ResidentialBusiness

Google acknowledged that Performance Max (PMax) campaigns can be controlled through API placement exclusions — contradicting months of its own documentation and support guidance, according to new research from ad tech firm Optmyzr. This revelation gives advertisers more programmatic control over their PMax campaigns than previously thought possible, potentially saving significant time and resources in campaign management. The big picture. Performance Max campaigns, Google’s AI-driven ad format, have been a source of frustration for advertisers seeking more granular control over where their ads appear. Lead up. Earlier this year we saw that despite Navah Hopkins, Brand Evangelist of Optmyzr, reporting that Google said that API based placements exclusions don’t work for PMax campaigns, multiple advertisers were reporting the opposite. By the numbers. Optmyzr ran an experiment, running from Dec. 30 to Jan. 21. It showed: Zero ad spend on excluded placements after implementing API controls. Complete effectiveness of API-based exclusions, despite Google’s previous claims. Faster implementation compared to manual UI controls. Behind the scenes. Google’s documentation and AI help center had explicitly stated that placement exclusions would only work through their user interface, not via API. Multiple support channels reinforced this incorrect guidance. This misinformation was shared for months. Google has since updated its stance after Optmyzr’s findings. What they’re saying. Following the experiment, Google admitted that placement exclusions work through both the API and UI as we see in this response from Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison: Why we care. Performance Max campaigns represent a significant portion of many advertisers’ Google Ads spend, but the lack of control over where ads appear has been a major pain point. This situation also highlights a broader point: you shouldn’t take platform limitations as gospel, even when they come directly from Google. Testing and verification could reveal hidden capabilities that provide competitive advantages. Bottom line. This discovery highlights a broader issue in ad tech: platform documentation doesn’t always reflect actual capabilities, requiring advertisers to actively test and verify functionality. What’s next. As advertisers, you should: Review your PMax campaign controls. Consider implementing API-based exclusions for more efficient management. Maintain active oversight despite automated controls. Confidently question capabilities they may have strong reason to believe isn’t true. Between the lines. The finding suggests other undocumented capabilities might exist across Google’s ad platforms, encouraging advertisers to question and test official limitations. View the full article

Google is testing a new search results display for a small group of EU users when they search for products, restaurants, flights, and hotels. The test is part of Google’s efforts to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. What’s happening. According to a report from Dow Jones Newswires: “Under the test started Monday, Google has set up new units for users to choose between results from price comparison sites such as Booking Holdings’ Booking.com and results that take them directly to supplier websites when they are searching for products, restaurants, flights or hotels.” What Google EU search results look like. Here are screenshots showing what it looks like to search for [flight to boston from vienna] right now: You can then filter to see only Airline options: Or Flight sites: And if you search for [steak dinner in vienna], you can filter down to Places: And Places Sites: New units. These images don’t show the new units mentioned in the report. Please contact us if you spot these new units in the wild and share screenshots. These images are meant to give our readers outside of the EU an idea of what search results look like when Google doesn’t self-preference. What Google is saying. A Google spokesperson said: “To find a better balance between these sites, while meeting the goals of the DMA, we have proposed a new solution to give people a choice between intermediary comparison sites and direct suppliers like hotels.” Why we care. The Digital Markets Act is meant to promote more competition and diversity in search results. For websites in the EU, it will be worth monitoring whether these changes result in any impact on traffic. Dig deeper. How the Digital Markets Act is reshaping search and Google’s monopoly in Europe View the full article

Quick Look is one of my favorite Mac features, so much so that I always use a third party app enable it on my Windows PCs as well. It allows you to preview files on your Mac without opening them. You can select any file in Finder and press the Spacebar key to preview it. This means I can press one button to quickly look at videos, listen to audio files, view images, or read documents. While this feature is great, I've always been annoyed that it doesn't work well with folders— until now. By default, Quick Look will tell you how many files are in a folder, but doesn't actually tell you which files are in it. Thankfully, a new free utlity named Folder Preview closes that gap. Folder Preview lets you expand Quick Look's full functionality to folders. You select a folder, press the Spacebar, and Folder Preview will let you see all the files and folders inside of it, without actually opening it. It takes less than a minute to configure and silently does its job from that point on. It also doesn't ask for any permissions other than being added as a Finder extension, which is always nice to see. This is what a folder preview looks like. Credit: Pranay Parab Once you install Folder Preview, the app will prompt you to add it as a system extension. Go to System Settings on your Mac and navigate to General > Login Items & Extensions. Scroll to the bottom and click the i button next to Quick Look. Enable Folder Preview on this page to finish setting up the app. Now, selecting any folder in Finder and pressing Spacebar (or the app's own default keybinding—Command-Y) will display its contents. You can also configure Folder Preview to show hidden files by going to its settings. Just open the app and go to Settings in the left pane. I've left this option disabled because I rarely want to see hidden system files on my Mac, but you can choose otherwise if needed. You can also ask the app to automatically expand folders while previewing. If you have a folder within a folder, this setting will show you the contents of up to five levels of nested folders. Lastly, you can also choose a larger size for icons in your folder previews. View the full article

It is important to keep your businesses clean and tidy. As a business owner, you will need to make sure your office or shop is cleaned regularly and maintained to ensure your employees are happy, healthy, and productive. This will also help in making sure you leave a good first impression on your customers. Whether you run a small business or large workshop, a mop bucket and wringer come in handy for everything from daily cleaning to doing away with surprise messes. Commercial floor cleaning buckets help keep floors clean and safe. Unlike those for home use, these industrial-strength versions hold more water and come with strong wheels, so users can cover larger spaces with ease. Our guide below will help you cover the best commercial mop and bucket options for your business. Best Commercial Mop and Bucket Top Pick: Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Runner Up: Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket Best Value: Amazon Basics Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Top Pick: This 21-pound commercial bucket boasts a 35-quart capacity and is rated for over 40,000 wringing cycles, as stated by the manufacturer. It holds mops securely and features a foot-operated built-in drain for easy disposal of contents without the need to lift the bucket. The side press mechanism allows for mopping with 18% less effort and minimizes splashing by up to 18%. Its compact dimensions (23.1 x 16 x 38.1 inches) further enhance its usability. Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Bucket and Side-Press Wringer Combo Buy on Amazon Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket Runner Up: This 26-quart capacity commercial bucket is made with corrosion-resistant polyethylene and can withstand temperatures from -40F to 180F. Non-marking swivel casters make for easy cleaning and mobility. The buckets come in different colors to comply with a color-coded system for identifying specific cleaning areas. Weighing 14.5 pounds, this mop bucket has a 50,000-cycle side-press wringer. The compact design (18.11 x 14.57 x 16.5 inches) makes for easy storage and convenience for tight-fitting environments. Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket with Side Press Wringer, 26 Quart Capacity, Red Buy on Amazon Amazon Basics Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels Best Value: The Amazon basics commercial mop bucket is made with Polypropylene and weighs 15.71 pounds. It has a 35-quart capacity and comes with a side-press wringer and a jaw mop holder. This bucket comes with four rolling casters designed for easy and convenient mobility. With this bucket, you can simply snap the mop in place to keep it stable in the bucket while moving. The wringer works with fan mop holders, which are designed to send water back down into the bucket with ease. AmazonBasics Side Press Wringer Combo Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels, 35 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon Hero EZ-Lift Dual Cavity Commercial Mop Bucket The dual cavity of this bucket includes a 36-quart dirty water side and a nine-gallon cleaning bucket. This will reduce cross-contamination while using less floor cleaner. The side press wringer is certified for more than 31,000 wringing cycles, ensuring years of operations. The non-marking bayonet wheels, made of cast metal, ensure that no marks are left on the floor. Additionally, the wheel guards are designed to protect the wheels, enhancing their longevity. Hero EZ-Lift Dual Cavity Commercial Mop Bucket with Wringer on Wheels, Includes Dirty Water Bucket Buy on Amazon Rubbermaid Commercial HYGEN Press Wring Bucket This flat mop bucket is for heavy commercial and industrial use. The no-touch wringing mechanism with a washboard surface removes dirt and debris from the mop pad before wringing. And the twist valve empties the dirty content without lifting for added hygiene. The bucket features a smooth, non-porous surface that helps prevent bacterial growth and makes cleanup simple. Additionally, the non-marking casters are designed to protect your floors from damage. Rubbermaid Commercial HYGEN Press Wring Bucket for Microfiber Flat Mops, Yellow Buy on Amazon Simpli-Magic Commercial Mop Bucket With a 50,000-cycle wringer, this mob bucket is designed to last. The bucket is made from corrosion-resistant polyethylene capable of handling temperatures from -40°F to 180°F. The compact design has a 26-quart capacity sitting on top of four non-marking swivel casters. Simpli-Magic Commercial Mop Bucket with Side Press Wringer, 26 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon Dryser Commercial Side Press Wringer The spill-proof design of the Dryser mop bucket has a 33-quart capacity. This includes a rugged construction with an anti-corrosive polyethylene web-molded body to keep its strength. The ergonomic wringer handle comes with premium steel and a spill-resistant side press for easy operation and minimal effort. Dryser Commercial Side Press Wringer Combo Mop Bucket, 33 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon How to choose your mop and bucket An essential aspect to consider when purchasing a commercial mop and bucket is to ensure you choose a strong and durable product that will endure for years, regardless of the design you select. Size: A larger commercial mop and bucket can hold more cleaning solutions, which is beneficial for effectively removing dirt and grime. It’s important to choose a size that is easy for our employees to handle and store. Mobility: Your cleaning bucket should provide excellent mobility. Ensure that it features non-marking swivel casters to prevent any damage to your floors. Dual compartment buckets: help to separate the dirty water from the cleaning solution. The design makes cleaning more efficient because you do not have to go back and forth to empty the dirty water. Easy drain buckets: make the job easier for your staff. This means they will not have to lift a heavy and wet object that is potentially dangerous. Warranty: Like any workplace equipment it is important that your cleaning bucket supplier comes with a warranty. At the very least, look for a solid return policy. Cleaning Mopping might appear to be an easy task, but using the proper tools is crucial. This entails having quality mop, bucket, wringer, and caution-wet floor signs. With these essential tools, you can effectively and swiftly clean your business. It all begins with a high-quality commercial mop and bucket. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Best Air Purifier for the Money Best Commercial Laundry Carts Office Desk Plants Images: Amazon.com This article, "Best Commercial Mop and Bucket" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Perplexity AI adds the new DeepSeek R1 reasoning model as an available choice to its AI search engine The post Perplexity AI Deploys Chinese DeepSeek AI Model appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change -related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers. The proposal claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms and wildfires and caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market to a crisis where companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said. Under state law, utility companies are liable for damages if their equipment starts a wildfire. The same idea should apply to oil and gas companies, said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, “for their massive contribution to these fires driven by climate change.” The bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens on victims of such disasters and insurance companies by allowing them to sue the oil industry to recoup their losses. It would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, created by the state as a last resort for homeowners who couldn’t find insurance, to do the same so it doesn’t become insolvent. If approved, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such lawsuits, according to the bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener. “We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change,” Wiener said at a Monday news conference. The new measure is bound to face major backlash from oil and gas companies, who have faced a string of defeats in California in recent years as the country’s most populous state started to shift policy priorities to address climate change. The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil and gas companies in five states, already signaled it will fight the bill. President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the LA fires to “scapegoat” the industry. “We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics,” Reheis-Boyd said in a statement. “Voters are tired of this approach.” Supporters said the measure will also help stabilize the state’s insurance market by allowing insurers to recover some of the costs after a natural disaster from oil companies, which will prevent increased rates from being passed onto policyholders. The bill is supported by several environmental and consumer protection groups. The legislation comes as California begins the long recovery process from multiple deadly fires that ripped through sections of Los Angeles and burned more than 12,000 structures earlier this month. The fires were named the most destructive in the modern history of the city of Los Angeles and estimated to be the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Lawmakers last week voted to spend $2.5 billion to help the area rebuild. Dozens of U.S. municipalities as well as eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those suits are still making their way through the courts, including one filed by California more than a year ago against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels. Scientists overwhelmingly agree the world needs to drastically cut the burning of coal, oil and gas to limit global warming. That’s because when fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide forms and is released, which accounts for over three quarters of all human-caused greenhouse gases. California is also working to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the state by giving them more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more issuing policies in high-risk areas. Citing ballooning risks of climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies doing business in California in 2023 either paused or restricted new business in the state. The state now allows insurers to consider climate change when setting their prices and will soon also allow them pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers. —Trân Nguyễn, Associated Press View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I talked to Vulture about what the TV show Severance reveals about workplace life — including the inauthenticity of corporate life, how the Overtime Contingency exists in real life, the weirdness of workplace perks, and how work can degrade your spirit. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I talked to Vulture about what the TV show Severance reveals about workplace life — including the inauthenticity of corporate life, how the Overtime Contingency exists in real life, the weirdness of workplace perks, and how work can degrade your spirit. View the full article

