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In an era where safety and community support have never been more critical, Uber’s “Driving Change” initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing gender-based violence. Since its inception in 2017, the program has evolved significantly, aiming to enhance the safety of individuals during their journeys while reinforcing community ties. As small business owners navigate today’s landscape, understanding such initiatives can be vital not just for their operations, but also for supporting their communities. Uber’s Driving Change has forged partnerships with over 25 organizations globally and allocated $15 million in grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to combatting violence against women. This commitment has led to impactful changes, helping thousands of women access essential services, housing, and support. One of the standout achievements of this initiative has been the enhancement of survivor support worldwide. With contributions from Driving Change partners, initiatives have included safe housing, provision of meals, and legal and emotional assistance for over 100,000 women and girls. Such resources can also prove beneficial to small businesses looking to create partnerships with organizations focused on community health and welfare. Moreover, the initiative has significantly strengthened the global response to gender-based violence. By training frontline workers and establishing leadership networks, Uber is paving the way for safer environments—an essential consideration for any small business owner committed to workplace safety and community engagement. The potential for businesses to align with these efforts fosters a culture of safety that can directly benefit employee satisfaction and customer trust. Additionally, Driving Change has prioritized the importance of education and awareness around gender-based violence. This includes launching impactful public campaigns and developing a global directory of domestic violence services. Small businesses can take cues from this approach, recognizing the value in raising awareness about local support systems among their own employees and customers. Uber aims to provide practical options for women riders and drivers. This includes the expansion of the “Women Preferences” feature, allowing female users to connect specifically with other women for a more supportive travel experience. For small business owners, this represents a shift in consumer expectations—an increasingly important factor as customers look for brands that prioritize equity and safety. As Uber looks ahead, its partnership with organizations like the Alliance for HOPE International illustrates a greater commitment to provide essential transportation support. Their “Hope Rides” program gives survivors free rides to safety resources, creating direct implications for community and business ties. For small businesses, this is a call to action to evaluate how they can contribute to and collaborate with initiatives that drive safety and support within their communities. However, small business owners should also weigh potential challenges. While aligning with such initiatives underscores a commitment to corporate social responsibility, there may be financial costs or logistical hurdles in partnership development. Furthermore, businesses must ensure that they maintain alignment with the ethics and practices of their partners to effectively engage in meaningful community support. As technology and societal norms shift, the call to action extends beyond just awareness. The recent UN theme—“UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”—emphasizes the need to address violence in all forms, including online. Small businesses need to consider how they can incorporate technology and innovation to prevent violence, whether through employee training or by creating platforms that encourage safe conversations. This ongoing movement against gender-based violence calls for a collective effort from all sectors. Small businesses that prioritize community wellbeing can enhance their reputations while contributing to a safer society. Uber’s Driving Change initiative exemplifies how corporate responsibility aligns with social impact, a model that smaller enterprises can adopt or adapt in their own operations. As we continue to navigate these complex issues, leveraging initiatives like Driving Change could provide small businesses not only with the means to assist those in need but can further solidify their role as engaged community members. For more detailed insights, you can read the original press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Uber Expands Global Initiative to Combat Gender-Based Violence" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In an era where safety and community support have never been more critical, Uber’s “Driving Change” initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing gender-based violence. Since its inception in 2017, the program has evolved significantly, aiming to enhance the safety of individuals during their journeys while reinforcing community ties. As small business owners navigate today’s landscape, understanding such initiatives can be vital not just for their operations, but also for supporting their communities. Uber’s Driving Change has forged partnerships with over 25 organizations globally and allocated $15 million in grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to combatting violence against women. This commitment has led to impactful changes, helping thousands of women access essential services, housing, and support. One of the standout achievements of this initiative has been the enhancement of survivor support worldwide. With contributions from Driving Change partners, initiatives have included safe housing, provision of meals, and legal and emotional assistance for over 100,000 women and girls. Such resources can also prove beneficial to small businesses looking to create partnerships with organizations focused on community health and welfare. Moreover, the initiative has significantly strengthened the global response to gender-based violence. By training frontline workers and establishing leadership networks, Uber is paving the way for safer environments—an essential consideration for any small business owner committed to workplace safety and community engagement. The potential for businesses to align with these efforts fosters a culture of safety that can directly benefit employee satisfaction and customer trust. Additionally, Driving Change has prioritized the importance of education and awareness around gender-based violence. This includes launching impactful public campaigns and developing a global directory of domestic violence services. Small businesses can take cues from this approach, recognizing the value in raising awareness about local support systems among their own employees and customers. Uber aims to provide practical options for women riders and drivers. This includes the expansion of the “Women Preferences” feature, allowing female users to connect specifically with other women for a more supportive travel experience. For small business owners, this represents a shift in consumer expectations—an increasingly important factor as customers look for brands that prioritize equity and safety. As Uber looks ahead, its partnership with organizations like the Alliance for HOPE International illustrates a greater commitment to provide essential transportation support. Their “Hope Rides” program gives survivors free rides to safety resources, creating direct implications for community and business ties. For small businesses, this is a call to action to evaluate how they can contribute to and collaborate with initiatives that drive safety and support within their communities. However, small business owners should also weigh potential challenges. While aligning with such initiatives underscores a commitment to corporate social responsibility, there may be financial costs or logistical hurdles in partnership development. Furthermore, businesses must ensure that they maintain alignment with the ethics and practices of their partners to effectively engage in meaningful community support. As technology and societal norms shift, the call to action extends beyond just awareness. The recent UN theme—“UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”—emphasizes the need to address violence in all forms, including online. Small businesses need to consider how they can incorporate technology and innovation to prevent violence, whether through employee training or by creating platforms that encourage safe conversations. This ongoing movement against gender-based violence calls for a collective effort from all sectors. Small businesses that prioritize community wellbeing can enhance their reputations while contributing to a safer society. Uber’s Driving Change initiative exemplifies how corporate responsibility aligns with social impact, a model that smaller enterprises can adopt or adapt in their own operations. As we continue to navigate these complex issues, leveraging initiatives like Driving Change could provide small businesses not only with the means to assist those in need but can further solidify their role as engaged community members. For more detailed insights, you can read the original press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Uber Expands Global Initiative to Combat Gender-Based Violence" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Break down the new law, the unanswered questions, and why waiting for certainty is a strategic mistake. Big 4 Transparency By Dominic Piscopo, CPA For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Dominic Piscopo. View the full article

Break down the new law, the unanswered questions, and why waiting for certainty is a strategic mistake. Big 4 Transparency By Dominic Piscopo, CPA For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Dominic Piscopo. View the full article

Wellness rooms, thoughtful sensory inputs and layouts that boost functionality can reduce workplace stress. View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today...View the full article

For many students and workers, Windows is just the default way to use a computer. It's where all your apps work as intended, where all your Microsoft Office documents sync easily, and where you play all your games. But if you peel back its layers, Windows can be a lot more than that. Power users can take advantage of hidden features, and utilities from Microsoft and third-parties to not only speed up their workflow, but to improve productivity and fix some of the most annoying quality-of-life issues that plague Windows PCs. Control everything using the Command Palette Credit: Khamosh Pathak For decades, Mac users have boasted about Spotlight Search, while Windows never really offered a true alternative. Windows Search is fast, but it's never really come close to replicating all the things Spotlight can do, especially now with the latest macOS Tahoe update. Finally, after years of waiting, Microsoft has introduced its own keyboard launcher, called Command Palette. It's not available by default, though. To find it, you'll have to install PowerToys, which is Microsoft's own set of handy utilities. Once PowerToys is running, find the Command Palette app from the sidebar, and enable it. Then, you can access it using the default keyboard shortcut, which is Windows + Alt + Space (you can customize this be whatever you like). Once it's set up, you can use the Command Palette to launch apps, search for files, open folders, switch between apps, open bookmarked websites or folders, and search the web. In fact, you can even run Terminal commands from here, and you can use extensions to add features. Here's a detailed guide on the Command Palette to get you started. Replace the File Explorer with something much better Credit: Khamosh Pathak The File Explorer in Windows 11 is a certified mess. It's slower than the Windows 10 version, and it's harder to find your way around it. If you're as frustrated by this as I am, try installing the Files app instead. It's an $8 app on the Microsoft Store, but can be downloaded for free from the developer's website. The Files app is beautifully designed, with support for theme colors. The app has a simple interface with an easy to access sidebar, tabs, dual-pane mode, and a dark mode that actually looks good. There's also a column view from macOS and an ability to preview files without opening them. Replace the Windows 11 taskbar and start menu Credit: Start11 The Windows 11 update radically redesigned the taskbar and the Start menu. If you don't like the new updates, there is a way to go back. You can install the free ExplorerPatcher app to revert back to the Windows 10 Taskbar, with full-length app names, along with the older Start menu. If you only want to change the existing Start menu (I don't blame you), try the Start 11 app, which costs $9.99 for a single license and a year's worth of upgrades. Start11 is an incredibly customizable Start menu replacement where you can customize everything from the layout, spacing, icon color, size, and more. You can even go back to the Windows 10 style layout, but with the look of the Windows 11 icons. Transform how Windows 11 looks with Seelen UI Credit: Seelen If you've swapped from Mac to Windows, and you miss the Mac's Dock and menu bar, you can get them on Windows using the free and open source Seelen UI app. It's an app that uses web technologies to add a menu bar and a floating Dock to your screen. It also hides the Windows Taskbar by default. Seelen is completely customizable with community themes and plugins. You can choose where to keep the taskbar, and you can make it transparent if you want (something Windows 11 doesn't allow for). You can add community themes to completely transform how it looks and works. You can also add more features using plugins. Make the dark mode functional again Credit: Microsoft The dark mode in Windows is woefully lacking, especially compared to macOS. As a power user, you might prefer to spend most of your time in dark mode, or you might want to automatically switch to dark mode as evening kicks in. By default, Windows doesn't offer any such features. You have to go deep into Settings to enable or disable the dark theme, and that's it. Microsoft has a PowerToys utility called Light Switch that can solve some of those issues. With the Light Switch utility enabled, you can automatically trigger the dark theme at the time of sunset, or or a schedule that you like. Plus, it gives you a global shortcut to trigger the dark theme on the fly. Embrace the new Snap layouts Credit: Microsoft Snap Layouts is a powerful hidden feature in Windows 11 that not many people use. You might be used to dragging the left edge on a window to dock it to the left half of the screen. Well, that's just part of the Snap Layouts feature. Next time you want to arrange the windows on your screen, drag the window to the top edge, and you'll see a new preview of all possible layout options. You can easily split your large monitor screen into three or four windows, without doing any heavy lifting. You can also access this feature by hovering over the Maximize button, or you can use the Windows + Z keyboard shortcut to bring up the Snap Layout menu. Install and manage apps without a thousand clicks Credit: Justin Pot Installing apps on Windows can sometimes be its own special nightmare. You have to deal with installation wizards with dozens of steps, some of which haven't been updated since Windows XP days. Like Linux and macOS, Windows too has a hidden package manager called Winget, a repository of apps that can be downloaded with just a single command. Yes, you need to open the Terminal to do it, but it's really not that hard. Say you want to install Chrome: You'll enter this in the Terminal and in a couple of seconds, the Chrome browser will be installed and ready to go, without a single extra click. winget install Google.Chrome Don't like using the command line? Well there's a GUI app for you. With the UniGetUI app, you can search for all apps or packages in the Windows Package Manager list, and download them in one click. There's also a one-click option for updating all WinGet apps at once. See your clipboard history Credit: Khamosh Pathak Windows has a built-in clipboard manager that you really should be using. Press Windows + V to bring up the Clipboard History (the first time you do this, you'll have to enable this feature). Now, every time you copy anything on Windows, it will be stored in this list. You can go back to the Clipboard Manager at any time to copy one or multiple items from this list. You can even pin something to the top of the list, or quickly clear all history. If you're looking for a bit more, try the Ditto app. It lets you customize how many snippets you store in your clipboard at a given time, and has a capable fast Search feature built-in. Use Focus Sessions to better focus on your tasks Credit: Khamosh Pathak There's a Focus Session feature inside the Clock app that's basically a built-in Pomodoro timer, with distraction-free features. You can start a Focus timer for, let's say, 30 minutes, and during that time Windows will stop all unnecessary notifications and app alerts so you can focus on your task. After a longer session, you'll also be prompted to take a break. Create your own custom shortcuts, for anything Credit: Microsoft Power users rely on keyboard shortcuts to not only speed things up but also to reduce mental overload. Once you have the muscle memory, using a keyboard shortcut to perform frequent tasks reduces a lot of friction (especially compared to hunting for buttons using a mouse). When you start using an app, spend some time trying to learn keyboard shortcuts for the most frequently used actions. For example, archiving mail, exporting documents, and so on. But this gets more interesting once you start to remap your keys and keyboard shortcuts using the Keyboard Manager utility inside PowerToys. Here, click the Remap a Key button to get started. Now, you can map any unused key, like your Caps Lock key, or the Copilot key, to anything else (like a shortcut to bring up Command Palette, for example). Or you can remap the shortcut for Copy from Control + C, to Windows + C. Time to get creative! View the full article

Moves to allow higher leverage and overhaul stress tests have driven increase in market capitalisationView the full article

Nike shares ticked up 2% in premarket trading on Wednesday after Apple CEO Tim Cook bought nearly $3 million worth of the sportswear maker’s stock. Cook, who has served on Nike’s board since 2005 and is its lead independent director, bought 50,000 shares at $58.97 each, according to a regulatory filing published on Tuesday. Nike shares were trading at $58.49 on Wednesday. The purchase comes just days after Nike reported weaker quarterly margins and sluggish sales in China. Its shares have slumped nearly 13% since it reported results on December 18. Cook now holds about 105,000 shares in Nike, as of December 22, the filing showed. —Aishwarya Venugopal, Reuters View the full article

