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Growing cherry tomato seeds can be a lucrative venture when managed properly. Cherry tomato plants yield substantial amounts of fruit annually and are available in various types, including black cherry tomatoes, sungold cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and more. Cherry tomatoes are extremely popular. Their compact size enables them to be packed with flavor, and with their many varieties, they can add a beautiful pop of color to salads and other dishes. Not to mention their health benefits. Cherry tomatoes contain vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene – even more than their larger counterparts. They are also lower in calories and carbohydrates. Cherry tomato plants need plenty of sunlight and warm temperatures to grow well. A location that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day and is protected from wind is ideal. They also require rich, well-draining soil. This may be why many people grow cherry tomatoes in greenhouses. Regardless of where you plan to grow them, your cherry tomato plants can yield lots of delicious fruit as long as they are properly cared for. There are many different varieties of cherry tomatoes, as previously mentioned, and some may yield greater profits than others. It is essential to conduct research to identify which varieties are favored in your market. The demand for cherry tomatoes has been increasing, so if you’ve been considering growing them, it’s an excellent opportunity to begin. Provided you have a suitable growing environment, you can start making a profit with cherry tomatoes. For more profitable crop ideas, check out our article Most Profitable Crops For Small Farms. Cherry Tomato Seeds to Grow and Sell for Big Profits With so many varieties, finding the right cherry tomato seeds can be challenging and confusing. We’ve tried to take some of the guesswork out of the picture for you by compiling a list of some of the best cherry tomato seed options we found online. We have both heirloom and hybrid seeds on our list and as many varieties as we could find. Check out our seed options and get started growing cherry tomatoes! Supersweet 100 Hybrid Cherry Tomato Seeds Supersweet 100 tomatoes are a favorite among tomato lovers. They are uniformly shaped and grow in long clusters. These hybrid seeds are non-GMO and come in packs of 10, 100, and 1000. Supersweet 100 Hybrid Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on TrueLeaf Market Organic Rainbow Mix Cherry Tomato Seeds These heirloom rainbow cherry tomato seeds produce different colored cherry tomatoes, typically including red, yellow, orange, green, white, and black. The seeds are available in both small and large quantities, with about 10,000 seeds per oz. Organic Rainbow Mix Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on TrueLeaf Market Black Cherry Tomato Seeds Available in 1/4 oz., 1 oz., and 4 oz. packs, these black cherry tomato seeds are heirloom, organic, and non-GMO. They grow on a large vine and make great snacks. Black Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on TrueLeaf Market Hybrid Sungold Cherry Tomato Seeds Sungold cherry tomatoes are sweet to eat and beautiful to look at, thanks to their striking orange color. These hybrid, high-germination seeds produce clusters of 1″ golden cherry tomatoes. Choose from packs of 10, 100, 1000 or 5000. Hybrid Sungold Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on TrueLeaf Market Porter Heirloom Cherry Tomato Seeds You will receive 12 seeds in each pack of Porter cherry tomato seeds. Originating in Texas, Porter tomatoes are known for their high yield and delicious flavor. Porter Heirloom Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on Etsy Organic Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato Seeds These uniquely-shaped, vibrant yellow tomatoes are perfect for enhancing the color of salads. You can select from four different pack sizes. Organic Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato Seeds Buy on Trueleafmarket Sugary Hybrid Tomato Seeds These grape-shaped tomatoes are some of the sweetest available! You can purchase packs of 10, 100, or 1000 of these non-GMO cherry tomato seeds. Sugary Hybrid Tomato Seeds Buy on Trueleafmarket YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Great Breakroom Snacks for Your Business Bulk K-Cups and Coffee Pods for Your Office Packing Peanuts for Your Business Shipping Needs Best Shipping Tape Choices Image: etsy, trueleafmarket This article, "Cherry Tomato Seeds to Grow and Sell for Big Profits" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

I am seeing a ton of complaints in the Google Business Profiles forums about reviews going missing. A lot of people are saying the review counts have dropped from one number to a lower number. View the full article

Competitive intelligence (CI) gives you the clarity to make the right moves for your business—whether that’s meeting customer needs, finding new opportunities, or outsmarting competitors. Marketing agency Thrive proves this perfectly. I spoke to Aaron Whittaker, the VP of Demand Gen and Marketing at Thrive, to understand how they use CI. His team gathered intel to solve a specific challenge. Prospects were choosing AI marketing solutions over traditional agencies. “We monitored our competitors’ customer reviews and social media mentions. Our takeaway was that clients often felt disconnected with AI-based marketing strategies. This insight led us to develop what we call “Transparent Strategy Sessions.” This is unique to us since we combine AI efficiency with human strategic oversight.” The team used these insights to create battlecards, increasing the win rate by 35%. In this article, I’ll explain the key components of a competitive intelligence framework. I’ll also break down four phases for conducting competitive intelligence research. Download our competitive intelligence research checklist to follow along. What Is Competitive Intelligence? Competitive intelligence is the process of turning raw competitor data into actionable insights. This helps your business make strategic decisions and stay ahead in the market. A competitive intelligence report helps you answer three critical questions: Where are your competitors heading? Why and how are they making these moves? How can you respond effectively to stay ahead? CI research works on two levels: tactical and strategic. Tactical intel focuses on improving your short-term strategy. This includes decisions related to new launches, marketing campaigns, and more. Strategic intel shapes your overall business strategy. It helps you understand your market better, so you can make smart choices about where to focus and how to stand out. Competitive Intelligence vs. Market Research Competitive intelligence and market research are both important methods of gathering data to make smarter business decisions. But they work in different ways and have unique goals. CI research tracks your competitors to find growth opportunities and predict market shifts. The goal? To strategically gain an advantage and stay ahead in a rapidly changing market. On the other hand, market research studies: Consumer behavior Market conditions Demand patterns Growth trends It analyzes the current market to discover gaps you can fulfill. These insights support tactical decisions in product development, marketing, and other goals. Here’s how competitive intelligence differs from market research: 3 Key Components of a Competitive Intelligence Framework A strong competitive intelligence framework boils down to three essentials: find the right data, analyze it effectively, and put it into action. Let’s discuss each component in detail. Data Collecting relevant, targeted data is the first step in CI research. Start with secondary sources to get a broader view of the competitive landscape. Check out competitor websites, help portals, and industry reports. I chatted with Stanislav Khilobochenko, the VP of Customer Services at Clario, about CI data sources. He explains how he uses platforms like G2 and Trustpilot to capture the voice of the customer: “Monitoring customer reviews highlighted how a competitor’s customers complained about hidden subscription fees. This insight led us to emphasize transparent pricing in our marketing campaigns. We saw an increase in our new customer acquisition rate.” Analysis Look closely at your data to extract meaningful insights and find growth opportunities. This can help you confidently choose the right next steps for your business. The real value is in analyzing multiple data sources in parallel. Think web research, customer feedback, and sales conversations. Each source provides a different perspective, and combining them creates a fuller picture. Here’s how the process might look if you own a project management platform: Goal: Help sales reps close more deals Analytical insight: Customer reviews reveal a need for niche integrations, while sales conversations highlight lost deals due to limited integrations Business decision: Plan your product roadmap to build more integrations So, your sellers can use this information to attract more customers. Information they wouldn’t be able to use without analyzing the right data. Activation Once you complete your analysis, share your findings with relevant stakeholders. You can choose different formats, such as battle cards, competitor profiles, and meetings. More on that later. The activation phase is all about using competitive intel to plan ahead. I wanted to understand this phase better, so I spoke to Federico Jorge, the founder of Stack Against. He creates search-optimized comparison pages for SaaS companies based on in-depth competitive intel. In one of his projects, he helped a client gather intel on a small competitor that was acquired by a large company. Overnight, this competitor went from being an ankle biter to a huge threat that started to go after his client’s share of the market. “One of the main assets we built was a battlecard to arm sales with new talk tracks whenever they went against this competitor in a new deal or a renewal project. The battlecard proved effective to position my client’s product in a more favorable light, after the acquisition. It also increased seller confidence by giving account executives an updated understanding of the competitor’s strengths and weaknesses.” How to Collect Competitive Intelligence in 4 Phases Fast-moving markets. Evolving customer preferences. Unexpected competitor moves. You need competitive intel to survive and thrive in the face of these challenges. Let’s cover a 4-phase framework for conducting competitive intelligence research based on experts’ advice. Phase 1: Goal Setting and Preparation In the first phase, you have to prepare the groundwork for your competitive intelligence research. This involves outlining why you need this intel and who you’re competing against. Define Why You Need Competitive Intelligence Without a defined purpose and scope, competitive intelligence data is just noise. Setting a clear “why” saves you from wasting time on irrelevant information. The result? You get insights directly aligned with your business goals to guide your decisions. So, start by outlining your core problem or growth opportunity. Do you want to: Enter a new market? Find key differentiators? Improve your brand positioning? Make product enhancements? Along with your goals, think of specific questions you want to answer with this data. Also define the key stakeholders who will use this intel. For example, let’s say you want to finalize a new pricing structure for your software product. Poor goal-setting: “We need to know how our competitors are pricing their products.” Good goal-setting: Goal: Build a well-informed pricing strategy Questions: How have our top three competitors priced their enterprise plans? What changes have they made to their plans in terms of price point and capabilities? Stakeholders: Product and sales leadership Map Your Competitive Landscape With your goals in place, you now need to identify: Direct competitors: Businesses offering the same products or services as you Indirect competitors: Businesses offering products or services that act as a substitute for yours Start with a simple Google search to find your direct competitors. Let’s say you run a local bakery. Search for keywords like “custom cakes near me,” “wedding cake shops,” or “best bakeries in [your city].” You’ll find direct competitors ranking well in organic search, like the ones visible here: Then, go a step further with a tool like Semrush’s Organic Research to find more competitors. Add your domain (or a competitor’s website) and hit “Search.” In the “Competitors” tab, you’ll find the Competitive Positioning Map. It highlights your biggest competitors based on traffic volume and number of keywords. Scroll down to see a more extensive list of organic competitors. You can analyze competitors with metrics like competition level, shared keywords, and organic traffic. Use this exercise to prepare and maintain an active list of your primary competitors. Expand this database with indirect competitors and create these tiers: Primary: Direct head-to-head competitors Secondary: Occasional overlap in market/customers Tertiary: Indirect competitors with substitute solutions Phase 2: Collect Data Systematically in Stages Once you have locked in your list of competitors, it’s time to collect data. Here are some of the most popular data sources you can use: But random data won’t cut it. I chatted with experts, and they recommend collecting data systematically in four stages. Stage 1: Analyze Online Presence Start with the easiest layer—your competitors’ online presence. You can use tools to see exactly what’s working for your competitors online, from their top pages to their content strategy. Edward White, Beehiiv’s Head of Growth, shared how he used Semrush to perform an SEO competitive analysis: “We undertook an initiative to analyze 3,000 articles from 9 competitor blogs. We aimed to reverse-engineer the SEO strategy within a competitive mature market. I used Semrush to dig deeper into these competitors and evaluate each blog.” 24 months later, Beehiiv’s website went from ~0 to 1 million clicks/year. To get started with your own similar analysis, go to Semrush’s Domain Overview and add one of your competitors’ websites. (I’ll use the furniture rental site Fernish as an example.) The Domain Overview report shows this site has an authority score of 31 and nearly 12K backlinks. The tool also reveals Fernish’s organic and paid traffic over the past two years. It also shows me that the majority of Fernish’s traffic comes from the U.S., followed by Indonesia and Canada. Lots of useful data, but we want to go deeper. The “Compare domains” tab provides a deeper analysis of Fernish’s top four competitors. I compared three competitors on their authority score, traffic, and backlinks. The report also showed the traffic share among the four brands, with Fernish getting 13% of the total traffic. Once you’ve identified your top competitors in organic search, go to the Organic Research tool to find more information about each competitor. I focused on this report for Inhabitr, one of Fernish’s top competitors. This report tells me the keywords where Inhabitr is ranking well and attracting organic traffic. It also categorizes these keywords by search intent to help me understand Inhabitr’s SEO strategy. I can see the top pages driving the most traffic to this site. This report also shows the type of keywords each page targets and how much traffic it gets. Looking at the SERP Features Trend report, I realized that Inhabitr’s content strategy focused mostly on local SEO. However, the brand now also seems to be leveraging image SEO to improve its organic search performance. These kinds of competitive insights can help you adapt your own strategies based on what’s working well for your rivals. Note: A free Semrush account gives you 10 searches in these tools per day. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. Stage 2: Understand Market Context Learn how the market perceives your competitors with: Social listening tools: to monitor brand mentions and perform a social media competitor analysis Analyst reports: to understand how competitors fit into the broader competitive landscape Review platforms: to collect customer feedback and discover their challenges and unmet needs For public companies, annual reports provide valuable insights into operations and financials. Aaron Whittaker of Thrive Internet Marketing Agency shared an interesting insight to expand your research scope. He explained how his team went beyond visible metrics (like pricing and features) to gain an edge over competitors. “Our breakthrough came when we started mapping less obvious patterns. For example, we tracked a competitor’s job postings over six months. It revealed they were quietly building an AI team. This gave us early insight into their future direction.” Stage 3: Conduct Field Research Use hands-on research to find insights that aren’t available through external analysis. Sign up for trials, purchase products, and document the entire marketing funnel. Pay attention to your competitors’ sales process, customer support, and overall user experience. This is where you’ll find opportunities for differentiation. Stage 4: Gather Network Intelligence Collect data through a network of buyers, employees, and vendors. Check your win/loss reports or sales calls. They’ll show you the competitors you’re losing to. Interview these buyers to find out why they chose a competitor over you. Sam Niro, Senior Manager of Competitive Intelligence at Talkdesk, shares her best practice: “I review press release feeds, social media, and industry media outlets to keep up with bigger storylines. However, my “secret weapon” is buyer interviews. They show the customer’s unfiltered voice. Use them to validate your differentiators, pricing, and sales process.” Consider historical context throughout your data collection process. Pro tip: Look at your competitors’ performance when they were at the same stage as your company. If you’re a two-year-old company competing with a five-year-old brand, check their metrics from three years ago. This provides more relevant benchmarks for your growth trajectory than their current performance might suggest. Phase 3: Analyze Data and Extract Meaningful Insights Now, you’re ready to dig into the data and connect the dots to find actionable insights about your competitors. Data Organization Raw data alone doesn’t drive decisions—analysis does. You have to clean, organize, and validate data before extracting actionable insights. I asked Federico Jorge, the founder of Stack Against, to share his best advice for this phase of CI research. He emphasized the importance of keeping the bigger picture in mind during analysis: “It’s critical to see through individual intel to form a bigger idea that’s sustainable for your product in the long-term. Before acting on any piece of intel, evaluate how it fits into your broader market strategy and customer needs.” Data Analysis Let’s break down three methods to analyze data: Trends Analysis Analyze your competitors’ actions over time to find patterns in their behavior. Like product launches, pricing changes, positioning changes, and more. As trends emerge, you can predict your competitors’ next moves and adapt your strategy. It also allows you to spot gaps and undiscovered opportunities in the market. Picture this: You run a meal-delivery business. Trend analysis tells you: Two competitors added plant-based options in the last quarter Five of them started a weekend-only delivery service Many highlight “locally sourced” in their content These patterns indicate customers prefer plant-based options and care about food sourcing. There’s also a demand for weekend-only plans. You can use this information to add to or improve your own services. And reduce the risks of being left behind in the market. Strategic Group Analysis Use strategic group analysis to understand the competitive landscape at a macro level. In other words: don’t view each competitor in isolation. Instead, find the challenges and opportunities for each group. It reveals what makes each competing group successful or vulnerable. For example, the analysis below covers different types of competitors for the coffee brand, Starbucks. I analyzed each group’s varying tactics, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Group Competitors Key Tactics Strengths Vulnerabilities Premium Cafes Starbucks, Blue Bottle High-quality beans, customized drinks Brand recognition, customer loyalty High prices limit customer base Fast Food Coffee McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Convenient locations, low prices Speed, affordability Lower perceived quality Local Independent Cafes John’s Cafe, The Bean Lounge Community focus, unique atmosphere Personal service, local loyalty Limited resources for growth SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis adds more depth by examining a company’s: Strengths: What they do well Weaknesses: Where they struggle Opportunities: External factors they could use to grow Threats: External factors that could harm them Here are some questions to consider for applying this method (you can perform this on your own business/website and on your competitors): This approach gives you a complete picture of your competitors’ positions. Use these insights to make smart decisions for investing your resources. Here’s an example SWOT analysis of automotive brands: Brand Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Toyota Strong global presence; Leader in hybrid technology Dependent on global supply chains Increasing demand for EVs Intense competition in EV market Ford Strong brand recognition in America; Investments in autonomous vehicles Struggles with profitability internationally Growth in EV and autonomous vehicle sectors Competition from traditional and new auto manufacturers Volkswagen Strong focus on R&D; Significant global footprint Emissions scandal has damaged reputation Growth opportunities in new markets like Africa Regulatory challenges and fines The real value comes from connecting these analyses to action. This phase should tell you where competitors are today and where they’re heading. Phase 4: Activation and Implementation In the final phase, you have to convert insights into meaningful resources for all stakeholders. You also need to plan the way forward and decide the next steps to update this intel. Create Useful Deliverables Here are a few deliverables to create to share your CI findings with relevant stakeholders: Battle Cards Prepare visual one-pagers to emphasize areas where you outshine the competition. Add talking points to counter each competitor and help sellers confidently handle objections. Here’s a battle card template to follow: Centralized Hub Document all of your CI findings on platforms like Notion or Confluence. Categorize the resources by teams and make this hub searchable for easy access. Competitor profiles Create in-depth profiles analyzing a competitor from all aspects. Marketing and product teams can use them to plan their campaigns and plan the roadmap. Here’s an example of the beauty brand Glossier’s competitive profile: Implement a Distribution Plan Create a dedicated Slack channel to share real-time insights. It helps in quickly sending updates about competitor moves to plan ahead. Here are a few other ways to effectively distribute your research insights: Weekly messages with updates from social media and your competitors’ latest campaigns Monthly emails reviewing intel related to changes in pricing, features, and more Quarterly meetings with each department to discuss key intel and reassess key competitors You can also set up alerts about significant events, like acquisitions, leadership changes, and more. Monitor and Update Your Strategy Remember that markets and competitors constantly evolve. Don’t take a one-and-done approach to competitive intelligence research. Instead, you need workflows to regularly monitor and update your intel. Schedule regular check-ins with your sales, marketing, and customer success teams to get constant feedback about your competitors. Key Applications of Competitive Intelligence Ready to see competitive intelligence in action? Here’s how different teams can use competitive intelligence research. Sales Enablement Sales teams use CI to study competitors’ sales tactics and buying experience. 78% of CI pros translate these insights into battle cards. As a result, sellers can deliver a strong pitch, handle objections effectively, and present social proof. This intel also highlights key differentiators against every competitor. Product Development CI data helps product teams keep tabs on competitors’ new launches. It also collects customer feedback to map user expectations. These insights help teams prioritize new features to outpace the competition. You can also use this data to plan your product roadmap based on unmet customer needs. Aaron Whittaker (Thrive) shared a great example of using CI data for product development: “Competitive intelligence helped us spot a gap in the market. As competitors rushed to add AI features, we saw a demand for simpler, human-readable reports. This led us to develop streamlined dashboards that became a major selling point.” Market Positioning and Strategy Competitive intelligence research examines a competitor’s positioning, target audience, and overall marketing strategy. You can learn how competitors position and differentiate themselves in the market. Use this analysis to take a fresh approach in your messaging and resonate with your buyers. It also helps identify underserved markets that you should target. Pricing and Revenue Optimization Pricing intelligence data goes a long way in building your pricing strategy. Collect intel about competitors’ pricing models to optimize your pricing structure. Check this data against factors like perceived value and customer loyalty. Then, plan your pricing model to maximize revenue. Use Competitive Intelligence to Stay Ahead of the Curve Competitor intelligence turns data about your competitors into strategic decisions for business growth. As you build your CI research process, keep three principles in mind: Set clear goals before collecting data Focus on actionable insights rather than random data Share findings in relevant and easily accessible deliverables The real value of competitive intelligence comes from studying the right competitors. Before diving into research, do a thorough market analysis to find which brands impact your market. Use our full guide to learn how to conduct market analysis to build a strong foundation for your CI efforts. The post How to Build a Competitive Intelligence Strategy from Scratch appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Google added a new developer document and video explanation on how to use Google Analytics data and Google Search Console data together. One of the biggest confusions I see is when people try to compare the data between those two analytics tools - they measure different things in different ways.View the full article

