, etc.), and give it a new spin in a way that lives up to both the hype and the occasion of the world’s biggest sporting event. It might just be the best World Cup ad from the Three Stripes in 20 years. Historical precedent Like I said, the fantasy draft football squad device is nothing new to mark a World Cup. In 2002, Nike put Manchester United legend Eric Cantona in the Chalamet role, recruiting star players to participate in a secret street ball tournament on a container ship in the middle of the ocean. The swoosh was back at it again in 2014 with “Winner Stays,” in which teens pick teams from a ridiculously fun player pool. Adidas itself helped originate this concept back in 2006 with “José,” in which two kids—on a remarkably familiar apartment-lined street pitch—pick their ultimate teams, with the help of impressive VFX to bring back luminaries of the past like German legend Franz Beckenbauer and French star Michel Platini. Since then, Adidas’s World Cup advertising has been a bit of a mixed bag of concepts. Its “Cantina” spot for the 2010 World Cup is easily the most original, somehow seamlessly mixing soccer stars with Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Jay Baruchel, and the Gallagher brothers of Oasis fame into the Mos Eisley cantina scenes from the original Star Wars. Epic. In 2014, “The Dream,” directed by City of God’s Fernando Meirelles, starred Lionel Messi with the requisite laundry list of Adidas-sponsored stars from various countries, including Dani Alves, Luis Suárez, Robin van Persie, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Xavier “Xavi” Hernández. It’s a pretty intense, dramatized look at the training and pressure on these stars. No laughs here. For the 2018 tournament, the spot was called “Creativity Is the Answer,” which sounds like the name of a panel at an advertising conference. This was a mishmash of soccer stars (including Messi, France’s Paul Pogba, and Egypt’s Mo Salah) with the likes of supermodel Karlie Kloss and multihyphenate artist Pharrell Williams in what looks like a mix between a concert and a soccer-themed bloodsport kumite. Frankly, it’s a bit of a hot mess—an insanely expensive hot mess. Four years later, in 2022, the brand simplified and found its sense of humor with “Family Reunion.” Narrated by award-winning artist Stormzy, this spot imagined a collection of football stars (including, once again, Messi, along with Bellingham, Karim Benzema, and Son Heung-Min) as a goofy group of housemates (or cousins?) meeting up to go enjoy the tournament like some elite soccer social club. Adidas’s best ever? If you combine the concept of “José” with the goofiness of “Family Reunion” and the ambition of “Cantina,” you land on “Backyard Legends.” Here Chalamet is at his Marty Supreme-esque manic best, and the footballers are also believably natural and funny. (If you’ve ever seen Messi’s work for Michelob Ultra or Lay’s, you know what an accomplishment that is.) Plus, the VFX-generated flashback looks of players like Zidane and Del Piero, not to mention Buzzcut Beckham, Blond Beckham, and Mohawk Beckham, are funny enough to ignore the whiff of uncanny AI. As a celebrity star, and pseudo-avatar for everyday fans, Chalamet nails it. He’s no celebrity mercenary—he’s a real soccer fan. Anyone who cheers for Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne is no run-of-the-mill bandwagon rider. He also recently posted a social video supporting the girls’ softball team at his former high school, NYC’s LaGuardia (on a soccer field for some reason?), while rocking a Manhattan Kickers jacket (that’s the youth club he once played for, with whom he even competed against Liverpool’s Joe Gomez). As Men in Blazers founder Roger Bennett has said, he’s America’s ultimate football hipster, and here he truly earns that title. The world-building and lore that Adidas manages to craft in five minutes is impressive, as is how genuinely fun it feels for everyone involved, not just the viewers. But perhaps its best move of all is that it ends before the supposed epic game even starts. We get a callback to 2006’s “José” with Auntie up in the apartment supplying the ball, and just as it’s all about to kick off, “Fin.” Here’s hoping the brand leaves us excited and wanting more. The 2026 World Cup will generate an extra $10.5 billion in global ad spending in the second quarter of this year, a gain of 1.1% compared to non-tournament years, according to a projection by marketing research firm WARC Media. That’s all just the cost of buying ad space, and doesn’t even account for the cost of actually making the ads and other brand work. Much like they do for the Super Bowl, World Cup advertisers often appear panicked by all that extra spending and attention, making ads that reek of more money than sense. Exhibit A for this year’s World Cup is Lay’s “Most Epic Watch Party.” For “Backyard Legends,” it’s clear that Adidas has put a ton of cash on the screen, but the story’s clarity, characters’ energy, and brand’s creativity to evolve a familiar concept makes it a shrewd investment. View the full article

