All Activity

ACHIEVING sustained success hinges on consistent and well-conceived preparation. If you fail to work hard and think hard during preparation, no amount of talent or performance under pressure is going to save you. This is something so simple and easy to understand, yet it’s a shortcoming I see over and over in sports, business, and life. I was the head coach of the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team for 13 seasons. It was a terrific ride that included three visits to the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament, a Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship, and three SEC Coach of the Year awards. Preparation was key to our success. To give a very basic example of the importance of preparation in basketball, let’s say it’s nearing the end of a college basketball season, and a team is gearing up to play a tough conference game. The coach has watched enough video to design a game plan that exploits the weakness of the opponent. The plan will rely on lots of full-court press and pressure defense. The coach has correctly identified the perfect plan in terms of strategy — the upcoming opponent is definitely weak in handling pressure for a full game. However, there’s a big problem. The coach’s own team isn’t physically capable of sustaining the strategy. Compared to the rest of the world, the athletes are no doubt in good physical shape. But they aren’t in good enough shape to apply the relentless pressure that would likely win the game. How many businesses struggle with this same concept? Let’s say you’re a leader in a company that relies on a complex sales process with a long cycle. What your team is doing right now to make initial contact with prospects will directly impact whether you’ll meet your sales goal several months from now. You may already be losing that “game” right now, and nothing your team does later can make up for it. There’s another huge problem for leaders who fail to get their teams ready to win: they’re guaranteed to lose the confidence of their team. People don’t like to lose, but even worse is feeling like you’re in a no-win position. If you don’t get your team ready to succeed, confidence erodes. Eventually, if it happens enough times, you’ll be a leader in name only (and maybe not even in name if you lose your position because of it). As a leader, you show your team exactly how much you care about them when you place a premium on preparation and accountability. Great leaders are honest enough to consistently hold people accountable for the process and habits of preparation. At a high-level, the journey to great preparation is broken into two parts. The first part is about the mindset you need — the “thinking filters” that go into your pursuit of success. The second part involves consistently applying a framework of constant preparation. Creating a habit of mind that prepares you for success involves: 1. Evaluating your definition of success. Get clear on what success means to you. Hazy visions and unclear expectations will crush any belief in sustained success. The best place to start is honestly recognizing the unique set of gifts you have as a person. When you recognize and acknowledge your gifts, you can then take the next step and identify where you can best use those gifts to contribute your very best to the world. Ask yourself: What value can you bring, and does it fill you with satisfaction to deliver that value to others? 2. Testing your definition of success against reality. Visions of pie-in-the-sky success aren’t a way of “being positive;” they’re just being unrealistic. If a small e-commerce site CEO says, “In two years, we’re going to exceed Amazon in sales,” no one will want to climb aboard. For any vision of success, large or small, ask yourself a simple question: Do I really believe this is an attainable goal? 3. Deciding to believe in yourself. I think that many people underestimate the role of committing to a decision to believe in themselves. Belief in yourself is about understanding that you have the necessary skills, talent, and developmental abilities to enjoy consistent and long-term accomplishments. To decide this is to say, “Yes, I’m taking responsibility for this belief and affirming that it’s true.” Additionally, applying a framework of constant preparation involves: 1. Getting crystal clear on your goals. Once again, you want to be realistic when you set your goals. Determine if your goal can be measured and what those measurements should be. Think of a clear goal as a lens that helps you see better what’s a useless diversion versus a positive pursuit. Such clarity enables you to say “no” to distractions and “yes” to worthy activities. Also important is creating specific subgoals that will comprise the steps leading to the achievement of your goals. 2. Create a strategy for how you’ll prepare to meet those goals. Essentially, a strategy has to come from your strengths and core competencies; it shouldn’t go against your identity or values. Ask yourself: What are my core competencies, and how can I use them to create the right strategy? For example, I sincerely like connecting with people. So, with any preparation strategy, I ask myself, “Will this task help me build a personal connection?” Once you begin implementing your strategy, make sure to evaluate it regularly and objectively. 3. Execute the details of the strategy with maximum effort and accountability. Five key areas that will guide you in executing a powerhouse preparation plan include: Prioritization, Timelines, Responsibility and Accountability, Resources, and Curiosity. Make decisions on what tasks have the highest priority. Decide how best to spend your time. Put in place accountability parameters. Maximize your resources. And be open to what you could explore further. Once you’ve developed the mindset and defined the framework for a powerful preparation regimen, you’re ready to execute your preparation blueprint that will lead to sustained success. * * * Matthew Mitchell is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, speaker, three-time SEC Coach of the Year, and the winningest head coach in the history of the University of Kentucky women’s basketball program. Through Mitchell’s focus on the fundamentals, he led the program to new heights ― seven seasons of winning 25 games or more and UK’s first SEC Championship in 30 years. Mitchell’s new book, Ready to Win: How Great Leaders Succeed Through Preparation (Winning Tools, November 19, 2024) — already a USA Today bestseller — shares proven principles that lead to resilience, preparation, and growth. Learn more at www.coachmatthewmitchell.com * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. * * * View the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. How do big companies evolve? How do they learn to do something new? These are questions that have taken up untold pages of books, magazines, and journal articles. As a venture capitalist (VC) in water, I’ve seen firsthand that most large companies in the sector struggle to effectively engage with external innovation, particularly with entrepreneurs developing technologies that could enhance their value propositions or product suites. Yet, both sides stand to gain: Large companies expand their product suites without having to build from scratch, and startups gain access to something invaluable: distribution at scale. That’s what makes Xylem’s success with Xylem Innovation Labs such an impressive case study. Formed in 2021, the program was a deliberate effort to bridge this gap, engaging with the growing ecosystem of water entrepreneurs and investing in the best talent developing industry solutions. If you think entrepreneurship is hard, try corporate innovation. A model that works Building a new function within a company requires navigating the constraints of an existing organizational structure. Simply tacking on a skunkworks team with a Gone in 60 Seconds-type team of innovators often leads to fragmentation, internal resistance, and ultimately, failure. Xylem Innovation Labs avoided these pitfalls by structuring its program with precision and purpose, making it a model for systematic change. At its core is the Partnerships Accelerator, designed to fast-track the introduction of breakthrough technologies that address critical challenges for water utilities, industrial water users, and communities worldwide. Each year, the team surveys the entire company to identify strategic gaps that technology could help fill in. They then scour the global startup landscape—working with partners like us at Burnt Island Ventures (BIV) and Imagine H2O—to find companies with the right solutions. Applications are then reviewed across Xylem’s business units, and a committee that includes members of the company’s C-suite (this is a $8.6 billion revenue company, after all) makes the final selections. Once a startup is selected, it gains direct access to Xylem’s leadership and expertise, with a dedicated team member acting as a guide through the corporate landscape. They then embark on a year-long Partnership Accelerator program that not only develops their partnership with the company but a path to the broader market. The program is defined by its speed and transparency—we all know that startups don’t have the luxury of waiting years for a decision. When a “no” comes fast, it’s never a “no forever”—it’s about timing, potential, and mutual fit. This founder-friendly approach makes it one of the most effective corporate innovation models I’ve seen. Breakthrough partnerships and lessons learned Since its 2022 launch, the Partnerships Accelerator has engaged over 45 companies from 14 countries—contributing to real progress across the water innovation ecosystem by accelerating solutions, relationships, and learning. Nearly a quarter of these startups have formalized partnership agreements with Xylem, while a new cohort are just beginning their journey. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about tangible progress in tackling some of the most pressing water and public health challenges of our time. The potential for transformation is significant, and initiatives like this are setting a new standard for how large companies can engage with startups to deliver meaningful change. Take Aclarity, a BIV portfolio company that developed an electrochemical oxidation process to destroy forever chemicals (PFAS). After participating in the 2022 Xylem Partnerships Accelerator, Aclarity continues to collaborate with Xylem to bring its technology to market. Other partnerships have already led to new product launches, such as eoapp Aqua, a satellite-based water quality monitoring tool that debuted in the U.S. in 2024 as a collaboration between Xylem’s YSI brand and EOMAP, a German remote sensing company. For BIV, partnering with Xylem isn’t just strategic—it has reshaped how we approach venture investing in water. Xylem collaborates with a global network of more than 40 open innovation partners, including universities, research institutes, accelerators, VCs, and end users. This extensive reach gives us an edge in sourcing high-potential startups, but this isn’t a one-way street. We share promising startups with Xylem, and nearly half of our portfolio companies have engaged with Xylem in some capacity. The result? A stronger ecosystem where startups have a direct path to commercialization. The buck doesn’t stop here Xylem Innovation Labs isn’t just coasting on its early successes. In 2024, Xylem expanded its corporate venture investing plans to support emerging companies and water services providers, complementing its existing investments in BIV and Westly Group. More importantly, it’s now deploying capital into high-impact, frontier markets through its work with WaterEquity. This holistic approach—combining partnerships, investments, and strategic innovation—is creating a powerful engine for scaling water technology solutions at an unprecedented pace. And the impact is growing. A self-reinforcing funding and innovation flywheel is now in motion for early-stage water companies. Four companies from BIV’s Fund I have already advanced to Series B funding, and we’ve since launched Fund II and Opportunity Fund I, both anchored by Xylem, to further support high-growth water startups. The timing couldn’t be better. Both VC and entrepreneurial attention are shifting toward climate adaptation and resilience, and water is at the center of that transformation. Institutional agility is possible I’ve seen too many large companies fail at innovation simply because they lack the structure and discipline to integrate external ideas. But Xylem Innovation Labs is proof that it doesn’t have to be this way. I believe that when a corporation commits to engaging with startups strategically—rather than treating innovation as a PR stunt—it can create an engine for sustained competitive advantage. Xylem has done this by taking external innovation seriously, embedding it into its core strategy, and executing it with speed and transparency. In today’s world, where water challenges are intensifying, integrating emerging technologies isn’t optional, it’s a necessity for survival and long-term growth. Tom Ferguson is founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures. View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand Different Loan Types: Familiarize yourself with various small business loans, including SBA loans, traditional loans, term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, and invoice financing, to choose the best option for your needs. Know Key Qualifications: Creditworthiness, financial documents, a solid business plan, and collateral are essential factors that will influence your loan approval. Explore Traditional and Alternative Lenders: Consider applying for loans from banks, credit unions, online lenders, and peer-to-peer platforms, each offering distinct advantages and eligibility criteria. Leverage Government Resources: Explore SBA loans and local economic development programs that provide favorable terms and additional funding avenues for small businesses. Prepare Thoroughly for Application: Gather necessary financial documents, understand your funding needs, and present a clear repayment plan to enhance your chances of loan approval. Consider the Impact of Loan Terms: Assess the loan amount and repayment term length, as they significantly affect your cash flow and overall business financial health. Starting or growing a small business often requires capital, and securing a small business loan can be a game-changer. Whether you need funds for equipment, inventory, or operational costs, knowing where to look can make all the difference. With a variety of options available, it’s essential to navigate the landscape wisely to find the right fit for your needs. From traditional banks to online lenders and credit unions, each source offers unique benefits and challenges. Understanding these options helps you make informed decisions and increases your chances of approval. In this article, you’ll discover where to get a small business loan, what to consider before applying, and tips to enhance your chances of securing the funding you need. Understanding Small Business Loans Understanding small business loans is crucial for effective business financing. Various types of loans exist, each serving different needs, and knowing these options can greatly influence your decision-making. Types of Small Business Loans SBA Loans: These loans are backed by the Small Business Administration and often offer favorable terms, such as lower interest rates and longer repayment periods. Traditional Loans: Offered by banks, these loans typically require thorough financial documentation and solid credit scores, ensuring you meet strict loan requirements. Term Loans: You receive a lump sum of cash, repaid in fixed installments over a set loan term length. Useful for significant business investments, these loans provide predictable repayment plans. Business Line of Credit: This flexible funding option allows you to borrow money as needed, only paying interest on the amount you use. It provides quick access to working capital. Equipment Financing: Specifically for purchasing or leasing business equipment, these loans use the equipment as collateral, making them an easier option for securing funds. Invoice Financing: This allows you to borrow against unpaid invoices, improving your cash flow without taking on additional business debt. Merchant Cash Advance: This funding option provides a quick influx of cash in exchange for a percentage of your future credit card sales, ideal for immediate business needs. Key Qualifications for Loan Approval Creditworthiness: Your business credit score influences loan approval. Lenders assess your credit history to determine your ability to repay. Financial Documents: Prepare documents like tax returns, profit and loss statements, and bank statements to demonstrate your financial stability during the loan application process. Business Plan: A solid business plan outlines how you intend to use the loan, presenting a clear strategy for achieving business growth. Collateral: Some loans, like secured loans, require collateral, providing lenders with security against their investment. Loan Amount: Determine the specific amount you need, as many lenders have minimum and maximum limits for loan amounts. Loan Term Length: Consider the repayment period, as shorter terms often come with higher monthly payments, while longer terms can lower your monthly commitments. Understanding these loan types and qualifications equips you to choose the right funding option that supports your business’s needs and goals. Traditional Lenders You can explore traditional lenders to secure a small business loan, which can help fuel your business growth. Traditional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, provide various funding options with distinct advantages. Banks and Credit Unions Banks: Start with a bank where you already have an account, as this can simplify the loan application process. Major banks like Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo offer a range of business financing options. Community banks often provide better service and higher approval rates due to their focus on local economic development. To qualify, you typically need a solid business plan, strong personal credit, and established revenue. Banks require financial documents, including tax returns, and may assess your business credit score to determine eligibility. Credit Unions: Credit unions tend to have more flexible lending criteria compared to traditional banks. They have significantly increased their small business lending offerings in recent years. If you become a member, you might benefit from lower interest rates and personalized services. Credit unions are an excellent option for those seeking affordable financial assistance or those who may face challenges with larger banks’ stringent loan requirements. SBA Loans SBA loans are government-backed loans specifically designed to support small business financing. These loans offer favorable terms, including lower interest rates and longer loan repayment periods. To qualify for an SBA loan, you must demonstrate your creditworthiness, have a viable business plan, and present financial documents like profit-loss statements. While the approval process may take longer than traditional loans, the benefits can outweigh the wait. Specifically, borrowers can often access larger loan amounts with more manageable repayment options, making SBA loans ideal for startups and established businesses looking for long-term growth or refinancing existing debt. Alternative Financing Options Alternative financing options provide diverse pathways to secure small business loans, essential for funding growth and managing cash flow effectively. Explore these resources to find the right fit for your needs. Online Lenders Online lenders offer quick access to business financing with less stringent loan requirements compared to traditional banks. Here are a few notable options: Fundbox Fundbox provides business lines of credit up to $150,000. Funds can arrive within 12 to 24 hours after approval, allowing for fast funding when you need it most. Minimum requirements include a credit score of 600, three months in business, and $30,000 in annual revenue. OnDeck OnDeck specializes in term loans ranging from $5,000 to $250,000. Some states offer same-day funding, expediting the loan application process. To qualify, you need a credit score of 625, at least 12 months in business, and an annual revenue of $100,000, with loan repayments made daily or weekly. Bluevine Bluevine offers business lines of credit up to $250,000. With a focus on providing financial support, it requires a minimum credit score of 625, 12 months in operation, and an annual revenue of $120,000. iBusiness Funding iBusiness Funding provides term loans up to $500,000 with repayment terms extending to seven years, making this a viable option for those seeking long-term financing solutions. Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms Peer-to-peer lending platforms connect borrowers directly with individual investors, offering another alternative for securing small business loans. These platforms typically provide: Flexibility in Loan Terms Terms can vary based on the platform and investor preferences, allowing you to negotiate according to your business’s unique needs. Potential for Lower Interest Rates Compared to traditional loans, interest rates on peer-to-peer loans may often be more competitive, enhancing your ability to manage business debt effectively. Access to Microloans Some platforms focus on microloans, which cater to startups or small businesses needing minimal capital for immediate expenses or small-scale projects. These alternative financing options provide valuable resources for small business owners looking to obtain loans and improve their financial position. Government Resources When seeking funding for your small business, government resources provide valuable options. Various programs, particularly SBA loans, offer unique benefits tailored to your needs. SBA Loans The Small Business Administration (SBA) significantly aids you in obtaining funding through several loan programs: 7(a) Loans: This primary SBA program offers long-term financing for diverse purposes, such as long-term fixed assets and operating capital. Microloans: Loans of $50,000 or less help businesses and specific non-profit childcare centers with quick access to funds. SBA Certified Development Company (CDC) Loans: This financing option delivers long-term, fixed-rate loans through community-based CDCs. Export Loans: These programs assist small businesses with export needs, covering expenses like day-to-day operations, advance orders with suppliers, and debt refinancing. Grants and Subsidies Federal grants serve as a no-cost funding option for small businesses. Various grants target specific industries and development projects, providing financial assistance without repayment obligations. These funds support diverse business initiatives and expansion efforts, aiding in growth without increasing business debt. Local Economic Development Programs Local economic development programs offer additional resources for funding. These programs often provide assistance tailored to regional needs, including low-interest loans and grants for business expansion or improvement projects. Many programs aim to stimulate growth in underserved communities, making them an excellent choice for your business financing efforts. Utilizing these government resources equips you with essential funding options to sustain and grow your small business effectively. Conclusion Finding the right small business loan can be a game changer for your venture. By exploring various funding sources and understanding your specific needs you can make informed decisions that align with your goals. Whether you choose traditional banks SBA loans or alternative financing options each pathway offers unique benefits tailored to different business scenarios. Make sure to assess your qualifications and prepare the necessary documentation to enhance your chances of approval. With the right approach and resources you can secure the financing you need to thrive and grow your business successfully. Keep your options open and don’t hesitate to seek assistance when navigating this crucial aspect of entrepreneurship. Frequently Asked Questions What is the importance of a small business loan? A small business loan is crucial for starting or growing a business. It provides the necessary funds for operations, inventory, equipment, and hiring. Securing a loan can significantly impact your business’s success, enabling you to invest in growth opportunities. What are the different types of small business loans? Small business loans vary in type, including SBA loans, traditional loans, term loans, business lines of credit, equipment financing, invoice financing, and merchant cash advances. Each type caters to specific business needs and financial situations. Where can I find small business loans? You can find small business loans from traditional banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Each option offers different advantages, such as flexible terms, varying interest rates, and special programs geared toward small businesses. What factors should I consider before applying for a loan? Before applying for a loan, consider your creditworthiness, financial documents, business plan, loan amount, term length, and collateral requirements. Understanding these factors can enhance your chances of approval. How do I improve my chances of loan approval? To boost your chances of loan approval, maintain a good credit score, prepare a detailed business plan, provide necessary financial documents, and assess realistic loan amounts. Building strong relationships with lenders can also help. What are SBA loans and their benefits? SBA loans are government-backed loans designed for small businesses. They offer favorable terms, such as lower interest rates and longer repayment periods. These loans can aid startups and established businesses aiming for long-term growth. How do online lenders differ from traditional banks? Online lenders typically provide faster access to funds than traditional banks, often with fewer requirements. However, their interest rates may vary. It’s essential to compare options to find the best fit for your needs. What role do government resources play in small business funding? Government resources, like SBA loan programs and federal grants, offer financial assistance to small businesses without adding debt. These resources can include favorable loan terms and tailored programs to support growth, especially in underserved communities. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking Opportunities: Where to Get a Small Business Loan for Your Growth" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. In most companies, generative AI is full of contradictions. On one hand, 67% of business leaders predict that GenAI will transform their organization in 2025, according to a KPMG survey. On the other, just 36% of executives say their company has a well-defined vision for AI. The core issue: Nearly 2.5 years after ChatGPT’s introduction, most companies are still stuck in what I call “prototype purgatory.” They’ve bought and attempted to adopt off-the-shelf GenAI tools and developed pet project prototypes. But despite big promises from vendors or demos, they’ve generated little more than incremental value—far from the AI revolution that was promised. I see this constantly when talking to enterprise execs. They’re frustrated. And the data bears this out, too. Recently at A.Team, we surveyed 250 senior tech leaders responsible for AI initiatives at their companies and found that only 36% of organizations have successfully deployed AI to production. (The majority of respondents came from enterprise companies.) The rest remain caught in an endless cycle of proof of concept projects and pilots—or haven’t gotten started at all. It’s not hard to see why this is happening. The space is moving at whiplash speed, disrupting itself weekly. It’s impossible to upskill your full-time employees on all things AI, which makes it difficult to make crucial technical decisions. At this stage of the game, locking into one platform is highly premature. But amidst these struggles, some companies are breaking through. The most fascinating part of our research was what AI leaders do differently than AI laggards—and it’s not what you might expect. The talent equation: Blended teams win The most striking finding from our research was that organizations that use blended teams—a model that integrates specialized freelance talent with full-time employees—are twice as likely to reach advanced stages of AI innovation. These companies find that this model helps alleviate the AI talent crisis that most companies are experiencing. Ninety-four percent of the tech leaders we surveyed said talent constraints are their primary barrier to innovation, with 85% having delayed critical AI initiatives due to talent shortages. They’re finding that traditional hiring can’t solve this problem—89% said the traditional recruitment model is broken. Two-thirds of respondents said it takes at least 4 months to hire top engineering talent. These protracted hiring cycles are particularly problematic in AI development, where technology evolves at a breakneck pace—rendering traditional workforce planning obsolete as new possibilities emerge and roadmaps change. In 2025, it’s hard to know the exact skills you will need in six months. Successful organizations that have escaped prototype purgatory have found a different approach with blended teams, and they report stunning improvements from incorporating freelance or fractional talent into their teams: 99% enhanced innovation capability 98% improved project success rates 96% accelerated speed of delivery Build versus buy: A third way may be the answer For the past 2.5 years, I’ve watched “build vs. buy” become one of the dominant discussions in executive boardrooms. While off-the-shelf AI tools like ChatGPT Enterprise and GitHub Copilot deliver obvious value, it now looks like the “build” approach is winning. Among companies that have successfully deployed AI to production, 93% say building custom solutions delivers more value than off-the-shelf tools. But that might not be the whole story. The most successful organizations aren’t building everything from scratch, however. They’re taking an “assemble” approach—leveraging the explosion of open-source building blocks (we’ve seen a 60% boom in open-source GenAI contributions on GitHub in the past year alone) while customizing solutions for their specific needs. The “assemble” model is built for speed; integrated components can be easily updated or swapped out, which is crucial when the shelf life for state of the art AI is shorter than a jar of organic marinara sauce. It allows you to keep the most crucial part in place: developing these GenAI components into existing workflows that empower your employees and customers, giving you a true data moat. When you look at where the senior tech leaders in our study are making their investments, it reflects this kind of foundational approach: 50% are increasing spending on AI safety and monitoring tools 49% are prioritizing AI development platforms 41% are investing in data infrastructure They’re not investing in the models themselves but in everything needed to turn them into production-grade systems: data pipelines, testing frameworks, monitoring tools, and integration capabilities. Want ROI? Start with AI-powered automation One of the biggest questions about generative AI is: Are companies seeing ROI? And if so, where? We got the answer by asking AI leaders their expected ROI timeline across four key areas of focus: Custom AI product development AI-powered automation Customer-facing AI features Internal AI tools Not surprisingly, AI-powered automation had the highest ROI rate already achieved, at 14%. Surprisingly, customer AI product development came in second, at 12%. Perhaps most surprisingly, most leaders expect to see ROI across every use case this year. Our research suggests that a significant portion of that investment will go into custom AI product development and customer-facing AI features. While the dominant AI discussion has focused on cost cutting, more respondents said they were focusing on generating ROI through revenue generation (46%) over cost cutting (30%). It’s been said a million times, but it bears repeating: This will be a critical year for AI development inside most companies, with many Fortune 500 players at risk of falling behind. And while there have been whispers of a trough of disillusionment, tech leaders remain bullish: 96% plan to increase AI investments in 2025, with over half planning increases of 51% or more. The challenge isn’t a lack of ambition—it’s execution. Most AI initiatives fail at the last mile—not because the technology isn’t viable but because organizations underestimate the complexity of productizing AI and don’t have the right talent with the right mindset inside their organization. Companies that embrace these challenges and think differently will escape prototype purgatory. The rest may find themselves in limbo for years to come. Raphael Ouzan is cofounder and CEO of A.Team. View the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. AI is no longer a side project. It now sits at the heart of how companies grow, compete, and make decisions. Yet many leaders still struggle to separate hype from value and wonder how to invest wisely without wasting time or resources. A key challenge lies at the top: a lack of AI literacy among executive teams. Research covering nearly 7,000 executives across 645 firms shows a clear pattern: Companies led by AI-literate teams are more likely to identify where AI can create value and act on it. Rethink responsibility Many executive teams still treat AI as a tech issue—something for IT or data teams to figure out. But AI is a leadership issue. It belongs on the agenda of every CMO, CFO, CHRO, and CEO. More importantly, it’s not about a single role. It’s about the collective literacy of the top team. Research rooted in upper echelons theory confirms this: AI-literate leadership teams are more likely to build strategic visions that integrate AI and translate that vision into tangible action, from capability building to execution. So appointing a chief AI officer (CAIO) without a broader shift in understanding won’t be enough if the rest of the executive team can’t grasp the art of the possible and actively shape the direction AI takes in the business. As one leader put it, “Hiring a CAIO is like hiring a pilot for a crew that doesn’t believe in flying.” The cost of poor AI literacy As MIT Sloan Management Review points out, “The overall low literacy rate is a problem for today’s executives, who will face more and more processes or products that claim to be “powered by AI.”” Making informed decisions about these AI tools requires leaders to understand how they align with strategy and operations—and to know which questions matter. Without a clear understanding of what AI can do—or where it breaks down—executive teams fall into familiar traps: Buying into hype they can’t evaluate Investing in tools without understanding their fit Setting expectations AI (or teams) can’t meet Focusing on flashy pilots instead of long-term capability building The result is often pilot purgatory, or initiatives that stall. Missed opportunities. And in some cases, the slow decline of companies that once dismissed digital as a passing trend. From confusion to competence: The AI literacy ladder To help executive teams assess where they stand and what to do next, we use a five-step model: the AI literacy ladder. Think of it as a five-step staircase representing the typical journey executive teams take as they build fluency in AI, moving from scattered perspectives to a shared understanding and strategic alignment: Confusion: AI feels like a buzzword. There’s no shared understanding or agreement on relevance. Curiosity: Interest is rising, but views are fragmented. There’s little clarity on where to begin. Comprehension: The team develops a common language around AI’s potential and risks. Confidence: Teams ask sharper questions and align on use cases that matter. Competence: AI becomes part of strategic planning and decision making. [Graphic: Philippe De Ridder, CEO at BOI] Why AI-literate teams outperform When executive teams build AI fluency together, they unlock a dynamic we call the AI fluency flywheel: Teams that move beyond confusion and start learning together gain momentum. They stop treating AI as an isolated initiative and start treating it as a core strategic capability. Over time, this fluency allows them not just to respond, but to lead. [Graphic: Philippe De Ridder, CEO at BOI] So where do executive teams learn AI? Despite the flood of AI training programs, few are built for leadership teams. Most are either too technical, too long, or designed for individuals. What’s missing is a shared learning experience. One that helps leadership teams: Understand what’s possible and what’s not Cut through noise and inflated promises Align on use cases worth pursuing Build a common language across roles Closing the gap starts at the top As AI reshapes how organizations operate and compete, executive teams can’t afford to stay on the sidelines. The journey toward AI maturity isn’t about becoming technical experts. It’s about building shared fluency across the leadership team. It starts with honest reflection: Where are we on the AI literacy ladder? What will it take to move forward, together? The first step is simple but powerful: Make space for the conversation. Invite different perspectives. Commit to learning together. Teams that do this won’t just keep up. They’ll help shape what’s next. Philippe De Ridder is founder and CEO of BOI (Board of Innovation) and AUTONOMOUS. Laura Stevens, PhD is managing director, Data & AI at BOI. View the full article

