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Below, Kati Morton shares five key insights from her new book, Why Do I Keep Doing This?: Unlearn the Habits Keeping You Stuck and Unhappy. Kati is a licensed therapist, author, and content creator. For over 14 years, she has been helping people better understand their mental health through therapy and YouTube videos. What’s the big idea? Why do we fall into the same patterns—whether that’s people-pleasing, perfectionism, or emotional numbing—even when we know they’re not good for us? These strategies help us feel safe, but replacing that armor with inner strength lets us move with freedom instead of fear. Listen to the audio version of this Book Bite—read by Kati herself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Control is a survival strategy. We often think of control as a personality trait or state of being. We say things like, “I’m just a control freak,” or “Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control.” But control isn’t a state of being; it’s how we learned to survive. It’s the way our nervous system tries to protect us when life feels unpredictable. As children, many of us learned that being good, quiet, or perfect helped us stay safe or loved. Those patterns became invisible armor. So as adults, we micromanage, overthink, or self-criticize—not because we enjoy it, but because deep down, it still feels like the way to stay safe. For me, when things at home felt out of my control, I would focus on what I could control: my grades, how clean my room was, how well I performed. That false sense of control helped me self-soothe when everything else felt uncertain. Understanding this changes everything. Instead of shaming ourselves for needing control, we can get curious: What is this control trying to protect me from? What feels unpredictable in my life right now? That curiosity opens the door to deeper understanding. We can’t change what we don’t first understand. When we stop fighting our patterns and start understanding them, we realize nothing is wrong with us. We’re just trying to stay connected and safe. Control was never the problem—it was our body’s best attempt at protection. 2. People-pleasing isn’t about being nice. People-pleasing often gets labeled as kindness—something we wear as a badge of honor. But it’s really fear in disguise: fear of rejection, abandonment, or conflict. Many of us learned early on that meeting everyone else’s needs was the safest way to belong. “When we spend all our energy anticipating what others want, we lose touch with what we want.” I used to think being a people-pleaser made me a good person—that putting others first was selfless and admirable. But during one therapy session, my therapist told me something that completely stopped me in my tracks. She said, “People-pleasing is actually a form of manipulation.” I was shocked. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. I wasn’t trying to make others happy because I cared so deeply about how they felt. I was doing it because I couldn’t tolerate any discomfort. Pleasing them was how I managed my own anxiety. People-pleasing doesn’t bring us closer to others; it disconnects us from ourselves. When we spend all our energy anticipating what others want, we lose touch with what we want. Over time, that can lead to resentment, exhaustion, and even depression, because we’re living a life that looks good to others but doesn’t feel true to us. The first step toward change isn’t suddenly saying “no” to everything. It’s to pause before saying “yes.” Ask yourself: Am I doing this out of genuine care and desire, or out of fear? That small question helps separate your worth from your usefulness. Healthy relationships don’t require you to disappear to stay loved. Honoring your own needs isn’t selfish—it’s how you build real connection. 3. Perfectionism is a moving target. Perfectionism often feels like the motivating factor that keeps us striving. But beneath it is a deep sense of not enough. We chase flawless performance because we believe that if we can finally “get it right,” we’ll earn the attention or approval we’ve been craving. The problem is that perfection is a moving target. Each achievement gives a brief hit of relief before the next “should” appears. That’s because perfectionism isn’t about success—it’s about safety. No mistakes mean no criticism. Doing everything right prevents rejection. “Instead of asking, ‘Was it perfect?’, ask, ‘Did I feel connected?’” For me, perfectionism started early. My dad worked away from home for long stretches of time and I remember believing that if I just did everything perfectly—if I was first chair in band or made the varsity team—he’d want to come home more often. I thought my achievements could somehow earn his presence. It took me a long time to realize that his work schedule had nothing to do with how well I was doing, and that my worth wasn’t something I had to prove. The antidote to perfectionism isn’t lowering your standards, but rather shifting your focus from performance to connection. Instead of asking, “Was it perfect?”, ask, “Did I feel connected?” Growth doesn’t come from flawless execution; it comes from the willingness to show up, try, fail, and learn. When we allow ourselves to be human, we stop hustling to earn our worth and start realizing that we’ve always been enough. 4. Suppression isn’t strength. Many of us (myself included) grew up believing that staying calm, composed, and “fine” was the mature thing to do. But emotional suppression isn’t strength—it’s self-abandonment. When we push feelings down, they don’t disappear; they just get buried in our bodies, showing up later as anxiety, irritability, or burnout. Emotions aren’t bad things. They’re signals that tell us when something matters, hurts, or needs attention. At times when I’ve been holding everything together for too long—pushing through stress, ignoring frustration, pretending I’m fine—it always finds a way out. Usually, it’s when I’m watching TV and a commercial about an aging dog comes on, and suddenly I’m sobbing on the couch. It’s not really about the commercial, of course; it’s all the unspoken, unfelt emotions finally asking to be felt. Learning to feel doesn’t mean losing control. It means expanding your capacity to stay with discomfort without letting it consume you. That’s real resilience. “Naming emotions helps regulate the nervous system and makes them feel less overwhelming.” A simple practice is to name what you feel out loud: “I feel sad,” “I feel angry,” “I feel scared.” Naming emotions helps regulate the nervous system and makes them feel less overwhelming. Over time, this builds a sense of internal trust: I can handle my feelings instead of running from them. True strength isn’t about being unshakeable. It’s about being able to bend without breaking. 5. Healing is about letting go, not losing control. Letting go is hard because it can feel like free-falling. For people (like myself) who’ve relied on control to survive, loosening that grip can feel unsafe, even when it’s what we need to grow. For a long time, I thought letting go meant not caring, that if I wasn’t worrying or trying to manage everything, it meant I was being irresponsible or indifferent. But I eventually realized that letting go isn’t about giving up; it’s about redefining what safety looks like. It’s about trusting that I can care deeply without trying to control every outcome. That shift from control to trust has been one of the most freeing lessons of my life. Letting go isn’t about chaos or indifference. It’s about trust—trusting that you can handle life as it unfolds, without needing to manage every detail. It’s about moving from hypervigilance to faith. I see this so often, both in my patients and in myself. There’s control that keeps us grounded, like setting boundaries or creating structure. And then there’s control that keeps us stuck and stops us from reaching out, trying new things, or letting people in. Healing means noticing when control is helping you feel safe… and when it’s keeping you from living your life. “That shift from control to trust has been one of the most freeing lessons of my life.” When we let go of the illusion of control, we make space for authenticity. The goal isn’t to stop caring or planning; it’s to stop living out of fear. Because real freedom isn’t about having control over everything—it’s about no longer needing to. Enjoy our full library of Book Bites—read by the authors!—in the Next Big Idea app. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