The next time you take a call on your iPhone, the other person could be recording every word you say, and you may not even realize it. Ever since iOS 18.1, Apple has offered a call recording feature on its smartphones. The feature has legitimate uses, and because of its embedded audio notifications, Apple would presumably argue that it meets both the “single party” and “all party” consent requirements in various states. But the problem with Apple’s implementation is that the company has done a poorer job than it could have in letting users know precisely when their calls are being recorded—and has given them even less control over putting a stop to it. Apple makes it easy for other people to record your phone calls In iOS 18.1, which debuted a year and a half ago, Apple added a new iPhone call recording feature. As the description suggests, the feature enables someone to record a phone call directly from the Phone app, rather than using a third-party solution or relying on other methods, such as putting the call on speakerphone and then recording it with a recording app on another device. When Apple first announced the feature in beta, in the summer of 2024, I thought it was an odd move for a company that prides itself on privacy. But I also expected that Apple would have strong notification and privacy protections built in, and let either party put a stop to a call recording whenever they wanted. I also assumed that Apple would allow all iPhone users to entirely opt out of letting their calls be recorded. But when iOS 18.1 shipped in the fall of 2024 with the Phone app’s call recording feature enabled, it did not offer the person being recorded any control over the recording, nor did it provide a reasonable notification that the recording was in progress. This has not changed to this day, even with the recent release of iOS 26.4. When an individual starts a recording, both participants receive an audible alert (as they do when the recording ends). However, only the initiator receives a persistent on-screen notification that a recording is in progress, and only they can stop it. And the person being recorded? They see nothing on their screen to alert them that a recording is in progress. If they miss the initial audio announcement—which is easy to do while fumbling to put in AirPods—they would have no clue their call is being recorded, especially if they hang up first, before the initiator ends the recording. A false sense of security Perhaps even worse than the fact that someone being recorded has no persistent on-screen indication that their call is being captured is that Apple provides a somewhat misleading “Audio Call Recording” control in the Phone app’s settings, which many probably assume disables the feature. You navigate to it by opening the Settings app, and then tapping Apps > Phone > Audio Call Recording. On the final screen, there is a switch called “Audio Call Recording.” This switch, Apple explains, “allows you to use the Phone app to record a conversation during the call, then transcribe and summarize in the Notes app. An audio notification will automatically play before a recording begins.” A reasonable person might assume that, due to the way this message is worded, toggling the switch off will prevent others from recording their calls. But that is not the case. Instead, if you toggle this switch off, you will no longer be able to record phone calls, but anyone else will still be able to record yours. As a matter of fact, there is absolutely nothing an iPhone user can do to prevent others from using Apple’s built-in call recording feature, other than hanging up the phone if they happen to catch the initial, brief audio call recording notification. Apple should take action Part of me understands why Apple introduced call recording: it can be a legitimately useful tool. But in its current form, Apple’s iPhone call recording feature is completely antithetical to the company’s ethos of putting users in control of their privacy. Apple should dramatically revamp the iPhone’s call recording feature by adding a persistent on-screen notification on each user’s device when a recording is in progress. Both participants should also be able to stop the recording with a tap of a button positioned within the persistent notification. Furthermore, Apple should add an initial haptic alert when the recording begins in order to give callers a physical indication that something is happening, spurring them to look at their screen, where the visual notification could be displayed. Finally, Apple should expand the “Audio Call Recording” setting to let a user block callers from recording their calls in the Phone app entirely, or, better yet, make the feature opt-in to begin with. Until then, maybe think twice before answering a call on your iPhone. View the full article

If you find yourself having to fly the allegedly friendly skies anytime soon, my goodness—good luck. Even in the best of times, heading to an airport can be an unpredictable headache. Now, in the midst of our current U.S. TSA meltdown, security wait times are climbing to crazy new highs. And the effects of that can often ripple far, even if you’re lucky enough to begin your journey in an airport (within the U.S. or without) that’s reasonably all right. Today, for an especially timely Cool Tools suggestion, I want to share a trio of resources with you that’ll help you see exactly what to expect before you head to the airport—and thus be able to plan and be prepared for how much time you’ll need to get to your gate. These resources will be absolutely invaluable now, but they can also be useful anytime—even when we aren’t in the midst of an unusually chaotic moment in air travel. This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures! Your eye on airport security wait time—worldwide Now more than ever, relying on genuinely human, crowdsourced estimates of airport security line wait times is the best bet you’ve got. ➜ And the good news is that some smart, up-to-date resources exist that offer exactly that kind of insight for airports within the U.S. and beyond—on demand, anytime, and without any costs or complications. ⌚ In fact, you can find the info you need in as little as a single minute with any of these sites. 