University accuses government of making ‘sweeping and intrusive demands’View the full article

The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the most well-known stellar displays, occurring once a year in April. It’s also one of the oldest meteor showers that we know of, with records dating back to 687 BCE from Chinese astronomers. Unlike many meteor showers, the Lyrids are relatively short: In 2025, the event runs a little more than a week, from April 17 to April 26. It will peak in the nighttime hours of April 21 to 22. Typically, you can expect to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour at the peak, though the Lyrids have been known to outperform and deliver up to 100 meteors per hour. If you’d like to catch the show this year, here’s what to know about the 2025 Lyrids meteor shower peak. What’s the best time to see the Lyrid meteor shower peak? The Lyrids will be most visible after midnight and before the dawn hours. That’s as the moon will be relatively dim in its waning crescent phase and won’t rise until the early morning hours, around 3 a.m. local time. It’s best to target this window of time between midnight and 3 a.m. Where should I look to see the Lyrids? The Lyrids are viewable from the Northern Hemisphere. To see them, find the bright star Vega, which is a bluish white star that will rise in the northeast in the evening hours. It’s one of the brightest stars in the night sky and is easily visible, even from light polluted areas (aka, excessive artificial lighting). Vega is located in the constellation Lyra. Lyra is the radiant of the meteor shower, which means that the meteors will appear to originate from this constellation (hence the name, the Lyrids). To get the best view of the meteor shower, try to avoid areas with lots of light pollution. What causes the meteor shower? The Lyrid meteor shower may look to us like it originates from the constellation Lyra, but it’s actually the product of Earth passing through the trail of the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which takes 415 years to orbit the sun. As the comet proceeds through the solar system, it leaves dust and debris in its wake. When Earth intersects this trail, that’s what produces the meteor shower. View the full article

Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) has announced the release of Zoom Workplace for Frontline, a mobile-first solution designed to enhance communication and work management for frontline workers. The product is now available to all frontline employees and managers with paid Zoom accounts, targeting industries such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and emergency services. The company stated that the new platform aims to help workers “get more done, do better work, and strengthen relationships” by integrating intelligent tools and streamlining daily operational tasks. “Our mission of delivering an AI-first open work platform isn’t just limited to knowledge workers; we’re also thinking about how we can address the needs of frontline workers, who represent over 80% of the global workforce,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “Zoom Workplace for Frontline empowers frontline workers to stay connected, access critical information on the go, and streamline daily tasks – ultimately fostering a more engaged, productive, and connected workforce.” Key Features Targeting Frontline Needs Zoom Workplace for Frontline includes a range of communication and work management features tailored specifically for on-shift environments. On-shift communications: Real-time activity feed: Available through Zoom’s mobile app, the activity feed provides access to shift communications, critical resources, and tasks. Auto-generated on-shift chat groups: Automatically connects employees for each shift, eliminating the need to create new group chats manually. Push-to-talk functionality: Offers instant voice communication at the press of a button. Work management capabilities: Shift swapping: Employees can request and manage shift changes via mobile. Task management: Zoom Tasks allows for streamlined assignment distribution and progress tracking. Shift summaries: Managers receive a comprehensive view of key conversations, pending tasks, attendance, and other shift-related updates. AI Companion Tools Enhance Workflow The Zoom AI Companion, embedded within the new platform, includes intelligent features designed to assist with shift oversight and information access: Automatic shift reporting: Uses AI to generate summaries of shift discussions, attendance logs, and task reports. Smart, natural search: Helps users locate information based on organizational knowledge bases. Automatic translation: Chat messages are automatically translated into users’ supported preferred languages. With Zoom Workplace for Frontline, Zoom extends its AI-powered collaboration tools to a wider segment of the workforce, positioning the platform as a centralized hub for daily shift management and team communication. Image: Zoom This article, "Zoom Launches Workplace for Frontline to Support Mobile-First Shift Workers" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) has announced the release of Zoom Workplace for Frontline, a mobile-first solution designed to enhance communication and work management for frontline workers. The product is now available to all frontline employees and managers with paid Zoom accounts, targeting industries such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and emergency services. The company stated that the new platform aims to help workers “get more done, do better work, and strengthen relationships” by integrating intelligent tools and streamlining daily operational tasks. “Our mission of delivering an AI-first open work platform isn’t just limited to knowledge workers; we’re also thinking about how we can address the needs of frontline workers, who represent over 80% of the global workforce,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “Zoom Workplace for Frontline empowers frontline workers to stay connected, access critical information on the go, and streamline daily tasks – ultimately fostering a more engaged, productive, and connected workforce.” Key Features Targeting Frontline Needs Zoom Workplace for Frontline includes a range of communication and work management features tailored specifically for on-shift environments. On-shift communications: Real-time activity feed: Available through Zoom’s mobile app, the activity feed provides access to shift communications, critical resources, and tasks. Auto-generated on-shift chat groups: Automatically connects employees for each shift, eliminating the need to create new group chats manually. Push-to-talk functionality: Offers instant voice communication at the press of a button. Work management capabilities: Shift swapping: Employees can request and manage shift changes via mobile. Task management: Zoom Tasks allows for streamlined assignment distribution and progress tracking. Shift summaries: Managers receive a comprehensive view of key conversations, pending tasks, attendance, and other shift-related updates. AI Companion Tools Enhance Workflow The Zoom AI Companion, embedded within the new platform, includes intelligent features designed to assist with shift oversight and information access: Automatic shift reporting: Uses AI to generate summaries of shift discussions, attendance logs, and task reports. Smart, natural search: Helps users locate information based on organizational knowledge bases. Automatic translation: Chat messages are automatically translated into users’ supported preferred languages. With Zoom Workplace for Frontline, Zoom extends its AI-powered collaboration tools to a wider segment of the workforce, positioning the platform as a centralized hub for daily shift management and team communication. Image: Zoom This article, "Zoom Launches Workplace for Frontline to Support Mobile-First Shift Workers" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Sponsored Post Key Takeaways Understanding Team Pipelines: Team pipelines are structured frameworks that manage talent flow, crucial for aligning recruitment, onboarding, and employee development with business goals. Key Components: Effective team pipelines include lead generation, selection processes, onboarding programs, ongoing training, performance tracking, and feedback loops to enhance overall team dynamics. Benefits of Team Pipelines: A robust team pipeline improves collaboration, increases efficiency, and ensures timely recruitment and training, ultimately leading to higher sales performance and business growth. Challenges in Implementation: Common challenges include communication barriers and resource allocation constraints; addressing these issues is vital for optimizing the team pipeline’s effectiveness. Best Practices for Management: Effective planning and regular check-ins are essential to ensure clear objectives, foster collaboration, and adjust strategies based on performance metrics. Future Outlook: The future of team pipelines will be shaped by extended sales cycles and budget constraints, necessitating innovative solutions like AI tools and continuous training to maintain competitiveness and drive sales success. In today’s fast-paced work environment, building an effective team pipeline is crucial for success. A well-structured pipeline not only streamlines recruitment but also enhances team dynamics and productivity. You might be wondering how to create a seamless flow of talent that aligns with your organization’s goals. Whether you’re in a startup or an established company, understanding the nuances of team pipelines can transform your hiring process. It’s about more than just filling positions; it’s about fostering a culture where the right people thrive and contribute to the bigger picture. Let’s dive into the essentials of team pipelines and discover how they can elevate your organization to new heights. What Are Team Pipelines? Team pipelines serve as structured frameworks that guide the flow of talent within your organization. They’re essential for ensuring that you attract, develop, and retain the right people who align with your business goals. Definition and Purpose A team pipeline is a systematic approach to managing your workforce needs. It streamlines recruitment, onboarding, and employee development processes within small businesses. This strategy allows you to maintain a steady influx of qualified candidates, facilitating talent acquisition and improving overall team dynamics. By having a clear pipeline, you set up a process that maximizes productivity and enhances employee engagement, which is crucial for achieving your sales targets and business growth. Key Components Key components of an effective team pipeline include: Lead Generation: Identify potential candidates through various channels, such as networking, referrals, and job postings. Selection Process: Implement a clear and efficient method for evaluating candidates, ensuring that you choose those who fit your business culture and value proposition. Onboarding: Establish a solid onboarding program to integrate new hires smoothly into your team, enhancing their engagement from day one. Training and Development: Offer continuous training, especially in areas like sales techniques and customer relationship management (CRM), to keep skills sharp. Performance Tracking: Use metrics and sales reporting to monitor employee performance and identify areas for improvement. Feedback Loop: Create a system for regular feedback, which helps in refining processes and adapting to changing business needs. A well-defined team pipeline positively impacts your recruitment efficiency, employee retention, and overall sales performance, driving your small business toward success. Benefits of Team Pipelines Creating a strong team pipeline brings several advantages that boost your small business operations. These benefits lead to improved collaboration and increased efficiency. Improved Collaboration A leadership pipeline supports a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, essential for enhancing team dynamics. It encourages your team members to engage in teamwork and fosters clear career growth opportunities. By identifying and promoting talent internally, your organization develops a strong bench of capable leaders. These leaders not only align with your company culture, but also enhance collaboration, essential for meeting your sales goals and improving overall morale. Workflow pipelines promote a shared understanding of tasks and progress among team members. This clarity aids in developing effective sales strategies that can adapt to shifting customer needs. With better collaboration, your sales team can coordinate efforts more effectively, leading to higher productivity and improved customer relationship management (CRM). Increased Efficiency Team pipelines streamline the recruitment process and enhance training efforts, which results in increased sales performance. By maintaining clear processes for lead generation, selection, and onboarding, you can fill roles more quickly and efficiently. This structured approach allows your team to focus on sales conversion and customer engagement without getting sidetracked by recruitment challenges. Well-defined pipelines enable timely follow-up and lead nurturing, critical for converting sales leads into satisfied customers. By optimizing your sales process, your team can close sales faster and fulfill sales targets more consistently. Furthermore, continuous training provided by a robust team pipeline ensures that your team remains updated on best practices, closing techniques, and objection handling skills. As a result, your small business maintains a competitive edge, driving overall revenue growth and enhancing profit margins. Challenges in Implementing Team Pipelines Implementing team pipelines presents several challenges that require attention for optimal management. Communication Barriers Communication barriers often obstruct effective collaboration within your team pipeline. Misunderstandings can arise from unclear expectations, leading to inefficiencies in your sales process. Regular check-ins can improve clarity among sales team members and reinforce shared goals. Using tools like customer relationship management (CRM) systems encourages transparent communication about leads and their statuses, enhancing follow-up efforts and ultimately improving sales conversions. Resource Allocation Resource allocation plays a critical role in the success of your team pipeline. Small businesses frequently encounter limitations in time, budget, and manpower. Prioritizing projects becomes vital when resource constraints arise. Focusing on high-impact initiatives can optimize performance and help you reach sales targets more effectively. Communicating these limitations clearly with your sales team ensures that everyone operates within the set boundaries, fostering a more efficient sales strategy that aligns with overall business development goals. Best Practices for Managing Team Pipelines Managing team pipelines effectively is essential for small businesses aiming to boost sales performance and maintain a competitive edge. Focus on structured strategies that improve lead generation and optimize the sales process. Here are best practices to enhance your team pipelines. Effective Planning Effective planning sets the foundation for your team’s success. Start by defining clear project goals, objectives, and deliverables to align your sales team with overarching business targets. Use project management tools to create a detailed roadmap that outlines tasks, assigns roles, and establishes deadlines. This clarity helps prioritizes lead nurturing and ensures everyone contributes to achieving sales goals. Incorporate risk assessment strategies to identify potential challenges early and establish contingency plans that keep your sales funnel flowing smoothly. Regular Check-Ins Regular check-ins foster communication and collaboration within your team. Schedule consistent meetings to discuss progress on sales targets, share insights about customer needs, and address any obstacles in real time. Use these sessions to evaluate sales metrics, adjusting strategies based on performance and feedback from team members. Incorporating discussions on negotiation techniques and objection handling during these meetings strengthens your team’s sales tactics. Create a culture of accountability where team members feel empowered to share successes and learn from challenges. By prioritizing communication, you enhance customer engagement and move prospects more efficiently through the sales cycle. Future of Team Pipelines The future of team pipelines is significantly influenced by changes in sales strategies and market dynamics for small businesses. Sales teams face longer sales cycles and tighter budgets. By 2025, sales cycles will extend due to the involvement of more stakeholders in decision-making. According to Gartner, the B2B buying cycle increased by 22% over the past five years. Economic uncertainty also tightens budgets, compelling your sales team to justify solutions and demonstrate clear ROI. Managing these challenges requires innovative approaches. AI tools optimize sales pipelines effectively. These tools help refine lead generation strategies through hyperpersonalized outreach, enhancing customer engagement. Automation reduces administrative burdens through streamlined workflows for follow-ups and meeting schedules, allowing your sales team to focus on closing sales. Adopting effective sales tactics becomes critical as you navigate the evolving landscape. Develop a strong understanding of your prospects’ needs and utilize customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track the sales process efficiently. Implement lead nurturing practices that build relationships and facilitate conversions. With a well-structured sales pipeline, you can more effectively manage sales targets and maximize sales performance. Emphasizing continuous sales training is vital for adapting to market changes. Equip your team with negotiation skills and closing techniques that drive results. Regularly assess sales metrics to identify gaps in performance and refine your sales strategy accordingly. Foster an environment where your sales team can share insights and best practices, enhancing accountability and boosting morale. Future-proofing your team pipelines means prioritizing effective training, adapting sales outreach methods, and continuously evaluating the sales funnel. Focus on your team’s ability to meet quotas and achieve sales goals while efficiently handling objections. By investing in these areas, you position your small business to thrive even in an uncertain economy. Conclusion Building a strong team pipeline is essential for your business’s success. It not only streamlines recruitment but also enhances team dynamics and productivity. By focusing on effective planning and continuous development, you can create an environment where talent thrives. As you navigate market changes and sales challenges, leveraging innovative tools and strategies will keep your team aligned with organizational goals. Prioritizing communication and collaboration will ensure everyone is on the same page, ultimately driving better performance. Embrace the power of a well-structured pipeline to elevate your team and adapt to the evolving landscape. Your commitment to continuous improvement will set you apart and foster a culture of success. Frequently Asked Questions What is a team pipeline? A team pipeline is a structured framework that guides how talent flows within an organization. It helps in recruiting, developing, and retaining individuals who align with the company’s goals, enhancing overall productivity and team dynamics. Why is a team pipeline important for small businesses? A team pipeline is crucial for small businesses as it streamlines recruitment, boosts employee retention, and improves sales performance. It fosters collaboration and a culture of continuous learning, helping teams focus on customer engagement and achieve sales goals. What are the key components of an effective team pipeline? Key components include lead generation, selection processes, effective onboarding, ongoing training, performance tracking, and feedback loops. These elements work together to create an efficient system for managing workforce needs. How can communication barriers impact team pipelines? Communication barriers can hinder the seamless flow of information, leading to misunderstandings and inefficiencies in recruitment and team dynamics. Regular check-ins and utilizing tools like CRM systems can help overcome these challenges. What best practices should small businesses follow for team pipeline management? Small businesses should focus on effective planning, defining clear project goals, and utilizing project management tools. Regular communication and check-ins are essential to discuss progress and adjust strategies based on performance metrics. How can small businesses adapt their team pipelines for future market changes? Small businesses can adapt by adopting innovative approaches, such as using AI for personalized outreach and automation. Continuous sales training and an open environment for sharing insights will also help in navigating changes in sales strategies and market dynamics. What challenges might small businesses face when implementing a team pipeline? Challenges include limited resources, communication gaps, and the need for prioritizing high-impact initiatives. It’s essential for businesses to communicate constraints clearly and allocate resources effectively to overcome these obstacles. How do team pipelines enhance employee morale? Well-structured team pipelines align employees with the company culture and provide opportunities for growth and development. This alignment enhances job satisfaction and morale, which is vital for achieving sales and organizational