Before a shovel hits the ground, UK construction projects rely on a cost plan to keep design ambition aligned with financial reality. Through disciplined cost planning, clients and teams gain clarity, manage risk and make informed decisions as proposals evolve. What Is Cost Planning in Construction? Cost planning in construction is a structured process used to forecast, monitor and control project costs as design develops. Led by quantity surveyors, it aligns scope, quality and budget through iterative estimates, risk allowances and benchmarking, ensuring the client’s financial objectives remain achievable from early concept through pre-tender stages while supporting informed decisions and disciplined cost control throughout design development. The main objective of the construction cost planning process is to make a cost plan, a document that guides the cost planning efforts of a construction project. ProjectManager simplifies cost planning in construction by providing built-in resource management tools. For example, teams can utilize planned versus actual data on the Gantt chart to determine how the project is evolving and whether additional resources are needed. Other resource management tools include timesheets, workload charts, a team page and more. Get started by taking a free 30-day trial. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Construction-Gantt-light-mode-task-info-general-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgLearn more What Is a Cost Plan in Construction? A cost plan in construction is a formal pre-contract document that sets out the anticipated cost of a project based on the developing design. Typically prepared in elemental format, it establishes the approved budget, identifies allowances and risks and provides a financial framework against which design changes are assessed before tender during controlled stages of design development and cost reconciliation. When to Make a Cost Plan Cost plans are typically prepared early in design, once the project brief is defined and initial layouts exist. In UK construction, this usually aligns with RIBA Stage 2, when sufficient information allows elemental costs, risks and allowances to be established before design commitments become fixed and formally reviewed before progressing toward detailed technical design decisions and procurement strategy alignment. Following the initial issue, the cost plan is reviewed as design options are tested, ensuring scope changes, specification upgrades or layout revisions remain affordable and consistent with the approved budget before progressing to the next RIBA stage and client cost expectations. During detailed design development, amendments are made to reflect increased certainty, refined quantities and updated unit rates, allowing risks and provisional allowances to be reduced while confirming the project remains deliverable within the agreed construction cost limit and client approval. Before tender, the cost plan is reconciled against the frozen design, acting as the financial benchmark for tender returns and highlighting variances between contractor pricing, allowances and the pre-tender estimate before procurement decisions are finalised by the client team. Throughout construction planning discussions, cost plans support value engineering exercises by testing alternative materials, systems or construction methods against cost, risk and programme implications without compromising the client’s agreed quality objectives and long-term operational performance requirements or statutory compliance obligations. At key client approval gateways, updated cost plans are used to confirm affordability, release design development funding and demonstrate continued budgetary control to funders, stakeholders and governance bodies before committing to subsequent project stages within the agreed commercial strategy framework. How to Make a Construction Cost Plan Creating a construction cost plan is an iterative, decision-driven process that develops alongside the design. Rather than focusing on document structure, effective cost planning depends on clear actions taken at the right time, using the right information, to align scope, quality and budget before commitments become fixed. Define the project brief and cost objectives. Establish the client’s budget, priorities and constraints early, ensuring cost planning is aligned with scope, quality expectations and risk appetite from the outset. Assess design information and level of certainty. Review available drawings, specifications and assumptions to determine what can be priced reliably and where allowances or provisional sums are required. Develop an elemental cost model. Allocate costs by building element to test affordability, identify cost drivers and support value engineering discussions as design options are explored. Apply appropriate risk and contingency allowances. Identify design, construction and market risks, ensuring allowances reflect current uncertainty and reduce progressively as information improves. Review, reconcile and update regularly. Revisit the cost plan as design develops, documenting changes, testing assumptions and confirming continued alignment with the approved budget before advancing to the next project stage. /wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_construction_ebook_banner-ad.jpg What Should Be Included in a Cost Plan? A well-structured cost plan combines financial detail with context, allowing stakeholders to understand assumptions, track change and rely on the document as a reference throughout design development and decision making. 1. General Information General information establishes the administrative and professional context of a cost plan, identifying who prepared it, when it applies and how it should be interpreted. This section ensures transparency, version control and accountability, allowing the document to be relied upon. Project name and description: Provides a concise summary of the project scope, purpose and physical context, ensuring the cost plan is clearly linked to the correct development. Client, consultant team, QS/cost consultant: Identifies the client and professional team responsible for design and cost advice, clarifying roles, responsibilities and points of contact for cost planning decisions. Cost plan stage: States the cost plan stage and corresponding RIBA stage, indicating the level of design development, certainty and appropriate use of the information presented. Date, revision number and status: Records the issue date, revision history and approval status, supporting version control and ensuring stakeholders rely on the most current and authorised cost plan. Basis of estimate and pricing date: Explains the assumptions, measurement standards and pricing date used, allowing readers to interpret figures correctly and understand the cost plan’s sensitivity to change. 2. Approved Budget Clearly stating the approved budget anchors the cost plan to the client’s financial commitment and defines the limits within which design decisions must operate. This section establishes cost certainty, supports governance and provides the benchmark against which all future changes, risks and design developments are assessed. Total approved project budget: Sets the overall funding authorised for the project, including construction costs and agreed allowances, forming the highest-level financial control reference. Construction cost limit: Defines the maximum value allocated to construction works alone, excluding non-construction costs and acts as the primary constraint guiding design development and cost planning decisions. Client contingencies and allowances: Identifies contingency sums and specific allowances held by the client to manage uncertainty, risk and potential scope change without undermining the integrity of the approved budget. Comparison to previous cost plan versions: Highlights cost movements between revisions, explaining increases or reductions caused by design changes, updated assumptions or market conditions to maintain transparency and informed decision making. Related: 18 Budget Templates for Business & Project Budgeting 3. Elemental Cost Breakdown An elemental cost breakdown organises construction costs by building elements rather than trades, grouping related components into logical categories. Used in UK cost planning, it aligns design development with cost control, enabling comparison, benchmarking and analysis as proposals evolve through RIBA stages before detailed measurement or tender pricing processes. Within a cost plan, an elemental breakdown provides structure and clarity, allowing costs to be tested against design choices. By showing where money is allocated, it supports value engineering, highlights cost drivers and helps clients and designers make informed decisions before commitments become fixed or budgets are exceeded during project development. Substructure: Cover foundations, basements and groundworks, reflecting site conditions and geotechnical risk. Including this element separately allows early testing of ground-related assumptions, contingency levels and design options that can significantly affect overall project cost before superstructure solutions are finalised. Superstructure: Includes frames, floors and primary structural systems forming the building above ground. Breaking out these costs supports comparison of alternative structural solutions, materials and spans, helping balance performance, buildability and cost implications during early and developed design stages. Internal finishes: Address walls, floors, ceilings and fittings that influence quality and user experience. Isolating these costs enables alignment with employer requirements, specification standards and value engineering discussions, where small changes can have a disproportionate impact on budget and quality. Services (MEP): Include mechanical, electrical and public health systems essential to building operation. Presenting these elements separately highlights technical complexity, coordination risk and specification choices, allowing informed decisions on performance standards, sustainability measures and long-term operational cost implications for projects. External works: Cover site works beyond the building footprint, including drainage, landscaping and access. Identifying these costs early clarifies scope boundaries, interfaces and statutory requirements, reducing the risk of omission and unexpected increases once construction activities start on site. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/construction-schedule-template.jpg Get your free Construction Schedule Template Use this free Construction Schedule Template to manage your projects better. Get the Template 4. Preliminaries Preliminaries refer to the costs associated with managing, running and supporting a construction project rather than delivering permanent building elements. They include time-related, fixed and project-specific items required to enable works to proceed safely, efficiently and in accordance with contractual, statutory and logistical requirements. Including preliminaries in a cost plan is essential because they represent a significant and often time-dependent portion of construction cost. Clear identification allows programme assumptions to be tested, procurement strategies to be evaluated and cost risks linked to duration, site constraints and management complexity to be properly understood and controlled. Contractor preliminaries: Capture the overall cost of delivering the project, including site management, compliance and coordination activities. Separating these costs helps assess how programme length, procurement route and project complexity influence contractor pricing beyond measured construction work. Site establishment: Covers initial setup activities such as hoardings, welfare facilities, access arrangements and utilities. Identifying these costs early clarifies site constraints, statutory requirements and logistical assumptions that can materially affect feasibility and cost before construction begins. Temporary works: Include non-permanent structures and systems required to support construction, such as scaffolding, propping and temporary access. Allowing for these costs reduces risk, supports buildability assessments and avoids underestimating construction complexity during design development. Management, supervision and overheads: Reflects the cost of project leadership, supervision and corporate overheads required to deliver the works. Including these items highlights the relationship between management input, project duration and commercial risk within the overall construction cost plan. 5. Measured Works Allowances Measured works allowances represent cost provisions for construction elements that cannot yet be fully quantified or specified due to incomplete design information. They are included within measured works to reflect anticipated scope, allowing the cost plan to remain realistic while design detail, coordination and technical decisions continue to develop. In a cost plan, measured works allowances are critical because they prevent false certainty. By explicitly identifying areas of incomplete information, they support transparent cost forecasting, manage expectations and ensure future design resolution doesn’t create unanticipated budget pressure or undermine confidence in the overall cost planning process. Works not yet fully designed: Covers elements where design intent is known but details are unresolved. Including these items enables progress without delaying cost planning, while clearly signalling that figures remain subject to refinement as drawings, specifications and coordination advance. Provisional quantities: Estimated measures used where final dimensions or extents are uncertain. They allow costs to be included using reasonable assumptions, supporting early budgeting while highlighting the potential for adjustment once accurate quantities become available. Assumed specifications: Reflect placeholder quality, performance or material standards applied in the absence of final selections. Stating these assumptions ensures cost figures are interpreted correctly and provides a clear basis for assessing the impact of future specification changes. Related: 5 Best Construction ERP Software: Key Features to Look for 6. Risk Allowances & Contingencies Risk allowances and contingencies are cost provisions included to address the uncertainty inherent in design development and construction delivery. They recognise that not all risks can be fully defined at early stages and provide controlled financial flexibility to manage change, unforeseen conditions and evolving project information. Within a cost plan, these allowances are essential for maintaining credibility and control. By explicitly identifying and separating risk-related costs, they support informed decision making, reduce the likelihood of budget overruns and ensure that cost certainty improves progressively as design, scope and procurement details are resolved. Design development risk: Design development risk allowances cover cost changes arising from evolving layouts, coordination issues or specification refinement, ensuring that incomplete design information does not compromise budget integrity during early and developed design stages. Construction risk: Construction risk allowances address uncertainties related to site conditions, buildability, logistics and contractor methods, protecting against cost impacts that may emerge once works commence and operational constraints become fully apparent. Inflation risk (if applicable): Inflation risk allowances account for forecast cost increases due to market conditions, labour availability or material price volatility, particularly on projects with extended programmes or delayed procurement strategies. Client-held vs cost-plan-held contingencies: This distinction clarifies whether contingency sums are retained by the client or embedded within the cost plan, defining control, approval thresholds and how risk funds may be released or reallocated. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/risk-image-lightmode-600x331.pngLearn more 7. Inflation & Market Conditions In construction, inflation and market conditions describe external economic factors that influence labour costs, material prices, availability and contractor pricing behaviour. These factors can change independently of design decisions, affecting project affordability, procurement outcomes and the reliability of cost forecasts over time. Considering inflation and market conditions within a cost plan is vital to maintaining realism and resilience. Explicitly addressing these factors helps clients understand financial exposure, supports appropriate contingency levels and ensures cost forecasts remain credible despite volatility in labour markets, supply chains and wider economic conditions. Base date for pricing: Defines the point in time to which all cost rates apply, providing a clear reference for assessing future inflation and interpreting cost movements consistently. Inflation assumptions: Set out anticipated cost increases over the project duration, explaining rates applied and timeframes considered, enabling transparent evaluation of financial risk linked to programme and procurement strategy. Market conditions statement (labour, materials, supply risk): Summarises current labour availability, material pricing trends and supply chain risks, contextualising cost allowances and highlighting external pressures that may influence tender returns and delivery costs. 8. Exclusions & Assumptions Exclusions and assumptions are statements that define what is not included and what has been presumed when preparing a construction cost plan. They clarify scope boundaries, design expectations, information gaps and constraints, ensuring costs are interpreted correctly and preventing misunderstanding where incomplete or provisional project information exists during early stages. In a cost plan, exclusions and assumptions are critical to maintaining transparency and control. They explain the basis on which figures have been developed, highlight areas of uncertainty and protect against false certainty. Assumptions may relate to scope, specification, programme, procurement, site conditions or responsibilities, allowing stakeholders to understand risk exposure and assess the impact of change objectively over time. Related: 20 Best Construction Scheduling Software for 2026 (Free & Paid) 9. Cash Flow Projections & Cost Phasing Cash flow projections estimate how construction costs are expected to be incurred over time, based on programme assumptions and anticipated progress. They translate the overall cost plan into a time-based forecast, showing when expenditure is likely to occur and how funding requirements align with design, procurement and construction activities. Cost phasing breaks the total construction cost into defined time periods or project stages, allocating expenditure in line with programme milestones. It reflects how different elements, preliminaries and risk allowances are expected to be spent across the project duration, rather than presenting costs as a single aggregated figure. /wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ProjectManager-Gantt-Chart-Milestones-600x360.pngLearn more Including cash flow projections and cost phasing in a cost plan supports financial planning and decision-making. These tools help clients manage funding, assess affordability over time and understand the relationship between programme, procurement strategy and expenditure, reducing the risk of cash shortfalls and enabling proactive cost control as the project progresses. 10. Cost Reconciliation Cost reconciliation in construction projects is the process of comparing successive versions of a cost plan to identify and explain changes in overall cost. It tracks movements caused by design development, scope adjustments, updated assumptions or market conditions, ensuring cost information remains consistent and transparent as the project evolves. This facet of a cost plan provides visibility over why costs change and who is responsible for those changes. It supports informed approvals, reinforces cost control discipline and allows clients and design teams to make decisions based on cost drivers rather than unexplained budget movements. Construction Cost Planning Tips Effective construction cost planning goes beyond preparing a single cost plan. It requires a structured approach that evolves alongside design, procurement and programme decisions. When cost planning is treated as a continuous discipline, rather than a one-off exercise, it becomes a powerful tool for managing risk, supporting informed choices and maintaining financial control throughout project development. Begin cost planning as soon as the project brief is defined. Early cost planning helps shape design direction, set realistic expectations and prevent affordability issues before significant design effort or consultant fees are committed. Match cost certainty to design maturity. Avoid presenting early cost plans with unwarranted precision. Clearly reflect the level of information available and adjust allowances, risks and assumptions as design detail increases. Use elemental cost plans to guide design decisions. Reviewing costs by element highlights where money is being spent, supports value engineering discussions and helps balance performance, quality and budget without relying solely on headline totals. Keep assumptions, exclusions and risks visible. Well-documented assumptions and clearly defined risk allowances reduce misunderstandings, protect cost credibility and allow the impact of change to be assessed objectively as the project evolves. Regularly reconcile and review cost plans. Tracking cost movements between versions strengthens governance, improves transparency and ensures all stakeholders understand why costs change and what actions are required to remain within budget. Free Related Construction Project Management Templates We’ve created dozens of free construction project management templates for Word, Excel and Google Sheets. Here are some that can help during the construction cost planning process. Project Initiation Document (PID) Template A project initiation document template provides a structured starting point for defining objectives, governance and responsibilities, helping teams align expectations, secure approvals and establish a foundation before detailed planning begins. Bill of Quantities Template A bill of quantities template offers a standardised format for listing work items and quantities, supporting consistent pricing, tender comparison and financial clarity across construction projects and procurement processes activities. Payment Schedule Template A payment schedule template outlines when payments are expected throughout a project, helping manage cash flow, set expectations and maintain transparency between clients, contractors and stakeholders during delivery and administration. ProjectManager Is Ideal for Construction Cost Planning ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps construction teams create a clear financial baseline before construction begins. By providing access to real-time data in a centralized location, our software provides an integrated approach to help construction teams control costs, protect margins and make informed financial decisions throughout the project life cycle. Built-in Resource Cost Management Resource management tools like the workload chart, timesheets, planned vs. actual data and more all contribute to cost planning. Each resource can have assigned rates, such as hourly labor rates, equipment rental costs and consultant fees. When resources are assigned to tasks, costs are calculated automatically. This means that labor and equipment costs are forecast accurately based on schedules. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/workload-page-resource-management-lightmode.png Real-Time Dashboards Showcase Financial Data For a visual representation of how costs are evolving, utilize our project and portfolio dashboards. These visuals make it easy to spot financial problems and take action accordingly. AI Project Insights is another beneficial feature, allowing teams to gain in-depth project insights using the latest GPT5 technology. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Insights-Light-Mode-Dashboard-GPT5.png Related Construction Project Management Content 39 Construction Documents (Templates Included) 10 Types of Construction Projects with Examples How to Manage a Construction Project Step by Step 10 Free Construction Plan Templates for Excel & Word Construction Work Breakdown Structure: A Quick Guide ProjectManager is online construction project management software that connects teams, whether they’re in the office or on the job site. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post Construction Cost Planning: How to Make a Cost Plan appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

OpenAI is pitching premium-priced ads in ChatGPT — with far less data than advertisers are used to getting. What’s happening. According to a report, OpenAI is pricing ChatGPT ads at roughly $60 per 1,000 impressions — about three times higher than typical Meta ads. Despite the cost, advertisers will receive only high-level reporting, such as total impressions or clicks, with no insight into downstream actions like purchases. Why we care. ChatGPT is emerging as a brand-new, high-attention ad environment — but one that comes with trade-offs. The high CPMs and limited reporting mean early tests will be more about brand exposure and learning than performance efficiency. For marketers willing to experiment, this offers a first-mover chance to understand how ads perform inside AI conversations before the format scales or measurement improves. The tradeoff. OpenAI has left the door open to expanding measurement in the future, but it has publicly committed to never selling user data to advertisers and keeping conversations private. That stance limits the kind of targeting and attribution advertisers expect from platforms like Google or Meta. Who will see ads. The first ads will roll out in the coming weeks to users on ChatGPT’s free and lower-cost Go tiers, excluding users under 18 and conversations involving sensitive topics such as mental health or politics. Between the lines. OpenAI is positioning ChatGPT ads as a premium, trust-first product — betting that context, attention, and brand safety can justify higher prices even without granular performance data. Bottom line. ChatGPT ads may appeal to brands willing to pay more for visibility in a new AI-driven environment, but the lack of measurement will make performance-focused advertisers think twice. Dig deeper. OpenAI Seeks Premium Prices in Early Ads Push (Subscription needed) View the full article