During the week of Christmas, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced food recalls for several holiday treats. Before you begin enjoying your holiday snacks, it’s a good idea to check whether any of the goodies you have at home were recently recalled. Here’s what you need to know. The following food products are part of recent food recalls: ​Atwater’s cookie tins Choceur cookie butter holiday bark Choceur pecan, cranberry and cinnamon holiday park Troemner Family Farm Pfeffernusse Cookies You can find more details about each product recall below. Atwater’s cookie tins On December 22, 2025, Baltimore-based Atwater’s recalled 197 of its cookie tins because the cookies contain almond, pecan, and walnut allergens. People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to tree nuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts are at risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the recalled product. The recalled product is sold in a circular metal tin with a bow tied around it. The cookie tin has an “Atwater’s cookie tin” label on the bottom of the package. However, the packaging failed to identify the nut allergen. The cookie tins were distributed from December 13 through December 22, 2025, in Baltimore, Towson, and Catonsville, Maryland. They were sold at retail stores and “gifted” to three wholesalers, the notice says. Consumers who have purchased the cookie tins are encouraged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. More information, including product images, can be found in the recall announcement on the FDA’s website. Choceur holiday barks On December 22, 2025, Silvestri Sweets of Illinois expanded its voluntary recall of Choceur-branded holiday barks to include additional lot numbers and best-by dates. The company recalled the following products for the following reasons: ​Choceur cookie butter holiday bark. This product may contain undeclared pecans, the notice states. Choceur pecan, cranberry and cinnamon holiday park. This product may contain undeclared wheat. The recalled items are sold in 5-ounce stand-up pouch bags. They were distributed nationwide at Aldi grocery stores. Products with the following lot numbers and best buy dates are affected: Cookie butter holiday bark: Lot #: 28525 – Best By May 2026 Lot #: 29925 – Best By May 2026 Lot #: 30625 – Best By May 2026 Pecan, cranberry and cinnamon holiday bark: ​Lot #: 28525 – Best By August 2026 Lot #: 29925 – Best By August 2026 Lot #: 30625 – Best By August 2026 To date, no illnesses have been reported. Consumers who have purchased the recalled products should throw them away. More information about these recalls, including images, can be found on the FDA’s website. Troemner Family Farm Pfeffernusse Cookies Troemner Farm of Atlantic Mine, Michigan, has recalled its Troemner Family Farm Pfeffernusse Cookies because they may contain undeclared milk, wheat, or soy. People with allergies or severe sensitivity to milk, wheat, or soy are at risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these recalled products. ​The products were sold in 6-ounce and 12-ounce packages. They were distributed to retail locations in just two cities: Hancock and Calumet, Michigan. ​A missing label was discovered during a routine inspection, according to the FDA’s notice. Consumers who have purchased Troemner Family Farm Pfeffernusse Cookies are encouraged to return them to Troemner Farm for a refund or replacement. ​More information, including product images, can be found on the FDA’s website. View the full article

