All Activity

Despite his friendship with Donald The President and the fallout from Brexit, the Reform leader is thrivingView the full article

“Diversity is about building bigger tables, not just filling seats.” Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Go PRO for members-only access to more Rob Brown. View the full article

“Diversity is about building bigger tables, not just filling seats.” Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Go PRO for members-only access to more Rob Brown. View the full article

Key Takeaways Versatile Crafting Tool: The Cricut cutting machine is ideal for designers and small business owners, allowing for intricate cuts on various materials such as paper, vinyl, and fabric. Model Selection: There are different Cricut models, such as the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Series, each catering to specific crafting needs and project complexities. Advanced Features: Cricut machines utilize cutting-edge technology, offering high-speed cutting and compatibility with Smart Materials, enhancing efficiency and creativity in crafting. Enhanced Product Development: By integrating a Cricut machine, businesses can diversify their product offerings, creating personalized gifts, custom apparel, and branded merchandise to meet customer demand. Efficiency and Time-Saving: Cricut machines significantly reduce crafting time compared to traditional methods, enabling entrepreneurs to focus on product development and marketing strategies. Digital Marketing Integration: Promoting Cricut creations through digital marketing techniques, such as SEO and social media, can enhance online visibility and business growth. If you’re looking to unleash your creativity and take your crafting to the next level, the Cricut cutting machine is your ultimate companion. This versatile tool empowers you to design and cut intricate shapes, patterns, and text from various materials, making it a favorite among crafters, DIY enthusiasts, and small business owners alike. Imagine transforming your ideas into reality with just a few clicks. Whether you’re making personalized gifts, home decor, or custom apparel, the Cricut machine simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on what you love most—creating. Dive into the world of Cricut and discover how this innovative device can elevate your projects and inspire your imagination. Overview of Cricut Cutting Machines Cricut cutting machines empower small businesses to create custom products efficiently. These versatile devices enable you to cut intricate designs from materials like paper, vinyl, fabric, and more. Popular among entrepreneurs, Cricuts simplify the crafting process, allowing you to focus on branding and product development. Cricut machines come in various models, each offering unique features. The Cricut Maker, for instance, is ideal for advanced projects, while the Cricut Joy suits quick, simple tasks. With the right machine, you can expand your small business’s offerings, enhancing your market research and targeting specific audiences. Integrating a Cricut machine into your operations fosters innovation and creativity. You can develop personalized gifts, custom apparel, and branded merchandise. This not only broadens your product range but also strengthens customer acquisition and retention efforts. Utilizing digital marketing strategies, like social media and SEO, alongside your Cricut creations can enhance your online presence. Your cutting projects can transform into compelling content that attracts potential customers, supports sales funnels, and boosts your overall business growth strategy. Features and Specifications The Cricut cutting machines offer innovative features and specifications tailored for small business needs and entrepreneur ventures. Cutting Technologies Cricut machines utilize advanced cutting technologies, allowing you to craft intricate designs with precision. The Cricut Maker 4 cuts up to 2X faster than previous models, achieving speeds of up to 14.1 inches per second. It accommodates various tools, enabling operations like writing, drawing, foiling, engraving, and embossing. This versatility enhances your product development capabilities, making it easier to create unique custom products that resonate with your target audience. Compatibility with Materials Cricut machines are compatible with a wide range of materials, including paper, vinyl, and fabric. The Cricut Maker 4 features a maximum cut size of 11.5 in x 23.5 in using a machine mat, and can handle Smart Materials to cut up to 11.7 in x 12 ft. This extensive material compatibility allows you to explore different avenues for innovation and branding, whether you’re designing personalized gifts or custom apparel. By efficiently utilizing diverse materials, you can streamline your crafting process and elevate your brand’s market presence. Popular Cricut Models Cricut machines offer various options for small business owners looking to enhance product development and innovate their crafting processes. Understanding the differences between models can help you choose the best fit for your entrepreneurial needs. Cricut Explore Series The Cricut Explore Series, especially the Cricut Explore 4, proves ideal for small business applications. Released in February 2025, this model cuts over 100 materials like vinyl, iron-on, and cardstock. The Explore 4 supports Smart Materials, allowing you to load materials directly into the machine without mats, increasing operational efficiency. The Explore 4 features a maximum cut speed of 14.1 inches per second, cutting up to 2 times faster than previous generations, which is crucial when managing higher order volumes. Bluetooth technology and free Design Space® app compatibility streamline your design process, letting you focus on creativity. The included accessories, such as the Premium Fine-Point Blade and Fine Point Pen, empower you to customize products, enhancing your brand’s uniqueness for your target audience. Priced at $249, this model represents a valuable investment for those starting a business in crafting. Cricut Maker Series The Cricut Maker Series stands out for businesses seeking multi-functionality. The latest models in this series support more tools and materials, accommodating diverse crafting needs. Known for their precision and capability, Cricut Makers cut materials from fabric to leather, reinforcing innovation in product offerings. With the ability to handle various tools, the Cricut Maker Series allows you to write, draw, foil, score, and more. The advanced cutting technologies streamline production, essential for scaling your business efficiently. The additional capabilities enhance customer service by allowing you to create unique, customized products tailored to specific customer requests and market trends. Opting for a Cricut Maker model equips your small business with the tools necessary for successful product development, optimizing your workflow and supporting growth strategies. Benefits of Using a Cricut Cutting Machine Using a Cricut cutting machine offers various advantages for small businesses and entrepreneurs focused on crafting. Versatility in Materials A Cricut cutting machine cuts over 300 materials, including paper, cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, fabric, leather, and wood. This extensive range allows you to create diverse products, from personalized gifts to custom apparel. You can easily explore innovative ideas and support your business model by adapting to different crafting materials for your target audience. Precision and Accuracy Cricut machines ensure precision and accuracy in every project. The Adaptive Tool System in models like Cricut Maker and Maker 4 adjusts blades based on material thickness and density. This allows you to produce intricate designs efficiently, enhancing product development and ensuring consistent results. Your creations reflect high quality, boosting customer satisfaction and strengthening your brand’s reputation. Time Savings Time is crucial for small business growth. Cricut machines significantly shorten project timelines, enabling you to focus more on your growth strategy and sales efforts. While traditional crafting methods may consume hours, a Cricut cuts down production time, allowing you to meet customer demands without compromising quality. By leveraging these features, you can effectively elevate your business, drive innovation, and optimize your marketing efforts. Tips for Getting Started Set up your Cricut machine by selecting the correct material type in Cricut Design Space to match the material on your mat. This ensures accurate cuts, vital for producing high-quality products. Choose the appropriate Cricut mat for your material. For lightweight materials like paper, use a LightGrip mat. For fabrics, opt for a FabricGrip mat. Avoid using a strong grip mat for delicate materials. Attach your material to the mat by removing the protective clear sheet. Place the material on the sticky mat securely to prevent movement during cutting. Load your mat into the machine by sliding it under the two tabs, and then push the blinking Double Arrow. This step prepares your machine for the cutting process. Use the correct blade for your material. Selecting the appropriate blade ensures efficient cutting and enhances the quality of your products. Explore various features of your Cricut machine to increase your product offerings. Utilize options such as writing, drawing, foiling, and engraving to differentiate your business in the market. Focus on your target audience when designing your products. Understanding their preferences helps you create items that resonate and boosts customer acquisition. Implement digital marketing strategies to promote your Cricut creations. Use social media, SEO, and email marketing to enhance your online presence, driving more traffic to your e-commerce site. Analyze the efficiency of your crafting process. Look for ways to streamline workflow to meet deadlines while maintaining high-quality standards. Network with other entrepreneurs to share insights and resources. Collaborations can open doors for partnerships and innovative opportunities, enhancing your business growth strategy. Conclusion Investing in a Cricut cutting machine can elevate your crafting game and boost your small business. With its versatility and precision you can create stunning projects that resonate with your audience. Whether you’re personalizing gifts or developing custom products the Cricut simplifies the process and saves you time. By exploring its features and understanding your target market you’ll unlock endless creative possibilities. Don’t forget to leverage digital marketing to showcase your unique creations and connect with potential customers. Embrace the innovation that comes with a Cricut machine and watch your creativity and business flourish. Frequently Asked Questions What is a Cricut cutting machine? A Cricut cutting machine is an electronic device used for crafting that cuts various materials into intricate shapes, patterns, and text. It’s popular among crafters and small business owners because it simplifies the design and creation process, allowing users to focus on personalized projects like gifts, home decor, and custom apparel. How does a Cricut machine help small businesses? Cricut machines empower small businesses by enabling efficient production of custom products. They streamline the crafting process, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on branding and product development while easily cutting intricate designs from materials such as paper, vinyl, and fabric. What Cricut models are suitable for beginners? For beginners, the Cricut Joy is ideal for quick tasks, while the Cricut Explore series can handle over 100 materials, cutting efficiently and offering Bluetooth connectivity. These models help new users get started with crafting without feeling overwhelmed. What materials can you cut with a Cricut machine? Cricut machines can cut a diverse range of over 300 materials, including paper, vinyl, fabric, and wood. This versatility enables users to create various products tailored to different projects and target audiences. What are the benefits of using a Cricut Maker? The Cricut Maker offers advanced features, such as the Adaptive Tool System that adjusts blades based on material thickness, ensuring precision and high-quality cuts. It’s versatile and supports multiple tools for tasks like writing, drawing, and engraving, making it suitable for complex projects. How can I get started with my Cricut machine? To get started, select the correct material type in Cricut Design Space and choose an appropriate mat. Securely attach your material, use the correct blade, and explore the machine’s features. Additionally, understanding your target audience and implementing digital marketing strategies can enhance your crafting journey. Are Cricut machines time-consuming? No, Cricut machines are designed to save time. They significantly shorten project timelines by providing fast and accurate cuts, allowing small business owners to meet customer demands and focus on growth without compromising quality. Can Cricut machines help with digital marketing? Yes, integrating Cricut projects into your digital marketing strategy can enhance your online presence. Social media and SEO can help transform your creations into engaging content that attracts customers and boosts business growth. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Your Creativity with the Cricut Cutting Machine: A Guide for Crafters and Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Versatile Crafting Tool: The Cricut cutting machine is ideal for designers and small business owners, allowing for intricate cuts on various materials such as paper, vinyl, and fabric. Model Selection: There are different Cricut models, such as the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Series, each catering to specific crafting needs and project complexities. Advanced Features: Cricut machines utilize cutting-edge technology, offering high-speed cutting and compatibility with Smart Materials, enhancing efficiency and creativity in crafting. Enhanced Product Development: By integrating a Cricut machine, businesses can diversify their product offerings, creating personalized gifts, custom apparel, and branded merchandise to meet customer demand. Efficiency and Time-Saving: Cricut machines significantly reduce crafting time compared to traditional methods, enabling entrepreneurs to focus on product development and marketing strategies. Digital Marketing Integration: Promoting Cricut creations through digital marketing techniques, such as SEO and social media, can enhance online visibility and business growth. If you’re looking to unleash your creativity and take your crafting to the next level, the Cricut cutting machine is your ultimate companion. This versatile tool empowers you to design and cut intricate shapes, patterns, and text from various materials, making it a favorite among crafters, DIY enthusiasts, and small business owners alike. Imagine transforming your ideas into reality with just a few clicks. Whether you’re making personalized gifts, home decor, or custom apparel, the Cricut machine simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on what you love most—creating. Dive into the world of Cricut and discover how this innovative device can elevate your projects and inspire your imagination. Overview of Cricut Cutting Machines Cricut cutting machines empower small businesses to create custom products efficiently. These versatile devices enable you to cut intricate designs from materials like paper, vinyl, fabric, and more. Popular among entrepreneurs, Cricuts simplify the crafting process, allowing you to focus on branding and product development. Cricut machines come in various models, each offering unique features. The Cricut Maker, for instance, is ideal for advanced projects, while the Cricut Joy suits quick, simple tasks. With the right machine, you can expand your small business’s offerings, enhancing your market research and targeting specific audiences. Integrating a Cricut machine into your operations fosters innovation and creativity. You can develop personalized gifts, custom apparel, and branded merchandise. This not only broadens your product range but also strengthens customer acquisition and retention efforts. Utilizing digital marketing strategies, like social media and SEO, alongside your Cricut creations can enhance your online presence. Your cutting projects can transform into compelling content that attracts potential customers, supports sales funnels, and boosts your overall business growth strategy. Features and Specifications The Cricut cutting machines offer innovative features and specifications tailored for small business needs and entrepreneur ventures. Cutting Technologies Cricut machines utilize advanced cutting technologies, allowing you to craft intricate designs with precision. The Cricut Maker 4 cuts up to 2X faster than previous models, achieving speeds of up to 14.1 inches per second. It accommodates various tools, enabling operations like writing, drawing, foiling, engraving, and embossing. This versatility enhances your product development capabilities, making it easier to create unique custom products that resonate with your target audience. Compatibility with Materials Cricut machines are compatible with a wide range of materials, including paper, vinyl, and fabric. The Cricut Maker 4 features a maximum cut size of 11.5 in x 23.5 in using a machine mat, and can handle Smart Materials to cut up to 11.7 in x 12 ft. This extensive material compatibility allows you to explore different avenues for innovation and branding, whether you’re designing personalized gifts or custom apparel. By efficiently utilizing diverse materials, you can streamline your crafting process and elevate your brand’s market presence. Popular Cricut Models Cricut machines offer various options for small business owners looking to enhance product development and innovate their crafting processes. Understanding the differences between models can help you choose the best fit for your entrepreneurial needs. Cricut Explore Series The Cricut Explore Series, especially the Cricut Explore 4, proves ideal for small business applications. Released in February 2025, this model cuts over 100 materials like vinyl, iron-on, and cardstock. The Explore 4 supports Smart Materials, allowing you to load materials directly into the machine without mats, increasing operational efficiency. The Explore 4 features a maximum cut speed of 14.1 inches per second, cutting up to 2 times faster than previous generations, which is crucial when managing higher order volumes. Bluetooth technology and free Design Space® app compatibility streamline your design process, letting you focus on creativity. The included accessories, such as the Premium Fine-Point Blade and Fine Point Pen, empower you to customize products, enhancing your brand’s uniqueness for your target audience. Priced at $249, this model represents a valuable investment for those starting a business in crafting. Cricut Maker Series The Cricut Maker Series stands out for businesses seeking multi-functionality. The latest models in this series support more tools and materials, accommodating diverse crafting needs. Known for their precision and capability, Cricut Makers cut materials from fabric to leather, reinforcing innovation in product offerings. With the ability to handle various tools, the Cricut Maker Series allows you to write, draw, foil, score, and more. The advanced cutting technologies streamline production, essential for scaling your business efficiently. The additional capabilities enhance customer service by allowing you to create unique, customized products tailored to specific customer requests and market trends. Opting for a Cricut Maker model equips your small business with the tools necessary for successful product development, optimizing your workflow and supporting growth strategies. Benefits of Using a Cricut Cutting Machine Using a Cricut cutting machine offers various advantages for small businesses and entrepreneurs focused on crafting. Versatility in Materials A Cricut cutting machine cuts over 300 materials, including paper, cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, fabric, leather, and wood. This extensive range allows you to create diverse products, from personalized gifts to custom apparel. You can easily explore innovative ideas and support your business model by adapting to different crafting materials for your target audience. Precision and Accuracy Cricut machines ensure precision and accuracy in every project. The Adaptive Tool System in models like Cricut Maker and Maker 4 adjusts blades based on material thickness and density. This allows you to produce intricate designs efficiently, enhancing product development and ensuring consistent results. Your creations reflect high quality, boosting customer satisfaction and strengthening your brand’s reputation. Time Savings Time is crucial for small business growth. Cricut machines significantly shorten project timelines, enabling you to focus more on your growth strategy and sales efforts. While traditional crafting methods may consume hours, a Cricut cuts down production time, allowing you to meet customer demands without compromising quality. By leveraging these features, you can effectively elevate your business, drive innovation, and optimize your marketing efforts. Tips for Getting Started Set up your Cricut machine by selecting the correct material type in Cricut Design Space to match the material on your mat. This ensures accurate cuts, vital for producing high-quality products. Choose the appropriate Cricut mat for your material. For lightweight materials like paper, use a LightGrip mat. For fabrics, opt for a FabricGrip mat. Avoid using a strong grip mat for delicate materials. Attach your material to the mat by removing the protective clear sheet. Place the material on the sticky mat securely to prevent movement during cutting. Load your mat into the machine by sliding it under the two tabs, and then push the blinking Double Arrow. This step prepares your machine for the cutting process. Use the correct blade for your material. Selecting the appropriate blade ensures efficient cutting and enhances the quality of your products. Explore various features of your Cricut machine to increase your product offerings. Utilize options such as writing, drawing, foiling, and engraving to differentiate your business in the market. Focus on your target audience when designing your products. Understanding their preferences helps you create items that resonate and boosts customer acquisition. Implement digital marketing strategies to promote your Cricut creations. Use social media, SEO, and email marketing to enhance your online presence, driving more traffic to your e-commerce site. Analyze the efficiency of your crafting process. Look for ways to streamline workflow to meet deadlines while maintaining high-quality standards. Network with other entrepreneurs to share insights and resources. Collaborations can open doors for partnerships and innovative opportunities, enhancing your business growth strategy. Conclusion Investing in a Cricut cutting machine can elevate your crafting game and boost your small business. With its versatility and precision you can create stunning projects that resonate with your audience. Whether you’re personalizing gifts or developing custom products the Cricut simplifies the process and saves you time. By exploring its features and understanding your target market you’ll unlock endless creative possibilities. Don’t forget to leverage digital marketing to showcase your unique creations and connect with potential customers. Embrace the innovation that comes with a Cricut machine and watch your creativity and business flourish. Frequently Asked Questions What is a Cricut cutting machine? A Cricut cutting machine is an electronic device used for crafting that cuts various materials into intricate shapes, patterns, and text. It’s popular among crafters and small business owners because it simplifies the design and creation process, allowing users to focus on personalized projects like gifts, home decor, and custom apparel. How does a Cricut machine help small businesses? Cricut machines empower small businesses by enabling efficient production of custom products. They streamline the crafting process, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on branding and product development while easily cutting intricate designs from materials such as paper, vinyl, and fabric. What Cricut models are suitable for beginners? For beginners, the Cricut Joy is ideal for quick tasks, while the Cricut Explore series can handle over 100 materials, cutting efficiently and offering Bluetooth connectivity. These models help new users get started with crafting without feeling overwhelmed. What materials can you cut with a Cricut machine? Cricut machines can cut a diverse range of over 300 materials, including paper, vinyl, fabric, and wood. This versatility enables users to create various products tailored to different projects and target audiences. What are the benefits of using a Cricut Maker? The Cricut Maker offers advanced features, such as the Adaptive Tool System that adjusts blades based on material thickness, ensuring precision and high-quality cuts. It’s versatile and supports multiple tools for tasks like writing, drawing, and engraving, making it suitable for complex projects. How can I get started with my Cricut machine? To get started, select the correct material type in Cricut Design Space and choose an appropriate mat. Securely attach your material, use the correct blade, and explore the machine’s features. Additionally, understanding your target audience and implementing digital marketing strategies can enhance your crafting journey. Are Cricut machines time-consuming? No, Cricut machines are designed to save time. They significantly shorten project timelines by providing fast and accurate cuts, allowing small business owners to meet customer demands and focus on growth without compromising quality. Can Cricut machines help with digital marketing? Yes, integrating Cricut projects into your digital marketing strategy can enhance your online presence. Social media and SEO can help transform your creations into engaging content that attracts customers and boosts business growth. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Your Creativity with the Cricut Cutting Machine: A Guide for Crafters and Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Leverage Multiple Platforms: Utilize diverse social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and emerging sites like TikTok to expand your reach and connect with a broader talent pool. Engaging Content is Key: Craft engaging job posts using storytelling, multimedia, and clear calls-to-action to showcase your company culture and motivate candidates to apply. Targeted Strategies: Implement targeted advertising and utilize relevant hashtags to enhance visibility and connect with specific candidate personas based on demographics and interests. Monitor KPIs: Track key performance indicators such as engagement rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per hire to evaluate the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts. Adopt Current Trends: Stay updated on current trends like video content and community engagement to elevate your social media recruiting strategy and attract top talent. In today’s digital age, social media isn’t just for connecting with friends; it’s a powerful tool for recruiting top talent. With billions of users scrolling through their feeds daily, platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter offer unparalleled access to potential candidates. If you want to attract the right people to your organization, leveraging these channels effectively is crucial. Effective social media recruiting goes beyond just posting job openings. It’s about creating an engaging presence that showcases your company culture and values. By utilizing targeted strategies, you can connect with passive candidates and build a strong employer brand that resonates with job seekers. Get ready to transform your hiring process and discover how to make social media work for you. Understanding Effective Social Media Recruiting Effective social media recruiting leverages various platforms to attract top talent while reflecting your brand’s unique culture. Utilizing social media for recruitment enhances your online presence and expands your reach to potential candidates. Definition and Importance Social media recruiting refers to using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to identify, connect with, and engage candidates. This approach is crucial for small businesses aiming to build brand awareness and a strong employer brand. Engaging potential candidates through social media strategies fosters relationships that can lead to long-term hires. Strategic use of content creation, such as storytelling and user-generated content, showcases your company’s values and work environment. Utilizing social media ads or organic posts can significantly enhance audience targeting, improving the quality of your applicant pool. Current Trends in Social Media Recruiting Current trends in social media recruiting emphasize the value of visual content and engagement. Many businesses are incorporating video content and Instagram Stories to capture attention quickly. TikTok for business has emerged as a platform for showcasing company culture through creative content. Maintaining an active presence on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn enhances community management efforts, allowing you to foster conversations and gather customer feedback. Businesses also see great success with using hashtags and social media analytics to monitor engagement rates and optimize their social media campaigns. Leveraging influencer partnerships can further amplify your reach, enhancing both brand consistency and social media growth. Adapting to these trends helps elevate your recruitment strategy, ensuring you attract the best candidates for your small business. Benefits of Effective Social Media Recruiting Effective social media recruiting significantly enhances your ability to attract top talent and strengthen your brand presence. Leveraging platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram allows you to connect with potential candidates more dynamically. Enhanced Reach and Visibility Social media platforms provide access to millions of users, drastically expanding your talent pool. Using Facebook, you can tap into over 2.19 billion active users, offering unparalleled access to diverse demographics. Instagram and Twitter further help in reaching younger audiences, making it easier for small businesses to attract applicants with fresh perspectives. Targeted advertising allows you to focus on specific candidate personas through advanced audience targeting based on demographics, interests, and locations. By integrating effective hashtags into your social media posts, you can boost organic reach and improve engagement rates. Cost-Effectiveness Social media recruiting offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional hiring methods. You can create engaging social media ads that effectively showcase your brand without overspending. With a mix of organic growth strategies and paid ads, you can optimize your recruitment budget while receiving measurable social media ROI. Utilizing user-generated content increases credibility and engagement without additional costs. Developing a content calendar helps you maintain consistency in your social media campaigns, ensuring that your messages resonate with potential candidates while reinforcing your brand voice. Monitoring analytics provides insights into the performance of your recruitment strategies, enabling you to adjust your approach to improve results continuously. Strategies for Effective Social Media Recruiting Implementing effective social media recruiting requires targeted strategies and best practices tailored for small businesses. Focus on creating an active online presence that engages candidates while reflecting your brand values. Crafting Engaging Job Posts Craft engaging job posts that capture attention and motivate candidates to apply. Use storytelling to showcase your company culture and values. Incorporate multimedia elements, such as video content and images from team events, to enhance engagement. Use clear calls-to-action to prompt candidates to take the next steps, whether visiting your website or contacting your team. Utilize relevant hashtags to increase your visibility and reach a broader audience. Create content that reflects your brand voice, establishing consistency across all posts. Engage with user-generated content by showcasing reviews and feedback from current employees. This strategy builds trust and humanizes your brand, making it more relatable to potential candidates. Leveraging Different Platforms Leverage various social media platforms to maximize outreach and engagement. Use LinkedIn for professional roles, leveraging its features for audience targeting. Facebook and Instagram work well for visual storytelling and community interaction. Create campaigns with paid social ads to boost visibility and enhance engagement rates, especially for passive candidates. Embrace newer platforms like TikTok, which offer creative opportunities to present your brand uniquely. This platform allows for showcasing employee experiences and fun team activities. Join industry-related Facebook groups to network and share job openings with like-minded communities. Monitor your social media analytics to understand which platforms yield the highest engagement and attract quality candidates. Establish a content calendar to ensure a consistent posting schedule, optimizing your social media strategy. Adjust tactics based on data insights to refine your approach continually. These strategies, when executed effectively, enhance brand awareness and attract top talent to your small business. Measuring Success in Social Media Recruiting Measuring success in social media recruiting involves tracking specific metrics to evaluate your strategies. By understanding these key performance indicators (KPIs), you can refine your approach and improve your hiring outcomes. Key Performance Indicators Engagement Rates: Monitor metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and overall interactions on your social media posts. High engagement rates indicate that your content resonates with potential candidates and enhances brand awareness. Click-Through Rates (CTR): Track the clicks on your job postings and recruitment content. This metric shows how effectively your posts drive traffic to your job listings, indicating the success of your audience targeting. Conversion Rates: Measure how many applicants come from your social media efforts compared to the number of hires. This KPI helps assess the effectiveness of your social media strategy in attracting qualified candidates. Cost Per Hire: Compare recruitment expenses from social media platforms to traditional methods. Understanding cost per hire helps gauge the ROI of your social media campaigns and highlights potential cost savings for small businesses. Tools for Tracking Effectiveness Utilize various tools to monitor your social media performance: Social Media Analytics: Leverage built-in analytics on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to track engagement rates and audience demographics. Social Media Monitoring Tools: Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can provide insights into overall performance and help manage your content calendar. Engagement Calculation: Regularly calculate engagement rates using formulas that consider likes, shares, comments, and follower counts to track your social media growth. Content Performance Assessment: Analyze which social media posts drive the most engagement and conversions. This assessment enables adjustments to your content creation and posting strategies for better results. By focusing on these KPIs and utilizing the right tools, you can enhance your small business’s social media recruiting efforts and connect with top talent effectively. Conclusion Embracing effective social media recruiting can transform your hiring process and elevate your brand. By crafting engaging content and utilizing targeted strategies, you can connect with top talent and showcase your company culture. Staying active on various platforms and measuring your success through key performance indicators ensures your approach remains effective and relevant. Don’t underestimate the power of visual content and storytelling to attract candidates who align with your values. With the right tools and strategies in place, you’ll not only enhance your recruitment efforts but also strengthen your overall brand presence in a competitive job market. Frequently Asked Questions What is social media recruiting? Social media recruiting is the practice of using social media platforms, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, to identify, connect with, and engage potential job candidates. This method enhances brand awareness and allows businesses to access a larger talent pool, making it especially beneficial for small businesses. Why is social media important for recruitment? Social media is crucial for recruitment because it offers a wide reach and access to diverse demographics. It allows companies to showcase their brand and engage with both active and passive candidates, ultimately resulting in better hiring outcomes and increased brand visibility. How can businesses improve their social media recruitment strategies? To improve social media recruitment strategies, businesses should create engaging job posts using storytelling and multimedia elements. Leveraging the right platforms, maintaining an active presence, and utilizing paid ads can significantly enhance visibility and candidate engagement. What are key performance indicators (KPIs) in social media recruiting? Key performance indicators (KPIs) in social media recruiting include engagement rates, click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per hire. Tracking these metrics helps businesses evaluate the effectiveness of their recruiting strategies and optimize their campaigns for better results. How can small businesses benefit from social media recruiting? Small