In a move set to streamline the often tedious process of agreement handling, DocuSign has rolled out innovative AI-driven eSignature features aimed specifically at smoothing out the kinks for both signers and businesses. These enhancements promise not only to clarify confusing legal jargon but also to significantly cut down on the manual workload often associated with contract preparation—key points that may particularly pique the interest of small business owners. The San Francisco-based company unveiled these advancements powered by their Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, targeting two common pain points in business agreements: dense legal language that complicates understanding and the cumbersome task of document preparation. The new features are intended to foster clarity and speed, ultimately benefiting small businesses that frequently navigate the complex landscape of contracts. For individual signers, clarity is now within reach. The AI-assisted signer experience summarizes agreements in plain English, delivering key terms in a more digestible format. Business owners can benefit from the ability to provide potential clients or partners with concise contract summaries, enabling clearer communication and confident signing. According to a recent survey, nearly 75% of participants expressed that they would feel more assured with AI-generated summaries, while almost 60% admitted to signing contracts without fully understanding the terms. The emotional strain related to complex contracts is also noteworthy. The same survey indicated that nearly half of signers experience negative emotions when faced with intricate legal text, with frustration and anxiety being common reactions. By addressing these challenges, DocuSign is not just improving the signing experience but actively working to eliminate the mental hurdles that small business owners typically encounter. On the business side, the advantages are equally compelling. The new eSignature features automate several preparation tasks that can bog down teams. Traditionally a manual process filled with formatting, double-checking, and positioning signature fields, document preparation will now see time-saving efficiencies. The AI identifies agreement types, verifies recipient data, and intelligently places necessary fields, which significantly reduces the opportunity for human error and speeds up turnaround times. Mangesh Bhandarkar, DocuSign’s GVP of Product Management, stated, “Our customers tell us manual agreement preparation is time-consuming, and signer confusion causes delays. We’re applying AI to solve both challenges by removing the contract busywork for preparers and using features like AI-powered summaries to eliminate signer hesitation.” His statement underscores the growing reliance on AI technology as a solution to age-old business inefficiencies. A primary consideration for small business owners is how these tools can be integrated into existing workflows. While the benefits are clear, there could be an initial learning curve for teams unfamiliar with AI applications in document management. Small business owners will need to determine if their teams have the capacity to adapt quickly and whether the investment in upgrading eSignature technology aligns with their current operational needs. Further, businesses that handle sensitive client information must weigh the risks associated with any technology migration, especially with regards to data security and compliance. However, DocuSign assures users that their AI engine, named Iris, employs enterprise-grade security measures, positioning it as a secure option for businesses concerned about protecting client data. The new and improved features are currently available in the US, UK, and Australia, with additional functionalities being rolled out imminently. With nearly 1.8 million customers worldwide utilizing DocuSign’s technology, the response from small businesses will likely be closely monitored as they navigate these recent enhancements. For those interested in delving deeper into this news, the original announcement from DocuSign can be found at DocuSign Press Release. Small business owners keen on leveraging these updates would do well to explore the implications for both their operational efficiency and client interactions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "DocuSign Unveils AI-Driven eSignature Features to Simplify Agreements" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In a move set to streamline the often tedious process of agreement handling, DocuSign has rolled out innovative AI-driven eSignature features aimed specifically at smoothing out the kinks for both signers and businesses. These enhancements promise not only to clarify confusing legal jargon but also to significantly cut down on the manual workload often associated with contract preparation—key points that may particularly pique the interest of small business owners. The San Francisco-based company unveiled these advancements powered by their Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform, targeting two common pain points in business agreements: dense legal language that complicates understanding and the cumbersome task of document preparation. The new features are intended to foster clarity and speed, ultimately benefiting small businesses that frequently navigate the complex landscape of contracts. For individual signers, clarity is now within reach. The AI-assisted signer experience summarizes agreements in plain English, delivering key terms in a more digestible format. Business owners can benefit from the ability to provide potential clients or partners with concise contract summaries, enabling clearer communication and confident signing. According to a recent survey, nearly 75% of participants expressed that they would feel more assured with AI-generated summaries, while almost 60% admitted to signing contracts without fully understanding the terms. The emotional strain related to complex contracts is also noteworthy. The same survey indicated that nearly half of signers experience negative emotions when faced with intricate legal text, with frustration and anxiety being common reactions. By addressing these challenges, DocuSign is not just improving the signing experience but actively working to eliminate the mental hurdles that small business owners typically encounter. On the business side, the advantages are equally compelling. The new eSignature features automate several preparation tasks that can bog down teams. Traditionally a manual process filled with formatting, double-checking, and positioning signature fields, document preparation will now see time-saving efficiencies. The AI identifies agreement types, verifies recipient data, and intelligently places necessary fields, which significantly reduces the opportunity for human error and speeds up turnaround times. Mangesh Bhandarkar, DocuSign’s GVP of Product Management, stated, “Our customers tell us manual agreement preparation is time-consuming, and signer confusion causes delays. We’re applying AI to solve both challenges by removing the contract busywork for preparers and using features like AI-powered summaries to eliminate signer hesitation.” His statement underscores the growing reliance on AI technology as a solution to age-old business inefficiencies. A primary consideration for small business owners is how these tools can be integrated into existing workflows. While the benefits are clear, there could be an initial learning curve for teams unfamiliar with AI applications in document management. Small business owners will need to determine if their teams have the capacity to adapt quickly and whether the investment in upgrading eSignature technology aligns with their current operational needs. Further, businesses that handle sensitive client information must weigh the risks associated with any technology migration, especially with regards to data security and compliance. However, DocuSign assures users that their AI engine, named Iris, employs enterprise-grade security measures, positioning it as a secure option for businesses concerned about protecting client data. The new and improved features are currently available in the US, UK, and Australia, with additional functionalities being rolled out imminently. With nearly 1.8 million customers worldwide utilizing DocuSign’s technology, the response from small businesses will likely be closely monitored as they navigate these recent enhancements. For those interested in delving deeper into this news, the original announcement from DocuSign can be found at DocuSign Press Release. Small business owners keen on leveraging these updates would do well to explore the implications for both their operational efficiency and client interactions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "DocuSign Unveils AI-Driven eSignature Features to Simplify Agreements" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The JBL Charge 6 is waterproof, dust-proof, and drop-resistant—and it's selling right now for $129.95 on Woot—$70 off its usual $199.95 listing on Amazon. That deal runs for the next six days (or until it sells out), and Prime members get free shipping. It includes a 90-day limited warranty through Woot, which is shorter than JBL’s standard coverage but still decent. That said, it ships without a charging brick or USB-C cable, which feels like an oversight at this price. JBL Charge 6 Portable Waterproof & Drop-Proof Bluetooth Speaker $199.95 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $199.95 at Amazon JBL didn’t overhaul the design here. The Charge 6 keeps the durable, travel-friendly build that made the Charge 5 so popular, with IP68 dust- and water-resistance and a new looped handle for better grip. Internally, the upgrade is real. A 2.1-by-3.7-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter push out 45 watts of power, backed by those familiar side radiators that give it surprisingly strong bass for its size. It’s not going to rival a subwoofer, but for a pool party or small outdoor hang, it holds its own with clean, full sound that doesn’t distort at a high volume, according to this PCMag review. Battery life is rated up to 24 hours depending on how hard you push it, and the speaker can even charge your phone using the USB-C port, which now also supports lossless audio when connected directly. Bluetooth 5.4 is on board, and JBL added support for Auracast—useful if you want to pair speakers or join public streams. The app offers a seven-band EQ for people who like to tinker, but codec support is limited to SBC and AAC, which means no aptX or LDAC if you care about high-res streaming. Still, this is a powerful speaker made for people who spend more time outdoors than in, and $129.95 is the lowest it’s been so far for a new-in-box unit, according to price-trackers. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $148.99 (List Price $179.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $407.47 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A reader writes: I’m a 20-year-old woman working at a locally owned company. I joined when I was 19 and currently hold the role of marketing director. I am the youngest person in the office by a wide margin; most of my coworkers are in their 60s or older and have been with the company for several years. I take my work seriously. I have a relevant degree, prior experience (I graduated college early at 18 and started working in marketing jobs while still studying) and a strong work ethic. In the day-to-day office environment, I’m quieter and focused, but still friendly, professional, and social when appropriate. I don’t engage in office gossip, especially when it involves criticizing coworkers or the owner, which has sometimes left me on the outskirts socially. The company owner, “Mark,” works in the office daily. He can be blunt and occasionally raises his voice when major, avoidable mistakes occur. While I don’t agree with that approach, I understand the frustration behind it. I’ve made minor, easily fixable mistakes, but nothing severe, and so he has never spoken to me harshly. We work closely together and get along well professionally. One coworker, “Linda,” is a part-time administrative assistant. She frequently gossips and pries into personal matters. In the past, she has made repeated comments about how I’m “all alone” or “quiet in the corner” or seems concerned that I don’t socialize more despite the fact that I’m usually working when others are chatting. These remarks feel unnecessary and slightly patronizing, but I’ve brushed them off. Recently, when Linda and I were alone in the office, she brought up an incident where Mark had scolded another employee. I responded neutrally, expressing understanding for both sides. She then pointed out that Mark has never spoken to me that way and referenced my interview last year, saying she thought he would “eat me alive.” This comment struck me as odd, given that I was confident, prepared, and assertive during my interview process. She then added that I’m simply Mark’s “shiny new penny,” and that eventually I won’t be, and he’ll treat me very differently. I laughed it off in the moment, but the comment has stayed with me. I can’t tell whether this was meant as a genuine warning, a projection based on her own experiences, or an attempt to undermine my confidence. It’s made me question whether I should anticipate a shift in how I’m treated or whether this says more about Linda’s perspective than my performance. I don’t want to gossip or escalate the situation, but I also don’t want to accept remarks that feel subtly diminishing. I’m concerned this won’t be the last comment of this nature. How should I interpret the “shiny new penny” remark? Is there likely any truth to it, or is it best ignored? And how can I respond calmly and professionally if similar comments arise again, without feeding office gossip or creating unnecessary tension? There are two possibilities here: Linda is correct about Mark, or she’s not. My money is on probably not, but time will tell. If she’s correct about Mark and he’s being nice to you because you’re new but eventually that will wear off and he’ll start speaking to you harshly … well, you’ll know that when it happens and you can decide how you want to handle it at that point. (Here’s some advice that might help if that happens, and here and here too.) But I suspect that Linda isn’t a particularly reliable judge, because of all the other details in your letter. For starters, Linda has shown that she doesn’t have great professional judgment (she frequently gossips and pries into personal matters, and her harping on you being “so quiet” when you’re working indicates she doesn’t read people well and that her priorities at work are off). Further evidence is her comment about how Mark would “eat you alive” when you came in for your interview, which I’d bet money was based on your age rather than your demeanor. People who don’t read other people well — and who don’t have mature judgment themselves — often use a kind of flawed mental shorthand, where someone young can’t have any gravitas and thus will be “eaten alive” by a boss like Mark, someone older will be “stuck in their ways,” and other forms of lazy stereotyping. And to someone several decades older, 20 can look really young; my guess is that she only sees that and overlooks that you’re smart, competent, and accomplished (again, because she’s not a good judge). And she might lack the ability to connect the dots from “LetterWriter does her work capably and professionally / doesn’t make major mistakes” to “and that’s why her relationship with Mark looks different than mine does.” If she makes more comments like that in the future, bland and neutral responses are the way to go, like “Hmmm, okay” or “I guess I will cross that bridge if I come to it.” Or better yet, just change the subject (“Hey, do you know if the mail came yet today?”). You’re not required to engage on the topics she raises, and work itself can provide endless subject changes. All that said, who knows, maybe Mark does have a pattern of treating newer employees well and then, once they’ve been around for a while, he starts speaking to them harshly. But again, if that happens, you’ll know! There’s nothing really actionable to do right now — and since Linda isn’t a particularly reliable source for that kind of insight, you shouldn’t let what she said get in your head. The post my coworker said I’m the boss’s “shiny new penny” appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Back in October, Google ended software support for the original and second-generation Nest Learning Thermostats. On the surface, that doesn’t seem totally unreasonable, considering those original devices are roughly 14 years old at this point. If you have one, you can still use it as a thermostat, but it will no longer connect to the internet. As a result, you can’t connect to it using the Nest or Google Home apps. That may not seem like a big deal, except that the single greatest thing about using a Nest Thermostat wasn’t the fact that it would learn your habits and create routines, or that it would detect when you’re not home and adjust accordingly. No, the best thing about using a Nest Thermostat was that you could open the app and turn on the furnace before you headed home from the company Christmas party. The best thing about Nest was that it took the single most boring thing in your home and made it smart. The problem is, those devices are still working just fine. In many homes, the hardware works exactly as well as it did the day it was installed. I know this to be true because ours is one of them. We have a second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat and the only thing wrong with it is that Google decided to kill its absolute best feature. The smart-home dream Nest was started in 2011 by Tony Fadell, whose primary design accomplishment before that was inventing the iPod. The idea was simple—take the most boring household hardware device and turn it into magic. The original Nest Learning Thermostat was both incredibly well designed and also magically smart. It learned user behavior, saved energy, and looked good doing it. Nest quickly became the most recognizable name in the beginning days of the smart-home market. Google bought Nest in 2014 for $3.2 billion, signaling how important the company believed the connected home would become. For a while, Nest operated semi-independently, expanding into products such as smoke detectors, cameras, and doorbells. Eventually, Google folded Nest back into its hardware division. That shift brought tighter integration with Google Assistant and a unified smart-home platform, but it also marked the end of Nest as a standalone brand with its own roadmap. Google changes direction Over the past decade, Google has reworked the Nest lineup into a broader Home ecosystem. Some early devices aged out as the company consolidated platforms, rewrote its smart-home APIs, and shifted from “Works With Nest” to “Works With Google Home.” Support challenges for aging hardware, combined with Google’s push for Matter-compatible, Assistant-driven devices, led to a gradual pruning of Nest’s earliest products. Today, Nest is no longer the flagship brand for smart homes. Instead, it’s more of a subbrand within Google’s hardware portfolio. Because technology is apparently obligated to continue to march on, Google says that the oldest Nest Thermostats are basically obsolete. Sure, they’ll continue to work—sort of. You can manually control the temperature on the thermostat, which—by the way—is also something you can do on much older thermostats. With the Nest, however, you just have to overlook the part about not connecting to the internet, which is pretty much the main reason you bought it in the first place. Just don’t break things that work fine Look, I don’t know what the lifespan should be for a smart thermostat, but I do know that for as long as it continues to operate, it should do the thing you were promised when you bought it. I get that there are reasons that companies end support for older devices. At some point, you can’t continue to develop software for devices that don’t have the hardware to run it. According to Google, “It has become increasingly challenging to continue to update these products given the early hardware.” The thing is, a thermostat doesn’t really need updates. It doesn’t need new software. It literally just needs to do the thing it did the day you bought it. Which—in this case—is to control your heat and air conditioning in the app. That’s the promise Nest sold from the beginning, and breaking that promise comes at a high cost. In fact, I’d argue the cost is so high that breaking it is the one thing no company should ever do. —Jason Aten This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy. View the full article