goals. Image Via Envato This article, "Mastering Team Pipelines for Enhanced Recruitment and Business Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Sponsored Post Key Takeaways Understanding Team Pipelines: Team pipelines are structured frameworks that manage talent flow, crucial for aligning recruitment, onboarding, and employee development with business goals. Key Components: Effective team pipelines include lead generation, selection processes, onboarding programs, ongoing training, performance tracking, and feedback loops to enhance overall team dynamics. Benefits of Team Pipelines: A robust team pipeline improves collaboration, increases efficiency, and ensures timely recruitment and training, ultimately leading to higher sales performance and business growth. Challenges in Implementation: Common challenges include communication barriers and resource allocation constraints; addressing these issues is vital for optimizing the team pipeline’s effectiveness. Best Practices for Management: Effective planning and regular check-ins are essential to ensure clear objectives, foster collaboration, and adjust strategies based on performance metrics. Future Outlook: The future of team pipelines will be shaped by extended sales cycles and budget constraints, necessitating innovative solutions like AI tools and continuous training to maintain competitiveness and drive sales success. In today’s fast-paced work environment, building an effective team pipeline is crucial for success. A well-structured pipeline not only streamlines recruitment but also enhances team dynamics and productivity. You might be wondering how to create a seamless flow of talent that aligns with your organization’s goals. Whether you’re in a startup or an established company, understanding the nuances of team pipelines can transform your hiring process. It’s about more than just filling positions; it’s about fostering a culture where the right people thrive and contribute to the bigger picture. Let’s dive into the essentials of team pipelines and discover how they can elevate your organization to new heights. What Are Team Pipelines? Team pipelines serve as structured frameworks that guide the flow of talent within your organization. They’re essential for ensuring that you attract, develop, and retain the right people who align with your business goals. Definition and Purpose A team pipeline is a systematic approach to managing your workforce needs. It streamlines recruitment, onboarding, and employee development processes within small businesses. This strategy allows you to maintain a steady influx of qualified candidates, facilitating talent acquisition and improving overall team dynamics. By having a clear pipeline, you set up a process that maximizes productivity and enhances employee engagement, which is crucial for achieving your sales targets and business growth. Key Components Key components of an effective team pipeline include: Lead Generation: Identify potential candidates through various channels, such as networking, referrals, and job postings. Selection Process: Implement a clear and efficient method for evaluating candidates, ensuring that you choose those who fit your business culture and value proposition. Onboarding: Establish a solid onboarding program to integrate new hires smoothly into your team, enhancing their engagement from day one. Training and Development: Offer continuous training, especially in areas like sales techniques and customer relationship management (CRM), to keep skills sharp. Performance Tracking: Use metrics and sales reporting to monitor employee performance and identify areas for improvement. Feedback Loop: Create a system for regular feedback, which helps in refining processes and adapting to changing business needs. A well-defined team pipeline positively impacts your recruitment efficiency, employee retention, and overall sales performance, driving your small business toward success. Benefits of Team Pipelines Creating a strong team pipeline brings several advantages that boost your small business operations. These benefits lead to improved collaboration and increased efficiency. Improved Collaboration A leadership pipeline supports a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, essential for enhancing team dynamics. It encourages your team members to engage in teamwork and fosters clear career growth opportunities. By identifying and promoting talent internally, your organization develops a strong bench of capable leaders. These leaders not only align with your company culture, but also enhance collaboration, essential for meeting your sales goals and improving overall morale. Workflow pipelines promote a shared understanding of tasks and progress among team members. This clarity aids in developing effective sales strategies that can adapt to shifting customer needs. With better collaboration, your sales team can coordinate efforts more effectively, leading to higher productivity and improved customer relationship management (CRM). Increased Efficiency Team pipelines streamline the recruitment process and enhance training efforts, which results in increased sales performance. By maintaining clear processes for lead generation, selection, and onboarding, you can fill roles more quickly and efficiently. This structured approach allows your team to focus on sales conversion and customer engagement without getting sidetracked by recruitment challenges. Well-defined pipelines enable timely follow-up and lead nurturing, critical for converting sales leads into satisfied customers. By optimizing your sales process, your team can close sales faster and fulfill sales targets more consistently. Furthermore, continuous training provided by a robust team pipeline ensures that your team remains updated on best practices, closing techniques, and objection handling skills. As a result, your small business maintains a competitive edge, driving overall revenue growth and enhancing profit margins. Challenges in Implementing Team Pipelines Implementing team pipelines presents several challenges that require attention for optimal management. Communication Barriers Communication barriers often obstruct effective collaboration within your team pipeline. Misunderstandings can arise from unclear expectations, leading to inefficiencies in your sales process. Regular check-ins can improve clarity among sales team members and reinforce shared goals. Using tools like customer relationship management (CRM) systems encourages transparent communication about leads and their statuses, enhancing follow-up efforts and ultimately improving sales conversions. Resource Allocation Resource allocation plays a critical role in the success of your team pipeline. Small businesses frequently encounter limitations in time, budget, and manpower. Prioritizing projects becomes vital when resource constraints arise. Focusing on high-impact initiatives can optimize performance and help you reach sales targets more effectively. Communicating these limitations clearly with your sales team ensures that everyone operates within the set boundaries, fostering a more efficient sales strategy that aligns with overall business development goals. Best Practices for Managing Team Pipelines Managing team pipelines effectively is essential for small businesses aiming to boost sales performance and maintain a competitive edge. Focus on structured strategies that improve lead generation and optimize the sales process. Here are best practices to enhance your team pipelines. Effective Planning Effective planning sets the foundation for your team’s success. Start by defining clear project goals, objectives, and deliverables to align your sales team with overarching business targets. Use project management tools to create a detailed roadmap that outlines tasks, assigns roles, and establishes deadlines. This clarity helps prioritizes lead nurturing and ensures everyone contributes to achieving sales goals. Incorporate risk assessment strategies to identify potential challenges early and establish contingency plans that keep your sales funnel flowing smoothly. Regular Check-Ins Regular check-ins foster communication and collaboration within your team. Schedule consistent meetings to discuss progress on sales targets, share insights about customer needs, and address any obstacles in real time. Use these sessions to evaluate sales metrics, adjusting strategies based on performance and feedback from team members. Incorporating discussions on negotiation techniques and objection handling during these meetings strengthens your team’s sales tactics. Create a culture of accountability where team members feel empowered to share successes and learn from challenges. By prioritizing communication, you enhance customer engagement and move prospects more efficiently through the sales cycle. Future of Team Pipelines The future of team pipelines is significantly influenced by changes in sales strategies and market dynamics for small businesses. Sales teams face longer sales cycles and tighter budgets. By 2025, sales cycles will extend due to the involvement of more stakeholders in decision-making. According to Gartner, the B2B buying cycle increased by 22% over the past five years. Economic uncertainty also tightens budgets, compelling your sales team to justify solutions and demonstrate clear ROI. Managing these challenges requires innovative approaches. AI tools optimize sales pipelines effectively. These tools help refine lead generation strategies through hyperpersonalized outreach, enhancing customer engagement. Automation reduces administrative burdens through streamlined workflows for follow-ups and meeting schedules, allowing your sales team to focus on closing sales. Adopting effective sales tactics becomes critical as you navigate the evolving landscape. Develop a strong understanding of your prospects’ needs and utilize customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track the sales process efficiently. Implement lead nurturing practices that build relationships and facilitate conversions. With a well-structured sales pipeline, you can more effectively manage sales targets and maximize sales performance. Emphasizing continuous sales training is vital for adapting to market changes. Equip your team with negotiation skills and closing techniques that drive results. Regularly assess sales metrics to identify gaps in performance and refine your sales strategy accordingly. Foster an environment where your sales team can share insights and best practices, enhancing accountability and boosting morale. Future-proofing your team pipelines means prioritizing effective training, adapting sales outreach methods, and continuously evaluating the sales funnel. Focus on your team’s ability to meet quotas and achieve sales goals while efficiently handling objections. By investing in these areas, you position your small business to thrive even in an uncertain economy. Conclusion Building a strong team pipeline is essential for your business’s success. It not only streamlines recruitment but also enhances team dynamics and productivity. By focusing on effective planning and continuous development, you can create an environment where talent thrives. As you navigate market changes and sales challenges, leveraging innovative tools and strategies will keep your team aligned with organizational goals. Prioritizing communication and collaboration will ensure everyone is on the same page, ultimately driving better performance. Embrace the power of a well-structured pipeline to elevate your team and adapt to the evolving landscape. Your commitment to continuous improvement will set you apart and foster a culture of success. Frequently Asked Questions What is a team pipeline? A team pipeline is a structured framework that guides how talent flows within an organization. It helps in recruiting, developing, and retaining individuals who align with the company’s goals, enhancing overall productivity and team dynamics. Why is a team pipeline important for small businesses? A team pipeline is crucial for small businesses as it streamlines recruitment, boosts employee retention, and improves sales performance. It fosters collaboration and a culture of continuous learning, helping teams focus on customer engagement and achieve sales goals. What are the key components of an effective team pipeline? Key components include lead generation, selection processes, effective onboarding, ongoing training, performance tracking, and feedback loops. These elements work together to create an efficient system for managing workforce needs. How can communication barriers impact team pipelines? Communication barriers can hinder the seamless flow of information, leading to misunderstandings and inefficiencies in recruitment and team dynamics. Regular check-ins and utilizing tools like CRM systems can help overcome these challenges. What best practices should small businesses follow for team pipeline management? Small businesses should focus on effective planning, defining clear project goals, and utilizing project management tools. Regular communication and check-ins are essential to discuss progress and adjust strategies based on performance metrics. How can small businesses adapt their team pipelines for future market changes? Small businesses can adapt by adopting innovative approaches, such as using AI for personalized outreach and automation. Continuous sales training and an open environment for sharing insights will also help in navigating changes in sales strategies and market dynamics. What challenges might small businesses face when implementing a team pipeline? Challenges include limited resources, communication gaps, and the need for prioritizing high-impact initiatives. It’s essential for businesses to communicate constraints clearly and allocate resources effectively to overcome these obstacles. How do team pipelines enhance employee morale? Well-structured team pipelines align employees with the company culture and provide opportunities for growth and development. This alignment enhances job satisfaction and morale, which is vital for achieving sales and organizational goals. Image Via Envato This article, "Mastering Team Pipelines for Enhanced Recruitment and Business Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Max's May lineup brings the return of two of the streamer's original comedy series. First up is the second installment of Conan O'Brien Must Go (May 8), an unscripted travel series in which Conan reconnects with fans he previously met on his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. This season's three episodes will debut weekly. At the end of the month, Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That... (May 29) returns for its third season, following original SATC characters—plus a few additions—navigating life in New York City in their 50s. On the film side, Max will debut HBO original Mountainhead (May 31), starring Steve Carrell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef as billionaire friends navigating a financial crisis. Mountainhead was written and directed by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. Also landing on Max in May is A24's Oscar-winning drama The Brutalist (May 16). Finally, the new two-part documentary Pee-wee As Himself (May 23) tells the personal and professional story of Paul Reubens, who played the iconic Pee-wee Herman. The docu-series 100 Foot Wave (May 1) also returns for a third season, with five episodes debuting weekly. Max subscribers will also get a variety of live sports, including NHL and NBA playoff games as well as a handful of MLB matchups. Here's everything else coming to Max in May. What’s coming to Max in May 2025Available May 1100 Foot Wave, Season 3 (HBO Original) A Haunted House (2013) A Haunted House 2 (2014) A Private War (2018) Badman's Country (1958) Barricade (1950) Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) Carson City (1952) Chronicle (2012) Chronicle: Director's Cut (2012) Dallas (1950) Dylan's Playtime Adventures, Season 1B (Max Original) Enter The Dragon (1973) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Fort Dobbs (1958) Fort Worth (1951) Funny People (2009) Hannibal (2001) In the Fade (2017) Inception (2010) Legend of the Guardians The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010) Lone Star (1952) Lost River (2015) Madagascar (2005) Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) Megan Leavey (2017) Notting Hill (1999) Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) Rachel and the Stranger (1948) Rancho Notorious (1952) Red Tails (2012) Ride, Vaquero! (1953) Riding Shotgun (1954) Rocky Mountain (1950) Royal Wedding (1951) San Antonio (1945) Santa Fe Trail (1940) Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957) Son of Belle Starr (1953) Son of the Mask (2005) Springfield Rifle (1952) Stars in My Crown (1950) Tall in the Saddle (1944) Tall Man Riding (1955) The Band Wagon (1953) The Bounty Hunter (1954) The First Texan (1956) The Goonies (1985) The Kissing Bandit (1948) The Left-Handed Gun (1958) The Man Behind the Gun (1953) The Mortal Storm (1940) The Naked Spur (1953) The Oklahoma Kid (1939) The Oklahoman (1957) The Painted Hills (1951) The Princess Bride (1987) The Shining (1980) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The Young Guns (1956) They Died with Their Boots On (1941) This Means War (2012) This Means War: Extended Edition (2012) Thunder Over the Plains (1953) Trail Street (1947) Vengeance Valley (1951) Vivacious Lady (1938) We Bought a Zoo (2011) Westbound (1959) Westward the Women (1951) Wichita (1955) Ziegfeld Girl (1941) Available May 2Adult Best Friends (2024) Malditos, Season 1 (Max Original) Teen Titans Go!, Season 9A (Cartoon Network) Available May 3Ready Player One (2018) Available May 6Fareed Zakaria: The War on Government (CNN) Talking Pictures Podcast - Special Video Episode with Eli Roth Recorded At TCM Classic Film Festival The Playboy Murders, Season 3 (ID) Toxic, Season 1 (ID) Available May 8Conan O’Brien Must Go, Season 2 (Max Original) Available May 9Bloody Trophy (Krwawe Trofeum) (Max Original) The Whale (A24, 2022) Available May 11Delicious Miss Brown, Season 10 (Food Network) The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood, Season 1 (ID) Available May 12Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) Available May 13Betting on Paradise, Season 1 (HGTV) Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 6 (Discovery) Dream Destination: A Surprise Trip, Season 1 (discovery+) Available May 14Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out, Season 1 (Food Network) Mini Reni, Season 1 (Magnolia Network) Available May 15Duster, Season 1 (Max Original) Mermicorno: Starfall, Season 2 (Max Original) United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper, Season 2 (CNN Original) Available May 16The Brutalist (A24) Available May 17Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2E (Cartoon Network) Available May 18Love & Marriage: Detroit, Season 2 (OWN) Say Yes to the Dress, Season 21 (TLC) Available May 19American Monster: Abuse of Power, Season 1 (ID) Available May 20Kong: Skull Island (2017) Available May 21Homicide Hunter: American Detective, Season 5 (ID) Available May 22Expedition Files, Season 2 (Discovery) Available May 23Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Original) Restoring Galveston, Season 7 (Magnolia Network) Silly Sundays, Season 1B (Cartoon Network) Available May 25Say Yes To The Dress With Tan France, Season 1 (TLC) Available May 28Down Home Fab, Season 3 (HGTV) Available May 29And Just Like That..., Season 3 (Max Original) Available May 31Mountainhead (HBO Original) View the full article

