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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. It’s been five years since the intense early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first round of lockdowns that mandated work-from-home for companies around the world. Among the debate at the time: concerns about how younger workers and new recruits would cope without access to experienced colleagues and mentors. Doomed to impersonal video conferencing in converted bedrooms, these youngsters couldn’t hope to gain the confidence and deep experience of their predecessors. They would make their mistakes out of sight, and fail to learn. Now imagine those new workers and interns are digital, not human. Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT at the end of 2022, it’s not unusual to see generative AI systems referred to as interns, coworkers or even colleagues. In that case, it’s tempting to see their offspring, AI agents, as more experienced employees. Using the “brain” of a large language model, agents are given a specific purpose and granted access to an organization’s software tools and data in order to autonomously fulfil their task. For many enterprises, the question is not whether they should adopt agentic AI, but how quickly and how widely. Gartner forecasts that, agentic AI will address and resolve 80% of regular customer service issues with no human intervention by 2029, and this will result in a 30% reduction in operational costs. With stats like that, other business functions will surely follow—and fast. Chain of thought Big-name tech companies such as Salesforce are going all-in on an agentic future and AI companions are already a common feature in business tools such as Zoom and Slack. AI rivals are reaching agreement at an unprecedented pace on new technology protocols that allow the integration of AI models with all types of business tools and applications. In this new era, the digital workers are being handed the keys to the enterprise. What can possibly go wrong? Potentially, quite a lot. All the major models are fallible and flawed. As Anthropic, maker of the popular Claude family of AI models, explains in a new research paper: “Language models like Claude aren’t programmed directly by humans—instead, they’re trained on large amounts of data. During that training process, they learn their own strategies to solve problems. These strategies are encoded in the billions of computations a model performs for every word it writes. They arrive inscrutable to us, the model’s developers. This means that we don’t understand how models do most of the things they do.” [Italics added for emphasis.] Anthropic’s own research shows Claude being tricked into naming the ingredients for a bomb, though stopping short of giving instructions on how to make one. Separate Anthropic-backed research found that more advanced reasoning models, which show the chain of thought they use to reach their conclusions, “don’t always say what they think.” Without the ability to rely on chain of thought, “there may be safely-relevant factors affecting model behavior” that remain hidden, the researchers concluded. (The researchers evaluated the faithfulness of two state-of-the-art reasoning models, Claude 3.7 Sonnet and DeepSeek-R1.) Connecting AI models to business tools, via agents, raises the safety stakes. An agent that has access to an email system can be exploited as a useful tool for attacker intent on phishing. Access to database systems can be levered to extract valuable data from an organization. Even instances of accidental misuse can have significant consequences in terms of disruption, cost, and reputational damage to an organization. An adult in the room In the absence of the ability to predict or drive the behavior, these new digital colleagues—like their human counterparts—need chaperones to provide guidance and feedback. It’s important there is at least one “adult” in the room to constantly monitor these (not very streetwise) interns, intervening in real time when they may be sent on a fool’s errand, tricked into handing over their wallet, or encouraged to say or do something offensive or illegal. We know from experience that attempting to rapidly introduce new technology across an enterprise can be a recipe for chaos. Someone, somewhere—and likely many people—will find themselves in the headlines looking silly, at best. At worst, they may lose valuable intellectual property and suffer serious financial and reputational loss. The best solution for an agentic workforce is agentic oversight—using powerful, customized agents to simulate real-world scenarios and probe AI for weaknesses. Continuous, automated “red teaming” of these new technologies, at speed, can give enterprises the confidence they need before they send their armies of new interns and employees out to do real jobs. This agentic warfare approach offers the greatest chance of implementing enterprise AI for its intended purposes. After all, you wouldn’t give an unvetted new employee completely unhindered and unsupervised access to your business systems, would you? Donnchadh Casey is CEO of CalypsoAI. View the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Leadership transformation isn’t found in boardrooms—it’s happening in our homes. In a world facing converging crises of climate, technology, and social displacement, how we create our spaces reveals everything about how we’ll lead through these transformative times. Integrity derives from the Latin word “integer”—meaning whole, complete, undivided. This word describes both ethical leadership and structural soundness. A home lacks integrity when its foundation cracks or its systems fail to work as a unified whole. Similarly, leadership without integrity fragments under pressure, creates waste through misalignment, and fails to shelter those who depend on it. The decisions that shape our homes—from material sourcing to energy systems to spatial design—are fundamentally ethical choices. They reveal whether we truly understand our relationship to resources, community, and future generations. This connection between home and leadership becomes clearest when we contrast two fundamentally different approaches: The extractive mindset designs homes that deplete resources, prioritize appearance over performance, and externalize their true costs to communities and ecosystems. The regenerative mindset creates living spaces that work in harmony with natural systems, optimize for both human and planetary health, and regenerate the communities they exist within. The mindset we adopt when designing our homes reveals our relationship with material resources, directly reflecting our capacity to lead with integrity. The same patterns of thinking that have contributed to environmentally wasteful building practices in the past inevitably also surface in organizational decision making. The good news is that embracing regenerative practices creates a virtuous cycle—transforming our homes, reshaping our mindsets, and ultimately enhancing our leadership abilities. Beyond four walls Visionary leaders recognize that their organizations, like homes, exist within living systems. Just as a sustainable home requires understanding energy flows, material lifecycles, and community impacts, effective leadership requires seeing beyond isolated metrics to the health of entire ecosystems—organizational, financial, social, and ecological. These systems transform leadership in four critical dimensions: Holistic integration: The alignment of systems, values, and resources to create a unified whole greater than the sum of its parts. In homes, this means designing spaces where energy, water, materials, and human needs work in harmony. In leadership, it means cultivating organizations where purpose, people, profit, and planetary impact reinforce rather than undermine each other. Regenerative stewardship: Moving beyond sustainability to actively restore and enhance the systems that support life. In homes, this means creating spaces that give more than they take. In leadership, it means building organizations that actively heal social divides, regenerate depleted resources, and leave ecosystems healthier. Honest materiality: Embracing the true nature, origins, and impacts of what we build with. In homes, this means selecting materials for their authentic properties rather than superficial aesthetics. In leadership, it means fostering transparency about how value is created, and impacts are managed throughout the entire organizational ecosystem. Adaptive co-evolution: Designing for a dynamic relationship with changing environments rather than rigid control. In homes, this means creating spaces that respond to seasonal shifts, climate extremes, and evolving family needs. In leadership, it means developing organizations capable of thriving amid uncertainty—sensing, responding to, and shaping emerging futures. As technological acceleration and climate impacts intensify, transformative leaders mirror sustainable builders: envisioning regenerative systems, pioneering new methods, and understanding the interconnectedness of people and planet. The next generation of breakthrough leaders won’t just manage extraction more efficiently—they’ll architect regeneration more intelligently. And like all great architects, they’ll understand that integrity isn’t just a virtue—it’s structural necessity. The whole puzzle Traditional leadership focuses on optimizing fragments: profit centers, performance metrics, quarterly returns. This fragmentation is like building a house by perfecting individual rooms without ensuring they work together—a strategy that inevitably creates dysfunction at both local and planetary scales. The integrity-driven approach sees the whole puzzle—understanding that a home, like an organization, exists within Earth’s living systems. When our homes and businesses operate with fragmented thinking, the collective impact accelerates climate destabilization. When we design with integrity, we create regenerative ripples beyond our immediate sphere. This planetary perspective transforms leadership from an exercise in optimization to an act of stewardship. It requires alignment between systems, purpose, and impact across scales—from the individual home to the global commons we all share. The future of leadership starts in the home because our profound transformations begin with reconsidering what we’ve taken for granted. By examining the integrity of our fundamental structures—our living spaces—we reveal the blueprint for leading organizations capable of thriving amid complexity while contributing to a flourishing world. The leadership our future demands builds on the same foundation as sustainable homes: the recognition that integrity—both structural and moral—isn’t optional. It’s essential for creating systems that withstand time, resource constraints, and accelerating change. Gene Eidelman is cofounder of Azure Homes. Rachel Weissman is founder of Congruence. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Greta & Valdin, by Rebecca K. Reilly. Greta and Valdin are siblings and roommates, one dealing with his break-up with a much older man, and one trying to figure out love and her career. It’s also about their large Maori-Russian-Catalonian family, and about struggling to find your way, and it’s funny. (Amazon, Bookshop) * I earn a commission if you use those links. View the full article

Instagram has a new feature that curates custom Reels feeds for you and your friends. Blend, an invite-only option within individual or group chats, refreshes daily and suggests content based on participants' tastes. Spotify has a similar Blend feature that creates shared playlists—also updated daily—based on both listeners' tastes. Note that Instagram Blend, which is a mobile-only feature, is not yet available to all users, even if the icon appears in your chats. How to use Instagram BlendTo start a blend, you'll need to invite users via your individual or group chats. From Messages on the mobile app, open the one-on-one or group chat you want to create a blend with and tap the new Blend icon. Everyone in the chat will receive an invite—if at least one person accepts, a blend will be created, but an individual's suggested reels will be added only if they accept. Once a blend is created, you can view it by tapping the Blend icon at the top of the chat, where you can then comment on or react to it. You can delete a reel that has been suggested for you by tapping the three horizontal dots and selecting Remove from your blends, though this will remove it from any blends you are part of. If you want to leave a blend, open it and tap the Settings icon > Leave this blend. According to Instagram's explainer page, you can also curate suggestions by indicating whether you are interested or not interested (tap the three horizontal dots on the reel) to get more or less of similar content. Sensitive content will be filtered based on the member with the strictest settings. View the full article