Ads already follow you wherever you go. They’re on your TV, your phone, your train car—even on your airline tray table and escalator. Now, they’ll soon be in your chatbot, too. OpenAI announced last week that it will begin selling ads in ChatGPT. The move opens up a potentially massive revenue source for OpenAI—and is a huge threat to Google’s world-dominating ad empire. Here’s why. ChatGPT, Sell Me a Toaster For years, OpenAI has resisted the siren song of advertising and has kept its chatbot largely open to the world. That’s gone well for the company. Offering a massively valuable product for free has been, unsurprisingly, popular. ChatGPT now has a reported 900 million monthly users. Of those, 95% are on the company’s Free or Go tiers, which means they either pay $8 per month for the service or nothing at all. Providing cutting-edge AI to a tenth of humanity, though, is exquisitely expensive: OpenAI expects to burn through $115 billion in the next few years. To raise that kind of money, OpenAI needs to prove that it can monetize its vast trove of free users. Advertising, traditionally, has been the way to make money from nonpaying eyeballs. Indeed, in its announcement, OpenAI confirmed that its ads will initially be limited to Free and Go users. They will appear below organic answers and be specifically identified as advertising. The company says that the content of ads won’t determine the answers that ChatGPT gives—if you ask it for a toaster recommendation, for example, it won’t write glowingly about a toaster brand that happens to be an ad partner. But if you ask the bot how to fix your broken toaster—and it turns out your current appliance is a lost cause—ChatGPT might present you with paid ads for a replacement. A Better Mailbox Showing contextual ads beside organic search results is hardly new: That’s been Google’s business model for decades, and it makes the tech giant hundreds of billions per year. What’s different, though, is how OpenAI can target its ads. Matching ads to a specific user is hard. Google has traditionally done it by gathering vast troves of data about all of us, and then mining that data for insights on what we might buy. In some cases, it’s obvious what ad Google should show. If you search “flights to Aruba,” you’re probably traveling to Aruba, and the company can profitably show you a bazillion ads for Aruba hotels, Aruba rental cars, and the like for the next several months. But more than half of Google queries are “navigational.” These are purely transactional phrases that people type into the search engine in order to find something else. Many more queries are short and ambiguous. Looking at my own recent Google search history, for example, I typed in queries including “Sonicare skip slow start,” “Rancho San Ramon Community Park,” and “what minor American celebrities are big in Japan.” Good luck figuring out what ads to serve me based on that. In contrast, when people chat with ChatGPT, they tend to do so for a long time. The average “session” with the chatbot reportedly lasts 12 minutes and 24 seconds. That’s long enough to exchange a lot of information. And all that information gives the bot a strong sense of what the user wants—or might want to buy. In a recent session with ChatGPT, for example, I had a detailed conversation about whether a specific piece of lumber was pressure-treated, and how this might affect my ability to use it in my laser cutter. From our long chat, the bot now knows the exact project I’m working on (replacing a mailbox). If ads were live, it could use that context to try to sell me all manner of related things: better lumber, metal mailbox bases, construction adhesive, and the like. And it gets even better. ChatGPT knows I’m building a mailbox. But with its Memory function, it remembers from our previous chats the exact model of laser cutter I have, where I live, and much else about me. That would potentially allow the bot to serve me ads not just for lumber, but also for lumber that works in my laser cutter; that would hold up well to the climate in California, where I live; and that would be easy for me to work with, given my exceedingly limited patience and skill for woodworking. A Shot Across the Bow OpenAI’s exquisite knowledge of its users’ needs means it can likely sell ChatGPT ads for a premium. And because so many people use the bot, its potential ad market is massive. That makes OpenAI a huge threat to Google, the dominant player in the digital advertising market. The search engine processes about 8.5 billion queries per day. Since the average person searches Google about four times per day, that means Google Search likely has around 2.5 billion active users. That’s roughly triple OpenAI’s user base. But OpenAI is still growing aggressively. And again, the company’s users spend far longer with ChatGPT than Google’s users spend on its search engine: 12 minutes versus as little as five seconds for a Google search. The combination of a gigantic audience and lots of engagement time—plus a huge amount of targeting data—means OpenAI has all the tools it needs to threaten Google’s ad dominance in very short order. And there’s precedent for a new entrant to the ad world gaining ground quickly. In 2019, Amazon had only $12.63 billion in ad revenue. But 2024, that number swelled to $56.21 billion and is still growing. And that’s with far fewer users than OpenAI. Make no mistake, then. OpenAI’s announcement is a shot across Google’s bow. The company says its ad program is still in a testing phase. But so was ChatGPT when the company launched it. That OpenAI product completely changed the fabric of the digital world, altering how artificial intelligence is built and sold. OpenAI’s ads could soon do the same for the way it’s monetized. View the full article

