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The more you work out, the fitter you'll get. Your VO2max, sometimes described on wearables as a "cardio fitness" score, is a number that tends to be higher among people who are more cardiovascularly fit. But it's not the only measure of fitness, and you should know what it really means. What VO2max really is (as measured in a lab)Smartwatches and fitness trackers don't actually measure VO2max; they just estimate it. To actually find your VO2max, you'd need to go to an exercise lab and do a test on a treadmill or cycle while hooked up to equipment that measures your heart rate and the air you're exhaling. I did exactly this kind of test to compare my real VO2max to the numbers reported by nine different devices. You can read about my experience, and why it matters, here. VO2max, properly rendered VO2max, is the maximal volume (V) of oxygen (O2) your body can use per minute during exercise, scaled to your body size because larger people will naturally use more oxygen. This is considered a good measure of aerobic fitness because—think back to high school biology—your body uses oxygen and food to create a usable form of chemical energy called ATP. You then use that ATP to power the movements of your muscles. The amount of oxygen directly correlates with the amount of energy produced. Or, in simpler terms, the more work you do, the more oxygen you need. So a person who is aerobically very fit—let’s say an elite marathon runner—can do more work (run faster) than somebody who isn’t. As a result, they’ll suck in a lot more oxygen per minute during their run than, say, I would. What is a "good" VO2max? A typical sorta-fit human being will have a VO2max somewhere in the 30s or 40s. If you exercise a lot, you can push that number higher. Elite cyclists, skiers, and ultrarunners may have numbers in the 70s or 80s, and a few people out there have scored in the 90s. I'd call myself a recreational athlete (I run a little) and my lab-tested VO2max was 43. Most of my fitness wearables reported numbers for me in the high 30's or low 40's—a good reminder that these estimates can be useful, but they aren't necessarily correct. Why is a high VO2max good?To be able to use a large amount of oxygen, you need more than just good lungs. You also need a strong heart and healthy circulatory system to get the oxygen to your muscles. And you need muscles that are large and can do a lot of work per minute—which means that you're strong and can do a lot of work athletically. VO2max is a way to summarize a lot of important things about cardio fitness into one simple number. But it’s important to know that this number isn’t everything about fitness, or even aerobic fitness. First, it doesn’t make much sense to compare your VO2max to other people’s, because it’s affected by factors like blood volume and muscle mass. Men tend to have a VO2max about ten points higher than similarly fit women, for example. There are also plenty of aspects of fitness that aren't captured by VO2max. Compare two athletes with the same VO2max, and you may find that one can keep going in an endurance race longer than the other. Or one might be better at sprinting while another is better at medium-effort work. One person may be stronger than another, or have better technique, or be more resistant to injuries. There is research correlating VO2max with longevity, but that doesn't mean that raising your VO2max a few points will add years to your life. Fitness, in general, tends to correlate with longevity and with overall health. Scientists who want to study that relationship will usually pick an easy thing or two to measure, like VO2max or grip strength. But in real life, we don't have to choose one number to maximize; we can work on multiple aspects of fitness. It's better to be well-rounded than to hyperfocus on just one metric. How can you measure your own VO2max?The gold standard is a lab test. High-level athletes will sometimes take this test if they or their coach want to know their actual, definite VO2max number. But we can measure aerobic fitness in other ways, and there are workouts you can do to get a good estimate of VO2max. If you’re a runner, you can look up a recent race time on this chart to find your VDOT, which roughly correlates with your VO2max. (My best-ever mile time gets me a VDOT of 38, for example.) To estimate your VO2max from a workout, you need something that will take you to your absolute maximum aerobic output. A race does this job nicely; so will a test like running as many laps of a track as you can in 12 minutes. I recall doing a test in a Phys Ed. class once where we had to step up and down from a high box as many times as possible. These tests aren’t pleasant, but their results can be a benchmark to tell you whether you’re improving your fitness over time. How watches measure VO2maxSmartwatches and fitness trackers typically estimate VO2max by comparing your heart rate during exercise to a measure of how much work you're doing during that exercise. Most often, this is through outdoor running or walking. The speed you run or walk is measured through GPS, and the device compares that to your heart rate. If you can run fast with a low heart rate, you must be pretty fit and your VO2max will be estimated as being pretty high. If your heart rate is high even for a slow running or walking pace, your VO2max is lower. These estimates aren't always accurate. If your max heart rate isn't set properly in the device's settings, if it's hot out, if your running route has hills, or if you don't happen to get out for outdoor runs or walks very often, your VO2max is more likely to be wrong. That said, your VO2max estimate doesn't have to be exactly correct to be useful. If the number increases over time, you're probably getting fitter. And if it decreases, you're likely losing fitness. View the full article

In a recent meeting with a large retailer, my contact shared that each buyer on her team receives over 100 emails daily referencing data on a variety of topics, from out-of-stock issues and inaccurate pricing to recommendations for driving e-commerce. On the supplier side, the situation is similar: delivering Monday morning reporting to retailers, preparing for line reviews, monitoring out-of-stocks, and pushing new promotions. Emails and Excel are still the primary drivers of the $5 trillion retail industry, in the U.S. alone. The opportunity for error in complex retail supply chains is immense. If demand forecasting and inventory management across thousands of store locations are inaccurate, the cost is tremendous. The combined cost of overstock and out-of-stocks are $1.77 trillion globally, just in 2023. These “if only” moments are coordination failures, and the root cause lies with siloed data and manual processes. Tariff uncertainties, climate change, and geopolitical instability are driving additional waste and operational inefficiencies that strain an industry already operating on razor-thin margins. The disconnect between retailers and suppliers is unsustainable and presents the most challenging operational issue across highly complex retail supply chains. COLLABORATIVE AI AGENTS Improved collaboration between retailers, suppliers, and AI technology can