In today’s competitive market, boosting sales requires effective strategies customized to your customers’ needs. By shifting from high-pressure sales tactics to consultative selling, you can build trust and cultivate loyalty. Comprehending the importance of active listening, maintaining a strong sales pipeline, and leveraging customer feedback are just a few of the tactics that can improve your approach. As you explore these methods, consider how each can be applied to your unique situation for best results. Key Takeaways Embrace consultative selling by prioritizing customer needs and building trust to foster long-term relationships and enhance sales effectiveness. Utilize personalized communication strategies to increase engagement, tailoring messages to decision-makers for higher conversion rates. Practice active listening to understand customer concerns, enabling tailored responses that lead to successful sales interactions. Implement a robust follow-up strategy, as most prospects require multiple interactions before making a purchasing decision. Leverage customer feedback to inform strategies and improve experiences, boosting sales and enhancing customer loyalty. Understanding High Pressure Sales Techniques High pressure sales techniques have long been a staple in the domain of sales, but their effectiveness is waning. Many salesman tactics, like limited time offers and emotional manipulation, can actually erode customer trust. Today’s consumers are more informed and discerning, often seeking genuine relationships rather than high-pressure pitches. Approximately 40% of salespeople give up after just one follow-up, whereas most prospects need at least six interactions before deciding to buy. Scarcity principles may induce panic-buying, but they can harm long-term relationships and brand reputation. Overloading prospects with excessive information can intimidate them, leading to hasty decisions and buyer’s remorse. As a result, value-driven selling tactics that prioritize trust-building are becoming increasingly crucial. The Negative Impact of High Pressure Tactics Many consumers find themselves feeling uneasy when confronted with high pressure sales tactics, which can greatly tarnish their overall experience. Approximately 40% of shoppers report discomfort, often disengaging from the sales process entirely. This tactic can create a false sense of urgency, leading to perceptions of manipulation and a decrease in brand trust. Additionally, high pressure approaches can lead to negative reviews and decreased customer loyalty, ultimately harming a brand’s reputation. Negative Outcomes Consumer Reactions Decreased Customer Loyalty 40% feel uncomfortable Negative Brand Perception Increased disengagement Legal Risks (e.g., GDPR) Preference for consultative selling Understanding these impacts is crucial for effective selling. Offer Genuine Value to Customers To succeed in today’s competitive market, offering genuine value to customers is essential for building lasting relationships and encouraging repeat business. This means providing products or services that truly meet their specific needs, which cultivates trust. High-quality content marketing can improve the customer experience; 58% of B2B marketers find it boosts sales by educating potential buyers. In addition, engaging customers thoughtfully through personalized communication can lead to a 60% higher engagement rate, as nearly 60% of consumers appreciate customized interactions. The Importance of Active Listening Active listening is vital in sales as it helps you understand your customers’ needs and concerns more effectively. By genuinely engaging in conversations, you can build trust and rapport, which are fundamental for long-term relationships. When you tailor your responses based on what you’ve heard, you’re more likely to address objections and close deals successfully. Understanding Needs Effectively How can you truly understand your customers’ needs? Active listening is key. It allows you to grasp their challenges and pain points, leading to customized solutions. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer conversations focused on their specific needs instead of generic pitches. You should also keep in mind that communication isn’t just verbal; 55% is non-verbal, so pay attention to body language. Responding thoughtfully to customer feedback improves satisfaction, as 63% of consumers expect personalized experiences. When customers feel heard and valued, conversion rates can increase considerably—up to 20%. Building Trust Through Listening Why is active listening vital in building trust with your customers? It improves engagement by allowing you to fully understand their needs and pain points, which leads to solutions that resonate. Research indicates that 70% of customers feel more valued when you actively listen, cultivating trust and rapport important for long-term relationships. Here’s a quick overview: Benefits of Active Listening Impact on Sales Improves customer engagement Customized solutions Increases customer value perception Stronger trust and rapport Addresses objections effectively Higher closing rates Reduces follow-up interactions Streamlined communication Tailoring Responses to Concerns When you listen closely to your customers, it becomes easier to tailor your responses to their specific concerns and needs. Active listening helps you understand their pain points, allowing you to address them directly. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer salespeople who show genuine interest in their needs, promoting trust and rapport. By engaging in conversations and asking clarifying questions, you demonstrate attentiveness and gain deeper insights into their motivations. Thoughtful responses to customer feedback can refine your messaging and increase conversion rates by up to 30%. Prioritizing active listening not just improves customer satisfaction but also contributes to long-term loyalty and repeat business, making it an essential skill for any sales professional. Pursuing High-Quality Leads When you’re pursuing high-quality leads, targeted outreach becomes crucial, as it helps you connect with prospects who are more likely to convert. Utilizing data verification tools can further improve your efforts by ensuring the leads you engage with are legitimate and well-suited to your offerings. To maximize your success, regularly measure lead quality so you can streamline your sales process and focus on the prospects that truly align with your business goals. Focus on Targeted Outreach To successfully boost your sales, focusing on targeted outreach by pursuing high-quality leads is essential. Prioritizing these leads can greatly improve your conversion rates, as they’re more likely to engage and purchase when guided effectively. Companies often struggle to find quality prospects, emphasizing the importance of investing in lead generation strategies. Here are some key strategies for effective targeted outreach: Tailor your communication to resonate with decision-makers. Engage through diverse channels to reach your audience effectively. Follow up consistently, as most prospects need at least six interactions before deciding. Utilize customer feedback to refine your lead targeting, aligning efforts with actual buyer preferences. Emphasizing these tactics can lead to better engagement and sales performance. Utilize Data Verification Tools Focusing on high-quality leads is just the beginning of an effective sales strategy, and utilizing data verification tools can greatly improve this process. These tools guarantee your contact information is accurate and up-to-date, greatly enhancing your outreach efforts. Studies show that companies prioritizing high-quality leads over quantity experience a 50% increase in conversion rates. By implementing data verification, you’ll reduce costs associated with unqualified leads, creating a more efficient sales pipeline. High-quality leads generated through verified data are three times more likely to convert into paying customers compared to those from less reliable sources. Investing in these tools not merely boosts lead quality but likewise allows your team to focus on prospects that are more likely to engage and convert effectively. Measure Lead Quality Effectively Measuring lead quality effectively is essential for maximizing sales potential and ensuring that your resources are well-spent. High-quality leads align with your ideal customer profile, leading to higher conversion rates and better ROI. Implementing lead scoring systems can prioritize leads based on engagement, demographics, and behavior, enhancing your sales pipeline’s efficiency. Research shows that focusing on high-quality lead generation can boost sales conversions by up to 50%. Here are some strategies to effectively measure lead quality: Use data analytics to track lead sources and behaviors. Continuously monitor and adjust lead qualification criteria. Prioritize leads based on their fit with your target profile. Allocate marketing resources to channels yielding the highest quality prospects. Personalizing Your Sales Messaging When sales teams personalize their messaging, they tap into a potent strategy that can greatly improve customer engagement. Nearly 60% of consumers prefer personalized communication, making customized outreach crucial. By leveraging customer data, you can create messages that resonate, leading to a 20% increase in conversion rates. Segmenting your audience allows you to address unique needs and pain points, improving your effectiveness. Including personalized elements, like using customers’ names and referencing previous interactions, builds trust and enhances the customer experience. Furthermore, A/B testing different messages can help pinpoint the best approaches for your audience. Key Personalization Strategies Impact on Sales Outcomes Customer Data Utilization 20% increase in conversions Audience Segmentation Targeted messaging effectiveness Personalized Name Usage Improved trust and engagement Reference Past Interactions Enhanced customer experience A/B Testing Messaging Identifying best practices The Power of Follow-Up Effective follow-up is critical in the sales process, as research shows that most prospects need at least six interactions before they make a purchasing decision. Surprisingly, over 40% of salespeople give up after just one attempt. By following up quickly and consistently, you demonstrate commitment, keeping prospects engaged. Persistence can greatly boost your conversion rates since 80% of sales require five follow-up calls after the initial contact. To improve your follow-up strategy, consider these tips: Use varied methods like calls, emails, or personalized messages. Implement a structured follow-up strategy to stay organized. Schedule your follow-ups to maintain timely communication. Track interactions to verify no potential leads slip through the cracks. Building Strong Relationships With Prospects Building strong relationships with prospects is essential for successful sales, as these connections can significantly influence buying decisions. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer engaging with salespeople who understand their needs and offer personalized solutions. Consistent communication and meaningful conversations cultivate trust, with relationship-focused sales strategies yielding up to 25% higher closing rates. Actively listening to prospects helps you address their pain points effectively, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Engaging through social media and online interactions increases your brand visibility and credibility, potentially boosting lead conversion rates by 20-30%. Furthermore, implementing follow-up strategies is important, as 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups to close, maintaining engagement and strengthening relationships over time. Leveraging Customer Feedback for Improvement Leveraging customer feedback is a crucial strategy for continuous improvement in your products and services. By gathering insights, you can identify areas that need improvement. Here are some key benefits of engaging with customer feedback: 70% of customers are willing to provide feedback if asked, helping you understand their needs. Positive testimonials can bolster your credibility and influence 79% of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Addressing negative feedback quickly shows commitment; 63% of customers would return if their complaints are resolved. Regularly soliciting feedback can increase sales by 10-15%, as it informs your future strategies and improves customer experiences. Embracing Continuous Learning and Adaptation As the sales environment continues to evolve, embracing continuous learning and adaptation becomes essential for achieving long-term success. Organizations that prioritize ongoing training experience a 23% increase in time spent selling, leading to improved overall performance. Regular skill development sessions keep your sales team competitive and ready to adapt to changing market trends, enhancing their effectiveness in engaging potential customers. Utilizing performance metrics to guide coaching efforts helps you identify specific weaknesses within your team, allowing for targeted training initiatives. By embracing adaptability in your sales strategies, you can quickly respond to shifts in customer preferences, maintaining a competitive edge. Furthermore, encouraging peer learning and mentorship within your team promotes collaboration and shares best practices that can drive sales growth. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Strategy to Increase Sales? To increase sales effectively, focus on comprehending customer needs through value-based or consultative selling. Tailor your messaging to resonate with specific challenges, as personalized communication can greatly improve engagement. Implement a robust follow-up process, ensuring you reach out multiple times since most prospects require several interactions before deciding. Finally, leverage data analytics to refine your tactics and consider establishing a referral program to utilize satisfied customers as advocates for your business. What Are the 3 C’s in Sales? The 3 C’s in sales are Company, Customer, and Competition. You need to analyze your company’s strengths and weaknesses to leverage unique selling points. Comprehending your customers involves identifying their needs, preferences, and pain points to create customized approaches. Researching your competition helps you know their offerings and weaknesses, allowing you to differentiate your product. What Are the 5 P’s of Sales? The 5 P’s of sales are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People. Each component plays an essential role in your sales strategy. Product emphasizes quality and features that meet customer needs. Price involves setting a competitive price reflecting value. Place refers to distribution channels ensuring accessibility. Promotion includes marketing strategies to create awareness. Finally, People focuses on building relationships, as comprehending customer preferences can greatly impact your sales success. What Is the 3 2 1 Sales Strategy? The 3-2-1 Sales Strategy focuses on presenting potential buyers with three key benefits of your product, two customer testimonials, and one compelling call to action. This approach simplifies your message, making it easy for customers to grasp the value without feeling overwhelmed. Highlighting three significant advantages resonates with their needs, whereas testimonials provide social proof. The call to action directs them to the next step, enhancing engagement and increasing your chances of conversion. Conclusion By implementing these ten proven selling tactics, you can greatly improve your sales strategy. Prioritizing consultative selling, actively listening to clients, and pursuing high-quality leads are crucial steps toward building trust and loyalty. Consistent follow-up and leveraging customer feedback further strengthen relationships, as ongoing learning keeps your team informed about market trends. Adopting these approaches not just drives sales growth but likewise nurtures a deeper connection with your customers, ensuring long-term success in a competitive marketplace. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Proven Selling Tactics to Boost Sales Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In today’s competitive market, boosting sales requires effective strategies customized to your customers’ needs. By shifting from high-pressure sales tactics to consultative selling, you can build trust and cultivate loyalty. Comprehending the importance of active listening, maintaining a strong sales pipeline, and leveraging customer feedback are just a few of the tactics that can improve your approach. As you explore these methods, consider how each can be applied to your unique situation for best results. Key Takeaways Embrace consultative selling by prioritizing customer needs and building trust to foster long-term relationships and enhance sales effectiveness. Utilize personalized communication strategies to increase engagement, tailoring messages to decision-makers for higher conversion rates. Practice active listening to understand customer concerns, enabling tailored responses that lead to successful sales interactions. Implement a robust follow-up strategy, as most prospects require multiple interactions before making a purchasing decision. Leverage customer feedback to inform strategies and improve experiences, boosting sales and enhancing customer loyalty. Understanding High Pressure Sales Techniques High pressure sales techniques have long been a staple in the domain of sales, but their effectiveness is waning. Many salesman tactics, like limited time offers and emotional manipulation, can actually erode customer trust. Today’s consumers are more informed and discerning, often seeking genuine relationships rather than high-pressure pitches. Approximately 40% of salespeople give up after just one follow-up, whereas most prospects need at least six interactions before deciding to buy. Scarcity principles may induce panic-buying, but they can harm long-term relationships and brand reputation. Overloading prospects with excessive information can intimidate them, leading to hasty decisions and buyer’s remorse. As a result, value-driven selling tactics that prioritize trust-building are becoming increasingly crucial. The Negative Impact of High Pressure Tactics Many consumers find themselves feeling uneasy when confronted with high pressure sales tactics, which can greatly tarnish their overall experience. Approximately 40% of shoppers report discomfort, often disengaging from the sales process entirely. This tactic can create a false sense of urgency, leading to perceptions of manipulation and a decrease in brand trust. Additionally, high pressure approaches can lead to negative reviews and decreased customer loyalty, ultimately harming a brand’s reputation. Negative Outcomes Consumer Reactions Decreased Customer Loyalty 40% feel uncomfortable Negative Brand Perception Increased disengagement Legal Risks (e.g., GDPR) Preference for consultative selling Understanding these impacts is crucial for effective selling. Offer Genuine Value to Customers To succeed in today’s competitive market, offering genuine value to customers is essential for building lasting relationships and encouraging repeat business. This means providing products or services that truly meet their specific needs, which cultivates trust. High-quality content marketing can improve the customer experience; 58% of B2B marketers find it boosts sales by educating potential buyers. In addition, engaging customers thoughtfully through personalized communication can lead to a 60% higher engagement rate, as nearly 60% of consumers appreciate customized interactions. The Importance of Active Listening Active listening is vital in sales as it helps you understand your customers’ needs and concerns more effectively. By genuinely engaging in conversations, you can build trust and rapport, which are fundamental for long-term relationships. When you tailor your responses based on what you’ve heard, you’re more likely to address objections and close deals successfully. Understanding Needs Effectively How can you truly understand your customers’ needs? Active listening is key. It allows you to grasp their challenges and pain points, leading to customized solutions. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer conversations focused on their specific needs instead of generic pitches. You should also keep in mind that communication isn’t just verbal; 55% is non-verbal, so pay attention to body language. Responding thoughtfully to customer feedback improves satisfaction, as 63% of consumers expect personalized experiences. When customers feel heard and valued, conversion rates can increase considerably—up to 20%. Building Trust Through Listening Why is active listening vital in building trust with your customers? It improves engagement by allowing you to fully understand their needs and pain points, which leads to solutions that resonate. Research indicates that 70% of customers feel more valued when you actively listen, cultivating trust and rapport important for long-term relationships. Here’s a quick overview: Benefits of Active Listening Impact on Sales Improves customer engagement Customized solutions Increases customer value perception Stronger trust and rapport Addresses objections effectively Higher closing rates Reduces follow-up interactions Streamlined communication Tailoring Responses to Concerns When you listen closely to your customers, it becomes easier to tailor your responses to their specific concerns and needs. Active listening helps you understand their pain points, allowing you to address them directly. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer salespeople who show genuine interest in their needs, promoting trust and rapport. By engaging in conversations and asking clarifying questions, you demonstrate attentiveness and gain deeper insights into their motivations. Thoughtful responses to customer feedback can refine your messaging and increase conversion rates by up to 30%. Prioritizing active listening not just improves customer satisfaction but also contributes to long-term loyalty and repeat business, making it an essential skill for any sales professional. Pursuing High-Quality Leads When you’re pursuing high-quality leads, targeted outreach becomes crucial, as it helps you connect with prospects who are more likely to convert. Utilizing data verification tools can further improve your efforts by ensuring the leads you engage with are legitimate and well-suited to your offerings. To maximize your success, regularly measure lead quality so you can streamline your sales process and focus on the prospects that truly align with your business goals. Focus on Targeted Outreach To successfully boost your sales, focusing on targeted outreach by pursuing high-quality leads is essential. Prioritizing these leads can greatly improve your conversion rates, as they’re more likely to engage and purchase when guided effectively. Companies often struggle to find quality prospects, emphasizing the importance of investing in lead generation strategies. Here are some key strategies for effective targeted outreach: Tailor your communication to resonate with decision-makers. Engage through diverse channels to reach your audience effectively. Follow up consistently, as most prospects need at least six interactions before deciding. Utilize customer feedback to refine your lead targeting, aligning efforts with actual buyer preferences. Emphasizing these tactics can lead to better engagement and sales performance. Utilize Data Verification Tools Focusing on high-quality leads is just the beginning of an effective sales strategy, and utilizing data verification tools can greatly improve this process. These tools guarantee your contact information is accurate and up-to-date, greatly enhancing your outreach efforts. Studies show that companies prioritizing high-quality leads over quantity experience a 50% increase in conversion rates. By implementing data verification, you’ll reduce costs associated with unqualified leads, creating a more efficient sales pipeline. High-quality leads generated through verified data are three times more likely to convert into paying customers compared to those from less reliable sources. Investing in these tools not merely boosts lead quality but likewise allows your team to focus on prospects that are more likely to engage and convert effectively. Measure Lead Quality Effectively Measuring lead quality effectively is essential for maximizing sales potential and ensuring that your resources are well-spent. High-quality leads align with your ideal customer profile, leading to higher conversion rates and better ROI. Implementing lead scoring systems can prioritize leads based on engagement, demographics, and behavior, enhancing your sales pipeline’s efficiency. Research shows that focusing on high-quality lead generation can boost sales conversions by up to 50%. Here are some strategies to effectively measure lead quality: Use data analytics to track lead sources and behaviors. Continuously monitor and adjust lead qualification criteria. Prioritize leads based on their fit with your target profile. Allocate marketing resources to channels yielding the highest quality prospects. Personalizing Your Sales Messaging When sales teams personalize their messaging, they tap into a potent strategy that can greatly improve customer engagement. Nearly 60% of consumers prefer personalized communication, making customized outreach crucial. By leveraging customer data, you can create messages that resonate, leading to a 20% increase in conversion rates. Segmenting your audience allows you to address unique needs and pain points, improving your effectiveness. Including personalized elements, like using customers’ names and referencing previous interactions, builds trust and enhances the customer experience. Furthermore, A/B testing different messages can help pinpoint the best approaches for your audience. Key Personalization Strategies Impact on Sales Outcomes Customer Data Utilization 20% increase in conversions Audience Segmentation Targeted messaging effectiveness Personalized Name Usage Improved trust and engagement Reference Past Interactions Enhanced customer experience A/B Testing Messaging Identifying best practices The Power of Follow-Up Effective follow-up is critical in the sales process, as research shows that most prospects need at least six interactions before they make a purchasing decision. Surprisingly, over 40% of salespeople give up after just one attempt. By following up quickly and consistently, you demonstrate commitment, keeping prospects engaged. Persistence can greatly boost your conversion rates since 80% of sales require five follow-up calls after the initial contact. To improve your follow-up strategy, consider these tips: Use varied methods like calls, emails, or personalized messages. Implement a structured follow-up strategy to stay organized. Schedule your follow-ups to maintain timely communication. Track interactions to verify no potential leads slip through the cracks. Building Strong Relationships With Prospects Building strong relationships with prospects is essential for successful sales, as these connections can significantly influence buying decisions. Research shows that 70% of buyers prefer engaging with salespeople who understand their needs and offer personalized solutions. Consistent communication and meaningful conversations cultivate trust, with relationship-focused sales strategies yielding up to 25% higher closing rates. Actively listening to prospects helps you address their pain points effectively, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Engaging through social media and online interactions increases your brand visibility and credibility, potentially boosting lead conversion rates by 20-30%. Furthermore, implementing follow-up strategies is important, as 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups to close, maintaining engagement and strengthening relationships over time. Leveraging Customer Feedback for Improvement Leveraging customer feedback is a crucial strategy for continuous improvement in your products and services. By gathering insights, you can identify areas that need improvement. Here are some key benefits of engaging with customer feedback: 70% of customers are willing to provide feedback if asked, helping you understand their needs. Positive testimonials can bolster your credibility and influence 79% of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Addressing negative feedback quickly shows commitment; 63% of customers would return if their complaints are resolved. Regularly soliciting feedback can increase sales by 10-15%, as it informs your future strategies and improves customer experiences. Embracing Continuous Learning and Adaptation As the sales environment continues to evolve, embracing continuous learning and adaptation becomes essential for achieving long-term success. Organizations that prioritize ongoing training experience a 23% increase in time spent selling, leading to improved overall performance. Regular skill development sessions keep your sales team competitive and ready to adapt to changing market trends, enhancing their effectiveness in engaging potential customers. Utilizing performance metrics to guide coaching efforts helps you identify specific weaknesses within your team, allowing for targeted training initiatives. By embracing adaptability in your sales strategies, you can quickly respond to shifts in customer preferences, maintaining a competitive edge. Furthermore, encouraging peer learning and mentorship within your team promotes collaboration and shares best practices that can drive sales growth. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Best Strategy to Increase Sales? To increase sales effectively, focus on comprehending customer needs through value-based or consultative selling. Tailor your messaging to resonate with specific challenges, as personalized communication can greatly improve engagement. Implement a robust follow-up process, ensuring you reach out multiple times since most prospects require several interactions before deciding. Finally, leverage data analytics to refine your tactics and consider establishing a referral program to utilize satisfied customers as advocates for your business. What Are the 3 C’s in Sales? The 3 C’s in sales are Company, Customer, and Competition. You need to analyze your company’s strengths and weaknesses to leverage unique selling points. Comprehending your customers involves identifying their needs, preferences, and pain points to create customized approaches. Researching your competition helps you know their offerings and weaknesses, allowing you to differentiate your product. What Are the 5 P’s of Sales? The 5 P’s of sales are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People. Each component plays an essential role in your sales strategy. Product emphasizes quality and features that meet customer needs. Price involves setting a competitive price reflecting value. Place refers to distribution channels ensuring accessibility. Promotion includes marketing strategies to create awareness. Finally, People focuses on building relationships, as comprehending customer preferences can greatly impact your sales success. What Is the 3 2 1 Sales Strategy? The 3-2-1 Sales Strategy focuses on presenting potential buyers with three key benefits of your product, two customer testimonials, and one compelling call to action. This approach simplifies your message, making it easy for customers to grasp the value without feeling overwhelmed. Highlighting three significant advantages resonates with their needs, whereas testimonials provide social proof. The call to action directs them to the next step, enhancing engagement and increasing your chances of conversion. Conclusion By implementing these ten proven selling tactics, you can greatly improve your sales strategy. Prioritizing consultative selling, actively listening to clients, and pursuing high-quality leads are crucial steps toward building trust and loyalty. Consistent follow-up and leveraging customer feedback further strengthen relationships, as ongoing learning keeps your team informed about market trends. Adopting these approaches not just drives sales growth but likewise nurtures a deeper connection with your customers, ensuring long-term success in a competitive marketplace. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Proven Selling Tactics to Boost Sales Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Because it’s Christmas time, I’ve been digging into myths and misconceptions we have about the holiday: Yuletide misinformation is rampant, and I’m setting the record straight. Last week I dug into who Santa Claus really is, with side quests about St. Nicholas bringing children back from the dead and the religious war between Santa and Kris Kringle. One thing I didn't talk about? His elves. Christmas elves feel like they’ve been around forever, and people have strangely consistent ideas of what they’re all about—they’re small, they wear green, they make toys out of some innate magical compulsion, they love shelves— but that variety of elf is a recent invention; “real” elves were often anything but jolly little pieceworkers. The elves' thousand-year transition from supernatural nightmare creatures to friendly factory workers is a cultural Rorschach test revealing Western culture's changing attitudes about work, wealth, and what it means to be a "useful" member of society. The dark elves of the pastTo understand how we arrived at our current vision of elves, you have to rewind past Will Ferrell vehicles, Christmas specials, and Victorian holiday frippery to the colder heart of Western culture—the old, weird world that was haunted by supernatural forces, and elves weren’t creatures you’d ever want spying on your children. The early origin of elves can’t be pinned down exactly because the idea of elves predates the written word. Magical, man-like races were mentioned in mythology and oral traditions in cultures all over the world; but elves, specifically, were common in Norse and Germanic folklore. This variety of elf was (usually) more like Legolas than Hermey from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer—human-sized and magical, although sometimes mischievous. Elves in Anglo-Saxon England, though, were jerks. Old English medical texts attributed various diseases to elves. If you felt a sharp, unexplained pain, it was probably the result of an “elfshot”—an elf firing an invisible arrow at you. Elves were also associated with witchcraft, nightmares, and mental disorders. Various elven misdeedsElves did all kinds of bad things. Kind of, anyway: The names and deeds of elves, fairies, hobs and other creatures were basically interchangeable and regional, so it's hard to ascribe anything specifically to elves (it could have been a nixie or brownie, after all). In the Middle Ages, elves/fairies/other small magic folk were known to steal people's babies, replacing them with changelings—sickly imposters left in the human’s place. They could curse your livestock, spoil your milk, or lead travelers astray in the woods. Elves were blamed when infants died suddenly or when children developed unexplained illnesses. The "elf-lock" was a particularly nasty bit of mischief where elves would tangle your hair into impossible knots while you slept—the bastards! In other words, these were not the kind of people who would help make toys. They were fundamentally alien—beings that operated by rules humans couldn't understand and definitely couldn't trust—and they weren't for fun or for kids. They were deadly serious and considered very real. The rise of transitional helper-elvesSo how did we get from disease-causing, child-stealing nightmare creatures to Santa’s personal toy-making proletariat? By the medieval and early modern period in Britain, there is widespread belief in what I call “transitional elves.” These were household spirits that came out at night to perform chores while families slept. Useful, for sure, but these elves were mercurial and easily offended. They would leave forever if they felt insulted or taken advantage of. You couldn’t even do something nice for them—if you made them clothes, they might decide to quit forever, shouting, “Gie Brownie a coat, gie Brownie a sark, Ye'se get nae mair o' Brownie's wark." These “household helper” folk beliefs often cast elves as craftsmen, one step closer to toy-makers. These stories inspired the text that laid the foundation for Christmas Elves: the Brothers Grimm fairytale “The Elves and the Shoemaker.” In that story, a shoemaker is down to his last piece of leather, but he wakes up to find a pair of elf-crafted shoes. He sells them, and continues to get free shoemaking labor until he grows wealthy. Then he makes the fateful mistake of rewarding his unpaid laborers with clothing and shoes of their own. They elves are so impressed with their classy new fits, they leave forever, seemingly because they now regard themselves as too good for a working class life. The moral: Don’t treat your employees very well, lest they think they’re your equal. How Elves became associated with ChristmasAlong with establishing much of Santa’s mythology, Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (better known as "The Night Before Christmas") described Santa Claus himself as "a right jolly old elf,” This line laid the foundation for the association of elves with Christmas. An 1857 poem called “The Wonders of Santa Claus” spelled it out clearly. Santa, the poem says, “keeps a great many elves at work,” making “a million of pretty things” like “cakes, sugar-plums, and toys.” In a reflection of the industrial revolution that was happening far from the North Pole, elves weren't household spirits helping one family, they were a workforce, mass-producing toys in a factory. And in what can be seen as an expression of sentimental Victorian ideas about class, the elves loved working in a sweatshop; it's what they were born to do! Here’s the first picture of Santa’s Workshop, from Godey's Lady's Book in 1873. At the time, Godey’s had a huge circulation in the United States, and this image cemented the modern idea of Santa’s Workshop. Credit: Public Domain Modern Christmas elvesThe 1964 Rankin/Bass TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer put the finishing touches on Christmas elf lore by presenting a deeper look at how the North Pole workshop operates. Perhaps fueled by growing cultural misgivings about modernization and capitalism, Santa's workshop in Rudolph is rife with vicious interoffice politics, forced conformity, workers whose dreams and ambitions are crushed (He just wanted to be a dentist, Santa!), and a boss man who is woefully out-of-touch with his employees. The only major innovation in Elf-lore since Rudolph is the "Elf on the Shelf," but he's a damn snitch, so we won't talk about him. The next time you see a green-suited helper in a Christmas movie, remember, that the jolly little toymaker was cobbled together from medieval folklore, German fairy tales, and 19th-century magazine illustrations, and shaped by the rise of industrialization. The modern elf is the domesticated, sanitized, capitalist-approved descendant of supernatural creatures that stole babies, drove people mad, and shot invisible arrows at your ancestors. Merry Christmas! View the full article