In terms of social media content creation, selecting the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and engagement. Tools like Canva and Adobe Spark simplify graphic and video design, whereas Hootsuite and Buffer help manage scheduling and analytics efficiently. Collaboration platforms such as Miro and Filestage streamline brainstorming and review processes. Comprehending these tools and their features can help you choose the best options to raise your content strategy. What might be the best fit for your needs? Key Takeaways Canva offers an intuitive design platform with customizable templates and AI features for efficient social media content creation. Adobe Spark provides a user-friendly interface for dynamic video content, perfect for engaging social media audiences. Hootsuite streamlines social media management through scheduling, analytics, and a unified inbox for better engagement. Animoto allows users to create professional-quality videos effortlessly with pre-built templates and music tracks suited for social media. Miro enhances collaboration with real-time brainstorming tools, improving visual organization and content strategy development for teams. Overview of Social Media Content Creation Tools In today’s digital environment, where visual appeal is crucial for engaging audiences, having the right tools for social media content creation can make a significant difference. Various content creation tools, like Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud, empower you to design professional graphics and videos without needing advanced design skills, making the creative process more efficient. Furthermore, social media marketing tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer streamline your workflow by integrating scheduling and analytics, allowing you to manage posts effortlessly. Video creation tools like Animoto and Lumen5 cater to the growing demand for video content, whereas platforms like Snappa and Crello provide extensive libraries of templates and assets. Collaboration tools, including Miro and Filestage, improve teamwork and accelerate project timelines, boosting overall productivity. Canva: Design Made Easy Canva stands out as a leading tool in social media content creation, making design accessible to everyone. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and over 600,000 customizable templates, you don’t need advanced design skills to create attractive graphics. Its ai empowered content creation features, like Magic Write and Magic Switch, improve efficiency by allowing quick resizing for various social media channels. Furthermore, Canva‘s premium content library boasts over 100 million assets, enriching your design options. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback, reducing turnaround time by 66%. You can even streamline your social media strategy with Canva’s Content Planner, which lets you create, schedule, and post directly from the platform, making it one of the top content creation tools for social media. Hootsuite: Streamlining Social Media Management While managing multiple social media platforms can feel overwhelming, Hootsuite simplifies this process by allowing users to schedule, engage, monitor, and analyze posts from a single dashboard. As one of the best tools for social media content creation, it utilizes AI social media marketing to provide personalized strategies and insights. Here are three key features: Unified Inbox: Consolidates messages for efficient engagement management, reducing workload by 80% with chatbot capabilities. Custom Reports: Tracks hundreds of metrics, enabling extensive analysis and performance optimization. Hootsuite: With over 25 million users, Hootsuite boasts 17 years of experience, recognized for its superior customer service and strong security features. These tools help streamline your social media management effectively. Buffer: AI-Powered Content Generation Buffer stands out as an important tool for marketers looking to improve their social media content creation through AI-powered solutions. This platform acts as one of the best AI social media post generators, allowing you to generate content ideas, rephrase drafts, and create posts seamlessly. It leverages real-time data to suggest ideal posting times and formats based on audience engagement metrics, ensuring your content reaches the right people. With an intuitive interface, you can easily schedule and manage multiple social media accounts. Buffer’s analytics capabilities offer valuable insights on post performance, helping you refine your content strategies for better engagement. Plus, its integration with Zapier boosts productivity by automating workflows, making it a vital content creation software for marketers. Adobe Spark: Dynamic Video Content Creation For those looking to improve their video content creation for social media, Adobe Spark offers a potent and user-friendly solution. This platform stands out among content creation apps because of its intuitive design and features customized for social media post creation tools. With Adobe Spark, you can: Easily create stunning videos using a drag-and-drop interface, perfect for beginners. Access a variety of templates and design options optimized for different social media formats. Integrate seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications for advanced editing, if needed. Whether you opt for the free plan or subscribe to premium features starting at $9.99 per month, Adobe Spark provides the flexibility to cater to both individuals and businesses seeking effective video content. Loomly: Scheduling and Collaboration Simplified When managing social media content, Loomly simplifies the process by providing a centralized platform that streamlines scheduling, publishing, and analyzing posts across various channels. As a social media content creator, you’ll appreciate Loomly’s collaborative content calendar, which lets teams brainstorm, plan, and manage posts in real time. The built-in asset library allows easy access to images and videos, enhancing your workflow with content creation apps. Furthermore, Loomly offers automated post suggestions and a preview feature, so you can see how your content will appear on different platforms before hitting publish. With pricing starting at $25/month for the base plan, Loomly is an affordable choice for both individuals and teams, making social media management more efficient. InShot: User-Friendly Video Editing InShot stands out as a user-friendly video editing app that makes creating content accessible for everyone, regardless of skill level. Its simple interface allows you to easily trim, split, and merge clips, whereas versatile editing features let you adjust video speed and add music or effects to improve your projects. With support for various aspect ratios, you can tailor your videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, ensuring your content looks professional and polished. Simple Interface Design Maneuvering through the domain of video editing can seem intimidating, but with InShot, you’ll find that simplicity is key. This app stands out among the best content creation apps because of its intuitive interface, allowing you to edit with ease. Here are three features that improve its user-friendliness: Drag-and-Drop Functionality: Quickly assemble clips, music, and effects with minimal effort. Wide Format Support: Edit videos customized for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube seamlessly. On-the-Go Editing: Create and share high-quality videos directly from your smartphone. InShot’s design makes it accessible for anyone, making it an excellent choice for those using an AI content generator for social media, ensuring you focus on creativity, not complexity. Versatile Editing Features Though creating engaging content is essential for social media success, having versatile editing features at your fingertips can make a significant difference. InShot is a user-friendly video editing app that’s ideal for any social media creator. With just a few taps, you can trim, cut, and merge video clips, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced editors. The app offers a variety of editing features, such as adjusting video speed, applying filters, and adding music or voiceovers. Furthermore, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube support various aspect ratios, allowing you to customize videos for platforms like these. You can also incorporate text and stickers, enhancing storytelling and viewer engagement. It’s a top choice among content creator tools for producing high-quality videos efficiently. Miro: Visual Collaboration for Content Planning Miro is a strong online whiteboard tool that improves visual brainstorming sessions and collaborative content mapping, making it perfect for teams working on social media strategies. With its user-friendly interface, you can easily create mind maps and flowcharts that organize your ideas effectively. Plus, Miro’s real-time collaboration features allow everyone to contribute simultaneously, ensuring a seamless planning process. Visual Brainstorming Sessions When teams collaborate effectively, the brainstorming process can greatly refine content planning, and Miro serves as an excellent platform for this purpose. This online whiteboard tool improves collaboration by providing a centralized space for visual idea generation. Here are three key benefits of using Miro for visual brainstorming sessions: Real-time Ideation: Miro’s user-friendly interface allows team members to brainstorm simultaneously, boosting creativity and participation. Visual Organization: Features like sticky notes and templates help you organize concepts clearly, streamlining the content planning process. Integration Capabilities: Miro integrates with various tools, enabling a seamless workflow, which is essential for analyzing social media analytics and utilizing AI for social media posts effectively. Collaborative Content Mapping Collaborative content mapping is a crucial process that improves how teams plan and execute their social media strategies. Using Miro, you can augment communication and idea generation among team members in real-time, making it ideal for a marketing and social media manager. This online whiteboard tool allows you to create visual formats like mind maps and flowcharts, aligning your strategies effectively. Miro’s user-friendly interface supports diverse content mapping techniques, helping your team access and share the latest design files and project updates, especially beneficial for remote teams. Furthermore, its integration capabilities streamline workflow efficiency by connecting to various project management and communication tools, allowing you to leverage social media insights more effectively in your planning process. Filestage: Enhancing Review Processes Filestage improves review processes by providing a streamlined platform for content collaboration and approval. With its user-friendly interface and real-time capabilities, you can boost your workflow considerably. Here are three key features: Real-Time Collaboration: Team members can comment directly on content, streamlining communication and accelerating the review cycle. Version Control: Keep everyone on the same page by ensuring that all team members work with the latest files, reducing errors. Organized File Management: Easily track project status, which helps maintain timely completion across your content platforms. Animoto: Creating Engaging Video Presentations As your content review processes become more effective with tools like Filestage, enhancing your visual storytelling is equally important. Animoto is a user-friendly video creation tool that lets you transform photos and video clips into engaging videos with a simple drag-and-drop interface. The platform offers pre-built templates and music tracks, enabling you to produce professional-quality videos quickly. With various formats suitable for social media platforms, Animoto strengthens your content strategy through dynamic video presentations. Pricing starts with a free plan and paid options from $8 per month, catering to different production needs. It’s particularly beneficial for small businesses and social media marketers looking to leverage social media ai and the best social media analytics tools to boost engagement. Best Practices for Choosing the Right Tool How do you choose the right tool for your social media content creation? Start by evaluating your specific needs to guarantee the tool aligns with your content strategy. Consider the following: User-Friendliness: Look for intuitive tools like Canva or Crello that require minimal design skills, allowing for quick content creation. Integration Capabilities: Confirm the tool works seamlessly with your existing platforms, such as social media monitoring software or scheduling tools like Hootsuite. Collaboration Features: Opt for tools that support real-time editing and feedback, enhancing team efficiency. Finally, review pricing structures to find a solution that fits your budget while offering the best social media platform for your needs. This careful evaluation will streamline your workflow and improve output quality. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Tool for Content Creation? The best tool for content creation depends on your needs and skills. For beginners, Canva’s user-friendly interface and vast asset library make it a top choice. If you’re experienced, Adobe Creative Cloud offers advanced features for high-quality visuals. For managing social media, Hootsuite combines content creation with scheduling and analytics. If video is your focus, Animoto simplifies video production. Snappa is great for quick, professional graphics. Choose based on your specific requirements. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5 5 5 Rule on social media suggests that for every five promotional posts, you should share five engaging and five informative posts. This balance helps you build trust with your audience, as it provides content beyond just sales pitches. By following the 5 5 5 Rule, you’ll improve audience engagement and cultivate community development around your brand. Diverse content meets various interests, enhancing brand recognition and loyalty among your followers. What Are the Big 4 of Social Media Tools? The Big 4 of social media tools are Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, and SocialPilot. Hootsuite thrives in managing multiple networks and offers advanced analytics. Buffer is user-friendly, focusing on scheduling posts and audience engagement. Sprout Social provides robust reporting features, customized for businesses aiming to convert engagement into revenue. Finally, SocialPilot is designed for teams, with collaborative tools and affordable pricing, making it easy to manage various social platforms efficiently. What Is the 50 30 20 Rule for Social Media? The 50 30 20 rule for social media suggests you should allocate 50% of your content to entertaining posts, 30% to informative material, and 20% to promotional messages. This balanced approach keeps your audience engaged by preventing them from feeling overwhelmed with constant promotions. Conclusion In conclusion, selecting the right tools for social media content creation can greatly improve your team’s productivity and engagement. Platforms like Canva and Adobe Spark simplify design, whereas management tools like Hootsuite and Buffer optimize scheduling and analytics. Collaboration tools, such as Miro and Filestage, make brainstorming and reviews more efficient. By comprehending these options, you can tailor your toolkit to meet your specific needs, ensuring your content resonates effectively with your audience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Best Tools for Social Media Content Creation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In terms of social media content creation, selecting the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and engagement. Tools like Canva and Adobe Spark simplify graphic and video design, whereas Hootsuite and Buffer help manage scheduling and analytics efficiently. Collaboration platforms such as Miro and Filestage streamline brainstorming and review processes. Comprehending these tools and their features can help you choose the best options to raise your content strategy. What might be the best fit for your needs? Key Takeaways Canva offers an intuitive design platform with customizable templates and AI features for efficient social media content creation. Adobe Spark provides a user-friendly interface for dynamic video content, perfect for engaging social media audiences. Hootsuite streamlines social media management through scheduling, analytics, and a unified inbox for better engagement. Animoto allows users to create professional-quality videos effortlessly with pre-built templates and music tracks suited for social media. Miro enhances collaboration with real-time brainstorming tools, improving visual organization and content strategy development for teams. Overview of Social Media Content Creation Tools In today’s digital environment, where visual appeal is crucial for engaging audiences, having the right tools for social media content creation can make a significant difference. Various content creation tools, like Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud, empower you to design professional graphics and videos without needing advanced design skills, making the creative process more efficient. Furthermore, social media marketing tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer streamline your workflow by integrating scheduling and analytics, allowing you to manage posts effortlessly. Video creation tools like Animoto and Lumen5 cater to the growing demand for video content, whereas platforms like Snappa and Crello provide extensive libraries of templates and assets. Collaboration tools, including Miro and Filestage, improve teamwork and accelerate project timelines, boosting overall productivity. Canva: Design Made Easy Canva stands out as a leading tool in social media content creation, making design accessible to everyone. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and over 600,000 customizable templates, you don’t need advanced design skills to create attractive graphics. Its ai empowered content creation features, like Magic Write and Magic Switch, improve efficiency by allowing quick resizing for various social media channels. Furthermore, Canva‘s premium content library boasts over 100 million assets, enriching your design options. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback, reducing turnaround time by 66%. You can even streamline your social media strategy with Canva’s Content Planner, which lets you create, schedule, and post directly from the platform, making it one of the top content creation tools for social media. Hootsuite: Streamlining Social Media Management While managing multiple social media platforms can feel overwhelming, Hootsuite simplifies this process by allowing users to schedule, engage, monitor, and analyze posts from a single dashboard. As one of the best tools for social media content creation, it utilizes AI social media marketing to provide personalized strategies and insights. Here are three key features: Unified Inbox: Consolidates messages for efficient engagement management, reducing workload by 80% with chatbot capabilities. Custom Reports: Tracks hundreds of metrics, enabling extensive analysis and performance optimization. Hootsuite: With over 25 million users, Hootsuite boasts 17 years of experience, recognized for its superior customer service and strong security features. These tools help streamline your social media management effectively. Buffer: AI-Powered Content Generation Buffer stands out as an important tool for marketers looking to improve their social media content creation through AI-powered solutions. This platform acts as one of the best AI social media post generators, allowing you to generate content ideas, rephrase drafts, and create posts seamlessly. It leverages real-time data to suggest ideal posting times and formats based on audience engagement metrics, ensuring your content reaches the right people. With an intuitive interface, you can easily schedule and manage multiple social media accounts. Buffer’s analytics capabilities offer valuable insights on post performance, helping you refine your content strategies for better engagement. Plus, its integration with Zapier boosts productivity by automating workflows, making it a vital content creation software for marketers. Adobe Spark: Dynamic Video Content Creation For those looking to improve their video content creation for social media, Adobe Spark offers a potent and user-friendly solution. This platform stands out among content creation apps because of its intuitive design and features customized for social media post creation tools. With Adobe Spark, you can: Easily create stunning videos using a drag-and-drop interface, perfect for beginners. Access a variety of templates and design options optimized for different social media formats. Integrate seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications for advanced editing, if needed. Whether you opt for the free plan or subscribe to premium features starting at $9.99 per month, Adobe Spark provides the flexibility to cater to both individuals and businesses seeking effective video content. Loomly: Scheduling and Collaboration Simplified When managing social media content, Loomly simplifies the process by providing a centralized platform that streamlines scheduling, publishing, and analyzing posts across various channels. As a social media content creator, you’ll appreciate Loomly’s collaborative content calendar, which lets teams brainstorm, plan, and manage posts in real time. The built-in asset library allows easy access to images and videos, enhancing your workflow with content creation apps. Furthermore, Loomly offers automated post suggestions and a preview feature, so you can see how your content will appear on different platforms before hitting publish. With pricing starting at $25/month for the base plan, Loomly is an affordable choice for both individuals and teams, making social media management more efficient. InShot: User-Friendly Video Editing InShot stands out as a user-friendly video editing app that makes creating content accessible for everyone, regardless of skill level. Its simple interface allows you to easily trim, split, and merge clips, whereas versatile editing features let you adjust video speed and add music or effects to improve your projects. With support for various aspect ratios, you can tailor your videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, ensuring your content looks professional and polished. Simple Interface Design Maneuvering through the domain of video editing can seem intimidating, but with InShot, you’ll find that simplicity is key. This app stands out among the best content creation apps because of its intuitive interface, allowing you to edit with ease. Here are three features that improve its user-friendliness: Drag-and-Drop Functionality: Quickly assemble clips, music, and effects with minimal effort. Wide Format Support: Edit videos customized for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube seamlessly. On-the-Go Editing: Create and share high-quality videos directly from your smartphone. InShot’s design makes it accessible for anyone, making it an excellent choice for those using an AI content generator for social media, ensuring you focus on creativity, not complexity. Versatile Editing Features Though creating engaging content is essential for social media success, having versatile editing features at your fingertips can make a significant difference. InShot is a user-friendly video editing app that’s ideal for any social media creator. With just a few taps, you can trim, cut, and merge video clips, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced editors. The app offers a variety of editing features, such as adjusting video speed, applying filters, and adding music or voiceovers. Furthermore, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube support various aspect ratios, allowing you to customize videos for platforms like these. You can also incorporate text and stickers, enhancing storytelling and viewer engagement. It’s a top choice among content creator tools for producing high-quality videos efficiently. Miro: Visual Collaboration for Content Planning Miro is a strong online whiteboard tool that improves visual brainstorming sessions and collaborative content mapping, making it perfect for teams working on social media strategies. With its user-friendly interface, you can easily create mind maps and flowcharts that organize your ideas effectively. Plus, Miro’s real-time collaboration features allow everyone to contribute simultaneously, ensuring a seamless planning process. Visual Brainstorming Sessions When teams collaborate effectively, the brainstorming process can greatly refine content planning, and Miro serves as an excellent platform for this purpose. This online whiteboard tool improves collaboration by providing a centralized space for visual idea generation. Here are three key benefits of using Miro for visual brainstorming sessions: Real-time Ideation: Miro’s user-friendly interface allows team members to brainstorm simultaneously, boosting creativity and participation. Visual Organization: Features like sticky notes and templates help you organize concepts clearly, streamlining the content planning process. Integration Capabilities: Miro integrates with various tools, enabling a seamless workflow, which is essential for analyzing social media analytics and utilizing AI for social media posts effectively. Collaborative Content Mapping Collaborative content mapping is a crucial process that improves how teams plan and execute their social media strategies. Using Miro, you can augment communication and idea generation among team members in real-time, making it ideal for a marketing and social media manager. This online whiteboard tool allows you to create visual formats like mind maps and flowcharts, aligning your strategies effectively. Miro’s user-friendly interface supports diverse content mapping techniques, helping your team access and share the latest design files and project updates, especially beneficial for remote teams. Furthermore, its integration capabilities streamline workflow efficiency by connecting to various project management and communication tools, allowing you to leverage social media insights more effectively in your planning process. Filestage: Enhancing Review Processes Filestage improves review processes by providing a streamlined platform for content collaboration and approval. With its user-friendly interface and real-time capabilities, you can boost your workflow considerably. Here are three key features: Real-Time Collaboration: Team members can comment directly on content, streamlining communication and accelerating the review cycle. Version Control: Keep everyone on the same page by ensuring that all team members work with the latest files, reducing errors. Organized File Management: Easily track project status, which helps maintain timely completion across your content platforms. Animoto: Creating Engaging Video Presentations As your content review processes become more effective with tools like Filestage, enhancing your visual storytelling is equally important. Animoto is a user-friendly video creation tool that lets you transform photos and video clips into engaging videos with a simple drag-and-drop interface. The platform offers pre-built templates and music tracks, enabling you to produce professional-quality videos quickly. With various formats suitable for social media platforms, Animoto strengthens your content strategy through dynamic video presentations. Pricing starts with a free plan and paid options from $8 per month, catering to different production needs. It’s particularly beneficial for small businesses and social media marketers looking to leverage social media ai and the best social media analytics tools to boost engagement. Best Practices for Choosing the Right Tool How do you choose the right tool for your social media content creation? Start by evaluating your specific needs to guarantee the tool aligns with your content strategy. Consider the following: User-Friendliness: Look for intuitive tools like Canva or Crello that require minimal design skills, allowing for quick content creation. Integration Capabilities: Confirm the tool works seamlessly with your existing platforms, such as social media monitoring software or scheduling tools like Hootsuite. Collaboration Features: Opt for tools that support real-time editing and feedback, enhancing team efficiency. Finally, review pricing structures to find a solution that fits your budget while offering the best social media platform for your needs. This careful evaluation will streamline your workflow and improve output quality. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Tool for Content Creation? The best tool for content creation depends on your needs and skills. For beginners, Canva’s user-friendly interface and vast asset library make it a top choice. If you’re experienced, Adobe Creative Cloud offers advanced features for high-quality visuals. For managing social media, Hootsuite combines content creation with scheduling and analytics. If video is your focus, Animoto simplifies video production. Snappa is great for quick, professional graphics. Choose based on your specific requirements. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5 5 5 Rule on social media suggests that for every five promotional posts, you should share five engaging and five informative posts. This balance helps you build trust with your audience, as it provides content beyond just sales pitches. By following the 5 5 5 Rule, you’ll improve audience engagement and cultivate community development around your brand. Diverse content meets various interests, enhancing brand recognition and loyalty among your followers. What Are the Big 4 of Social Media Tools? The Big 4 of social media tools are Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, and SocialPilot. Hootsuite thrives in managing multiple networks and offers advanced analytics. Buffer is user-friendly, focusing on scheduling posts and audience engagement. Sprout Social provides robust reporting features, customized for businesses aiming to convert engagement into revenue. Finally, SocialPilot is designed for teams, with collaborative tools and affordable pricing, making it easy to manage various social platforms efficiently. What Is the 50 30 20 Rule for Social Media? The 50 30 20 rule for social media suggests you should allocate 50% of your content to entertaining posts, 30% to informative material, and 20% to promotional messages. This balanced approach keeps your audience engaged by preventing them from feeling overwhelmed with constant promotions. Conclusion In conclusion, selecting the right tools for social media content creation can greatly improve your team’s productivity and engagement. Platforms like Canva and Adobe Spark simplify design, whereas management tools like Hootsuite and Buffer optimize scheduling and analytics. Collaboration tools, such as Miro and Filestage, make brainstorming and reviews more efficient. By comprehending these options, you can tailor your toolkit to meet your specific needs, ensuring your content resonates effectively with your audience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Best Tools for Social Media Content Creation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When Apple introduced Liquid Glass to the public in June of last year, it kicked off a saga that's still ongoing. The company's toned down the effect multiple times, and in November, it added controls for tinting it. Some have even found out ways to disable Liquid Glass entirely. It's not a quagmire I'd jump into willingly, but apparently, that's exactly what Android's about to do. According to "images of internal builds" seen by 9to5Google, Android's next update will add significant amounts of blur "across Android 17." "Throughout the OS, you can expect a system UI that switches from solid light or dark backgrounds to a blur effect that allows you to see what's immediately behind the component you're interacting with," writes 9to5Google's Abner Li. That sounds a lot like Liquid Glass to me, and Li further confirms that elements like the volume bar and mode switcher will be translucent, allowing you to see your wallpaper and app icons in the background. Credit: Google This actually isn't Google's first time experimenting with transparency effects. In Android 16 QPR1, Google already added blur to the notification and quick settings panels. What's new is that we can now expect it in other parts of the OS as well, for a more cohesive look. So if it hasn't bothered you yet, you don't need to worry about opening your phone on Android 17's release date and seeing a brand new interface. Li also says that "Compared to Liquid Glass on iOS, Android's new look is more subtle," although some are likely to be more sensitive to it than others. Personally, I haven't noticed the blur that's already there much, but even if you don't mind the aesthetic, the effect can be a slight drain on battery life. Luckily, even before it's been introduced across the OS at large, there's a way to turn off blur in Android. This came in Android QPR2, specifically as a response to the new effects (although it was technically available in developer options before then). To do this, open your Settings app, and then navigate to Accessibility > Color & Motion. From there, tap on Reduce blur effects. The change will take place immediately, so you'll be able to test then and there which look you prefer. Like other new Android features, the blur is likely to come to Pixels first, and because Google's branding it as part of its own Material 3 Expressive design language, it might not make the jump to Samsung Galaxy or other Android phones. The exception could be in Google-branded apps, although Li said "it remains to be seen" whether Google will add blur to its apps in addition to the OS. View the full article