businesses can benefit from social media recruiting by increasing brand awareness and attracting top talent more cost-effectively. By effectively utilizing social media platforms, they can engage a broader audience and stand out in the competitive hiring landscape. Image Via Envato This article, "Mastering Effective Social Media Recruiting to Attract Top Talent" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Leverage Multiple Platforms: Utilize diverse social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and emerging sites like TikTok to expand your reach and connect with a broader talent pool. Engaging Content is Key: Craft engaging job posts using storytelling, multimedia, and clear calls-to-action to showcase your company culture and motivate candidates to apply. Targeted Strategies: Implement targeted advertising and utilize relevant hashtags to enhance visibility and connect with specific candidate personas based on demographics and interests. Monitor KPIs: Track key performance indicators such as engagement rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per hire to evaluate the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts. Adopt Current Trends: Stay updated on current trends like video content and community engagement to elevate your social media recruiting strategy and attract top talent. In today’s digital age, social media isn’t just for connecting with friends; it’s a powerful tool for recruiting top talent. With billions of users scrolling through their feeds daily, platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter offer unparalleled access to potential candidates. If you want to attract the right people to your organization, leveraging these channels effectively is crucial. Effective social media recruiting goes beyond just posting job openings. It’s about creating an engaging presence that showcases your company culture and values. By utilizing targeted strategies, you can connect with passive candidates and build a strong employer brand that resonates with job seekers. Get ready to transform your hiring process and discover how to make social media work for you. Understanding Effective Social Media Recruiting Effective social media recruiting leverages various platforms to attract top talent while reflecting your brand’s unique culture. Utilizing social media for recruitment enhances your online presence and expands your reach to potential candidates. Definition and Importance Social media recruiting refers to using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to identify, connect with, and engage candidates. This approach is crucial for small businesses aiming to build brand awareness and a strong employer brand. Engaging potential candidates through social media strategies fosters relationships that can lead to long-term hires. Strategic use of content creation, such as storytelling and user-generated content, showcases your company’s values and work environment. Utilizing social media ads or organic posts can significantly enhance audience targeting, improving the quality of your applicant pool. Current Trends in Social Media Recruiting Current trends in social media recruiting emphasize the value of visual content and engagement. Many businesses are incorporating video content and Instagram Stories to capture attention quickly. TikTok for business has emerged as a platform for showcasing company culture through creative content. Maintaining an active presence on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn enhances community management efforts, allowing you to foster conversations and gather customer feedback. Businesses also see great success with using hashtags and social media analytics to monitor engagement rates and optimize their social media campaigns. Leveraging influencer partnerships can further amplify your reach, enhancing both brand consistency and social media growth. Adapting to these trends helps elevate your recruitment strategy, ensuring you attract the best candidates for your small business. Benefits of Effective Social Media Recruiting Effective social media recruiting significantly enhances your ability to attract top talent and strengthen your brand presence. Leveraging platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram allows you to connect with potential candidates more dynamically. Enhanced Reach and Visibility Social media platforms provide access to millions of users, drastically expanding your talent pool. Using Facebook, you can tap into over 2.19 billion active users, offering unparalleled access to diverse demographics. Instagram and Twitter further help in reaching younger audiences, making it easier for small businesses to attract applicants with fresh perspectives. Targeted advertising allows you to focus on specific candidate personas through advanced audience targeting based on demographics, interests, and locations. By integrating effective hashtags into your social media posts, you can boost organic reach and improve engagement rates. Cost-Effectiveness Social media recruiting offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional hiring methods. You can create engaging social media ads that effectively showcase your brand without overspending. With a mix of organic growth strategies and paid ads, you can optimize your recruitment budget while receiving measurable social media ROI. Utilizing user-generated content increases credibility and engagement without additional costs. Developing a content calendar helps you maintain consistency in your social media campaigns, ensuring that your messages resonate with potential candidates while reinforcing your brand voice. Monitoring analytics provides insights into the performance of your recruitment strategies, enabling you to adjust your approach to improve results continuously. Strategies for Effective Social Media Recruiting Implementing effective social media recruiting requires targeted strategies and best practices tailored for small businesses. Focus on creating an active online presence that engages candidates while reflecting your brand values. Crafting Engaging Job Posts Craft engaging job posts that capture attention and motivate candidates to apply. Use storytelling to showcase your company culture and values. Incorporate multimedia elements, such as video content and images from team events, to enhance engagement. Use clear calls-to-action to prompt candidates to take the next steps, whether visiting your website or contacting your team. Utilize relevant hashtags to increase your visibility and reach a broader audience. Create content that reflects your brand voice, establishing consistency across all posts. Engage with user-generated content by showcasing reviews and feedback from current employees. This strategy builds trust and humanizes your brand, making it more relatable to potential candidates. Leveraging Different Platforms Leverage various social media platforms to maximize outreach and engagement. Use LinkedIn for professional roles, leveraging its features for audience targeting. Facebook and Instagram work well for visual storytelling and community interaction. Create campaigns with paid social ads to boost visibility and enhance engagement rates, especially for passive candidates. Embrace newer platforms like TikTok, which offer creative opportunities to present your brand uniquely. This platform allows for showcasing employee experiences and fun team activities. Join industry-related Facebook groups to network and share job openings with like-minded communities. Monitor your social media analytics to understand which platforms yield the highest engagement and attract quality candidates. Establish a content calendar to ensure a consistent posting schedule, optimizing your social media strategy. Adjust tactics based on data insights to refine your approach continually. These strategies, when executed effectively, enhance brand awareness and attract top talent to your small business. Measuring Success in Social Media Recruiting Measuring success in social media recruiting involves tracking specific metrics to evaluate your strategies. By understanding these key performance indicators (KPIs), you can refine your approach and improve your hiring outcomes. Key Performance Indicators Engagement Rates: Monitor metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and overall interactions on your social media posts. High engagement rates indicate that your content resonates with potential candidates and enhances brand awareness. Click-Through Rates (CTR): Track the clicks on your job postings and recruitment content. This metric shows how effectively your posts drive traffic to your job listings, indicating the success of your audience targeting. Conversion Rates: Measure how many applicants come from your social media efforts compared to the number of hires. This KPI helps assess the effectiveness of your social media strategy in attracting qualified candidates. Cost Per Hire: Compare recruitment expenses from social media platforms to traditional methods. Understanding cost per hire helps gauge the ROI of your social media campaigns and highlights potential cost savings for small businesses. Tools for Tracking Effectiveness Utilize various tools to monitor your social media performance: Social Media Analytics: Leverage built-in analytics on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to track engagement rates and audience demographics. Social Media Monitoring Tools: Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can provide insights into overall performance and help manage your content calendar. Engagement Calculation: Regularly calculate engagement rates using formulas that consider likes, shares, comments, and follower counts to track your social media growth. Content Performance Assessment: Analyze which social media posts drive the most engagement and conversions. This assessment enables adjustments to your content creation and posting strategies for better results. By focusing on these KPIs and utilizing the right tools, you can enhance your small business’s social media recruiting efforts and connect with top talent effectively. Conclusion Embracing effective social media recruiting can transform your hiring process and elevate your brand. By crafting engaging content and utilizing targeted strategies, you can connect with top talent and showcase your company culture. Staying active on various platforms and measuring your success through key performance indicators ensures your approach remains effective and relevant. Don’t underestimate the power of visual content and storytelling to attract candidates who align with your values. With the right tools and strategies in place, you’ll not only enhance your recruitment efforts but also strengthen your overall brand presence in a competitive job market. Frequently Asked Questions What is social media recruiting? Social media recruiting is the practice of using social media platforms, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, to identify, connect with, and engage potential job candidates. This method enhances brand awareness and allows businesses to access a larger talent pool, making it especially beneficial for small businesses. Why is social media important for recruitment? Social media is crucial for recruitment because it offers a wide reach and access to diverse demographics. It allows companies to showcase their brand and engage with both active and passive candidates, ultimately resulting in better hiring outcomes and increased brand visibility. How can businesses improve their social media recruitment strategies? To improve social media recruitment strategies, businesses should create engaging job posts using storytelling and multimedia elements. Leveraging the right platforms, maintaining an active presence, and utilizing paid ads can significantly enhance visibility and candidate engagement. What are key performance indicators (KPIs) in social media recruiting? Key performance indicators (KPIs) in social media recruiting include engagement rates, click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per hire. Tracking these metrics helps businesses evaluate the effectiveness of their recruiting strategies and optimize their campaigns for better results. How can small businesses benefit from social media recruiting? Small businesses can benefit from social media recruiting by increasing brand awareness and attracting top talent more cost-effectively. By effectively utilizing social media platforms, they can engage a broader audience and stand out in the competitive hiring landscape. Image Via Envato This article, "Mastering Effective Social Media Recruiting to Attract Top Talent" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Veteran investor to speak on state of markets for first time since Donald The President launched a trade warView the full article