California officials and weather forecasters urged holiday travelers to avoid the roads and reconsider Christmas travel as a series of powerful winter storms brought relentless rains, heavy winds and mountain snow. Storms began to move in late Tuesday evening and were expected to intensify into Christmas Eve. Authorities said the millions of people expected to travel across the state will likely meet hazardous, if not impossible, conditions as several atmospheric rivers were forecast to make their way through the state, the National Weather Service warned. “If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans,” said Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles, during a Tuesday news conference. Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows in areas scorched by last January’s wildfires. Los Angeles County officials said they were knocking on the doors of some 380 particularly vulnerable households to order them to leave. Much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area were under a flood watch and a high wind warning through Friday. Forecasters warned heavy snow and gusts were expected to create “near white-out conditions” Wednesday in parts of the Sierra Nevada and make it “nearly impossible” to travel through the mountain passes. There’s also a risk of severe thunderstorms and a small chance of tornadoes along the northern coast. Heavy rain and flash flooding already led to water rescues and at least one death in Northern California, local officials said. Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson on Monday declared a state of emergency to prepare for more rain and allow the state to help with hazard mitigation and search and rescue operations. Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters), National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said. It could be even more in the mountains. Gusts could reach 60 to 80 mph (96.5 to 127.8 kph) in parts of the central coast. Officials expect multiple road closures and airport delays during the storms. Downed trees and power lines are also possible. Parts of Los Angeles are under evacuation warnings this week. The county put up K-rails, a type of barrier, around the burn scar to help catch sliding debris during rainstorms. Residents could also pick up free sandbags to protect their homes, said Kathryn Barger, a Los Angeles County supervisor representing Altadena. Many people in burn scar areas decided not to leave after receiving the evacuation notification, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said. He urged them to reconsider. “The threat posed by this storm is real and imminent,” he said. Local and state officials are gearing up to respond to emergencies through the week. The state has deployed resources and first responders to a number of counties along the coast and in Southern California. The California National Guard is also on standby to assist. An atmospheric river is a long, narrow band of water vapor that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes. Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report. —Trân Nguyễn, Associated Press View the full article

Real-time Santa tracking returns for 2025, with Google and NORAD offering interactive maps, games, and global arrival updates. The post Track Santa On Christmas Eve 2025 (Via NORAD & Google) appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Despite certain pronouncements otherwise, rumors of email's demise have been gravely exaggerated, as recent data shows it's not only still around, it's ubiquitous. View the full article

The great power competition in the AI Age will probably be between OpenAI and Google, and one of the main battles may be over advertising dollars. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seemed to describe the world in those terms during an appearance on the Big Technology podcast Monday. OpenAI, which is not yet profitable, is reportedly getting set to sell ads within ChatGPT in an effort to monetize the many free users on its platform. ChatGPT now has an impressive 800 million weekly active users, but only 35 million of them buy subscriptions. The ads, which could help pay for OpenAI’s plan to spend $115 billion on infrastructure by 2029, could show up as soon as early 2026. As Altman pointed out on the podcast, Google was slow to put generative AI at the center of its products, especially search, its cash cow. “Google has probably the greatest business model in the whole industry, and I think they will be slow to give that up,” Altman said. Google became a two trillion-dollar company selling ads around its traditional “ten blue links” search results; answering search queries with AI-generated results would have meant lost revenue—especially for product searches. (Google has since developed its own AI search experiences and is experimenting with ads to match.) Altman believes Google’s hesitation to go hard on infusing its products with generative AI has bought his company time and staying power. “If Google had really decided to take us seriously in 2023, let’s say, we would’ve been in a really bad place,” the CEO said. “I think they would’ve just been able to smash us.” OpenAI believes (as Perplexity does) that Google will struggle to monetize AI search ads after spending decades perfecting a massive apparatus for selling ads around traditional search results. “[B]olting AI into web search—I may be wrong, I may be drinking the Kool-Aid here—I don’t think that’ll work as well as reimagining the whole [business].” Altman said. He seems to suggest that his company is better positioned to reinvent web search and advertising because it’s a pure AI play. It’s true Google was slow to evolve search (and search ads) toward AI, but the company still has some massive advantages when competing for brand advertiser dollars. It has amassed databases full of custom information that it can serve for certain searches—like local business searches, weather, or mapping. And it has more ad targeting data than anyone else. “There are very legitimate reasons to be concerned that OpenAI is going to eventually succumb to the Google behemoth, just as Yahoo, Microsoft, Blackberry, and countless others have,” writes Stratechery analyst Ben Thompson in a recent newsletter. “I still want to believe that OpenAI can be an aggregator, but they don’t have the business model to match, and that may be fatal.” Altman has said he has reservations about putting ads within ChatGPT, worrying that it might erode trust in the chatbot’s outputs. But it may be that advertising will be the way consumer AI is paid for, just like it’s the reason that much of the web has been free for decades. Ad dollars may let OpenAI maintain its pace in pursuing human-level AI models, its major goal. But going head-to-head with Google in web ads is a daunting task, and it may be one of OpenAI’s biggest tests yet. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. At $749, the unlocked 128GB Google Pixel 10 Pro has slipped into its most affordable price yet on Amazon, down from its original $999 launch price, according to online price trackers. Stack the promo code PIXEL10, and you shave off another $100, which reframes the phone entirely. At full price, it felt like a confident but pricey Android flagship. At this discount, it becomes a far easier recommendation for people who value polish over raw benchmark wins. Google Pixel 10 Pro $649.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $350.00 Get Deal Get Deal $649.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $350.00 This is still very much a Pixel. The design is clean and familiar, with a flat display, matte glass back, and a solid in-hand feel that avoids the slippery problem of earlier generations. It runs Android as Google intends it to run, with fast updates and a long support window that continues to be one of Pixel’s quiet advantages. Most of what the Pixel 10 Pro does well will feel familiar to longtime Pixel fans. The triple-camera system is reliably consistent, with low-light photos that stay natural instead of heavily processed, portraits that rarely miss, and everyday shots that come out right without needing a second attempt. The display gets a modest but useful bump in brightness, which helps outdoors, and Qi2 wireless charging brings faster, more reliable cable-free top-ups. Google’s new Pixelsnap magnetic system fits cleanly into daily routines, snapping chargers and accessories into place much like Apple’s MagSafe, without feeling forced. Lifehacker’s Associate Tech Editor Michelle Ehrhardt notes in her review that this kind of convenience adds up, especially for car mounts or desk charging. One real trade-off is the move to eSIM-only support. That is fine if your carrier supports it, but it can be limiting if you switch networks often or rely on physical SIMs while traveling. Where the Pixel 10 Pro feels less settled is in performance expectations. The Tensor G5 chip is smooth for everyday use, but it does not match Snapdragon rivals in demanding third-party apps, as noted in this PCMag review. Google’s latest AI features sound impressive, but many feel optional rather than essential, not exactly reasons to upgrade. Battery life is solid but unremarkable. It lasts a full day with moderate use, though heavier users may need a top-up before night. All told, this discounted Pixel 10 Pro is not aimed at spec chasers. It is a balanced, camera-first Android phone with thoughtful refinements, now priced in a way that finally makes sense. Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $209.99 (List Price $249.00) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $139.99 (List Price $219.99) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 3-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core — $74.99 (List Price $189.99) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Meta Quest 3 512GB Mixed Reality VR Headset with Controllers — $499.00 (List Price $499.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A news segment about the The President administration’s immigration policy that was abruptly pulled from “60 Minutes” was mistakenly aired on a TV app after the last minute decision not to air it touched off a public debate about journalistic independence. The segment featured interviews with migrants who were sent to a notorious El Salvador prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, under President Donald The President’s aggressive crackdown on immigration. The story was pulled from Global Television Network, one of Canada’s largest networks, but still ran on the network’s app. Global Television Network swiftly corrected the error, but copies of it continued to float around the internet and pop up before being taken down. “Paramount’s content protection team is in the process of routine take down orders for the unaired and unauthorized segment,” a CBS spokesperson said Tuesday via email. A representative of Global Television Network did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the story, two men who were deported reported torture, beatings and abuse. One Venezuelan said he was punished with sexual abuse and solitary confinement. Another was a college student who said guards beat him and knocked out his tooth upon arrival. “When you get there, you already know you’re in hell. You don’t need anyone to tell you,” he said. The segment featured numerous experts who called into question the legal basis for deporting migrants so hastily amid pending judicial decisions. Reporters for the show also corroborated findings by Human Rights Watch suggesting that only eight of the deported men had been sentenced for violent or potentially violent crimes, using available ICE data. The decision to pull a story critical of the The President administration was met with widespread accusations that CBS leadership was shielding the president from unfavorable coverage. The journalist who reported the story, Sharyn Alfonsi, said in an email sent to fellow “60 Minutes” correspondents that the story was factually correct and had been cleared by CBS lawyers and its standards division. CBS News chief Bari Weiss said Monday that the story did not “advance the ball” and pointed out that the The President administration had refused to comment for the story. Weiss said she wanted a greater effort made to get its point of view and said she looked forward to airing Alfonsi’s piece “when it’s ready.” The dispute put one of journalism’s most respected brands — and a frequent target of The President — back in the spotlight and amplified questions about whether Weiss’ appointment is a signal that CBS News is headed in a more The President-friendly direction. —Safiyah Riddle, Associated Press View the full article