Restaurant delivery in New York is not like restaurant delivery in any other part of the country. The city has a long history with food delivery thanks to its dense population and copious restaurants (roughly 25,000 at last count). It even had its own delivery brand, Seamless, launched over a quarter-century ago as SeamlessWeb in the city. Now, after a brief fall from public view, Seamless is back in New York. Seamless has operated under the thumb of a much larger brand for years. It merged with Grubhub in 2013, but retained its own branding in the biggest and arguably most important delivery market in the country. But when Grubhub got a new, foreign owner in 2020—Amsterdam-based Just Eat Takeaway (JET)—its new leaders moved to more or less erase Seamless’s branding. Grubhub would benefit from optimized marketing and streamline network effects, JET’s CEO said. Just as pandemic shutdowns boosted the delivery business, Grubhub effectively ditched a brand that appealed to its largest market, opening the door to eager competition from national brands like Uber Eats and DoorDash. In hindsight, this was a mistake, one that Grubhub’s new, New York City-based owners want to correct. Wonder, the so-called mealtime superapp led by serial entrepreneur Marc Lore, bought Grubhub for $650 million in January. Lore hasn’t offered many details about Grubhub’s future, but it clearly sees value in the New York market. “It’s interesting to think that there would be nostalgia around one of these digital-first delivery brands,” says Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “I think people might be happy to hear that this brand is back and look at it as bringing back—and reconnecting with—an old friend.” If that friend were a person, they’re old enough to order a cocktail. Seamless debuted in New York in 1999, well over a decade before upstart competitors would challenge its dominance. (At the time, two of DoorDash’s three founders were under age 10.) Back then, orders placed online often arrived at restaurants by fax, an almost quaint precursor to the high-tech networks that route these orders today. Now, the stakes are even higher. Grubhub’s share of the restaurant delivery market has fallen to a distant third behind DoorDash and Uber Eats. Per recent reporting in Bloomberg, Grubhub controls just 5% of the delivery market nationwide, according to data from Bloomberg Second Measure. In New York, Bloomberg reports, numbers from YipitData suggest that Grubhub controls about a fifth of the delivery market. In an interview, Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal disputed this, saying Grubhub’s data shows it controls a “significantly higher” portion. Even with a slight tailwind, reviving the legacy brand will take work. The most important thing for Grubhub to do, Calkins says, is to highlight what makes Seamless different. “There is something about being a local brand, a New York brand, that could be a differentiator,” he says. That seems to be Grubhub’s plan. In a statement, the company praised Seamless for “consistently speaking to and delivering on the nuances of living in the city that only New Yorkers could appreciate”—a.k.a. the type of if-you-know-you-know nod that plays well in local ads plastered on bus shelters and inside subway cars. Of course, getting New Yorkers’ attention is just part of the contest. “The challenge then,” Calkins says, “is you have to get people to care.” View the full article

Hackers linked to Russia’s government launched a cyberattack last spring against municipal water plants in rural Texas. At one plant in Muleshoe, population 5,000, water began to overflow. Officials had to unplug the system and run the plant manually. The hackers weren’t trying to taint the water supply. They didn’t ask for a ransom. Authorities determined the intrusion was designed to test the vulnerabilities of America’s public infrastructure. It was also a warning: In the 21st century, it takes more than oceans and an army to keep the United States safe. A year later, countries around the world are preparing for greater digital conflict as increasing global tensions and a looming trade war have raised the stakes — and the chances that a cyberattack could cause significant economic damage, disrupt vital public systems, reveal sensitive business or government secrets, or even escalate into military confrontation. The confluence of events has national security and cyber experts warning of heightened cyberthreats and a growing digital arms race as countries look to defend themselves. At the same time, President Donald The President has upended America’s digital defenses by firing the four-star general who led the National Security Agency, shrinking cybersecurity agencies and slashing election cybersecurity initiatives. Businesses now are increasingly concerned about cyberattacks, and governments have moved to a war footing, according to a report this month by NCC Group, a British cybersecurity firm. “The geopolitical dust is still settling,” said Verona Johnstone-Hulse, a London-based expert on government cybersecurity polices and the report’s co-author. “What the new normal looks like is still not yet set.” Many in the U.S. are already calling for a more muscular approach to protecting the digital frontier. “Hybrid war is here to stay,” said Tom Kellermann, senior vice president of cyberstrategy at Contrast Security. “We need to stop playing defense — it’s time to make them play defense.” Digital life means more targets for hackers Vulnerabilities have grown as people and businesses use connected devices to count steps, manage finances and operate facilities such as water plants and ports. Each network and connection is a potential target for foreign governments or the hacking groups that sometimes do their bidding. Espionage is one motive, demonstrated in a recent incursion linked to hackers in China. The campaign known as Salt Typhoon sought to crack the phones of officials, including The President, before the 2024 election. These operations seek entry to sensitive corporate or government systems to steal secrets or monitor personal communications. Such information can be hugely valuable by providing advantages in trade negotiations or military planning. These hackers try to remain hidden for as long as possible. More obvious intrusions can serve as a warning or deterrent, such as the cyberattacks targeting the Texas water plants. Iran also has shown a willingness to use cyberattacks to make political points. The cyberattacks that frighten experts the most burrow deeply into telephone or computer networks, inserting backdoors or malware for later use. National security experts say this was the motivation behind a recent attack from China called Volt Typhoon that compromised telephone networks in the U.S. in an effort to gain access to an unknown number of critical systems. China could potentially use these connections to disable key infrastructure — power plants, communication networks, pipelines, hospitals, financial systems — as part of a larger conflict or before an invasion of Taiwan, national security experts said. “They can position their implants to be activated at a date and time in the future,” said Sonu Shankar, a former researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory who is now chief strategy officer at Phosphorus Cybersecurity. National security officials will not discuss details, but experts interviewed by The Associated Press said the U.S. no doubt has developed similar offensive capabilities. China has rejected U.S. allegations of hacking, accusing America of trying to “ smear ” Beijing while conducting its own cyberattacks. Global tensions tick up Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Trade disputes. Shifting alliances. The risk of cyberattacks goes up in times of global tension, and experts say that risk is now at a high. U.S. adversaries China, Russia, Iran and North Korea also have shown signs of cybercooperation as they forge tighter economic, military and political relationships. Speaking to Congress, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard noted that Iran has supplied drones in exchange for Russian intelligence and cybercapabilities. “Russia has been the catalyst for much of this expanded cooperation, driven heavily by the support it has needed for its war effort against Ukraine,” Gabbard told lawmakers. Amid global fears of a trade war after the tariffs that The President has imposed, supply chains could be targeted in retaliation. While larger companies may have a robust cyberteam, small suppliers that lack those resources can give intruders easy access. And any tit-for-tat cycles of cyberconflict, in which one country hacks into a sensitive system as retaliation for an earlier attack, come with “great risk” for all involved, Shankar said. “It would put them on the path to military conflict.” The The President effect At a time when national security and cybersecurity experts say the U.S. should be bolstering its defenses, The President has called for reductions in staffing and other changes to the agencies that protect American interests in cyberspace. For example, The President recently fired Gen. Timothy Haugh, who oversaw the NSA and the Pentagon’s Cyber Command. The U.S. faces “unprecedented cyber threats,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has asked the White House to explain Haugh’s departure. “How does firing him make Americans any safer?” Warner said. Also under The President, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency placed on leave staffers who worked on election security and cut millions of dollars in funding for cybersecurity programs for local and state elections. His administration eliminated the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which tracked and exposed foreign disinformation online. The CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies also have seen reductions in staffing. The administration faced more questions over how seriously it takes cybersecurity after senior officials used the popular messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. Gabbard later called the episode a mistake. The officials in charge of America’s cybersecurity insist The President’s changes will make the U.S. safer, while getting rid of wasteful spending and confusing regulations. The Pentagon, for instance, has invested in efforts to harness artificial intelligence to improve cyberdefenses, according to a report provided to Congress by Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, acting commander of the NSA and Cyber Command. The changes at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency come as its leaders consider how best to execute their mission in alignment with the administration’s priorities, a CISA statement said. “As America’s Cyber Defense Agency, we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard the nation’s critical infrastructure against all cyber and physical threats,” the statement read. “We will continue to collaborate with our partners across government, industry, and with international allies to strengthen global cybersecurity efforts and protect the American people from foreign adversaries, cybercriminals, and other emerging threats.” Representatives for Gabbard’s office and the NSA didn’t respond to questions about how The President’s changes will affect cybersecurity. Signs of progress? Despite shifting alliances, a growing consensus about cyberthreats could prompt greater global cooperation. More than 20 nations recently signed on to an international framework on the use of commercial spyware. The U.S. has signaled it will join the nonbinding agreement. There’s also broad bipartisan agreement in the U.S. about the need to help private industry bolster defenses. Federal estimates say the cybersecurity industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 professionals to meet the challenge, said Dean Gefen, former chief of cybertraining for Israel’s Defense Intelligence Technological Unit. He’s now the CEO of NukuDo, a cybersecurity training company. “Companies need effective guidance from the government — a playbook,” Gefen said. “What to do, what not to do.” —David Klepper, Associated Press View the full article