The Super Bowl halftime show is a piece of Americana that draws more than 100 million viewers, making it the marquee musical performance of the year. The most-watched halftime show in history was Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance at Super Bowl XXVII, which drew 133.1 million viewers. Last year’s show featuring Usher and a cast of surprise guests drew 123.4 million. So when Kendrick Lamar—the 22-time Grammy Award winner, who last week took home five awards for his song “Not Like Us”—takes the stage for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, there’s a chance it will register among the most-watched ever. And none of it would have been possible if not for a bold decision by Fox and its sketch comedy show, In Living Color, more than 30 years ago, which changed the Super Bowl halftime show forever. From marching bands to “Elvis Presto” For the first 20-plus Super Bowls, the halftime show was a bathroom break bridging the two halves of the game—a nonevent at best, and at its worst, cringeworthy. The first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967 featured the University of Arizona and Grambling State University marching bands, along with trumpeter Al Hirt. Marching bands were a mainstay throughout the ’70s and ’80s with themed events peppered in, including a Salute to the Caribbean (1979), a makeshift flash mob doing synchronized Jazzercise (1988), and a strange tribute to the Peanuts comic strip (1990). The halftime show may have reached peak cringe in 1989 when it brought us Elvis Presto—half Elvis impersonator, half magician—for a borderline-creepy display of bad music, worse dancing, and what was billed as the world’s largest card trick. Members of the University of Arizona marching band perform on the field during the halftime show at Super Bowl I (then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game) between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, January 15, 1967. [Photo: Robert Riger/Getty Images] With this kind of track record, the Super Bowl routinely lost most of its audience during halftime, something the NFL had come to accept as normal. Fox’s audacious bet During a routine staff meeting in 1991, as legend has it, despite CBS owning the exclusive Super Bowl rights, Fox president Jamie Kellner saw an opportunity. He proposed an audacious idea: counterprogram against the Super Bowl halftime show, television’s most predictable dead zone. “Jamie started talking about how nobody watches the halftime,” Dan McDermott, then a Fox programming executive, said. “He said, ‘We should do a live episode of In Living Color. We’ll make a big deal out of it. We’ll convince America to turn the channel at halftime.'” For a network billing itself as the “Bad Boys of Television,” it was a perfectly on-brand act of disruption. In Living Color creator Keenen Ivory Wayans agreed. “I thought, This is genius,” he said. “The Super Bowl was the biggest thing in television. No one would dare take on the Super Bowl. We have to do that.” Fox’s plan was floated by a $2 million infusion from sponsor Frito-Lay, though the brand was nervous about potential live TV mishaps sparking controversy. To counter this, Fox agreed to air the show on a slight delay. It then launched an aggressive marketing campaign, flooding airwaves with promos and turning its studio into a star-studded party venue to host the “live” event. All that was left to do was see what the NFL had on deck for the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show to know what they were up against. How to steal 29 million viewers The NFL walked right into Fox’s trap. The 1992 halftime show theme was “Winter Magic,” featuring figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill performing on tiny portable rinks while surrounded by dancers in snowflake costumes and a 30-foot inflatable snowman. It was yet another tone-deaf production that didn’t appeal to NFL fans in any way. Viewers tuned out en masse, flipping over to catch In Living Color’s “Super Halftime Party.” Nearly 29 million viewers—about 11% of the Super Bowl’s total audience—switched over to watch the Wayans brothers, Jim Carrey, and the rest of the iconic sketch comedy team perform Super Bowl-related skits, taking aim at football culture. [Screenshot: 20th Century Fox] In the bottom left corner of the broadcast, Fox posted a clock counting down to the second half, so viewers didn’t have to flip back over to CBS to check the game status. This kept viewers engaged throughout the show. The birth of the modern Super Bowl halftime show The NFL didn’t even acknowledge Fox’s viewership heist. It did, however, resolve to never let it happen again. In 1993, for Super Bowl XXVII, the league tapped Michael Jackson to perform at halftime. From there, they featured Prince, Madonna, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher . . . and the list goes on. Today, the Super Bowl halftime show is one of the greatest spectacles in music—a badge of honor worn by the world’s greatest acts. So if you’re one of the 100 million-plus viewers looking forward to Kendrick Lamar performing at this year’s halftime show, you can thank Keenen Ivory Wayans, the Fox brass, and the team at In Living Color for pulling one over on the NFL. View the full article

Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, online privacy groups Fight for the Future and the Algorithmic Justice League are reiterating a call for the NFL to put an end to the use of facial recognition in football stadiums, where the groups say the technology is used to authenticate employees, vendors, and authorized media. “That means that anyone who is going into a stadium to work on any football game has to go through a facial recognition system just in order to get to their job, which is a complete invasion of people’s privacy,” says Caitlin Seeley George, campaigns and managing director at Fight for the Future. The group has launched a petition demanding the NFL put an end to worker facial recognition. The technology isn’t specifically being used to target fans at the Super Bowl, which will be hosted at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, but Seeley George warns it’s possible that fans’ images may be captured unintentionally by camera systems. Other NFL stadiums have implemented programs to let people use facial recognition for ticketing and concessions purchases. The NFL didn’t respond to a request for comment from Fast Company. A risk with facial recognition, Seeley George says, is that biometric databases can be hacked, and the data within can be potentially used to impersonate people to other facial recognition systems, similar to how stolen passwords or credit card numbers can be used to access accounts or funds. But unlike passwords and account numbers, she says, it’s more or less impossible to change compromised credentials if they’re based on biometrics. “People aren’t going to be able to replace their face if the data from these systems is hacked or stolen, and we’ve seen that there’s no way that these databases can be secured to protect against that,” she says. Even voluntary use of facial recognition to buy food from vendors has the potential to do more harm than good, she says. The facial recognition policy has also faced pushback from the Las Vegas Police union, who didn’t want images of officers working at Raiders games entered into the system, citing privacy concerns. And groups including Fight for the Future have protested facial recognition deployments at other sports stadiums as well, including Citi Field, home to the New York Mets. “I think we will continue to organize events where fans can come out and rally against the use of this technology,” says Seeley George. Fight for the Future has also backed legislation to restrict facial recognition technology and encouraged people to opt out of it when possible, which she says might create economic incentives to limit its use. The technology has also been deployed by the parent company of Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall in New York, where it was even reportedly used to deny entry to lawyers working for a law firm involved in a dispute against the company. Even when Super Bowl fans leave the Superdome this weekend, they may not be able to escape the use of facial recognition technology, Seeley George says. The New Orleans City Council in 2022 repealed an ordinance curbing police use of facial recognition, and Politico reported in 2023 that the system “has low effectiveness, is rarely associated with arrests and is disproportionately used on Black people.” City, state, and federal officials have heavily beefed up security in the city ahead of the Super Bowl, particularly in light of the deadly terrorist attack in the city on New Year’s, with measures in place reported to include overhead drones capturing real-time images of crowds. The AI company Dataminr will also reportedly be monitoring social media and public traffic cameras to detect signs of disturbances. View the full article

Chief executive Julie Sweet tells 799,000 staff decision was taken following ‘evaluation’ of US landscapeView the full article

Labour’s erratic, piecemeal approach will not deliver lasting changeView the full article

Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. In the run-up to the Super Bowl, the National Football League sought to send a statement about its engagement with issues around race and diversity. In fact, it ended up sending two statements—and together, they come off as conflicting messages. On the one hand, commissioner Roger Goodell reaffirmed the league’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts aimed at goals such as increasing the number of non-white coaches, despite the recent wave of DEI pullbacks announced by businesses from Target to McDonald’s to Meta, not to mention the Trump administration’s noisy demonization of such policies. “I believe that our diversity efforts have led to making the NFL better,” Goodell said at his Super Bowl news conference this week. “It’s attracted better talent. We think we’re better if we get different perspectives, people with different backgrounds, whether they’re women or men or people of color. We make ourselves stronger and we make ourselves better when we have that.” And on the other hand, just one day later, The Athletic reported that the NFL would remove the “End Racism” messaging that has been stenciled over the back of the end zones in Super Bowl games since 2021. (This year, the end zone messages will be “It Takes All of Us” and “Choose Love.”) Even critics who acknowledge that an end zone stencil is little more than a gesture nevertheless complained that removing it was a capitulation designed to avoid the wrath of Trump, who is scheduled to attend the game. [Photo: Ryan Kang/Getty Images] The tension between these two messages isn’t a triviality for the NFL, a true mass brand that presides over one of the few remaining tentpole events in the U.S., regularly attracting an audience of 100 million or more. As both a brand and a business, the league has been grappling with issues of race and diversity long before the current DEI debate. Some of the diversity efforts Goodell was talking about came about precisely because of a very notable dearth of Black coaches and general managers. Among other policies, the so-called Rooney Rule, implemented in 2003, requires teams to interview minority and female candidates for coaching and other positions. (It is named after Dan Rooney, the Pittsburgh Steelers owner who was head of the league’s diversity committee at the time.) Opinions on the effectiveness of this and other NFL diversity efforts are mixed. The league says 53% of league and team staffs are women and minorities, and half of last year’s eight head-coach openings were filled by non-white candidates. But of seven more recent head-coach openings, only one is expected to be filled by a Black coach. And some minority-candidate interviews are viewed as basically performative gestures by teams who have already made a decision. A little more than a quarter of head coaches are minority males, compared to about 70% of players. While that progress may be limited, the hiring rules at least acknowledged the legitimacy of the underlying issue. Similarly, when the league first used the “End Racism” stencil not long after the slaying of George Floyd, it may have been just a gesture, but it was one that acknowledged racism as an ongoing issue. A few years earlier, then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began to kneel during the national anthem—to protest exactly the kind of brutality that later took Floyd’s life—turning the NFL into a culture-war forum. (Trump famously said protesting players were SOBs who should be tossed off the field.) At a minimum, the league sought to project an image that embraced diversity. On-field protests have faded, but the rhetorical attacks on public diversity efforts and messaging has only gotten louder. America First Legal, an organization founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, has pointed to the Rooney Rule as an example of anti-meritocratic “discrimination in the employment process.” If we can take Goodell at his word, the NFL is unmoved by this argument. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it,” he said at the news conference this week, referring to the league’s DEI work. “Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field.” Meanwhile, a league spokesman told The Athletic that the shift in the end zone messages is simply a response to “recent tragedies” including the California fires, New Orleans terror attack, and fatal Washington, D.C., air collision. But it’s hard not to see it as at least partly a response to the political climate (and, uh, notably, conservatives have baselessly implicated DEI policies in both the fires and the air collision). The upshot is a muddled message that seems less like a committed game plan, and more like a punt. View the full article