A sole proprietorship is a straightforward business structure owned by one individual, where there’s no legal separation between you and your business. This means you keep all profits but additionally assume full personal liability for any debts. Establishing this type of business is typically easy and inexpensive, making it a popular choice for many entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, it comes with both advantages and disadvantages that can impact your financial and legal responsibilities. Comprehending these aspects is essential for your success. Key Takeaways A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business owned by a single individual, with no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner retains all profits and is personally liable for all business debts and obligations. It is easy and inexpensive to establish, requiring minimal paperwork and no formal registration. The owner has complete control over business operations and decisions, allowing for quick adaptability. Income is taxed as a pass-through entity, reported on the owner’s personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. What Is a Sole Proprietorship? A sole proprietorship is one of the most straightforward business structures available, making it an appealing option for many entrepreneurs. To define sole proprietorship, you should know it’s an unincorporated business owned and managed by a single individual, where there’s no legal distinction between you and your business. As the sole owner, you retain all profits but are likewise personally liable for any debts or obligations your business incurs, which means your personal assets could be at risk. Establishing a sole proprietorship is simple and inexpensive, often requiring minimal paperwork and no formal registration. In addition, you can operate under your legal name or choose a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name if desired. Income is reported on your personal tax return, streamlining taxation. Key Characteristics of a Sole Proprietorship When considering the key characteristics of a sole proprietorship, it’s essential to understand that this business structure allows you to maintain complete control over your operations and decisions. You’re the sole owner, meaning you reap all profits, but likewise bear personal liability for any debts or obligations your business incurs. This structure requires minimal paperwork to establish, with no federal registration needed, making it one of the simplest forms of business. Furthermore, you report your business income on your personal tax return, avoiding the double taxation faced by corporations. You can operate under your legal name or a registered fictitious name, giving you flexibility in branding while keeping the business closely tied to your identity. Advantages of Sole Proprietorships Starting a sole proprietorship comes with low startup costs, making it an attractive option for many. You maintain full control over your operations, allowing you to make decisions quickly and align your business with your vision. This combination of affordability and autonomy can greatly benefit your entrepreneurial path. Low Startup Costs One of the biggest advantages of a sole proprietorship is its low startup costs, making it an appealing choice for many new entrepreneurs. This business structure is the most cost-effective to start, often requiring minimal setup fees and paperwork compared to limited liability companies or corporations. You can typically launch your business without extensive legal formalities, as there’s no formal registration required at the federal level. Furthermore, you won’t face corporate taxes, as business income is reported directly on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. Many sole proprietors can operate using their Social Security Number, eliminating the need for an Employer Identification Number except when hiring employees, which further reduces administrative costs and simplifies the process of obtaining necessary licenses and permits. Full Control Over Operations Operating a sole proprietorship not just offers low startup costs but also grants you full control over your business operations. You can make all decisions quickly, responding to market changes and personal preferences without needing anyone else’s approval. This autonomy lets you implement your vision, cultivating a unique brand identity and allowing you to adapt strategies to suit your style. Advantages Impact Complete Decision-Making Faster responses to market needs Personal Brand Connection Improved customer loyalty Flexibility in Operations Customized services and offerings As the sole decision-maker, you can prioritize tasks and allocate resources according to your judgment, leading to effective execution of your business plans. Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorships Though sole proprietorships can offer simplicity and control, they likewise come with significant disadvantages that potential owners should carefully consider. One major concern is unlimited personal liability; your personal assets could be pursued by creditors if your business incurs debts or faces legal judgments. Furthermore, funding options are limited since you can’t sell stock or attract outside investors, often forcing you to rely on personal savings or loans. The business lacks continuity; if you become incapacitated or pass away, it ceases to exist, complicating succession planning. In addition, growth and scalability can be challenging, as you’re solely responsible for all aspects. Finally, the burden of decision-making falls entirely on you, increasing stress, especially during financial difficulties or crises. Establishing a Sole Proprietorship Establishing a sole proprietorship is a straightforward process that makes it an attractive option for many entrepreneurs. You automatically create one when you start conducting business without formal registration, which means minimal paperwork and lower startup costs. Nevertheless, you may need to obtain specific licenses and permits depending on local regulations and your business type. If you choose a business name different from your legal name, a “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration is crucial. Furthermore, if you plan to hire employees or need it for tax purposes, you’ll require an Employer Identification Number (EIN). No formal filings are often necessary. Licensing and permits may apply. DBA registration is required for different business names. Tax Implications for Sole Proprietorships Tax implications for sole proprietorships can greatly affect your overall financial situation, so it’s important to understand how they work. As a sole proprietor, your business income is taxed as a pass-through entity, reported on your personal tax return. You’ll need to pay self-employment taxes on profits, currently totaling 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare. No separate business tax return is required; instead, you report profits and losses on Schedule C of Form 1040. You can additionally deduct business expenses like supplies and utilities, which helps reduce your taxable income. Unlike corporations, you won’t face double taxation since your business profits are taxed only once at your individual income level. Key Feature Explanation Pass-Through Taxation Income reported on personal tax return Self-Employment Taxes 15.3% on business profits No Separate Tax Return Use Schedule C on Form 1040 Deductible Business Expenses Reduces taxable income No Double Taxation Taxed only at individual income level Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC vs. Partnership When comparing sole proprietorships, LLCs, and partnerships, you’ll notice significant differences in liability and tax implications. Sole proprietors face personal liability for business debts, whereas LLC members enjoy limited liability, protecting their personal assets. Partnerships, in contrast, involve shared ownership and joint liability, making it essential to understand how these structures impact both your financial responsibility and tax obligations. Liability Differences Explained Comprehending the liability differences among sole proprietorships, LLCs, and partnerships is crucial for anyone considering starting a business. In a sole proprietorship, you face unlimited personal liability, meaning creditors can claim your personal assets for business debts. Partnerships similarly expose partners to unlimited liability, allowing creditors to target any partner’s assets. Conversely, an LLC provides limited liability, protecting your personal assets from business-related lawsuits and debts. Sole proprietorships and partnerships entail personal asset risk. LLCs require formal registration to maintain liability protection. Personal liability in an LLC is limited to your investment in the business. Understanding these distinctions can greatly impact your financial security and business decisions. Tax Implications Comparison The way you handle taxes can markedly differ depending on whether you choose a sole proprietorship, LLC, or partnership for your business structure. Sole proprietorships report income on your personal tax return with a single layer of taxation. Conversely, LLCs have the option of pass-through taxation or being taxed as a corporation, which can lead to double taxation. Partnerships likewise benefit from pass-through taxation but must file an informational return. Sole proprietors pay self-employment taxes on all profits, whereas LLC members may only pay on their share. Moreover, LLCs typically require an EIN, while sole proprietors do not if they hire employees. Business Structure Tax Filing Requirements Self-Employment Tax Sole Proprietorship Simple, personal tax return On all profits LLC Varies; may require separate return On share if classified as partnership Partnership Informational return required On share of profits Common Examples of Sole Proprietorships Sole proprietorships are prevalent across various industries, serving as a flexible and straightforward business model for many individuals. You’ll find that this structure suits various professions and sectors, making it a popular choice. Here are some common examples: Freelancers, like graphic designers or writers, manage their business independently without formal corporate structures. Independent contractors, such as IT consultants or electricians, provide services directly to clients while retaining full control over their operations. Small retail businesses, including local bakeries or coffee shops, often start as sole proprietorships, allowing owners to keep all profits and manage personal liability risks. These examples illustrate the versatility of sole proprietorships, making them an attractive option for many entrepreneurs. Transitioning From Sole Proprietorship to LLC As many entrepreneurs consider broadening their business operations, moving from a sole proprietorship to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) can offer significant advantages. The shift involves several key steps, such as checking the availability of your desired business name and filing Articles of Organization with the state. You’ll also need to obtain a new Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the LLC, as the one from your sole proprietorship can’t be used. Furthermore, you might need to update your business licenses and permits to comply with state regulations. Seeking legal or financial advice during this shift guarantees that you establish the new LLC properly. Step Action Required Notes Name Availability Check Verify your desired business name Confirm it’s unique File Articles of Organization Submit necessary documentation Required by state law Obtain New EIN Apply for a new Employer Identification Number Vital for tax purposes Legal and Financial Responsibilities How do you navigate the legal and financial responsibilities of running a sole proprietorship? As a sole proprietor, you face unique obligations that require your attention. You’re personally liable for all business debts, so creditors can pursue your personal assets to cover any liabilities. You’ll report your business income on your personal tax return, which simplifies the process, but it doesn’t shield you from liability. Furthermore, you need to comply with local regulations, which can include the following: Obtaining necessary business licenses and permits Registering a Doing Business As (DBA) name if you use one Adhering to local and state tax registration requirements Understanding these responsibilities is crucial to protect your assets and guarantee your business operates within the law. Resources for Sole Proprietors As a sole proprietor, you have access to a variety of resources that can help you navigate the challenges of running your business. From comprehending funding options to meeting legal requirements, these tools are crucial for your success. Furthermore, business management resources can equip you with strategies to effectively oversee your operations and guarantee growth. Funding Options Available When starting a sole proprietorship, securing funding can often be a challenge, especially since many sole proprietors rely on personal savings or credit cards as their primary sources of capital. Nevertheless, there are several other options you can explore: Loans from friends and family can provide immediate support without the stringent requirements of banks. Crowdfunding platforms allow you to present your business idea to potential investors and customers, helping you raise funds online. Grants and small business competitions may offer non-repayable funding for innovative ideas that meet specific criteria. Additionally, consider seeking microloans, which provide smaller amounts of capital with less stringent requirements than traditional loans. Legal Requirements Overview Comprehending the legal requirements for a sole proprietorship is vital, especially since these obligations can vary markedly based on your business type and location. Typically, you won’t need federal registration, but local business licenses or permits might be necessary. If you operate under a name different from your legal name, you’ll likely need to file a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name in some states. If you plan to hire employees or open a business bank account, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is necessary. Moreover, depending on your business, you may need to register for a sales tax license to collect sales tax on products sold. Business Management Resources Establishing a successful sole proprietorship goes beyond comprehending legal requirements; it furthermore involves leveraging various resources to effectively manage your business. By utilizing the right tools and support, you can streamline operations and improve your skills. Consider these valuable resources: Accounting Software: Platforms like QuickBooks and FreshBooks simplify your financial management. Workshops and Webinars: Organizations offer free or low-cost sessions on marketing, tax preparation, and business planning. Networking Opportunities: Join local chambers of commerce or networking groups to connect with other business owners and share best practices. In addition, explore government resources like the Small Business Administration for guidance on licenses, permits, and funding options. Educational platforms such as Coursera and Udemy likewise provide courses to improve your business management skills. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Sole Proprietorship and Its Features? A sole proprietorship is a business owned and run by one individual, providing a simple way to start a venture. You enjoy complete control over decisions and keep all profits, but you likewise face personal liability for any debts. Establishing one requires minimal paperwork, often just local licenses. Tax-wise, you report income on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. This structure suits freelancers and small business owners seeking low costs and flexibility. What Is One Key Feature of a Sole Proprietorship? One key feature of a sole proprietorship is the owner’s complete control over business decisions. You manage every aspect without needing approval from partners or shareholders, which allows for quick decision-making. This autonomy means you can adapt your business strategies swiftly in response to market changes. Nevertheless, it furthermore means you’re personally liable for any debts or legal issues, as there’s no legal separation between your personal and business finances. What Is a Key Feature of Sole Proprietorship and Partnership? A key feature of both sole proprietorships and partnerships is that they’re unincorporated business structures. This means there’s no legal separation between the business and the owners, resulting in unlimited personal liability. In a sole proprietorship, you’re fully in control and responsible for all decisions. Conversely, in a partnership, multiple owners share control and responsibilities. Both structures typically report income on personal tax returns, avoiding corporate taxes. What Are the Key Facts About Sole Proprietorship? When considering a sole proprietorship, it’s crucial to acknowledge a few key facts. You’ve got full control over your business, meaning you can make decisions without needing approval from partners. Nonetheless, you’re personally liable for any debts, which could put your assets at risk. Establishing one typically requires minimal paperwork, and you report your business income on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation common with other business structures. Conclusion In conclusion, a sole proprietorship offers simplicity and full control for business owners while allowing them to enjoy all profits. Nevertheless, it additionally comes with personal liability for any debts incurred. Comprehending the advantages and disadvantages, along with the process of establishing this business structure, is crucial for anyone considering this path. If you’re looking to grow, shifting to an LLC might be a beneficial option to explore for added protection and potential tax advantages. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Define Sole Proprietorship and Its Key Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A sole proprietorship is a straightforward business structure owned by one individual, where there’s no legal separation between you and your business. This means you keep all profits but additionally assume full personal liability for any debts. Establishing this type of business is typically easy and inexpensive, making it a popular choice for many entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, it comes with both advantages and disadvantages that can impact your financial and legal responsibilities. Comprehending these aspects is essential for your success. Key Takeaways A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business owned by a single individual, with no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner retains all profits and is personally liable for all business debts and obligations. It is easy and inexpensive to establish, requiring minimal paperwork and no formal registration. The owner has complete control over business operations and decisions, allowing for quick adaptability. Income is taxed as a pass-through entity, reported on the owner’s personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. What Is a Sole Proprietorship? A sole proprietorship is one of the most straightforward business structures available, making it an appealing option for many entrepreneurs. To define sole proprietorship, you should know it’s an unincorporated business owned and managed by a single individual, where there’s no legal distinction between you and your business. As the sole owner, you retain all profits but are likewise personally liable for any debts or obligations your business incurs, which means your personal assets could be at risk. Establishing a sole proprietorship is simple and inexpensive, often requiring minimal paperwork and no formal registration. In addition, you can operate under your legal name or choose a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name if desired. Income is reported on your personal tax return, streamlining taxation. Key Characteristics of a Sole Proprietorship When considering the key characteristics of a sole proprietorship, it’s essential to understand that this business structure allows you to maintain complete control over your operations and decisions. You’re the sole owner, meaning you reap all profits, but likewise bear personal liability for any debts or obligations your business incurs. This structure requires minimal paperwork to establish, with no federal registration needed, making it one of the simplest forms of business. Furthermore, you report your business income on your personal tax return, avoiding the double taxation faced by corporations. You can operate under your legal name or a registered fictitious name, giving you flexibility in branding while keeping the business closely tied to your identity. Advantages of Sole Proprietorships Starting a sole proprietorship comes with low startup costs, making it an attractive option for many. You maintain full control over your operations, allowing you to make decisions quickly and align your business with your vision. This combination of affordability and autonomy can greatly benefit your entrepreneurial path. Low Startup Costs One of the biggest advantages of a sole proprietorship is its low startup costs, making it an appealing choice for many new entrepreneurs. This business structure is the most cost-effective to start, often requiring minimal setup fees and paperwork compared to limited liability companies or corporations. You can typically launch your business without extensive legal formalities, as there’s no formal registration required at the federal level. Furthermore, you won’t face corporate taxes, as business income is reported directly on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. Many sole proprietors can operate using their Social Security Number, eliminating the need for an Employer Identification Number except when hiring employees, which further reduces administrative costs and simplifies the process of obtaining necessary licenses and permits. Full Control Over Operations Operating a sole proprietorship not just offers low startup costs but also grants you full control over your business operations. You can make all decisions quickly, responding to market changes and personal preferences without needing anyone else’s approval. This autonomy lets you implement your vision, cultivating a unique brand identity and allowing you to adapt strategies to suit your style. Advantages Impact Complete Decision-Making Faster responses to market needs Personal Brand Connection Improved customer loyalty Flexibility in Operations Customized services and offerings As the sole decision-maker, you can prioritize tasks and allocate resources according to your judgment, leading to effective execution of your business plans. Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorships Though sole proprietorships can offer simplicity and control, they likewise come with significant disadvantages that potential owners should carefully consider. One major concern is unlimited personal liability; your personal assets could be pursued by creditors if your business incurs debts or faces legal judgments. Furthermore, funding options are limited since you can’t sell stock or attract outside investors, often forcing you to rely on personal savings or loans. The business lacks continuity; if you become incapacitated or pass away, it ceases to exist, complicating succession planning. In addition, growth and scalability can be challenging, as you’re solely responsible for all aspects. Finally, the burden of decision-making falls entirely on you, increasing stress, especially during financial difficulties or crises. Establishing a Sole Proprietorship Establishing a sole proprietorship is a straightforward process that makes it an attractive option for many entrepreneurs. You automatically create one when you start conducting business without formal registration, which means minimal paperwork and lower startup costs. Nevertheless, you may need to obtain specific licenses and permits depending on local regulations and your business type. If you choose a business name different from your legal name, a “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration is crucial. Furthermore, if you plan to hire employees or need it for tax purposes, you’ll require an Employer Identification Number (EIN). No formal filings are often necessary. Licensing and permits may apply. DBA registration is required for different business names. Tax Implications for Sole Proprietorships Tax implications for sole proprietorships can greatly affect your overall financial situation, so it’s important to understand how they work. As a sole proprietor, your business income is taxed as a pass-through entity, reported on your personal tax return. You’ll need to pay self-employment taxes on profits, currently totaling 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare. No separate business tax return is required; instead, you report profits and losses on Schedule C of Form 1040. You can additionally deduct business expenses like supplies and utilities, which helps reduce your taxable income. Unlike corporations, you won’t face double taxation since your business profits are taxed only once at your individual income level. Key Feature Explanation Pass-Through Taxation Income reported on personal tax return Self-Employment Taxes 15.3% on business profits No Separate Tax Return Use Schedule C on Form 1040 Deductible Business Expenses Reduces taxable income No Double Taxation Taxed only at individual income level Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC vs. Partnership When comparing sole proprietorships, LLCs, and partnerships, you’ll notice significant differences in liability and tax implications. Sole proprietors face personal liability for business debts, whereas LLC members enjoy limited liability, protecting their personal assets. Partnerships, in contrast, involve shared ownership and joint liability, making it essential to understand how these structures impact both your financial responsibility and tax obligations. Liability Differences Explained Comprehending the liability differences among sole proprietorships, LLCs, and partnerships is crucial for anyone considering starting a business. In a sole proprietorship, you face unlimited personal liability, meaning creditors can claim your personal assets for business debts. Partnerships similarly expose partners to unlimited liability, allowing creditors to target any partner’s assets. Conversely, an LLC provides limited liability, protecting your personal assets from business-related lawsuits and debts. Sole proprietorships and partnerships entail personal asset risk. LLCs require formal registration to maintain liability protection. Personal liability in an LLC is limited to your investment in the business. Understanding these distinctions can greatly impact your financial security and business decisions. Tax Implications Comparison The way you handle taxes can markedly differ depending on whether you choose a sole proprietorship, LLC, or partnership for your business structure. Sole proprietorships report income on your personal tax return with a single layer of taxation. Conversely, LLCs have the option of pass-through taxation or being taxed as a corporation, which can lead to double taxation. Partnerships likewise benefit from pass-through taxation but must file an informational return. Sole proprietors pay self-employment taxes on all profits, whereas LLC members may only pay on their share. Moreover, LLCs typically require an EIN, while sole proprietors do not if they hire employees. Business Structure Tax Filing Requirements Self-Employment Tax Sole Proprietorship Simple, personal tax return On all profits LLC Varies; may require separate return On share if classified as partnership Partnership Informational return required On share of profits Common Examples of Sole Proprietorships Sole proprietorships are prevalent across various industries, serving as a flexible and straightforward business model for many individuals. You’ll find that this structure suits various professions and sectors, making it a popular choice. Here are some common examples: Freelancers, like graphic designers or writers, manage their business independently without formal corporate structures. Independent contractors, such as IT consultants or electricians, provide services directly to clients while retaining full control over their operations. Small retail businesses, including local bakeries or coffee shops, often start as sole proprietorships, allowing owners to keep all profits and manage personal liability risks. These examples illustrate the versatility of sole proprietorships, making them an attractive option for many entrepreneurs. Transitioning From Sole Proprietorship to LLC As many entrepreneurs consider broadening their business operations, moving from a sole proprietorship to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) can offer significant advantages. The shift involves several key steps, such as checking the availability of your desired business name and filing Articles of Organization with the state. You’ll also need to obtain a new Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the LLC, as the one from your sole proprietorship can’t be used. Furthermore, you might need to update your business licenses and permits to comply with state regulations. Seeking legal or financial advice during this shift guarantees that you establish the new LLC properly. Step Action Required Notes Name Availability Check Verify your desired business name Confirm it’s unique File Articles of Organization Submit necessary documentation Required by state law Obtain New EIN Apply for a new Employer Identification Number Vital for tax purposes Legal and Financial Responsibilities How do you navigate the legal and financial responsibilities of running a sole proprietorship? As a sole proprietor, you face unique obligations that require your attention. You’re personally liable for all business debts, so creditors can pursue your personal assets to cover any liabilities. You’ll report your business income on your personal tax return, which simplifies the process, but it doesn’t shield you from liability. Furthermore, you need to comply with local regulations, which can include the following: Obtaining necessary business licenses and permits Registering a Doing Business As (DBA) name if you use one Adhering to local and state tax registration requirements Understanding these responsibilities is crucial to protect your assets and guarantee your business operates within the law. Resources for Sole Proprietors As a sole proprietor, you have access to a variety of resources that can help you navigate the challenges of running your business. From comprehending funding options to meeting legal requirements, these tools are crucial for your success. Furthermore, business management resources can equip you with strategies to effectively oversee your operations and guarantee growth. Funding Options Available When starting a sole proprietorship, securing funding can often be a challenge, especially since many sole proprietors rely on personal savings or credit cards as their primary sources of capital. Nevertheless, there are several other options you can explore: Loans from friends and family can provide immediate support without the stringent requirements of banks. Crowdfunding platforms allow you to present your business idea to potential investors and customers, helping you raise funds online. Grants and small business competitions may offer non-repayable funding for innovative ideas that meet specific criteria. Additionally, consider seeking microloans, which provide smaller amounts of capital with less stringent requirements than traditional loans. Legal Requirements Overview Comprehending the legal requirements for a sole proprietorship is vital, especially since these obligations can vary markedly based on your business type and location. Typically, you won’t need federal registration, but local business licenses or permits might be necessary. If you operate under a name different from your legal name, you’ll likely need to file a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name in some states. If you plan to hire employees or open a business bank account, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is necessary. Moreover, depending on your business, you may need to register for a sales tax license to collect sales tax on products sold. Business Management Resources Establishing a successful sole proprietorship goes beyond comprehending legal requirements; it furthermore involves leveraging various resources to effectively manage your business. By utilizing the right tools and support, you can streamline operations and improve your skills. Consider these valuable resources: Accounting Software: Platforms like QuickBooks and FreshBooks simplify your financial management. Workshops and Webinars: Organizations offer free or low-cost sessions on marketing, tax preparation, and business planning. Networking Opportunities: Join local chambers of commerce or networking groups to connect with other business owners and share best practices. In addition, explore government resources like the Small Business Administration for guidance on licenses, permits, and funding options. Educational platforms such as Coursera and Udemy likewise provide courses to improve your business management skills. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Sole Proprietorship and Its Features? A sole proprietorship is a business owned and run by one individual, providing a simple way to start a venture. You enjoy complete control over decisions and keep all profits, but you likewise face personal liability for any debts. Establishing one requires minimal paperwork, often just local licenses. Tax-wise, you report income on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. This structure suits freelancers and small business owners seeking low costs and flexibility. What Is One Key Feature of a Sole Proprietorship? One key feature of a sole proprietorship is the owner’s complete control over business decisions. You manage every aspect without needing approval from partners or shareholders, which allows for quick decision-making. This autonomy means you can adapt your business strategies swiftly in response to market changes. Nevertheless, it furthermore means you’re personally liable for any debts or legal issues, as there’s no legal separation between your personal and business finances. What Is a Key Feature of Sole Proprietorship and Partnership? A key feature of both sole proprietorships and partnerships is that they’re unincorporated business structures. This means there’s no legal separation between the business and the owners, resulting in unlimited personal liability. In a sole proprietorship, you’re fully in control and responsible for all decisions. Conversely, in a partnership, multiple owners share control and responsibilities. Both structures typically report income on personal tax returns, avoiding corporate taxes. What Are the Key Facts About Sole Proprietorship? When considering a sole proprietorship, it’s crucial to acknowledge a few key facts. You’ve got full control over your business, meaning you can make decisions without needing approval from partners. Nonetheless, you’re personally liable for any debts, which could put your assets at risk. Establishing one typically requires minimal paperwork, and you report your business income on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation common with other business structures. Conclusion In conclusion, a sole proprietorship offers simplicity and full control for business owners while allowing them to enjoy all profits. Nevertheless, it additionally comes with personal liability for any debts incurred. Comprehending the advantages and disadvantages, along with the process of establishing this business structure, is crucial for anyone considering this path. If you’re looking to grow, shifting to an LLC might be a beneficial option to explore for added protection and potential tax advantages. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Define Sole Proprietorship and Its Key Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