Key Takeaways Capitalize on Consumer Enthusiasm: The New Year is a prime time to boost sales as consumers are motivated by resolutions and fresh starts, making it essential for businesses to leverage this mindset. Align Offers with Trends: Tailor promotions around seasonal buying patterns, focusing on products related to health, organization, and self-improvement to resonate with customer interests. Implement Effective Promotional Strategies: Use resolution-based promotions, limited-time offers, and engaging year-in-review content to foster a sense of urgency and drive customer engagement. Utilize Targeted Marketing: Deploy targeted social media campaigns and interactive content to attract specific demographics, enhancing your reach and engagement with potential customers. Enhance Customer Experiences: Focus on personalization and user-friendly shopping interfaces to create a seamless purchasing process, which can lead to higher conversion rates and repeat business. Nurture Relationships Post-Purchase: Employ follow-up strategies to maintain customer communication after sales, fostering loyalty and increasing the likelihood of referral sales. As the New Year approaches, it’s the perfect time to rev up your sales strategy and capitalize on the fresh start mentality that many consumers embrace. Shoppers are eager to invest in new products and experiences, making this a golden opportunity for your business. With the right tactics, you can turn this excitement into a significant boost in revenue. Driving New Year sales isn’t just about slashing prices; it’s about creating compelling offers that resonate with your audience. From targeted marketing campaigns to engaging promotions, you can attract attention and encourage purchases. Let’s explore effective strategies that will help you maximize your sales potential and make this New Year a profitable one for your business. Understanding New Year’s Sales Trends New Year’s sales present a unique opportunity for small businesses to capitalize on consumer enthusiasm for fresh starts. Understanding specific trends can help enhance your sales strategy and boost revenue. Seasonal Buying Patterns Seasonal buying patterns significantly influence consumer spending during the New Year. Many shoppers seek out deals on fitness products, planners, and home organization tools. With 30% of consumers prioritizing health and wellness products after the holidays, tailor your promotions to align with these interests. Consider offering bundled packages or limited-time discounts to drive sales. Focus on upselling and cross-selling relevant items that complement their initial purchases. Consumer Behavior Insights Consumer behavior shifts at the start of the year, driven by resolutions and a desire for change. Understanding these insights can enhance your sales pipeline. Target marketing campaigns around common resolutions, such as financial planning or self-improvement, to capture attention. Properly addressing customer needs fosters customer engagement and increases the likelihood of repeat business. Utilize customer relationship management (CRM) tools to analyze data, recognize buying patterns, and refine your sales funnel. During this period, emphasize your value proposition to help alleviate objections and nurture relationships, ensuring you close sales effectively. Strategies to Drive New Year’s Sales As the New Year approaches, enhancing your sales strategies can significantly impact your business. These strategies help connect with customers and drive engagement during a time filled with fresh resolutions and aspirations. Here are effective approaches to consider. Promotional Campaigns Resolution-Based Promotions: Cater your products or services to align with New Year’s resolutions such as health, finances, relationships, and hobbies. For example, if you’re a gym owner, offer discounted memberships to attract new members focused on fitness. If you’re in the meal service industry, present meal prep kits as essential for customers aiming to eat healthily. Limited-Time Offers and Exclusivity: Create urgency with time-sensitive discounts, exclusive deals, or bundled packages. Highlight these offers in your marketing to encourage quick customer action, reducing sales cycle duration and enhancing conversion rates. Make the deadlines prominent across your marketing channels. Year-in-Review Content: Share personalized content showcasing your customers’ past year achievements and how your products or services can contribute to their future goals. This approach boosts customer engagement and fosters a connection that encourages repeat business. Leveraging Social Media Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Utilize social media platforms to reach specific demographics based on their interests and behaviors. Create engaging posts that highlight your promotional campaigns, using analytics to refine your sales outreach and track performance of your sales strategy. Interactive Content: Use polls, quizzes, and contests to engage your audience. This interaction can enhance customer acquisition and lead generation, making your products top-of-mind as customers set and revisit their New Year’s goals. Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with relevant influencers to expand your product reach. Influencers can share your sales goals with their audience, enhancing your brand visibility and credibility while driving traffic through unique promotional codes or offers. Follow-Up Strategies: Implement strong follow-up techniques post-promotion. Use your customer relationship management (CRM) tool to nurture leads and maintain communication. This builds relationship stability and increases the likelihood of referral sales. By employing these strategies, you can optimize your sales performance and effectively engage with customers during the New Year, ensuring your business thrives in this promising period. Creating Compelling Offers Creating compelling offers involves crafting strategies that resonate with your customers. Focusing on customer needs enhances engagement and boosts sales performance for small businesses. Discounts and Bundles Utilizing discounts and bundles effectively attracts customers and drives sales. Offer limited-time discounts on high-demand products. Bundle complementary items to increase perceived value; for instance, combining fitness gear with health supplements can address common New Year resolutions. This tactic not only enhances your average transaction value but also encourages upselling and cross-selling, increasing potential revenue. Track sales metrics to gauge success and adjust promotional strategies based on performance. Limited-Time Promotions Implementing limited-time promotions creates urgency, prompting quick decision-making among consumers. Use countdown timers or flash sales to emphasize scarcity. Engage customers with eye-catching promotional materials that clearly state the offer. Ensure your sales pitch highlights the value proposition, focusing on how your products fulfill their needs. Leverage your customer relationship management (CRM) system to identify previous purchases and tailor offers accordingly, improving sales conversion rates. Follow up with customers post-purchase to strengthen relationships and encourage repeat business. Enhancing Customer Experience Enhancing customer experience boosts sales for small businesses during the New Year rush. Focus on strategies that captivate your audience and foster lasting relationships. Personalization Techniques Utilize personalization techniques to connect with customers on a deeper level. Tailor your marketing messages and offers based on customer preferences and previous purchases. For instance, segment your email lists to deliver targeted promotions that align with individual interests or resolutions, increasing customer engagement. Employ customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track these interactions, which can refine your sales process and enhance the effectiveness of upselling and cross-selling strategies. User-Friendly Shopping Interfaces Design user-friendly shopping interfaces to streamline the purchasing process. Simplify navigation and optimize your online store for mobile devices to cater to customers shopping from various platforms. Include clear product descriptions, high-quality images, and easy checkout options to reduce friction in your sales funnel. Innovations like real-time inventory tracking and live chat for immediate assistance can elevate customer service and improve sales conversion rates, leading to increased revenue and customer satisfaction. Conclusion Embracing the New Year presents a unique opportunity for your business to connect with customers eager for change. By crafting compelling offers and tailoring your marketing strategies, you can resonate with their aspirations and drive sales effectively. Focus on creating urgency through limited-time promotions and exclusive bundles that align with common resolutions. Enhance the customer experience by personalizing your approach and optimizing your online store for seamless shopping. Utilizing data-driven insights will help you refine your strategies and foster lasting relationships. As you implement these tactics, you’ll not only boost sales but also set the stage for continued success throughout the year. Frequently Asked Questions What are some effective strategies for enhancing sales as the New Year approaches? To enhance sales, businesses can implement targeted marketing campaigns, create appealing promotions linked to New Year resolutions, and offer bundles or limited-time discounts. Understanding consumer behavior and preferences is essential to tailor these strategies effectively. How can businesses align promotions with New Year resolutions? Businesses can align promotions by focusing on common resolutions such as fitness and financial wellness. This could include offering discounts on health products or providing financial planning tools, encouraging customers to engage with their goals while shopping. Why is customer relationship management (CRM) important for sales strategies? CRM tools help businesses analyze customer data to refine sales strategies. By understanding customer preferences and behaviors, businesses can tailor their marketing efforts for better engagement and increase the chances of closing sales. How can urgency drive sales during the New Year? Creating urgency through limited-time offers and exclusive deals encourages customers to act quickly. Techniques like countdown timers and promotional materials can enhance this sense of urgency, boosting conversion rates. What role does social media play in New Year’s marketing campaigns? Social media is crucial for reaching a broader audience through targeted campaigns, interactive content, and influencer partnerships. It helps improve brand visibility and engage customers effectively during New Year promotions. How can businesses improve customer experience to boost sales? Improving customer experience involves personalizing marketing messages, optimizing online shopping interfaces for ease of use, ensuring mobile compatibility, and providing features like live chat and inventory tracking to enhance the purchasing process. Image Via Envato This article, "Boost Your Business: Effective Strategies to Drive New Years Sales" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Capitalize on Consumer Enthusiasm: The New Year is a prime time to boost sales as consumers are motivated by resolutions and fresh starts, making it essential for businesses to leverage this mindset. Align Offers with Trends: Tailor promotions around seasonal buying patterns, focusing on products related to health, organization, and self-improvement to resonate with customer interests. Implement Effective Promotional Strategies: Use resolution-based promotions, limited-time offers, and engaging year-in-review content to foster a sense of urgency and drive customer engagement. Utilize Targeted Marketing: Deploy targeted social media campaigns and interactive content to attract specific demographics, enhancing your reach and engagement with potential customers. Enhance Customer Experiences: Focus on personalization and user-friendly shopping interfaces to create a seamless purchasing process, which can lead to higher conversion rates and repeat business. Nurture Relationships Post-Purchase: Employ follow-up strategies to maintain customer communication after sales, fostering loyalty and increasing the likelihood of referral sales. As the New Year approaches, it’s the perfect time to rev up your sales strategy and capitalize on the fresh start mentality that many consumers embrace. Shoppers are eager to invest in new products and experiences, making this a golden opportunity for your business. With the right tactics, you can turn this excitement into a significant boost in revenue. Driving New Year sales isn’t just about slashing prices; it’s about creating compelling offers that resonate with your audience. From targeted marketing campaigns to engaging promotions, you can attract attention and encourage purchases. Let’s explore effective strategies that will help you maximize your sales potential and make this New Year a profitable one for your business. Understanding New Year’s Sales Trends New Year’s sales present a unique opportunity for small businesses to capitalize on consumer enthusiasm for fresh starts. Understanding specific trends can help enhance your sales strategy and boost revenue. Seasonal Buying Patterns Seasonal buying patterns significantly influence consumer spending during the New Year. Many shoppers seek out deals on fitness products, planners, and home organization tools. With 30% of consumers prioritizing health and wellness products after the holidays, tailor your promotions to align with these interests. Consider offering bundled packages or limited-time discounts to drive sales. Focus on upselling and cross-selling relevant items that complement their initial purchases. Consumer Behavior Insights Consumer behavior shifts at the start of the year, driven by resolutions and a desire for change. Understanding these insights can enhance your sales pipeline. Target marketing campaigns around common resolutions, such as financial planning or self-improvement, to capture attention. Properly addressing customer needs fosters customer engagement and increases the likelihood of repeat business. Utilize customer relationship management (CRM) tools to analyze data, recognize buying patterns, and refine your sales funnel. During this period, emphasize your value proposition to help alleviate objections and nurture relationships, ensuring you close sales effectively. Strategies to Drive New Year’s Sales As the New Year approaches, enhancing your sales strategies can significantly impact your business. These strategies help connect with customers and drive engagement during a time filled with fresh resolutions and aspirations. Here are effective approaches to consider. Promotional Campaigns Resolution-Based Promotions: Cater your products or services to align with New Year’s resolutions such as health, finances, relationships, and hobbies. For example, if you’re a gym owner, offer discounted memberships to attract new members focused on fitness. If you’re in the meal service industry, present meal prep kits as essential for customers aiming to eat healthily. Limited-Time Offers and Exclusivity: Create urgency with time-sensitive discounts, exclusive deals, or bundled packages. Highlight these offers in your marketing to encourage quick customer action, reducing sales cycle duration and enhancing conversion rates. Make the deadlines prominent across your marketing channels. Year-in-Review Content: Share personalized content showcasing your customers’ past year achievements and how your products or services can contribute to their future goals. This approach boosts customer engagement and fosters a connection that encourages repeat business. Leveraging Social Media Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Utilize social media platforms to reach specific demographics based on their interests and behaviors. Create engaging posts that highlight your promotional campaigns, using analytics to refine your sales outreach and track performance of your sales strategy. Interactive Content: Use polls, quizzes, and contests to engage your audience. This interaction can enhance customer acquisition and lead generation, making your products top-of-mind as customers set and revisit their New Year’s goals. Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with relevant influencers to expand your product reach. Influencers can share your sales goals with their audience, enhancing your brand visibility and credibility while driving traffic through unique promotional codes or offers. Follow-Up Strategies: Implement strong follow-up techniques post-promotion. Use your customer relationship management (CRM) tool to nurture leads and maintain communication. This builds relationship stability and increases the likelihood of referral sales. By employing these strategies, you can optimize your sales performance and effectively engage with customers during the New Year, ensuring your business thrives in this promising period. Creating Compelling Offers Creating compelling offers involves crafting strategies that resonate with your customers. Focusing on customer needs enhances engagement and boosts sales performance for small businesses. Discounts and Bundles Utilizing discounts and bundles effectively attracts customers and drives sales. Offer limited-time discounts on high-demand products. Bundle complementary items to increase perceived value; for instance, combining fitness gear with health supplements can address common New Year resolutions. This tactic not only enhances your average transaction value but also encourages upselling and cross-selling, increasing potential revenue. Track sales metrics to gauge success and adjust promotional strategies based on performance. Limited-Time Promotions Implementing limited-time promotions creates urgency, prompting quick decision-making among consumers. Use countdown timers or flash sales to emphasize scarcity. Engage customers with eye-catching promotional materials that clearly state the offer. Ensure your sales pitch highlights the value proposition, focusing on how your products fulfill their needs. Leverage your customer relationship management (CRM) system to identify previous purchases and tailor offers accordingly, improving sales conversion rates. Follow up with customers post-purchase to strengthen relationships and encourage repeat business. Enhancing Customer Experience Enhancing customer experience boosts sales for small businesses during the New Year rush. Focus on strategies that captivate your audience and foster lasting relationships. Personalization Techniques Utilize personalization techniques to connect with customers on a deeper level. Tailor your marketing messages and offers based on customer preferences and previous purchases. For instance, segment your email lists to deliver targeted promotions that align with individual interests or resolutions, increasing customer engagement. Employ customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track these interactions, which can refine your sales process and enhance the effectiveness of upselling and cross-selling strategies. User-Friendly Shopping Interfaces Design user-friendly shopping interfaces to streamline the purchasing process. Simplify navigation and optimize your online store for mobile devices to cater to customers shopping from various platforms. Include clear product descriptions, high-quality images, and easy checkout options to reduce friction in your sales funnel. Innovations like real-time inventory tracking and live chat for immediate assistance can elevate customer service and improve sales conversion rates, leading to increased revenue and customer satisfaction. Conclusion Embracing the New Year presents a unique opportunity for your business to connect with customers eager for change. By crafting compelling offers and tailoring your marketing strategies, you can resonate with their aspirations and drive sales effectively. Focus on creating urgency through limited-time promotions and exclusive bundles that align with common resolutions. Enhance the customer experience by personalizing your approach and optimizing your online store for seamless shopping. Utilizing data-driven insights will help you refine your strategies and foster lasting relationships. As you implement these tactics, you’ll not only boost sales but also set the stage for continued success throughout the year. Frequently Asked Questions What are some effective strategies for enhancing sales as the New Year approaches? To enhance sales, businesses can implement targeted marketing campaigns, create appealing promotions linked to New Year resolutions, and offer bundles or limited-time discounts. Understanding consumer behavior and preferences is essential to tailor these strategies effectively. How can businesses align promotions with New Year resolutions? Businesses can align promotions by focusing on common resolutions such as fitness and financial wellness. This could include offering discounts on health products or providing financial planning tools, encouraging customers to engage with their goals while shopping. Why is customer relationship management (CRM) important for sales strategies? CRM tools help businesses analyze customer data to refine sales strategies. By understanding customer preferences and behaviors, businesses can tailor their marketing efforts for better engagement and increase the chances of closing sales. How can urgency drive sales during the New Year? Creating urgency through limited-time offers and exclusive deals encourages customers to act quickly. Techniques like countdown timers and promotional materials can enhance this sense of urgency, boosting conversion rates. What role does social media play in New Year’s marketing campaigns? Social media is crucial for reaching a broader audience through targeted campaigns, interactive content, and influencer partnerships. It helps improve brand visibility and engage customers effectively during New Year promotions. How can businesses improve customer experience to boost sales? Improving customer experience involves personalizing marketing messages, optimizing online shopping interfaces for ease of use, ensuring mobile compatibility, and providing features like live chat and inventory tracking to enhance the purchasing process. Image Via Envato This article, "Boost Your Business: Effective Strategies to Drive New Years Sales" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