Zipline’s cofounder and CEO Keller Cliffton charts the company’s recent expansion from transporting blood for lifesaving transfusions in Rwanda to retail deliveries across eight countries—including high-profile partnerships with the likes of Walmart, Chipotle, Panera, and the Mayo Clinic. Zipline’s do-good health efforts and commercial deliveries are all part of Cliffton’s vision for a radical, new transportation network that meets consumers’ desire for accessibility and speed. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. I’ve been watching Zipline’s evolution over the years with fascination. You first popped up on my radar for using drones to deliver medicines in hard-to-reach places in Africa, and then I saw a similarly named company doing drone delivery for restaurants and retailers that I thought, like, is this the same place? And then of course it is. You recently announced an expanded partnership with Walmart to provide deliveries in Texas, in the Dallas area. How different is it to do business with a Walmart versus, say, a hospital in Rwanda? When we started Zipline, our backgrounds were in automation and robotics, and it seemed to us like it should be possible to build an automated logistics system for Earth. We were seeing all of these logistics failures. I mean, first of all, logistics really only serves the golden billion people on Earth. If you’re in the 7 billion people who aren’t in the golden billion, your access either sucks or is nonexistent. And as a result of that, about five and a half million kids lose their lives every year due to lack of access to basic medical products. So, we felt that it really should be possible to use robotics and autonomy to solve logistics in an entirely new way that would save lives, save time, save money. You’re right that we actually spent the first eight years of the company’s history operating exclusively in Africa. In 2016, when we launched commercially, we were 20 people. Nobody believed that this was going to work. Everybody thought it was a stupid idea. And investors assured us that there was no chance we were going to get regulatory approval to do what we wanted to do, which was to fly autonomously and quickly, and deliver things over large distances. It was obvious to us that we needed to find a use case that was so incredibly important that even a conservative regulator would sort of roll out the red carpet and work with us as a partnership to make it happen. And that first partner was the Ministry of Health in Rwanda, and that’s how it all started. We started delivering blood transfusions to 21 hospitals across the country of Rwanda. And now when you think about what the Zipline is, how much is social impact? How much is business impact, environmental impact? Well, interestingly, those three things were core parts of our mission from day one. Saving lives was a big part of what we were doing for the first three, four years, but also saving governments money was a big part of what we were doing. And always we had this underlying mission of transitioning logistics to a zero emission future. It was taking products that were traveling in cars or motorcycles or trucks to a future that was fully electric and far more efficient. Today we deliver 75% of the national blood supply of Rwanda fully autonomously outside the capital city. We’ve delivered about 22 million doses of vaccines in the last 18 months. And then expanded to all medical products. Then it expanded to animal healthcare products and animal vaccines. Then it expanded to quick commerce products and delivering things to hotels and homes. Now we’re building a new national postal service on top of it. People could have the impression that, okay, you started with this high-stakes lifesaving stuff and now you’ve added sort of convenience, whatever, getting your lunch delivered. But really it’s all about funding the socially minded work. Is the retail business there to fund the socially minded work? And if I hear you right, you always wanted to go broader and that this was a more systemic effort, that the social part of it was a way to get to that. Well, I mean, we think that people deserve access to lifesaving medical products. They also deserve access to economic opportunity. I mean, these things are important. If you’re trying to start a business and you live in a rural part of a country, if you don’t have access to logistics, you can’t start your business. If you’re trying to buy products for your family, you have a right to buy the best products or the cheapest products available rather than just what might happen to be available at the store right next to you. So I think logistics plays a bigger role in our lives than we realize. Logistics should serve all people on Earth equally, and that really is the promise of bringing autonomy and robotics to bear in logistics. Bringing down logistics costs dramatically, making delivery faster but more universally available, is [a way] you can save lives. You can also save people money and time. I mean, they’re all important. It’s true that probably nothing will compare to delivering a blood transfusion to a mom with postpartum hemorrhaging, which is what we did for the first four years of the company’s history. But our customers have really led us here. Is there any difference in the commercial sphere, like with a Walmart or a Panera store? Same product, same regulatory paradigm, same operations and maintenance, same software. Yeah, it’s really, Zipline builds one product, and that’s just automated logistics. And turns out that if you can design a way of delivering things directly to people’s homes that is 10 times as fast and half the cost and zero emission, it has a lot of important use cases. The demand for instant delivery has increased dramatically. I mean, it’s now become a expectation for consumers, not just in the U.S. but internationally as well. We’re using technology that’s 100 years old to serve that demand. And so we actually think it’s not surprising that the way that we’re solving the problem today is really inefficient and bad for the environment and expensive. With a new market, you want to build new technology that can serve that market. And your drones are autonomous, so there’s no one remotely manipulating a joystick to move them around and guide them. How are they getting from, whatever, from the Panera to me and my home? So Zipline builds the largest drone delivery system on Earth. We are a robotics company that designs every part of the system, whether it is the drone or the aircraft, it’s about 60 pounds, 8-foot wingspan. We deliver 8-pound payloads. These vehicles can fly anywhere from 25 miles to 150 miles depending on what version of the system we’re talking about. Zipline builds all the software, all the regulatory software, the customer ordering app that consumers can use. We design the flight control algorithms, multivehicle deconfliction, communications architecture. The reality is, it just took a long time to build all these different parts of the stack to make the technology available, reliable, capable of operating in all kinds of weather. Zipline has now flown about 100 million commercial autonomous miles. That means that we’re the largest commercial autonomous system on Earth. To put that number into perspective, that is going from the Earth to the moon and back 200 times. Or that is the equivalent of driving every single road in the United States 24 times. So although people still in the U.S. think drone delivery might be impossible, or was promised to us by this big tech company and they didn’t deliver. The reality is actually that the technology is working, and it’s working at scale. View the full article