Below I’ve laid out 11 workflows you can follow to measure the success of your brand awareness—including some little-known Ahrefs use cases. Brand awareness refers to a series of marketing tactics that help audiences recognize and recall a brand name,…Read more ›View the full article

How often do our workplace communications open with “I hope you are well” or “I trust you are doing fine”? These “wellness checks” reflect the fact that everybody has become more conscious of the need to be kind to others. That’s a good thing. Our workplace has become a setting where the best bosses and colleagues take pride in showing sensitivity to the emotional and physical well-being of others. And for these reasons, beginning a letter or a conversation with “I hope you are well” has some merit. But even if it reflects the best of intentions, this opening should be abandoned. Here’s why—and some suggested replacements. Why to stop saying “I hope you are well” in emails “I hope you are well” is not a prohibited email opener by any means, but here are some reasons you may want to consider starting your message a different way. 1. It’s a cliche. First, this opening is overly general. Of course you want to begin an email or conversation with something that warms up the relationship. I call this the “grabber.” But people who use “I hope you are well” or a similar phrase are simply making a pro forma statement that could be made to anyone. The words sound good but have no deeper personal or individual meaning. 2. It sounds unprofessional. Second, beginning an email or phone call with “I hope all is well” can make you sound unprofessional. Given that this expression is a “throwaway” line that typically is not meant to be answered, it will make you sound fluffy. It smacks of filler—of saying something that you’ve heard others say and you’re just repeating it because it sounds good. It’s a bit like saying “how’s it going?” or “what’s up?” These are oft-repeated, empty expressions. Platitudes can weaken your impact because they are empty of meaning. You don’t want to come across as a person who has nothing to say and therefore begins emails and conversations with boilerplate text. 3. It creates confusion. Third, beginning with “I hope you are well” can create confusion for the recipient, who may wonder how to respond. Should they address the comment or let it go? For example, when an email begins with this expression, possible answers run through the recipient’s mind, including “I’m well,” or “I’m having a great week,” or “life has been good.” They might even consider getting more specific. But if they’re grappling with a problem, should they spill all? Here is where the confusion sets in. Should the respondent not address the query at all, answer only in the positive, or go deeper and explain that they are wrestling with a problem—at work or at home? People justifiably get confused about how to respond. 4. It can lead to a digression. An email or conversation launched with “I hope all is well with you” can get the discussion off course. Your recipient may respond with details of what’s happening in their life—which can be fine (or even nice). But you may also find yourself having to respond to a narrative you hadn’t planned on. With an especially talkative individual, you might get a response like, “Yes, I’ve been well. In fact, let me tell you where we went on a recent holiday.” Your listener has been waiting for a chance to tell you or anyone else about their recent vacation, what cities they saw, and what they liked about each one. Your statement becomes an invitation to share a personal narrative that may get you (and them) off track. 5. It may sound empty. Saying “I hope you are well” might also sound empty or even heartless to someone who has actually been going through an especially hard time. It may strike the recipient as toxic positivity insofar as the speaker is using a quick brushstroke to gloss over something much more profound. It may not be an intentional dig, but it’s still a poor way of introducing the subject of the recipient’s emotional state. The query will ring hollow with any recipient who is dealing with something serious. 7 Alternatives to “I hope you are well” Here are some other ways to start your messages: 1. With something specific and sincere “I hope you’re well” can sound overly vague. So instead, sk yourself what you can say to show that you do care about the person you are writing to or talking with. You might begin: “You have been on my mind lately,” and then explain why. Or say: “We were so enthralled with the event you hosted last month.” In short, think about something in your relationship with your recipient to draw out. If it’s a new contact, show you’ve done your research and say something positive about that person. For example: “I’m so impressed with your HR organization,” or “I am looking forward to meeting you and being part of your product launch.” Being specific gets the relationship off on good footing. 2. “I hope you’re having a [productive/good/great/etc.] [week/month/season/year].” This is a good email opener for a quick message. Not every email needs to make a great first impression or build a relationship, but getting a bit more specific will make it feel more personal than the vague ‘I hope you’re well.” 3. “We met at..” or another a reminder Maybe you’ve met the person you’re emailing, but it was just once or perhaps you worked together years ago. Either way, you want your recipient to know who you are right up front. If not, they might not be motivated to read the rest of your message. A well wish from a stranger doesn’t mean much. 4. “[Name] said I should reach out.” This is another opener that hooks your recipient by telling them why they should read your message. It tells them right up front why you’re contacting them and reassures them that someone they know “vouches” for you. Your next sentences should quickly explain why you were referred to them by your mutual contact. And of course, you should only use this opener if it’s true. 5. With an introduction to yourself Sometimes you’re sending a cold or nearly cold email, and in these cases, your first order of business should always be introducing yourself. This doesn’t mean telling your life story, however. Instead, quickly tell the email recipient what about you is relevant to them. For example, if you’re messaging someone who works at the same company as you, you might say: “Hi Millie, I’m Peter, the new marketing assistant under Kim and I was wondering if you’d be able to answer some of my questions on the newest product feature release.” Or if you’re reaching out to a possible contact for an information interview, you might say: “Hello Juan, I’m a senior in USC’s Computer Science major and I’m interested in pursuing a career in game design.” 6. “How are you?” This doesn’t necessarily mean to literally start your email with the sentence “How are you?”—you can use any of the many alternatives. But only use this opener if you genuinely want an answer and you’re ready to continue any conversation that the recipient starts as a result. Asking how someone is doing is less presumptuous than “I hope you are well” because it gives room for them to answer genuinely. 7. Nothing Not every email needs a dedicated opener. Particularly if you’re emailing someone you work with a lot or have other conversations going with, you can just cut to the point. If you’re Slacking your supervisor every day, for example, there’s no reason to start an email with pleasantries. Instead, you can just keep your email brief and to the point. Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version. View the full article