To manage your inbox, you need dedication. You need a plan. You need acronyms. One such acronym is RAFT, which will literally keep you afloat in the sea of emails you receive every day. You can combine it with others, like LIFO and 4D to maximize its benefits, but first you need to know what to do with it on its own. What is RAFT email management?RAFT stands for the following: Read Act File Trash. Easy! With this management system, you take the time to read an email first, then act on it however you need to—if you need to, that is—before either filing it away somewhere or deleting it. That’s basically all there is to it, but it works because it requires you to focus on each individual email and make an assessment right away, so you don’t miss anything. Like the one- and two-touch rules, this one does require you to open your emails as they come in. For me, that's the hardest part because it's a habit you need to build. This approach reminds me of a more broadly-applicable productivity technique I use often, which is the two-minute rule. When you think of something or are prompted to deal with it, handle it right away. Again, it's a habit that needs to be built up, but I like this approach for all kinds of productivity needs—and with RAFT, you have a clearly outlined series of next steps after you open it up. How to get the most out of RAFTTo maximize the benefits, you should combine this with another system or two. For instance, combine RAFT with the LIFO—last in, first out—method, which calls for you to answer your most recent emails before older ones. If you do this, you’ll always be acting on the most urgent needs instead of playing endless catch-up with things that you let slip by. If something from the past is truly important, you’ll get a follow-up email and you can RAFT then. Otherwise, stick with your most pressing, recent messages and read them, act on them, and file or trash them after that. When it comes to the acting part, you can call on the trusty 4D method to help you out. The four Ds are delete, do, delegate, or defer, and they refer to the four things you can do with any email. (Delete here is redundant, since “trash” is part of RAFT, but it’s good to reinforce the notion that useless emails should be nuked.) Either do what the email says or delegate it to someone who can, but keep the process moving swiftly. If you don’t end up forwarding it to someone else, delete it or defer (file) it. The main rule of RAFT is you have to do something with every message, not ignore it. As for the filing component of RAFT, make sure you have a great file system in place in advance. If you use Gmail, consider using labels as a more organized archive system, to make whatever you choose to file away more easily accessible. You can label these mini-archives by date, by project, or by whatever makes sense for your retrieval, but be consistent about it so you’re not just banishing all your dealt-with messages to an email limbo. View the full article