💡 Each has a slightly different strength and set of data, so it’s well worth your while to hang onto all ’em and keep ’em handy for the next time you need to travel. Up first is Flighty Airports​—a simple single-page website that shows you delays and disruptions at any airport around the world in both an interactive map and a list-based view. You can click on any specific airport in the map or the list to view more detailed info, and you can use the search box at the top of the site to look up any airport anywhere in the world, even if it isn’t appearing prominently on the page to start. Next is the aptly named TSA Wait Times​. This one, as you’d expect from its title, is limited only to U.S. airports—but it’s a solid set of secondary data that can help confirm any trends for such locations and give you an even more accurate view of what’s happening on the ground. And last but not least is a site called Qsensor​. Qsensor has a wealth of live data on lots of airports worldwide. It doesn’t include every airport, but when it comes to larger and busier places, its data can be an incredibly helpful addition. Bookmark these or save ’em wherever you’ll remember, and you’ll at least have the advantage of knowledge and preparation for your next flight adventure—whenever that may be and however long it may require. Flighty Airports, TSA Wait Times​, and ​Qsensor​ are all completely web-based and available in any browser on any device you’re using. The core services are all free. Some of the sites offer a premium plan or present you with other complementary services you could consider, but you never have to take those paths or pay a single dime to tap into the type of travel intel we’re talking about here. No sign-ups are required, either, and you never have to share any sort of personal data. Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletter—starting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app that’ll tune up your days in truly delightful ways. View the full article

Below, Alex Mayyasi shares five key insights from his new book, Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. Mayyasi is a journalist who writes about business, economics, and food. He hosts the new podcast Gastronomics and is a longtime contributor to NPR’s Planet Money. A former editor of Priceonomics, he launched Gastro Obscura, which won two James Beard Awards, and published the New York Times best-selling book Gastro Obscura. What’s the big idea? The economy isn’t static or centrally controlled. It’s an evolving system where information, technology, and human behavior interact to continuously reorganize opportunity. Listen to the audio version of this Book Bite—read by Mayyasi himself—in the Next Big Idea app, or buy the book. 1. A price tag is a tiny newspaper. If you drive by a gas station and see that the price of gas is up, that’s like reading a front-page headline. Maybe war in the Middle East is disrupting oil exports. Maybe everyone is getting gas for summer road trips. Maybe it’s both. You don’t need to know the exact reason because the price tag on gas synthesized all that information—every single thing influencing the supply and demand for gas—into one number. The price is like a tiny newspaper about the state of the world. Prices contain information. They are also incentives. If the price of gas is high, it incentivizes people to cut down on driving while gas is scarce or in high demand. And it incentivizes businesses to refine and sell more oil to increase the supply. The information and incentives of price tags are what make the invisible hand work. They allow us to have an amazingly complicated global economy where no one person or organization is in charge. 2. Technology does not automate jobs; it automates tasks. In the 1970s, banks started installing ATMs, or automatic teller machines. They were literally machines that did the job of bank tellers. But bank tellers did not disappear. For decades, the number of bank tellers in the U.S. kept increasing! Why? Well, ATMs only replaced some of the tasks that bank tellers did each day. So, tellers used the extra time to do the things ATMs couldn’t, like pitching customers on getting a credit card or hiring a financial adviser. Plus, since ATMs reduced the cost of running a bank branch, banks opened more locations and hired more tellers. When technology automates people’s work, it is rare that their jobs vanish overnight. Instead, it changes their work. The transition can be painful. But it creates new opportunities, too. 3. Goods get cheaper, but services get more expensive. When mystery writer Agatha Christie became a new parent in the 1910s, she and her husband hired a live-in servant and a nanny, but she noted that a car seemed like an unimaginable luxury. Today we experience the reverse: Plenty of people own cars, but a live-in servant is an unimaginable luxury. This is an example of a powerful economic phenomenon. Over time, technology and innovation have made cars, TVs, and other goods cheaper. But as countries grow and become wealthier, the cost of labor rises. So, services like haircuts, daycare, and concerts get more expensive. This is a big reason why so many artists struggle to make a living. And why parents in the U.S. now pay around $11,000 per year for childcare. The high cost of childcare is the cost of living in a dynamic and growing economy. 