overcome disconnects. Those gaps can be between product design, procurement, marketing and promotional planning, and product distribution. AI is often described as something a single company should leverage, but verticalized AI agents that specialize in retail can streamline manual tasks and facilitate collaboration across multiple companies so humans can spend time on what drives the business: being strategic. Collaboration is at the core of a successful retail strategy. Agentic AI will change the way retailers and suppliers communicate and collaborate by surfacing alerts and making autonomous decisions that give retail the optimization boost it needs. It will not completely hand over management to agents, but it will enable humans to focus on higher level collaboration and informed decision making. Currently, retailers, suppliers, and distributors each hold only a slice of the truth, thanks to complex workflows, fragmented data, and cross-company processes that lack connectivity, transparency, and context. AI agents can automate, negotiate, coordinate, and problem solve across organizational boundaries. They turn coordination into a competitive advantage. Companies that master agentic AI orchestration will (finally) gain complete visibility and optimization. AI agents will become specialized “AI teammates” that coordinate across organizations to achieve shared goals and resolve problems independently and proactively. These autonomous agents can share insights (without exposing sensitive raw data), adapt to changing conditions in real time, and offer a path forward for retailers and their consumer packaged goods (CPG) partners to achieve immediate and long-term operational goals. Notably, an agentic AI network requires more than technology itself. Many organizations focus on the latest agent-to-agent and multi-agent tools and frameworks, such as A2A, Microsoft AutoGen, or CrewAI. These tools support autonomous actions and support cooperation between AI agents, but they do not solve the more complex problem of building trust and standard AI operating procedures across companies. Beyond the base technologies, these networks need a governance framework. Large enterprises are already adopting standards such as ISO 42001 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. These provide essential guidance, but they do not create the integral shared “smart contract,” a set of agreed-upon rules and goals that everyone trusts. Once this advanced framework is established, agents can take independent actions within predefined boundaries to work towards common goals shared by retailers and suppliers. For example, price optimization is a critical joint business objective where AI agents can help. By tracking inventory levels, monitoring competitors’ pricing, and analyzing consumer behavior patterns, agents can recommend pricing adjustments when needed and offer ways to optimize promotional spend to help retailers and suppliers deliver value to their consumers while preserving profitability. AI AGENTS IN ACTION AI agents can address and solve coordination failures across many aspects of retail supply chains. Reducing out-of-stocks: Every empty shelf means lost sales, weakened brand loyalty, and an open door for competitors to capture the shopper’s choice—and purchase. Demand forecasting, which relies heavily on lagging data, often misses real-time shifts in demand, resulting in incorrect ordering. For example, phantom inventory (inventory noted as “in-store” but not actually on shelves due to misplacement), results in misaligned forecasts. AI agents can improve out-of-stock rates and deliver value directly to the bottom line for CPGs and their retail partners. Manage trade promotions: Trade promotions are one of the CPG’s largest P&L investments, but they quickly become discounts that drain profits. Poor measurement and inconsistent analysis lead to unprofitable promotions being repeated. CPGs often deploy a one-size-fits-all approach to promotion, offering discounts across categories rather than accounting for shopper and pack dynamics. PwC’s recent 2025 Future of Consumer Shopping Survey predicts that the most successful CPG companies will leverage AI to optimize pricing and promotion strategies in the coming years, unlocking significant incremental sales and margin uplift. E-commerce execution: Poor e-commerce execution wastes advertising spend and causes CPGs to cede the digital shelf share to the competition. Attribution and measurement are often muddied by limited cross-channel visibility. Messy product catalogs, missing attributes, or inconsistent product mapping can degrade (re)targeting campaigns. The Gartner 2025 CMO Spend Survey reports that marketing leaders are increasing their investment in GenAI to improve the efficiency of marketing tasks. By improving media spend effectiveness, AI can support brands in transforming wasted spend into profitable, scalable growth. UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION Collaborative AI agents designed for retail represent a significant structural shift in how the industry operates. The most challenging pain points and time-sensitive decisions that were “if only we knew” moments will be replaced by unprecedented cross-organizational collaboration, driven by informed and autonomous agents, allowing humans to focus on strategy. Are Traasdahl is CEO and founder of Crisp. View the full article

The announcement follows Realpha's two previous mergers with mortgage brokerages, as well as its purchases of AI firms and title businesses. View the full article

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose employees were being cruel to a gross coworker? Here’s the update. I fear this won’t be a very satisfying update. As I sat at my desk and read your email asking about an update, I took a few moments to look up from my screen and across the office to watch Meredith. Within those few seconds, I saw her pick a scab off her face and eat it. So yeah. I had my first conversation with Meredith months ago. Our job is one that exposes us to food, biological material, and chemicals, so at the suggestion of my boss’s boss I approached it from that angle. I pulled Meredith aside and basically said, “I’m not sure you are aware you’re doing this, but sometimes you put your fingers in your nose or pick at your skin. I wanted to flag for you the health hazard that can pose based on us needing to work around foods, chemicals and so closely with other people. Maybe if you find you are needing to do something like that you can excuse yourself to the bathroom.” This poor woman. She simply nodded and said a quick “okay, yeah” and looked like she was mortified and like she had been caught. I’m sure this is something she has struggled with for a long time and I am sympathetic to that. But I need to have another conversation with her where I lay out that it continues to happen and will likely damage her relationships with her coworkers. I’ve just been putting it off.. because … well this whole situation is terrible. But my boss also said there isn’t really much else we can do about it after this next conversation because “there isn’t a rule against eating your boogers or scabs.” Now for the other part of the equation: the other employees. My