Insurgent party’s phenomenal success is threatening Britain’s political status quo View the full article

Oil cartel agrees to add 411,000 barrels a day for the second consecutive monthView the full article

Voters reject opposition Liberal party’s ‘The President-like’ policies to keep Anthony Albanese as prime ministerView the full article

US and European withdrawals force soul-searching in the city that is home to 450 international bodies View the full article

Admiral Samuel Paparo says Beijing is outpacing Washington in weapons systems productionView the full article

Off the coast of Virginia, Dominion Energy is building what will be the largest offshore wind facility in the U.S., a 2.6-gigawatt project that will provide energy to as many as 660,000 homes. It has been under construction since 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2026—but President Donald The President’s tariffs are adding to the project’s costs. Already, through the first quarter of 2025, Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has incurred tariff costs of $4 million, CEO Bob Blue said on a recent earnings call. That increase came from The President’s 25% tariffs on steel, which the president announced in early February and which went into effect March 12. If the tariffs continue through the second quarter, the company expects that number to increase to $120 million. If they continue through to the end of 2026, it could hit $500 million. (That includes the steel tariffs, as well as general tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. It’s worth noting that tariffs on steel imports also drive up domestic prices.) Dominion plans to bear some of those cost increases itself; of that projected $500 million increase, for example, Dominion will cover about $130 million. It also noted that the updated costs could increase residential customer bills by an average of 4 cents a month over the life of the project. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project “remains one of the most affordable sources of energy for our customers,” Blue noted. Before the earnings call, Dominion Energy already announced that the offshore wind project’s costs had increased, compared with initial estimates; initially, it was set to cost $9.8 billion, but in February 2025, Dominion bumped that estimate to $10.7 billion. That was the first budget increase since Dominion submitted the project to Virginia regulators back in November 2021, and Dominion said it was because of higher network upgrade costs assigned by the local grid operator, PJM. At the time of that announcement, Dominion noted that the project was 50% complete and on track to be finished by the end of 2026. The President’s tariffs have led to all sorts of price increases and uncertainty about the future. Tariffs on car and car part imports are expected to raise vehicle prices; tariffs on steel and aluminum could make everything from construction materials to appliances to canned food more expensive. The President’s trade war will also broadly impact renewable energy because many of the parts for solar and wind projects come from abroad, particularly China and Southeast Asia. The President has also taken steps to kill the wind industry generally, and has halted some offshore wind projects, like Empire Wind off the coast of Long Island, which was set to be completed by 2027 if the work continued on schedule. Dominion says that it’s confident its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will get done, despite The President’s hatred of wind power and his recent actions to hamper clean energy projects. The company’s conversations with federal regulators “have continued the same way they have been for months,” Blue said during the earnings call. A pause on the project, he added, wouldn’t make sense: “It’s the fastest way to get 2.6 gigawatts on the grid to serve tech companies, defense, and security installations, and important American industries like shipbuilding. It’s employing 2,000 people. . . . It has bipartisan support in Virginia.” (The President has, however, taken aim at clean energy projects even in red states, including by freezing Inflation Reduction Act funding, which specifically brought billions of dollars to Republican districts.) And even though tariffs are adding some uncertainty to the project’s cost, Blue noted that their impacts are “manageable.” “We’ve worked on our supply chain for some time. . . . the vast majority of the materials that we procure are directly from U.S. suppliers,” he said. “We have been placing some orders ahead of tariff effective dates to mitigate cost increases where it’s possible.” View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. When assessing home price momentum, ResiClub believes it’s important to monitor active listings and months of supply. If active listings start to rapidly increase as homes remain on the market for longer periods, it may indicate pricing softness or weakness. Conversely, a rapid decline in active listings could suggest a market that is heating up. Generally speaking, local housing markets where active inventory has returned to pre-pandemic levels have experienced softer home price growth (or outright price declines) over the past 30 months. Conversely, local housing markets where active inventory remains far below pre-pandemic levels have, generally speaking, experienced stronger home price growth over the past 30 months. How is inventory shaping up in 2025? As ResiClub communicated to ResiClub PRO members in late 2023—and reaffirmed last fall—we expect national active inventory to approach pre-pandemic 2019 levels in the second half of 2025. That’s still the trajectory we’re on. National active listings are on the rise (+30.6% between April 2024 and April 2025). This indicates that homebuyers have gained some leverage in many parts of the country over the past year. Some sellers’ markets have turned into balanced markets, and more balanced markets have turned into buyers’ markets. Nationally, we’re still below pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels (-15.6% below April 2019), and some resale markets, in particular big chunks of the Midwest and Northeast, still remain tight to tight-ish. April inventory/active listings* total, according to Realtor.com: April 2017: 1,198,424 📉 April 2018: 1,102,064 📉 April 2019: 1,137,198 📈 April 2020: 941,733 📉 April 2021: 435,663 📉 (overheating during the Pandemic Housing Boom) April 2022: 379,978 📉 (overheating during the Pandemic Housing Boom) April 2023: 562,966 📈 April 2024: 734,318 📈 April 2025: 959,251 📈 If we maintain the current year-over-year pace of inventory growth (+224,933 homes for sale), we’d have: 1,184,184 active inventory come April 2026 1,409,117 active inventory come April 2027 Below is the year-over-year percentage change by state. While active housing inventory is rising in most markets on a year-over-year basis, some markets still remain tight. As ResiClub has been documenting, both active resale and new homes for sale remain the most limited across huge swaths of the Midwest and Northeast. That’s likely where home sellers this spring will have more power. In contrast, active housing inventory for sale has neared or surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in many parts of the Gulf region, including metro area housing markets such as Punta Gorda, Florida, and Austin. These areas saw major price surges during the pandemic housing boom, with home prices getting stretched compared with local incomes. As pandemic-driven migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa, Florida, and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives to maintain sales, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals. At the end of April 2025, nine states are above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington. (The District of Columbia—which we left out of this analysis—is also back above pre-pandemic active inventory levels. Weakness in D.C. proper predates the current admin’s job cuts.) Big picture: Over the past few years we’ve observed a softening across many housing markets as strained affordability tempers the fervor of a market that was unsustainably hot during the pandemic housing boom. While home prices are falling in some areas around the Gulf, most regional housing markets are still seeing positive year-over-year home price growth. The big question going forward is whether active inventory and months of supply will continue to rise and cause more housing markets to see price softening? Below is another version of the table above—but this one includes every month since January 2017. If you’d like to further examine the monthly state inventory figures, use the interactive below. (To better understand ongoing softness and weakness across Florida, read this ResiClub PRO report.) View the full article

Zoning can be difficult for the average person to parse, but it has an immense impact on our lives—everything from housing to roads and green spaces are set by these rules. Zoning boils down to regulations of how land can, and cannot be used, whether commercial, industrial, and residential areas. From rising housing costs to struggling main streets and long commutes, zoning touches upon almost every aspect of our daily lives. Sara Bronin knows this better than anyone. As a trained architect, attorney, and Cornell University professor, she has worked across many different fields of urbanism. Her work focuses on how policy can create more equitable and well-designed places. From land use to renewable energy to historic preservation and road design, her investigations into zoning offer fresh insight into how policies can be overhauled to benefit more people and their everyday lives. For the last two years, Bronin was the head of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate. She is also the founder of the National Zoning Atlas, which aims to highlight key aspects of zoning codes in an online, user-friendly map for public use. Her new book, Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, is a continuation of her research, and explores the little-known world of zoning codes and how they can be better used to improve American society. The book is an optimistic call-to-arms about zoning code changes. “I wrote the book so that people could have an ‘aha’ moment about zoning and understand that this hidden regulatory power at the local level has significant impacts on our world,” Bronin says. Key to the City looks at several U.S. cities and their zoning reforms. In Boston, the city is transforming into a haven for urban farming because of a law fought for by a group of organizers, farmers, and beekeepers; in Tucson, Arizona, zoning codes are drought-proofing neighborhoods in peril in the face of climate change; in Delray Beach, Florida, a new code aims to maintain the charming town’s vibrancy through architecture. I spoke with Bronin about the zoning’s impact on our lives, despite our sometimes not even being aware of it. Our conversation has been edited for clarity. You just published a book. Tell me about it? I wrote the book so that people could have an aha moment about zoning and understand that this hidden regulatory power at the local level has significant impacts on our world. The book covers a wide range of topics from facilitating small businesses to making our food supply stronger and safer, to ensuring people have access to transportation, and of course, to providing people with a diverse range of housing options. I’m hopeful that the book will expose zoning’s immense power across various aspects of our lives. I was just reading about Long Island City and how there’s a new petition to rezone for more housing. Housing and zoning are hot topics being discussed right now. Zoning is a hot topic right now, and I hope it stays that way because we need to do a lot more talking and thinking about how we can make it better. When it comes to zoning, I read that you’re an optimist. How so? I would definitely say that I’m an optimist about what zoning can do for us. There are some who say that we should abolish zoning altogether because it has done a lot of harm to individuals and to communities since local governments first started adopting zoning ordinances about a century ago. They’re right that zoning has historically had negative consequences: exclusion, sprawl, and public health effects. Provisions that exclude certain types of housing, particularly housing that’s most accessible to low-income residents, are deeply ingrained in zoning codes nationwide. The vast majority of American suburbs almost exclusively allow for single-family housing on large lots, and little else. But zoning can also have very positive and transformative powers. It can ensure that we integrate the environment into our development. It can ensure that people have lots of different opportunities for education, for jobs, for housing, for connecting with each other. It can also help us create a sense of order in our communities and to foster improved aesthetics that give us the beautiful places that we deserve. Is there a city that is doing zoning right? For seven years, I chaired the planning and zoning commission of the city of Hartford, Connecticut, and with lots of public engagement, we were able to adopt an entirely new zoning code that has what I would consider to be some key components that other communities should consider adopting. Among other things, we eliminated minimum parking mandates, which lowers the cost of development and rejects the idea that we should be prioritizing car-related infrastructure. We also legalized housing as of right, meaning that no housing proposals in Hartford are required to undergo a public hearing. Instead, we created what zoners call a form-based code, which includes a menu of building types that a developer can choose from, in each neighborhood. The city’s new form-based code establishes architectural expectations for a community while also providing developers with certainty that the proposal will get approved as long as it satisfies the criteria outlined in the form-based code. In this way, the code respects the interests of existing residents and property owners, while providing clear development paths for newcomers. Hopefully more cities learn from what you’ve done in Hartford and do something similar. Tell me about New York City and zoning? Large cities around the country are engaging at various levels in zoning reform. New York City has recently joined other large cities in interrogating current zoning conditions and working to build more accessible communities for the future. The city’s recent adoption of the “City of Yes” rezoning proposal marks a turning point for the Big Apple. It legalized accessory dwelling units (ADU) in large parts of the city; it eliminated parking mandates in other parts of the city; and it diversified and expanded the number of places where housing can be built, including second and third floor stories above retail shops on neighborhood main streets. How are the towns and suburbs of New York affected by what happens in the city, regarding zoning? New York City is the heart of a metropolitan area with 548 surrounding cities, suburbs, and towns, including in Long Island, Westchester County, and Northern New Jersey. I hope those communities start to step up to ensure that their zoning codes are written in a way that addresses housing needs—and, by the way, climate needs too. National Zoning Atlas What can everyday people do about zoning? I’ll point you to a recent report that I coauthored with the Regional Plan Association, titled “Averting Crisis: Zoning to Create Resilient Homes for All.” That report finds that by 2040, NYC, Long Island, and Westchester County will likely have a housing deficit of 680,000 housing units, primarily due to the restrictive zoning outside of NYC and to the impact of sea-level rise, which will result in housing losses. The report underscores the need for us to think regionally about zoning and to identify the things we need to change now to plan for our future needs. In the book, I talk about ways that people can engage with zoning in their own communities. But I would also invite people to review the National Zoning Atlas, which I created to make information about zoning available to the public. The Zoning Atlas has digitized information behind over 740,000 pages of zoning codes for about 6,700 jurisdictions. That’s around 20% of the 33,000 or so jurisdictions that might have zoning in the United States. The Zoning Atlas is a counterpart to Key to the City: the book is really about the stories of zoning, while the atlas is the hard data that tells us exactly how our communities zone. Both are intended to be public resources that expose this really important regulatory tool that has a big impact on how we live. Given the political history of zoning laws, how are they (or might they) be reformed in the coming years? There’s been a lot of talk about reforms to allow for housing choice and housing abundance, and I hope and believe that there is positive political momentum to make that happen. But just as important are reforms that will help improve the impact that zoning has on the natural environment. The National Zoning Atlas has exposed that we are forcing people to build in highly environmentally unsustainable ways. We are building in environmentally sensitive areas. We are building housing—especially housing for low-income residents—in areas where we know it will flood. We are mandating patterns of development that force people to use their cars. We are jeopardizing our food security by replacing agricultural lands and restricting the places where people can grow food within cities. The data we are amassing in the National Zoning Atlas showing these conditions should serve as a national wake-up call for change. What are your thoughts on how, if at all, the The President presidency is reshaping zoning laws and our cities? There’s not currently much of a federal nexus with zoning. It’s adopted at the local level pursuant to state statutes. It remains to be seen whether the The President administration will take a strong interest in local zoning. So far, there hasn’t been much activity in that area. But we’ll see! What are you most upset about when it comes to zoning? Zoning has quite a sordid history. There is a tendency of zoning codes to have provisions that exclude certain types of housing, particularly housing that’s most accessible to low-income residents. This remains deeply ingrained in zoning codes nationwide. Zoning codes around the country still embed exclusionary principles into their basic provisions. The vast majority of American suburbs almost exclusively allow for single-family housing on large lots, and little else. View the full article