4. The winner-take-all economy. Before the invention of Spotify and CDs, the only way to hear someone sing was hiring someone to sing. The best singers made the most money, but not that much more than good singers. Today, everyone in the world can stream Taylor Swift’s albums and listen to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, so good singers compete directly with the world’s greatest entertainers. Swift and Bad Bunny make millions. Singers who are merely very good need day jobs. In many industries, technology has created this winner-take-all dynamic. If you want to work long hours to be the very best at what you do, this works in your favor. But if you want work-life balance, you should avoid winner-take-all professions in favor of careers like nursing or sales, where the average worker makes a solid salary. 5. The power of place. One of the biggest recent findings in economics is that the American Dream is not dead. It’s just not evenly distributed. When economists looked at poor families that went on to become middle class, they found they were clustered in certain cities and regions. There’s something special happening in those places. The special sauce seems to be social capital. The American Dream is still alive in these places where people form lots of friendships and connections—especially across class lines. Researchers are still figuring out why this matters so much, but it’s already influencing projects such as replacing public housing that’s only for poor people with mixed-income neighborhoods. We also see the power of place in how tech companies cluster in Silicon Valley, ad agencies in New York, and TV and film in Hollywood. This is called agglomeration. When workers and companies are in close proximity, it’s easier for them to hire workers, network, and exchange ideas. The pandemic forced millions of people to experiment with remote work. I think many people were surprised by how well it worked. But the power of place is so strong that the majority returned to in-person work and local hiring. 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 new wave of phishing scams is targeting iPhone users with alarming messages warning that their iCloud storage is full—and experts say users should proceed carefully. How the iCloud Storage Phishing Scam Works “Social engineering attackers use impersonation and manipulation to first gain your confidence and trust,” Apple warns. “Then, they trick you into handing over sensitive data or providing them with access to your account information. They use a variety of tactics to impersonate a trusted company, entity, or someone that you know.” According to Consumer Affairs, the scam typically arrives via text or email disguised as an official Apple notification, warning recipients that their cloud storage is full and urging them to click a link to “upgrade” to avoid data loss. Additionally, The Guardian reports the scam takes many forms, with emails bearing subject lines like “We’ve blocked your account!” or “Your payment method has expired!” and warnings that photos and videos will be deleted by a specific date. Others are slightly subtler, with headers like “Payment failed for your Cloud storage renewal.” In nearly all cases, the emails include a button prompting users to “update” their payment method or “manage” their storage with links that lead to convincing lookalike websites designed to steal Apple ID credentials, credit card details, or other sensitive information. In some cases, the links can even trigger a malware download. Common Tactics Used by Scammers The pressure to click the links is intentional and is crafted to push users into acting before they can question the message’s authenticity—and with Apple logos, branding, and language that closely mimics genuine alerts, that deception is easy to pull off. “This scam is effective precisely because it exploits one of the most emotionally loaded digital threats there is. Losing irreplaceable photos and videos, and pairs it with a brand that hundreds of millions of people trust implicitly,” a Reddit user wrote in response. How to Distinguish Real Apple Notifications From Fakes Apple does notify users when their iCloud storage is running low, but those alerts typically appear within the device’s settings or as official system notifications. What’s more, they said they would never ask users to provide passwords or payment details through text messages or unofficial websites. Experts advise users to ignore any links in unsolicited messages and instead verify their storage status by navigating to Settings on their iPhone and checking their iCloud usage directly. From photos and contacts to financial details, Apple accounts hold a wealth of sensitive personal data, and device backups. A successful phishing attempt can hand attackers access to every service tied to a single Apple ID. Red Flags of an Apple Phishing Attempt According to Apple, there are some key indicators that a message may be a phishing attempt: The sender’s email address or phone number doesn’t match the name of the company that it claims to be from. The email address or phone number used to contact you is different from the one that you gave that company. A link in a message looks right, but the URL doesn’t match the company’s website. The message looks significantly different from other messages that you’ve received from the company. The message requests personal information, like a credit card number or an account password. The message is unsolicited and contains an attachment. Anyone who suspects they have fallen victim should immediately change their Apple ID password and monitor their financial accounts for unusual activity. Apple recommends reporting suspicious texts or emails that appear to be from the company by taking a screenshot and sending it to reportphishing@apple.com. —Amaya Nichole, News Writer This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy. View the full article