Dark mode has saved many of us from eye pain when using our smartphones at night. The difference between a black display with white text and a blinding white screen with black text is immeasurable when your phone is the only light source in the room—especially when you're opening your eyes for the first time in a while. While many Android users prefer to use dark mode all the time, others prefer it exclusively in the evening and night. That's where the "sunset to sunrise" schedule comes into play: On many devices, such as Google's Pixel phones, you can choose to schedule dark mode from sunset to sunrise. After the sun rises, your phone stays in light mode, so your content is bright alongside the light outside. But after sunset, when the light starts to dim, your phone conveniently switches dark mode. It's the best of both worlds—when it works. As reported by 9to5Google, users are experiencing issues with scheduled themes on Pixel devices. The problems seem to have begun with the March 2025 Pixel update, and remains unpatched following the April update. It can be frustrating, especially when you're expecting your phone to look a certain way at a certain time of day. There are a few workarounds, but they're not a permanent solution. Workarounds for the dark mode bug on PixelBack in March, when the issue first popped up on Pixel devices, users discovered a quirk that appears to trigger the glitch: manually enabling dark mode. Typically, when you have this schedule enabled, you're still free to toggle between themes whenever you want. Android would simply override that decision during the next schedule change. For example, if light mode kicks in after sunrise, but you still want dark mode, you can manually enable it, and Android will preserve that setting until the following day's sunrise. Then, it switches back to light mode. It appears that part of the bug has to do with this practice. If you manually toggle dark mode on in this situation, Android won't switch to light mode during the following sunrise. The same goes the opposite way: If you enable light mode after sunset, dark mode won't kick in the following sunset. For now, one of the best workarounds is to simply not touch the toggle if you want to keep your theme schedule active and automatic. That's not a great workaround, by any means, but it seems to be the one with the most success. Some users saw success in setting up a custom time for dark mode (Settings > Display > Dark theme > Schedule) then switching back to the "sunset to sunrise" option after the fact. However, others say the bug returns in time—indicating there is something broken in this particular schedule function. You could also try setting up a Bedtime mode rather than relying on this schedule, though that would affect more of your phone's function than usual. View the full article

Josh Cochran worked deep in the coal mines of West Virginia since he was 22 years old, pulling a six-figure salary that allowed him to buy a home with his wife Stephanie and hunt and fish in his spare time. That ended two years ago when, at the age of 43, he was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease. He’s now waiting for a lung transplant, breathes with the help of an oxygen tank, and needs help from his wife to do basic tasks around the house. His saving grace, he says, is that he can still earn a living. A federal program run by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health called Part 90 meant he was relocated from underground when he got his diagnosis to a desk job dispatching coal trucks to the same company, retaining his pay. “Part 90 – that’s only the thing you got,” he told Reuters while signing a stack of documents needed for the transplant, a simple task that left him winded. “You can come out from underground, make what you made, and then they can’t just get rid of you.” That program, which relocates coal miners diagnosed with black lung to safer jobs at the same pay – along with a handful of others intended to protect the nation’s coal miners from the resurgence of black lung – is grinding to a halt due to mass layoffs and office closures imposed by President Donald The President and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to Reuters reporting. Reuters interviews with more than a dozen people involved in medical programs serving the coal industry, and a review of internal documents from NIOSH, show that at least three such federal programs have stopped their work in recent weeks. A decades-old program operated by NIOSH to detect lung disease in coal miners, for example, has been suspended. Related programs to provide x-rays and lung tests at mine sites have also shut down and it is now unclear who will enforce safety regulations like new limits on silica dust exposure after nearly half of the offices of MSHA are under review to have their leases terminated. The details about the black lung programs halted by the government’s mass layoffs and funding cuts have not previously been reported. “It’s going to be devastating to miners,” said Anita Wolfe, a 40-year NIOSH veteran who remains in touch with the agency. “Nobody is going to be monitoring the mines.” The cuts come as The President voices support for the domestic coal industry, a group that historically has supported the president. At a White House ceremony flanked by coal workers in hard hats earlier this month, The President signed executive orders meant to boost the industry, including by prolonging the life of aging coal-fired power plants. “For too long, coal has been a dirty word that most are afraid to speak about,” said Jeff Crowe, who The President identified as a West Virginia miner. Crowe is the superintendent of American Consolidated Natural Resources, successor to Murray Energy. “We’re going to put the miners back to work,” The President said during the ceremony. “They are great people, with great families, and come from areas of the country that we love and we really respect.” Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIOSH, said that streamlining government will better position HHS to carry out its Congressionally mandated work protecting Americans. Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor said MSHA inspectors “continue to carry out their core mission to protect the health and safety of America’s miners.” Black lung has been on the rise over the last two decades, and has increasingly been reported by young workers in their 30s and 40s despite declining coal production. NIOSH estimates that 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia now suffer from some form of black lung disease, the highest rate that has been detected in 25 years, as workers in the aging mines blast through rock to reach diminishing coal seams. Around 43,000 people are employed by the coal industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More mining, more risk Around 875 of NIOSH’s roughly 1,000-strong workforce across the country were terminated amid sweeping job cuts announced by HHS this month, according to three sources who worked for NIOSH. That’s put the department’s flagship black lung program, the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, on hold, according to an internal NIOSH email dated April 4. “We will continue to process everything we currently have for as long as we can. We have no further information about the future of CWHSP at this time,” the email says. The CWHSP’s regular black lung screenings, which deploy mobile trailers to coal mines to test coal miners on site have ended too, because there’s no money to fuel the vehicles or epidemiologists to review the on-site x-rays or lung tests, according to sources familiar with the program. For many miners, this program is the sole provider of medical checkups, according to NIOSH veteran Wolfe. The loss of staff at NIOSH has also crippled black lung-afflicted miners’ ability to get relocated with pay as part of the Part 90 program. Miners can only become eligible for the Part 90 benefit by submitting lung x-rays to NIOSH that show black lung. But all NIOSH epidemiologists in West Virginia required to review the x-rays were laid off, according to Scott Laney, who lost his job as an epidemiologist. Laney told Reuters he and his fellow laid-off team have been working in an informal “war room” in his living room to try to draw attention to the issue among Washington lawmakers. “I want to make sure that if there are more men who are going into the mines as a result of an executive order, or whatever the mechanism, they should be protected when they do their work,” he said. Sam Petsonk, a West Virginia attorney who represents black lung patients, said relocating sick miners is crucial because the risks of continuing to work in dust-heavy areas while ill are so severe. “It gets to the point that days and months matter for this program,” he said. Silica threat Last year, MSHA finalized a new regulation that would cut by half the permissible exposure limit to crystalline silica for miners and other workers – an attempt to combat the rising rates of black lung. Enforcing that rule, which comes into force in August after being pushed back from April by the The President administration, may prove difficult given the staff cuts and planned office closures at MSHA, said Chris Williamson, a former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health under the Biden administration. He told Reuters that before he left MSHA in January, there were 20 mine inspector positions unfilled. A pipeline of 90 people that had already secured MSHA inspector job offers, meanwhile, had their offers rescinded after The President took office, and around 120 other people took buyouts. Mine inspectors are meant to uphold safety standards that reduce injuries, deaths and illnesses at the mines. That loss of staff and resources raises the likelihood that black lung could become even more pervasive among Appalachian coal miners – particularly if mining activity increases, said Drew Harris, a black lung specialist in southern Virginia. “As someone who sees hundreds of miners with this devastating disease it’s hard for me to swallow cutting back on the resources meant to prevent it,” he said. Kevin Weikle, a 35-year-old miner in West Virginia who was diagnosed with advanced black lung disease during a screening in 2023, said the cuts make no sense at a time the administration wants to see coal output rise and will set back safety standards by decades. “Don’t get me wrong, I mean, I’m Republican,” Weikle said. “But I think there are smarter ways to produce more coal and not gut safety.” —Valerie Volcovici, Reuters View the full article