From aerial photography to agricultural monitoring, drones offer myriad opportunities for entrepreneurs. Embracing these drone business ideas can lead to innovative services and products in the burgeoning drone market. Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), come in various shapes and sizes to cater to different needs. The diversity of drones includes: Quadcopters: Four-rotor drones are popular for their stability and ease of use. Fixed-Wing Drones: Resemble traditional airplanes and are ideal for long-range flights. Hexacopters and Octocopters: Equipped with six or eight rotors, they offer increased payload capacity. Mini and Nano Drones: Small, lightweight drones used for recreational and specific industrial purposes. Hybrid Drones: Combine features of both fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones for versatility. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Business The use of drones in business has evolved significantly over the years. Initially employed primarily for military and surveillance purposes, drones have found widespread applications in various industries. Key stages in their evolution include: Early Days: Limited to military and government use for reconnaissance and surveillance. Commercialization: Adoption in industries like agriculture, construction, and real estate for aerial imaging and data collection. Advanced Applications: Integration into sectors like cinematography, energy, mining, and environmental monitoring. Emerging Technologies: Drone delivery, autonomous operations, and artificial intelligence for data analysis. Key Advancements in Drone Technology Recent advancements in drone technology have enhanced their capabilities in several ways: Longer Flight Times: Improved battery technology and energy-efficient designs have extended flight durations. Better Cameras: High-resolution cameras, thermal imaging, and multispectral sensors provide more detailed data. Enhanced Connectivity: Improved communication systems enable real-time data transmission. Autonomous Features: GPS, obstacle avoidance, and AI-based navigation make drones safer and more reliable. Benefits of Starting a Drone Business The startup costs can be relatively low but can vary widely depending on factors like the type of drone, intended use, and industry. Here are some cost considerations: Drone Purchase: Entry-level drones can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, while specialized industrial drones can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Accessories: Additional batteries, spare parts, and accessories are often necessary and can add to the initial cost. Training and Certification: Pilots may need training and certification, which can incur additional costs. Software and Data Processing: Depending on the application, software and data processing tools may be required. Insurance and Regulatory Compliance: It’s important to consider the costs related to insurance and adherence to aviation regulations. BenefitDescriptionApplication in BusinessMarket Potential Growing DemandIncreasing use of drones in various industries.Aerial photography, inspections, agriculture, real estate.Expanding market with diverse clientele. Technological AdvancementRapid development in drone technology.High-quality imaging, improved battery life, advanced navigation systems.Staying ahead with cutting-edge technology. Low Overhead CostsCompared to traditional methods.Minimal staff and equipment needed for operations.More cost-effective than manned aircraft. High Profit MarginsLucrative returns on services provided.Premium charges for specialized services like 3D mapping or thermal imaging.High-value services can yield significant profits. Wide Range of ServicesDiverse applications across sectors.Surveying, surveillance, event coverage, and more.Flexibility to offer various services to different industries. Enhanced SafetySafer alternative for risky tasks.Inspections of tall structures, search and rescue operations.Reduces the risk of human injury. Precision and AccuracyHigh-quality data collection.Accurate measurements and detailed imagery for analysis.Valuable data for decision-making in industries like agriculture and construction. Environmental MonitoringAid in environmental conservation.Wildlife tracking, habitat monitoring, pollution assessment.Contributes to environmental protection and sustainability. Creative OpportunitiesUnique perspective for creative projects.Aerial photography and videography for film, advertising, and weddings.Opens avenues in creative fields and entertainment. Regulatory EvolutionIncreasing clarity in drone laws.Improved guidelines for commercial drone use.Easier compliance and business operation within legal frameworks. Profitable Drone Business Ideas Here are great drone business ideas for making money with drones. We’ve broken the ideas into sections. Aerial Photography and Videography Services In all these applications, drones offer the advantage of capturing perspectives that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve, enhancing the quality and impact of photography and videography. As a drone photography business idea, it’s a winner. However, it’s important to note that using drones for commercial purposes often requires compliance with aviation regulations, pilot certification, and obtaining necessary permits to ensure safety and legality. 1. Real Estate Photography with Aerial Drones: Aerial Property Showcase: Drones provide stunning aerial views of real estate properties, showcasing their features, size, and surroundings. Virtual Tours: Aerial drones can capture 360-degree panoramas and create virtual tours, giving potential buyers an immersive experience. Site Analysis: Aerial imagery helps assess property conditions, land topography, and proximity to amenities. 2. Wedding and Event Aerial Videography Aerial Cinematography: Drones capture unique, cinematic shots of weddings and events from breathtaking aerial perspectives. Dynamic Footage: Aerial drone footage videography adds drama and grandeur to wedding videos, creating memorable moments. Venue Showcases: Drones can showcase event venues and decorations from above, helping event planners and clients. 3. Commercial Film Production Cinematic Shots: Drones offer versatile filming capabilities, including tracking shots, aerial panoramas, and dynamic action sequences. Cost Savings: Traditional helicopter or crane shots are expensive and complex, while drones provide cost-effective alternatives. Location Scouting: Drones assist in scouting film locations and assessing terrain suitability. 4. Aerial Surveys for Construction Sites Site Progress Monitoring: Drones capture regular aerial imagery to monitor construction progress and identify issues. Safety Inspections: Drones can inspect hard-to-reach or dangerous areas, enhancing site safety. Volume Measurements: Aerial surveys calculate earthwork volumes for accurate project planning and cost estimation. 5. Landscape and Wildlife Photography Breathtaking Landscapes: Drones capture expansive vistas and unique angles of natural landscapes, adding depth to photography. Wildlife Monitoring: Aerial drones provide non-intrusive means to observe and document wildlife behavior. Conservation Efforts: Drones are used in wildlife conservation to monitor animal populations and protect endangered species. Agricultural and Environmental Monitoring In these applications, drones play a pivotal role in data collection, analysis, and decision-making, helping agricultural and environmental businesses operate more efficiently and sustainably while reducing costs and environmental impact. However, these operations often involve adherence to regulatory requirements, especially when flying in environmentally sensitive areas or for conservation purposes. 1. Precision Agricultural Services: Crop Monitoring: Drones equipped with various sensors (such as multispectral or thermal cameras) can capture high-resolution images of crops. This data is used to assess crop health, detect diseases, and optimize irrigation and fertilization. Field Mapping: Drones can create detailed 3D maps of fields, helping farmers plan planting, manage soil health, and make informed decisions about crop rotation. Yield Prediction: Data collected by drones can be used to estimate crop yields, aiding in production forecasting and marketing strategies. Pest Control: Drones can deliver targeted treatments to specific sections of a field, minimizing the necessity for extensive pesticide application. 2. Environmental Conservation Surveillance Illegal Logging and Poaching Detection: Drones are employed to monitor remote areas and identify illegal logging activities and poaching incidents in real time. Wildlife Habitat Assessment: Aerial imagery helps assess the health of wildlife habitats and the impact of human activities. Water Quality Monitoring: Drones equipped with sensors can monitor water bodies, detecting pollution and changes in water quality. Erosion Control: Aerial surveys help identify erosion-prone areas, enabling better conservation and erosion control measures. 3. Forestry Management and Monitoring Forest Health Assessment: Drones equipped with specialized cameras can detect signs of tree diseases, pests, or stress in forests. Tree Inventory: Aerial mapping and LiDAR technology are used to create accurate tree inventories for sustainable forest management. Fire Detection: Drones equipped with thermal cameras are employed to detect and monitor wildfires, allowing for faster response and containment efforts. Harvest Planning: Drones assist in planning timber harvesting operations by providing detailed forest canopy data. 4. Wildlife Tracking and Protection Animal Tracking: Drones are used for tracking and observing wildlife, especially in remote or difficult-to-reach locations. Anti-Poaching: Drones equipped with thermal imaging and cameras are used for anti-poaching patrols and surveillance in protected areas. Nesting Site Monitoring: Aerial surveys help monitor nesting sites of endangered bird species and assess their breeding success. 5. Land Surveying and Mapping Services Topographic Surveys: Drones are used for creating accurate topographic maps and digital elevation models for land development and construction projects. Boundary Surveys: Aerial imagery assists in identifying property boundaries and resolving land disputes. Infrastructure Planning: Drones provide data for infrastructure planning, including road and utility corridor surveys. Security Drones and Surveillance Services In the realm of security, drones are valued for their ability to provide real-time situational awareness, rapid response capabilities, and the collection of visual and sensor data from vantage points that may be otherwise inaccessible. However, security-related drone operations often involve strict compliance with privacy laws and aviation regulations, and data security is a critical concern in protecting sensitive information gathered during surveillance missions. Commercial Property Surveillance Perimeter Monitoring: Drones can patrol and monitor the perimeters of commercial properties, detecting intrusions or security breaches. Asset Protection: Aerial views enable security teams to protect valuable assets and equipment, especially in large industrial facilities. Remote Monitoring: Drones provide real-time surveillance of areas that are challenging to access, ensuring swift response to security incidents. Event Security and Crowd Monitoring Crowd Size Estimation: Drones offer a bird’s-eye view to assess crowd sizes and movements at large events or gatherings. Emergency Response: Drones equipped with thermal cameras and loudspeakers can assist in emergency response by quickly identifying incidents and directing crowds to safety. Traffic Management: Drones can monitor traffic flow and congestion around event venues to assist in optimizing traffic management plans. Traffic Monitoring and Management Accident Assessment: Drones provide rapid assessment of traffic accidents, enabling quick response and traffic management. Congestion Monitoring: Aerial views help monitor traffic congestion and identify areas that require intervention. Traffic Flow Analysis: Data collected by drones aids in optimizing traffic signal timing and road infrastructure planning. Border Patrol and Coastal Surveillance Border Security: Drones are used for border patrol to monitor remote and rugged terrains, detect illegal border crossings, and assess security threats. Coastal Surveillance: Drones equipped with maritime radar and cameras enhance coastal security by monitoring maritime traffic, identifying smuggling activities, and conducting search and rescue operations. Infrastructure Security Checks Critical Infrastructure Inspection: Drones conduct routine inspections of critical infrastructure such as power lines, pipelines, and bridges for signs of damage or tampering. Pipeline Monitoring: Drones equipped with gas detection sensors can identify leaks in pipelines, enhancing safety measures. Remote Site Surveillance: Drones monitor remote or isolated sites like water treatment facilities and remote power stations to prevent unauthorized access to commercial property surveillance. Delivery and Logistics Solutions In the delivery and logistics sector, drones offer benefits such as speed, cost-efficiency, reduced human contact, and access to remote or challenging locations. However, to implement these ideas successfully, it is essential to navigate regulatory challenges, ensure safety protocols, and address public acceptance and privacy issues. Progress in drone technology and continuous regulatory advancements are fueling the expansion of drone business ideas, particularly in delivery services across different industries. 1. Retail Goods Delivery Service Last-Mile Delivery: Drones are capable of swiftly delivering online orders directly to customers’ doorsteps, which helps to minimize both delivery times and costs. Inventory Management: Drones help retailers monitor stock levels and quickly restock items in stores or warehouses. 2. Food and Beverage Delivery Restaurant and Fast Food: Drones are used for delivering hot and fresh meals from restaurants to customers’ homes or designated delivery points. Grocery Delivery: Drones transport groceries and perishable goods, ensuring timely and contactless delivery. 3. Medical Supplies Delivery Emergency Response: Drones can deliver life-saving medical supplies, such as defibrillators or medications, to remote or disaster-stricken areas. Organ Transport: Drones have been explored for transporting organs for transplantation, potentially saving lives through faster delivery. 4. Agricultural Product Transport Crop Spraying: Drones are used for precise and efficient crop spraying, reducing the need for large machinery and manual labor. Harvest Transportation: Drones assist in transporting harvested crops from remote fields to processing centers. 5. Urgent Document Courier Service Legal Documents: Drones can swiftly and securely deliver time-sensitive legal documents, contracts, or paperwork between law firms or businesses. Medical Records: Hospitals and healthcare facilities use drones for transferring patient records or medical samples quickly and securely. Inspection and Maintenance Services In the realm of inspection and maintenance, drones offer cost-effective, efficient, and safer alternatives to traditional methods that often involve putting humans in risky or difficult-to-reach environments. They provide real-time data that can be analyzed to make informed maintenance decisions, ultimately extending the lifespan and reliability of critical assets and infrastructure. 1. Wind Turbine and Solar Panel Inspection Aerial Inspections: Drones can perform close-up inspections of wind turbines and solar panels, capturing high-resolution images and videos to identify damage, wear, or malfunctions. Thermal Imaging: Thermal cameras on drones help detect overheating solar panels or faulty components in wind turbines. Data Analysis: The software analyzes collected data to assess the health of renewable energy installations and plan maintenance activities efficiently. 2. Oil Pipeline and Infrastructure Monitoring Leak Detection: Drones equipped with specialized sensors can detect gas or oil leaks in pipelines, preventing environmental damage and improving safety. Corrosion Assessment: Aerial inspections identify signs of corrosion or structural weaknesses in oil and gas infrastructure. Right-of-Way Inspections: Drones monitor pipeline right-of-ways for encroachments, vegetation management, and security. 3. Building and Historical Monument Inspection Facade and Roof Inspections: Drones can access hard-to-reach areas of buildings, assessing the condition of facades, roofs, and chimneys. Historical Preservation: Drones document historical monuments and structures for conservation and restoration efforts. Safety Audits: Aerial inspections ensure that buildings meet safety and compliance standards. 4. Underwater Inspection Services Subsea Structures: Specialized underwater drones, known as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), inspect underwater infrastructure like bridges, piers, and submerged pipelines. Marine Life Surveys: Drones with underwater cameras are used for marine life monitoring and reef assessments. Dam Inspections: ROVs inspect dams, levees, and underwater structures for signs of erosion or damage. 5. Drone Repair Services Maintenance and Repairs: Drones can be used to inspect other drones for wear and damage and, in some cases, perform basic maintenance or replace components. Advanced Diagnostics: Drones equipped with sensors can detect issues in the power system, motors, or communication systems of other drones. Emergency Response: In some cases, repair drones are equipped to respond to incidents and perform emergency repairs on critical infrastructure, such as communication towers or power lines. https://youtube.com/watch?v=H2JrtlbUnZo%3Fsi%3DG-JHJIGC1VhLFGCn Training and Educational Services Drone business ideas also include the educational and training sector, where drones are valuable tools for hands-on learning and skill development. They help individuals and organizations understand the technical, operational, and legal aspects of drone use, promoting safe and responsible drone piloting while opening up new career opportunities in the drone industry. 1. Training Courses for Drone Pilots: Basic Flight Training: These courses teach novice pilots the fundamentals of drone flight, including controls, safety protocols, and flight maneuvers. Advanced Flight Skills: Advanced training covers complex flight maneuvers, navigation techniques, and obstacle avoidance. Regulatory Compliance: Courses educate pilots on aviation regulations and requirements, including airspace restrictions and licensing. 2. Drone Tech Workshops for Schools STEM Education: Drone workshops in schools promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education by engaging students in hands-on learning experiences. Coding and Programming: Workshops can introduce coding and programming concepts for drone automation and control. Environmental Studies: Drones are used in environmental science programs to teach students about remote sensing, data collection, and ecological monitoring. 3. Corporate Drone Flying Courses Employee Training: Companies offer drone training to employees for specific business applications, such as aerial surveys, inspection, or marketing. Safety and Compliance: Training includes safety measures, regulatory compliance, and best practices for corporate drone use. Customized Programs: Some training providers offer customized courses tailored to the unique needs of a company’s industry or operations. 4. Online Courses for Drone Operators Remote Learning: Online courses provide flexibility for individuals seeking to become certified drone pilots or improve their skills. Video Tutorials: Many online resources offer video tutorials on topics like flight techniques, aerial photography, and drone maintenance. Certification Prep: Online programs prepare students for the Part 107 exam in the United States and similar certification tests in other countries. 5. Safety and Regulations for Drone Operators Legal Compliance: These courses cover aviation regulations, privacy laws, and airspace rules that drone operators must adhere to. Risk Management: Training focuses on safety protocols, emergency procedures, and risk assessment to minimize accidents and incidents. Insurance and Liability: Courses may discuss insurance options and liability considerations for drone operators and businesses. Creative and Recreational Services In the creative and recreational sectors, drones have unlocked new possibilities for entertainment, artistic expression, and adventure. They provide thrilling experiences for participants and audiences alike while also fostering innovation in drone technology and design. 1. Drone Racing Competitions: FPV Racing: First-Person-View (FPV) drone racing involves pilots flying drones through a series of obstacles at high speeds while wearing FPV goggles. Spectator Sport: Drone racing has become a popular spectator sport, with live events and televised competitions featuring thrilling aerial maneuvers. Community Engagement: Racing clubs and leagues promote community engagement, fostering competition and camaraderie among drone enthusiasts. 2. Aerial Choreography for Shows Aerial Performances: Drones are used in live shows and events to create intricate aerial choreography, forming dynamic shapes and patterns in the sky. Synchronized Movements: Drones equipped with LED lights or pyrotechnics add visual flair to nighttime performances. Custom Programming: Skilled operators program drones to perform specific movements and synchronize routines to music or other artistic elements. 3. Drone Light Shows Spectacular Displays: A large number of drones, often hundreds or even thousands, are coordinated to produce stunning light shows in the night sky. Customizable Graphics: Drone light shows can create detailed patterns, logos, and 3D designs, making them ideal for branding purposes and special events. Eco-Friendly: Drone light shows are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fireworks displays. 4. Recreational Drone Tours Scenic Tours: Tour operators offer recreational drone tours, allowing individuals to explore scenic locations from a unique aerial perspective. Educational Content: Tours often include educational elements about the areas visited, such as historical or ecological information. Photography Opportunities: Participants have the opportunity to capture stunning aerial photos and videos during the tours. 5. Custom Drone Design and Manufacturing Unique Creations: Drone enthusiasts and professionals can design and manufacture custom drones tailored to specific needs or artistic visions. High-Performance Drones: Custom-built drones can be optimized for speed, agility, or payload capacity, depending on the intended use. Innovative Solutions: Custom drones are used in industries like cinematography, agriculture, and research, where off-the-shelf models may not meet unique requirements. Emergency Services and Humanitarian Aid In emergency services and humanitarian aid, drones offer rapid response capabilities, enhanced situational awareness, and access to areas that may be otherwise challenging to reach. Their versatility and adaptability make them vital assets in disaster management and search and rescue operations. 1. Search and Rescue Operations: Aerial Surveillance: Drones provide real-time aerial views, aiding search teams in locating missing persons, hikers, or disaster survivors. Thermal Imaging: Equipped with thermal cameras, drones can detect body heat, making them highly effective for locating individuals in low-light conditions or dense vegetation. Rapid Deployment: Drones are quick to deploy and can cover large search areas efficiently, improving the chances of finding missing persons. 2. Disaster Relief Aid Delivery by Aerial Drones Emergency Supplies: Drones can deliver essential supplies like food, water, medical aid, and communication equipment to disaster-stricken areas that are difficult to reach by traditional means. Rapid Response: Aerial delivery by drones accelerates disaster relief efforts, reaching affected populations faster and potentially saving lives. Remote Access: Drones provide access to isolated or disaster-ridden regions that may be dangerous or inaccessible for ground vehicles. 3. Emergency Medical Service Support Medical Supply Delivery: Drones transport medical supplies, blood, and medications to remote or hard-to-reach locations, especially in emergency medical situations. Telemedicine: Drones equipped with telemedicine equipment enable real-time communication between medical professionals and patients in remote areas. Patient Monitoring: Aerial drones can assist in monitoring the location and condition of injured or stranded individuals. 4. Firefighting and Forest Fire Monitoring Wildfire Surveillance: Drones equipped with thermal cameras and gas sensors monitor the spread of wildfires, enabling better firefighting strategies and early detection. Aerial Water Delivery: Some drones can carry water or fire retardant to drop on wildfires, helping contain the blaze. Safety Assessment: Drones assess the safety of firefighters and provide situational awareness during firefighting operations. 5. Post-Disaster Damage Assessment Aerial Surveys: Drones conduct rapid aerial surveys to assess the extent of damage to infrastructure, buildings, and roads after natural disasters. Data Collection: Aerial imagery and sensor data support disaster response agencies in effectively planning and distributing resources. Search for Survivors: Drones assist in locating survivors trapped under debris or in hard-to-reach areas following disasters. 6. Lost Pet Searches Animal Rescue: Drones are used to locate lost or stranded pets in disaster-affected areas or remote locations. Visual Searches: Aerial views from drones assist in searching for pets over large areas, improving the chances of reunification with their owners through search and rescue operations. Specialized Drone Solutions In specialized drone solutions, the adaptability of these unmanned systems continues to expand their utility in unique and challenging environments, pushing the boundaries of exploration, research, and conservation efforts. These applications demonstrate the diverse and innovative ways in which drones are transforming various industries and advancing scientific knowledge. 1. Underwater Drone Services Underwater Inspections: Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with cameras and sensors are used to inspect underwater infrastructure, pipelines, shipwrecks, and marine ecosystems. Marine Research: Underwater drones are valuable tools for marine biologists and oceanographers, enabling the study of underwater habitats, marine life, and the effects of climate change on oceans. Search and Recovery: ROVs assist in locating and recovering objects or debris submerged underwater, such as missing aircraft or sunken ships. 2. Aerial Video for Wildlife Conservation Wildlife Monitoring: Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras are employed to monitor and study wildlife behavior, populations, and habitats. Anti-Poaching: Aerial surveillance drones help combat poaching by monitoring protected areas and detecting illegal activities. Environmental Advocacy: Aerial footage captured by drones is used in documentaries and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about conservation issues. 3. Archaeological Site Mapping Aerial Surveys: Drones capture detailed aerial images and 3D models of archaeological sites, aiding in documentation and analysis. Site Preservation: Drones help archaeologists detect and safeguard delicate or vulnerable sites from potential harm during excavation activities. Site Discovery: Aerial imagery helps discover previously unknown archaeological sites hidden beneath vegetation or geological formations. 4. Urban Planning and 3D City Modeling City Surveys: Drones capture high-resolution aerial images and LiDAR data for creating 3D city models and mapping urban environments. Infrastructure Planning: Aerial data assists urban planners in infrastructure development, transportation route planning, and disaster preparedness. Smart Cities: Drones contribute to the development of smart city solutions by collecting data for traffic management, environmental monitoring, and public services. 5. Space Exploration and Research Drones Planetary Exploration: NASA and other space agencies use drones on other celestial bodies, such as Mars, for exploration and research. Asteroid Sampling: Drones are deployed on missions to collect samples from asteroids for scientific analysis. Space Station Maintenance: Autonomous drones inspect and maintain the International Space Station and other space structures underwater Drone Services. Practical First Steps to Start a Drone Business 1. Market Research and Business Planning: Identify Your Niche: Determine the specific industry or application you want to focus on, such as real estate, agriculture, or photography. Competitive Analysis: Research competitors in your chosen niche to understand market dynamics, pricing strategies, and customer needs. Business Plan: Create a detailed business plan outlining your goals, target audience, revenue model, and marketing strategies. 2. Regulatory Compliance: Learn the Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the drone regulations in your country or region. In the United States, for example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governs drone operations under Part 107 for commercial use. Obtain Necessary Licenses: Depending on your location and the specifics of your operations, you might need to acquire a drone pilot’s license or additional permits. In the U.S., this requires passing the Part 107 exam. 3. Drone Selection: Assess Your Needs: Determine the type of drone that best suits your business needs, considering factors like flight time, payload capacity, camera quality, and durability. Budget: Set a budget for your drone and related equipment, keeping in mind additional costs such as spare batteries, memory cards, and accessories. Choose a Reputable Brand: Select a drone from a reputable manufacturer known for reliability and good customer support. https://youtube.com/watch?v=CEF4LiIfi2I%3Fsi%3DNE_0nn6OfzJfVzUW FAQs: Drone Business Ideas What are the initial investment requirements for a drone business? The startup costs for using drones in business can vary widely depending on factors like the type of drone, intended use, and industry. Here are some cost considerations: Drone Purchase: Entry-level drones can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, while specialized industrial drones can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Accessories: Additional batteries, spare parts, and accessories are often necessary and can add to the initial cost. Training and Certification: Pilots may need training and certification, which can incur additional costs. Software and Data Processing: Depending on the application, software and data processing tools may be required. Insurance and Regulatory Compliance: It’s important to consider the costs related to insurance and adherence to aviation regulations. What are the best drone business ideas currently? Currently, wedding and event videography is proving to be a lucrative drone business idea. And in the majority of fields we’ve described drone photography used in advertising is a proven go-to for drone businesses. What are the best marketing strategies for a drone business? Portfolio Development: Create a portfolio showcasing your work and capabilities to demonstrate your expertise to potential clients. Online Presence: Establish a professional website and social media profiles to showcase your services and reach a wider audience. Networking: Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and connect with potential clients, partners, and fellow drone operators. What skills and certifications are needed for a drone business? Pilot Training: Enroll in a drone pilot training program to acquire the necessary skills for safe and effective drone operation. Aerial Photography/Videography Training: If your business involves photography or videography, consider additional training in these areas. Flight Practice: Spend time practicing flying your drone to build your piloting skills and familiarity with its capabilities. Stay Informed: Stay updated on advancements in drone technology, regulations, and industry trends through online resources, forums, and industry publications. Certifications: Consider pursuing advanced certifications or specialized training to expand your skills and credentials, such as thermal imaging or LiDAR mapping. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Amazing Drone Business Ideas" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