Congrats! You got your first job! While you may have had temporary jobs while going to school, you might be feeling a variety of emotions, including excitement as well as some anxiety at the prospect of a first full-time job. While being hired means your employer believes that you already have the basic technical skills and academic knowledge to succeed, emotional intelligence will make the difference between thriving and surviving. Emotional intelligence is commonly described as your ability to recognize and understand your own emotions while also having an understanding of other people’s emotions. This is critical in your first job as it determines how well others will like and trust you. The importance of this cannot be overstated as this will impact how much your colleagues, supervisors, and managers will be motivated to help you as you learn new skills, explain how things work in the organization and the underlying politics to avoid. Starting any job will involve dealing with a degree of uncertainty, and a first one even more so. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, continually second guess yourself and wonder how well you are doing. Self-awareness Self-awareness allows you to have better control of your emotions without letting them control you. It allows you to take time to think, look at your situation, and respond more rationally, instead of reacting. “This is particularly important for the younger generation entering the workforce today, because they often face pressures from social media comparisons, evolving workplace expectations, and the challenge of establishing a professional identity in an increasingly complex and competitive environment,” says Charmaine Rose, a PhD Business and Marketing Professor, mentor, and advisor at Keiser University. So when companies want to help them build self-awareness, the old-school workshop format just does not cut it anymore. What actually works is hands-on training, things like interactive tools, real-life scenario simulations, and feedback they can use right away. Responsibility In any first job mistakes are expected and the way you deal with your mistakes will determine how well you will do in the future. Instead of deflecting, getting defensive, it is in your best interests to take responsibility, and ask for advice or help if you need it and learn. Your colleagues and supervisors will understand that you are new, learning and do expect that you will do everything perfectly. Your attitude and how you handle mistakes will determine how much grace they give you. Empathy Empathy is a powerful tool to have in any job, especially useful in a first one. It allows you to be able to view things from another’s perspective. In any workplace, your colleagues, supervisors and managers will be dealing with their own pressures not only in the workplace, but in their personal lives. Your ability to listen, understand, and reserve judgement will go a long way towards making others you work with feel safe and welcoming. When others find you safe, approachable, and easy to work with, your work will be more pleasant, enjoyable and less anxiety producing. Making others feel understood is a great motivator for them to help, mentor, and advocate for you. In my book Emotional Intelligence Game Changers, I delve more deeply into the importance of empathy. “The younger generation, particularly Gen Z, tends to place an especially high value on empathy in the workplace, often viewing it as a non-negotiable trait in colleagues and leaders and responding with greater engagement, loyalty, and collaboration when they feel genuinely seen and understood,” says Rose. Openness to feedback How you handle feedback will be a major factor in how well you do. If you realize that everyone has different levels of communication skills and do not take any feedback personally, you will be ahead of the game. Giving others the benefit of the doubt and believing that the feedback is meant to help you improve is the mindset that will help immensely. Even if you don’t agree, getting defensive and arguing will not help. Keep in mind that you may need a reference from a supervisor, or manager when you move on to another job. Making a positive first impression will go a long way towards smoothing your path at work. Your ability to be respectful, clearly communicate, listen attentively, and show empathy will help others relax and be more open towards you. Don’t forget that your coworkers will also feel anxious and uncertain about working with someone new. Making it easy for them to feel comfortable around you right away will quickly ease any tension and pave the way for a more rewarding work experience for both you and the people you will be working with. View the full article

Tehran’s hundreds of small, fast boats are vital in maintaining its stranglehold on global energy marketsView the full article

They are the key to happiness — and not a matter of choiceView the full article

Special envoys are the new peacemakers precisely because they are unburdened by diplomatic expertiseView the full article

As the US president prepares to visit Beijing, America no longer holds all the cards — but China knows it must tread carefullyView the full article