boss sat down with each person individually and said that speaking about a coworker in that way wasn’t acceptable and if they had a concern they needed to bring it to us, and insofar as I can tell that has worked. However, Angela continued to be a problem in other ways. Other staff were having frustrations because she constantly would blow up at people at work in stressful situations. People felt like they had to walk on eggshells around her. I had many one-on-ones with her where I told her that the behavior wasn’t acceptable, and she was remorseful but also frustrated. She viewed her angry outbursts as justified because others didn’t meet her work standards and said that other people were bullying her by icing her out. Which they were because they were scared of her outbursts. She said I wasn’t allowed to “police her feelings.” I said the feelings weren’t the problem, it was the behavior. She said she didn’t feel like this team was a good fit for her. She started looking for other jobs and my boss told everyone to basically ignore her so I wasn’t allowed to continue towards any kind of actual consequence for the behaviors. She found another job and doesn’t keep in touch. You’d think that with Angela gone, things would be better, but they’re not. New issues with staff interpersonal dynamics have continued to pop up constantly. I feel like I’m being asked to constantly put out fires without water and simultaneously being told the fires are my fault. All in all, I’ve been pretty unhappy at work this year. The post update: employees are being cruel to a gross coworker appeared first on Ask a Manager. 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. I've been experiencing some active noise cancelling (ANC) fatigue lately, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. ANC has a time and a place, but being able to be aware of my surroundings and have conversations with my wife while working from home has made 2025 more enjoyable. I owe that to the Shokz Open Run Pro 2, which are bone conduction headphones that leave your ears uncovered. But if you prefer true wireless earbuds that have the same benefit, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ are a great alternative, and right now, they're on sale for $139.95 (originally $199.95). Shokz OpenFit 2+ $139.95 $199.95 Save $60.00 Get Deal Get Deal $139.95 $199.95 Save $60.00 Unlike the Shokz Open Run Pro 2, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ are not bone conduction headphones; instead, the sound is projected toward your ears (think of it like small speakers next to your ears). This means, like bone conduction headphones, your ears are not plugged by any earbuds. They simply rest on them, allowing you to use your ears to their full potential. The OpenFit 2+ comes with some cool features. They have Dolby cinematic sound, which is an immersive sound feature that frees sound channels, making directional sound clearer (almost like surround sound). If you like to watch movies or shows with your earbuds, this is a huge plus. The design fits snug on your ears, so you don't have to worry about them falling off, regardless of how intense your workouts get. The Shokz companion app is excellent, and gives you a lot of freedom with the EQ, so you can tweak the settings to optimize podcasts or a bass-heavy format when you need that extra motivation in the gym. You can expect about 11 hours of battery life with another 48 hours from the charging case. You can also charge them wirelessly through the case. If you're looking to disconnect from ANC headphones in 2026, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ are a great option with this 30% discount. View the full article

People who are squeamish about needles will soon have an alternative, as the Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill version of Wegovy that could be available as soon as next month. Novo Nordisk, maker of the GLP-1 weight-loss drug, announced on Monday that it has received FDA approval for its once-daily pill that has been shown to achieve comparable weight-loss results as the injectable Wegovy. The Danish drugmaker said the pill could launch in the U.S. in early January, while it is still awaiting approval from regulatory authorities elsewhere. The news marks a new era for the spate of popular weight-loss drugs. While there is a 14-milligram oral semaglutide currently on the market—the diabetes drug Rybelsus—the Wegovy pill will be made available in a higher, 25-milligram dose. There’s not yet a pill version of Ozempic, which is also made by Novo Nordisk. “As the first oral GLP-1 treatment for people living with overweight or obesity, the Wegovy pill provides patients with a new, convenient treatment option that can help patients start or continue their weight loss journey,” Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. “We are very excited for what this will mean for patients in the U.S.” THE PILL RACE The race to get a weight-loss pill on the market has been a long time coming, as Novo Nordisk began clinical trials of the Wegovy pill more than two years ago. Eli Lilly, maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro, is currently testing a weight-loss pill called orforglipron in clinical trials and the drug is part of an FDA priority voucher program that comes with a faster timeframe for reviewing medications. Wegovy is also part of that program. As with the shot, the Wegovy pill will require a prescription from a doctor. About one in eight American adults were taking a GLP-1 drug as of several weeks ago, according to a KFF Health Tracking Poll released last month. These drugs are especially popular among middle-aged adults, as 30% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 reported that they’ve used one of these drugs at some point, the highest share among any demographic. A pill version could mean that even more people are on weight-loss medications. “We believe it will expand access and options for patients,” Dr. Jason Brett, principal U.S. medical head for Novo Nordisk, told CNN in an interview. “We know there are some patients who just won’t take an injectable medication.” COST IN FOCUS But the cost of these drugs has also become a concern, and particularly if insurance doesn’t cover them. Last month, President Donald The President announced a plan to lower the costs of popular prescription drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, if people purchase through The PresidentRX. The Wegovy pill will be available for as little as $149 per month for the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams as part of that deal the drugmaker struck with the The President administration last month. That said, the starting dose of these drugs typically doesn’t yield the same type of weight loss and are intended to help people build up a tolerance. Novo Nordisk didn’t provide information about the pricing for the higher dosage of the pill that was approved by the FDA. Shares of the Danish drugmaker have surged more than 8% so far this week. View the full article