From aerial photography to agricultural monitoring, drones offer myriad opportunities for entrepreneurs. Embracing these drone business ideas can lead to innovative services and products in the burgeoning drone market. Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), come in various shapes and sizes to cater to different needs. The diversity of drones includes: Quadcopters: Four-rotor drones are popular for their stability and ease of use. Fixed-Wing Drones: Resemble traditional airplanes and are ideal for long-range flights. Hexacopters and Octocopters: Equipped with six or eight rotors, they offer increased payload capacity. Mini and Nano Drones: Small, lightweight drones used for recreational and specific industrial purposes. Hybrid Drones: Combine features of both fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones for versatility. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Business The use of drones in business has evolved significantly over the years. Initially employed primarily for military and surveillance purposes, drones have found widespread applications in various industries. Key stages in their evolution include: Early Days: Limited to military and government use for reconnaissance and surveillance. Commercialization: Adoption in industries like agriculture, construction, and real estate for aerial imaging and data collection. Advanced Applications: Integration into sectors like cinematography, energy, mining, and environmental monitoring. Emerging Technologies: Drone delivery, autonomous operations, and artificial intelligence for data analysis. Key Advancements in Drone Technology Recent advancements in drone technology have enhanced their capabilities in several ways: Longer Flight Times: Improved battery technology and energy-efficient designs have extended flight durations. Better Cameras: High-resolution cameras, thermal imaging, and multispectral sensors provide more detailed data. Enhanced Connectivity: Improved communication systems enable real-time data transmission. Autonomous Features: GPS, obstacle avoidance, and AI-based navigation make drones safer and more reliable. Benefits of Starting a Drone Business The startup costs can be relatively low but can vary widely depending on factors like the type of drone, intended use, and industry. Here are some cost considerations: Drone Purchase: Entry-level drones can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, while specialized industrial drones can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Accessories: Additional batteries, spare parts, and accessories are often necessary and can add to the initial cost. Training and Certification: Pilots may need training and certification, which can incur additional costs. Software and Data Processing: Depending on the application, software and data processing tools may be required. Insurance and Regulatory Compliance: It’s important to consider the costs related to insurance and adherence to aviation regulations. BenefitDescriptionApplication in BusinessMarket Potential Growing DemandIncreasing use of drones in various industries.Aerial photography, inspections, agriculture, real estate.Expanding market with diverse clientele. Technological AdvancementRapid development in drone technology.High-quality imaging, improved battery life, advanced navigation systems.Staying ahead with cutting-edge technology. Low Overhead CostsCompared to traditional methods.Minimal staff and equipment needed for operations.More cost-effective than manned aircraft. High Profit MarginsLucrative returns on services provided.Premium charges for specialized services like 3D mapping or thermal imaging.High-value services can yield significant profits. Wide Range of ServicesDiverse applications across sectors.Surveying, surveillance, event coverage, and more.Flexibility to offer various services to different industries. Enhanced SafetySafer alternative for risky tasks.Inspections of tall structures, search and rescue operations.Reduces the risk of human injury. Precision and AccuracyHigh-quality data collection.Accurate measurements and detailed imagery for analysis.Valuable data for decision-making in industries like agriculture and construction. Environmental MonitoringAid in environmental conservation.Wildlife tracking, habitat monitoring, pollution assessment.Contributes to environmental protection and sustainability. Creative OpportunitiesUnique perspective for creative projects.Aerial photography and videography for film, advertising, and weddings.Opens avenues in creative fields and entertainment. Regulatory EvolutionIncreasing clarity in drone laws.Improved guidelines for commercial drone use.Easier compliance and business operation within legal frameworks. Profitable Drone Business Ideas Here are great drone business ideas for making money with drones. We’ve broken the ideas into sections. Aerial Photography and Videography Services In all these applications, drones offer the advantage of capturing perspectives that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve, enhancing the quality and impact of photography and videography. As a drone photography business idea, it’s a winner. However, it’s important to note that using drones for commercial purposes often requires compliance with aviation regulations, pilot certification, and obtaining necessary permits to ensure safety and legality. 1. Real Estate Photography with Aerial Drones: Aerial Property Showcase: Drones provide stunning aerial views of real estate properties, showcasing their features, size, and surroundings. Virtual Tours: Aerial drones can capture 360-degree panoramas and create virtual tours, giving potential buyers an immersive experience. Site Analysis: Aerial imagery helps assess property conditions, land topography, and proximity to amenities. 2. Wedding and Event Aerial Videography Aerial Cinematography: Drones capture unique, cinematic shots of weddings and events from breathtaking aerial perspectives. Dynamic Footage: Aerial drone footage videography adds drama and grandeur to wedding videos, creating memorable moments. Venue Showcases: Drones can showcase event venues and decorations from above, helping event planners and clients. 3. Commercial Film Production Cinematic Shots: Drones offer versatile filming capabilities, including tracking shots, aerial panoramas, and dynamic action sequences. Cost Savings: Traditional helicopter or crane shots are expensive and complex, while drones provide cost-effective alternatives. Location Scouting: Drones assist in scouting film locations and assessing terrain suitability. 4. Aerial Surveys for Construction Sites Site Progress Monitoring: Drones capture regular aerial imagery to monitor construction progress and identify issues. Safety Inspections: Drones can inspect hard-to-reach or dangerous areas, enhancing site safety. Volume Measurements: Aerial surveys calculate earthwork volumes for accurate project planning and cost estimation. 5. Landscape and Wildlife Photography Breathtaking Landscapes: Drones capture expansive vistas and unique angles of natural landscapes, adding depth to photography. Wildlife Monitoring: Aerial drones provide non-intrusive means to observe and document wildlife behavior. Conservation Efforts: Drones are used in wildlife conservation to monitor animal populations and protect endangered species. Agricultural and Environmental Monitoring In these applications, drones play a pivotal role in data collection, analysis, and decision-making, helping agricultural and environmental businesses operate more efficiently and sustainably while reducing costs and environmental impact. However, these operations often involve adherence to regulatory requirements, especially when flying in environmentally sensitive areas or for conservation purposes. 1. Precision Agricultural Services: Crop Monitoring: Drones equipped with various sensors (such as multispectral or thermal cameras) can capture high-resolution images of crops. This data is used to assess crop health, detect diseases, and optimize irrigation and fertilization. Field Mapping: Drones can create detailed 3D maps of fields, helping farmers plan planting, manage soil health, and make informed decisions about crop rotation. Yield Prediction: Data collected by drones can be used to estimate crop yields, aiding in production forecasting and marketing strategies. Pest Control: Drones can deliver targeted treatments to specific sections of a field, minimizing the necessity for extensive pesticide application. 2. Environmental Conservation Surveillance Illegal Logging and Poaching Detection: Drones are employed to monitor remote areas and identify illegal logging activities and poaching incidents in real time. Wildlife Habitat Assessment: Aerial imagery helps assess the health of wildlife habitats and the impact of human activities. Water Quality Monitoring: Drones equipped with sensors can monitor water bodies, detecting pollution and changes in water quality. Erosion Control: Aerial surveys help identify erosion-prone areas, enabling better conservation and erosion control measures. 3. Forestry Management and Monitoring Forest Health Assessment: Drones equipped with specialized cameras can detect signs of tree diseases, pests, or stress in forests. Tree Inventory: Aerial mapping and LiDAR technology are used to create accurate tree inventories for sustainable forest management. Fire Detection: Drones equipped with thermal cameras are employed to detect and monitor wildfires, allowing for faster response and containment efforts. Harvest Planning: Drones assist in planning timber harvesting operations by providing detailed forest canopy data. 4. Wildlife Tracking and Protection Animal Tracking: Drones are used for tracking and observing wildlife, especially in remote or difficult-to-reach locations. Anti-Poaching: Drones equipped with thermal imaging and cameras are used for anti-poaching patrols and surveillance in protected areas. Nesting Site Monitoring: Aerial surveys help monitor nesting sites of endangered bird species and assess their breeding success. 5. Land Surveying and Mapping Services Topographic Surveys: Drones are used for creating accurate topographic maps and digital elevation models for land development and construction projects. Boundary Surveys: Aerial imagery assists in identifying property boundaries and resolving land disputes. Infrastructure Planning: Drones provide data for infrastructure planning, including road and utility corridor surveys. Security Drones and Surveillance Services In the realm of security, drones are valued for their ability to provide real-time situational awareness, rapid response capabilities, and the collection of visual and sensor data from vantage points that may be otherwise inaccessible. However, security-related drone operations often involve strict compliance with privacy laws and aviation regulations, and data security is a critical concern in protecting sensitive information gathered during surveillance missions. Commercial Property Surveillance Perimeter Monitoring: Drones can patrol and monitor the perimeters of commercial properties, detecting intrusions or security breaches. Asset Protection: Aerial views enable security teams to protect valuable assets and equipment, especially in large industrial facilities. Remote Monitoring: Drones provide real-time surveillance of areas that are challenging to access, ensuring swift response to security incidents. Event Security and Crowd Monitoring Crowd Size Estimation: Drones offer a bird’s-eye view to assess crowd sizes and movements at large events or gatherings. Emergency Response: Drones equipped with thermal cameras and loudspeakers can assist in emergency response by quickly identifying incidents and directing crowds to safety. Traffic Management: Drones can monitor traffic flow and congestion around event venues to assist in optimizing traffic management plans. Traffic Monitoring and Management Accident Assessment: Drones provide rapid assessment of traffic accidents, enabling quick response and traffic management. Congestion Monitoring: Aerial views help monitor traffic congestion and identify areas that require intervention. Traffic Flow Analysis: Data collected by drones aids in optimizing traffic signal timing and road infrastructure planning. Border Patrol and Coastal Surveillance Border Security: Drones are used for border patrol to monitor remote and rugged terrains, detect illegal border crossings, and assess security threats. Coastal Surveillance: Drones equipped with maritime radar and cameras enhance coastal security by monitoring maritime traffic, identifying smuggling activities, and conducting search and rescue operations. Infrastructure Security Checks Critical Infrastructure Inspection: Drones conduct routine inspections of critical infrastructure such as power lines, pipelines, and bridges for signs of damage or tampering. Pipeline Monitoring: Drones equipped with gas detection sensors can identify leaks in pipelines, enhancing safety measures. Remote Site Surveillance: Drones monitor remote or isolated sites like water treatment facilities and remote power stations to prevent unauthorized access to commercial property surveillance. Delivery and Logistics Solutions In the delivery and logistics sector, drones offer benefits such as speed, cost-efficiency, reduced human contact, and access to remote or challenging locations. However, to implement these ideas successfully, it is essential to navigate regulatory challenges, ensure safety protocols, and address public acceptance and privacy issues. Progress in drone technology and continuous regulatory advancements are fueling the expansion of drone business ideas, particularly in delivery services across different industries. 1. Retail Goods Delivery Service Last-Mile Delivery: Drones are capable of swiftly delivering online orders directly to customers’ doorsteps, which helps to minimize both delivery times and costs. Inventory Management: Drones help retailers monitor stock levels and quickly restock items in stores or warehouses. 2. Food and Beverage Delivery Restaurant and Fast Food: Drones are used for delivering hot and fresh meals from restaurants to customers’ homes or designated delivery points. Grocery Delivery: Drones transport groceries and perishable goods, ensuring timely and contactless delivery. 3. Medical Supplies Delivery Emergency Response: Drones can deliver life-saving medical supplies, such as defibrillators or medications, to remote or disaster-stricken areas. Organ Transport: Drones have been explored for transporting organs for transplantation, potentially saving lives through faster delivery. 4. Agricultural Product Transport Crop Spraying: Drones are used for precise and efficient crop spraying, reducing the need for large machinery and manual labor. Harvest Transportation: Drones assist in transporting harvested crops from remote fields to processing centers. 5. Urgent Document Courier Service Legal Documents: Drones can swiftly and securely deliver time-sensitive legal documents, contracts, or paperwork between law firms or businesses. Medical Records: Hospitals and healthcare facilities use drones for transferring patient records or medical samples quickly and securely. Inspection and Maintenance Services In the realm of inspection and maintenance, drones offer cost-effective, efficient, and safer alternatives to traditional methods that often involve putting humans in risky or difficult-to-reach environments. They provide real-time data that can be analyzed to make informed maintenance decisions, ultimately extending the lifespan and reliability of critical assets and infrastructure. 1. Wind Turbine and Solar Panel Inspection Aerial Inspections: Drones can perform close-up inspections of wind turbines and solar panels, capturing high-resolution images and videos to identify damage, wear, or malfunctions. Thermal Imaging: Thermal cameras on drones help detect overheating solar panels or faulty components in wind turbines. Data Analysis: The software analyzes collected data to assess the health of renewable energy installations and plan maintenance activities efficiently. 2. Oil Pipeline and Infrastructure Monitoring Leak Detection: Drones equipped with specialized sensors can detect gas or oil leaks in pipelines, preventing environmental damage and improving safety. Corrosion Assessment: Aerial inspections identify signs of corrosion or structural weaknesses in oil and gas infrastructure. Right-of-Way Inspections: Drones monitor pipeline right-of-ways for encroachments, vegetation management, and security. 3. Building and Historical Monument Inspection Facade and Roof Inspections: Drones can access hard-to-reach areas of buildings, assessing the condition of facades, roofs, and chimneys. Historical Preservation: Drones document historical monuments and structures for conservation and restoration efforts. Safety Audits: Aerial inspections ensure that buildings meet safety and compliance standards. 4. Underwater Inspection Services Subsea Structures: Specialized underwater drones, known as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), inspect underwater infrastructure like bridges, piers, and submerged pipelines. Marine Life Surveys: Drones with underwater cameras are used for marine life monitoring and reef assessments. Dam Inspections: ROVs inspect dams, levees, and underwater structures for signs of erosion or damage. 5. Drone Repair Services Maintenance and Repairs: Drones can be used to inspect other drones for wear and damage and, in some cases, perform basic maintenance or replace components. Advanced Diagnostics: Drones equipped with sensors can detect issues in the power system, motors, or communication systems of other drones. Emergency Response: In some cases, repair drones are equipped to respond to incidents and perform emergency repairs on critical infrastructure, such as communication towers or power lines. https://youtube.com/watch?v=H2JrtlbUnZo%3Fsi%3DG-JHJIGC1VhLFGCn Training and Educational Services Drone business ideas also include the educational and training sector, where drones are valuable tools for hands-on learning and skill development. They help individuals and organizations understand the technical, operational, and legal aspects of drone use, promoting safe and responsible drone piloting while opening up new career opportunities in the drone industry. 1. Training Courses for Drone Pilots: Basic Flight Training: These courses teach novice pilots the fundamentals of drone flight, including controls, safety protocols, and flight maneuvers. Advanced Flight Skills: Advanced training covers complex flight maneuvers, navigation techniques, and obstacle avoidance. Regulatory Compliance: Courses educate pilots on aviation regulations and requirements, including airspace restrictions and licensing. 2. Drone Tech Workshops for Schools STEM Education: Drone workshops in schools promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education by engaging students in hands-on learning experiences. Coding and Programming: Workshops can introduce coding and programming concepts for drone automation and control. Environmental Studies: Drones are used in environmental science programs to teach students about remote sensing, data collection, and ecological monitoring. 3. Corporate Drone Flying Courses Employee Training: Companies offer drone training to employees for specific business applications, such as aerial surveys, inspection, or marketing. Safety and Compliance: Training includes safety measures, regulatory compliance, and best practices for corporate drone use. Customized Programs: Some training providers offer customized courses tailored to the unique needs of a company’s industry or operations. 4. Online Courses for Drone Operators Remote Learning: Online courses provide flexibility for individuals seeking to become certified drone pilots or improve their skills. Video Tutorials: Many online resources offer video tutorials on topics like flight techniques, aerial photography, and drone maintenance. Certification Prep: Online programs prepare students for the Part 107 exam in the United States and similar certification tests in other countries. 5. Safety and Regulations for Drone Operators Legal Compliance: These courses cover aviation regulations, privacy laws, and airspace rules that drone operators must adhere to. Risk Management: Training focuses on safety protocols, emergency procedures, and risk assessment to minimize accidents and incidents. Insurance and Liability: Courses may discuss insurance options and liability considerations for drone operators and businesses. Creative and Recreational Services In the creative and recreational sectors, drones have unlocked new possibilities for entertainment, artistic expression, and adventure. They provide thrilling experiences for participants and audiences alike while also fostering innovation in drone technology and design. 1. Drone Racing Competitions: FPV Racing: First-Person-View (FPV) drone racing involves pilots flying drones through a series of obstacles at high speeds while wearing FPV goggles. Spectator Sport: Drone racing has become a popular spectator sport, with live events and televised competitions featuring thrilling aerial maneuvers. Community Engagement: Racing clubs and leagues promote community engagement, fostering competition and camaraderie among drone enthusiasts. 2. Aerial Choreography for Shows Aerial Performances: Drones are used in live shows and events to create intricate aerial choreography, forming dynamic shapes and patterns in the sky. Synchronized Movements: Drones equipped with LED lights or pyrotechnics add visual flair to nighttime performances. Custom Programming: Skilled operators program drones to perform specific movements and synchronize routines to music or other artistic elements. 3. Drone Light Shows Spectacular Displays: A large number of drones, often hundreds or even thousands, are coordinated to produce stunning light shows in the night sky. Customizable Graphics: Drone light shows can create detailed patterns, logos, and 3D designs, making them ideal for branding purposes and special events. Eco-Friendly: Drone light shows are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fireworks displays. 4. Recreational Drone Tours Scenic Tours: Tour operators offer recreational drone tours, allowing individuals to explore scenic locations from a unique aerial perspective. Educational Content: Tours often include educational elements about the areas visited, such as historical or ecological information. Photography Opportunities: Participants have the opportunity to capture stunning aerial photos and videos during the tours. 5. Custom Drone Design and Manufacturing Unique Creations: Drone enthusiasts and professionals can design and manufacture custom drones tailored to specific needs or artistic visions. High-Performance Drones: Custom-built drones can be optimized for speed, agility, or payload capacity, depending on the intended use. Innovative Solutions: Custom drones are used in industries like cinematography, agriculture, and research, where off-the-shelf models may not meet unique requirements. Emergency Services and Humanitarian Aid In emergency services and humanitarian aid, drones offer rapid response capabilities, enhanced situational awareness, and access to areas that may be otherwise challenging to reach. Their versatility and adaptability make them vital assets in disaster management and search and rescue operations. 1. Search and Rescue Operations: Aerial Surveillance: Drones provide real-time aerial views, aiding search teams in locating missing persons, hikers, or disaster survivors. Thermal Imaging: Equipped with thermal cameras, drones can detect body heat, making them highly effective for locating individuals in low-light conditions or dense vegetation. Rapid Deployment: Drones are quick to deploy and can cover large search areas efficiently, improving the chances of finding missing persons. 2. Disaster Relief Aid Delivery by Aerial Drones Emergency Supplies: Drones can deliver essential supplies like food, water, medical aid, and communication equipment to disaster-stricken areas that are difficult to reach by traditional means. Rapid Response: Aerial delivery by drones accelerates disaster relief efforts, reaching affected populations faster and potentially saving lives. Remote Access: Drones provide access to isolated or disaster-ridden regions that may be dangerous or inaccessible for ground vehicles. 3. Emergency Medical Service Support Medical Supply Delivery: Drones transport medical supplies, blood, and medications to remote or hard-to-reach locations, especially in emergency medical situations. Telemedicine: Drones equipped with telemedicine equipment enable real-time communication between medical professionals and patients in remote areas. Patient Monitoring: Aerial drones can assist in monitoring the location and condition of injured or stranded individuals. 4. Firefighting and Forest Fire Monitoring Wildfire Surveillance: Drones equipped with thermal cameras and gas sensors monitor the spread of wildfires, enabling better firefighting strategies and early detection. Aerial Water Delivery: Some drones can carry water or fire retardant to drop on wildfires, helping contain the blaze. Safety Assessment: Drones assess the safety of firefighters and provide situational awareness during firefighting operations. 5. Post-Disaster Damage Assessment Aerial Surveys: Drones conduct rapid aerial surveys to assess the extent of damage to infrastructure, buildings, and roads after natural disasters. Data Collection: Aerial imagery and sensor data support disaster response agencies in effectively planning and distributing resources. Search for Survivors: Drones assist in locating survivors trapped under debris or in hard-to-reach areas following disasters. 6. Lost Pet Searches Animal Rescue: Drones are used to locate lost or stranded pets in disaster-affected areas or remote locations. Visual Searches: Aerial views from drones assist in searching for pets over large areas, improving the chances of reunification with their owners through search and rescue operations. Specialized Drone Solutions In specialized drone solutions, the adaptability of these unmanned systems continues to expand their utility in unique and challenging environments, pushing the boundaries of exploration, research, and conservation efforts. These applications demonstrate the diverse and innovative ways in which drones are transforming various industries and advancing scientific knowledge. 1. Underwater Drone Services Underwater Inspections: Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with cameras and sensors are used to inspect underwater infrastructure, pipelines, shipwrecks, and marine ecosystems. Marine Research: Underwater drones are valuable tools for marine biologists and oceanographers, enabling the study of underwater habitats, marine life, and the effects of climate change on oceans. Search and Recovery: ROVs assist in locating and recovering objects or debris submerged underwater, such as missing aircraft or sunken ships. 2. Aerial Video for Wildlife Conservation Wildlife Monitoring: Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras are employed to monitor and study wildlife behavior, populations, and habitats. Anti-Poaching: Aerial surveillance drones help combat poaching by monitoring protected areas and detecting illegal activities. Environmental Advocacy: Aerial footage captured by drones is used in documentaries and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about conservation issues. 3. Archaeological Site Mapping Aerial Surveys: Drones capture detailed aerial images and 3D models of archaeological sites, aiding in documentation and analysis. Site Preservation: Drones help archaeologists detect and safeguard delicate or vulnerable sites from potential harm during excavation activities. Site Discovery: Aerial imagery helps discover previously unknown archaeological sites hidden beneath vegetation or geological formations. 4. Urban Planning and 3D City Modeling City Surveys: Drones capture high-resolution aerial images and LiDAR data for creating 3D city models and mapping urban environments. Infrastructure Planning: Aerial data assists urban planners in infrastructure development, transportation route planning, and disaster preparedness. Smart Cities: Drones contribute to the development of smart city solutions by collecting data for traffic management, environmental monitoring, and public services. 5. Space Exploration and Research Drones Planetary Exploration: NASA and other space agencies use drones on other celestial bodies, such as Mars, for exploration and research. Asteroid Sampling: Drones are deployed on missions to collect samples from asteroids for scientific analysis. Space Station Maintenance: Autonomous drones inspect and maintain the International Space Station and other space structures underwater Drone Services. Practical First Steps to Start a Drone Business 1. Market Research and Business Planning: Identify Your Niche: Determine the specific industry or application you want to focus on, such as real estate, agriculture, or photography. Competitive Analysis: Research competitors in your chosen niche to understand market dynamics, pricing strategies, and customer needs. Business Plan: Create a detailed business plan outlining your goals, target audience, revenue model, and marketing strategies. 2. Regulatory Compliance: Learn the Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the drone regulations in your country or region. In the United States, for example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governs drone operations under Part 107 for commercial use. Obtain Necessary Licenses: Depending on your location and the specifics of your operations, you might need to acquire a drone pilot’s license or additional permits. In the U.S., this requires passing the Part 107 exam. 3. Drone Selection: Assess Your Needs: Determine the type of drone that best suits your business needs, considering factors like flight time, payload capacity, camera quality, and durability. Budget: Set a budget for your drone and related equipment, keeping in mind additional costs such as spare batteries, memory cards, and accessories. Choose a Reputable Brand: Select a drone from a reputable manufacturer known for reliability and good customer support. https://youtube.com/watch?v=CEF4LiIfi2I%3Fsi%3DNE_0nn6OfzJfVzUW FAQs: Drone Business Ideas What are the initial investment requirements for a drone business? The startup costs for using drones in business can vary widely depending on factors like the type of drone, intended use, and industry. Here are some cost considerations: Drone Purchase: Entry-level drones can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, while specialized industrial drones can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Accessories: Additional batteries, spare parts, and accessories are often necessary and can add to the initial cost. Training and Certification: Pilots may need training and certification, which can incur additional costs. Software and Data Processing: Depending on the application, software and data processing tools may be required. Insurance and Regulatory Compliance: It’s important to consider the costs related to insurance and adherence to aviation regulations. What are the best drone business ideas currently? Currently, wedding and event videography is proving to be a lucrative drone business idea. And in the majority of fields we’ve described drone photography used in advertising is a proven go-to for drone businesses. What are the best marketing strategies for a drone business? Portfolio Development: Create a portfolio showcasing your work and capabilities to demonstrate your expertise to potential clients. Online Presence: Establish a professional website and social media profiles to showcase your services and reach a wider audience. Networking: Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and connect with potential clients, partners, and fellow drone operators. What skills and certifications are needed for a drone business? Pilot Training: Enroll in a drone pilot training program to acquire the necessary skills for safe and effective drone operation. Aerial Photography/Videography Training: If your business involves photography or videography, consider additional training in these areas. Flight Practice: Spend time practicing flying your drone to build your piloting skills and familiarity with its capabilities. Stay Informed: Stay updated on advancements in drone technology, regulations, and industry trends through online resources, forums, and industry publications. Certifications: Consider pursuing advanced certifications or specialized training to expand your skills and credentials, such as thermal imaging or LiDAR mapping. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Amazing Drone Business Ideas" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A Rwandan-backed campaign in DR Congo exposes how Paul Kagame turned his genocide-scarred country into a belligerent military forceView the full article