You’ve probably felt the thrill that comes with receiving a job offer. You read the congratulatory email, begin to imagine life in your new role, then quickly fill out all the required HR paperwork and receive the necessary equipment. And if all is well, you start preparing for your first day. But what if you find out that the job isn’t real? In the first three quarters of 2024, Americans lost $514 million due to business and job opportunity scams, and the Federal Trade Commission received over 93,000 complaints about this type of fraud. In the worst cases, people have already resigned from their jobs before they realize their new position isn’t real—and suddenly, they don’t have a paycheck or health insurance. Recent economic uncertainty and layoffs may make people more vulnerable to these scams and worsen the problem. But it is possible to outsmart the con artists by understanding why people fall for employment scams, how they work, and the red flags to look out for. What kinds of job offer scams are out there? Scammers use a range of tactics to trick job seekers. Many of the common methods start in a similar way: by creating fake job posts, either with branding that matches a recognized company or with a fraudulent company to trick people into applying for the job. These posts appear on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace but also on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. Cybercriminals will also pose as recruiters or staffing agencies and proactively reach out to their targets offering an interview or a job. Employment scams can be incredibly sophisticated, down to phone or video job interviews and emails that look legitimate. Here are some examples of where the scams may go from there: Identity theft scams The goal of these scams is identity theft and financial fraud. Fake recruiters will research the job seeker fully, including such things as their work history and industry contacts. This information can be found on social media (for instance on Facebook and Twitter) or on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. It doesn’t take long to get the basics needed for the scam to develop. The results of this research are aligned with the pitch used during the initial contact with the victim job seeker. The pitch could include references to previous employers, peers, or desired job options, in order to determine if the victim is interested. If the victim is willing to discuss the job offer, the authenticity element of the scam has succeeded. Alternatively, scammers may make fake postings, often on social media or a spoofed version of the company’s legitimate website. Now, the authority aspect kicks in. Since the recruiter/fake employer has all the power in this dynamic, their authority is rarely questioned. Job seekers are asked to surrender personal information for background screenings. Sometimes this data is submitted via email or uploaded to a fake recruiting website the criminal has created. Or after an interview, the applicant may be asked to provide information, like their address and phone number, so a “formal offer” can be sent. That’s often followed up with a request to provide their Social Security number, photos of their driver’s license or other forms of ID, and/or bank information. Criminals can then sell this personal info to marketing firms or other criminals or keep it and use the details themselves for identity fraud. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a warning to Americans about bad actors who use fake job offers to steal money and personal information. The scam artists also are able to file fraudulent unemployment claims in their victim’s name, which not only costs the government, but also could significantly impact the victim’s tax bill and eligibility for future benefits. Reshipping scams Marcus Ramos, 50, had been out of a job for nearly a month when he got an email from a recruiter named Glen with an enticing offer. For a base pay of $2,400 a month, Ramos could work from his Las Vegas home sending out packages for a company called Filly Shipping, with a promised $40 bonus for each package he mailed. This is how Ramos fell for a reshipping scam, which accounts for “the vast majority of scam job offers” reported to the BBB, says Josh Planos, spokesperson for the BBB’s investigations initiative. In these scams, he describes, organized crime units ask victims to reship stolen goods (without informing them that they’re stolen), creating a complicated pathway to obscure the goods’ origins. Ramos’s scammers engaged with him primarily by phone, calling or texting from a variety of numbers originating in different states. In addition to his initial contact, Glen, two others got in touch with Ramos regularly, using presumably fake names and only identifying themselves as members of the company’s “shipping department.” Not much is known about these scammers by the organizations that track victim reports and The Department of Justice didn’t respond to Fast Company’s request for comment. But both ARP’s director of fraud victim support Amy Nofziger and Planos say most of these criminals are from “overseas,” working out of call centers. This means they’re operating out of places with “call center infrastructure,” says Planos, specifically citing Eastern Europe, Russia, and Nigeria. They’re largely targeting people in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, Nofziger adds. “With the reshipping scams, these are criminal enterprises. These are not slapstick operations,” says Planos. “These are well-oiled machines that have keywords down, that are paying for SEO [and] very visible social media ads.” With scammers operating internationally, it’s difficult to police them from the U.S. Fake check scams In fake check scams, “employers” send “new hires” a check to pay for items they’ll allegedly need for the job, like home office supplies. After depositing the checks, victims will appear to have money in their accounts, which they use to buy supplies from a vendor provided by the fake employer. The supplies never show up, and the victim’s bank flags the check as fake, removing that money from their accounts—meaning the victims used their own money to pay for supplies they’ll never receive. Prepaid gift card scams work similarly. “More than a third of the jobs scam complaints that we received involved fake checks,” says Planos, adding that the FTC found a 65% increase in fake check complaints between 2015 and 2020. Anecdotally, he’s seen these types of scams perpetrated most against younger job seekers, who may not have as much experience with checks and may be less likely to find depositing one at the start of a new job suspicious. “We saw that the largest group of job fraud victims were between the ages of 25 and 34 . . . people who are navigating independent life for the first time,” says Planos. Planos shared statements with Fast Company from several victims in that age group, including someone named Sarah, who was contacted by a scammer pretending to be a representative of The Humane Society, where she’d applied for a job via Indeed. After a convincing interview with someone posing as a real staffer, Sarah was sent what she later learned were fake checks to buy home office supplies. When “problems” arose with her purchases (which her “employers” blamed on COVID-19 and a holiday rush), she was asked to pay other vendors via Zelle, CashApp, and Apple Pay. She ultimately lost $7,000. A family member of a Tessian employee nearly fell victim to another version of this scam. After receiving a job offer, they instructed her to send a personal check to a specific supplier to purchase a new desk and laptop. In this instance, the attacker was posing as both a recruiter and a phony supplier—the equipment would never have arrived, and they would have kept her money. Fortunately, her guard went up, and she didn’t send them the check. Recruiter-focused scams While criminals will impersonate recruiters with no hesitation, they also target recruiters directly because of their access to high-value targets from executives to human resources managers. Criminals will conduct phishing attacks, posing as a job seeker, against a recruiter and include malicious attachments disguised as résumés. If they’re successful, the malware installed by the criminal gives them access to all the information the recruiter has available, as well as access to corporate contacts and records. This enables the criminal to expand the scam. In a variation of this tactic, the criminal will pose as an existing client, and either entice the recruiter to disclose corporate authentication credentials via a “recruiting portal” that was recently launched or again attempt to install malware on the system by offering up malicious attachments. In the second scenario, the criminal will develop a website that uses the branding of the corporate client, and even register a domain with a familiar naming convention, all in order to offer a sense of false security to the soon-to-be-victimized recruiter. Once the corporate credentials are exposed, the criminal has a foothold on the victim’s network, and the opportunity to expand their scam further. How to tell if a job or job offer is a scam Employment scams aren’t magic. They work by hijacking the normal workflow of applying for a job. Since job seekers and recruiters are more focused on developing a workforce or landing a job, subtle cues that something is amiss are often overlooked. Not sure if that new job offer is legit or not? Here are a few things that should set off alarms in your head. Scam warning signs in job listings Here are some possible red flags for job scams that you can spot before you even apply: If the job seems too good to be true, it usually is. Employment scams often promise high salaries for only a few hours of work a day, move very quickly, or don’t involve thorough interviews. Work-from-home jobs that involve receiving and reshipping packages Mystery shopper or secret shopper positions The job is listed on a job board, but not on the company’s website The more vague the job description, the better the odds it’s not legitimate. Email addresses that don’t match other email addresses for the employer or that use free email clients like Gmail or Yahoo. (For example, is the email coming from john.smith@companyx.com or jsmith@companyxjobs.com?) The recruiter or manager doesn’t have a profile on the job board or that profile doesn’t seem to fit their role. The job listing mentions an application fee Background check requests or requests for information required for a background check (such as social security numbers, address details, date of birth, passport details, bank details, etc.) with the initial application. Ads that offer information about “hidden” or unadvertised federal jobs Postings that refer you to a toll-free phone number to learn more about the job. Scam warning signs for job interviews Sometimes there may be warnings during the interview process that a job is not quite on the up-and-up. Keep in mind that interviewers are people who may not be skilled at what they’re doing, so one of these may not indicate a definite scam—but they may be a sign to look deeper. Interviews that don’t take place in-person, via a secure video platform, or through a straightforward phone call. Interviews that are chat or text-based (unless as a reasonable accommodation for a disability) Interviewers that don’t have many questions and/or claim to know all they need from your resume/job board profile. Interviewers that focus more on work you will be doing and act like you’ve already committed to the role. Scam warning signs throughout the hiring process These red flags might come up at any point during the application, interview or hiring process. Requests or requirements to purchase startup equipment or to pay upfront for background investigations or screenings. Employers who send an employment contract to physically sign that asks for personally identifiable information (like a bank account number) could also be a sign of a scam operation. Legitimate companies will ask for that sort of thing after an employee is hired. Asking for your credit card number. You’re getting emails, messages, or calls from recruiters with an unusual sense of urgency or that ask for you to make a commitment before learning more about the job or require you to start immediately. How to avoid scam jobs Employment scams show no signs of slowing down in the coming months as economic, labor, and remote work trends persist. It can be hard to slow down and trust your gut in such an emotional and high-stakes process like a job search. Looking out for the warning signs and common tactics scammers use can help ensure your next job offer is one to truly get excited about. So before you turn in your two weeks’ notice and buy that new equipment, take a few steps to ensure your new job offer is legitimate. Don’t think you’re immune. “As all generations look for flexible and remote work options, it’s important to raise awareness about the widespread prevalence of job scams at all career levels in order to help prevent more people from taking the bait, especially with telecommuting being an undeniable part of the future of our workplaces,” says FlexJobs founder and CEO Sara Sutton Fell. But a by-product of the proliferation of positions open to telecommuters is the increase of more sophisticated work-from-home scams. Findings from a FlexJobs survey of over 2,600 workers indicates that one-fifth of millennials have been scammed when seeking work-from-home positions—even more than seniors (the group previously thought to be the most susceptible). Part of the problem is that scammers get more sophisticated every year, says Sutton Fell. “Gone are the days when a scam could be assumed to be fairly obvious to anyone with a healthy dose of skepticism,” she explains, “Yet, many job seekers don’t realize this, and so they still feel confident that they would know a scam if they saw one and would be able to avoid them.” Sutton Fell also points out that scammers have broadened their target audience from jobs for more unskilled jobs such as mystery shopping, envelope stuffing, and check processing, to more professional opportunities in a wide variety of career types and with name-brand companies. “By impersonating trusted companies like these, scammers are able to get unsuspecting job seekers to let their guard down much faster, and to successfully get personal information from them more easily,” she says. Be careful on LinkedIn and other job boards. Just because something is on LinkedIn, Indeed, or another well-known job board, doesn’t mean that the job posting or recruiter has been verified for the site. For example, in a statement Indeed says it uses a “dedicated search quality team…deploying a variety of techniques to assess the suitability and validity of job listings [removing] tens of millions of job listings each month that do not meet our quality guidelines.” Indeed also says it encourages job seekers to report any suspicious advertisements to them or to the police. That said, rooting out scammers on job sites is akin to “playing whack-a-mole,” says Planos, as new ones keep cropping up, and veteran scammers keep evolving. Don’t pay. You shouldn’t have to pay to obtain gainful employment. If you’re asked for money upfront to cover training, recruiting fees, or miscellaneous expenses, this is a clear warning the job offer very likely isn’t legitimate. “If you’re ever asked to get a check and deposit it and then send money out, it’s a scam. If you’re ever asked to purchase prepaid gift cards . . . it is 100% a scam,” says Nofziger. Same goes for new employers asking you to use cryptocurrency machines or to immediately supply them with bank account information or Venmo details. For a legitimate job, direct deposit would be set up after you’re hired. Scrutinize emails and research recruiters. If you receive an email about a job opportunity, always click on the sender’s email address to confirm that it is actually associated with the company. Tessian research found that only about half of people pay attention to the sender’s email address when they check messages, but this is often an important clue. Most companies larger than a mom-and-pop shop will have a corporate email domain, so you can expect emails to come from that domain rather than a personal email account. For example, johndoe@fastcompany.com not johndoefastcompany@gmail.com. Check the company’s website. When you apply through a third-party site or get contacted by a recruiter about a job. Go to the organization’s website to confirm the job opening is there and look for information on hiring procedures and policies. When in doubt, call the company to confirm legitimacy using the contact information that they’ve provided on their website only. Additionally, Google the hiring company using the company name only. If you see multiple websites for the same company, that should serve as a warning. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also suggests running a Web search with the company’s name and the word “scam.” This will let you know if the company has scammed people before, or if a well-known company is aware of scammers using their name. To combat job scams, some organizations are offering information on their websites about what types of messages they will and won’t send during the hiring process. Companies that have had their name used for scams in the past are especially likely to have this information readily available. For example, GE has a dedicated page on its website explaining how to identify a fraudulent job offer. With the GE name and logo featured prominently, “The perpetrators will often ask recipients to complete bogus recruitment documentation, such as application forms, terms and conditions of employment, or visa forms.” UnitedHealth Group experienced a similar unauthorized use of its name and logo in phony job ads. “Cybercriminals post their ads on legitimate job sites and often use familiar-looking or convincing company logos, language, and links to fake websites that appear to be real,” a company spokesperson writes. “These sites might also charge fees for services. Typically, after a few days the thieves close down the scam and disappear.” Trust your gut. If the offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Check Google, and search for the recruiter’s details. If they don’t match up, or if they don’t exist, treat this as a giant red flag. Also, avoid meetings and interviews that are conducted via social media or generic platforms such as Google Hangouts. Confirm with the company directly. Sharing information for a background check can be tricky because there are companies that require this. However, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact the company directly and confirm they are requesting a background check and are actively working with the recruiter. By the time you get to this stage, the hiring company is already aware of who you are. They’ll be happy to confirm the need for a background check, as well as verify the recruiter. The key to stopping scams like these are keeping a level head, doing a gut check, and having the confidence to verify requests and offers. If you push a scammer too hard to verify details, they’ll fold and “revoke” the offer. But legitimate recruiters and job seekers will have no problem proving themselves to you in a way that leaves no room for suspicion. What to do if you’ve been scammed If you fall prey to any of these scams, there are a few steps you’ll want to take. Check and monitor your credit: First, keep a close eye on your financial accounts for fraudulent activity and set up credit monitoring to ensure no one uses your personal information. (Consider a credit freeze, which prevents new credit from being issued without your direct permission.) Report the scam: Report the incident to the website where the job was posted, as well as the company being spoofed. And report the incident to your local FBI field office or the Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you act quickly enough, you might be able to prevent the scammers from taking advantage of the information they obtained. Move forward: Besides costing Ramos money to ship out packages, getting involved in a hiring scam affected him psychologically. “It makes me feel like I cannot really trust [anybody] anymore,” he says. He’s still looking for work, but more cautiously. But to find a new job, Ramos has had to bounce back: “You’ve just got to pick up the pieces and move on.” Coming forward as a victim, Nofziger and Planos agree, is one of the best ways to stop scammers, because it helps others identify red flags. But the shame of falling for an employment scam can keep victims quiet. Job hunting is stressful enough, but when the job you’re hoping for turns out to be a scam, the sense of embarrassment and loss compounds things. For employers, employment scams can create reputation and compliance problems, since criminals will leverage established brands for legitimacy. Chris Morris, Jessica Klein, Steve Ragan, and Lydia Dishman also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version. View the full article