With Andy Burnham sidelined, the health secretary is the strongest contender to challenge for the Labour leadershipView the full article

Investment platform did not have the correct permission to sell crypto ETNs for approximately three monthsView the full article

Nato chief says continent cannot afford to replace American security umbrellaView the full article

CoreWeave and Nvidia announced Monday that the AI chipmaker has invested another $2 billion as part of a plan to accelerate the buildout of more than five gigawatts of artificial-intelligence (AI) factories by 2030. That’s on top of its previous $3.3 billion investment. CoreWeave is a cloud computing platform focused on artificial intelligence. According to a release from Nvidia, the chipmaker bought CoreWeave Class A common stock at $87.20 a share, which “reflects it’s confidence in CoreWeave’s business, team and growth strategy as a cloud platform built on NVIDIA infrastructure.” The news sent shares of CoreWeave, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWV) up 12% in Monday morning trading; at the time of this writing, in midday trading, it was trading up over 9%. “Demand for AI continues to grow exponentially and the need for compute has never been greater, the companies said in a joint statement. “AI is entering its next frontier and driving the largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia added. “CoreWeave’s deep AI factory expertise, platform software, and unmatched execution velocity are recognized across the industry. Together, we’re racing to meet extraordinary demand for NVIDIA AI factories—the foundation of the AI industrial revolution.” The deal does two things: It gives CoreWeave “early access” to Nvidia’s new central processing unit (CPU) and other products; and pits Nvidia up against Intel and Advanced Micro Devices as direct competitors, according to a report from LinkedIn News. Coreweave financials CoreWeave became a publicly-traded company in March, debuting on the Nasdaq exchange—after raising billions, in part from Nvidia, per CNBC. In November, the company reported third-quarter 2025 earnings with revenue beating analyst expectations at $1.36 billion (versus $1.29 billion), but reported negative earnings per share (EPS) of 22 cents. Operating income was also down 56% to $51.9 million. That, in addition to high infrastructure costs, third-party partner delays, and high debt, caused its share price to drop at the time. View the full article

Hi there, Remote work has always suited me better than office life: letting me work at my own pace while staying close to those who matter most. Today, that’s my kids; before them, it was my mutt and favorite co-worker, Paro. Along the way, I’ve come to recognize the challenges of remote work too: loneliness, pajama days, and finding the right places to work from. If you’re like me, today’s reads offer practical advice on achieving a healthier work-life balance, with a bonus article to help you decide whether going remote is right for you in the first place. Enjoy the read. — Maja Our Favorite Articles 💯Is Remote Work Really for You? (Psychology Today)Psychologists outline four clear signs that remote work fits your personality—and a few hints that it might quietly be working against you. 👉 ​Read here​. The Best Dogs for Working From Home (Best Life)Dogs make great co-workers—but having one demanding a game of fetch mid-Zoom isn’t always ideal. Some breeds are simply better suited for long, quiet days at home. 👉 ​Learn more​. Why Remote Workers Are Struggling to Sleep (Tom’s Guide)Doctors explain why many remote workers are sleeping worse this winter, and share three simple fixes to reset boundaries between work, rest, and recovery. 👉 ​Find out how​. The Best Ways to Negotiate Flexibility (Phys.org)Requesting remote or flexible work can be more, or less, successful depending on how you build your case. 👉 ​Keep reading​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Your new website, email address & cloud storage. Simple. Fast. Secure.Discover ​ace.me​: Your all-in-one website, email and cloud storage. Ditch Linktree, Gmail and Dropbox for a privacy focused experience. Build amazing sites effortlessly, enjoy your mails in a modern messenger format, all free forever. Sign up now! Remotive Jobs 💼Let's get you hired! This great company is hiring now: 💻 Engineering 👉 ​Senior Independent Software Developer at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 👉 ​Senior Independent AI Engineer / Architect at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 👉 ​Senior Software Engineer, Global Contractor at Jump​ (Worldwide) 📱 Product 👉 ​Product Inventor / Engineer @ Fun Ecom Co | Great People & Flexible Hours at JLS Trading Co​ (Worldwide) 🧚 Customer service 👉 ​Client Support Specialist at Clipboard Health​ (Europe, Canada, South Africa, Philippines, Jamaica) Free Guides & Tools​Premium Job Board​We curate 115,000+ fully remote jobs so you don't have to. ➡️ ​Find your remote job​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely. ➡️ ​Check it out Join the Remotive newsletter Subscribe to get our latest content by email. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email address Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit View the full article

The government mortgage securitization guarantor flagged the goal back during the first The President administration, warning then that it would be a long-term project. View the full article

For weeks, the leaders of Minnesota’s most prominent businesses have remained tight-lipped as thousands of ICE agents have flooded the Twin Cities, where those agents have raided residential neighborhoods, detained employees from local businesses, and taken multiple schoolchildren in broad daylight. Now, over the weekend, more than 60 Minnesota-based CEOs finally spoke out against ICE in a brief collective letter. The 200-word letter was released on January 25 by Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce. It came the day after a U.S. Border Patrol officer shot and killed Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse Alex Pretti, and weeks after the death of Minneapolis writer Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7. In the letter, the business leaders call for “an immediate deescalation of tensions,” and for “state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.” But, for many Minnesotans, this response is too little, too late. A culture of corporate silence Just a few years ago, it was fairly commonplace for major companies to speak out about social justice—to varying degrees of actual commitment and impact. In the summer of 2020, during President The President’s first term, Minnesota-based companies including General Mills, Target, Best Buy, Cargill, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, and Land O’Lakes all offered statements in the immediate wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. But now, during The President’s second term, corporate silence has become the norm as companies opt to remain mute on critical issues rather than attracting the The President administration’s ire. Until recently, the above companies have failed to speak up amidst large-scale ICE raids in their home state. Earlier this month, Fast Company writer Joe Berkowitz reached out to all of them regarding ICE’s presence in Minneapolis, and received radio silence. Meanwhile, small businesses in the community were actively responding to the situation by condemning ICE and setting up fundraisers for affected residents. Now, though, it seems that major Minnesotan companies finally feel that silence is no longer a viable path forward. Their new letter was signed by CEOs from all of the aforementioned companies, as well as others like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Vikings, Xcel Energy, and more. “The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state,” the letter starts. “The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.” It continues, “In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.” Notably, the letter never actually references ICE or U.S. Border Patrol by name, and only acknowledges Pretti’s death as “yesterday’s tragic news.” Too little, too late So far, some commenters online have expressed their gratitude to these companies for coming forward. But the overwhelming response has been dominated by people who are incredulous at the statement’s timing—and its lack of direct language. “I’d argue this isn’t even ‘breaking silence,’” one comment under a post from The Minnesota Star Tribune reads. “This statement essentially says nothing. They are just speaking out to avoid criticism.” A second comment noted, “It reads with the subtext ‘please let’s all calm down so we can make money again’ PASS.” And a third user added, “Y’all have the resources to do more than write a letter. Pause operations for a week, pay your employees anyway, go to DC and take an actual risk. Small businesses stood 10 toes down and lost revenue on Friday while yall stayed open. Leadership isn’t just about bts conversations . . . it’s also about using your leverage. So use it.” View the full article