The complaint claims Lendingtree and its subsidiary failed to implement proper protocols, such as two factor authentication, to keep customer data safe.

Zoom made a name for itself during the pandemic, becoming synonymous with video conference calls. But the company recently changed its name from “Zoom Video Communications Inc.” to simply “Zoom Communications Inc.,” a sign that it’s pushing beyond video. Other Zoom offerings include a Team Chat product comparable to Slack, a collaborative document platform that integrates with Zoom meetings, business phone features, and an AI companion. Zoom CEO Eric Yuan spoke to Fast Company about the company’s offerings and ambitions beyond video, his vision for the future of AI-powered work, and what the return to the office has meant for how people use Zoom. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. You recently dropped “video” from your company name. What does that mean for the future of Zoom? When I started Zoom in 2011, the mission was very simple: to make video communication frictionless. And that’s pretty much what we did. So, when we started, everything centered around video. Now, you look at what we’re doing today: Way beyond video, we have a full workplace platform. We have Zoom Phone, Contact Center, Team Chat, Whiteboard, Zoom Docs. Essentially, our new mission is to build an AI-first work platform for human connection. It’s not only centered around video anymore. And what role is AI going to play in all that? Before everyone talked about generative AI, we already heavily invested into AI—some traditional AI and some generative AI. We have a smart team and built our own large language model as well, even before ChatGPT. Today, I open up my Zoom Workplace and I still spend a lot of time to manually do so many things. I check my email, look at my channel messages, phone calls, calendars, meetings, and sometimes I need to write in meeting notes. A lot of manual work. I think AI can completely change that. Essentially, AI will become my personal assistant. As a step one, to free up a lot of time and make my work more productive and help coordinate so many things—booking travel and managing travel plans, making scheduling meetings much easier, leveraging agentic technology to improve productivity. Step two is even more interesting. We all work for five days a week. I think in the next 10, maybe 15 years, I think the four-day working week might become a standard because of AI technology. Step two of digital assistant technology is more like my digital twin. A personal large language model with my personal contacts, knowledge, skills, and everything. I can even send my digital twin to join a meeting. Say you and I are working on a contract. You and I need to look at all the terms, negotiate, spend hours, days, or weeks to finalize the contract. In the future, I send my digital twin, you send your digital twin, and we let them work together and come up with a preliminary contract and just sign off. Plenty of companies are working on AI, office software, and video conferencing. What sets Zoom apart? I think on many fronts we definitely differentiate ourselves. One thing is our innovation velocity. We stay very close with the customers, really understand their pain points, to be the first one to come up with a solution. Number two is really about our philosophy. We want to build a project that just works. When you look at our customers, when they’re using Zoom versus competitors’ products, their feedback is, I really enjoy using Zoom because it’s a very simple intuitive experience—no learning curve—and any network environment and all kinds of devices, it just works. The third thing is really about AI. We just finished our Q4 and we’re working on creating our quarterly board slide deck. Quite a few team members have to get all the information from all our systems and work on our slides—many days work just to get a quarterly slide deck. What if we leveraged AI and could tell the AI, please create our Q4 slide deck? The AI agent will take action proactively, look at all the systems, grab the information and our board slide deck template and create slides automatically. It used to be every meeting, our chief of staff would write down all the notes and create a Zoom Doc to share. Today, we leverage Zoom AI and, after each meeting is over, we automatically create Zoom Docs with all the action items and insights, and also leveraged our agent to create some tasks assigned to me or assigned to you. It’s a kind of AI-first experience. How has the return to the office affected how people are using Zoom? First of all, the way they use the conference room is very different. Prior to COVID, say you and I joined from a conference room, and some people joined remotely, probably they’re in listening mode, because the conversation is driven by the people in the conference room. Now, it’s very different. Even if people join remotely, they want to have the same experience as the ones sitting in the conference room. Let’s say there are five people in the conference room. From the remote side, they want to see each of those people. The conference room experience is different, and we are much better positioned than other competitors. Another change is, when you work remotely, there’s probably more conferencing meetings and phone calls. Now that it’s back to the office, especially for internal meetings, sometimes it’s just a walk to your desk or your office, and we can talk. Asynchronous collaboration is used more frequently. We have a Zoom Team Chat solution. People use, more and more, Zoom Team Chat and create more Zoom Docs. If you cannot reach out to your teammates in real time, create a Zoom Doc, share it to the Team Chat. Other people can look at it later on. These async collaboration capabilities are becoming more and more popular, together with the AI. And Zoom is often associated with office work, but you also recently built Zoom Workplace for frontline workers. What motivated that and what does that expansion look like? We build a workplace platform. However, there’s different use cases for some vertical markets—for educators, the financial industry, healthcare, and frontline workers. The use case is different and the feature set is also different. You can’t build one feature set to serve all these different use cases. The frontline workers’ market is big. A lot of our customers already deploy the Zoom platform. However, they gave us feedback that they need some features for their frontline workers. So, back to our innovation philosophy, when customers share with us the pain point, what can we do? Listen to them and build a new service. That’s how we built a Zoom Workplace for frontline workers, for educators, and for healthcare as well. I think the market is big and we wanted to build more vertical solutions for these different use cases. And as you listen to customer needs, how do you decide which features to build out? We serve customers from freelancers and SMB customers all the way to large enterprise and Fortune 100 customers. It’s so many customers, so many different use cases, and lots of feedback as well, so how to prioritize is very important. We look at each different segment and how to improve our product experience. When you build a feature you cannot say, just deliver the feature and you’re done. You’ve got to keep caring about those features—how to make those features better and better every day. Number two is really looking at new use cases, features, and opportunities. For example, we already have scheduling functionality, and a customer asked how they can easily schedule a meeting with someone outside the same company. That’s feedback we can go on and a reason we’re working on improving that. The third thing is, we also want to expand our total addressable market. Zoom Docs is a great example. It’s not like traditional Google Docs or traditional Word. It’s a new service. And now, given the AI era, we’re thinking about how to leverage AI to build some brand new services. How do you get customers who still mainly associate Zoom with video to try these products? Internally, we talk about that a lot. On the one hand, Zoom got popular, sort of becoming a household name, during COVID. On the other hand, it also hurt us, because so many other collaboration and communication platform capabilities, customers do not know about. As an example, we have a free Zoom Team Chat service that compares with Microsoft Teams or Slack. A lot of customers don’t know it. I think our priority of focus on marketing is how to drive entire platform awareness. Otherwise, we build so many services and customers do not know. That’s a huge disconnection, and it takes some time for the end user to realize the entire platform’s capabilities. I think as long as we keep improving each of the services and make the product really work better and better, sooner or later, customers will follow that. Video as well, prior to COVID, was only used by some universities and knowledge workers. Most people never heard about Zoom. Hopefully this time we aren’t going to wait so long, and we are going to be proactive to tell users and tell the public, we have way more services than videoconferencing. View the full article