Just over a month ago, economists were so frightened of a potential recession they refused to call it by its name. The dreaded R word kept the financial punditry quaking in their boots on news shows—which feels a bit quaint now that we’re seeing signs of a possible stagflation on the horizon. Despite sounding like Yosemite Sam’s reaction to setting his drawers on fire, stagflation is just about the worst possible economic condition. As a portmanteau of “stagnant” and “inflation,” this kind of recession hits us with the triple threat of sluggish economic growth, rising inflation, and high unemployment rates. Until stagflation hit the United States in the 1970s, many economists did not believe this kind of economic crisis was possible. Since recovering from the 1970s-era stagflation, the U.S. has never experienced (or come close to experiencing) another bout—although stagflation in the Japanese economy in the 1990s proved that this phenomenon is not unique to America. To better understand what stagflation is, how it develops, and what we can do to protect our finances, I spoke to Kevin Matthews II, former financial adviser and founder of the financial education firm BuildingBread. Drawing on his economics degree from Hampton University and his experience teaching over 400,000 investors, Matthews has been raising the alarm about possible stagflation since March. Here’s what he shared. Recession vs. stagflation While no one jumps for joy over a recession, anyone older than the age of 20 has likely lived through more than one. Recessions are relatively common and follow a predictable pattern. According to Kiplinger, since the end of WWII, the U.S. economy has experienced a recession about once every 6.5 years, with an average recovery time of 11.1 months. This means that economists, despite their apparent terror about mentioning the word, understand recessions. “ We’ve gone through recessions before,” Matthews says. “We have answers to recessions.” Stagflation, on the other hand, isn’t normal. The U.S. economy is facing the first significant threat of stagflation since the 1970s. Unfortunately, “stagflation does not have a clear answer,” according to Matthews. “It’s worse than a recession.” This concern was echoed by economist Adam Posen of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. In a speech on April 15, 2025, Posen forecast that the U.S. economy has a 65% chance of entering a recession. But the worse news is that the situation could become a stagflationary recession, which he believes the Federal Reserve is unprepared to handle. Pulling the economy in opposite directions Matthews describes stagflation as the economy moving in two different directions at once. On the one side is inflation, where goods and services cost more money. On the other side is a slowing economy, where high unemployment leads to lower discretionary spending. This contradicts the traditional economic belief that inflation and unemployment are inversely related, as described by the Phillips curve. According to this economic theory, higher unemployment coincides with lower inflation and vice versa. Which is why the stagflation of the 1970s came as a surprise—and why economists still disagree about what exactly causes it. But this time around, we know exactly why we’re facing a potential stagflationary recession. It’s because of The President’s tariffs. “This is definitely an anomaly” Even though stagflation is already rare, Matthews regards our current situation as a “weird and unique case.” “In the 1970s, the stagflation was partially oil related,” he says. “OPEC, which included a bunch of different countries, banded together to economically harm the U.S.” The oil embargo wasn’t the only driver of the 1970s economic crisis, but it was part of the reason consumers felt the effects of stagflation from 1973 to 1982—especially the long lines at the gas pump Grandpa is always going on about. In 2025, it’s The President’s tariffs that are causing both inflation and stagnation. “ This is very much a man-made problem,” says Matthews. “In theory, we could just not have tariffs and things would go back to normal.” Unfortunately, in addition to the unforced error of The President’s tariffs, our economy is also grappling with the chaos of how the tariffs have been implemented. “Things keep moving so quickly,” Matthews says. “Tariffs are paused then unpaused. They go from 10% to 20% to 104% to whatever it is by the time this day is over. Consumers and businesses can’t plan their purchases.” In other words, even if the president immediately called a halt to the tariffs—which would probably end the specter of stagflation—the uncertainty and chaos we’ve already experienced would still affect the economy. “At a time like this, people don’t want to invest in the United States,” Matthews explains. “Companies don’t know where to build or invest or hire.” The Fed’s on/off switch With Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell recently in the news, you might be wondering why the Fed doesn’t do something to nip the potential stagflation in the bud. Couldn’t the notorious Jerry P lower interest rates to fix this? (The president has certainly wondered the same thing out loud and repeatedly.) Unfortunately, nothing the Fed can do will improve the situation. “The Fed technically only has an on and off switch,” explains Matthews. “All it can do is raise rates or lower them.” During periods of high unemployment and slow economic growth, the Fed might lower rates to encourage spending. With lower interest rates, it’s cheaper to buy things, which can help spur economic growth. This is why the president has been publicly melting down about Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates. The President believes that lowering rates will stave off a recession. But we’ve also recently experienced significant inflation. “Normally when you see prices rise because of inflation, the Fed increases interest rates to stop people from spending,” Matthews says. Higher interest rates lead to lower demand, which helps to slow inflation. While inflation has cooled from its peak of 8 percent in 2022, many economists—­including Powell—are warning The President’s trade policies will create another period of inflation. Lowering interest rates is not only pointless in the face of tariff-induced inflation, but lower interest rates also traditionally increase inflation. So lower rates wouldn’t help. On the other hand, if the Fed raised interest rates, purchases would become even more expensive—which traditionally slows economic growth and increases unemployment. Although raising interest rates to a sky-high 21% in 1979 was how Fed chair Paul Volcker ended the 1970s era stagflation, remember that his actions came after six years of ineffectual policies based on bad economic advice—and it took another three years for the economy to recover after his historic rate increase. Pulling a Volcker on the Fed rates should be considered the nuclear option. As much as we might want to appeal to Jerome Powell Kenobi as our only hope, the Fed’s on/off switch is not equipped to prevent stagflation. Preparing your finances While the average American can’t control U.S. economic policy, there is a lot you can do to secure your own financial house for the possibility of stagflation. As a bonus, these strategies will also help your bottom line if the stagflation never comes to pass: Build your emergency fund. This advice is on the personal finance greatest hits album for a reason: having money set aside for an emergency is always a good idea. But right now, Matthews suggests putting aside more than you normally would. “Things might get a little more expensive than you expect,” he says. “Also, a bigger emergency fund will help just in case you face a layoff.” Pay off high-interest debt. Whatever you can do to eighty-six your expensive debt can help you be more flexible if the economic shift hits the fan. Stay invested. You may be tempted to cash out your 401(k) and bury the money in the backyard, but Matthews wants you to remember that “staying calm and keeping your money invested is still the best long-term strategy.” Surviving stagflation Of all the cultural trends from the 1970s, stagflation is the last one we’d choose for a comeback. (Yes, even behind Jell-O Salad.) When it comes to stagflation, the Fed’s hands are tied and the U.S. economy may be in for a rough one. To add insult to injury, this stagflation reboot was entirely preventable. But even though you can’t affect policy decisions or economic forces, you can focus on your personal economic health. Building a robust emergency fund, paying off high-interest debt, and staying invested can all help protect your financial house in case we do fall into stagflation. “We’re in a very, very strange position,” Matthews says. “Focus on controlling what you can control.” View the full article