This week, OpenAI announced its latest models: o3 and o4-mini. These are reasoning models, which break down a prompt into multiple parts that are then addressed one at a time. The goal is for the bot to “think” through a request more deeply than other models might, and arrive at a deeper, more accurate result. While there are many possible functions for OpenAI’s “most powerful” reasoning model, one use that has blown up a bit on social media is for geoguessing—the act of identifying a location by analyzing only what you can see in an image. As TechCrunch reported, users on X are posting about their experiences asking o3 to pinpoint locations from random photos, and showing glowing results. The bot will guess where in the world it thinks the photo was taken, and break down its reasons for thinking so. For example, it might say it zeroed-in on a certain color license plate that denotes a particular country, or that it noticed a particular language or writing style on a sign. According to some of these users, ChatGPT isn’t using any metadata hidden in the images to help it identify the locations: Some testers are stripping that data out of the photos before sharing them with the model, so, theoretically, it’s working off of reasoning and web search alone. On the one hand, this is a fun task to put ChatGPT through. Geoguessing is all the rage online, so making the practice more accessible could be a good thing. On the other, there are clear privacy and security implications here: Someone with access to ChatGPT’s o3 model could use the reasoning model to identify where someone lives or is staying based on an otherwise anonymous image of theirs. I decided to test out o3’s geoguessing capabilities with some stills from Google Street View, to see whether the internet hype was up to snuff. The good news is that, from my own experience, this is far from a perfect tool. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it’s much better at the task than OpenAI’s non-reasoning models, like 4o. Testing o3’s geoguessing skillso3 can handle clear landmarks with relative ease: I first tested a view from a highway in Minnesota, facing the skyline of Minneapolis in the foreground. It only took the bot a minute and six seconds to identify the city, and got that we were looking down I-35W. It also instantly identified the Panthéon in Paris, noting that the screenshot was from the time it was under renovation in 2015. (I didn't know that when I submitted it!) Credit: Lifehacker Next, I wanted to try non-famous landmarks and locations. I found a random street corner in Springfield, Illinois, featuring the city’s Central Baptist Church—a red brick building with a steeple. This is when things started to get interesting: o3 cropped the image in multiple parts, looking for identifying characteristics in each. Since this is a reasoning model, you can see what it’s looking for in certain crops, too. Like other times I've tested out reasoning models, it's weird to see the bot "thinking" with human-like interjections. (e.g. "Hmm," "but wait," and "I remember.") It's also interesting to see how it picks out specific details, like noting the architectural style of a section of a building, or where in the world a certain park bench is most commonly seen. Depending on where the bot is in its thinking process, it may start to search the web for more information, and you can click those links to investigate what it's referencing yourself. Despite all this reasoning, this location stumped the bot, and it wasn’t able to complete the analysis. After three minutes and 47 seconds, the bot seemed like it was getting close to figuring it out, saying: “The location at 400 E Jackson Street in Springfield, IL could be near the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. My crop didn’t capture the whole board, so I need to adjust the coordinates and test the bounding box. Alternatively, the architecture might help identify it—a red brick Greek Revival with a white steeple, combined with a high-rise that could be 'Embassy Plaza.' The term 'Redeemer' could relate to 'Redeemer Lutheran Church.' I'll search my memory for more details about landmarks near this address.” Credit: Lifehacker The bot correctly identified the street, but more impressively, the city itself. I was also impressed by its analysis of the church. While it was struggling to identify the specific church, it was able to analyze its style, which could have put it on the right path. However, the analysis quickly fell apart. The next “thought” was about how the location might be in Springfield, Missouri or Kansas City. This is the first time I saw anything about Missouri, which made me wonder whether the bot hallucinated between the two Springfields. From here, the bot lost the plot, wondering if the church was in Omaha, or maybe that it was the Topeka Governor’s Mansion (which doesn’t really look anything like the church). It kept thinking for another couple minutes, speculating about other locations the block could be in, before pausing the analysis altogether. This tracked with a subsequent experience I had testing a random town in Kansas: After three minutes of thinking, the bot thought my image was from Fulton, Illinois—though, to its credit, it was pretty sure the picture was from somewhere in the midwest. I asked it to try again, and it thought for a while, again guessing wildly different cities in various states, before pausing the analysis for good. Now is not the time for fearThe thing is, GPT-4o seems to be about even with o3 when it comes to location recognition. It was able to instantly identify that skyline of Minneapolis and immediately guessed that the Kansas photo was actually in Iowa. (It was incorrect, of course, but it was quick about it.) That seems to align with others’ experiences with the models: TechCrunch was able to get o3 to identify one location 4o couldn’t, but the models were matched evenly other than that. While there are certainly some privacy and security concerns with AI in general, I don't think o3 in particular needs to be singled out as a specific threat. It can be used to correctly guess where an image was taken, sure, but it can also easily get it wrong—or crash out entirely. Seeing as 4o is capable of a similar level of accuracy, I'd say there's as much concern today as there was over the past year or so. It's not great, but it's also not dire. I'd save the panic for an AI model that gets it right almost every time, especially when the image is obscure. In regards to the privacy and security concerns, OpenAI shared the following with TechCrunch: “OpenAI o3 and o4-mini bring visual reasoning to ChatGPT, making it more helpful in areas like accessibility, research, or identifying locations in emergency response. We’ve worked to train our models to refuse requests for private or sensitive information, added safeguards intended to prohibit the model from identifying private individuals in images, and actively monitor for and take action against abuse of our usage policies on privacy." View the full article