Key Takeaways Types of Machines: Milkshake machines are available in commercial models for high-volume demand and compact home versions for personal use, catering to different needs.Key Features: Important features to consider when choosing a milkshake machine include capacity and size, ease of use, and ease of cleaning and maintenance.Top Brands: Consider reputable brands like Brand A, Brand B, and Brand C, each offering durability, efficiency, and user-friendly designs tailored for either commercial or home environments.Benefits: Using a milkshake machine ensures consistent quality, time efficiency during busy hours, and versatility in menu offerings, which enhances customer satisfaction and encourages repeat business.Investment Considerations: Prioritize durability and ease of maintenance to optimize your investment and ensure long-term performance in a retail setting. Craving a delicious milkshake? You’re not alone! Milkshake machines have become a staple in homes and businesses alike, transforming simple ingredients into creamy, dreamy treats. Whether you’re whipping up a classic chocolate shake or experimenting with unique flavors, having the right machine can make all the difference. These versatile appliances not only save time but also elevate your milkshake game to new heights. With various models available, from compact home versions to heavy-duty commercial machines, you can find the perfect fit for your needs. Dive into the world of milkshake machines and discover how they can bring joy and flavor to your kitchen or café. Types Of Milkshake Machines Milkshake machines come in various types, each designed for specific needs, whether for a small business or home use. Understanding these types helps you choose the right one for your retail or storefront. Commercial Milkshake Machines Commercial milkshake machines cater to high-volume demand in retail environments. These machines often include features like: High-Speed Motors: Efficient motors blend ingredients rapidly, producing thick, creamy milkshakes. Multiple Spindles: Models with multiple spindles allow you to prepare several milkshakes simultaneously, ideal for busy hours. Durable Construction: Built to withstand constant use, these machines often feature stainless steel components for easy cleaning and longevity. Versatility: Capable of blending a variety of ingredients, from ice cream to fresh fruit. Choosing a commercial machine enhances efficiency, boosts sales, and keeps customers satisfied during peak times. Home Milkshake Machines Home milkshake machines focus on user-friendly designs for personal use. Key features include: Compact Size: These machines easily fit into small kitchens while still performing effectively. Simplicity: Most models offer straightforward operation, requiring minimal cleanup. Variety of Styles: Home milkshake machines come in various colors and designs, making them a fun addition to your kitchen. Affordability: These machines often provide a budget-friendly option for indulging in milkshakes without extensive investing. Opting for a home milkshake machine enriches your culinary experience, allowing you to experiment with unique flavors at your leisure. Features To Consider When selecting a milkshake machine for your small business, certain features can significantly enhance the operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Prioritize the following aspects to ensure a successful investment. Capacity And Size Capacity directly affects your production volume. Choose a machine with the appropriate size based on expected demand. For small businesses like a café or a retail storefront, a machine with a 1-2 quart capacity may suffice. Larger commercial models with multiple spindles can efficiently handle high-volume orders, reducing wait times during busy hours. Ease Of Use User-friendly controls simplify the milkshake-making process. Look for machines equipped with intuitive settings, allowing staff to operate them without extensive training. Quick-start features are beneficial during peak hours, ensuring your team can quickly create delicious milkshakes while maintaining service quality. Cleaning And Maintenance Regular cleaning and maintenance keep your milkshake machine in top condition. Opt for machines with removable parts and smooth surfaces for easy cleaning. Durable materials withstand frequent use and minimize wear over time, optimizing your investment. Routine maintenance practices, such as checking seals and motors, prevent costly repairs and ensure consistent performance. Top Milkshake Machines Choosing the right milkshake machine is crucial for enhancing your small business, especially in a retail environment. Explore the reviews of popular brands that cater to both quality and efficiency. Brand A Review Brand A is known for its durability and efficiency, making it suitable for small businesses. This model features a high-speed motor and a 1-2 quart capacity, ideal for quick service during peak hours. With ease of use and intuitive controls, it’s designed for fast-paced environments. Durability ensures longevity, allowing you to maintain smooth operations in your storefront. Brand B Review Brand B offers a versatile milkshake machine that can prepare multiple flavors simultaneously with its dual spindle design. This 2-quart capacity model suits the high-volume demands of retail settings. The stainless steel construction enhances its durability, while removable parts simplify the cleaning process. Brand B stands out for small business owners who prioritize speed and efficiency without sacrificing quality. Brand C Review Brand C focuses on affordability and user-friendly designs, targeting small business owners looking to optimize their budget. This compact machine features a 1-quart capacity, perfect for limited countertop space. Its lightweight design allows for easy handling, making it an excellent choice for mobile setups or smaller storefronts. Despite its size, it delivers consistent performance for creating delightful milkshakes. Benefits Of Using A Milkshake Machine Using a milkshake machine in your small business enhances the overall customer experience while increasing efficiency and productivity. These benefits truly elevate your storefront’s appeal and service quality. Consistency And Quality You achieve consistency and quality with every milkshake when using a dedicated machine. Commercial models maintain uniform blending and incorporate ingredients evenly, ensuring that each shake meets your standards. Customers return for the familiar flavor and texture, which builds brand loyalty. High-quality machines minimize the risk of inconsistent results that could occur with manual preparation methods. Time Efficiency You save valuable time during peak hours with a milkshake machine at your retail location. High-speed models allow for rapid production, letting you serve multiple customers efficiently. Machines with multiple spindles cater to high-volume demands, reducing wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction. The quick operation means your team can focus on providing excellent service rather than getting bogged down in preparation. Versatility You benefit from the versatility that milkshake machines offer, catering to diverse customer preferences. These machines blend various ingredients, from classic shakes to unique concoctions. You can introduce seasonal flavors, healthy options, or even mix-ins to attract different demographics. This adaptability not only expands your menu but also sets your storefront apart from competitors, encouraging repeat business. Conclusion Investing in a milkshake machine can transform your home or business experience. Whether you’re crafting delightful treats for family or serving up delicious shakes to customers, the right machine makes all the difference. You’ll enjoy the versatility and efficiency these appliances bring to your kitchen or café. By carefully considering the features that matter most to you, you can find a model that fits your needs perfectly. From compact home units to robust commercial machines, there’s an option for everyone. Embrace the joy of milkshake-making and watch as it elevates your culinary creations and customer satisfaction. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of using a milkshake machine? Using a milkshake machine enhances the milkshake-making experience by ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency. It allows for quick production, catering to high-volume demands, especially in businesses. Additionally, these machines enable the blending of various ingredients, offering a versatile range of flavors and textures to satisfy customer preferences. What types of milkshake machines are available? Milkshake machines mainly come in two types: commercial and home models. Commercial machines are designed for high-volume production and durability, while home models focus on user-friendly designs, compact sizes, and affordability, making them suitable for personal use. How do I choose the right milkshake machine for my business? When selecting a milkshake machine for a business, consider capacity, ease of use, and cleaning maintenance. Machines with 1-2 quart capacities are suitable for smaller shops, while larger, multi-spindle models are better for high demand. Look for intuitive controls and removable parts for easy cleaning. Which brands are recommended for milkshake machines? Popular brands include Brand A, known for its durability and efficiency; Brand B, offering a dual spindle design for high volume; and Brand C, which focuses on affordability and user-friendly designs. Each brand caters to different needs, ensuring quality performance for delightful milkshakes. How can a milkshake machine improve customer experience? A milkshake machine can significantly enhance customer satisfaction by providing quick, consistent, and high-quality milkshakes. This leads to reduced wait times during peak hours and helps businesses offer a diverse range of flavors, encouraging repeat customers and fostering brand loyalty. Image Via Envato This article, "Enhance Your Kitchen Experience with the Best Milkshake Machine for Home and Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Types of Machines: Milkshake machines are available in commercial models for high-volume demand and compact home versions for personal use, catering to different needs.Key Features: Important features to consider when choosing a milkshake machine include capacity and size, ease of use, and ease of cleaning and maintenance.Top Brands: Consider reputable brands like Brand A, Brand B, and Brand C, each offering durability, efficiency, and user-friendly designs tailored for either commercial or home environments.Benefits: Using a milkshake machine ensures consistent quality, time efficiency during busy hours, and versatility in menu offerings, which enhances customer satisfaction and encourages repeat business.Investment Considerations: Prioritize durability and ease of maintenance to optimize your investment and ensure long-term performance in a retail setting. Craving a delicious milkshake? You’re not alone! Milkshake machines have become a staple in homes and businesses alike, transforming simple ingredients into creamy, dreamy treats. Whether you’re whipping up a classic chocolate shake or experimenting with unique flavors, having the right machine can make all the difference. These versatile appliances not only save time but also elevate your milkshake game to new heights. With various models available, from compact home versions to heavy-duty commercial machines, you can find the perfect fit for your needs. Dive into the world of milkshake machines and discover how they can bring joy and flavor to your kitchen or café. Types Of Milkshake Machines Milkshake machines come in various types, each designed for specific needs, whether for a small business or home use. Understanding these types helps you choose the right one for your retail or storefront. Commercial Milkshake Machines Commercial milkshake machines cater to high-volume demand in retail environments. These machines often include features like: High-Speed Motors: Efficient motors blend ingredients rapidly, producing thick, creamy milkshakes. Multiple Spindles: Models with multiple spindles allow you to prepare several milkshakes simultaneously, ideal for busy hours. Durable Construction: Built to withstand constant use, these machines often feature stainless steel components for easy cleaning and longevity. Versatility: Capable of blending a variety of ingredients, from ice cream to fresh fruit. Choosing a commercial machine enhances efficiency, boosts sales, and keeps customers satisfied during peak times. Home Milkshake Machines Home milkshake machines focus on user-friendly designs for personal use. Key features include: Compact Size: These machines easily fit into small kitchens while still performing effectively. Simplicity: Most models offer straightforward operation, requiring minimal cleanup. Variety of Styles: Home milkshake machines come in various colors and designs, making them a fun addition to your kitchen. Affordability: These machines often provide a budget-friendly option for indulging in milkshakes without extensive investing. Opting for a home milkshake machine enriches your culinary experience, allowing you to experiment with unique flavors at your leisure. Features To Consider When selecting a milkshake machine for your small business, certain features can significantly enhance the operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Prioritize the following aspects to ensure a successful investment. Capacity And Size Capacity directly affects your production volume. Choose a machine with the appropriate size based on expected demand. For small businesses like a café or a retail storefront, a machine with a 1-2 quart capacity may suffice. Larger commercial models with multiple spindles can efficiently handle high-volume orders, reducing wait times during busy hours. Ease Of Use User-friendly controls simplify the milkshake-making process. Look for machines equipped with intuitive settings, allowing staff to operate them without extensive training. Quick-start features are beneficial during peak hours, ensuring your team can quickly create delicious milkshakes while maintaining service quality. Cleaning And Maintenance Regular cleaning and maintenance keep your milkshake machine in top condition. Opt for machines with removable parts and smooth surfaces for easy cleaning. Durable materials withstand frequent use and minimize wear over time, optimizing your investment. Routine maintenance practices, such as checking seals and motors, prevent costly repairs and ensure consistent performance. Top Milkshake Machines Choosing the right milkshake machine is crucial for enhancing your small business, especially in a retail environment. Explore the reviews of popular brands that cater to both quality and efficiency. Brand A Review Brand A is known for its durability and efficiency, making it suitable for small businesses. This model features a high-speed motor and a 1-2 quart capacity, ideal for quick service during peak hours. With ease of use and intuitive controls, it’s designed for fast-paced environments. Durability ensures longevity, allowing you to maintain smooth operations in your storefront. Brand B Review Brand B offers a versatile milkshake machine that can prepare multiple flavors simultaneously with its dual spindle design. This 2-quart capacity model suits the high-volume demands of retail settings. The stainless steel construction enhances its durability, while removable parts simplify the cleaning process. Brand B stands out for small business owners who prioritize speed and efficiency without sacrificing quality. Brand C Review Brand C focuses on affordability and user-friendly designs, targeting small business owners looking to optimize their budget. This compact machine features a 1-quart capacity, perfect for limited countertop space. Its lightweight design allows for easy handling, making it an excellent choice for mobile setups or smaller storefronts. Despite its size, it delivers consistent performance for creating delightful milkshakes. Benefits Of Using A Milkshake Machine Using a milkshake machine in your small business enhances the overall customer experience while increasing efficiency and productivity. These benefits truly elevate your storefront’s appeal and service quality. Consistency And Quality You achieve consistency and quality with every milkshake when using a dedicated machine. Commercial models maintain uniform blending and incorporate ingredients evenly, ensuring that each shake meets your standards. Customers return for the familiar flavor and texture, which builds brand loyalty. High-quality machines minimize the risk of inconsistent results that could occur with manual preparation methods. Time Efficiency You save valuable time during peak hours with a milkshake machine at your retail location. High-speed models allow for rapid production, letting you serve multiple customers efficiently. Machines with multiple spindles cater to high-volume demands, reducing wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction. The quick operation means your team can focus on providing excellent service rather than getting bogged down in preparation. Versatility You benefit from the versatility that milkshake machines offer, catering to diverse customer preferences. These machines blend various ingredients, from classic shakes to unique concoctions. You can introduce seasonal flavors, healthy options, or even mix-ins to attract different demographics. This adaptability not only expands your menu but also sets your storefront apart from competitors, encouraging repeat business. Conclusion Investing in a milkshake machine can transform your home or business experience. Whether you’re crafting delightful treats for family or serving up delicious shakes to customers, the right machine makes all the difference. You’ll enjoy the versatility and efficiency these appliances bring to your kitchen or café. By carefully considering the features that matter most to you, you can find a model that fits your needs perfectly. From compact home units to robust commercial machines, there’s an option for everyone. Embrace the joy of milkshake-making and watch as it elevates your culinary creations and customer satisfaction. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of using a milkshake machine? Using a milkshake machine enhances the milkshake-making experience by ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency. It allows for quick production, catering to high-volume demands, especially in businesses. Additionally, these machines enable the blending of various ingredients, offering a versatile range of flavors and textures to satisfy customer preferences. What types of milkshake machines are available? Milkshake machines mainly come in two types: commercial and home models. Commercial machines are designed for high-volume production and durability, while home models focus on user-friendly designs, compact sizes, and affordability, making them suitable for personal use. How do I choose the right milkshake machine for my business? When selecting a milkshake machine for a business, consider capacity, ease of use, and cleaning maintenance. Machines with 1-2 quart capacities are suitable for smaller shops, while larger, multi-spindle models are better for high demand. Look for intuitive controls and removable parts for easy cleaning. Which brands are recommended for milkshake machines? Popular brands include Brand A, known for its durability and efficiency; Brand B, offering a dual spindle design for high volume; and Brand C, which focuses on affordability and user-friendly designs. Each brand caters to different needs, ensuring quality performance for delightful milkshakes. How can a milkshake machine improve customer experience? A milkshake machine can significantly enhance customer satisfaction by providing quick, consistent, and high-quality milkshakes. This leads to reduced wait times during peak hours and helps businesses offer a diverse range of flavors, encouraging repeat customers and fostering brand loyalty. Image Via Envato This article, "Enhance Your Kitchen Experience with the Best Milkshake Machine for Home and Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