Contracts specify the terms of the agreement between an employer and a contractor for the execution of a construction project. Because these agreements are so diverse, there are many different types of construction contracts, each with its own benefits. One of these is called a cost-plus contract. What Is a Cost-Plus Contract? A cost-plus contract is a construction agreement between an owner and a contractor, in which the project owner reimburses the contractor for all incurred costs and pays an additional fee, which corresponds to the profit the contractor makes for executing the project. This means the owner is not agreeing to a set budget for things like materials and labor, but rather, agreeing to pay whatever it takes to get the job done. Additionally, the contractor is guaranteed a set profit in the form of a flat fee or a percentage. To execute a cost-plus contract project successfully you’ll need a robust project management software like ProjectManager. With ProjectManager you can create project schedules, allocate resources, track costs and monitor progress in real time. Using its project management features you can keep projects and track and ensure they’re delivered on time and on budget. Get started for free today. /wp-content/uploads/2023/04/event-plan-gantt-chart-light-mode-CTA-1600x787.jpgExecute your cost-plus contracts with powerful construction scheduling software. Learn more! At first, this can sound like a precarious contract administration situation for both parties. Employers are trusting contractors to use good judgment and contractors are trusting employers to reimburse them. Despite this, there are many situations in which a cost-plus contract is the best fit. Construction projects, for one, largely use them because owners are hiring experts to build something outside of their capabilities. When to Use a Cost-Plus Contract There are various types of construction contracts, such as fixed-price contracts, cost-reimbursement contracts and time and materials contracts, among others. Each of these types of contracts has benefits and disadvantages depending on the particular characteristics of a construction project, so it’s important to understand when it’s best to use a cost-plus contract. Here are some of the scenarios in which a cost-plus contract is ideal for both the project owner and general contractor: Cost-plus contracts are the best choice when quality is more important for the project owner than time spent or costs. Ideal for complex projects where the project scope is uncertain or likely to change over time. Best for owners that wish to track project costs such as labor, materials, equipment or any other resources. This detailed cost-tracking information can be used for later projects. Perfect for high-risk projects where contractors don’t want to risk their profitability with a fixed-price contract. What Should Be Included in a Cost-Plus Contract? A cost-plus outlines how both direct and indirect costs will be covered and how they will be reimbursed to the contractor. But these costs only make up a portion of the agreement. This type of contract also includes an additional, predetermined amount to be paid to the contractor on top of expenses. This additional amount can be a flat fee, a fixed rate (determined by the cost of labor, supplies, etc.) or a combination of the two. For example, a contractor may stipulate that the employer pays them a percentage of labor costs, on top of being compensated for the cost of labor itself. Parties Involved Identifies the client and contractor, establishing their roles in the construction project. Clear identification helps define responsibilities and ensures accountability. It also establishes the foundation for communication, compliance and legal enforcement throughout the agreement. Project Description Summarizes the construction project, detailing objectives, location and general scope. This overview aligns expectations between the parties and provides context for cost tracking and performance evaluation. As a result, all parties understand the project’s intent. Scope of Work Outlines specific construction tasks, deliverables and exclusions. It prevents misunderstandings by defining what is included in the project and what is not. In return, the scope of work allows for accurate cost allocation and helps the contractor and client stay on the same page. Cost Reimbursement Terms Details how construction costs are categorized and reimbursed, such as direct costs for materials and labor, indirect costs for overhead and contractor fees. Transparency in cost reimbursement ensures mutual trust and avoids disputes. Payment Terms Specifies how and when payments will be made for construction costs, including invoice submission, approval processes and payment schedules. It maintains cash flow for the contractor and ensures the client stays informed about expenditures. Cost Limits Establishes a maximum budget or not-to-exceed clause to control project spending. It provides flexibility while safeguarding the client from unanticipated expenses, requiring approval for significant cost changes. Documentation Requirements Lists records contractors must provide, such as receipts, invoices, and time logs. These documents ensure costs are legitimate and align with the contract, providing transparency and accountability in project finances. Change Order Process Defines how scope changes or unforeseen construction adjustments are managed. This ensures costs and timelines are updated formally which helps prevent delays or disputes over unauthorized changes. Termination Clause Sets the terms for ending the contract, including reasons like non-performance or unforeseen project issues. When there are clear termination terms, it protects both parties by minimizing financial and legal risks. Dispute Resolution These include methods like arbitration or mediation for resolving conflicts. Addressing potential disputes constructively minimizes delays and costly legal battles to ensure the project is completed smoothly. Insurance and Liability Specifies required insurance coverage and liability allocation to protect both client and contractor. Proper insurance mitigates risks related to accidents, damages or unforeseen events during construction. Governing Law Identifies the legal jurisdiction for resolving disputes and interpreting the contract. Establishing governing law ensures clarity in enforcement and adherence to local regulations throughout the construction project. Cost-plus contracts are most successful when they’re specific, and there’s no such thing as too much detail. The most well-written contracts also outline things like how expenses should be documented by contractors and how any disagreements between the contractor and employer should be handled. These details — even if they’re ultimately not needed — can save the project. /wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cost-plus-contract-example.png Get your free Cost Plus Contract Example Use this free Cost Plus Contract Example for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File Cost-Plus Contract Example To better illustrate what a cost-plus contract should look like, here’s a cost-plus contract example you can download for free. It contains the elements that we’ve outlined above. Imagine a scenario where an individual needs to hire a contractor to build a custom single-family home. In this case, the general contractor can execute all of the scope of work without needing to hire any subcontractors. /wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cost-plus-contract-example.png Types of Cost-Plus Contracts A cost-plus contract covers the costs of materials, labor, equipment, etc. plus a base fee or a percentage of overall costs. But how are these additional fees and rates determined? Here are four of the most common methods: Cost-Plus Incentive Fee A cost-plus incentive fee variation includes an incentive fee awarded to the contractor for a job well done. The specific terms of this incentive should be clearly stated in the contract. Cost-Plus Award Fee A cost-plus award fee variation includes built-in fees specifically stated in the contract. Unlike a cost-plus incentive fee contract, these fees are awarded for meeting specific criteria or deadlines. These fees can also be charged to contractors or deducted from their earnings. Cost-Plus Fixed Rate Cost-plus contracts cover both direct and indirect costs. One of these direct costs is labor. A cost-plus fixed-rate fee sets a fixed rate for the labor. This variation is often seen when contractors are hired for a very specialized task and can accurately estimate labor costs. Cost-Plus Fixed Fee A cost-plus fixed-fee variation also accounts for direct and indirect costs, but it also includes a flat fee that is determined before the contract is finalized. Advantages of a Cost-Plus Contract Cost-plus contracts are a favorite among contractors, but they’re just as beneficial to employers, as well. The old saying is true: no risk, no reward. And the rewards of using one can be great. They shift the focus from quantity to quality: Because contractors are not confined to a set budget with a cost-plus contract, they’re much less likely to cut corners in order to get the work done. Contractors know their expenses will be covered and are far more likely to choose the best materials and people for the job. They mean expenses go down with prices: While a cost-plus contract might seem like a big risk (employers agreeing to cover all expenses) this agreement ensures that employers will be charged fairly. If the price of a certain material goes down, they will pay the new lower amount. Pricing changes all the time, and this way there’s no risk of paying more than something is worth. They are more flexible than other types of contracts: Because cost-plus contracts mean employers are committing to paying contractors for direct and indirect expenses, contractors have more freedom to hire experts, choose the best materials and take enough time to get the work done right. This is especially important in construction projects, where cutting corners can harm the longevity of the finished product. Disadvantages of a Cost-Plus Contract For as many advantages as there are to using a cost-plus contract, there are a few disadvantages. When we’re aware of these “danger zones” they’re easier to avoid. They require a high level of trust: Cost-plus contracts require a large degree of trust from both the employer and the contractor. Employers are trusting contractors to make smart spending decisions and choose fairly priced options. On the other side of the coin, contractors are trusting employers to reimburse them for these expenses. Cost-plus contracts are a popular option when employers and contractors have a positive history together and/or the contractor has worked successfully with other employers under this type of contract. They make budget estimates difficult: Cost-plus contracts are best suited for projects with flexible budgets. As you can imagine, the cost of supplies and materials is constantly fluctuating. This means contractors might have to pay more for something than they initially anticipated in order to do the job well. This isn’t to say projects cannot have any type of budget, but there should be some “wiggle room”. They require thorough documentation: Without the proper documentation of costs and expenses, it’s impossible for employers to reimburse contractors accurately. This can create distrust and conflicts down the road, not to mention confusion. If records are kept and organized correctly, this isn’t a problem, but it is a common pitfall to be aware of. How ProjectManager Helps With Cost-Plus Contracts ProjectManager is award-winning software that allows you to keep all your important project documents in one location with unlimited file storage. This includes your cost-plus contract. Odds are, you’ll want to refer back to this document at some point, and you need to know exactly where to find it. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Files-Page_Wide_Zoom-175.jpg With ProjectManager, core documents like these live in the same place as your Gantt chart, along with other powerful features used to manage projects. This means no more jumping back and forth between pdfs. and your project management software. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Manufacturing_Wide_Zoom-150_Task-Info.jpg If you need to point out certain details of the contract to team members, simply tag them in a comment and keep the conversation going. No more emailing documents back and forth and retracing your steps through messy email chains. Now, your discussions about documents like contracts are attached to the documents themselves. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gantt_Wide_Zoom-175_Comments-and-Collaboration.jpg ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software that organizes tasks, teams and projects for greater productivity. Plan, monitor and report on your construction project while giving your crew the collaborative tools they need to work better together whether on the job or off-site. Join the tens of thousands of teams already using our software to boost efficiencies and take this free 30-day trial today. The post Cost-Plus Contract In Construction: A Quick Guide appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

It's officially tax season. After filing your 2024 federal tax return—ideally for free—you're probably eager to get some money back. The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 to be filed ahead of the Tuesday, April 15 federal deadline. Luckily, the IRS makes it easy to check the status of your refund online. Here's everything you need to know to track your 2024 federal tax refund. Wait at least 24 hours after filing The IRS needs time to process your tax return, so you'll have to be patient before checking your refund status. If you e-filed, you can check as soon as 24 hours after the IRS received your tax return. For paper returns, you'll need to wait at least four weeks before checking. Have your information readyTo check your refund status, you'll need to provide your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), and the exact refund amount you're expecting. Use the IRS2Go App or IRS.gov website The IRS offers a mobile app called IRS2Go and an online refund tracking tool. Both allow you to check the status of your federal tax refund. On the IRS2Go app, you'll tap "Refund Status" and enter your information. On the irs.gov/refunds page, click "Check My Refund Status." Understand the refund status meaningThe IRS provides a refund status that explains where your refund is in the process: Return Received: The return is being processed. Refund Approved: The refund has been approved and is in the queue for payment. Refund Sent: The refund payment has been sent. Also check for a refund date if your refund was approved to get the expected deposit or mailing date. Be patient for your refund Most tax refunds are issued by the IRS within 21 days. However, the IRS says refund times can vary depending on volume. Requesting your refund by direct deposit is faster than waiting for a paper check. What if it’s been longer than 21 days?Don’t file a second tax return. If it’s been more than 21 days since e-filing, the IRS recommends you call them. The “Where’s My Refund?” tracker will also prompt you to call the IRS if need be. Unfortunately, calling the IRS isn’t always a breezy, reliable solution. Once you build the resolve to call the IRS, here’s our guide to increase your odds of getting to a real human on the other end of the line. View the full article

… and three tips to make it easier. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

… and three tips to make it easier. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