When Twitter cofounder and Medium founder Evan “Ev” Williams was planning his 50th birthday party, he didn’t know who to invite. Having spent more of his life building and scaling tech companies, he found himself feeling disconnected from friends. That’s why he started Mozi last year with Molly DeWolf Swenson, a marketer and producer. Swenson, who serves as CEO of the company, says that the app—which lets users check in to certain locations where other contacts can join them and vice-versa—is intended to facilitate spontaneous, in-person interactions. Launched in December 2024, Mozi raised $6 million in seed funding from Williams’ Obvious Ventures—which he cofounded with Vishal Vasishth and James Joaquin—and is live in 135 countries. During South by Southwest, Swenson and Williams joined Most Innovative Companies host Yasmin Gagne to discuss what inspired the app, how it works, and how they plan to make money off of it. This interview has been edited and condensed. How does Mozi work? MDS: You set up a basic profile. The only information we require is what city is your home base, a photo, your phone number, and your name. Then you sync your contacts so that we know which of them are on Mozi. Then you can decide whether you want them to be able to see your plans or not. Then as you go, you input your travel plans or your local plans. The idea is that you open up Mozi and you see where your friends are and the things that they’re doing that you could join them for, whether that’s coworking at a coffee shop, or going to a show that night. Those are the kinds of things we’re trying to drop people into. It’s not something where you’re spending a bunch of time on your phone. You’re actually getting together in person. Molly, what attracted you to the business? MDS: I had a spreadsheet of 450 people that I started at my first company, Riot, which was a media company. We’d be traveling back and forth to New York a lot and I’d be like, ‘I’ve got to remember to reach out to these people when I’m in New York.’ So it just started with ‘Who are the important people I need to remember to reach out to that live in New York?’. And then that expanded to ‘Who’s in San Francisco?’ and ‘Who’s in these other cities?’ Then that list ended up expanding to potential clients, people with audiences, people who are single so I could set them up. It wasn’t very accurate for very long because it takes a lot of effort to keep something like that up to date. So when Evan and I came together to talk about Mozi for the first time, I described the spreadsheet to him. Do you worry about the app promoting behavior like stalking? MDS: It’s encrypted as fuck in terms of personal information. We’ve been really, I’d say conservative on making sure that privacy is protected for you and your contacts. EW: We don’t just broadcast your location to everyone. We only tell people the plans you share with a subset of your contacts. Nothing in Mozi is public. Can’t you just text your friends to make plans? EW: But through Mozi you could share plans with people who you want to know better as well. How are you going to make money through the app? MDW: Premium features. There’s dating apps now that people will pay for, there’s health tracker apps that people pay for. There’s tons and tons of utilities on our phones that people are willing to pay some amount for. you We have a thesis that people would be willing to pay for an app that is purpose-built for maintaining and strengthening their friendships and relationships. People write to us saying, “I’d be willing to pay for a product like this, just don’t bring ads into it.” A lot of our users initially—Mozers, as we call them—are in an older demographic. They’re in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s. They’re less price-sensitive than some of the [users of] social platforms that are targeting younger users. EW: Mozi is really in the category of utilities. The types of apps Molly was mentioning are utilities; they can charge a subscription because people don’t spend all day on them. You kind of need people to spend all day on the app if you’re going to make an ad model work. We’re not focusing on monetization right now. We need to grow the network. But it seems very likely to us that this can provide such value in life as a utility. What would a premium feature look like? MDS: We prototyped a map view with a slider into the future. You could, at the city level, see where your friends are, then you slide into the future with your finger and all those little bubbles move to different cities where they will be. That could be one. I’ve also talked about this feature of being able to sort my contacts by who is single so I can set them up. EW: Another cool feature idea is an intro feature where if you see two people who don’t know each other who are going to be in the same place, you can introduce them. Normally that would take a good six text messages, but in the app you could do it like boom, boom, if they both opt in. MDS: We actually had a cool Mozi moment yesterday. Two people connected at the Mozi event and they realized they had the same birthday– they just happened to see each other’s profiles. We should have just popped that information up when they connected on the app. There’s things like that where you connect and it’s like…here’s your common ground. How do you figure out you have the same birthday that fast? Evan, you cofounded X (formerly Twitter). What is your relationship like to social media now? EW: I don’t spend much time on it at all. I just think for mental health and for ROI on time invested, I like to do other things. Twitter is still an amazing source of tech information if you want to know what’s happening. If you want to recruit people, LinkedIn is social media. But now I’m just enjoying my time reading books and hanging out with friends. Have you made any friends through Mozi? MDS: We found out a friend was in Kyoto and went out to drinks with her and her brother because of Mozi. I heard from someone yesterday who was like, “I ran into someone because of Mozi in Dubai. We hadn’t seen each other in four years.” It feels like we’re delivering on something important. We want to increase the surface area of that social serendipity. View the full article

Volvo Group plans to lay off as many as 800 workers at three U.S. facilities over the next three months due to market uncertainty and demand concerns in the face of President Donald The President’s tariffs, a spokesperson said on Friday. Volvo Group North America said in a statement it has told employees it plans to lay off 550-800 people at its Mack Trucks site in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and two Volvo Group facilities in Dublin, Virginia, and Hagerstown, Maryland. The company, part of Sweden’s AB Volvo, employs nearly 20,000 people in North America, according to its website. The President has upended the global trading system that has been in place for over 75 years with a plan for tariffs on products from across the world. His vacillating trade policy has undermined consumer and business confidence, and caused economists to raise their forecasts for a U.S. recession. Volvo Group’s lay-offs are the latest response from a car and truck industry that is reeling from the Republican president’s tariffs on certain parts, which is expected to increase the cost of manufacturing vehicles. “Heavy-duty truck orders continue to be negatively affected by market uncertainty about freight rates and demand, possible regulatory changes, and the impact of tariffs,” a spokesperson for Volvo Group North America said in an emailed statement. “We regret having to take this action, but we need to align production with reduced demand for our vehicles.” —Chris Prentice, Reuters View the full article

As the cost of a college education has ballooned to nearly $100,000 a year, a new generation of workers may be opting out of a four-year degree—and seeking out trade jobs instead. Among Gen Z, blue-collar jobs in industries like plumbing and construction have grown more appealing, promising job security and decent pay. A survey conducted by the Harris Poll last year found that Gen Z expressed a marked interest in moving into the trades, and that they were more likely to view those jobs positively when compared to corporate roles. The trades are also desperately in need of younger workers, as they struggle to meet demand and find skilled workers. That’s especially true in the manufacturing industry: A new Deloitte report estimates that within the next decade, manufacturers may need to fill 3.8 million open roles, as people age out of the workforce and more jobs are created. President The President’s far-reaching tariffs could also drive up the labor shortage in the manufacturing industry. A recent Goldman Sachs analysis concluded that the tariffs are likely to create 100,000 new manufacturing jobs, according to Axios. In fact, the manufacturing industry has seen significant growth since the pandemic—in part, driven by initiatives to create more semiconductor and clean-energy jobs. But unlike other trades, the manufacturing sector may not be able to rely on renewed interest from a new crop of young workers. It seems, manufacturing jobs don’t hold the same allure for Gen Z workers; in surveys, they have shown little desire to engage with industrial work due to concerns over wages and safety. A study by the workplace safety software company Soter Analytics found that one in five Gen Z respondents believed industrial work paid poorly, and a quarter of them also did not view industrial work as safe. Another sticking point for Gen Z is flexibility, something young workers repeatedly cite as a major priority. As the Deloitte survey notes, manufacturing executives are aware this presents a challenge in an industry that typically relies on in-person work with fixed schedules—but many of them also reported that offering flexible arrangements like splitting or swapping shifts had helped increase retention. (By contrast, other jobs in the trades can offer more flexibility or allow workers to set their own hours.) But perhaps the greatest hurdle to luring young workers to manufacturing jobs may be that Gen Z often wants to feel a sense of purpose at work. Job satisfaction tends to be especially low among blue-collar workers: According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, only 43% of those workers said they were very satisfied with their jobs, as compared to 53% of employees in other industries. Younger workers were even less likely to be satisfied than their older counterparts—and also less likely to view their job as a career. If manufacturing employers can’t find a way to address issues like job satisfaction and flexibility, they may continue struggling to appeal to Gen Z workers. View the full article