If not now, yen?View the full article

The Wienermobiles are coming back for a bite at the Brickyard in May, giving them another chance to relish the spotlight of racing’s biggest weekend. Oscar Mayer announced Sunday all six of its famed street-ready vehicles will compete for the second straight year on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s historic 2.5-mile oval. The Wienie 500 is scheduled for May 22 during the track’s annual Carburation Day festivities. Last year’s race was such a hit, organizers wanted to give fans a second round to savor the flavor of a light-hearted competition just two days before IndyCar’s marquis race — the Indianapolis 500. The presentation will have a familiar look for fans who watched last year’s inaugural race. Each Wienermobile will feature toppings representing an American regional favorite while carrying carry custom decals. Drivers will don Hotdogger racing suits while the iconic “Wiener Song” plays and the champ drives into “wieners circle.” Slaw Dog, which represents the Southeast, will try to prove it is beefy enough to defend last year’s crown. Four other regional favorites also are expected to return — Chi Dog (Midwest), New York Dog (East), Chili Dog (South) and Seattle Dog (Northwest). But the Sonoran Dog may be replaced after failing to cut the mustard in 2025. Fans can choose the final entrant from a menu of seven possibilities, including the Sonoran Dog, by visiting Instagram in the first “Pick Your Dog” Wienie 500 bracket. Updates will be provided on the Instagram account or on TikTok. “The response to the first Wienie 500 was overwhelming, and we heard the fans loud and clear that they were hungry for more,” Kelsey Rice, Oscar Mayer brand communications director said in a statement. “This year, we’re supercharging the experience, delivering an even bigger, bolder and more unforgettable event that puts the fans at the forefront. With amplified engagement, intensified rivalries and more surprises in store, we’re giving the people what they want — an unparalleled live experience that will leave them craving more.” View the full article