The “How Satisfied Are You” scale is a widely recognized tool for measuring customer satisfaction, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale that ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” This format allows you to express your feelings about products or services clearly, which helps organizations gather valuable feedback. Comprehending how this scale works and its applications can greatly impact how businesses assess and improve customer experiences. What factors should you consider when interpreting the results? Key Takeaways The “How Satisfied Are You” scale measures customer satisfaction using a 5-point Likert scale from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” It quantifies customer sentiment, allowing for easy feedback analysis across various sectors like healthcare and hospitality. The scale includes a neutral midpoint option, capturing ambivalent feelings to better understand customer satisfaction. Administering the scale involves clear planning and can be conducted via online surveys, email, or in-app prompts. Analyzing the data helps identify trends, average scores, and areas for improvement in services or products. Overview of the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale The “How Satisfied Are You” scale serves as a foundational tool for measuring customer satisfaction, primarily using a 5-point Likert scale that ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” This straightforward format allows you to easily express your feelings about a specific service, product, or experience, making it simple for organizations to quantify customer sentiment. By utilizing this rating scale of 1 to 5, you provide clear feedback that can be analyzed effectively. Organizations across various industries—like hospitality, and technology—adopt this survey scale to gather insights into customer satisfaction. The feedback rating you give not only highlights areas needing improvement but additionally helps track changes in satisfaction over time. Furthermore, the data collected can be examined using statistical methods to identify trends, which finally aids in informed business decisions, enhancing overall customer experience and satisfaction. Importance of Measuring Life Satisfaction Measuring life satisfaction is crucial for evaluating your emotional well-being, as it provides valuable insights into your overall happiness and quality of life. Comprehending your satisfaction levels can likewise guide personal growth by highlighting areas for improvement and help inform your decision-making processes. Emotional Well-being Assessment How do you truly assess your emotional well-being? One effective method is the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), a well-structured emotional well-being assessment tool. It employs a Likert scale, providing rating scale examples from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”), allowing you to evaluate your overall life satisfaction through five targeted questions. Higher SWLS scores indicate greater satisfaction, typically ranging from 5 to 35, with average scores for non-clinical groups around 24.52. Significant changes, greater than three points, reflect meaningful shifts in your life satisfaction. Personal Growth Insights Many people overlook the importance of measuring life satisfaction, yet it serves as a crucial tool for personal growth. The “How Satisfied Are You” scale, often represented through Likert scale examples, allows you to quantify your overall contentment. By responding to rating scale questions, you gain insights into your well-being. Research shows that higher scores on life satisfaction scales correlate positively with happiness and quality of life, making these survey rating scales fundamental for comprehending your personal development. For instance, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) provides normative data, indicating typical scores for non-clinical groups range between 23 and 28. Tracking changes over time can reveal significant improvements, helping you monitor your path toward greater satisfaction and fulfillment. Decision-Making Influence What role does life satisfaction play in shaping your decisions? Measuring your life satisfaction can greatly influence your choices in both personal and professional contexts. Tools like the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) use a Likert scale sample from 1 to 7, providing a reliable evaluation scale for evaluating overall contentment. Higher satisfaction scores correlate with improved mental health and reduced stress, guiding decision-making. Comprehending these ratings can improve the effectiveness of surveys aimed at measuring life satisfaction. Rating Scale Examples Impacts on Decision-Making 1-3 Low satisfaction, high stress 4-5 Moderate satisfaction, cautious decisions 6 High satisfaction, confident choices 7 Very high satisfaction, proactive engagement Structure of the Scale The structure of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale is designed to facilitate clear and quantifiable feedback from respondents. Typically utilizing a Likert scale format, this satisfaction scale allows you to express your satisfaction on a range of points, commonly from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 or 7 for more nuanced feedback. Each point on this rating scale corresponds to specific satisfaction levels, which aids in data analysis and comparison across responses. Significantly, the scale often includes a neutral midpoint option, enabling you to express neutrality without feeling forced to choose a side. This structure guarantees that your true feelings are accurately captured, contributing to a more thorough comprehension of customer sentiment. The “How Satisfied Are You” scale is widely used in customer satisfaction surveys, providing crucial quantifiable data that can improve service quality and elevate customer experiences across various industries. Applications of the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale As organizations across various sectors seek reliable methods to gauge customer satisfaction, the “How Satisfied Are You” scale has proven itself to be a valuable tool. This scale typically employs a 5-point Likert scale, which allows you to express your satisfaction levels, capturing nuanced feedback on experiences. Industries like healthcare, hospitality, and technology widely apply this scale to assess service quality and overall satisfaction with products or services. Using rating scale examples such as the survey scale 1 to 10, organizations can monitor customer sentiment effectively. The straightforward format of the Likert scale template improves response rates, making it easier for you to engage with the survey. Furthermore, by incorporating the how likely are you to recommend scale, businesses can gather more specific insights. In the end, this quantifiable measure of satisfaction aids decision-making regarding service improvements and customer relationship management. How to Administer the Scale Administering the “How Satisfied Are You” scale effectively requires careful planning and attention to detail. Start by ensuring the Likert questions are clear and specific, focusing on aspects like service quality or product experience. A typical rating scale sample includes options from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), providing a neutral middle ground for respondents. It’s essential to include this neutral