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications next week for the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program, a financial aid initiative designed to support small businesses impacted by lane closures on Route 80 in Morris County. Applications open Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The grant program targets small businesses and non-profits located within five miles of Route 80’s Exit 34, where ongoing sinkhole repairs have caused significant traffic disruptions. Businesses in this area have reported declines in revenue since the repairs began. Grants will range from $1,000 to $15,000. According to NJEDA, eligible applicants must operate in Morris County, employ no more than 50 full-time workers, and be located near Exit 34. In addition, applicants must certify that they experienced a financial loss of at least $1,000 during the first quarter of 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and will remain open until funding is exhausted. The NJEDA has encouraged early submissions to maximize the opportunity for eligible businesses to receive assistance. In preparation for the application launch, the NJEDA is hosting a series of information sessions aimed at small business owners. These sessions will provide guidance on eligibility, application requirements, and the overall process. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and will be held virtually. For more information about the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program and to access the application portal, interested businesses are encouraged to visit the NJEDA website. Image: Canva This article, "NJEDA to Open Applications for Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will begin accepting applications next week for the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program, a financial aid initiative designed to support small businesses impacted by lane closures on Route 80 in Morris County. Applications open Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The grant program targets small businesses and non-profits located within five miles of Route 80’s Exit 34, where ongoing sinkhole repairs have caused significant traffic disruptions. Businesses in this area have reported declines in revenue since the repairs began. Grants will range from $1,000 to $15,000. According to NJEDA, eligible applicants must operate in Morris County, employ no more than 50 full-time workers, and be located near Exit 34. In addition, applicants must certify that they experienced a financial loss of at least $1,000 during the first quarter of 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and will remain open until funding is exhausted. The NJEDA has encouraged early submissions to maximize the opportunity for eligible businesses to receive assistance. In preparation for the application launch, the NJEDA is hosting a series of information sessions aimed at small business owners. These sessions will provide guidance on eligibility, application requirements, and the overall process. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and will be held virtually. For more information about the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program and to access the application portal, interested businesses are encouraged to visit the NJEDA website. Image: Canva This article, "NJEDA to Open Applications for Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Enhanced Engagement: Personalized email marketing significantly boosts engagement by crafting messages that resonate with individual customer preferences and behaviors.Segmentation Strategies: Effective segmentation—demographic, behavioral, psychographic, and geographic—allows for targeted messaging, increasing relevance and driving conversions.Dynamic Content: Utilizing dynamic content, personalized subject lines, and targeted offers creates emails that feel conversational and tailored, fostering customer loyalty.Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage data analytics to understand customer behaviors and preferences, refining targeting strategies and informing future campaigns.Best Practices: Focus on compelling subject lines, optimal timing, and consistent email frequency to maximize open rates and maintain subscriber interest.Measure Success: Regularly track KPIs like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to evaluate campaign effectiveness and guide continuous optimization efforts. In today’s digital landscape, standing out in your audience’s inbox is tougher than ever. Personalized email marketing offers a powerful solution, allowing you to connect with your customers on a deeper level. By tailoring your messages to individual preferences and behaviors, you can boost engagement and drive conversions. Imagine sending emails that feel like a conversation rather than a sales pitch. With personalized content, you’re not just another sender; you’re a brand that understands your audience’s needs. This approach not only enhances customer loyalty but also maximizes the effectiveness of your campaigns. Dive into the world of personalized email marketing and discover how it can transform your business. Understanding Personalized Email Marketing Personalized email marketing is a strategy that tailors messages to individual customers based on their behaviors and preferences. This approach significantly enhances engagement, particularly for small businesses aiming to connect with their audience. Definition and Importance Personalized email marketing involves crafting emails that address customer interests and needs. This method boosts open rates, with studies showing a 26% increase in open rates for personalized emails compared to those that are generic. For small businesses, personalized outreach fosters customer loyalty, encourages repeat purchases, and creates a stronger brand connection. How It Differs from Traditional Email Marketing Traditional email marketing often employs a one-size-fits-all approach, sending the same message to all customers. In contrast, personalized email marketing segments your audience and delivers targeted content. For example, a retail business might send product recommendations based on past purchases. This strategy increases relevance, prompting higher interaction rates and driving sales more effectively than traditional methods. By leveraging personalized email marketing, your small business can stand out, ensuring your communications resonate with each customer, ultimately strengthening your storefront’s success. Key Components of Successful Campaigns Successful personalized email marketing hinges on effective strategies tailored specifically for your audience. Focus on segmentation and content personalization to enhance your campaigns’ effectiveness. Segmentation Strategies Segmentation enables you to target specific audience groups within your customer base. Use the following strategies: Demographic Segmentation: Group customers by age, gender, or location to tailor messages that resonate with each subset. Behavioral Segmentation: Analyze customer actions, like purchase history and engagement frequency, to identify patterns and preferences. Psychographic Segmentation: Consider customer values and interests to align your messaging with their lifestyle and beliefs. Geographic Segmentation: Target customers based on their location, which is especially important for retail storefront promotions or local events. By implementing these segmentation strategies, you increase the relevance of your emails, leading to higher open and conversion rates. Content Personalization Techniques Personalized content captivates your audience. Employ these techniques: Dynamic Content: Adjust email content based on recipient data, such as product recommendations tailored to past purchases. Personalized Subject Lines: Craft subject lines that include the recipient’s name or interests to boost open rates. Targeted Offers: Send exclusive promotions based on customer behavior, like discounts on frequently purchased items. Responsive Design: Ensure emails are visually appealing on all devices, enhancing user experience. Utilizing these content personalization techniques fosters deeper connections between your small business and customers, encouraging loyalty and increasing repeat purchases. Tools and Technologies for Implementation Implementing personalized email marketing strategies requires the right tools and technologies to maximize effectiveness. For small businesses, leveraging these resources can enhance customer engagement and drive sales growth. Email Marketing Platforms Email marketing platforms offer essential features for executing personalized strategies. Look for platforms that allow you to segment your audience based on demographics, behaviors, and purchase history. Popular options such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue provide user-friendly interfaces and automation capabilities. These platforms enable you to create personalized content, design targeted campaigns, and schedule emails, ensuring your messages reach customers when they’re most engaged. Consider integrations with eCommerce platforms if you operate a retail storefront, allowing seamless data exchange for tailored outreach. Data Analytics and Customer Insights Data analytics tools are vital for gaining insights into customer behaviors and preferences. Google Analytics and email marketing platform dashboards can track key metrics, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to refine your targeting strategies and adapt your content accordingly. Understanding shopping patterns and customer interactions helps you craft relevant messages that resonate with your audience. For small businesses, analyzing this data can inform future campaigns and enhance your marketing efforts at every stage of the customer journey. Best Practices for Execution Effective execution of personalized email marketing enhances engagement and drives sales for your small business. Focus on specific strategies to optimize results and build customer loyalty. Crafting Compelling Subject Lines Crafting compelling subject lines captures attention and encourages opens. Personalizing subject lines with recipient names or relevant offers can improve open rates. Use action-oriented language and create urgency with phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Exclusive Deal Just for You.” Aim for a balance between informality and professionalism to resonate with your audience. Timing and Frequency of Emails Timing and frequency of emails play crucial roles in success. Analyze your target audience’s behaviors to identify optimal send times, typically during mid-morning or early evening. Maintain consistency by setting a schedule, whether weekly or bi-weekly, to keep your brand top-of-mind without overwhelming subscribers. Avoid sending emails too frequently, as this may lead to unsubscribes or decreased engagement. Measuring Success Measuring success in personalized email marketing is critical for small businesses. You’ll need to track performance metrics and analyze results to optimize your campaigns and increase engagement. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Identify and monitor the following KPIs to gauge your email campaign’s effectiveness: Open Rate: Measure the percentage of recipients who open your emails. A higher open rate indicates effective subject lines and audience targeting. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Track the percentage of subscribers who click on links within your emails. This metric reflects the relevance and engagement of your content. Conversion Rate: Evaluate the percentage of subscribers who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. This rate indicates the overall success of your emails in achieving business goals. Bounce Rate: Assess the percentage of emails that cannot be delivered. A lower bounce rate suggests a well-maintained email list and effective list management practices. Unsubscribe Rate: Monitor the percentage of subscribers who opt out of your email list. A high unsubscribe rate may signal a need for improved content customization. Analyzing Campaign Results Analyze your campaign results regularly to refine your strategies. Follow these steps: Review Metrics: Use your email marketing platform’s reporting features to examine KPIs. Focus on trends and patterns across multiple campaigns. Segment Insights: Segment your data to identify which customer groups respond best to specific content types. This approach helps in tailoring future messages for maximum impact. A/B Testing: Conduct A/B tests to compare different subject lines, designs, or content types. You’ll gain valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. Customer Feedback: Gather feedback from subscribers post-campaign to understand their preferences and expectations. Consider using surveys for deeper insights. Iterate and Optimize: Based on your analysis, adjust segments, content, and sending times to enhance email performance. Continuous optimization leads to improved engagement and conversion rates, ultimately benefiting your small business. By consistently measuring success and analyzing results, you can enhance your personalized email marketing efforts, effectively driving sales and customer loyalty for your retail storefront. Conclusion Embracing personalized email marketing can transform your business’s engagement and sales. By understanding your customers’ preferences and behaviors, you can create tailored messages that resonate deeply. This approach not only boosts open rates but also fosters loyalty and encourages repeat purchases. Utilizing segmentation strategies and the right tools will help you refine your campaigns and maximize their impact. Remember that measuring success through key metrics is crucial for continuous improvement. By committing to personalized email marketing, you’re not just sending emails; you’re building lasting relationships with your audience that drive your business forward. Frequently Asked Questions What is personalized email marketing? Personalized email marketing involves tailoring email content to individual customer preferences and behaviors. It focuses on creating messages that resonate with specific audiences, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. How does personalized email marketing benefit businesses? It fosters deeper connections with customers, enhances engagement, and drives conversions. Personalized campaigns typically yield better results compared to generic emails, leading to increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases. What are some effective strategies for personalized email campaigns? Key strategies include audience segmentation based on demographics, behavior, and psychographics. Additionally, using dynamic content, personalized subject lines, and targeted offers can make emails more relevant and engaging. Which tools are recommended for personalized email marketing? Popular email marketing platforms include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue. These tools offer features for audience segmentation, automation, and analytics to help craft personalized email content. How can businesses measure the success of personalized email campaigns? Success can be measured using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate. Regularly analyzing these metrics helps refine and optimize email strategies. Why is segmentation important in email marketing? Segmentation allows businesses to divide their audience into specific groups based on characteristics like interests and behaviors. This approach helps tailor content, making it more relevant and enhancing engagement. What are some best practices for writing compelling subject lines? Subject lines should be attention-grabbing and relevant. Utilizing personalization and creating a sense of urgency can encourage recipients to open the email. How often should businesses send personalized emails? The frequency of emails should be determined by audience behavior. It’s important to maintain a consistent schedule without overwhelming subscribers, ensuring that the brand stays top-of-mind. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Success with Personalized Email Marketing Strategies for Your Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Enhanced Engagement: Personalized email marketing significantly boosts engagement by crafting messages that resonate with individual customer preferences and behaviors.Segmentation Strategies: Effective segmentation—demographic, behavioral, psychographic, and geographic—allows for targeted messaging, increasing relevance and driving conversions.Dynamic Content: Utilizing dynamic content, personalized subject lines, and targeted offers creates emails that feel conversational and tailored, fostering customer loyalty.Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage data analytics to understand customer behaviors and preferences, refining targeting strategies and informing future campaigns.Best Practices: Focus on compelling subject lines, optimal timing, and consistent email frequency to maximize open rates and maintain subscriber interest.Measure Success: Regularly track KPIs like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to evaluate campaign effectiveness and guide continuous optimization efforts. In today’s digital landscape, standing out in your audience’s inbox is tougher than ever. Personalized email marketing offers a powerful solution, allowing you to connect with your customers on a deeper level. By tailoring your messages to individual preferences and behaviors, you can boost engagement and drive conversions. Imagine sending emails that feel like a conversation rather than a sales pitch. With personalized content, you’re not just another sender; you’re a brand that understands your audience’s needs. This approach not only enhances customer loyalty but also maximizes the effectiveness of your campaigns. Dive into the world of personalized email marketing and discover how it can transform your business. Understanding Personalized Email Marketing Personalized email marketing is a strategy that tailors messages to individual customers based on their behaviors and preferences. This approach significantly enhances engagement, particularly for small businesses aiming to connect with their audience. Definition and Importance Personalized email marketing involves crafting emails that address customer interests and needs. This method boosts open rates, with studies showing a 26% increase in open rates for personalized emails compared to those that are generic. For small businesses, personalized outreach fosters customer loyalty, encourages repeat purchases, and creates a stronger brand connection. How It Differs from Traditional Email Marketing Traditional email marketing often employs a one-size-fits-all approach, sending the same message to all customers. In contrast, personalized email marketing segments your audience and delivers targeted content. For example, a retail business might send product recommendations based on past purchases. This strategy increases relevance, prompting higher interaction rates and driving sales more effectively than traditional methods. By leveraging personalized email marketing, your small business can stand out, ensuring your communications resonate with each customer, ultimately strengthening your storefront’s success. Key Components of Successful Campaigns Successful personalized email marketing hinges on effective strategies tailored specifically for your audience. Focus on segmentation and content personalization to enhance your campaigns’ effectiveness. Segmentation Strategies Segmentation enables you to target specific audience groups within your customer base. Use the following strategies: Demographic Segmentation: Group customers by age, gender, or location to tailor messages that resonate with each subset. Behavioral Segmentation: Analyze customer actions, like purchase history and engagement frequency, to identify patterns and preferences. Psychographic Segmentation: Consider customer values and interests to align your messaging with their lifestyle and beliefs. Geographic Segmentation: Target customers based on their location, which is especially important for retail storefront promotions or local events. By implementing these segmentation strategies, you increase the relevance of your emails, leading to higher open and conversion rates. Content Personalization Techniques Personalized content captivates your audience. Employ these techniques: Dynamic Content: Adjust email content based on recipient data, such as product recommendations tailored to past purchases. Personalized Subject Lines: Craft subject lines that include the recipient’s name or interests to boost open rates. Targeted Offers: Send exclusive promotions based on customer behavior, like discounts on frequently purchased items. Responsive Design: Ensure emails are visually appealing on all devices, enhancing user experience. Utilizing these content personalization techniques fosters deeper connections between your small business and customers, encouraging loyalty and increasing repeat purchases. Tools and Technologies for Implementation Implementing personalized email marketing strategies requires the right tools and technologies to maximize effectiveness. For small businesses, leveraging these resources can enhance customer engagement and drive sales growth. Email Marketing Platforms Email marketing platforms offer essential features for executing personalized strategies. Look for platforms that allow you to segment your audience based on demographics, behaviors, and purchase history. Popular options such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue provide user-friendly interfaces and automation capabilities. These platforms enable you to create personalized content, design targeted campaigns, and schedule emails, ensuring your messages reach customers when they’re most engaged. Consider integrations with eCommerce platforms if you operate a retail storefront, allowing seamless data exchange for tailored outreach. Data Analytics and Customer Insights Data analytics tools are vital for gaining insights into customer behaviors and preferences. Google Analytics and email marketing platform dashboards can track key metrics, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to refine your targeting strategies and adapt your content accordingly. Understanding shopping patterns and customer interactions helps you craft relevant messages that resonate with your audience. For small businesses, analyzing this data can inform future campaigns and enhance your marketing efforts at every stage of the customer journey. Best Practices for Execution Effective execution of personalized email marketing enhances engagement and drives sales for your small business. Focus on specific strategies to optimize results and build customer loyalty. Crafting Compelling Subject Lines Crafting compelling subject lines captures attention and encourages opens. Personalizing subject lines with recipient names or relevant offers can improve open rates. Use action-oriented language and create urgency with phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Exclusive Deal Just for You.” Aim for a balance between informality and professionalism to resonate with your audience. Timing and Frequency of Emails Timing and frequency of emails play crucial roles in success. Analyze your target audience’s behaviors to identify optimal send times, typically during mid-morning or early evening. Maintain consistency by setting a schedule, whether weekly or bi-weekly, to keep your brand top-of-mind without overwhelming subscribers. Avoid sending emails too frequently, as this may lead to unsubscribes or decreased engagement. Measuring Success Measuring success in personalized email marketing is critical for small businesses. You’ll need to track performance metrics and analyze results to optimize your campaigns and increase engagement. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Identify and monitor the following KPIs to gauge your email campaign’s effectiveness: Open Rate: Measure the percentage of recipients who open your emails. A higher open rate indicates effective subject lines and audience targeting. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Track the percentage of subscribers who click on links within your emails. This metric reflects the relevance and engagement of your content. Conversion Rate: Evaluate the percentage of subscribers who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. This rate indicates the overall success of your emails in achieving business goals. Bounce Rate: Assess the percentage of emails that cannot be delivered. A lower bounce rate suggests a well-maintained email list and effective list management practices. Unsubscribe Rate: Monitor the percentage of subscribers who opt out of your email list. A high unsubscribe rate may signal a need for improved content customization. Analyzing Campaign Results Analyze your campaign results regularly to refine your strategies. Follow these steps: Review Metrics: Use your email marketing platform’s reporting features to examine KPIs. Focus on trends and patterns across multiple campaigns. Segment Insights: Segment your data to identify which customer groups respond best to specific content types. This approach helps in tailoring future messages for maximum impact. A/B Testing: Conduct A/B tests to compare different subject lines, designs, or content types. You’ll gain valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. Customer Feedback: Gather feedback from subscribers post-campaign to understand their preferences and expectations. Consider using surveys for deeper insights. Iterate and Optimize: Based on your analysis, adjust segments, content, and sending times to enhance email performance. Continuous optimization leads to improved engagement and conversion rates, ultimately benefiting your small business. By consistently measuring success and analyzing results, you can enhance your personalized email marketing efforts, effectively driving sales and customer loyalty for your retail storefront. Conclusion Embracing personalized email marketing can transform your business’s engagement and sales. By understanding your customers’ preferences and behaviors, you can create tailored messages that resonate deeply. This approach not only boosts open rates but also fosters loyalty and encourages repeat purchases. Utilizing segmentation strategies and the right tools will help you refine your campaigns and maximize their impact. Remember that measuring success through key metrics is crucial for continuous improvement. By committing to personalized email marketing, you’re not just sending emails; you’re building lasting relationships with your audience that drive your business forward. Frequently Asked Questions What is personalized email marketing? Personalized email marketing involves tailoring email content to individual customer preferences and behaviors. It focuses on creating messages that resonate with specific audiences, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. How does personalized email marketing benefit businesses? It fosters deeper connections with customers, enhances engagement, and drives conversions. Personalized campaigns typically yield better results compared to generic emails, leading to increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases. What are some effective strategies for personalized email campaigns? Key strategies include audience segmentation based on demographics, behavior, and psychographics. Additionally, using dynamic content, personalized subject lines, and targeted offers can make emails more relevant and engaging. Which tools are recommended for personalized email marketing? Popular email marketing platforms include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue. These tools offer features for audience segmentation, automation, and analytics to help craft personalized email content. How can businesses measure the success of personalized email campaigns? Success can be measured using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate. Regularly analyzing these metrics helps refine and optimize email strategies. Why is segmentation important in email marketing? Segmentation allows businesses to divide their audience into specific groups based on characteristics like interests and behaviors. This approach helps tailor content, making it more relevant and enhancing engagement. What are some best practices for writing compelling subject lines? Subject lines should be attention-grabbing and relevant. Utilizing personalization and creating a sense of urgency can encourage recipients to open the email. How often should businesses send personalized emails? The frequency of emails should be determined by audience behavior. It’s important to maintain a consistent schedule without overwhelming subscribers, ensuring that the brand stays top-of-mind. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Success with Personalized Email Marketing Strategies for Your Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Cambodia and China have signed a $1.2 billion deal to finance an ambitious canal project that aims to boost trade efficiency by linking a branch of the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to a port on the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian government agency heading the project announced Friday. The deal to fund the Funan Techo Canal was signed Thursday during the state visit to Cambodia of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the agency said in a news release. Xi returned home Friday after a three-nation Southeast Asian tour that also included Vietnam and Malaysia. Construction of the 151.6-kilometer (94-mile) canal began last year but was halted shortly after the Aug. 5 groundbreaking ceremony for reasons that were not made clear. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said at the time that the canal will be built “no matter what the cost,” emphasizing that the project promotes “national prestige, the territorial integrity and the development of Cambodia.” Described as a public-private partnership contract, the deal was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol on behalf of Cambodia’s government, and by Ieng Sunly of the Funan Techo Coastal-Inland Waterways Company Ltd., the private sector partner. The project is being developed on a build-operate-transfer basis, with Cambodian investors holding a 51% stake, and Chinese investors holding 49%. “The canal will create a new inland waterway-maritime corridor capable of handling vessels up to 3,000 deadweight tons,” according to Friday’s announcement. It will encompass canal excavation and the construction of ship locks, navigation and logistics infrastructure. “As an inland waterway and important transport infrastructure in Cambodia, the FTC Project will become a new engine driving national economic growth,” said Wang Tongzhou, chairman of China Communications Construction Company, in the announcement. He added that “after completion, it will significantly reduce the comprehensive logistics costs in Cambodia, and promote Cambodia’s industry to the middle-to-high end of the value chain.” China Communications Construction Company is the parent company of China Road and Bridge Corporation, the contractor for the project’s construction from the Bassac River to the coastal province of Kep. The massive state-owned firm has faced scrutiny for its alleged involvement in financial scandals. It is also blacklisted by the United States for its role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea. According to Friday’s announcement, the canal is expected to create “up to 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in Cambodia.” Critics have raised concerns that the canal could severely disrupt the Mekong River’s natural flood patterns. These disruptions could lead to worsening droughts and a reduction in the nutrient-rich silt essential for Vietnam’s vital rice production in the Mekong Delta, a region that sustains millions and is a major global rice exporter. The signing announcement, however, stated that, “A rigorous Environmental Impact Assessment, conducted by 48 specialists, confirmed minimal environmental impact.” It added that the Cambodian government has led efforts to minimize resettlement “with a route designed to avoid dense communities and cultural sites” and that “a responsible compensation and consultation process is underway.” —Sopheng Cheang, Associated Press View the full article