Twenty-four hours before the White House and Silicon Valley announced the $500 billion Project Stargate to secure the future of AI, China dropped a technological love bomb called DeepSeek. DeepSeek R1 is a whole lot like OpenAI’s top-tier reasoning model, o1. It offers state-of-the art artificial thinking: the sort of logic that doesn’t just converse convincingly, but can code apps, calculate equations, and think through a problem more like a human. DeepSeek largely matches o1’s performance, but it runs at a mere 3% the cost, is open source, can be installed on a company’s own servers, and allows researchers, engineers, and app developers a look inside and even tune the black box of advanced AI. In the two weeks since it launched, the AI industry has been supercharged with fresh energy around the products that could be built next. Through a dozen conversations with product developers, entrepreneurs, and AI server companies, it’s clear that the worried narratives most of us have heard about DeepSeek—it’s Chinese propaganda, it’s techie hype—doesn’t really matter to a free market. “Everyone wants OpenAI-like quality for less money,” says Andrew Feldman, CEO and cofounder of the AI cloud hosting service Cerebras Systems that is hosting DeepSeek on its servers. DeepSeek has already driven down OpenAI’s own pricing on a comparable model by 13.6x. Beyond cost, DeepSeek is also demonstrating the values of open technologies versus closed, and wooing interest from Fortune 500s and startups alike. OpenAI declined an interview for this piece. “Not to overstate it, but we’ve been in straight up giddy mode over here since [DeepSeek] came out,” says Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer at Perplexity, which integrated DeepSeek into its search engine within a week of its release. “We could not have planned for this. We had the general belief this is the way the world could go. But when it actually starts happening you obviously get very excited.” Looking back five years from now, DeepSeek may or may not still be a significant player in AI, but its arrival will be considered a significant chapter in accelerating our era of AI development. The new era of low-cost thought, powered by interoperability Krea—an AI-based creative suite—had long considered adding a chatbot to the heart of its generative design tools. When DeepSeek arrived, their decision was made. Krea spent 72 hours from the time R1 was announced to integrating it as a chat-based system to control their entire editing suite. Released on a Monday, the team realized by that afternoon that DeepSeek’s APIs worked with their existing tools, and it could even be hosted on their own machines. By Tuesday, they were developing a prototype, coding and designing the front end at the same time. By 3 a.m. Wednesday, they were done, so they recorded a demo video and shipped it by 7 a.m. “That’s part of our culture; every Wednesday we ship something and do whatever it takes to get it done,” says cofounder Victor Perez. “But it’s a type of marketing that’s actually usable. People want to play with DeepSeek, and now they can do it with Krea.” [Source Images: Gunes Ozcan/Getty Images] Krea’s story illustrates how fast AI is moving, and how product development in the space largely hinges on whatever model can deliver on speed, accuracy, and cost. It’s the sort of supply-meets-demand moment that’s only possible because of a shift underway in AI development. The apps we know are increasingly powered by AI engines. But something most people don’t realize about swapping in and out a large language model like R1 for 03, or ChatGPT for Claude, is that it’s remarkably easy on the backend. “It would literally be a one-line change for us,” says Sam Whitmore, cofounder of New Computer. “We could switch from o3 to DeepSeek in like, five minutes. Not even a day. Like, it’s one line of code.” A developer only needs to point a URL from one AI host to another, and more often than not, they’re discovering the rest just works. The “prompts” connecting software to AI engines still return good, reliable answers. This is a phenomenon we predicted two years ago with the rise of ChatGPT, but even Perez admits his pleasant surprise. “Developers of [all] the models are taking a lot of care for this integration to be smooth,” he says, and he credits OpenAI for setting API standards for LLMs that have been adopted by Anthropic, DeepSeek, and a host of others. “But the [AI] video and image space is still a fucking mess right now,” he laughs. “It’s a completely different situation.” Why DeepSeek is so appealing to developers In its simplest distillation, DeepSeek R1 gives the world access to AI’s top tier thinking machine, which can be installed and tuned on local computers or cloud servers rather than connecting to OpenAI’s models hosted by Microsoft. That means developers can touch and see inside the code, run it at a fixed cost on their own machines, and have more control over the data. Called inference models, this generation of reasoning AI works differently than the large language models like ChatGPT. When presented with a question, they follow several logical paths of thought to attempt to answer it. That means they run far slower than your typical LLM, but for heavy reasoning tasks, that time is the expense of thinking. Developing these systems is computationally incredible. Even before the advanced programming methods were involved, DeepSeek’s creators fed the model 14.8 trillion pieces of information known as “tokens,” “which constitute a significant portion of the entire internet,” notes Iker García-Ferrero, a machine researcher at Krea. From there, reasoning models are trained with psychological rewards. They’re asked a simple math problem. The machine guesses answers. The closer it gets to right, the bigger the treat. Repeat countless times, and it “learns” math. R1 and its peers also have an additional step known as “instructional tuning,” which requires all sorts of hand-made examples to demonstrate, say, a good summary of a full article, and make the system something you can talk to. “Some of their optimizations have been overhyped by the general public, as many were already well known and used by other labs,” concedes García-Ferrero, who notes the biggest technological breakthrough was actually in an R1 “zero” sub model few people in the public are talking about because it was built without any instructional tuning (or expensive human intervention). But the reason R1 took off with developers was the sheer accessibility of high tech AI. “[Before R1], there weren’t good reasoning models in the open source community,” says Feldman, whose company Cerebras has constructed the world’s largest AI processing chip. “They built upon open research, which is what you’d want from a community, and they put out a comprehensive—or a fairly comprehensive paper on what they did and how.” A few beats later, Feldman echoes doubt shared by many of his peers. “[The paper] included some things that are clearly bullshit . . . they clearly used more compute [to train the model] than they said.” Others have speculated R1 may have queried OpenAI’s models to generate otherwise expensive data for its instructional tuning steps, or queried o1 in such a way that they could deconstruct some of the black box logic at play. But this is just good old reverse engineering, in Feldman’s eyes. [Source Images: Gunes Ozcan/Getty Images] “If you’re a car maker, you buy the competitor’s car, and you go, ‘Whoa, that’s a smooth ride. How’d they do that? Oh, a very interesting new type of shock!’ Yeah, that’s what [DeepSeek] did, for sure.” China has been demonized for undercutting U.S. AI investment with a free DeepSeek, but it’s easy to forget that, two years ago, Meta did much the same thing when, trailing Microsoft and Google in the generative AI race, it released LLaMa as the first open source AI of early LLMs. There was one difference, however: The devil is in the details with open source agreements, and while LLaMa still includes provisions stopping its commercial use by Meta’s competitive companies, DeepSeek used MIT’s gold standard license that blows it wide open for anything. Now that R1 is trained and in the wild, the how, what, and why matter mostly to politicians, investors, and researchers. It’s a moot point to most developers building products that leverage AI engines. “I mean, it’s cool,” says Jason Yuan, cofounder of the AI startup New Computer. “We’re painters, and everyone’s competing over giving you better and cheaper paints.” A wave of demand for DeepSeek Feldman describes the last two weeks at Cerebras as “overwhelming,” as engineers have been getting R1 running on their servers to feed clients looking for cheap, smart compute. “It’s like, every venture capitalist calls you and says, ‘I got a company that can’t find supply. Can you help out?’ I’m getting those three, four times a day,” says Feldman. “It means you’re getting hundreds of requests through your website. Your sales guys can’t return calls fast enough. That’s what it’s like.” These sentiments are shared by Lin Qiao, CEO and cofounder of the cloud computing company Fireworks, which was the first U.S.-based company to host DeepSeek R1. Fireworks has seen a 4x increase in user signups month-over-month, which it attributes to offering the model. Qiao agrees that part of the appeal is price. I’ve heard estimates that R1 is about 3% the cost of o1 to run, and Qiao notes that on Fireworks, they’re tracking it as “5X cheaper than o1.” Notably, OpenAI responded to DeepSeek with a new model released last week called o3 mini. According to Greg Kamradt, the founder of ARC Prize, a nonprofit AI benchmarking competition, o3 mini is 13.6x cheaper than o1 processing tasks. Cerebras admits o3 is all around more advanced than DeepSeek’s R1, but claims the pricing is comparable. Fireworks contends o3 mini is still less expensive to query than R1. The truth is that costs are moving targets, but the bigger takeaway should be that R1 and o3 mini are similarly cheap. And developers don’t need to bet on either horse today to take advantage of the new competition. “Our philosophy is always to try all models,” writes Ivan Zhao, founder and CEO of Notion, over email. “We have a robust eval system in place, so it’s pretty easy to see how each model performs. And if it does well, is cost effective, and meets our security and privacy standards, then we’ll consider it.” DeepSeek offers transparent thought for the first time Shevelenko insists that integrating DeepSeek into Perplexity was more than a trivial effort. “I wouldn’t put it in the mindless bucket,” he says. But the work was still completed within a week. In many ways, the larger concern for integration was not, would it function, but could Perplexity mitigate R1’s censorship on some topics as it leveraged AI for real time internet queries. “The real work was we quickly hired a consultant that’s an expert in Chinese censorship and misinformation, and we wanted to identify all the areas in which the DeepSeek model was potentially being censored or propagating propaganda,” says Shevelenko. “And we did a lot of post-training in a quick time frame . . . to ensure that we were answering any question neutrally.” But that work was worth it because, “it just makes Perplexity better,” he says. Shevelenko is not talking in platitudes; with DeepSeek, Perplexity can do something the world has never seen before: Offer a peek inside how these AIs are actually thinking through a problem. This feature of R1 is called “chain-of-thought.” Perplexity always offered some transparency in its front end, listing the websites it was crawling on your behalf to answer a question. But now, it will list the prompts as R1 literally talks to itself, step by step, as it reasons through an answer. [Screenshot: courtesy of the author] “OpenAI, for competitive purposes, never exposed [chain-of-thought]. One of Perplexity’s strengths is UI; we are able to quickly figure out an elegant way of showing you how the model is thinking in real time,” says Shevelenko. “There’s a curiosity and a utility to it. You can see where the thinking may have gone wrong and reprompt, but more than anything, part of the whole product law at Perplexity is not that you always get the best answer in one shot, it’s that you’re guided on the way to ask better and better questions. It makes you think of other questions.” Seeing AI reasoning laid bare also creates more intimacy with the user. “The biggest problem of AI right now, how can we trust it? Because we all know AI can hallucinate,” says Qiao. However, if transparent thought can bridge this gap of trust, then she imagines developers will begin to do a lot more we can’t think of yet with all of this thinking data. [Screenshot: courtesy of the author] “There may be products built directly on top of chain-of-thought. Those products could be general search, or all kinds of assistants: coding assistant, teaching assistant, medical assistants.” She also believes that, while AI has been obsessed with the assistant metaphor since the launch of ChatGPT, transparent thought will actually give people more faith in automated AI systems because it will leave a trail that humans (or more machines!) can audit. Buying breathing room for the future Even as debates about Chinese vs U.S. innovation rage on, the biggest single impact that DeepSeek will have is giving developers more autonomy and capability. Some, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, argue that we are simply witnessing the known pricing and capability curve of AI play out. Others recognize the kick in the ass that DeepSeek offered an industry hooked on fundraising and opaque profit margins. “There’s no way OpenAI would have priced o3 as low as they had it not for R1,” says Shevelenko. “It’s a bit of a moving target, once you have an open source drop it dramatically curves down the pricing for closed models, too.” While nothing is to say that OpenAI or Anthropic won’t release a far more cutting edge model tomorrow that puts these systems to shame, this moving target is providing confidence to developers, who now see a path toward realizing implementations they’d only fantasized about, especially now that they can dip their own fingers into advanced AI. R1 on its own is still relatively slow for many tasks; a question might take 30 seconds or more to answer, as it has a habit for obsessively double checking its own thinking, perhaps even burning extra energy than it needs to in order to give you an answer. But since it’s open source, the community can “distill” R1—think of it like a low cost clone—to run faster and in lower power environments. Indeed, developers are already doing this. Cerebras demonstrated a race between its own distilled version of R1 to code a chess game against an o3 mini. Cerberus completed the task in 1.2 seconds versus 22 seconds on o3. Efficiencies, fueled by both internal developers and the open source community, will only make R1 more appealing. (And force proprietary model developers to offer more for less.) At Krea, the team is most excited about the same thing that’s exciting the big AI server companies: They can actually task an engineer to adjust the “weights” of this AI (essentially tuning its brain like a performance vehicle). This might allow them to run an R1 model on a single GPU themselves, sidestepping cloud compute altogether, and it can also let them mix homebuilt AI models with it. Being able to run models locally on office workstations, or perhaps even distilling them to run right on someone’s phone, can do a lot to reduce the price of running an AI company. Right now, developers of AI products are torn between short term optimizations and long-term bets. While they charge $10 to $30 a month, those subscriptions make for a bad business today that’s really betting on the future. “It’s really hard for any of those apps to be profitable because of the cost of doing intelligent workflows per person. There’s always this calculus you’re doing where it’s like, ‘OK, I know that it’s going to be cheap, long, long term. But if I build the perfect architecture right now with as much compute as I need, then I may run out of money if a lot of people use it in a month,” says Whitmore. “So the pricing curve is difficult, even if you believe that long term, everything will be very cheap.” What this post-DeepSeek era will unlock, Whitmore says, is more experimentation from developers to build free AI services because they can do complicated queries for relatively little money. And that trend should only continue. “I mean, the price of compute over the past 50 years has [nosedived], and now you have 30 computers in your house. Each of your kids has toys with it. Your TVs have computers in them. Your dishwashers have computers in them. Your fridges probably have five. If you look around, you got one in your pocket,” says Feldman. “This is what happens when the price of compute drops: You buy a shitload of it.” And what this will mean for the UX of AI will naturally change, too. While the way most of us use AI is still based in metaphors of conversation, when it can reason ahead faster than we can converse, the apps of tomorrow may feel quite different—even living steps ahead of where we imagine going next. “As humans, even the smartest of us, take time to reason. And right now, we’re used to reasoning models taking a bit of time,” says Yuan of New Computer. “But swing your eyes just a few months or even a year, and imagine thinking takes one second or less, or even microseconds. I think that’s when you’ll start seeing the quote unquote ‘AI native interfaces beyond chat.’” “I think it’s even hard to kind of imagine what those experiences will feel like, because you can’t really simulate it. Even with science fiction, there’s this idea that thinking takes time,” he continues. “And that’s really exciting. It feels like this will happen.” View the full article