No matter how dedicated you are to responding to and archiving all your emails, there will always be one thing preventing you from hitting true inbox zero: all of those mailing lists you're subscribed to. These horrors will visit you at all hours of the day, making it harder to spot the truly important messages in your inbox—and it gets worse once you've gotten fed up enough to disable push notifications and they start to really pile up. It’s time to banish these buggers. And, if you're using Gmail, there’s an easy way to do it. Use filters to manage mailing list emails in GmailYou can use a third-party add-on to go through your mailing lists and unsubscribe, saying goodbye to newsletters and e-blasts. But you know what’s easier and less expensive? Setting a filter in Gmail. Open up one of your mailing list emails and click the three dots in the menu bar. You’ll see “Mark as unread,” “Mark as important,” and a few other options, but the one you want is “Filter messages like these.” Credit: Gmail From there, you’ll see a dialog box asking how you want to filter your messages. You can filter by sender, recipients, and subjects, but also by anything that “has the words…” In the “has the words” row, type “unsubscribe.” Now, any email containing the word “unsubscribe”—which reputable email blasts almost always do—can be filtered out of your inbox without you having to do anything. Once you type “unsubscribe” there, hit the “create filter” button. The following dialog box will ask how you want these filtered. You can choose to have them archived, marked as read, starred, forwarded, or immediately deleted. Things to consider when creating Gmail filtersI recommend archiving over deleting in case you ever want to find them again, but if you are sure you’ll never want to open another mailing list, newsletter, or sales blast, feel free to check the box next to “delete.” Note that if you choose to archive but later want to delete them, you’ll have to do so manually. Personally, I am happy to pay for extra Google storage to keep a record of messages instead of inadvertently lose something I need, but I know that's needlessly neurotic. If you do end up archiving those, the next step needs to be actually unsubscribing from the messages you truly don't want to receive. Gmail has recently made this a lot easier: You can usually click an unsubscribe button up at the top of the offending email. The Google-run email service also rolled out a Manage Subscriptions service this past summer, so once you take a gander at the archive full of junk and notice what you're not exactly needing or opening up, you can head over there and nuke your subscriptions quickly and easily. View the full article

Michael Graves once said regarding a men’s suit, “You can buy a lot of cheap ones, or you can buy one great Armani suit.” He was not just talking about tailoring. He was talking about time, and about the value of design that endures functionally, emotionally, and aesthetically long after the first moment of use. At Michael Graves Design, we have always believed that the best designs are not those that just capture attention for a moment, but those that quietly support you over years, as your life evolves. As we look toward the future of accessibility, this idea becomes more urgent. The truth is simple: Every body is either disabled, or not currently disabled. DESIGN THAT LASTS MUST ALSO ADAPT Accessible design is not a niche strategy. It is a philosophy of foresight. Just as quality design anticipates wear and tear, accessible design anticipates change. Our abilities shift over time: a disease diagnosis, a broken wrist, aging eyesight, a dimly lit room, or the fatigue that comes from multitasking. These are permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities that remind us that accessibility is not for some people, it is for every body, all the time. When you buy something thoughtfully designed, you are not only purchasing an object for today. You are investing in your future self. A well-placed grab bar or an ergonomically-contoured handle may seem unnecessary now, but design that is inclusive from the start ensures your environment keeps working for you as life evolves. That is not a limitation; that is liberation. THE BLUE SKY FALLACY Every designer learns that constraints fuel creativity. The most overlooked constraint is time itself. Great design considers not only how an object is today, but how it ages, how it feels after a decade, and how it fits into new phases of life. The products that endure—the teakettle you reach for every morning, the cane that becomes an extension of confidence, the accessible bed that becomes invaluable when you are pregnant, recovering from a sports injury or dealing with arthritis—earn their place through empathy and endurance. Like copper developing a natural patina, they do not lose their shine with age; they gain depth, character, and meaning. Time reveals what is truly human in design: the capacity to keep serving, delighting, and belonging. When we prioritize quality over quantity, we move from consumption to connection. The inexpensive object may fill a need, but the well-designed one creates a relationship. It gathers meaning through use, through memory, and through time. THE 10-3-1 RULE: DESIGN FOR DISCOVERY From 10 feet away, a product should make a striking visual impression that draws you in. From three feet away, you begin to notice the finer details that make it beautiful and unique. From one foot away, you experience the tactile qualities—the feel in your hand, the sound of a lid closing, the subtle comfort of balance—that turn interaction into attachment. This layering of experience also connects design across time. The first impression creates desire. The first touch confirms trust. Over years of use, the subtle discoveries and enhancements continue to reveal themselves, deepening the relationship between product and user. When we design with this rule, we are not creating for novelty. We are designing for longevity, ensuring that the product continues to surprise and delight in small ways long after it is first used. The more you live with it, the more reasons you find to keep it. That is how great design resists obsolescence and becomes part of your life story. DESIGN WITH: CREATING FOR THE LONG JOURNEY Product designers often start with ethnographic research. It means we observe, listen, and collaborate with users to uncover product opportunity gaps that real life exposes. During this process, we create journey maps for all stages of use to ensure that, over time, the product continues to delight and exceed expectations. This approach turns empathy into strategy. When we design with people, rather than for them, we learn what they reach for first, what they avoid, and what frustrates them as time goes on. Designing with time in mind ensures that function and emotion evolve together. Products should not simply age well; they should grow more meaningful as users do. FROM TIMELESS STYLE TO SUSTAINABLE EMPATHY Design that lasts is also sustainable. Durability is the quiet partner of accessibility. When an object is built to last, both physically and emotionally, it reduces waste in materials and in meaning. A timeless product avoids obsolescence not because it resists change, but because it anticipates it. Michael Graves understood that beauty and practicality are not opposites. They are collaborators. His philosophy, that good design belongs to every body, was not just about cost or availability. It was about longevity. The most democratic design is the one that remains useful and dignified across the entire arc of a person’s life. When we think beyond immediate needs to what those needs might become, we create environments that nurture resilience rather than replacement. DESIGN AS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE SELF When you buy an accessibly-designed product, whether a piece of furniture, a bathroom fixture, or a cooking tool, you are not only investing in quality. You are investing in your future independence, comfort, and dignity. As Michael reminded us, you can buy a lot of cheap ones, or one great Armani suit. The suit, like great accessible design, carries you forward. It becomes part of your story. It fits you today, and it will still fit, both metaphorically and emotionally, when your needs evolve. The fifth dimension of design is not about style that never changes. It is about care that never expires. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design. View the full article