If you’ve ever been in the middle of some work only to have an app crash, you know the pain and panic of a failing IT service. If that app is back up and running in just a few minutes, it’s thanks to an effective incident management process. Whether you’re a project manager working with an organization’s IT team, a member of the IT team brushing up on the basics, or a customer service agent wanting to elevate your skills, knowledge of incident management will help you succeed. In this post, you’ll discover: A clear definition of incident management — and why it’s important A high-level overview of the incident management process Helpful tips and best practices for incident management What is incident management? When you first hear the term “incident management,” you may conjure up ideas of HR departments and conflict resolution. While conflict resolution is definitely part of it, incident management is actually focused on IT or development operations. The concept of incident management lives within the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) — a set of standards and practices for IT service management (ITSM). At its very core, incident management is a process used by an organization’s IT operations or DevOps teams to remedy a disruption in service with as little impact on the business and users as possible. The “incident,” in this context, is an unplanned event or service interruption. This could be something like a web submission form malfunction, an online checkout service crash, or a number of customers experiencing issues with your business’ software. Why incident management is important When incident management processes are established, IT teams are able to quickly and efficiently address issues that arise, reducing the impact on other areas of the business and on your customers. The incident management process also accounts for the collection of data (ie. what went wrong, why, how it was fixed, etc.). Without this, your organization will have a harder time resolving current and future issues. An incident management system saves your team from having to create an ad hoc response to every IT issue, wasting valuable time and resources in the process. It also keeps users happy, by speeding up response and resolution times. According to a study by Gartner, system issues and unexpected downtime can cost businesses about $300,000 per hour. Not only could you lose revenue, but you could even be held liable for breach of service level agreements. So while it might cost your organization time and resources to set up an incident management process in advance, the long-lasting benefits are more than worth it. The incident management process While every organization is different, there are some key elements that every incident management process should cover. Before the incident Preparation is key. Before an incident actually occurs, you’ll first want to ensure your management process is established and onboarded. Do a few practice drills and tests to make sure your team knows what to do in the case of different types of issues. You’ll also want to make sure you have a dedicated team monitoring any possible incidents before, during, and after they arise. Your help desk team will be receiving incident reports from users, while other members of the DevOps and IT teams will be collecting data and monitoring other aspects of your system’s health. With numerous sets of eyes keeping watch, you have a better chance at catching incidents and limiting any possible downtime. During and after the incident When an incident arises, it’s important to follow these general steps to ensure a quick and successful resolution. Incident identification and logging: This is the first step of any incident management process. Here, the end user or a help desk agent will identify the incident and collect data regarding the issue using standard reports, solution analyses, or manual identification. Classification and categorization: After the incident has been identified and the data has been collected, it needs to be categorized so it can be quickly found by future agents. This also allows for prioritizing response resources as needed, and will save valuable time in the future. Notification and escalation: After the incident is categorized, there may be a need for escalation. While smaller incidents might not require a widespread internal or external announcement, larger incidents will most likely call for escalation to more senior team members, as well as an official alert to customers. Investigation and diagnosis: At this stage, your IT team will analyze the incident and work to find a root cause of the issue. This might involve pulling in other teams for a more thorough investigation and troubleshooting process. Incident response: Once the issue is investigated and diagnosed, resolution and recovery can take place. This is where the root causes and any future threats are addressed, and the systems involved in the incident are restored to a fully functioning level. Teams will also want to ensure that everything has been done to prevent a recurring or similar incident in the future. Incident closure: Now that the issue is resolved, it’s time to officially close the incident. This is where a report or official closure notice is sent, or where you close user help desk tickets. On your team’s side, closure also involves reflecting on the steps taken to resolve the issue, identifying any opportunities to improve for future incidents, and emphasizing the preventative measures established in the previous step. 5 examples of incident management tools Like any other process, incident management can be improved by using the right tools. Here are the primary tool categories you’ll want to add to your stack. Incident tracking tools These tools allow organizations to automate incident identification, meaning they won’t need to rely on employees manually spotting and reporting incidents. They’ll also allow you to track your progress as you work on resolving these incidents. Chat tools While it’s entirely possible to communicate via email or in-person meetings when resolving an incident, it’s nowhere near as efficient as using a chat tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams. These tools allow you to set up dedicated channels for incident management, link to important documents, and more. Alert systems Depending on the kinds of incidents you need to track, various alert systems can allow you to get automated reports on incidents as they occur. A company with a software product, for example, might use alert systems that trigger when servers go down or website pages stop working properly. Documentation tools Like any other process, incident management depends on rigorous documentation. You need to document incidents as they happen, document your response, and draft new processes when encountering new major incidents. Status pages These are especially relevant for organizations with software products and services but can be used by any organization. Status pages let customers know when an incident is affecting the product or service they pay for, and when they can expect that incident to be resolved. Tips and best practices for incident management While the key steps in the incident management process are generally the same between organizations, there are ways to improve and streamline the experience for all involved. Here are some best practices and tips to keep your incident management system as efficient as possible: Establish a communications strategy When it comes to resolving incidents, timelines are rushed and tensions are high. A strong communications strategy can ensure that in these often stressful moments, there is no confusion or misunderstandings. Your communications strategy should outline what channels and methods of communications they should use in updating and resolving incidents, and guidelines for external versus internal communication. A clear and grounded communications strategy also helps keep a documented record of valuable information and data for future use. Assign clear roles and responsibilities When an incident occurs, it’s important that everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to be doing and when. That’s why most organizations name a specific incident manager who’ll be the authority on what needs to happen to resolve any major incidents. When a team is rushing to resolve a sitewide system error, you don’t want to be held up by waiting for approval or trying to figure out who is meant to sign off on something before it is implemented. Ensure your organization has an airtight understanding of roles and responsibilities before an incident occurs. Automate where you can In order to keep the process running as smoothly as possible, try to automate as many elements as you can. Email notifications, closure reports, and many other aspects of your incident management process can be automated or integrated with AI to free up time and resources amongst your team members. For example, if your web engineers use Jira to manage their work, you can set up a communication system between Zendesk and Jira. This way, when a help desk ticket is created through Zendesk, a bot automatically creates a ticket in Jira. You can also use AI tools like online chatbots populated with answers to provide users and customers with a self-serve option when troubleshooting minor incidents, saving your customer service team time and effort as well. Make accessibility a priority Incident management is useless if those involved are unable to make full use of your process. Make sure that your help desk and contact page are easily accessible for your end users, and provide multiple options for contact. Some people have easy access to a phone, while others find email or a mobile app to be a much easier way of communicating incidents. Ensure any tools or processes you’ve established are easy for those within your organization to follow. Set up time for your team to onboard new software or management platforms to make sure everyone understands exactly how to use these tools most efficiently. Website outages, security issues, and other tech problems can be detrimental to your business — and your customers. While you can’t always prevent every possible incident, having an incident management process in place can help you reduce the impact these problems have on everyone involved. FAQ: Incident management What is incident management? Incident management is a process through which organizations identify, categorize, and resolve issues before they can impact their operations. What qualifies as an incident can vary, from a difficult separation with an ex-employee to a security breach. What are the five stages of the incident management life cycle? While the incident management life cycle might be a bit different depending on the organization or team that uses it, it will generally follow these five stages: Incident identification and logging: The first step in managing incidents is identifying them. This might be done with automated tools, though in some cases an employee might be the one to spot the impact of an incident. Incident categorization: Incidents need categorization for future analysis and to be matched to the proper resolution. This gives you a database that’ll inform incident response in the future. Incident prioritization: Not all incidents require the same response. Some are critical, with wide-ranging impacts throughout your organization, and need a resolution as soon as possible. Others, while still needing a response, can be managed during business hours. Incident response: At this stage, you’re performing the actual actions aimed at resolving the incident. In many cases, you’ll follow a pre-established process, though occasionally you’ll need to figure it out as you go. Incident closure: After you’ve put your plan into action, it’s time to finalize your response. That might mean documenting a new incident, improving existing processes, or communicating the impacts of an incident with other teams. What are the essential components of incident management? Managing major incidents depends on the following essential components: An incident manager: This person is responsible for handling the response to an incident, keeping processes up to date, and promoting improvement of the organization’s incident management endeavors. An incident management process: Having a defined process in place for resolving incidents leads to more successful resolution and less significant impacts on day-to-day operations. The right tools: You don’t necessarily need the most advanced tools to manage even high-priority incidents, but do need the right tools. That includes some way to document processes and incidents, a way to communicate when resolving incidents, and tools for spotting an incident before it gets worse. A dedicated communication channel: Whether your organization communicates primarily through meetings, email, or chat apps, you need a dedicated channel for bringing together your incident response team. This centralizes essential communication and prevents distractions. Regular review: Like any other process, incident management needs regular review to ensure it’s performing as intended. View the full article

You don’t need all the answers, but you do need to ask the right questions. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

You don’t need all the answers, but you do need to ask the right questions. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whether you're worried about hurricanes, fires, or winter storms, a little bit of preparation can go a long way to making your home more resilient to extreme weather. Taking the time to plan ahead will make it safer and more comfortable to hunker down if an emergency occurs. Here are some home updates you can do yourself to keep yourself and your home safe. Check drainage and gradingWhen there is a deluge of rainwater or water from melting ice or snow, it can test the strength of the water barriers on your foundation and siding. One way to give your home a fighting chance in a wet environment is to ensure that you have proper drainage around your home. To check out your drainage, take a look at the grading near your house. The ground should slope gently away from any structure at a ratio of about one inch per foot of distance for about the first 10 feet away from your foundation. To measure the grade, you can use two stakes, some mason’s line, and a line level. Drive in one stake next to your foundation and another about 10 feet away, and tie the string to the stakes at an equal distance from the ground at each end, making sure it is stretched taut. You should mark on the stake farther from your foundation where the line is tied off and then place your line level on the string. Slide the string up from its spot until the bubble on the level is centered and then measure the distance you moved it. That measurement will tell you if your slope is at least one inch down for each foot of distance from the house. If you have any spots where ridges have formed that direct water back toward your house, you can shovel away any excess dirt to create a slope away from the foundation. Improve gutters and downspoutsKeeping your gutters and downspouts clear can help to protect your roof from water damage and keep your siding dry. Checking your gutters for sags or valleys where water can escape the planned path and adding gutter hangers where there are areas that need more support will improve the efficiency of your gutters and help protect your roof from moisture. Strengthening the connection between the gutter and the house will also make it more wind-tolerant, decreasing the likelihood that the gutter will separate from the roof in high winds. You can make your downspouts more weather-resistant by adding a hinged downspout extension that can direct water away from your house. The hinge allows you to move the extension out of the way for weeding or mowing. Remove landscaping hazardsTo guard against damage from fires and keep your siding clear and dry, you should cut shrubs and other plants at least one foot away from your structure. Keeping your yard clear of dry brush that could fuel a fire will reduce the likelihood of a brush fire or grass fire damaging your house. Another landscaping option for fire resilience is to use hardscaping like rocks and gravel close to your house and keep plants at a distance of 10 feet or more from the house. This will reduce the available fuel in a fire, making your home less susceptible to damage. Add storm windowsWhile replacing your windows can be expensive, adding storm windows can have a variety of benefits, including making your house more resistant to high temperatures and making your windows safer in a storm with high winds. Storm windows can be installed using a screw gun and some basic hand tools if you have a bit of DIY know-how, and they tend to be much cheaper than replacement windows, averaging between $80 and $185 per window. You can save on heating and cooling costs without replacing your windows, make your windows safer in high winds, and add a layer of protection against objects like falling branches with this DIY update. Install a backup power sourcePower outages can be a part of most types of extreme weather events and natural disasters, so you can improve comfort and safety in an emergency by adding backup power. While whole-house generators tend to be expensive and require professional installation, a portable power station can run many home appliances without the need to call in a pro, and you can find one for around $700. Modern electric power stations have the advantage of not emitting fumes, so they can be run indoors without risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Portable power stations are also often solar compatible, allowing them to be connected to portable solar panels for charging in the event that the power is out for longer than a day or two. View the full article