While the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, the Catholic Church is preparing to choose a new leader. Cardinals are traveling to Vatican City from all over the world to take part in the papal conclave, an ancient ritual/election that ends with the selection of a new Pope. You might be wondering whether that new pope could be you. It almost definitely won't be, but I suppose it's possible. So If you're interested in the job—or just curious about what the process involves—here are the nuts and bolts of how popes are chosen. The leader of the Holy Roman Catholic Church is a prestigious position that offers excellent perks, including international travel, job security, frequent media appearances, and elaborate hats. You can name your own hours, hire your friends for any position you’d like, and supervise a small-but-wealthy city state. You'll be the last absolute monarch in Europe. If you’re into job titles, how does “Successor of the Prince of the Apostles” grab you? That’s one of eight titles the next pope will inherit, all of which are more impressive on LinkedIn than “assistant district manager.” If the papacy sounds like a career opportunity you’d like to explore, here’s what it takes to land the job. How much money does the pope make?Let’s start with the money. According to salary comparison site Comparably.com, the average Pope in the United States earns $45,931 per year, but this is inaccurate—the position of pope offers no salary. The idea is that you’re living as Christ lived, off the kindness of others. But over the last few thousand years, those “others” have been very generous: The Vatican City State and the Catholic Church are worth an estimated $30 billion, and it’s essentially at your disposal. As the monarch of a small nation, you can have anything you’d ever want or need just by asking for it, so despite the low pay, the job is sought after for the benefits alone. How is the pope selected?To choose a new leader, the Church doesn't exactly post on indeed.com. Instead, 138 of the world's 252 cardinals (all the cardinals who are under 80 years old) will gather in Rome to lock themselves inside the Sistine Chapel and hold a papal election. No doubt it gets dramatic. So dramatic, in fact, that they made a movie about it—2024's Conclave, which fictionalizes the election of a new pope. According to Conclave's producers, the Vatican was open about providing the logistical details of the papal conclave, but wouldn't speak about the content of one. Conclave participants take a vow of absolute secrecy about the discussions they have during the pope selection process, so you'll have to imagine the politicking, alliances, and haggling that goes on within such a high-stakes meeting. The pope sets the agenda for the entire Catholic Church, and this next Pope will be chosen in the wake of Pope Francis's focus on social justice, environmental issues, and inclusion. He was pretty progressives (for a pope), and whether the cardinals will choose someone to further Francis' agenda or roll it back will surely be discussed. Or they'll just all play FIFA; you don't really know. The actual election goes like this: Each cardinal writes the name of their choice on a piece of paper, and they proceed, one by one, to solemnly drop their vote in a chalice set before Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment. The votes are counted, and if no one receives a two-thirds majority, the votes are burned in a special furnace along with chemicals that produce black smoke. That way everyone outside the chapel knows that the cardinals are still jawing. There are four rounds of voting per day, and the process goes on until some lucky fellow gets the nod. If there is no clear winner after 34 elections, the cardinals can choose any method of selection they want. They could draw straws to see who got the job if they wanted. Back in the 1270s, Pope Gregory X decreed that the longer the conclave lasted, the less food would be given to the cardinals, but that rule was later rescinded. Once the (fully fed) cardinals have agreed on a person, be it by a two-thirds vote or arm wrestling tournament, the ballots are burned with chemicals that produce white smoke so everyone outside knows a successor has been chosen. The new pope then chooses his pope name, is dressed in fancy clothes, and gets paraded out to the balcony of Saint Peter’s to be introduced. The senior cardinal deacon declares ,“Habemus Papam!,” which translates roughly to “This guy is the new boss!” Who is eligible to become pope?To become pope, you must be a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and you must be a man. That’s really it. You don’t need a degree from community college or any specific certification or training. You can come from any background and be from any part of the world. You don’t have to be a cardinal or even a priest. Pope Gregory X was elected pope in 1271 (after a conclave that lasted more than two years) and wasn't ordained as a priest until the following year, so it has happened. All you have to do is get your name on 2/3 of those papers—but that’s the tricky part. As you might expect from the upper echelon of a world religion, the job of pope tends to go to an insider. Since 1379, every pope has been selected from among the college of cardinals casting the votes. So if you haven’t spent your life moving up the ranks of the Catholic Church to get into the special pope-picking room, your chance of becoming pope is slim. But there is a chance. How to influence cardinal electorsIn the modern era, most new popes are chosen when the old pope dies, as is the case with Pope Francis; but the pope before that, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned due to a complicated internal church scandal. Wait—maybe it was for “health reasons.” Either way, there is generally a 15- to 20-day period between the end of the last pope’s reign and the beginning of the papal conclave. During this popeless period, the Church is administered by the "camerlengo," or "chamberlain" cardinal whose duties include organizing the conclave and destroying the deceased pope's ring. In this case, Cardinal Kevin Farrell will be running the transition. He's the first American citizen to ever hold the post, and he spent most of his career at the Archdiocese of Washington, so ask any friends in DC if they know Farrell, and maybe he will give you a recommendation. If you're not friends with Catholic dignitaries, you could try to engineer a whisper campaign to be elected. During the conclave, the cardinals lodge in St. Martha’s House, a building next to the Sistine Chapel, so you know exactly where the voters will be spending their off time. You have a few weeks to get to Vatican City and befriend the staff at St. Martha’s House. Maybe you could convince them to talk about you in a way the cardinals would overhear. The average salary in Vatican City is low, around $36,574 a year, so greasing some palms probably wouldn’t hurt. Perhaps two valets could say, “You know who would make a great pope? Steve Johnson! He’s this writer from Los Angeles. Really good guy,” while Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re is walking to the Holy Roman Cafeteria. Another potential avenue is engineering a spiritual vision. Using high-tech spy gear—holograms, hidden speakers, mind-control rays—a potential dark-horse pope candidate could engineer a shared a spiritual manifestation for all the cardinals. These are, ostensibly, religious men, so they would presumably take it seriously if they were visited by a chorus of angels singing your name. And when they told the other cardinals, and they had the same vision? How could they not elect you? If these two methods fail to get you the job, you might have to take a more forceful approach. Non-traditional ways to become popeModern papal succession is relatively stable, but in the past, chaos has allowed some non-traditional popes to ascend to power. Starting in 1268, the papal conclave lasted for almost three years, and it only ended when a local mob locked the cardinals up and fed them nothing but bread and water while demanding they pick a pope or suffer great violence and death, which might help explain why they picked non-priest Gregory X. In the 14th century, Roman peasants broke into the conclave to ensure that the cardinals not choose a French pope (racists). They told the cardinals, “Give us a Roman pope or your heads will be as red as your hats,” which is baller. The cardinals chose an Italian as a compromise, but Pope Urban VI immediately began castigating the cardinals and forbade them from accepting payoffs from kings and pocketing the money from the collection plate. As you’d expect, he was deposed (don’t mess with people’s livelihoods, right?) and another pope was elected. But Urban VI still called himself pope, so for awhile there were two popes (or a pope and an anti-pope, if you prefer). Then, in 1409, the French and Roman cardinals elected another pope to clean up the mess. Neither of the two existing popes stepped down, so there were three popes. It was a mess, but it would take something as dramatic and unprecedented as a popular uprising for anyone who isn't already a cardinal to be elected pope. So ask yourself if the job is really worth it. Heavy is the head that wears the pope hatWhen you become pope, you will immediately become among the most famous people in the world, but it’s a strange kind of fame. You get driven around in really amazing custom cars, fly around in a private jet, and command a small army of 110 soldiers. But you don’t get invited to Oscar after-parties. You can't live the life of hedonist rock-star popes of the past like John XII (955–964), who gave land to his mistress, murdered his enemies, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife. Nowadays, popes have to at least appear holy, and even that's not as much fun as it used to be. Pope Francis phased out some of the more "show-y" aspect of Pope worship, so the president probably won't even kiss your ring. The day-to-day of the job seems like a grind. You’re in charge of an entire city state, so there’s a lot of administration, paperwork, and tough decisions, like cutting the pay of everyone who works for you when tourist revenue goes down. There’s also vicious office politics. We’ll likely never know all the details—the Church is hush-hush—but the scandal around the resignation of Benedict XVI gave a glimpse of the viper’s nest of cliques competing within it, with everything from graft around the annual nativity scene in St Peter’s Square to the dispersal of funds in the Vatican Bank used to gain influence and power. It’s like high school with vestments. So, do you really want the job? View the full article

The homebuilder agreed to acquire Alliant National in a transaction announced last October, with this deal closing after the Cherry Creek mortgage purchase. View the full article

The cost-cutting task force could impact the congressionally chartered nonprofit which provides grants and lending for both homeowners and renters. View the full article

We know that independent workers are already redefining what work looks like. So why not redefine what climate action looks like, too? This Earth Day and Climate Week, we’re thinking about how freelancers are uniquely positioned to build a more sustainable future. Whether you’re working from home, biking to your local coworking space, or setting your own schedule around what matters to you, your freelance lifestyle might already be doing more for the planet than you think. Here are a few ways freelancing and sustainability go hand-in-hand, plus ideas for how you can take climate action as a member of this powerful, independent workforce. 1. Freelancers Leave a Smaller Carbon FootprintMany freelancers work remotely—which means no daily commute. Fewer hours spent sitting in traffic or riding public transit directly reduces emissions. If you work from home or a walkable coworking space, you're already contributing to cleaner air and less fuel consumption. Plus, freelance work often demands fewer office supplies, less energy use, and fewer single-use items (no more sad desk salads in plastic containers!). Minimalist work setups are not just aesthetically pleasing—they’re environmentally friendly, too. 2. You Can Build Sustainability Into Your WorkflowsAs your own boss, you get to decide how your work runs—and that means you can prioritize eco-conscious practices. Consider: Going paperless with digital contracts, invoices, and notes.Using energy-efficient devices and unplugging them when not in use.Banking green with institutions that don’t invest in fossil fuels.Sourcing sustainable materials if you’re in a creative or product-based field.Even small choices can add up when made consistently over time. 3. You Set the Culture of Your BusinessOne of the biggest advantages of freelancing? You set the values. If climate action is important to you, make that part of your brand. Share your sustainability commitments on your website, choose clients who align with your environmental ethics, or donate a portion of your earnings to climate-related causes. Need ideas? Some freelancers donate a percentage of profits to reforestation projects or carbon offset programs, or pledge “1% for the Planet.” 4. Take Action in Your CommunityLooking to get your hands dirty (in the best way)? There are plenty of ways to take direct action on the ground: Join a beach or park cleanup near you—many take place during Climate Week.Volunteer with wildlife and conservation organizations.Offer your professional skills at a discount or pro bono to environmental nonprofits (graphic design, social media, writing, and more are always in demand).Attend a climate justice rally or educational event in your area.Donate to organizations fighting fossil fuel expansion and promoting green jobs.Check out national orgs like 350.org, The Sunrise Movement, or Earthjustice, or plug into your local community for hands-on opportunities. 5. Connect with Other Climate-Conscious FreelancersYou’re not in this alone. There’s a growing movement of freelancers who care about climate justice, sustainable business, and building a better world through their work. Whether you want to start a sustainability-minded group, share resources, or simply swap ideas, there’s power in our freelance community. This Earth Day, let’s use our freelance freedom for good.As independent workers, we know how to create our own paths. Let’s make sure those paths lead to a greener, more just, and more sustainable future, for us and for generations to come. Happy Earth Day from all of us at Freelancers Union 🌎💚 View the full article

We know that independent workers are already redefining what work looks like. So why not redefine what climate action looks like, too? This Earth Day and Climate Week, we’re thinking about how freelancers are uniquely positioned to build a more sustainable future. Whether you’re working from home, biking to your local coworking space, or setting your own schedule around what matters to you, your freelance lifestyle might already be doing more for the planet than you think. Here are a few ways freelancing and sustainability go hand-in-hand, plus ideas for how you can take climate action as a member of this powerful, independent workforce. 1. Freelancers Leave a Smaller Carbon FootprintMany freelancers work remotely—which means no daily commute. Fewer hours spent sitting in traffic or riding public transit directly reduces emissions. If you work from home or a walkable coworking space, you're already contributing to cleaner air and less fuel consumption. Plus, freelance work often demands fewer office supplies, less energy use, and fewer single-use items (no more sad desk salads in plastic containers!). Minimalist work setups are not just aesthetically pleasing—they’re environmentally friendly, too. 2. You Can Build Sustainability Into Your WorkflowsAs your own boss, you get to decide how your work runs—and that means you can prioritize eco-conscious practices. Consider: Going paperless with digital contracts, invoices, and notes.Using energy-efficient devices and unplugging them when not in use.Banking green with institutions that don’t invest in fossil fuels.Sourcing sustainable materials if you’re in a creative or product-based field.Even small choices can add up when made consistently over time. 3. You Set the Culture of Your BusinessOne of the biggest advantages of freelancing? You set the values. If climate action is important to you, make that part of your brand. Share your sustainability commitments on your website, choose clients who align with your environmental ethics, or donate a portion of your earnings to climate-related causes. Need ideas? Some freelancers donate a percentage of profits to reforestation projects or carbon offset programs, or pledge “1% for the Planet.” 4. Take Action in Your CommunityLooking to get your hands dirty (in the best way)? There are plenty of ways to take direct action on the ground: Join a beach or park cleanup near you—many take place during Climate Week.Volunteer with wildlife and conservation organizations.Offer your professional skills at a discount or pro bono to environmental nonprofits (graphic design, social media, writing, and more are always in demand).Attend a climate justice rally or educational event in your area.Donate to organizations fighting fossil fuel expansion and promoting green jobs.Check out national orgs like 350.org, The Sunrise Movement, or Earthjustice, or plug into your local community for hands-on opportunities. 5. Connect with Other Climate-Conscious FreelancersYou’re not in this alone. There’s a growing movement of freelancers who care about climate justice, sustainable business, and building a better world through their work. Whether you want to start a sustainability-minded group, share resources, or simply swap ideas, there’s power in our freelance community. This Earth Day, let’s use our freelance freedom for good.As independent workers, we know how to create our own paths. Let’s make sure those paths lead to a greener, more just, and more sustainable future, for us and for generations to come. Happy Earth Day from all of us at Freelancers Union 🌎💚 View the full article

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued Uber Technologies, accusing it of signing up some Uber One subscribers without their knowledge and making deceptive claims about the service. The service costs $9.99 a month and offers discounts on fees associated with Uber’s ride-hailing and food-delivery apps. Uber falsely claimed that users would save about $25 a month through the service and deceived them about how easy it was to cancel, the FTC said in the lawsuit filed in San Francisco. “Americans are tired of getting signed up for unwanted subscriptions that seem impossible to cancel,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said. “The The President-Vance FTC is fighting back on behalf of the American people.” Uber spokesperson Noah Edwardsen said the company does not sign up or charge customers without their consent. “We are disappointed that the FTC chose to move forward with this action, but are confident that the courts will agree with what we already know: Uber One’s sign-up and cancellation processes are clear, simple, and follow the letter and spirit of the law,” he said. Uber has tangled with the FTC several times in the past. In 2017 the ride-hailing company settled the FTC’s allegations it had made deceptive privacy and data security claims. The following year it agreed to pay $20 million to settle the FTC’s claims it exaggerated prospective earnings in seeking to recruit drivers. The company fended off criminal charges in 2022 in a settlement where it admitted that its employees had failed to notify the FTC about a 2016 data breach that affected 57 million passengers and drivers. —Jody Godoy, Reuters View the full article

Remember the viral “Ice Bucket Challenge” of 2014? Over a decade later, it’s back—but this time, the focus is mental health. If you were living under a rock in 2014, the challenge involved participants pouring ice water over themselves, posting the video to social media, and nominating others to join in, all while raising awareness for a cause. The campaign raised millions for ALS research. Now, it’s making a comeback—this time to support Active Minds, a nonprofit promoting mental health awareness and education for students. The Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club’s #SpeakYourMIND campaign launched on Instagram in March, started by a group of students at the University of South Carolina. According to a 2024 U.S. News survey, about 70% of students have struggled with mental health since starting college. Wade Jefferson, a USC junior, told NBC News he founded the MIND club after losing two friends to suicide. He hopes the campaign will help normalize conversations around mental health. Initially setting a fundraising goal of $500, he didn’t expect the challenge to go viral again. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $189,056 in donations and drawn participation from high-profile figures like TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager, who nominated stars like Blake Shelton and Scarlett Johansson to keep the trend alive. It’s also earned a nod from the challenge’s original creators. “We’re thrilled to see the spirit of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge live on in new forms of activism,” the ALS Association said in a statement to NBC News. At its peak, the original challenge saw everyone from former President George W. Bush to Oprah Winfrey joining in. “I think fundraising professionals and nonprofits and causes have sat around tables for years trying to say, ‘What’s going to be our ice bucket challenge,’” Brett Curtis, director of community fundraising and events at Active Minds, told NBC News. “I do think there’s a little irony in that it is just the ice bucket challenge again, this time to talk about mental health.” View the full article