SEO didn’t stand still in 2025. It didn’t reinvent itself either. It clarified what actually matters. If you followed The SEO Update by Yoast monthly webinars this year, you’ll recognize the pattern. Throughout 2025, our Principal SEOs, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss, cut through the noise to explain not just what was changing but why it mattered as AI-powered search reshaped visibility, trust, and performance. If you missed some sessions or want the full picture in one place, this wrap-up is for you. We’re looking back at how SEO evolved over the year, what those changes mean in practice, and what they signal going forward. Key takeaways In 2025, SEO shifted its focus from rankings to visibility management, as AI-driven search reshaped priorities Key developments included the rise of AI Overviews, a shift from clicks to citations, and increased importance of clarity and trust Brands needed to prioritize structured, credible content that AI systems could easily interpret to remain visible By December, SEO transformed to retrieval-focused strategies, where success rested on clarity, relevance, and E-E-A-T signals Overall, 2025 clarified that the fundamentals still matter but emphasized the need for precision in content for AI-driven systems Table of contents SEO in 2025: month-by-month overview January: SEO enters the age of representation February: scale, money, and AI made the shift unavoidable March: visibility fractured, trust became the differentiator April: machines started deciding how content is interpreted May: discovery spread beyond search engines June and July: SEO adjusted to AI-first search August: the gap between visibility and value widened September: control, attribution, and trust were renegotiated October: AI search became the destination November: structure and credibility decided inclusion December: SEO moved from ranking to retrieval SEO evolved into visibility management for AI-driven search. Precision replaced volume. SEO in 2025: month-by-month overview MonthKey evolutionsCore takeawaysJanuaryAI-powered, personalized search accelerated. Zero-click results increased. Brand signals, E-E-A-T, performance, and schema shifted from optimizations to requirements.SEO expanded from ranking pages to representing trusted brands that machines can understand.FebruaryMassive AI infrastructure investments. AI Overviews pushed organic results down. Traffic dropped while brand influence and revenue held steady.SEO outcomes can no longer be measured by traffic alone. Authority and influence matter more than raw clicks.MarchAI Overviews expanded as clicks declined. Brand mentions appeared to play a larger role in AI-driven citation and selection behavior than links alone. Search behavior grew despite fewer referrals.Visibility fractured across systems. Trust and brand recognition became the differentiators for inclusion.AprilSchema and structure proved essential for AI interpretation. Multimodal and personalized search expanded. Zero-click behavior increased further.SEO shifted from optimization to interpretation. Clarity and structure determine reuse.MayDiscovery spread beyond Google. AI Overviews reached mass adoption. Citations replaced visits as success signals.SEO outgrew the SERP. Presence across platforms and AI systems became critical.June – JulyAI Mode became core to search. Ads entered AI answers. Indexing alone no longer offers guaranteed visibility. Reporting lagged behind reality.Traditional SEO remained necessary but insufficient. Resilience and adaptability became essential.AugustVisibility without value became a real risk. SEO had to tie exposure to outcomes beyond the number of sessions.Visibility without value became a real risk. SEO had to tie exposure to outcomes beyond sessions.SeptemberAI Mode neared default status. Legal, licensing, and attribution pressures intensified. Persona-based strategies gained relevance.Control over visibility is no longer guaranteed. Trust and credibility are the only durable advantages.October Search Console data reset expectations. AI citations outweighed rankings. AI search became the destination.SEO success depends on presence inside AI systems, not just SERP positions.NovemberAI Mode became core to search. Ads entered AI answers. Indexing alone is no longer a guarantee of visibility. Reporting lagged behind reality.Clarity and structure beat scale. Authority decides inclusion.DecemberSEO fully shifted to retrieval-based logic. AI systems extracted answers, not pages. E-E-A-T acted as a gatekeeper.SEO evolved into visibility management for AI-driven search. Precision replaced volume. January: SEO enters the age of representation January set the tone for the year. Not through a single disruptive update, but through a clear signal that SEO was moving away from pure rankings toward something broader. The search was becoming more personalized, AI-driven, and selective about which sources it chose to surface. Visibility was no longer guaranteed just because you ranked well. Do read: Perfect prompts: 10 tips for AI-driven SEO content creation From the start of the year, it was clear that SEO in 2025 would reward brands that were trusted, technically sound, and easy for machines to understand. What changed in January Here are a few clear trends that began to shape how SEO worked in practice: AI-powered search became more personalized: Search results reflected context more clearly, taking into account location, intent, and behavior. The same query no longer produced the same result for every user Zero-click searches accelerated: More answers appeared directly in search results, reducing the need to click through, especially for informational and local queries Brand signals and reviews gained weight: Search leaned more heavily on real-world trust indicators like brand mentions, reviews, and overall reputation E-E-A-T became harder to ignore: Clear expertise, ownership, and credibility increasingly acted as filters, not just quality guidelines The role of schema started to shift: Structured data mattered less for visual enhancements and more for helping machines understand content and entities What to take away from January January wasn’t about tactics. It was about direction. SEO started rewarding clarity over cleverness. Brands over pages. Trust over volume. Performance over polish. If search engines were going to summarize, compare, and answer on your behalf, you needed to make it easy for them to understand who you are, what you offer, and why you are credible. That theme did not fade as the year went on. It became the foundation for everything that followed. Do check out the full recording of The SEO update by Yoast – January 2025 Edition webinar. February: scale, money, and AI made the shift unavoidable If January showed where search was heading, February showed how serious the industry was about getting there. This was the month where AI stopped feeling like a layer on top of search and started looking like the foundation underneath it. Massive investments, changing SERP layouts, and shifting performance metrics all pointed to the same conclusion. Search was being rebuilt for an AI-first world. What changed in February As the month unfolded, the signs became increasingly difficult to ignore. AI Overviews pushed organic results further down: AI Overviews appeared in a large share of problem-solving queries, favoring authoritative sources and summaries over traditional organic listings Traffic declined while brand value increased: High-profile examples showed sessions dropping even as revenue grew. Visibility, influence, and brand trust started to matter more than raw sessions AI referrals began to rise: Referral traffic from AI tools increased, while Google’s overall market share showed early signs of pressure. Discovery started spreading across systems, not just search engines What to take away from February February made January’s direction feel permanent. When AI systems operate at this scale, they change how visibility works. Rankings still mattered, but they no longer told the full story. Authority, brand recognition, and trust increasingly influenced whether content was surfaced, summarized, or ignored. The takeaway was clear. SEO could no longer be measured only by traffic. It had to be understood in terms of influence, representation, and relevance across an expanding search ecosystem. Catch the full discussion in The SEO Update by Yoast – February 2025 Edition webinar recording. March: visibility fractured, trust became the differentiator By March, the effects of AI-driven search were no longer theoretical. The conversation shifted from how search was changing to who was being affected by it, and why. This was the month where declining clicks, citation gaps, and publisher pushback made one thing clear. Search visibility was fragmenting across systems, and trust became the deciding factor in who stayed visible. What changed in March The developments in March added pressure to trends that had already been forming earlier in the year. AI Overviews expanded while clicks declined: Studies showed that AI Overviews appeared more frequently, while click-through rates continued to decline. Visibility increasingly stopped at the SERP Brand mentions mattered more than links alone: Citation patterns across AI platforms varied, but one signal stayed consistent. Brands mentioned frequently and clearly were more likely to surface Search behavior continued to grow despite fewer clicks: Overall search volume increased year over year, showing that users weren’t searching less; they were just clicking less AI search struggled with attribution and citations: Many AI-powered results failed to cite sources consistently, reinforcing the need for strong brand recognition rather than reliance on direct referrals Search experiences became more fragmented: New entry points like Circle to Search and premium AI modes introduced additional layers to discovery, especially among younger users Structured signals evolved for AI retrieval: Updates to robots meta tags, structured data for return policies, and “sufficient context” signals showed search engines refining how content is selected and grounded Also read: Structured data with schema for search and AI What to take away from March March exposed the tension at the heart of modern SEO. Search demand was growing, but traditional traffic was shrinking. AI systems were answering more questions, but often without clear attribution. In that environment, being a recognizable, trusted brand mattered more than being the best-optimized page. The implication was simple. SEO was no longer just about earning clicks. It was about earning inclusion, recognition, and trust across systems that don’t always send users back. Watch the complete recording of The SEO Update by Yoast – March 2025 Edition. April: machines started deciding how content is interpreted By April, the focus shifted again. The question was no longer whether AI would shape search, but how machines decide what content means and when to surface it. After March exposed visibility gaps and attribution issues, April zoomed in on interpretation. How AI systems read, classify, and extract information became central to SEO outcomes. What changed in April April brought clarity to how modern search systems process content. Schema has proven its value beyond rankings: Microsoft has confirmed that schema markup helps large language models understand content. Bing Copilot used structured data to generate clearer, more reliable answers, reinforcing the schema’s role in interpretation rather than visual enhancement AI-driven search became multimodal: Image-based queries expanded through Google Lens and Gemini, allowing users to search using photos and visuals instead of text alone AI Overviews expanded during core updates: A noticeable surge in AI Overviews appeared during Google’s March core update, especially in travel, entertainment, and local discovery queries Clicks declined as summaries improved: AI-generated content summaries reduced the need to click through, accelerating zero-click behavior across informational and decision-based searches Content structure mattered more than special optimizations: Clear headings that boost readability, lists, and semantic cues helped AI systems extract meaning. There were no shortcuts. Standard SEO best practices carried the weight What to take away from April April shifted SEO from optimization to interpretation. Search engines and AI systems didn’t just look for relevance. They looked for clarity. Content that was well-structured, semantically clear, and grounded in real entities was easier to understand, summarize, and reuse. The lesson was subtle but important. You didn’t need new tricks for AI search. You needed content that was easier for machines to read and harder to misinterpret. Want the full context? Watch the complete The SEO Update by Yoast – April 2025 Edition webinar. May: discovery spread beyond search engines By May, it was no longer sufficient to discuss how search engines interpret content. The bigger question became where discovery was actually happening. SEO started expanding beyond Google. Visibility fractured across platforms, AI tools, and ecosystems, forcing brands to think about presence rather than placement. What changed in May The month highlighted how search and discovery continued to decentralize. Search behavior expanded beyond traditional search engines: Around 39% of consumers now use Pinterest as a search engine, with Gen Z leading adoption. Discovery increasingly happened inside platforms, not just through search bars AI Overviews reached mass adoption: AI Overviews reportedly reached around 1.5 billion users per month and appeared in roughly 13% of searches, with informational queries driving most of that growth Clicks continued to give way to citations: As AI summaries became more common, being referenced or cited mattered more than driving a visit, especially for top-of-funnel queries AI-powered search diversified across tools: Chat-based search experiences added shopping, comparison, and personalization features, further shifting discovery away from classic result pages Economic pressure on content ecosystems increased: Industry voices warned that widespread zero-click answers were starting to weaken the incentives for content creation across the web Trust signals faced stricter scrutiny: Updated rater guidelines targeted fake authority, deceptive design patterns, and manufactured credibility What to take away from May May reframed SEO as a visibility problem, not a traffic problem. When discovery happens across platforms, summaries, and AI systems, success depends on how clearly your content communicates meaning, credibility, and relevance. Rankings still mattered, but they were no longer the primary measure of success. The message was clear. SEO had outgrown the SERP. Brands that focused on authenticity, semantic clarity, and structured information were better positioned to stay visible wherever search happened next. Watch the full The SEO Update by Yoast – May 2025 Edition webinar to see all insights in context. June and July: SEO adjusted to AI-first search By early summer, SEO entered a more uncomfortable phase. Visibility still mattered, but control over how and where content appeared became increasingly limited. June and July were about adjustment. Search moved closer to AI assistants, ads blended into answers, and traditional SEO signals no longer guaranteed exposure across all search surfaces. What changed in June and July This period introduced some of the clearest operational shifts of the year. AI Mode became a first-class search experience: AI Mode was rolled out more broadly, including incognito use, and began to merge into core search experiences. Search was no longer just results. It was conversation, summaries, and follow-ups Ads entered AI-generated answers: Google introduced ads inside AI Overviews and began testing them in conversational AI Mode. Visibility now competes not only with other pages, but with monetized responses Measurement lagged behind reality: Search Console confirmed AI Mode data would be included in performance reports, but without separate filters or APIs. Visibility changed more rapidly than reporting tools could keep pace. Citations followed platform-specific preferences: Different AI systems favored different sources. Some leaned heavily on encyclopedic content, others on community-driven platforms, reinforcing that one SEO strategy would not fit every system Most AI-linked pages still ranked well organically: Around 97% of URLs referenced in AI Mode ranked in the top 10 organic results, showing that strong traditional SEO remained a prerequisite, even if it was no longer sufficient Content had to resist summarization: Leaks and tests showed that some AI tools rarely surfaced links unless live search was triggered. Generic, easily summarized modern content became easier to replace Infrastructure became an SEO concern again: AI agents increased crawl and request volume, pushing performance, caching, and server readiness back into focus Search moved beyond text: Voice-based interactions, audio summaries, image-driven queries, and AI-first browsers expanded how users searched and consumed information What to take away from June and July This period forced a mindset shift. SEO could no longer assume that ranking, indexing, or even traffic guaranteed visibility. AI systems decided when to summarize, when to cite, and when to bypass pages entirely. Ads, assistants, and alternative interfaces now often sit between users and websites more frequently than before. The conclusion was pragmatic. Strong fundamentals still mattered, but they weren’t the finish line. SEO now requires resilience: content that carries authority, resists simplification, loads fast, and stays relevant even when clicks don’t follow. By the end of July, one thing was clear. SEO wasn’t disappearing. It was operating under new constraints, and the rest of the year would test how well teams adapted to them. Missed the session? You can watch the full The SEO Update by Yoast – June 2025 Edition recording here. August: the gap between visibility and value widened By August, SEO teams were staring at a growing disconnect. Visibility was increasing, but traditional outcomes were harder to trace back to it. This was the month when the mechanics of AI-driven search became more transparent and more uncomfortable. What changed in August August surfaced the operational realities behind AI-powered discovery. Impressions rose while clicks continued to decline: AI Overviews dominated the results, driving exposure without generating traffic. In some cases, conversions still improved, but attribution became harder to prove The “great decoupling” became measurable: Visibility and performance stopped moving in sync. SEO teams saw growth in impressions even as sessions declined Zero-click searches accelerated further: No-click behavior climbed toward 69%, reinforcing that many user journeys now ended inside search interfaces AI traffic stayed small but influential: AI-driven referrals still accounted for under 1% of traffic for most sites, yet they shaped expectations around answers, speed, and convenience Retrieval logic shifted toward context and intent: New retrieval approaches prioritized meaning, relationships, and query context over keyword matching Must read: On-SERP SEO can help you battle zero-click results What to take away from August August made one thing unavoidable. It reinforced the reality that SEO could no longer rely on traffic as the primary proof of value. Visibility still mattered, but only when paired with outcomes that could survive reduced clicks and blurred attribution. The lesson was strategic. SEO needed to connect visibility to conversion, brand lift, or long-term trust, not just sessions. Otherwise, its impact would be increasingly hard to defend. Didn’t catch the live session? You can still watch the full The SEO Update by Yoast – August 2025 Edition webinar. September: control, attribution, and trust were renegotiated September pushed the conversation further. It wasn’t just about declining clicks anymore. It was about who controlled discovery, attribution, and access to content. This was the month where legal, technical, and strategic pressures collided. What changed in September September reframed SEO around governance and credibility. AI Mode moved closer to becoming the default: Search experiences shifted toward AI-driven answers with conversational follow-ups and multimodal inputs The decline of the open web was acknowledged publicly: Court filings and public statements confirmed what many publishers were already feeling. Traditional web traffic was under structural pressure Legal scrutiny intensified: High-profile settlements and lawsuits highlighted growing challenges around training data, summaries, and lost revenue Licensing entered the SEO conversation: New machine-readable licensing approaches emerged as early attempts to restore control and consent Snippet visibility became a gateway signal: AI tools relied heavily on search snippets for real-time answers, making concise, extractable content more critical Persona-based strategies gained traction: SEO began shifting from keyword targeting to persona-driven content aligned with how AI systems infer intent Trust eroded around generic, formulaic, AI writing styles: Formulaic, overly polished AI content raised credibility concerns, reinforcing the need for editorial judgment Measurement tools lost stability again: Changes to search parameters disrupted rank tracking, reminding teams that SEO reporting would remain volatile What to take away from September September forced SEO to grow up again. Control over visibility, attribution, and content use was no longer guaranteed. Trust, clarity, and credibility became the only durable advantages in an ecosystem shaped by AI intermediaries. The takeaway was sobering but useful. SEO could still drive value, but only when it is aligned with real user needs, strong brand signals, and content that earned its place in AI-driven answers. Want to dig a little deeper? Watch the full The SEO Update by Yoast – September 2025 Edition webinar. October: AI search became the destination October marked a turning point in how SEO performance needed to be interpreted. The data didn’t just shift. It reset expectations entirely. This was the month when SEO teams had to accept that AI-powered search was no longer a layer on top of results. It was becoming the place where searches ended. What changed in October October brought clarity, even if the numbers looked uncomfortable. AI Mode reshaped user behavior: Around a third of searches now involve AI agents, with most sessions staying inside AI panels. Clicks became the exception, not the default AI citations increasingly rivalled rankings: Visibility increasingly depended on whether content was selected, summarized, or cited by AI systems, not where it ranked Search engines optimized for ideas, not pages: Guidance from search platforms reinforced that AI systems extract concepts and answers, not entire URLs Metadata lost some direct control: Tests of AI-generated meta descriptions suggested that manual optimization would carry less influence over how content appears Commerce and search continued to merge: AI-driven shopping experiences expanded, signaling that transactional intent would increasingly be handled inside AI interfaces What to take away from October October reframed SEO as presence within AI systems. Traffic still mattered, but it was no longer the primary outcome. The real question became whether your content appeared at all inside AI-driven answers. Clarity, structure, and extractability replaced traditional ranking gains as the most reliable levers. From this point on, SEO had to treat AI search as a destination, not just a gateway. November: structure and credibility decided inclusion If October reset expectations, November showed what actually worked. This month narrowed the gap between theory and practice. It became clearer why some content consistently surfaced in AI results, while other content disappeared. What changed in November November focused on how AI systems select and trust sources. Structured content outperformed clever content: Clear headings, predictable formats, and direct answers made it easier for AI systems to extract and reuse information Schema supported understanding, not visibility alone: Structured data remained valuable, but only when paired with clean, readable on-page content AI-driven shopping and comparisons accelerated: Product data quality, consistency, and accessibility directly influenced whether brands appeared in AI-assisted decision flows Citation pools stayed selective: AI systems relied on a relatively small set of trusted sources, reinforcing the importance of brand recognition and authority Search tooling evolved toward themes, not keywords: Grouped queries and topic-based insights replaced one-keyword performance views What to take away from November November made one thing clear. SEO wasn’t about producing more content or optimizing harder. It was about making content easier to understand and harder to ignore. Clarity beats creativity. Structure beat scale. Authority determined whether content was reused at all. This month quietly reinforced the fundamentals that would define SEO going forward. For a complete breakdown, check out the full The SEO Update by Yoast – October and November 2025 Edition recording. December: SEO moved from ranking to retrieval December tied the entire year together. Instead of introducing new disruptions, it clarified what 2025 had been building toward all along. SEO was no longer primarily about ranking pages. It was about enabling retrieval. What changed in December The year-end review highlighted the new reality of SEO. Search systems retrieved answers, not pages: AI-driven search experiences pulled snippets, definitions, and summaries instead of directing users to full articles Literal language still mattered: Despite advances in understanding, AI systems relied heavily on exact phrasing. Terminology choices directly affected retrieval Content structure became mandatory: Front-loaded answers, short paragraphs, lists, and clear sections made content usable for AI systems Relevance replaced ranking as the core signal: Being the clearest and most contextually relevant answer mattered more than traditional ranking factors E-E-A-T acted as a gatekeeper: Recognized expertise, authorship, and trust signals determined whether content was eligible for reuse Authority reduced AI errors: Strong credibility signals helped AI systems select more reliable sources and reduced hallucinated answers What to take away from December December didn’t declare the end of SEO. It defined its next phase. SEO matured into visibility management for AI-driven systems. Success depended on clarity, credibility, and structure, not shortcuts or volume. The fundamentals still worked, but only when applied with discipline. By the end of 2025, the direction was clear. SEO didn’t get smaller. It got more precise. Missed the session? You can watch the full The SEO Update by Yoast – December 2025 Edition recording here. SEO evolved into visibility management for AI-driven search. Precision replaced volume. 2025 didn’t rewrite SEO. It clarified it. Search moved from ranking pages to retrieving answers. From rewarding volume to rewarding clarity. From clicks to credibility. And from optimization tricks to systems-level understanding. The fundamentals still matter. Technical health, helpful content, and strong SEO foundations are non-negotiable. But they are no longer the finish line. What separates visible brands from invisible ones now is how clearly their content can be understood, trusted, and reused by AI-driven search systems. Going into 2026, the goal isn’t to outsmart search engines. It’s to make your expertise unmistakable. Write for humans, structure for machines, and build authority that holds up even when clicks don’t follow. SEO didn’t get smaller this year. It got more precise. Stay with us for our 2026 verdict on where search goes next. The post The 2025 SEO wrap-up: What we learned about search, content, and trust appeared first on Yoast. View the full article