As consumers, most of us hate receiving a cold call from a sales team. Who has time to talk to some random person about buying something you didn’t even want? Yet the telemarketing calls continue. Why do they keep calling? The answer is simple. Cold calling works. Telemarketing is a highly effective sales tool, but there are still tricks and tips for how to cold call successfully. Best Cold Calling Tips and Techniques Sales teams tend to dread making cold calls, so how can a sales manager better equip their reps to make more effective sales calls to cold prospects? Fortunately, there are plenty of cold-calling techniques that really work. Check out the following 15 best cold-calling tips to boost your conversions: Conduct Pre-call Research Cold calling involves hard data. To effectively communicate your sales pitch, you have to have some understanding of the prospect on the phone. Don’t expect to find success calling random numbers and speaking to whoever happens to answer the phone. Cold calling must be done strategically. Who is on the other end of the line, and what makes them a target customer? Write a Cold Calling Script Unsuccessful cold calls often lack both structure and direction, which can be challenging to achieve without a well-crafted cold call script. Sales representatives who develop cold calling scripts for their pitches can enhance conversion rates by incorporating every essential element of a successful cold call into their telemarketing strategies. Schedule Best Calling Times What is the optimal time for cold calling? Research indicates that cold calls tend to be more effective on certain days and at specific times. Cold callers are more likely to secure an appointment or close a sale on Wednesdays or Thursdays, according to InsideSales.com. Additionally, studies suggest that the best time for a cold caller to connect with a prospect is between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.—definitely not first thing on a Monday morning! Test Opening Lines A prospect will decide whether or not the call is worthwhile within just a few seconds, so the cold calling opening line can make or break the sales pitch. Successful sales professionals will write and practice a variety of opening lines, then take note of which are most successful during their cold calls. Remember, while you want to capture your lead’s attention, initially stating the purpose of the call increases conversion rates. Aim for Longer Cold Calls Short cold calls usually are not successful cold calls. In fact, cold calls resulting in a sale or an appointment generally last about twice as long as their counterparts, but how many sales reps create cold calling scripts of that length? When crafting a cold calling script, be sure to plan for the entire structure of the call, including a hook, touching prospects’ pain points, a value proposition, and a call to action. Don’t forget to prepare ways to overcome a variety of sales objections. Practice Your Sales Technique Don’t assume that you can develop an effective sales script and instantly use it for successful cold calls. It’s essential to sound confident right from the first ring to impress potential buyers. Sales, like any other skill, requires practice to master. Before making your calls, practice your cold calling technique and prepare for various responses from prospects. After your calls, evaluate which aspects of your selling process worked well and make adjustments to your approach. Use Your Best Closing Line Remember, many sales are closed sometime after the first cold calling post. Therefore, your closing line can be just as important to your success rate as your opening line. Create and practice your best closing line, and be sure you leave your prospects wondering why they didn’t already close the deal with you. The lead will remember your pitch and be waiting for your next call. Schedule a Follow-up The follow-up call is a crucial part of the sales process and an essential component of cold calling. In fact, only about 2% of sales occur during the initial cold call. This means that without follow-up calls or appointments, 98% of potential deals could be lost. Be ready to leave professional and courteous voicemails for prospects, and make sure to schedule callbacks at times when they are available. Keep It Professional Understanding your target customers and communicating with them appropriately is crucial. Are you contacting consumers or involved in B2B cold calling? Are you addressing an executive-level decision-maker? Ensure that your cold calling script and conversation align with the necessary level of professionalism. Although some small talk can be suitable, a professional telemarketer will quickly redirect the cold call back to its main objective. State Your Full Name Seems like this should go without saying, but successful sales reps making cold calls provide their full names as well as the name of their company at the beginning of the call. It sets a professional tone for the sales call and allows even new salespeople to maintain control of the call from the start. Callers who use their full name command respect. If the prospect has to ask for this information, the telemarketer has surrendered the conversation. Include an Enticing Value Proposition At the heart of every cold call is the value proposition. What does the sales rep have to offer the prospect, and how will it benefit their life or business? While it’s important to capture prospects’ attention and touch on their pain point, the cold call will not result in a follow-up if the caller doesn’t offer value of interest. Master Your Tone While a cold calling script is important, it’s not always what you say but how you say it that matters when developing sales skills. Sales reps who sound bored aren’t going to attract much interest among their leads. Prospects won’t get excited to hear about a product from a cold caller who sounds angry, sad or annoyed. When rehearsing your cold calling script, be sure to practice mastering your tone of voice. Highlight Exclusivity and Urgency In your pitch, highlight any exclusive offers or time-sensitive opportunities. Instilling a sense of urgency can motivate prospects to take action quickly. However, it’s important to use this strategy authentically and not as a manipulative tactic. Offer Solutions, Not Just Products Focus on how your product or service can solve a specific problem or improve the prospect’s situation. People are more interested in solutions to their challenges than in the product details. Tailoring your conversation to address these solutions can make your call more impactful. End with a Clear Next Step Always conclude the call with a clear and agreed-upon next step, whether it’s a follow-up call, sending additional information, or scheduling a meeting. This ensures that both parties have a mutual understanding of what’s expected moving forward. Read More: Cold Calling Services How to Cold Call The prospect of making a cold call might be nerve-wracking, but the process of cold calling is simple. Just gather your list of sales team prospects – or let your cold-calling software do it for you – and start talking! Not sure how to approach cold calling? Simply follow these steps, and you’ll be amazed at how you ever made sales without this effective pitch: Know your prospect – Pre-call research is vital to making the cold call. Be aware of who you are contacting before making a cold call. Use a creative opening line – Write multiple opening lines for different types of prospects, and choose one opening line to use before placing the cold call. Hit on your prospect’s pain points – Why should the prospect care about what you have to say? Make cold calls matter to your leads by touching on their paint points. Offer a value proposition – What do you have to offer your prospective customer? Every successful cold call must include a value proposition that matters to the potential customer. Deliver a call to action – Never assume your prospect knows why you’re calling them. In fact, they might be waiting for you to ask! If the reason for the call is a sale, then ask for it. If the call is to set up a follow-up sales appointment, then include that task in your call to action. Request a follow up – Few cold calls result in a sale on the first attempt. In fact, many result in no contact at all. When leaving a voicemail, be sure and request a follow-up meeting. Also, request a follow-up meeting for prospects who don’t have time to talk or who express hesitation about closing a deal. StepDescription Know your prospectConduct pre-call research to understand who you are contacting before making the cold call. This helps personalize the conversation and increases the chances of a positive response. Use a creative opening linePrepare multiple opening lines tailored to different types of prospects. Choose the most engaging and relevant one to make a strong first impression and capture the prospect's interest. Hit on your prospect's pain pointsIdentify the pain points or challenges your prospect may be facing. During the call, address these pain points to demonstrate how your product or service can provide solutions and add value. Offer a value propositionClearly articulate what you have to offer to the prospective customer. Present a compelling value proposition that addresses their needs and demonstrates the benefits of choosing your product or service. Deliver a call to actionAvoid assuming the prospect's understanding of the purpose of the call. Clearly state the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, scheduling a follow-up appointment, or any other specific next step. Request a follow-upAcknowledge that not all cold calls result in an immediate sale and request a follow-up meeting. Leave a voicemail asking for a return call or schedule a follow-up appointment for further discussion and relationship-building. What is Cold Calling? What is cold calling? Also commonly called telemarketing, cold calling occurs when sales reps connect for a sales conversation, usually via telephone, with potential customers with whom they’ve had no prior contact and who have not requested the information or expressed any prior interest in the product or service being sold. To achieve the best sales call results, teams often rely on cold calling scripts when engaging in telemarketing activities. Does Cold Calling Work? Cold calling has been going on since the invention of the telephone, and it is still an effective sales strategy. According to professional marketer Charlie Cook, about 2% of cold calls result in a sale, which wouldn’t be great if there wasn’t the potential to make massive amounts of cold calls every day. After all, 82% of buyers say they’ve accepted sales meetings after receiving a cold call. The Benefits of Cold Calling Companies use cold calling as a sales strategy for a variety of reasons, and telemarketing provides brands with multiple benefits, including: Cold calling provides a human touch to a sales interaction. People respond to other humans, and the interaction in a telephone call can’t be duplicated with creative keystrokes. Cold calling allows brands to identify target customers. Cold calling allows sales reps to quickly determine the decision maker, so they can focus their time on selling to the right person before setting an appointment. Cold calling results offer valuable and informative data. Brands can analyze the outcomes of their cold-calling campaigns to gather crucial insights about their potential clients and to understand which aspects of their strategies are effective. Cold calls increase conversions. They directly lead to sales. The higher the number of cold calls a sales representative makes daily, the greater the potential for setting sales appointments, which can ultimately result in closed deals. How many cold calls can your sales teams make? Read More: Cold Calling Scripts Cold Calling Vs. Warm Calling What distinguishes cold calling from warm calling? The key factor is interest. In warm calling, the prospect has already shown interest in the product or service, which may occur through actions like visiting a website, subscribing to a newsletter, or interacting with a sales representative. In contrast, cold calling targets leads who have not shown any interest and have no previous association with the brand. While warm calling often leads to higher conversion rates, it requires more effort to gather leads compared to the research needed for cold calling tips. Is cold calling illegal? Cold calling and cold calling services are entirely legal in the United States, however there are restrictions on who can be called and during what times. For example, if a prospect has asked a company to no longer call them – or if they’ve registered for the Do Not Call Registry, those wishes must be obliged. In some other countries, such as the United Kingdom, for example, cold calling is illegal. Is cold calling dead? While strategies have changed in recent years, cold calling is alive and well. Buyers – and the entire buying process, however, have changed in the 21st century, and they are more informed than in the past, thanks to their access to the World Wide Web. Therefore, it’s become more important for cold callers to do their research and qualify prospective customers as best possible to capture a prospect’s attention. Conclusion Despite the common aversion to receiving cold calls, cold calling remains a powerful and effective sales tool. Cold calling allows sales teams to engage with potential customers who have not expressed prior interest in their products or services. By following the 12 best cold calling tips and techniques, sales reps can significantly improve their success rates and conversions. The benefits of cold calling include providing a human touch to sales interactions, identifying target customers efficiently, and gathering valuable data for future marketing strategies. Cold calling can lead to successful conversions and appointments when executed strategically. To achieve success in cold calling, sales reps must conduct pre-call research, create and practice a well-structured cold calling script, and schedule calls at optimal times for increased response rates. Engaging opening lines, longer calls that cover pain points and value propositions, and masterful use of tone are crucial for effective communication. Follow-up calls play a crucial role in the sales process, as the majority of deals require further interaction beyond the initial cold call. Sales professionals must maintain a professional tone, offer enticing value propositions, and master the art of closing lines to leave a lasting impact on their prospects. While cold calling is legal in the United States and many other countries, there are regulations regarding call recipients’ preferences and times of calling. Adhering to these guidelines is essential for ethical and effective cold-calling practices. In contrast to warm calling, where prospects have shown prior interest, cold calling requires thorough research and qualification to capture prospects’ attention in today’s informed buying landscape. In conclusion, when conducted with a strategic approach and following best practices, cold calling remains a relevant and effective sales strategy. By mastering the art of cold calling, sales teams can build valuable connections with potential customers and drive business growth. Image: Depositphotos This article, "Boost Sales with these Effective Cold Calling Tips" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Leader Key is a popular concept in coding, and it essentially works like a hotkey. In old-school text editor VIM, a leader key is a shortcut starter, a first button to begin a special command. For example, it's similar to how you might enter the "#" key on your TV remote before pressing a code, to enter a hidden menu. Now, The Leader Key Mac app brings the same concept to your entire Mac. You press a predefined shortcut, and then a single key afterward to quickly execute a mapped action. In practice, this means you might press the Globe key and the Right Command key, then S to quickly open the Safari browser. It's similar to the default keyboard shortcuts you're probably already used to, but much more customizable and versatile. Of course, you can do the same thing using many keyboard launchers, like Raycast, or even Spotlight Search. But Leader Key is fast. Lightning fast. In the span of two key presses, your app is open, boom. And it's not just limited to apps. You can use it to open URLs (works with any apps that expose URLs to third-party apps) and trigger commands or scripts. It essentially makes everything on your Mac just a few keystrokes away. The app is free and open source. It takes a bit of time to set things up in a way you like, but it's worth it. How to create custom keyboard shortcuts using Leader KeyOnce Leader Key is installed and enabled, you'll find it in the menu bar. Click on its menu bar icon (it looks like a square with a dot in the middle) and choose the Preferences icon. Here, choose a button combination to be your shortcut starter (or leader key) and enable the app at login. Next, start by creating some actions. Ideally, you'll be using Leader Key to launch a lot of different apps, so assigning the "S" key for both Slack and Safari won't work. This is where Groups can help. First, click on Add Group and assign that group a key. For example, I'll create a group for Browsers and assign it "B". Credit: Khamosh Pathak In your new group, click Add Action. Then, assign that action a key. For example, I'll use "F" to open Firefox. Next, choose Application from the drop-down menu. Then click the Choose button, and from Finder, select the app you want to map and click Open. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, repeat this process to add more actions in the group (like adding all the browsers that you switch between), or to create global actions. You can also use it to directly open Folders as well (a quick way to open project folders that you use often). Once you are done customizing, click the Save to File button to save all your customizations. Now, you'll be able to open your assigned apps or folders by quickly pressing your leader key, then your group key, then your action key in succession. If an action isn't assigned to a group, it's even simpler— just press your leader key and the action key. Supercharge Leader Key with Raycast Deep LinksAs mentioned above, Leader Key isn't limited to applications. You can assign it to open URLs and commands, linking directly to a part of an app. As long as an app exposes a URL scheme, you can paste it in as an action (make sure to select URL) as the action. This works for many apps, but Raycast makes the process really easy using its Deep Links feature. If you have your Raycast extensions and actions set already, you can copy the deep link for any action with ease. For example, I'm going to create a shortcut to access the Cobalt for Raycast extension for downloading media online. Open Raycast and search for the action or extension you want to assign a shortcut to. Press Command + K to view all actions, and then use the Shift + Command + C keyboard shortcut to copy the Deep Link. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Then, go to Leader Key Preferences, create a new action, and choose URL action from the dropdown. Paste in the Deep Link URL. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you can access that particular action inside Raycast with just a single key press. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I work in a government agency that’s very analogous to a private sector industry (think trade vs. banking or procurement vs. real estate) and many of my colleagues have either joined us after having made plenty of money on the private side or are otherwise independently wealthy. Our senior leadership are politically appointed multimillionaires. I enjoy my work, but I seem to be one of the few who works here because I actually need the money. I have no complaints about my salary; we all make the same. However, I’m paying back student loans that won’t budge and I also have the only single income family in our department. Generally, but especially this past holiday season, these folks have gotten deep into my pockets. To illustrate: our boss was out sick and my colleagues took up a collection to have a grossly overpriced snack basket sent to his home. I’m not just being dramatic; I made a bigger gift basket on the same theme that cost me a tenth what we paid for our boss’s present. Another colleague took some time off for a procedure and the group organized daily DoorDash deliveries until he returned. After contributing to those, I’ve had to take a serious step back from participating in things, and I worry that people are starting to think of me and stingy and antisocial. I’m actually a very generous person and giving gifts is my love language. But I cannot afford to be wasteful. For example, to congratulate a coworker on her promotion, I made her a little gift bag with a pound of her favorite coffee and a candle I knew she’d like. But I didn’t feel comfortable giving it to her after her successor asked us each to put $50 toward a coffee- and candle-themed gift basket for her with a footnote that “I know it’s pricey, but come on, she deserves it!” I had to sit out of another colleague’s farewell lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant. I simply can’t drop that kind of cash on a random Thursday though I would’ve happily treated him to sushi or pizza. I did anxiously attend our self-pay “holiday lunch” (we voted on restaurants, but the most expensive one won out). I studied the menu in advance and carefully selected a semi-affordable dish (and was sure not to eat of the appetizers and whatnot that people ordered “for the table”) but when the bill came everybody just said, “You know what? It’s Christmas! Let’s just split it!” Reading the room, I felt there was no real way I could push back on that in the moment. My heart sank at first and then fully broke when one of the attendees was unable to pay — I think her card was acting up — and one of my coworkers assured her, “It’s no problem, we’ll cover you!” Sometime later, she went around offering to reimburse people and I overheard several people tell her a version of, “Oh, please! Don’t worry about it; it was just a few dollars.” It was not just a few dollars, and I pushed past my embarrassment to accept her offer as I really did need my money back. I want to preserve my office relationships, but dropping hundreds of dollars a month doing so is simply not an option for me. What practical advice do you have for people experiencing a disposable income mismatch with coworkers who highly value team socializing and joint gift-giving? What a crappy situation to be in! Your colleagues are being thoughtless; regardless of their own financial situations, surely they are aware that there are people in the world on much tighter budget (or who simply may prefer not to pour hundreds of dollars into work socializing and gifts, even if they could technically afford it). A few options, depending on what you’re most comfortable with: * How’s your rapport with your boss? Would you be willing to tell her this is posing a financial burden and ask that she step in to steer the group toward lower-cost (or better yet, free) options, or that she make it easier for people to opt out without embarrassment? If she responds with something like, “Oh, no one will mind if you don’t contribute,” you can say, “That may be true, but I’d repeatedly be the one person not participating and that doesn’t feel great for team cohesion and candidly I am concerned about being judged for it, so I’d really appreciate if it if you could address it.” * If not your boss, is there another colleague you’d be comfortable talking to about it? A lot of people would be horrified to realize a coworker was feeling this way and would be glad to step in and redirect the group toward cheaper or free options when this comes up in the future, if you ask for their help. You might give them some specifics that would help, like steering the group toward cheaper restaurants and gifts, speaking up when someone suggests splitting a check to say “I think Jane’s portion was much cheaper than everyone else’s, let’s not ask her to cover us,” and even addressing it with the group more broadly (“this is a lot of money, let’s not pressure people that way”). * Speak up yourself! There’s absolutely no shame — and in fact there is merit — in being the person who says, “Whoa, I’d love to go to lunch but that’s way out of my budget. Can we pick a more affordable option like X or Y?” or “I’m happy to sign a card, but I can’t afford to contribute the amount that’s being asked” or ‘“I need to ask for a separate check” (at the start of a meal) or simply “That’s not in my budget.” I know you feel awkward about that but there is no shame in not being wealthy, even when everyone around you is! Can you mentally reframe it as doing your colleagues the solid of sensitizing them to the real world where most people don’t have their money? Or as doing a favor to the next person who’s hired who feels the way you do? Keep in mind, too, that if anyone should be embarrassed here, it’s them for how thoughtless they’re being, not you for not being independently wealthy. If you can actively embrace being the sensible, grounded person pointing out that this is bananapants money for a lot of people, you might feel better about it. And if that gets you a reputation as being especially frugal … that’s okay! Sometimes leaning into something you feel awkward about can make it a lot easier. (“Why, yes, I am very frugal! So can we go with Option B instead?”) If you do that, there’s a chance your coworkers will just offer to cover your portion — which isn’t the outcome you want. If that happens, you could say, “I appreciate it, but this comes up a lot more than you might realize, and I don’t want to have to keep accepting someone else’s money just to be a part of our team. We’re way of out whack with how much offices normally ask people to spend on this stuff, and I’m asking that we scale it back in general, not just this time.” View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I work in a government agency that’s very analogous to a private sector industry (think trade vs. banking or procurement vs. real estate) and many of my colleagues have either joined us after having made plenty of money on the private side or are otherwise independently wealthy. Our senior leadership are politically appointed multimillionaires. I enjoy my work, but I seem to be one of the few who works here because I actually need the money. I have no complaints about my salary; we all make the same. However, I’m paying back student loans that won’t budge and I also have the only single income family in our department. Generally, but especially this past holiday season, these folks have gotten deep into my pockets. To illustrate: our boss was out sick and my colleagues took up a collection to have a grossly overpriced snack basket sent to his home. I’m not just being dramatic; I made a bigger gift basket on the same theme that cost me a tenth what we paid for our boss’s present. Another colleague took some time off for a procedure and the group organized daily DoorDash deliveries until he returned. After contributing to those, I’ve had to take a serious step back from participating in things, and I worry that people are starting to think of me and stingy and antisocial. I’m actually a very generous person and giving gifts is my love language. But I cannot afford to be wasteful. For example, to congratulate a coworker on her promotion, I made her a little gift bag with a pound of her favorite coffee and a candle I knew she’d like. But I didn’t feel comfortable giving it to her after her successor asked us each to put $50 toward a coffee- and candle-themed gift basket for her with a footnote that “I know it’s pricey, but come on, she deserves it!” I had to sit out of another colleague’s farewell lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant. I simply can’t drop that kind of cash on a random Thursday though I would’ve happily treated him to sushi or pizza. I did anxiously attend our self-pay “holiday lunch” (we voted on restaurants, but the most expensive one won out). I studied the menu in advance and carefully selected a semi-affordable dish (and was sure not to eat of the appetizers and whatnot that people ordered “for the table”) but when the bill came everybody just said, “You know what? It’s Christmas! Let’s just split it!” Reading the room, I felt there was no real way I could push back on that in the moment. My heart sank at first and then fully broke when one of the attendees was unable to pay — I think her card was acting up — and one of my coworkers assured her, “It’s no problem, we’ll cover you!” Sometime later, she went around offering to reimburse people and I overheard several people tell her a version of, “Oh, please! Don’t worry about it; it was just a few dollars.” It was not just a few dollars, and I pushed past my embarrassment to accept her offer as I really did need my money back. I want to preserve my office relationships, but dropping hundreds of dollars a month doing so is simply not an option for me. What practical advice do you have for people experiencing a disposable income mismatch with coworkers who highly value team socializing and joint gift-giving? What a crappy situation to be in! Your colleagues are being thoughtless; regardless of their own financial situations, surely they are aware that there are people in the world on much tighter budget (or who simply may prefer not to pour hundreds of dollars into work socializing and gifts, even if they could technically afford it). A few options, depending on what you’re most comfortable with: * How’s your rapport with your boss? Would you be willing to tell her this is posing a financial burden and ask that she step in to steer the group toward lower-cost (or better yet, free) options, or that she make it easier for people to opt out without embarrassment? If she responds with something like, “Oh, no one will mind if you don’t contribute,” you can say, “That may be true, but I’d repeatedly be the one person not participating and that doesn’t feel great for team cohesion and candidly I am concerned about being judged for it, so I’d really appreciate if it if you could address it.” * If not your boss, is there another colleague you’d be comfortable talking to about it? A lot of people would be horrified to realize a coworker was feeling this way and would be glad to step in and redirect the group toward cheaper or free options when this comes up in the future, if you ask for their help. You might give them some specifics that would help, like steering the group toward cheaper restaurants and gifts, speaking up when someone suggests splitting a check to say “I think Jane’s portion was much cheaper than everyone else’s, let’s not ask her to cover us,” and even addressing it with the group more broadly (“this is a lot of money, let’s not pressure people that way”). * Speak up yourself! There’s absolutely no shame — and in fact there is merit — in being the person who says, “Whoa, I’d love to go to lunch but that’s way out of my budget. Can we pick a more affordable option like X or Y?” or “I’m happy to sign a card, but I can’t afford to contribute the amount that’s being asked” or ‘“I need to ask for a separate check” (at the start of a meal) or simply “That’s not in my budget.” I know you feel awkward about that but there is no shame in not being wealthy, even when everyone around you is! Can you mentally reframe it as doing your colleagues the solid of sensitizing them to the real world where most people don’t have their money? Or as doing a favor to the next person who’s hired who feels the way you do? Keep in mind, too, that if anyone should be embarrassed here, it’s them for how thoughtless they’re being, not you for not being independently wealthy. If you can actively embrace being the sensible, grounded person pointing out that this is bananapants money for a lot of people, you might feel better about it. And if that gets you a reputation as being especially frugal … that’s okay! Sometimes leaning into something you feel awkward about can make it a lot easier. (“Why, yes, I am very frugal! So can we go with Option B instead?”) If you do that, there’s a chance your coworkers will just offer to cover your portion — which isn’t the outcome you want. If that happens, you could say, “I appreciate it, but this comes up a lot more than you might realize, and I don’t want to have to keep accepting someone else’s money just to be a part of our team. We’re way of out whack with how much offices normally ask people to spend on this stuff, and I’m asking that we scale it back in general, not just this time.” View the full article