If you’re running an e-commerce business, choosing the right referral software can greatly affect your growth. Effective referral programs not just attract new customers but furthermore improve loyalty among existing ones. With various options available, it’s crucial to understand the strengths of each software solution. In this discussion, we’ll explore the top seven referral software options customized for e-commerce, ensuring you have the insights needed to make an informed decision for your business. Key Takeaways ReferralCandy offers seamless integration with Shopify/WooCommerce, making it ideal for e-commerce businesses starting at $59/month. Friendbuy provides extensive customization options, targeting D2C brands, with pricing starting at $249/month. Yotpo combines referral programs with loyalty and review systems, offering tailored pricing to fit various business needs. Extole features advanced analytics suitable for large enterprises, with custom pricing available to accommodate specific requirements. Referral Rock is user-friendly for SMBs and B2B companies, allowing customizable rewards starting at $175/month. What Is Referral Software? Referral software is a powerful tool designed to help businesses utilize the potential of their existing customer base to attract new clients. This software enables companies to create and manage referral programs effectively, offering customizable referral links or codes that customers can share. One of the key features of referral program software is its ability to automate reward delivery, ensuring that customers receive incentives without delay. Furthermore, these tools often include fraud prevention measures, CRM and e-commerce integrations, and analytics to track performance and ROI. By leveraging referral programs, businesses can greatly reduce customer acquisition costs, as referrals from friends are known to lead to long-term customers. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal have shown that well-structured referral programs can drive considerable growth. As of 2025, referral software remains crucial for optimizing customer acquisition strategies and enhancing overall business success. Importance of Referral Programs in E-commerce Referral programs are a cost-effective acquisition strategy for e-commerce businesses, potentially cutting customer acquisition costs by up to 50%. They not just help attract new customers but additionally improve brand loyalty, as referred customers are 18% more likely to stick around. With proven success from brands like Dropbox and PayPal, implementing a referral program can greatly boost your sales and customer lifetime value. Cost-Effective Acquisition Strategy In today’s competitive e-commerce environment, implementing a cost-effective acquisition strategy is crucial for sustained growth. Referral programs dramatically reduce customer acquisition costs, as acquiring a new customer can be up to four times more expensive than retaining an existing one. When you use referral program software for small business, you can leverage word-of-mouth marketing, which is highly trusted by consumers. Customers referred by friends are 18% more likely to stay loyal, enhancing your retention rates. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal show that structured referral programs can boost customer bases by over 25%. By embracing this strategy, you not only cut costs but additionally increase customer lifetime value, leading to long-term benefits. Benefit Impact Lower acquisition costs Up to 4 times cheaper Increased customer loyalty 18% more likely to stay Growth potential Over 25% increase in customers Enhanced Brand Loyalty Strategies Successful e-commerce businesses understand that building brand loyalty goes beyond simply attracting customers; it involves creating lasting relationships that encourage repeat purchases and advocacy. Implementing a referral program can greatly improve brand loyalty, as customers referred by friends are 18% more likely to stay long-term. By using referral software for small business, you can reduce customer acquisition costs, which is essential since acquiring new customers can be up to four times more expensive than retaining existing ones. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal showcase the effectiveness of referral marketing. Engaging customers in referral programs often leads to higher lifetime value, with gamification and personalized rewards further increasing participation and advocacy, ensuring a loyal customer base for your e-commerce business. Criteria for Choosing Referral Software How can you guarantee that your chosen referral software truly meets your e-commerce needs? Selecting the right referral software is essential for maximizing your marketing efforts and enhancing customer engagement. Here are key criteria to take into account: Integration Capabilities: Confirm it seamlessly integrates with your existing platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Customization Options: Look for flexibility in creating referral programs that resonate with your target audience. Automated Reward Delivery: Choose software that automates reward distribution to streamline the process for both referrers and referred customers. Reporting and Analytics: Analyze the software’s ability to provide detailed insights into referral performance, which helps optimize your marketing strategies. Scalability: The referral software should support growth, accommodating increased referral volumes and more complex campaign structures as your e-commerce business expands. Overview of the Top Referral Software Solutions Now that you know what to look for in referral software, let’s explore some of the top solutions available. Each option offers unique features customized to different business needs, from seamless integrations to extensive customization. Comprehending these key features will help you find the best fit for your e-commerce brand. Key Features Overview A thorough grasp of the key features of top referral software solutions is essential for e-commerce businesses aiming to improve customer acquisition through word-of-mouth marketing. The best ecommerce referral programs offer various functionalities that cater to different needs. Here are key features to evaluate: Integration Ease: Solutions like ReferralCandy work seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Customization Options: Friendbuy allows extensive A/B testing and widget customization for personalized campaigns. Comprehensive Tools: Yotpo combines referrals with loyalty and review systems, providing a holistic marketing approach. User-Friendly Interface: Referral Rock simplifies setup and management for small to mid-sized businesses. Advanced Analytics: Extole delivers robust reporting and segmentation for large enterprises needing scalable solutions. Understanding these features can help you choose the right referral software for your e-commerce needs. Ideal Business Fit When selecting the right referral software solution for your e-commerce business, it’s crucial to take into account how each option aligns with your specific needs. Each platform offers unique features catering to different business types. Here’s a quick comparison: Software Ideal For Starting Price ReferralCandy Startups, Shopify/WooCommerce $59/month Friendbuy D2C brands with customization $249/month Yotpo Extensive marketing tools Custom pricing Extole Large enterprises with analytics Custom pricing Referral Rock SMBs and B2B, user-friendly setup $175/month Choosing the right tool for your automated referral program involves evaluating these options to find the best fit for your goals and budget. In-Depth Look at Each Software Solution Understanding the various referral software solutions available for e-commerce can greatly impact your business’s growth strategy. Each option offers unique features that cater to different needs. Here’s a quick overview of some leading solutions: ReferralCandy: Ideal for e-commerce, it integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify, automating rewards for improved engagement, starting at $59/month. Friendbuy: Customizable with A/B testing, it suits D2C brands, beginning at $249/month. Yotpo: Combines referral capabilities with marketing tools, leveraging user-generated content and offering valuable analytics. Referral Rock: User-friendly for SMBs and B2B, it has customizable rewards, starting at $175/month. Extole: Designed for large enterprises, featuring advanced reporting and automated rewards for thorough campaigns. Choosing the right referral CRM can streamline your marketing efforts and drive customer acquisition effectively. Key Features to Consider in Referral Software Selecting the right referral software isn’t just about finding a tool; it involves grasping which key features can improve your e-commerce strategy. First, look for automated reward delivery to streamline incentivizing customers for successful referrals, enhancing engagement and retention. Customizable referral links or codes are also important, as they allow you to tailor programs to various customer segments and marketing strategies. Advanced analytics and ROI tracking are crucial for evaluating referral campaign performance, helping you optimize strategies based on data-driven insights. Moreover, verify the software integrates smoothly with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce to leverage your existing customer relationships effectively. Finally, consider referral software that includes gamification elements, as these can greatly boost customer motivation to participate in programs. Many companies offer free referral marketing software that includes these features, making it easier to find the right fit for your business. Final Thoughts on Implementing Referral Programs Implementing referral programs can greatly improve your e-commerce strategy, especially as you look to build a loyal customer base. These programs not only improve customer retention but additionally reduce acquisition costs considerably. Leveraging existing customers can be four times cheaper than acquiring new ones, making it a smart investment. Here are a few key points to keep in mind: Automate rewards: Use referral software like ReferralCandy for seamless reward delivery. Customizable incentives: Offer cash, discounts, or store credit to motivate referrals. Engagement boost: Referred customers are 18% more likely to stay with your brand. Successful examples: Look at Dropbox and PayPal for inspiration on growth through referrals. Explore free referral websites: Many options exist to help you kickstart your program without initial costs. Integrating these elements can position your business for sustained growth and customer loyalty. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Referral System? The best referral system depends on your specific needs and goals. Look for systems that integrate easily with your existing platforms, offering customizable rewards to motivate participation. Effective systems improve customer retention and reduce acquisition costs, contributing to higher lifetime value. Consider options with robust analytics for tracking performance. User-friendly interfaces and automation can streamline your campaign management, enabling you to launch and scale referral efforts efficiently. Evaluate these criteria to find the right fit. What Is the Best Employee Referral Software? When considering the best employee referral software, look for platforms that streamline the recommendation process. Software like ReferralCandy and Friendbuy can incentivize employees to refer qualified candidates by offering rewards. These tools often integrate with existing HR systems, enabling seamless tracking of referrals. Research indicates that referred employees are hired 55% faster and typically remain longer, leading to significant cost savings in recruitment. Prioritize user-friendly interfaces and efficient management features for ideal results. What Company Has the Best Referral Program? When evaluating companies with outstanding referral programs, Dropbox and PayPal stand out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqMtnX5Zq04 Dropbox incentivized users with extra storage for each referral, boosting sign-ups considerably. PayPal’s program offered cash rewards, swiftly growing its user base. Both strategies demonstrate effective customer engagement methods. Furthermore, ReferralCandy and Yotpo provide tools for businesses to create successful referral initiatives. Each company’s approach can serve as a model for enhancing customer acquisition through referrals in various industries. What Is the Ideal Referral System? An ideal referral system generates unique links or codes for tracking referrals and rewards effectively. It automates reward delivery, ensuring referrers and referred customers receive incentives quickly. Personalization plays an essential role, as customized messaging and rewards can greatly boost conversion rates. Integration with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce improves functionality, whereas advanced analytics allows you to assess program performance, optimize strategies, and track the overall customer lifetime value efficiently. Conclusion Implementing a referral program can greatly improve your e-commerce business by leveraging existing customers to attract new ones. By selecting the right referral software, such as ReferralCandy or Yotpo, you can optimize customer acquisition and retention. Consider your specific needs, budget, and the features offered when making your choice. With the right solution, you can create an effective and seamless referral system that drives growth and builds brand loyalty among your customers. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Best Referral Software Solutions for E-commerce" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re running an e-commerce business, choosing the right referral software can greatly affect your growth. Effective referral programs not just attract new customers but furthermore improve loyalty among existing ones. With various options available, it’s crucial to understand the strengths of each software solution. In this discussion, we’ll explore the top seven referral software options customized for e-commerce, ensuring you have the insights needed to make an informed decision for your business. Key Takeaways ReferralCandy offers seamless integration with Shopify/WooCommerce, making it ideal for e-commerce businesses starting at $59/month. Friendbuy provides extensive customization options, targeting D2C brands, with pricing starting at $249/month. Yotpo combines referral programs with loyalty and review systems, offering tailored pricing to fit various business needs. Extole features advanced analytics suitable for large enterprises, with custom pricing available to accommodate specific requirements. Referral Rock is user-friendly for SMBs and B2B companies, allowing customizable rewards starting at $175/month. What Is Referral Software? Referral software is a powerful tool designed to help businesses utilize the potential of their existing customer base to attract new clients. This software enables companies to create and manage referral programs effectively, offering customizable referral links or codes that customers can share. One of the key features of referral program software is its ability to automate reward delivery, ensuring that customers receive incentives without delay. Furthermore, these tools often include fraud prevention measures, CRM and e-commerce integrations, and analytics to track performance and ROI. By leveraging referral programs, businesses can greatly reduce customer acquisition costs, as referrals from friends are known to lead to long-term customers. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal have shown that well-structured referral programs can drive considerable growth. As of 2025, referral software remains crucial for optimizing customer acquisition strategies and enhancing overall business success. Importance of Referral Programs in E-commerce Referral programs are a cost-effective acquisition strategy for e-commerce businesses, potentially cutting customer acquisition costs by up to 50%. They not just help attract new customers but additionally improve brand loyalty, as referred customers are 18% more likely to stick around. With proven success from brands like Dropbox and PayPal, implementing a referral program can greatly boost your sales and customer lifetime value. Cost-Effective Acquisition Strategy In today’s competitive e-commerce environment, implementing a cost-effective acquisition strategy is crucial for sustained growth. Referral programs dramatically reduce customer acquisition costs, as acquiring a new customer can be up to four times more expensive than retaining an existing one. When you use referral program software for small business, you can leverage word-of-mouth marketing, which is highly trusted by consumers. Customers referred by friends are 18% more likely to stay loyal, enhancing your retention rates. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal show that structured referral programs can boost customer bases by over 25%. By embracing this strategy, you not only cut costs but additionally increase customer lifetime value, leading to long-term benefits. Benefit Impact Lower acquisition costs Up to 4 times cheaper Increased customer loyalty 18% more likely to stay Growth potential Over 25% increase in customers Enhanced Brand Loyalty Strategies Successful e-commerce businesses understand that building brand loyalty goes beyond simply attracting customers; it involves creating lasting relationships that encourage repeat purchases and advocacy. Implementing a referral program can greatly improve brand loyalty, as customers referred by friends are 18% more likely to stay long-term. By using referral software for small business, you can reduce customer acquisition costs, which is essential since acquiring new customers can be up to four times more expensive than retaining existing ones. Successful brands like Dropbox and PayPal showcase the effectiveness of referral marketing. Engaging customers in referral programs often leads to higher lifetime value, with gamification and personalized rewards further increasing participation and advocacy, ensuring a loyal customer base for your e-commerce business. Criteria for Choosing Referral Software How can you guarantee that your chosen referral software truly meets your e-commerce needs? Selecting the right referral software is essential for maximizing your marketing efforts and enhancing customer engagement. Here are key criteria to take into account: Integration Capabilities: Confirm it seamlessly integrates with your existing platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Customization Options: Look for flexibility in creating referral programs that resonate with your target audience. Automated Reward Delivery: Choose software that automates reward distribution to streamline the process for both referrers and referred customers. Reporting and Analytics: Analyze the software’s ability to provide detailed insights into referral performance, which helps optimize your marketing strategies. Scalability: The referral software should support growth, accommodating increased referral volumes and more complex campaign structures as your e-commerce business expands. Overview of the Top Referral Software Solutions Now that you know what to look for in referral software, let’s explore some of the top solutions available. Each option offers unique features customized to different business needs, from seamless integrations to extensive customization. Comprehending these key features will help you find the best fit for your e-commerce brand. Key Features Overview A thorough grasp of the key features of top referral software solutions is essential for e-commerce businesses aiming to improve customer acquisition through word-of-mouth marketing. The best ecommerce referral programs offer various functionalities that cater to different needs. Here are key features to evaluate: Integration Ease: Solutions like ReferralCandy work seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Customization Options: Friendbuy allows extensive A/B testing and widget customization for personalized campaigns. Comprehensive Tools: Yotpo combines referrals with loyalty and review systems, providing a holistic marketing approach. User-Friendly Interface: Referral Rock simplifies setup and management for small to mid-sized businesses. Advanced Analytics: Extole delivers robust reporting and segmentation for large enterprises needing scalable solutions. Understanding these features can help you choose the right referral software for your e-commerce needs. Ideal Business Fit When selecting the right referral software solution for your e-commerce business, it’s crucial to take into account how each option aligns with your specific needs. Each platform offers unique features catering to different business types. Here’s a quick comparison: Software Ideal For Starting Price ReferralCandy Startups, Shopify/WooCommerce $59/month Friendbuy D2C brands with customization $249/month Yotpo Extensive marketing tools Custom pricing Extole Large enterprises with analytics Custom pricing Referral Rock SMBs and B2B, user-friendly setup $175/month Choosing the right tool for your automated referral program involves evaluating these options to find the best fit for your goals and budget. In-Depth Look at Each Software Solution Understanding the various referral software solutions available for e-commerce can greatly impact your business’s growth strategy. Each option offers unique features that cater to different needs. Here’s a quick overview of some leading solutions: ReferralCandy: Ideal for e-commerce, it integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify, automating rewards for improved engagement, starting at $59/month. Friendbuy: Customizable with A/B testing, it suits D2C brands, beginning at $249/month. Yotpo: Combines referral capabilities with marketing tools, leveraging user-generated content and offering valuable analytics. Referral Rock: User-friendly for SMBs and B2B, it has customizable rewards, starting at $175/month. Extole: Designed for large enterprises, featuring advanced reporting and automated rewards for thorough campaigns. Choosing the right referral CRM can streamline your marketing efforts and drive customer acquisition effectively. Key Features to Consider in Referral Software Selecting the right referral software isn’t just about finding a tool; it involves grasping which key features can improve your e-commerce strategy. First, look for automated reward delivery to streamline incentivizing customers for successful referrals, enhancing engagement and retention. Customizable referral links or codes are also important, as they allow you to tailor programs to various customer segments and marketing strategies. Advanced analytics and ROI tracking are crucial for evaluating referral campaign performance, helping you optimize strategies based on data-driven insights. Moreover, verify the software integrates smoothly with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce to leverage your existing customer relationships effectively. Finally, consider referral software that includes gamification elements, as these can greatly boost customer motivation to participate in programs. Many companies offer free referral marketing software that includes these features, making it easier to find the right fit for your business. Final Thoughts on Implementing Referral Programs Implementing referral programs can greatly improve your e-commerce strategy, especially as you look to build a loyal customer base. These programs not only improve customer retention but additionally reduce acquisition costs considerably. Leveraging existing customers can be four times cheaper than acquiring new ones, making it a smart investment. Here are a few key points to keep in mind: Automate rewards: Use referral software like ReferralCandy for seamless reward delivery. Customizable incentives: Offer cash, discounts, or store credit to motivate referrals. Engagement boost: Referred customers are 18% more likely to stay with your brand. Successful examples: Look at Dropbox and PayPal for inspiration on growth through referrals. Explore free referral websites: Many options exist to help you kickstart your program without initial costs. Integrating these elements can position your business for sustained growth and customer loyalty. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Referral System? The best referral system depends on your specific needs and goals. Look for systems that integrate easily with your existing platforms, offering customizable rewards to motivate participation. Effective systems improve customer retention and reduce acquisition costs, contributing to higher lifetime value. Consider options with robust analytics for tracking performance. User-friendly interfaces and automation can streamline your campaign management, enabling you to launch and scale referral efforts efficiently. Evaluate these criteria to find the right fit. What Is the Best Employee Referral Software? When considering the best employee referral software, look for platforms that streamline the recommendation process. Software like ReferralCandy and Friendbuy can incentivize employees to refer qualified candidates by offering rewards. These tools often integrate with existing HR systems, enabling seamless tracking of referrals. Research indicates that referred employees are hired 55% faster and typically remain longer, leading to significant cost savings in recruitment. Prioritize user-friendly interfaces and efficient management features for ideal results. What Company Has the Best Referral Program? When evaluating companies with outstanding referral programs, Dropbox and PayPal stand out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqMtnX5Zq04 Dropbox incentivized users with extra storage for each referral, boosting sign-ups considerably. PayPal’s program offered cash rewards, swiftly growing its user base. Both strategies demonstrate effective customer engagement methods. Furthermore, ReferralCandy and Yotpo provide tools for businesses to create successful referral initiatives. Each company’s approach can serve as a model for enhancing customer acquisition through referrals in various industries. What Is the Ideal Referral System? An ideal referral system generates unique links or codes for tracking referrals and rewards effectively. It automates reward delivery, ensuring referrers and referred customers receive incentives quickly. Personalization plays an essential role, as customized messaging and rewards can greatly boost conversion rates. Integration with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce improves functionality, whereas advanced analytics allows you to assess program performance, optimize strategies, and track the overall customer lifetime value efficiently. Conclusion Implementing a referral program can greatly improve your e-commerce business by leveraging existing customers to attract new ones. By selecting the right referral software, such as ReferralCandy or Yotpo, you can optimize customer acquisition and retention. Consider your specific needs, budget, and the features offered when making your choice. With the right solution, you can create an effective and seamless referral system that drives growth and builds brand loyalty among your customers. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Best Referral Software Solutions for E-commerce" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Although we’ve been told that AI is poised to “revolutionize” work, at the moment it seems to be doing something else entirely: spreading chaos. At Slate today, I wrote about how, throughout American offices, AI platforms like ChatGPT are delivering answers that sound right even when they aren’t, transcription tools that turn meetings into works of fiction, and documents that look polished on the surface but are riddled with factual errors and missing nuance. You can read it here. The post AI is creating chaos at work appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Navigating the complexities of tax season can be a daunting task for small business owners, but PayPal has introduced a new solution designed to simplify this process. The company announced a partnership with april, a leading tax technology platform, to offer free DIY tax filing for U.S. customers using the PayPal Debit Card. This initiative aims to help small businesses and individual users file their federal and state tax returns at no cost, potentially saving them around $160 in traditional filing fees. The process is straightforward. Customers can utilize april’s tax engine to enter information and upload required documents, allowing the system to prefill relevant fields to expedite filing. With an average filing time of under twenty minutes and a maximum refund guarantee, the service claims to streamline what often feels like a complicated chore. Additionally, users have access to an AI-powered chatbot for quick questions or can opt for live support if needed. Shanthi Sarkar, VP of Debit and Money Management at PayPal, emphasized the benefits, stating, “Our partnership with april empowers customers to manage even more of their finances in one trusted place, helping them streamline tax preparation and take meaningful steps toward setting up their finances for the year ahead.” Not only does this initiative reduce the financial burden associated with tax preparation, but it also contributes to better financial planning. PayPal customers can use various payment methods to settle state and federal tax dues, including the ability to earn rewards on transactions made through PayPal Credit or PayPal Cashback Mastercard during tax payments. This flexibility allows business owners to choose a payment method that best suits their financial situation. Moreover, PayPal facilitates early access to tax refunds, enabling customers to receive federal tax returns up to five days ahead of the standard schedule. This can be particularly advantageous for small businesses seeking to reinvest that money promptly. Customers can even opt to deposit refunds into PayPal Savings, a high-yield savings account offered by Synchrony Bank, helping turn tax refunds into an opportunity for earning interest. This new tax filing service can also aid in financial goal planning for the coming year. Alongside tax preparation, small business owners can take advantage of flexible payment options and reward incentives. For instance, PayPal Cashback Mastercard users can receive 3% cash back during checkout, which can accumulate over time as a valuable cash return. However, small business owners should consider a few challenges. First, tax regulations can vary by state and personal circumstances, and while april’s AI provides significant support, complex tax situations may still require consultation with tax professionals. Furthermore, while the promise of a streamlined filing process is appealing, the reliance on technology, including document uploads and prefilled forms, may still be daunting for those less tech-savvy. In light of these considerations, PayPal’s initiative seeks to empower its users with tools that simplify financial management. As this feature rolls out, it aims to connect tax filing with existing payment workflows, fostering better financial outcomes. For more details on this service, customers can visit PayPal’s dedicated page on tax filing here. Additionally, to learn more about PayPal’s offerings or to sign up for a PayPal Debit Card, small business owners can find all necessary information on the PayPal website. This strategic move by PayPal not only helps minimize the time and cost associated with tax filing but also enhances the overall financial management experience for small business owners navigating the intricate landscape of taxes. More updates can be found in the original press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "PayPal’s New Partnership Offers Free Tax Filing for Debit Card Users" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article