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There are a few industries that are expected to experience significant growth and profitability this year. These industries are poised to take advantage of changing consumer behavior and increased demand for their products and services. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the most profitable industries today. The Most Profitable Industries This year, some industries are anticipated to be more lucrative than others. By grasping the most profitable industries, investors can make better-informed decisions. Below are several of the leading industries predicted to yield significant profits by year-end. Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services Financial services for businesses and individuals, including record-keeping, tax filing, and payroll management. Legal Services Providing legal advice and representation to clients, including contract negotiation, litigation, and dispute resolution. Oil and Gas Extraction The exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas resources, including offshore and onshore operations. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing Offering rental and leasing services for industrial and commercial equipment, including machinery, tools, and vehicles, is one of the most profitable industries. Offices of Dentists Offering dental services, including cleanings, fillings, and other oral health procedures. Lessors of Real Estate Renting or leasing real estate properties, such as apartments, offices, and commercial spaces. Offices of Physicians Providing medical care and treatment to patients, including diagnosis, prescriptions, and referrals. Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Facilitating the buying and selling of real estate properties, including marketing, negotiations, and closing deals. Offices of Other Health Practitioners Providing healthcare services outside of traditional medical practices, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and mental health counseling. Management of Companies and Enterprises Providing administrative, financial, and operational support to businesses, including strategic planning and decision-making. Outpatient Care Centers Offering medical care and treatment on an outpatient basis, such as urgent care, diagnostic imaging, and physical therapy. Other Schools and Instruction Education and training services outside of traditional schools, such as language schools, driving schools, and trade schools. Activities Related to Real Estate These include support services for real estate transactions, like property appraisal, property management, and real estate investment. Death Care Services Providing services related to funerals and memorial services, such as embalming, cremation, and burial. Support Activities for Mining This industry offers support services for mining operations, such as exploration, drilling, and mine management. IndustryDescription Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesFinancial services for businesses and individuals, including record-keeping, tax filing, and payroll management. Legal ServicesProviding legal advice and representation to clients, including contract negotiation, litigation, and dispute resolution. Oil and Gas ExtractionThe exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas resources, including offshore and onshore operations. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and LeasingProviding rental and leasing services for industrial and commercial equipment, such as machinery, tools, and vehicles. Offices of DentistsOffering dental services, including cleanings, fillings, and other oral health procedures. Lessors of Real EstateRenting or leasing real estate properties, such as apartments, offices, and commercial spaces. Offices of PhysiciansProviding medical care and treatment to patients, including diagnosis, prescriptions, and referrals. Offices of Real Estate Agents and BrokersFacilitating the buying and selling of real estate properties, including marketing, negotiations, and closing deals. Offices of Other Health PractitionersProviding healthcare services outside of traditional medical practices, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and mental health counseling. Management of Companies and EnterprisesProviding administrative, financial, and operational support to businesses, including strategic planning and decision-making. Outpatient Care CentersOffering medical care and treatment on an outpatient basis, such as urgent care, diagnostic imaging, and physical therapy. Other Schools and InstructionEducation and training services outside of traditional schools, such as language schools, driving schools, and trade schools. Activities Related to Real EstateSupport services for real estate transactions, such as property appraisal, property management, and real estate investment. Death Care ServicesProviding services related to funerals and memorial services, such as embalming, cremation, and burial. Support Activities for MiningSupport services for mining operations, such as exploration, drilling, and mine management. Choosing the Most Profitable Industries: Our Methodology When we, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, consider venturing into a new industry, it’s crucial to evaluate its potential profitability. Here are key factors to consider: Market Demand (Weight: 35%) High demand indicates a thriving market. Look for trends showing increasing consumer interest. Competition Level (Weight: 25%) Moderate competition can indicate a healthy market, but overly saturated markets might pose challenges. Evaluate the number of existing businesses and their success rates. Barrier to Entry (Weight: 20%) Industries with lower barriers (financial, regulatory, technological) are often easier to enter. High barriers can mean less competition but require more resources to start. Profit Margin Potential (Weight: 15%) Look for industries with historically high-profit margins. Assess the cost of goods, operational expenses, and pricing flexibility. Growth Potential (Weight: 5%) Industries with a projection for growth are more likely to be profitable in the long term. Research market forecasts and industry reports. Each of these criteria plays a vital role in determining the industry’s profitability. By carefully analyzing these factors, you can make a more informed decision about which industry might be the most profitable for your venture. Why Banking and Legal Services Are Among the Most Profitable Industries The Resilience of the Banking Industry Central Role in the Economy: Banks play a crucial role in the global economy. They facilitate essential financial services like lending, deposits, and payment processing, which are fundamental to both personal and business transactions. Diverse Revenue Streams: Banks benefit from diverse revenue sources, including interest from loans, fees for services, investment income, and trading revenues. This diversification helps maintain profitability even in varying economic conditions. Technological Advancements: The banking sector has embraced digital transformation, leading to more efficient operations and new revenue opportunities, such as online banking services, mobile apps, and fintech innovations. Regulatory Environment: While the regulatory environment in banking is stringent, it often serves as a barrier to entry for new competitors. This helps established banks sustain their market position and profitability. The Profitability of Legal Services High Demand Across Sectors: Legal services are in high demand across various sectors, including corporate, criminal, family, and intellectual property law. This broad demand ensures consistent business for legal firms. Specialized Knowledge and Skills: The legal profession requires a high level of specialized knowledge and skills, which can command premium fees for services. Necessity in Business and Personal Matters: Legal services are often non-negotiable in business transactions, disputes, and personal legal matters, creating a steady demand. Advancements in Legal Technology: The increasing use of legal technology for tasks like document review and case management has improved efficiency and profitability within the sector. The ongoing profitability of the banking and legal sectors can be credited to their essential roles in the economy, a variety of robust revenue streams, significant barriers to entry, and the essential nature of their services in both business and personal contexts. As these industries continue to evolve with technological advancements, they are likely to maintain their positions as some of the most profitable industries. What are the Most Profitable Business Ideas for Small Businesses? Starting a small business can be a challenging endeavor for small business owners, and identifying the most profitable small businesses is essential for success. This section highlights some of the most profitable business ideas for small businesses, providing insights into the most lucrative ventures. Personal Wellness Business A business that focuses on improving an individual’s well-being, such as a fitness center, spa, or wellness retreat. Online Courses Digital classes are available online, allowing learners to access education on a wide range of subjects and skills. These classes can be either self-paced or guided by instructors. Academic Courses Formal classes are offered by an educational institution, typically leading to a degree or certification. It may cover a broad range of subjects or focus on a specific field of study. Food Trucks Mobile restaurants serve a variety of food items to customers on the go. Can specialize in a particular cuisine or offer a diverse menu. Contact your local health department for requirements. Become a Yoga Instructor A career path that leads to certification for teaching yoga classes necessitates a thorough comprehension of yoga poses, anatomy, and philosophy. Enrichment Activities for Children Activities designed to enhance a child’s learning and development outside of traditional school subjects, such as art classes, music lessons, or sports teams. Post-Pregnancy Services Services that cater to the needs of new mothers, such as lactation consulting, postpartum doula services, or support groups. Graphic Design The art and practice of creating visual content to communicate information and ideas to an audience. This can include designing logos, websites, or marketing materials. Child-Oriented Businesses Businesses that cater to the needs and interests of children, such as toy stores, children’s clothing boutiques, or indoor playgrounds. Social Media Marketing The use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. Involves creating engaging content and building a strong online presence. Car Wash Services Services that clean and detail vehicles, such as exterior washes, interior cleaning, or waxing. Retail Industry The sector of the economy that involves the sale of goods to consumers. Includes a wide range of businesses, from small independent shops to large multinational corporations. Business IdeaDescription Personal Wellness BusinessA business that focuses on improving an individual's well-being, such as a fitness center, spa, or wellness retreat. Online CoursesDigital classes accessible with an internet connection, providing education on various subjects and skill sets. Can be self-paced or instructor-led. Academic CoursesFormal classes offered by an educational institution, typically leading to a degree or certification. May cover a broad range of subjects or focus on a specific field of study. Food TrucksMobile restaurants serving a variety of food items to customers on the go. Can specialize in a particular cuisine or offer a diverse menu. Become a Yoga InstructorA career path involving becoming certified to teach yoga classes. Requires a deep understanding of yoga poses, anatomy, and philosophy. Enrichment Activities for ChildrenActivities designed to enhance a child's learning and development outside of traditional school subjects, such as art classes, music lessons, or sports teams. Post-Pregnancy ServicesServices catering to the needs of new mothers, such as lactation consulting, postpartum doula services, or support groups. Graphic DesignThe art and practice of creating visual content to communicate information and ideas to an audience. Includes designing logos, websites, or marketing materials. Child-Oriented BusinessesBusinesses that cater to the needs and interests of children, such as toy stores, children's clothing boutiques, or indoor playgrounds. Social Media MarketingThe use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. Involves creating engaging content and building a strong online presence. Car Wash ServicesServices that clean and detail vehicles, such as exterior washes, interior cleaning, or waxing. Retail IndustryThe sector of the economy that involves the sale of goods to consumers. Includes a wide range of businesses, from small independent shops to large multinational corporations. What is the Most Profitable Industry Today? Commercial banking in the US is expected to be the most profitable industry this year. The industry’s projected strong revenue growth and cost-cutting measures are anticipated to boost profitability. Net Profit Margin Net Profit Margin is a crucial financial metric that offers insights into a company’s overall financial health and efficiency. It’s particularly useful for comparing a company’s profitability over time or against its competitors in the same industry. Here’s an expanded explanation, including key points in a bulleted list: Definition: The Net Profit Margin is a financial ratio that shows the portion of a company’s revenues that is transformed into net profit. Essentially, it reveals the percentage of each dollar earned by the company that constitutes actual profit after all expenses have been deducted. Calculation: To calculate it, divide the net profit (which is revenue minus all expenses, taxes, and interest) by the total revenue and then multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage. The formula is: Net Profit Margin=(Net ProfitTotal Revenue)×100%Net Profit Margin=(Total RevenueNet Profit?)×100% Interpretation: A higher net profit margin indicates that a company is efficient in converting sales into actual profit. A lower net profit margin might suggest high costs, inefficient management, or other issues impacting profitability. Uses: Performance Tracking: Companies use it to track their performance over time, observing how changes in strategy and operations affect their profitability. Benchmarking: It allows for comparison with industry standards or competitors, showing where a company stands in its sector. Influencing Factors: Revenue Increases: If a company increases its revenue while controlling or reducing costs, the net profit margin will likely improve. Cost Control: Effective cost management, including operating and administrative expenses, can positively influence the net profit margin. Pricing Strategies: How a company prices its products or services also plays a significant role. Higher pricing can lead to a better margin if sales volume is maintained. Limitations: Not a Standalone Metric: It should be used in conjunction with other financial ratios for a comprehensive view of a company’s financial health. Industry Specific: Different industries have different average profit margins, so it’s important to compare a company’s margin with peers in the same industry. Examples: A company with a net profit margin of 15% means that it makes a profit of $0.15 for every dollar of sales. Conversely, a net profit margin of 5% means earning $0.05 for every dollar, which implies the possibility of lower pricing strategies, increased costs, or a combination of both. Overall, Net Profit Margin is a vital indicator of a company’s profitability and operational efficiency. It provides valuable insights into how well a company is managing its expenses relative to its total revenue. However, it’s important to analyze this metric in the context of the industry norms and alongside other financial measures. Final Thoughts In conclusion, the most profitable industries this year will likely be those that meet the ever-changing needs of consumers, including technology, healthcare, and renewable energy. However, it’s important to note that profitability can shift rapidly due to a variety of factors, so businesses should stay agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the competition. As always, a focus on innovation and efficiency will be key to long-term success in any industry. FAQs Which Industry has the Highest Profit? The most profitable industry varies from year to year, but typically, it is one that provides essential goods or services with high demand and low competition. The most profitable industries are consistently commercial banking, accounting, oil and gas extraction, legal services, and real estate. What are The Top 5 Most Profitable Businesses? Among the most profitable businesses are business consulting, IT support, accounting and tax preparation, cleaning services, and auto repair. While any of the five can be operated as an offline business, some can also be run online. A manufacturing business can also be highly profitable, but they typically require significant investments in equipment and infrastructure, making them less accessible to most entrepreneurs. How Can I Make My Business More Profitable? To make a business more profitable, consider expanding through franchising with the help of a franchise guide, offering high-margin products such as the most profitable vending machines, and exploring new revenue streams like online sales. Also, consider testing new strategies and shop business ideas to find what works best for your business. Image: Envato Elements This article, "The Most Profitable Industries Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