option, as it accommodates those who might feel ambivalent about their satisfaction. Distributing the scale can be done through various channels, such as online surveys, email, or in-app prompts, to maximize reach. When designing your survey, consider using a likert survey template that outlines the structure clearly. Furthermore, think about how often answer options are presented to avoid overwhelming respondents. Once you’ve collected the responses, analyze the data to identify trends and average scores, which can guide your strategies for improving customer satisfaction. Interpreting the Results When interpreting the results of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale, you’ll want to analyze the distribution of responses for insights into customer sentiment. By identifying patterns, you can pinpoint specific areas that require improvement, enabling effective decision-making. Furthermore, tracking these scores over time can help assess the success of your strategies in enhancing customer experience. Analyzing Response Distribution Analyzing response distribution provides valuable insights into how respondents perceive their satisfaction levels, revealing trends that can inform business decisions. By examining the ratings on your evaluation scale examples, you can uncover patterns in customer sentiment. A balanced response distribution indicates diverse opinions, whereas a skewed distribution may reflect a dominant sentiment. Here’s a simplified view of how satisfaction levels might look using a rating scale examples 1–5: Satisfaction Level Frequency Percentage 1 (Very Dissatisfied) 5 10% 2 (Dissatisfied) 10 20% 3 (Neutral) 15 30% 4 (Satisfied) 10 20% 5 (Very Satisfied) 10 20% Identifying the mode can highlight the most common satisfaction level, guiding targeted improvements. Identifying Improvement Areas To effectively identify improvement areas based on satisfaction survey results, organizations must interpret the data thoughtfully and systematically. Utilizing a rating scale 1 to 10 can help pinpoint specific issues. Analyzing trends in responses, especially using Likert examples and agreement scale examples, can highlight common dissatisfaction points. Consider these strategies: Track changes over time with recurring surveys. Focus on median or mode summaries for clearer insights. Combine satisfaction scores with open-ended feedback. Identify specific areas with low helpfulness Likert scale ratings. Implement targeted interventions based on response patterns. Benefits and Limitations of the Scale The “How Satisfied Are You” scale offers both remarkable benefits and significant limitations that are important to comprehend. This rate scale typically uses a Likert format, allowing you to select your satisfaction level from 1 to 5, which simplifies data collection. One major benefit is its ability to provide quantifiable insights into customer or employee satisfaction, making it easier for organizations to track changes and identify improvement areas. Nonetheless, the limitations of the scale are significant. It may not capture the nuances of your feelings, reducing complex emotions to mere numbers. Furthermore, if a neutral option is missing, you might feel compelled to choose a side, leading to skewed data. The effectiveness of this 5 point Likert scale varies based on your familiarity with the format and the survey context, so it’s crucial to reflect on these factors when designing Likert questionnaire examples. Future Directions in Life Satisfaction Research Comprehending the benefits and limitations of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale opens the door to a broader exploration of life satisfaction research. Future studies are set to investigate several critical areas: The impact of social media on perceptions of satisfaction and happiness. Cultural differences in satisfaction metrics, highlighting societal values. The use of technology, like mobile apps, for real-time life satisfaction tracking. Long-term effects of significant life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on mental health. The influence of economic factors, including income inequality and job security, on overall happiness. These areas could utilize various ranking scale examples, including Likert scales and familiarity scales, to gather data and analyze scale ratings effectively. Comprehending these dimensions will improve our grasp of life satisfaction, offering insights into how diverse factors shape individual well-being. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the 5-Point Rating Scale for Satisfaction? The 5-point rating scale for satisfaction is a tool that helps you express your feelings about a service or product. It ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied,” with a neutral midpoint option. This structure simplifies feedback collection and analysis, making it easier for businesses to interpret your responses. By using this scale, you contribute to clearer insights into customer experiences, aiding organizations in making informed decisions to improve their offerings. What Is the 7 Point Scale for Satisfaction? The 7-point scale for satisfaction allows you to rate your feelings from 1, meaning very dissatisfied, to 7, meaning very satisfied. This scale offers a more nuanced view of your satisfaction compared to simpler scales. It includes a neutral midpoint, letting you express ambivalence. Research shows that this format generates more reliable data, especially in groups like students, who find it straightforward. This makes it ideal for various surveys evaluating satisfaction. What Is the 5-Point Likert Scale? The 5-Point Likert Scale is a widely used survey tool that lets you express your level of satisfaction or agreement. It offers five response options: “Very Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Neutral,” “Dissatisfied,” and “Very Dissatisfied.” This format captures nuanced opinions without forcing a choice. What Is the 5 Level Rating Scale? The 5 Level Rating Scale is a tool used in surveys to measure various degrees of satisfaction. Respondents choose from options ranging from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied,” allowing you to express your feelings accurately. This scale includes a neutral option, preventing forced choices and supporting honest feedback. It helps businesses analyze customer opinions effectively, identify areas needing improvement, and track changes in sentiment over time, ultimately improving service quality and customer experience. Conclusion In conclusion, the “How Satisfied Are You” scale provides a clear and effective way to gauge customer satisfaction. Its structured format allows for straightforward data collection, making it applicable across various industries. By comprehending how to administer the scale and interpret the results, organizations can gain valuable insights into customer experiences. Though it has its benefits and limitations, this scale remains an essential tool in measuring satisfaction and guiding improvements in products and services. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The “How Satisfied Are You” scale is a widely recognized tool for measuring customer satisfaction, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale that ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” This format allows you to express your feelings about products or services clearly, which helps organizations gather valuable feedback. Comprehending how this scale works and its applications can greatly impact how businesses assess and improve customer experiences. What factors should you consider when interpreting the results? Key Takeaways The “How Satisfied Are You” scale measures customer satisfaction using a 5-point Likert scale from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” It quantifies customer sentiment, allowing for easy feedback analysis across various sectors like healthcare and hospitality. The scale includes a neutral midpoint option, capturing ambivalent feelings to better understand customer satisfaction. Administering the scale involves clear planning and can be conducted via online surveys, email, or in-app prompts. Analyzing the data helps identify trends, average scores, and areas for improvement in services or products. Overview of the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale The “How Satisfied Are You” scale serves as a foundational tool for measuring customer satisfaction, primarily using a 5-point Likert scale that ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” This straightforward format allows you to easily express your feelings about a specific service, product, or experience, making it simple for organizations to quantify customer sentiment. By utilizing this rating scale of 1 to 5, you provide clear feedback that can be analyzed effectively. Organizations across various industries—like hospitality, and technology—adopt this survey scale to gather insights into customer satisfaction. The feedback rating you give not only highlights areas needing improvement but additionally helps track changes in satisfaction over time. Furthermore, the data collected can be examined using statistical methods to identify trends, which finally aids in informed business decisions, enhancing overall customer experience and satisfaction. Importance of Measuring Life Satisfaction Measuring life satisfaction is crucial for evaluating your emotional well-being, as it provides valuable insights into your overall happiness and quality of life. Comprehending your satisfaction levels can likewise guide personal growth by highlighting areas for improvement and help inform your decision-making processes. Emotional Well-being Assessment How do you truly assess your emotional well-being? One effective method is the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), a well-structured emotional well-being assessment tool. It employs a Likert scale, providing rating scale examples from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 7 (“strongly agree”), allowing you to evaluate your overall life satisfaction through five targeted questions. Higher SWLS scores indicate greater satisfaction, typically ranging from 5 to 35, with average scores for non-clinical groups around 24.52. Significant changes, greater than three points, reflect meaningful shifts in your life satisfaction. Personal Growth Insights Many people overlook the importance of measuring life satisfaction, yet it serves as a crucial tool for personal growth. The “How Satisfied Are You” scale, often represented through Likert scale examples, allows you to quantify your overall contentment. By responding to rating scale questions, you gain insights into your well-being. Research shows that higher scores on life satisfaction scales correlate positively with happiness and quality of life, making these survey rating scales fundamental for comprehending your personal development. For instance, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) provides normative data, indicating typical scores for non-clinical groups range between 23 and 28. Tracking changes over time can reveal significant improvements, helping you monitor your path toward greater satisfaction and fulfillment. Decision-Making Influence What role does life satisfaction play in shaping your decisions? Measuring your life satisfaction can greatly influence your choices in both personal and professional contexts. Tools like the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) use a Likert scale sample from 1 to 7, providing a reliable evaluation scale for evaluating overall contentment. Higher satisfaction scores correlate with improved mental health and reduced stress, guiding decision-making. Comprehending these ratings can improve the effectiveness of surveys aimed at measuring life satisfaction. Rating Scale Examples Impacts on Decision-Making 1-3 Low satisfaction, high stress 4-5 Moderate satisfaction, cautious decisions 6 High satisfaction, confident choices 7 Very high satisfaction, proactive engagement Structure of the Scale The structure of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale is designed to facilitate clear and quantifiable feedback from respondents. Typically utilizing a Likert scale format, this satisfaction scale allows you to express your satisfaction on a range of points, commonly from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 or 7 for more nuanced feedback. Each point on this rating scale corresponds to specific satisfaction levels, which aids in data analysis and comparison across responses. Significantly, the scale often includes a neutral midpoint option, enabling you to express neutrality without feeling forced to choose a side. This structure guarantees that your true feelings are accurately captured, contributing to a more thorough comprehension of customer sentiment. The “How Satisfied Are You” scale is widely used in customer satisfaction surveys, providing crucial quantifiable data that can improve service quality and elevate customer experiences across various industries. Applications of the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale As organizations across various sectors seek reliable methods to gauge customer satisfaction, the “How Satisfied Are You” scale has proven itself to be a valuable tool. This scale typically employs a 5-point Likert scale, which allows you to express your satisfaction levels, capturing nuanced feedback on experiences. Industries like healthcare, hospitality, and technology widely apply this scale to assess service quality and overall satisfaction with products or services. Using rating scale examples such as the survey scale 1 to 10, organizations can monitor customer sentiment effectively. The straightforward format of the Likert scale template improves response rates, making it easier for you to engage with the survey. Furthermore, by incorporating the how likely are you to recommend scale, businesses can gather more specific insights. In the end, this quantifiable measure of satisfaction aids decision-making regarding service improvements and customer relationship management. How to Administer the Scale Administering the “How Satisfied Are You” scale effectively requires careful planning and attention to detail. Start by ensuring the Likert questions are clear and specific, focusing on aspects like service quality or product experience. A typical rating scale sample includes options from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), providing