If you’ve been thinking about skipping that Target run this weekend, you’re not alone. A grassroots group called The People’s Union USA is asking shoppers to sit out spending money at major retailers, restaurants, and banks from midnight on Good Friday through Easter Sunday. “No shopping, no spending, no fueling the corporate machine that has been bleeding us dry,” organizer John Schwarz said in a video posted to Instagram. The goal? Hit big brands where it hurts—their bottom line. The boycott follows weeks of frustration over corporate DEI rollbacks and rising political tension, especially with companies such as Target, which has been the focus of a separate 40-day boycott led by faith leaders during Lent. As a result of its DEI policy changes, Target has been the target of a boycott organized by faith leaders for the last 40 days, coinciding with Lent. On January 24, Target announced that it was getting rid of policies concerning hiring goals for minority employees, an executive committee focused on racial justice, and other changes to its diversity initiative. According to a report from Numerator, more than one in 10 customers surveyed on April 16 plan to participate in the boycott, though this move is less well-known than the widespread “economic blackout” that took place on February 28. Furthermore, not all participants are planning to fully stop their spending for the weekend, though many plan on avoiding large corporations, including the brands Target, Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. Half of all participants are shifting their dollars to local, small businesses instead. Users on X and Bluesky sounded off, reposting The People’s Union’s post and reminding users to take stock of what matters. “Money anxiety is on everyone’s mind this week between taxes and tariffs,” the CataLIST posted. “Take back control by consciously choosing how and where you spend your money.” This Blackout is the second widespread boycott organized by The People’s Union. The first occurred on February 28, and the same report from Numerator said that although sales and trips were down across retailers, Amazon, Target, and Walmart saw declines beyond standard weekly variation. Black and LGBTQ+ consumers showed the most significant participation in the February 28 blackout. Many of these boycotts cite brands’ DEI pullbacks and policy changes at the behest of the new administration. Though blackouts and boycotts already have scheduled dates in the future, Target is attempting to fix its relationship with its consumer base as the 40-day “Lent” spending fast comes to a close. On April 17, Target CEO Brian Cornell met with Rev. Al Sharpton, head of the civil rights organization National Action Network, to discuss DEI and racial justice. Sharpton called the meeting “constructive and candid,” and plans to meet with some members of the National Action Network board of directors to determine next steps with Target. Whether or not the boycott makes a measurable dent in sales this weekend, organizers say it’s about more than just the money—it’s about sending a message. View the full article