There are a few industries that are expected to experience significant growth and profitability this year. These industries are poised to take advantage of changing consumer behavior and increased demand for their products and services. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the most profitable industries today. The Most Profitable Industries This year, some industries are anticipated to be more lucrative than others. By grasping the most profitable industries, investors can make better-informed decisions. Below are several of the leading industries predicted to yield significant profits by year-end. Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services Financial services for businesses and individuals, including record-keeping, tax filing, and payroll management. Legal Services Providing legal advice and representation to clients, including contract negotiation, litigation, and dispute resolution. Oil and Gas Extraction The exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas resources, including offshore and onshore operations. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing Offering rental and leasing services for industrial and commercial equipment, including machinery, tools, and vehicles, is one of the most profitable industries. Offices of Dentists Offering dental services, including cleanings, fillings, and other oral health procedures. Lessors of Real Estate Renting or leasing real estate properties, such as apartments, offices, and commercial spaces. Offices of Physicians Providing medical care and treatment to patients, including diagnosis, prescriptions, and referrals. Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Facilitating the buying and selling of real estate properties, including marketing, negotiations, and closing deals. Offices of Other Health Practitioners Providing healthcare services outside of traditional medical practices, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and mental health counseling. Management of Companies and Enterprises Providing administrative, financial, and operational support to businesses, including strategic planning and decision-making. Outpatient Care Centers Offering medical care and treatment on an outpatient basis, such as urgent care, diagnostic imaging, and physical therapy. Other Schools and Instruction Education and training services outside of traditional schools, such as language schools, driving schools, and trade schools. Activities Related to Real Estate These include support services for real estate transactions, like property appraisal, property management, and real estate investment. Death Care Services Providing services related to funerals and memorial services, such as embalming, cremation, and burial. Support Activities for Mining This industry offers support services for mining operations, such as exploration, drilling, and mine management. IndustryDescription Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesFinancial services for businesses and individuals, including record-keeping, tax filing, and payroll management. Legal ServicesProviding legal advice and representation to clients, including contract negotiation, litigation, and dispute resolution. Oil and Gas ExtractionThe exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas resources, including offshore and onshore operations. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and LeasingProviding rental and leasing services for industrial and commercial equipment, such as machinery, tools, and vehicles. Offices of DentistsOffering dental services, including cleanings, fillings, and other oral health procedures. Lessors of Real EstateRenting or leasing real estate properties, such as apartments, offices, and commercial spaces. Offices of PhysiciansProviding medical care and treatment to patients, including diagnosis, prescriptions, and referrals. Offices of Real Estate Agents and BrokersFacilitating the buying and selling of real estate properties, including marketing, negotiations, and closing deals. Offices of Other Health PractitionersProviding healthcare services outside of traditional medical practices, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and mental health counseling. Management of Companies and EnterprisesProviding administrative, financial, and operational support to businesses, including strategic planning and decision-making. Outpatient Care CentersOffering medical care and treatment on an outpatient basis, such as urgent care, diagnostic imaging, and physical therapy. Other Schools and InstructionEducation and training services outside of traditional schools, such as language schools, driving schools, and trade schools. Activities Related to Real EstateSupport services for real estate transactions, such as property appraisal, property management, and real estate investment. Death Care ServicesProviding services related to funerals and memorial services, such as embalming, cremation, and burial. Support Activities for MiningSupport services for mining operations, such as exploration, drilling, and mine management. Choosing the Most Profitable Industries: Our Methodology When we, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, consider venturing into a new industry, it’s crucial to evaluate its potential profitability. Here are key factors to consider: Market Demand (Weight: 35%) High demand indicates a thriving market. Look for trends showing increasing consumer interest. Competition Level (Weight: 25%) Moderate competition can indicate a healthy market, but overly saturated markets might pose challenges. Evaluate the number of existing businesses and their success rates. Barrier to Entry (Weight: 20%) Industries with lower barriers (financial, regulatory, technological) are often easier to enter. High barriers can mean less competition but require more resources to start. Profit Margin Potential (Weight: 15%) Look for industries with historically high-profit margins. Assess the cost of goods, operational expenses, and pricing flexibility. Growth Potential (Weight: 5%) Industries with a projection for growth are more likely to be profitable in the long term. Research market forecasts and industry reports. Each of these criteria plays a vital role in determining the industry’s profitability. By carefully analyzing these factors, you can make a more informed decision about which industry might be the most profitable for your venture. Why Banking and Legal Services Are Among the Most Profitable Industries The Resilience of the Banking Industry Central Role in the Economy: Banks play a crucial role in the global economy. They facilitate essential financial services like lending, deposits, and payment processing, which are fundamental to both personal and business transactions. Diverse Revenue Streams: Banks benefit from diverse revenue sources, including interest from loans, fees for services, investment income, and trading revenues. This diversification helps maintain profitability even in varying economic conditions. Technological Advancements: The banking sector has embraced digital transformation, leading to more efficient operations and new revenue opportunities, such as online banking services, mobile apps, and fintech innovations. Regulatory Environment: While the regulatory environment in banking is stringent, it often serves as a barrier to entry for new competitors. This helps established banks sustain their market position and profitability. The Profitability of Legal Services High Demand Across Sectors: Legal services are in high demand across various sectors, including corporate, criminal, family, and intellectual property law. This broad demand ensures consistent business for legal firms. Specialized Knowledge and Skills: The legal profession requires a high level of specialized knowledge and skills, which can command premium fees for services. Necessity in Business and Personal Matters: Legal services are often non-negotiable in business transactions, disputes, and personal legal matters, creating a steady demand. Advancements in Legal Technology: The increasing use of legal technology for tasks like document review and case management has improved efficiency and profitability within the sector. The ongoing profitability of the banking and legal sectors can be credited to their essential roles in the economy, a variety of robust revenue streams, significant barriers to entry, and the essential nature of their services in both business and personal contexts. As these industries continue to evolve with technological advancements, they are likely to maintain their positions as some of the most profitable industries. What are the Most Profitable Business Ideas for Small Businesses? Starting a small business can be a challenging endeavor for small business owners, and identifying the most profitable small businesses is essential for success. This section highlights some of the most profitable business ideas for small businesses, providing insights into the most lucrative ventures. Personal Wellness Business A business that focuses on improving an individual’s well-being, such as a fitness center, spa, or wellness retreat. Online Courses Digital classes are available online, allowing learners to access education on a wide range of subjects and skills. These classes can be either self-paced or guided by instructors. Academic Courses Formal classes are offered by an educational institution, typically leading to a degree or certification. It may cover a broad range of subjects or focus on a specific field of study. Food Trucks Mobile restaurants serve a variety of food items to customers on the go. Can specialize in a particular cuisine or offer a diverse menu. Contact your local health department for requirements. Become a Yoga Instructor A career path that leads to certification for teaching yoga classes necessitates a thorough comprehension of yoga poses, anatomy, and philosophy. Enrichment Activities for Children Activities designed to enhance a child’s learning and development outside of traditional school subjects, such as art classes, music lessons, or sports teams. Post-Pregnancy Services Services that cater to the needs of new mothers, such as lactation consulting, postpartum doula services, or support groups. Graphic Design The art and practice of creating visual content to communicate information and ideas to an audience. This can include designing logos, websites, or marketing materials. Child-Oriented Businesses Businesses that cater to the needs and interests of children, such as toy stores, children’s clothing boutiques, or indoor playgrounds. Social Media Marketing The use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. Involves creating engaging content and building a strong online presence. Car Wash Services Services that clean and detail vehicles, such as exterior washes, interior cleaning, or waxing. Retail Industry The sector of the economy that involves the sale of goods to consumers. Includes a wide range of businesses, from small independent shops to large multinational corporations. Business IdeaDescription Personal Wellness BusinessA business that focuses on improving an individual's well-being, such as a fitness center, spa, or wellness retreat. Online CoursesDigital classes accessible with an internet connection, providing education on various subjects and skill sets. Can be self-paced or instructor-led. Academic CoursesFormal classes offered by an educational institution, typically leading to a degree or certification. May cover a broad range of subjects or focus on a specific field of study. Food TrucksMobile restaurants serving a variety of food items to customers on the go. Can specialize in a particular cuisine or offer a diverse menu. Become a Yoga InstructorA career path involving becoming certified to teach yoga classes. Requires a deep understanding of yoga poses, anatomy, and philosophy. Enrichment Activities for ChildrenActivities designed to enhance a child's learning and development outside of traditional school subjects, such as art classes, music lessons, or sports teams. Post-Pregnancy ServicesServices catering to the needs of new mothers, such as lactation consulting, postpartum doula services, or support groups. Graphic DesignThe art and practice of creating visual content to communicate information and ideas to an audience. Includes designing logos, websites, or marketing materials. Child-Oriented BusinessesBusinesses that cater to the needs and interests of children, such as toy stores, children's clothing boutiques, or indoor playgrounds. Social Media MarketingThe use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. Involves creating engaging content and building a strong online presence. Car Wash ServicesServices that clean and detail vehicles, such as exterior washes, interior cleaning, or waxing. Retail IndustryThe sector of the economy that involves the sale of goods to consumers. Includes a wide range of businesses, from small independent shops to large multinational corporations. What is the Most Profitable Industry Today? Commercial banking in the US is expected to be the most profitable industry this year. The industry’s projected strong revenue growth and cost-cutting measures are anticipated to boost profitability. Net Profit Margin Net Profit Margin is a crucial financial metric that offers insights into a company’s overall financial health and efficiency. It’s particularly useful for comparing a company’s profitability over time or against its competitors in the same industry. Here’s an expanded explanation, including key points in a bulleted list: Definition: The Net Profit Margin is a financial ratio that shows the portion of a company’s revenues that is transformed into net profit. Essentially, it reveals the percentage of each dollar earned by the company that constitutes actual profit after all expenses have been deducted. Calculation: To calculate it, divide the net profit (which is revenue minus all expenses, taxes, and interest) by the total revenue and then multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage. The formula is: Net Profit Margin=(Net ProfitTotal Revenue)×100%Net Profit Margin=(Total RevenueNet Profit?)×100% Interpretation: A higher net profit margin indicates that a company is efficient in converting sales into actual profit. A lower net profit margin might suggest high costs, inefficient management, or other issues impacting profitability. Uses: Performance Tracking: Companies use it to track their performance over time, observing how changes in strategy and operations affect their profitability. Benchmarking: It allows for comparison with industry standards or competitors, showing where a company stands in its sector. Influencing Factors: Revenue Increases: If a company increases its revenue while controlling or reducing costs, the net profit margin will likely improve. Cost Control: Effective cost management, including operating and administrative expenses, can positively influence the net profit margin. Pricing Strategies: How a company prices its products or services also plays a significant role. Higher pricing can lead to a better margin if sales volume is maintained. Limitations: Not a Standalone Metric: It should be used in conjunction with other financial ratios for a comprehensive view of a company’s financial health. Industry Specific: Different industries have different average profit margins, so it’s important to compare a company’s margin with peers in the same industry. Examples: A company with a net profit margin of 15% means that it makes a profit of $0.15 for every dollar of sales. Conversely, a net profit margin of 5% means earning $0.05 for every dollar, which implies the possibility of lower pricing strategies, increased costs, or a combination of both. Overall, Net Profit Margin is a vital indicator of a company’s profitability and operational efficiency. It provides valuable insights into how well a company is managing its expenses relative to its total revenue. However, it’s important to analyze this metric in the context of the industry norms and alongside other financial measures. Final Thoughts In conclusion, the most profitable industries this year will likely be those that meet the ever-changing needs of consumers, including technology, healthcare, and renewable energy. However, it’s important to note that profitability can shift rapidly due to a variety of factors, so businesses should stay agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the competition. As always, a focus on innovation and efficiency will be key to long-term success in any industry. FAQs Which Industry has the Highest Profit? The most profitable industry varies from year to year, but typically, it is one that provides essential goods or services with high demand and low competition. The most profitable industries are consistently commercial banking, accounting, oil and gas extraction, legal services, and real estate. What are The Top 5 Most Profitable Businesses? Among the most profitable businesses are business consulting, IT support, accounting and tax preparation, cleaning services, and auto repair. While any of the five can be operated as an offline business, some can also be run online. A manufacturing business can also be highly profitable, but they typically require significant investments in equipment and infrastructure, making them less accessible to most entrepreneurs. How Can I Make My Business More Profitable? To make a business more profitable, consider expanding through franchising with the help of a franchise guide, offering high-margin products such as the most profitable vending machines, and exploring new revenue streams like online sales. Also, consider testing new strategies and shop business ideas to find what works best for your business. Image: Envato Elements This article, "The Most Profitable Industries Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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Activists have decried Shein for years, calling out its devastating impact on the environment and exploitation of workers. But with a stroke of his pen, President Donald Trump appears to have upended Shein’s business model, making it harder for the Chinese fast-fashion brand to keep selling clothes at rock-bottom prices. During the pandemic, Shein and online marketplace Temu exploded in popularity in the United States. Both companies manufacture low-quality goods in Chinese factories using cheap labor, then sell them to American consumers at extremely low prices. But Shein and Temu also had a distinct advantage over their competition. While American companies like Gap ship large quantities of inventory from overseas factories into U.S. warehouses—paying all the requisite taxes and tariffs—these Chinese companies ship products directly from factories to consumers’ houses. This allows them to take advantage of an obscure loophole in the U.S. tax code called de minimis, which allows packages containing less than $800 of merchandise to ship duty-free. In 2022, Shein and Temu paid $0 in import taxes, whereas Gap paid $700 million and H&M paid $205 million. American and European brands pass their costs on to customers in the form of higher-priced goods, which has sent many shoppers looking for deals elsewhere. “This was their basic advantage,” says Kinshuk Jerath, a Columbia Business School professor. “[Shein and Temu] built their entire business model on de minimis.” This week, that competitive advantage vanished, as Trump imposed a 10% tariff on all goods imported from China and also ended the de minimus tax exemption. Given how quickly these tariffs were rolled out, there’s a lack of clarity about exactly how much companies will have to pay. Logistics agents who import goods to the U.S. are already asking vendors to pay an extra 30% on the retail price of goods shipped from Hong Kong and China. Depending on the actual tariffs U.S. Customs imposes, these agents will either return part of that fee or seek additional payments. Experts say Shein and Temu will have to raise their prices in response. And since these companies’ main selling point is their low prices, consumers may be less inclined to shop with them. This, in turn, could shake up the retail landscape in the U.S. Garment packages at a textile factory that supplies clothes to fast-fashion e-commerce company Shein in Guangzhou, China [Photo: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images] Could Shein and Temu find a way keep costs down? While many were taken aback by how quickly Trump abolished the de minimus exemption, lawmakers from both parties have been trying to get rid of the loophole for several years. The rule first came about in 1930, when most small-value packages were sent between individuals, and the government didn’t think it was worth the administrative cost for the tax revenue it would collect. In 2016, the exemption limit was raised from $200 worth of goods to $800, to further reduce the administrative burden. But then Shein and Temu entered the scene. They were almost single-handedly responsible for increasing the number of such shipments from 140 million in 2014 to 1 billion in 2023. Many experts believe that Shein and Temu will have no choice but to raise their prices. These companies have already found ways to slash costs throughout the supply chain, leaving little room for cuts elsewhere. Shein has been accused of exploiting workers, forcing them into 17-hour shifts to make hundreds of garments a day at a base salary of $20, which would then be slashed by $14 if they made any mistakes. While it is possible for Shein and Temu to absorb the cost of these taxes for a short time, Jerath doesn’t believe that’s a viable long-term strategy. “These companies do have big pockets,” he says. “But they will not be able to absorb costs indefinitely while keeping the company profitable. And the question is, if you have to keep selling at a loss forever, at what point is the business model no longer successful?” Giacomo Santangelo, senior economics lecturer at Fordham University, says American companies like Amazon and Uber were willing to take a loss for some time in order to put their competitors out of business. “This strategy won’t work for Shein and Temu because there’s no chance they will be able to successfully wipe out their competitors,” he says. [Photo: Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto/Getty Images] Shaking Up Consumer Preferences Forcing Shein and Temu to pay taxes levels the playing field for other brands. But perhaps more important, it changes the market, says Itamar Zur, CEO of Veho, a shipping company that serves brands like Macy’s, Sephora, and Stitch Fix. With these ultracheap Chinese players on the market, many brands felt forced to compete on price. But as prices even out, brands can start competing across other dimensions, like the speed of delivery and quality. “Shipping products from China took seven to ten days, but consumers were willing to wait to get their products at such low prices,” Zur says. “But if it costs the same or just a little more to buy from a U.S. brand that can ship the products in two days, many consumers might opt for the U.S. brand.” Shein does have some warehouse space in the U.S. that allows it to ship products faster. It has already started driving American customers to buy products shipped locally by prioritizing these items in search results. Zur says that Shein may shift more of its inventory to U.S. warehouses, but this would effectively upend its business model. Until now, Shein has made products on demand based on consumer preferences. It adds 2,000 to 10,000 new items to its website every day, and mass-produces only the items that consumers seem to like. But if the company chooses to warehouse clothes in the U.S., it will need to predict what consumers will want to buy weeks in advance and send that inventory over. And, of course, this inventory would be taxed. Brands might also start to compete on the make and longevity of a product, Zur says. Shein and Temu are known for selling very low-quality products, and if they raise their prices, consumers may opt to shop for items that are more durable. “As a consumer, your entire calculation changes when these ultralow prices are off the table,” he says. “If you’re going to spend more money, you might not want your T-shirt or dress to be disposable. In fact, you might choose to spend a few dollars more for a shirt you can wear for years.” While Trump’s tariffs have the capacity to transform the market and consumer behavior, Fordham’s Santangelo warns that things are changing quickly and it’s still possible that the administration will reverse its decisions. Trump was going to impose a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, but decided to postpone for 30 days; it’s unclear whether those tariffs will eventually take effect. “It’s a very fluid situation,” Santangelo says. “We can’t really make predictions because everything might change again overnight.” View the full article

Imagine you’re an academic researcher. You’re writing a pitch for funding to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the independent agency of the federal government that funds projects designed to advance our understanding of the world. But you can’t use the words excluded, historically, socioeconomic, systemic, or women. Go. That’s the quandary that researchers across the country find themselves in thanks to a misguided attempt to try to eliminate what President Donald Trump and lackey Elon Musk would likely describe as “woke” research. The Trump administration’s drive to tamp down studies that promote an agenda pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) involves hitting small nails with very big, very blunt hammers, with all ongoing and future research projects reportedly being analyzed to see whether they contain any number of newly forbidden words. ­ Among them are terms that Trump and others might dislike, such as diversity, inequities, or multicultural. But there are also words that almost certainly get caught in the dragnet inadvertently, including women and historically. “The mood is pretty glum here,” says one academic, granted anonymity because of a fear of reprisals. “While my work has implications for DEI, it’s not explicitly DEI in writing. For academics who do work in this space, it’s a death knell.” “It really seems like a huge mess,” says a second academic researcher, also granted anonymity to be able to speak over fear of reprisals or their research being targeted as a result of speaking out. “The list is long and vague enough that all kinds of research will potentially be harmed. Everything from biomedical research to engineering to research in the social sciences.” That researcher says they believe the guidelines have been drawn vaguely “by design, not an accident,” in order to give the government—through the NSF—enough leeway to block anything they want to. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest technical professional organization for tech research in academia, declined to comment for this story. “ACM supports technology research in a wide array of areas and understands that priorities for funding of research can shift for a variety of reasons,” Jody Westby, vice chair of the Association for Computing Machinery’s US Technology Policy Committee, wrote in a statement to Fast Company. “ACM hopes, when this happens, that funding from other sources also shifts to fill gaps so needed research can continue.” Researchers will still likely pursue their work under the current administration, even if the NSF’s list of forbidden words stymies them. It just means they may have to take a page out of the book of online content creators, and understand how to deploy algospeak—or the rephrasing of words in order to avoid blocks put in place by online platforms, most commonly found on social media. “There have been many examples of researchers using different terms to try to get their work funded by different organizations, particularly private philanthropic foundations which often have an only slightly hidden political or ideological alignment,” the anonymous researcher says. Euphemistically referring to subjects that might otherwise be seen as sensitive using a crude check of content in order to evade censorship could well be a path that researchers have to follow, fears Carolina Are, a researcher at the Center for Digital Citizens at Northumbria University. Are has studied platform censorship and how rank-and-file users avoid its clutches. “With the broligarchs in power greatly affecting and influencing the way the U.S. is run, bolstered by Trump’s politics, [what content creators had to do] is being broadened out to research.” It’s possible to use doublespeak or euphemism to dance around contentious phrasing, Are explains—but it does significantly impact the ability to disseminate that content, and finding work-arounds taxes thinking that could otherwise be put to the broader problem that needs addressing. Are also worries that researchers will end up in a cat-and-mouse game with the NSF in the same way that creators are, where terms and words that are being used euphemistically are added to block lists and the effect is nullified, meaning people have to find new ways of subverting barriers. “It’s not a long-term solution for people,” she says. One of the researchers Fast Company spoke to is more pessimistic than that. “I’m not sure we’re going to see people successfully using different terms for the banned research terms because when you can’t even use words like female or systemic, there’s not really a way to get around that,” they say. “All biomedical research that looks at more than men is potentially out of bounds, and that’s by design.” View the full article

This week, skincare brand Kiehl’s debuted a hairy new font, Starbucks continued to roll out its feel-good nostalgia marketing, and an iconic ’80s soda was revived for the year 2025. Here’s all the branding news we’re keeping up with. [Image: Kiehl’s] Kiehl’s gets in on the custom type craze The news: The skincare brand Kiehl’s just unveiled a new custom font made from an unexpected material: pubic hair. Big picture: The font comes as a response to the backlash that Kiehl’s received in August for an ad campaign for a new product line targeting ingrown pubic hairs. Those initial ads featured fully covered models with just a glimpse of hair peeking out from the sides of their underwear. But several stores censored or removed the campaign after public criticism. “We were taken aback,” Steven Waldberg, SVP of brand engagement and communications for Kiehl’s, told MediaPost. “It’s not like we were showing people’s genitalia or anything.” Now Kiehl’s is hitting back at the haters with a fuzzy custom font made entirely out of pubic hair. The new print ads, which have taken humans out of the equation altogether, feature sarcastic statements like, “Apologies, we won’t ever show pubic hair again,” and “Our photos of models with pubic hair were censored so we removed the models.” Why it matters: We’ve seen plenty of custom brand fonts lately—from the “Other Hand font” for Cheetos to Kellogg’s logo-centric font—but we have to hand it to Kiehl’s, this one might be the most outside-the-box yet. It’s not exactly a versatile typeface, but it’s nice to see Kiehl’s refusing to back down from a challenge. [Illustration: FC] Back-to-basics strategy at Starbucks The news: Starbucks is making a wide-sweeping effort to return to its branding roots, and it seems to be paying off. Big picture: Since CEO Brian Niccols joined the company last September, the brand has been slowly working to incorporate the “personal touches” that were once its signature, like handwritten names on to-go cups, a free milk station, and an overall focus on craft. The back-to-basics concept at Starbucks has been gradually appearing in a larger campaign this year, with several new ads highlighting the coffee-making process and out-of-home billboards featuring a handwritten look. In an interview with the podcast Rapid Response, Niccols said of the changes, “We’re in the customer service business, and anybody that’s been involved with that knows the details do matter. And the reason why the details really matter for Starbucks is, frankly, those details are our point of difference. It’s how we get to another level of connection.” Why it matters: The market seems to be responding positively to the changes so far, considering that Starbucks recently beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations with $9.4 billion in revenue. The irony in all of this feel-good messaging is that Starbucks has recently taken the much-criticized step of barring noncustomers from using its restrooms, seating, and patio space. In a column for Fast Company, writer Rob Walker argued that the new code of conduct “is really just a de facto admission of what its brand is really about: The coffee giant is not really in the community space business at all. It’s a luxury brand, and it has been all along.” [Photo: Suja Life] Soda’s new lease on life The news: For the second time in two months, an iconic soda of the 1980s is getting a new lease on life with a revival designed to attract a new era of soda drinkers. Big picture: Slice soda, first launched in 1984 by PepsiCo, is set to return to shelves under the ownership of juice brand Suja Life. To tap into the wellness movement and functional beverage craze, today’s Slice will have low sugar, no high-fructose corn syrup, and plenty of gut-healthy prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in a variety of flavors, including orange, lemon lime, classic cola, grapefruit spritz, grape, and strawberry. Why it matters: Slice’s return is part of a larger industry trend. Just last month, energy drink company Redcon1 announced it would be bringing back the infamous Jolt Cola from the ’80s with a new functional twist. However, as Fast Company noted at the time, the new branding is pretty lackluster. Slice, on the other hand, looks just as cool as it did back in 1984. Suja Life has clearly based its new look on the OG design (rather than the clunkier ’90s version), including a typeface that’s literally sliced at the bottom, fruity icons dotting each “i,” and a diagonal label. The design has also been updated for the 21st century with brighter can colors and a trendier secondary font. While Slice certainly looks pretty, its staying power is questionable at best. The brand has already been revived several times, including as a failed sparkling water in 2018, swiftly followed by a failed low-cal soda in 2021. It remains to be seen whether Slice’s new branding aesthetic will be enough to keep it afloat this go-round. [Photo: Kellanova] Snacking goes cold The news: Eggos and Rice Krispies Treats are getting a frosty glow-up. Big picture: The snack company Kellanova is partnering with Gold West Food Group to turn some of its most popular brands into ice cream treats. On the Eggo side, fans can expect pints of Buttery Maple, Chocolatey Chip, and Blueberry ice cream, as well as waffle sandwiches of those three flavors. For Rice Krispies fanatics, there will be a pint of “original flavor” ice cream (we can only assume this tastes like the treats themselves), as well as original, strawberry, and triple-chocolate ice cream sandwiches made with Rice Krispies Treats as the sandwich “bun.” Why it matters: Kellanova’s new dessert play comes after a major shake-up in the company’s ownership. Back in August, Kellanova—which also owns Kellogg’s (and its three subcompanies), Pop-Tarts, Pringles, and more—was acquired for a whopping $39.5 billion by Mars, owner of M&Ms. At the time, Andrew Clarke, global president of Mars Snacking, told Fast Company that expanding the company’s snacking portfolio would be a major priority post-acquisition—and it looks like that starts in the freezer aisle. View the full article

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