a neutral middle ground for respondents. It’s essential to include this neutral option, as it accommodates those who might feel ambivalent about their satisfaction. Distributing the scale can be done through various channels, such as online surveys, email, or in-app prompts, to maximize reach. When designing your survey, consider using a likert survey template that outlines the structure clearly. Furthermore, think about how often answer options are presented to avoid overwhelming respondents. Once you’ve collected the responses, analyze the data to identify trends and average scores, which can guide your strategies for improving customer satisfaction. Interpreting the Results When interpreting the results of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale, you’ll want to analyze the distribution of responses for insights into customer sentiment. By identifying patterns, you can pinpoint specific areas that require improvement, enabling effective decision-making. Furthermore, tracking these scores over time can help assess the success of your strategies in enhancing customer experience. Analyzing Response Distribution Analyzing response distribution provides valuable insights into how respondents perceive their satisfaction levels, revealing trends that can inform business decisions. By examining the ratings on your evaluation scale examples, you can uncover patterns in customer sentiment. A balanced response distribution indicates diverse opinions, whereas a skewed distribution may reflect a dominant sentiment. Here’s a simplified view of how satisfaction levels might look using a rating scale examples 1–5: Satisfaction Level Frequency Percentage 1 (Very Dissatisfied) 5 10% 2 (Dissatisfied) 10 20% 3 (Neutral) 15 30% 4 (Satisfied) 10 20% 5 (Very Satisfied) 10 20% Identifying the mode can highlight the most common satisfaction level, guiding targeted improvements. Identifying Improvement Areas To effectively identify improvement areas based on satisfaction survey results, organizations must interpret the data thoughtfully and systematically. Utilizing a rating scale 1 to 10 can help pinpoint specific issues. Analyzing trends in responses, especially using Likert examples and agreement scale examples, can highlight common dissatisfaction points. Consider these strategies: Track changes over time with recurring surveys. Focus on median or mode summaries for clearer insights. Combine satisfaction scores with open-ended feedback. Identify specific areas with low helpfulness Likert scale ratings. Implement targeted interventions based on response patterns. Benefits and Limitations of the Scale The “How Satisfied Are You” scale offers both remarkable benefits and significant limitations that are important to comprehend. This rate scale typically uses a Likert format, allowing you to select your satisfaction level from 1 to 5, which simplifies data collection. One major benefit is its ability to provide quantifiable insights into customer or employee satisfaction, making it easier for organizations to track changes and identify improvement areas. Nonetheless, the limitations of the scale are significant. It may not capture the nuances of your feelings, reducing complex emotions to mere numbers. Furthermore, if a neutral option is missing, you might feel compelled to choose a side, leading to skewed data. The effectiveness of this 5 point Likert scale varies based on your familiarity with the format and the survey context, so it’s crucial to reflect on these factors when designing Likert questionnaire examples. Future Directions in Life Satisfaction Research Comprehending the benefits and limitations of the “How Satisfied Are You” scale opens the door to a broader exploration of life satisfaction research. Future studies are set to investigate several critical areas: The impact of social media on perceptions of satisfaction and happiness. Cultural differences in satisfaction metrics, highlighting societal values. The use of technology, like mobile apps, for real-time life satisfaction tracking. Long-term effects of significant life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on mental health. The influence of economic factors, including income inequality and job security, on overall happiness. These areas could utilize various ranking scale examples, including Likert scales and familiarity scales, to gather data and analyze scale ratings effectively. Comprehending these dimensions will improve our grasp of life satisfaction, offering insights into how diverse factors shape individual well-being. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the 5-Point Rating Scale for Satisfaction? The 5-point rating scale for satisfaction is a tool that helps you express your feelings about a service or product. It ranges from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied,” with a neutral midpoint option. This structure simplifies feedback collection and analysis, making it easier for businesses to interpret your responses. By using this scale, you contribute to clearer insights into customer experiences, aiding organizations in making informed decisions to improve their offerings. What Is the 7 Point Scale for Satisfaction? The 7-point scale for satisfaction allows you to rate your feelings from 1, meaning very dissatisfied, to 7, meaning very satisfied. This scale offers a more nuanced view of your satisfaction compared to simpler scales. It includes a neutral midpoint, letting you express ambivalence. Research shows that this format generates more reliable data, especially in groups like students, who find it straightforward. This makes it ideal for various surveys evaluating satisfaction. What Is the 5-Point Likert Scale? The 5-Point Likert Scale is a widely used survey tool that lets you express your level of satisfaction or agreement. It offers five response options: “Very Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Neutral,” “Dissatisfied,” and “Very Dissatisfied.” This format captures nuanced opinions without forcing a choice. What Is the 5 Level Rating Scale? The 5 Level Rating Scale is a tool used in surveys to measure various degrees of satisfaction. Respondents choose from options ranging from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied,” allowing you to express your feelings accurately. This scale includes a neutral option, preventing forced choices and supporting honest feedback. It helps businesses analyze customer opinions effectively, identify areas needing improvement, and track changes in sentiment over time, ultimately improving service quality and customer experience. Conclusion In conclusion, the “How Satisfied Are You” scale provides a clear and effective way to gauge customer satisfaction. Its structured format allows for straightforward data collection, making it applicable across various industries. By comprehending how to administer the scale and interpret the results, organizations can gain valuable insights into customer experiences. Though it has its benefits and limitations, this scale remains an essential tool in measuring satisfaction and guiding improvements in products and services. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is the “How Satisfied Are You” Scale?