It’s spring, and nature is pulling me away from my computer as I write this. The sun is shining, the world is warming up, and the birds are chirping away. And that got me thinking: What if a smartphone app could translate all those chirps for us? No, I’m not talking about an app that will translate bird sounds to human speech (although that would be neat). Rather, the app we’re about to go over tells you what specific species is making any bird sound around you—kind of like Shazam, only for nature. All you have to do is hold up your phone and press one button. It’s an app I’ve personally used a bunch over the years and happily rediscovered this year. It’s especially nice when traveling—or if you’ve moved and you’re not sure which birds are in your area. One way or another, if you’re hearing chirping and you aren’t sure what animal is responsible, you’re in for a treat. Unearth all sorts of little-known tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. A spiffy new discovery in your inbox every Wednesday! Animal intelligence—Shazam style Ready to fly into uncharted nature territory? ➜ The app you need is called ​Merlin Bird ID​, and it’s created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. It’s completely free, and it can work both online and off. You don’t even need to create an account. To get started, install ​the free Merlin app for Android from Google Play​, or ​get the iPhone version from the Apple App Store​. While the app is free, you will be asked to provide an email address to sign up to the university’s newsletter before you can use it. (You can unsubscribe whenever you like, of course—and it appears you can enter any email address, too, even if it maybe isn’t associated with your primary personal inbox.) After going through a few screens of setup, you’ll get to the core part of the app—a big green microphone button with “Sound ID” on it. Tap the button, and Merlin will start recording audio from your phone’s microphone. If there are audible bird sounds in the area, it’ll then attempt to compare those to bird calls in its database and tell you which exact bird is behind them. It works really well, and it’ll keep recording and list multiple bird species if more than one creature is making noise around you. You can tap each bird species for more information, too. It really is that simple—but there’s more you can do, if you’re so inspired. For example, you can replay your recordings later so you can get to know all the birds you encountered. And, you can download “offline birds” for various regions so you can even identify birds if you’re off in the wilderness and don’t have an active data connection. That’s all—just a free app provided by a university that works well and has no ads or other asterisks. It’s earned itself an underground cult following for a reason. Merlin is available as a native app for both ​​Android and ​iOS. It’s completely free—no catches. And it doesn’t sell or share your data. It’s created by a science lab at a university. Keep the tech tools coming with my free Cool Tools newsletter! You’ll get an instant introduction to an incredible audio app and a new off-the-beaten-path gem in your inbox every Wednesday. View the full article

This weekend, you will need to put on your Sunday clothes—especially a fancy hat—a day early. The 151st Run for the Roses, better known as the 2025 Kentucky Derby, will take off at 6:57 p.m. ET, on Saturday, May 3, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Twenty three-year-old thoroughbreds have qualified through the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points system and are ready to leave it all on the track. Here’s what you need to know going into the big race day. Drama on and off the track Trainer Bob Baffert is back after serving a three-year suspension beginning in 2021, which was instituted after the 147th Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for betamethasone. This steroid is an acceptable therapeutic treatment for horses but becomes illegal when found in the bloodstream as it can be considered a performance-enhancing drug. Beyond the suspension, Baffert was forced to vacate this victory. Even without Medina Spirit, Baffert has six other Kentucky Derby wins, but so does trainer Ben Jones. Baffert is hoping to best him this year and has even hedged his bets by entering two horses to make up for lost time. He has spent countless hours training Citizen Bull and Rodriguez for these two minutes. Fellow trainer Steve Asmussen also took this strategy with Publisher and Tiztastic, but he has yet to win a Derby, despite an impressive track record. Please tell us the odds Han Solo might not have appreciated when C-3P0 told him the odds in The Empire Strikes Back, but this isn’t space travel. Ed DeRosa of Louisville’s Courier Journal picked three possible winning horses for readers to consider. He is betting on Journalism, the 3-to-1 favorite, in part because this horse is on a winning streak and does well under pressure. DeRosa also pointed out Chunk of Gold’s (30 to 1) noteworthy race in the Louisiana Derby. And don’t count out Rodriguez’s speed. Jody Demling, publisher of Cardinal Authority, has a different take and is fading Rodriguez (12-1), as CBS Sports reports. He agrees that Journalism is a sure thing and also points out Sandman’s (6 to 1) closing speed. Anything can happen on race day during those 10 furloughs. How can I watch or stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby? The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place at 6:57 p.m ET on Saturday. Viewers with traditional cable can tune into NBC or watch the race on NBC.com with their pay-TV credentials. There are 14 other races on the same day and lots of hats to see, so the pre-show begins at 2:30 p.m. ET. Also on cable, the USA Netwok’s pre-race coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET if you want even more. If you have cut the cable cord, you can watch live on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. The streamer’s own coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET. Other live-TV streaming services also carry NBC. They include: Fubo Sling YouTube TV And don’t forget, NBC is free over the air if you have an antenna. Whatever way you choose to tune it, it is sure to be an exciting race. View the full article

When Skype debuted in 2003, it was the first time I remember feeling that an individual app—and not just the broader internet—was radically disrupting communications. Thanks to its implementation of the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and its simple interface, the app allowed users worldwide to call virtually any phone number directly from their PC with ease, in addition to calling other Skype users via its peer-to-peer (P2P) network. If you are too young to remember a time before smartphones, FaceTime, and WhatsApp, take it from me that Skype’s launch was truly revolutionary. It suddenly became simple to call home if you were traveling internationally. And if you frequently needed to contact overseas companies or individuals for work, Skype significantly reduced the associated costs. Bye-bye, outrageous international phone call charges. But come Monday, May 5, 2025—nearly 22 years after it changed communications—Skype will shut down for good. Since P2P voice calling is now integrated into nearly every popular messenger app, many will not miss it. But for the subset of us who continue to use Skype to call bona fide phone numbers via VOIP, we’ll need to find new solutions. Here’s why Skype is shutting down and how you can find suitable VOIP alternatives. The downfall of Skype Over the course of its 22 years, Skype has changed ownership many times. In 2005, just two years after the Luxembourg-headquartered Skype Technologies debuted its revolutionary app, eBay acquired it for $2.5 billion. In 2009, eBay sold its majority ownership in the app to private investors. Finally, in 2011, the service was sold in its entirety to Microsoft for $8.5 billion. At the time, $8.5 billion was the most Microsoft had ever paid for a company—and there was a good reason why it made the splurge. By 2008, Skype had swelled to a base of 400 million registered users, making it one of the most-used apps in the world. Microsoft saw Skype as the future of communication, and when the 2011 acquisition was announced, Skype CEO Tony Bates said that with Microsoft’s ownership, “we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily.” But over the next several years, as Microsoft integrated Skype into everything from Windows to smartphones to Xbox consoles, the app increasingly became bloated, going through numerous UI refreshes. What was once an easy P2P and VOIP service that allowed you to quickly call other users and nearly any phone number in the world was now cumbersome to use. But Skype’s problems weren’t all self-inflicted. The service was also faced with an explosion of competition. As smartphones proliferated, nearly every major communications app added P2P calling, including giants like Meta’s WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Apple’s FaceTime, and even more niche messengers like Signal. The mid-2010s also saw the rise of business communications apps like Slack and Microsoft’s own Teams—each of which allowed workers to communicate with their peers efficiently over text, voice, or video. And then came the pandemic in 2020. The world was under lockdown. This should have been the time for Skype to shine, but instead, Zoom took over, becoming the go-to communications app. It was simple to use, whereas Skype was cumbersome. Skype never recovered from that missed opportunity. With other apps having gobbled up Skype’s user base, and Microsoft’s increasing focus on Teams as its communications platform of choice, it’s no wonder that earlier this year, the company announced Skype will shut down for good on May 5. Skype VOIP alternatives for calling landline and mobile phone numbers The two main features that helped Skype take the world by storm in the early 2000s were P2P and VOIP calling. P2P let one Skype user call another using their username as the call identifier. VOIP let a Skype user call an actual phone number from the Skype app. Today, P2P calling apps are ubiquitous. The technology is integrated into nearly every smartphone messaging and communications app out there, including FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Signal. Heck, even photo-sharing apps like Instagram have P2P calling functionality. But if you want to call an actual phone number from a smartphone app or your computer, your options are much more limited—especially after Skype shuts down on Monday. That’s because none of the popular apps above support VOIP calling. However, there are still a few good VOIP alternatives out there. Some of the best include: Google Voice: Google Voice gives you a phone number anyone can call to reach you, and from your Google Voice account, you can also make VOIP calls to most phone numbers in the world. However, VOIP calling is limited to users in the United States and Canada. Viber Out: Viber Out is an add-on service from the makers of the free Viber app, a P2P communications app. Viber Out adds VOIP functionality to Viber. This is the solution that most resembles what Skype was like in its prime: a simple, easy-to-use VOIP solution that allows you to purchase a variety of calling plans. Worldwide monthly subscription plans that let you call mobile and landlines start at just $5.99/month at the time of this writing. Zoom Phone: This is an add-on plan to Zoom that allows you to make VOIP calls to cell phones and landlines right from the Zoom app. This makes Zoom Phone similar to both Skype and Viber Out. There are various pricing options depending on whether you plan to make calls to U.S. and Canadian numbers or to phone numbers in other countries. It’s worth noting that Microsoft will also continue to offer ways for people to call landline phone numbers via a Microsoft Teams add-on feature called Teams Phone. However, Teams Phone is heavily designed around business use, so its features may be overkill and its cost a bit impractical for individuals simply looking for a quick, easy, and cheap way to make VOIP calls. Microsoft has also confirmed that any Skype users who still have active Skype Credits and subscriptions (which were required to make VOIP calls via Skype) after May 5 can still make VOIP calls by using a new Skype Dial Pad tool, which will remain available on the Skype web portal and within the free version of Microsoft Teams, known as Teams Free. However, these solutions are only available as long as your existing Skype credits or subscriptions remain. View the full article

Initiative backed by £50mn in government money comes as US administration seeks to cut funding and suppress researchView the full article

As Putin looks back to 1945, a deal that formalises the loss of Crimea could project Russian power into the heart of EuropeView the full article

We could be in line for a bump in prices — but property is not going to be the money spinner it once wasView the full article

Mark Carney shows how to be moderate in substance and populist in styleView the full article