With its powerful camera, the French Navy surveillance plane scouring the Baltic Sea zoomed in on a cargo ship plowing the waters below—closer, closer, and closer still until the camera operator could make out details on the vessel’s front deck and smoke pouring from its chimney. The long-range Atlantique 2 aircraft on a new mission for NATO then shifted its high-tech gaze onto another target, and another after that until, after more than five hours on patrol, the plane’s array of sensors had scoped out the bulk of the Baltic—from Germany in the west to Estonia in the northeast, bordering Russia. The flight’s mere presence in the skies above the strategic sea last week, combined with military ships patrolling on the waters, also sent an unmistakable message: The NATO alliance is ratcheting up its guard against suspected attempts to sabotage underwater energy and data cables and pipelines that crisscross the Baltic, prompted by a growing catalogue of incidents that have damaged them. “We will do everything in our power to make sure that we fight back, that we are able to see what is happening and then take the next steps to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. And our adversaries should know this,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said this month in announcing a new alliance mission, dubbed “Baltic Sentry,” to protect the underwater infrastructure vital to the economic well-being of Baltic-region nations. What’s under the Baltic? Power and communications cables and gas pipelines stitch together the nine countries with shores on the Baltic, a relatively shallow and nearly landlocked sea. A few examples are the 152-kilometer (94-mile) Balticconnector pipeline that carries gas between Finland and Estonia, the high-voltage Baltic Cable connecting the power grids of Sweden and Germany, and the 1,173-kilometer (729-mile) C-Lion1 telecommunications cable between Finland and Germany. Why are cables important? Undersea pipes and cables help power economies, keep houses warm, and connect billions of people. More than 1.3 million kilometers (807,800 miles) of fiber optic cables—more than enough to stretch to the moon and back—span the world’s oceans and seas, according to TeleGeography, which tracks and maps the vital communication networks. The cables are typically the width of a garden hose. But 97% of the world’s communications, including trillions of dollars of financial transactions, pass through them each day. “In the last two months alone, we have seen damage to a cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden, another connecting Germany and Finland, and most recently, a number of cables linking Estonia and Finland. Investigations of all of these cases are still ongoing. But there is reason for grave concern,” Rutte said on January 14. What’s causing alarm? At least 11 Baltic cables have been damaged since October 2023—the most recent being a fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland, reported to have ruptured on Sunday. Although cable operators note that subsea cable damage is commonplace, the frequency and concentration of incidents in the Baltic heightened suspicions that damage might have been deliberate. There also are fears that Russia could target cables as part of a wider campaign of so-called “hybrid warfare” to destabilize European nations helping Ukraine defend itself against the full-scale invasion that Moscow has been pursuing since 2022. Without specifically blaming Russia, Rutte said: “Hybrid means sabotage. Hybrid means cyberattacks. Hybrid means sometimes even assassination attacks, attempts, and in this case, it means hitting on our critical undersea infrastructure.” Finnish police suspect that the Eagle S, an oil tanker that damaged the Estlink 2 power cable and two other communications cables linking Finland and Estonia on Dec. 25th, is part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet” used to avoid war-related sanctions on Russian oil exports. Finnish authorities seized the tanker shortly after it left a Russian port and apparently cut the cables by dragging its anchor. Finnish investigators allege the ship left an almost 100-kilometer (62-mile) long anchor trail on the seabed. Intelligence agencies’ doubts Several Western intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of their work, told the Associated Press that recent damage was most likely accidental, seemingly caused by anchors being dragged by ships that were poorly maintained and poorly crewed. One senior intelligence official told AP that ships’ logs and mechanical failures with ships’ anchors were among “multiple indications” pointing away from Russian sabotage. The official said Russian cables were also severed. Another Western official, also speaking anonymously to discuss intelligence matters, said Russia sent an intelligence-gathering vessel to the site of one cable rupture to investigate the damage. The Washington Post first reported on the emerging consensus among U.S. and European security services that maritime accidents likely caused recent damage. Cable operators advise caution The European Subsea Cables Association, representing cable owners and operators, noted in November after faults were reported on two Baltic links that, on average, a subsea cable is damaged somewhere in the world every three days. In northern European waters, the main causes of damage are commercial fishing or ship anchors, it said. In the fiber-optic cable rupture on Sunday connecting Latvia and Sweden, Swedish authorities detained a Maltese-flagged ship bound for South America with a cargo of fertilizer. Navibulgar, a Bulgarian company that owns the Vezhen, said any damage was unintentional and that the ship’s crew discovered while navigating in extremely bad weather that its left anchor appeared to have dragged on the seabed. NATO’s ‘Baltic Sentry’ mission The alliance is deploying warships, maritime patrol aircraft and naval drones for the mission to provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence.” Aboard the French Navy surveillance flight, the 14-member crew cross-checked ships they spotted from the air against lists of vessels they had been ordered to watch for. “If we witness some suspicious activities from ships as sea—for example, ships at very low speed or at anchorage in a position that they shouldn’t be at this time—so this is something we can see,” said the flight commander, Lt. Alban, whose surname was withheld by the French military for security reasons. “We can have a very close look with our sensors to see what is happening.” Burrows reported from London. AP journalists Jill Lawless in London, David Klepper in Washington and Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, contributed to this report. —John Leicester and Emma Burrows, Associated Press View the full article