Global kernel prices surge by a third as demand for viral cream-filled bars strains suppliesView the full article

State-backed report will call for more investment in drones and tech in a new era of state conflictView the full article

Banks expect gain of just 2% for S&P 500 this year, with JPMorgan and BofA among those lowering estimatesView the full article

The pending merger between Capital One and Discover Financial services received approval from several regulators Friday, bringing the $35 billion tie-up closer to completion. The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency signed off on the deal, which was first announced in February 2024. The Federal Reserve Board said it entered into a consent order with Discover and assessed a fine of $100 million for overcharging certain interchange fees from 2007 through 2023. Discover has since terminated these practices and is repaying those fees to affected customers, according to the Federal Reserve. The board’s action is being taken in coordination with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. It said Capital One has committed that it will comply with the Board’s action against Discover of Riverwoods, Illinois, including remediation requirement, as a condition of approval. The OCC said its approval reflects its “careful analysis of the effect of the merger on communities, the banking industry, and the U.S. financial system.” Capital One, based in McLean, Virginia, said it expects to complete the acquisition on May 18 now that it’s received all required regulatory approvals. Shareholders of both companies approved the deal i n February. The deal joins two of the largest credit card companies that aren’t banks first, like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, with the notable exception of American Express. It also brings together two companies whose customers are largely similar: often Americans who are looking for cash back or modest travel rewards, compared to the premium credit cards dominated by AmEx, Citi and Chase. It also will give Discover’s payment network a major credit card partner in a way that could make the payment network a major competitor once again. The U.S. credit card industry is dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly with AmEx being a distant third place and Discover an even more distant fourth place. View the full article

Gran Coramino Tequila, co-founded by comedian Kevin Hart and tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckmann, has announced a new round of $10,000 grants for small businesses in under-resourced communities. The expansion brings the total amount awarded through The Coramino Fund to over $1.5 million, benefiting more than 150 entrepreneurs across the United States. Applications for this latest round of grants are now open. The initiative continues Gran Coramino’s collaboration with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and introduces a new partnership with 1st Street Partnerships. In addition to financial assistance, grantees will receive hands-on training and business mentorship, including guidance in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operations. This marks the third year of The Coramino Fund, which supports entrepreneurs operating in or serving low- and moderate-income communities. The program aims to help small business owners who often lack access to traditional growth capital. “With this new round of funding, The Coramino Fund will have awarded over $1,500,000 in grants to over 150 small business owners across the United States that operate in or serve low- and moderate-income communities,” according to the announcement. The addition of AI education through 1st Street Partnerships is designed to address what organizers describe as the growing “AI divide.” The program offers small businesses the tools to use AI in ways that can improve efficiency, customer experience, and strategic decision-making. “Our goal from day one has been to support hard-working entrepreneurs who run into obstacles securing the resources they need to grow,” said Kevin Hart, co-founder of Gran Coramino Tequila. “This continued work with LISC and a new partnership with 1st Street goes one step further. It gives owners the tools to get an advantage in today’s business environment. AI can be confusing. But the data isn’t – the businesses who adopt it early are better positioned to succeed in the long run.” A study from the Bipartisan Policy Center cited in the announcement found that 83% of small businesses using AI reported improved systems, efficiency, and content production, with 54% seeing positive impacts on growth. “As artificial intelligence is shaping the future of business, entrepreneurs must have the proper access and training to remain competitive and thrive,” said Monk Inyang, co-founder and CEO of 1st Street Partnerships. “We commend Gran Coramino and LISC for recognizing this as mission-critical, and we’re honored to partner with them to provide grant recipients with specialized AI programs and strategic mentorship through the lens of cultural intelligence.” Michael T. Pugh, president and CEO of LISC, added, “Entrepreneurs drive community prosperity. Yet many often encounter barriers in accessing crucial funding and support. This initiative helps more small business owners succeed and expand.” Applications for the grants are open through April 23, 2025. Entrepreneurs can apply at lisc.org/grancoramino and learn more about the program at grancoramino.com/fund. This article, "Gran Coramino Expands Small Business Grant Program to $1.5 Million, Adds AI Training Through New Partnership" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Gran Coramino Tequila, co-founded by comedian Kevin Hart and tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckmann, has announced a new round of $10,000 grants for small businesses in under-resourced communities. The expansion brings the total amount awarded through The Coramino Fund to over $1.5 million, benefiting more than 150 entrepreneurs across the United States. Applications for this latest round of grants are now open. The initiative continues Gran Coramino’s collaboration with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and introduces a new partnership with 1st Street Partnerships. In addition to financial assistance, grantees will receive hands-on training and business mentorship, including guidance in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operations. This marks the third year of The Coramino Fund, which supports entrepreneurs operating in or serving low- and moderate-income communities. The program aims to help small business owners who often lack access to traditional growth capital. “With this new round of funding, The Coramino Fund will have awarded over $1,500,000 in grants to over 150 small business owners across the United States that operate in or serve low- and moderate-income communities,” according to the announcement. The addition of AI education through 1st Street Partnerships is designed to address what organizers describe as the growing “AI divide.” The program offers small businesses the tools to use AI in ways that can improve efficiency, customer experience, and strategic decision-making. “Our goal from day one has been to support hard-working entrepreneurs who run into obstacles securing the resources they need to grow,” said Kevin Hart, co-founder of Gran Coramino Tequila. “This continued work with LISC and a new partnership with 1st Street goes one step further. It gives owners the tools to get an advantage in today’s business environment. AI can be confusing. But the data isn’t – the businesses who adopt it early are better positioned to succeed in the long run.” A study from the Bipartisan Policy Center cited in the announcement found that 83% of small businesses using AI reported improved systems, efficiency, and content production, with 54% seeing positive impacts on growth. “As artificial intelligence is shaping the future of business, entrepreneurs must have the proper access and training to remain competitive and thrive,” said Monk Inyang, co-founder and CEO of 1st Street Partnerships. “We commend Gran Coramino and LISC for recognizing this as mission-critical, and we’re honored to partner with them to provide grant recipients with specialized AI programs and strategic mentorship through the lens of cultural intelligence.” Michael T. Pugh, president and CEO of LISC, added, “Entrepreneurs drive community prosperity. Yet many often encounter barriers in accessing crucial funding and support. This initiative helps more small business owners succeed and expand.” Applications for the grants are open through April 23, 2025. Entrepreneurs can apply at lisc.org/grancoramino and learn more about the program at grancoramino.com/fund. This article, "Gran Coramino Expands Small Business Grant Program to $1.5 Million, Adds AI Training Through New Partnership" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

President Donald The President’s attempt to fire nearly everyone at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was paused on Friday by a federal judge, who said she was “deeply concerned” about the plan. The decision leaves in limbo a bureau created after the Great Recession to safeguard against fraud, abuse and deceptive practices. The President administration officials argue that it has overstepped its authority and should have a more limited mission. On Thursday, the administration officials moved to fire roughly 1,500 people, leaving around 200 employees, through a reduction in force that would dramatically downsize the bureau. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she was worried the layoffs would violate her earlier order stopping the Republican administration from shutting down the CFPB. She’s been considering a lawsuit filed by an employee union that wants to preserve the bureau. Jackson scheduled a hearing on April 28 to hear testimony from officials who worked on the reduction in force, or RIF. “I’m willing to resolve it quickly, but I’m not going to let this RIF go forward until I have,” she said. It’s the latest example of how The President’s plans have faced legal hurdles as he works to reshape the federal government, saying it’s rife with fraud, waste and abuse. Other layoffs and policies have been subjected to stop-and-go litigation and court orders. The CFPB has long frustrated businesses with its oversight and investigations, and The President adviser Elon Musk made it a top target of his Department of Government Efficiency. Mark Paoletta, the CFPB’s chief legal officer, wrote in a court declaration that “the bureau’s activities have pushed well beyond the limits of the law,” including what he described as “intrusive and wasteful fishing expeditions.” He said officials have spent weeks developing “a much more limited vision for enforcement and supervision activities” with a “smaller, more efficient operation.” Some of the CFPB’s responsibilities are required by law but would have only one person assigned to them under the The President administration’s plan. The enforcement division is slated to be cut from 248 to 50 employees. The supervision division faces an even deeper reduction, from 487 to 50, plus a relocation from Washington to the Southeastern region. Before Friday’s hearing, attorneys for the National Treasury Employees Union filed a sworn statement from a CFPB employee identified only by the pseudonym Alex Doe. The employee said Gavin Kliger, a member of DOGE, was managing the agency’s RIF team charged with sending layoff notices. “He kept the team up for 36 hours straight to ensure that the notices would go out yesterday,” the employee said. “Gavin was screaming at people he did not believe were working fast enough to ensure they could go out on this compressed timeline, calling them incompetent.” The bureau’s chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, told the judge that he believes Kliger is an Office of Personnel Management employee detailed to the CFPB and doesn’t work directly for DOGE. Jackson said she will require Kliger to attend and possibly testify at the April 28 hearing. She said she wants to know why he was there “and what we was doing.” “We’re not going to decide what happened until we know what happened,” Jackson said. The pseudonymous employee said team members raised concerns that the bureau had to conduct a “particularized assessment” before it could implement an RIF. Paoletta told them to ignore those concerns and move forward with mass firings, adding that “leadership would assume the risk,” the employee stated. White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about the judge’s decision or the employee’s court declaration. —Michael Kunzelman and Chris Megerian, Associated Press View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I typically hesitate to suggest making peanut butter in blenders, but the Vitamix Ascent X5 is the exception. It's the best blender I've ever tried, and you should definitely make nut butters with it. Not only is it the absolute fastest nut processor I’ve ever tested (under a minute in some cases), but the resulting peanut butter is incredibly smooth. Here’s how to make any nut butter in the Vitamix Ascent X5. How to use the nut butter function on the Vitamix1. Prepare the nuts, if neededI like to roast the nuts in the oven first, because I love the sweet, toasty flavor. To do it, spread out your nut of choice (I used walnut pieces today) on a baking sheet in a single layer, and put the sheet pan in a 350°F oven for five to 12 minutes. This time will vary depending on the nut, the size of the pieces, and thickness of the sheet pan, so use your nose as your guide. As soon as you start to smell toasted nuts, give them a stir with a wooden spatula and assess if you need a few more minutes. They should be golden with no burnt areas. Allow the nuts to cool on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes. If you prefer raw nut butters, though, skip this step and start at step two. 2. Add the nuts to the Vitamix container Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Pour the nuts into the container and snap the lid on, but keep the middle plug lined up with the notches (see picture) so it’s easy to un-stopper. You’ll need to use the tamper to assist the nuts (the tamper is that black plastic baseball bat-looking thing that came with the Vitamix Ascent X5), smashing them down toward the blade during the one minute blend time. It’s best to have it right next to the blender—the preset timer goes by before you know it. 3. Select the nut butter preset Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Press the button on the left above the knob that has three horizontal lines. The screen will display several cute little cartoons of food. Rotate the knob until you see a jar with a peanut inside. Press the play button directly to the right of the knob. 4. Tamper for your life Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Once the engine kicks on, the initial kick-up of nut particles will pass after a second or two. Then you can unstopper the center plug and use the plastic tamper to jam the nuts down into the blades. The engine will kick up another speed level and you’ll hear it, but don’t let it stop your tampering. If you’re ever in doubt of when to start pressing, you can look at the screen. There’s a little tamper icon with a downward arrow signaling that tampering is necessary. The tamper icon appears to the left of the timer. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann For a chunky butter, stop the machine after 30 or 40 seconds by pressing the same start/stop button to the right of the dial. Unplug the machine and stir the mixture to see if it’s the consistency you like. If you like a smoother nut butter, let it run for the full minute. To get an even silkier nut butter, you may want to add another 15 seconds by pressing the “+:15” button, which is on the right side above the rotating dial. But generally, once the initial minute is up, you have nut butter. That’s all it takes. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann If you want to get a little creative, you can add a few fun ingredients. I decided to make Rum Raisin Walnut Butter today, so after the first nut butter blend finished, I added some dark rum, raisins, a touch of honey, and a bit of salt. I selected the nut butter preset again, did some tamping, and stopped the blend after about 20 seconds to incorporate the new ingredients and smooth out my walnut butter. Of course, you could keep yours low key with just a pinch of salt and some cinnamon, for example. Once I emptied my walnut butter into a glass container, I added warm water and a drop of soap to the container. (Don’t go higher than half full, the blender will swish the water aggressively.) Click the little button in the center with the image of bubbles and let the blender clean itself. This setting is mostly meant to get the blades clean, so don’t get frustrated if some peanut butter smears are still hanging out on the sides of the container. Just bring it over to the sink and carefully wash the sides. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann If you’ve never made walnut butter before, I highly suggest it. This spread turned out buttery-smooth with a salty and bitter edge, and it makes an excellent partner for jam. You can also increase the honey or raisins if you want it to be sweeter. Rum raisin walnut butter recipeIngredients: 350 grams (3 cups) walnut pieces 35 grams (1/4 cup) raisins 1 tablespoon dark rum 1 teaspoon honey ¼ teaspoon salt 1. Roast the walnut pieces in a 350°F oven for five to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Allow to cool to room temperature for at least 10 minutes. 2. Pour the walnut pieces into the Vitamix Ascent X5, add the lid, and select the nut butter setting. 3. Press start, remove the central stopper on the lid and use the tamper to press the nuts down into the blades. 4. With the machine off, add the raisins, rum, honey, and salt. Put the lid back on and start the nut butter setting again. Tamper the mixture as it blends for another 20 seconds. Stop the machine. Scoop the nut butter into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Enjoy your new nutty spread on toast, with cake, with yogurt, or over granola. View the full article

Some wealthy Americans are fleeing the United States — with their money, at the very least. The uncertainty wrought by President Donald The President’s second term in office has benefitted Swiss banks, as there’s been an uptick in the number of Americans seeking to open banking and investment accounts in recent months, according to reporting by CNBC and The Financial Times. Swiss banks have a long reputation for offering strong financial stability, asset protection and client confidentiality. While the recent wave of account openings is notable, it’s a familiar phenomenon: Past periods of turmoil in the U.S. have also seen Americans taking their money to Switzerland. The interest now is comparable to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, a wealth management advisor told The Financial Times last month. “It comes in waves,” Pierre Gabris, CEO of Alpen Partners International, a Swiss financial consulting firm, told CNBC in a piece published Friday. “When [former President Barack Obama] was elected we saw a big wave. Then Covid was another wave. Now tariffs are causing a new wave.” DIVERSIFYING BEYOND THE DOLLAR While the specific motivation for moving money may differ, a common theme is currency diversification. The value of the U.S. dollar has weakened relative to other major currencies this year, falling more than 8% this year and reached a three-year low on Friday. “Many Americans are realizing that 100% of their portfolio is in U.S. dollars so they’re thinking, ’Maybe I should diversify,” Gabris told CNBC. A lot of inquiries about moving assets to Swiss banks have come from Americans who have more international backgrounds, such as Israeli or Indian roots, Gabris told The Financial Times. “Many are driven by fear.” BANKING IN SWITZERLAND While there are fairly straightforward ways for U.S. citizens living in Switzerland to open accounts, according to information from the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Lichtenstein, navigating this process from abroad is a bit more complex, albeit legal. Opening an account in Switzerland probably does require a guiding hand to ensure compliance with U.S. regulations that are aimed at ensuring Americans don’t evade taxes thanks to the secrecy of banking rules elsewhere. That said, Swiss financial institutions have become more comfortable covering U.S. customers in recent years after dealing with tax issues that had cost Swiss banks billions of dollars in fines, the head of a small U.S.-based wealth management business told The Financial Times. View the full article