Rice noodle dishes are some of the most popular at Asian restaurants—pad see ew, pad Thai, pho, and mei fun—but cooking them at home can be tricky if you’re not familiar with their quirks. Don’t worry, though: None of the steps involved are that complex, and once you know how to handle rice noodles, you'll likely be able to use them in any dish without running into problems with them ever again. Here are three of my favorite tips for cooking rice noodles and avoiding a mushy mess. What are rice noodles?Rice noodles can be dry or fresh. They’re made by grinding fermented rice and water down into a paste, from which noodles are shaped and then dried. Once dry, they have a translucent white appearance. Dry rice noodles are commonly available in most grocery stores. (I’ve seen them everywhere from ShopRite, to Whole Foods, to Walmart.) They come in three sizes, with the largest being the least common outside of Asian markets. You may find thin, round noodles that are bundled up in big packages; medium-thickness flat noodles that are wrapped or cut into sticks; or large-thickness flat noodles that are wrapped or cut into sticks. Fresh rice noodles are made by spreading out thin layers of rice, starch, and water batter on a tray or pan and steaming the sheets to make tender, chewy, translucent noodles. These are well-oiled so they don’t stick, and bagged up in plastic. I never see fresh rice noodles in big box American grocery stores, but you can usually find them in Asian grocery stores. Fresh rice noodles may include some cornstarch or tapioca starch, and they’re more opaque in color. The best way to cook rice noodles starts with a soakThe first step written on many of the boxed rice noodles in large grocery stores is to boil the noodles before adding them to your stir fry. The author of these instructions must love mushy noodles, because that’s the easiest way to get stuck-together, over-cooked rice noodles. Here is an example of bad directions. Ignore them! Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann You don’t need to boil them first. Like most starches (pasta, oats, potatoes), rice starches have a limit for water absorption before they burst and become gluey. If you boil them and then add them to a screaming hot pan, then you’re bound to burst some starch globules. This manifests as noodles clumping and clinging together. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Unlike Italian pasta that might need to be par-cooked before using in another dish, dry rice noodles simply need some rehydration time in room temperature water. They will become flexible, but their starches won’t begin to gelatinize until they hit the heat of the wok or frying pan. It's the simplest and the most important step to making the best rice noodles every time. To do this, place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover them with room temperature water. Forethought is required here. Soaking usually takes 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodle. To test, after 30 minutes just reach in and lift up a handful of noodles. They should feel floppy but not squishy. If they’re still sticking out straight, give them more time. The brand or thickness of the noodles might require it. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann It’s unlikely that you’ll over-soak rice noodles. If you go run an errand that takes 20 minutes longer than expected, your noodles will be fine. Drain them and they’re ready for stir frying, or blanch them for a few seconds to prepare them for soup. Don’t forget to use some oilThose who fear fat will not like this step, but you can’t skip the oil. Oil is crucial for conducting high heat in stir fries, but also for keeping those sticky starches slipping and sliding away from each other. If you’re trying to stir fry noodles and they keep clinging to each other and the pan, try adding another spoonful of oil to the pan just before you toss them in. It’s okay to add oil as you go too. I used to have an irrational limitation where I thought the initial measurement of oil, before the first ingredient went in, was the only oil I could use while cooking. It was only when my mom called me out on it that I realized what I was doing. It just seems like some days the ingredients use up more oil than others, and it’s okay to assess and add more. So when you’re about to add the noodles, take a look at the pan. There should be some visible oil in there, pooling around the ingredients. If the pan is dry, that’s your signal to add a splash more. Be careful of excess moistureThe last culprit of rice noodle demise is too much moisture in your pan. Unless you’re making soup, a puddle of liquid in your wok or frying pan will have the same effect as boiling your noodles and trying to fry them afterward. If your vegetables are excreting a lot of moisture or you’ve added too much sauce to your pan and it doesn’t seem to be cooking down, don’t add your noodles yet. Wait for the moisture to cook off or, as a last ditch effort, pour off the liquid into the sink. Return the pan to the burner, add a bit of oil and now you can put the noodles in. Re-season as needed. Note that if your veggies are puddling up, you might be crowding your pan. Opt for a larger skillet or cook a smaller batch next go around. View the full article