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The makers of Bevel, a health app for the Apple Watch that turns the device into a Whoop-style fitness tracker, have announced on social media that nearly all of the app’s functions will soon be available for free. Until now, Bevel required a $5.99/month (or $49.99/year) subscription. That said, the paid tier isn't going away completely. What does Bevel do?You can read my review of Bevel here, but in brief, it’s a tracking app that uses data from your Apple Watch (and other devices) to give you a Whoop-style dashboard that collects your health data in one place and analyzes it. Bevel can give you advice about how recovered it thinks you are, and how your habits affect your health metrics. While the Apple Watch can collect a lot of data, Apple has never built an app that integrates everything in a friendly, easily readable way. That integrated dashboard is where Apple Watch competitors like Whoop and Oura shine, and using Bevel (or one of its competitors, like Athlytic) gives a similar experience. What’s free in Bevel (and what’s the catch?) According to announcements Bevel made on Instagram and Reddit, an update rolling out this week makes all features of Bevel free except Bevel Intelligence, their AI feature. The company says this is because AI is more expensive for it to provide. Free features include everything else: “all historical data, Nutrition, Strength Builder, Sleep Alarm, and much more.” The company also hinted that two things are likely coming in 2026: more features (specifics not yet announced) and a price hike. Customers who currently subscribe to an annual plan will be grandfathered in to the 2026 plans at the same price they currently pay. There’s not enough information to know whether next year’s plans, which the company is calling “Bevel 3.0,” will be worth the subscription fee, whatever it happens to be. But I can say that the features of regular Bevel are definitely worth a try, especially at no cost. Bevel collects data from almost any health app that links to Apple Health, and can track a multitude of metrics, including strength training by muscle group, cardio load, recovery scores, and habit tracking. Most other wearables collect this information in their own apps, but if you wear an Apple Watch, Bevel is one of the best ways to consolidate it all. View the full article

Google has unveiled its latest advancements in its Gemini AI technology, particularly focusing on a new text-to-speech model that not only enhances vocal output but also tailors pacing to match the context. This innovative development could prove invaluable for small business owners looking to improve customer interaction through personalized audio communication. The model is designed to adjust the pacing of speech based on various factors—whether a message requires the deliberate pacing of a suspenseful story or the quick delivery necessary for an energetic product announcement. For small businesses, this means that customer communications, marketing videos, or even automated phone systems can adopt a more human-like feel. “To create natural speaking patterns, pacing is a critical element,” Google highlighted in their announcement, emphasizing that specific cues, such as humor or urgency, can now be more effectively delivered through audio. Small business owners often grapple with how to engage customers effectively. A dynamic text-to-speech tool can cater to this need by allowing businesses to craft messages that resonate more deeply with their audiences. For instance, embedding storytelling techniques in marketing can amplify emotional connections, encouraging greater customer loyalty and engagement. As Google put it, the model now follows “explicit pace-related instructions with much higher fidelity,” indicating a higher degree of control that could lead to more tailored customer experiences. This upgrade also addresses the significant challenge of differentiating content in a crowded marketplace. In an era where businesses often compete for consumers’ limited attention, delivering messages that stand out is crucial. This technology could enable small businesses to automate personalized engagement, making their communications feel more impactful without requiring extensive manual effort. However, as with any technology, there are considerations for small business owners. The transition to implementing advanced text-to-speech capabilities may require an initial investment in time and resources to learn how to best leverage these features. Understanding how to write for the audio format may also demand a shift in traditional content creation strategies. Without a clear plan for utilizing the new capabilities, the risk of inconsistent messaging or miscommunication looms. Moreover, while the model offers the possibility of enhanced customer engagement, there is the potential for overreliance on technology. Small business owners must balance automation with personal touch to ensure they maintain genuine relationships with their customers. As Google noted, the refined control over pacing is a powerful tool, but it must be used judiciously to achieve the desired outcome. For small businesses looking to adopt this technology, the key benefits lie in its ability to enhance communication while saving time. The potential to automate voice responses, using natural speech that adapts in real-time, means staff can focus on other critical business areas while retaining high customer service standards. Moreover, the improvements in pacing control could greatly enhance brand storytelling. By customizing pacing based on context, messages can resonate more effectively, whether sharing a brand’s journey, promoting a new product, or announcing special events. This adaptability can elevate the overall customer experience and could become a defining factor in fostering brand loyalty. As small businesses evaluate the potential integration of Google’s innovative text-to-speech technology, it is essential to weigh both the advantages and the obstacles they may encounter. Balancing tech advancement with the preservation of personal engagement will be pivotal in ensuring that this new tool doesn’t compromise the essence of customer relationships. For those interested in exploring these advancements further, more detailed information can be found in Google’s announcement: Gemini 2.5: Text-to-Speech. As this technology evolves, it holds the promise of transforming how small business owners communicate with their customers, paving the way for more engaging and tailored interactions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Google Gemini Introduces Dynamic Pacing Control for Natural Speech" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Google has unveiled its latest advancements in its Gemini AI technology, particularly focusing on a new text-to-speech model that not only enhances vocal output but also tailors pacing to match the context. This innovative development could prove invaluable for small business owners looking to improve customer interaction through personalized audio communication. The model is designed to adjust the pacing of speech based on various factors—whether a message requires the deliberate pacing of a suspenseful story or the quick delivery necessary for an energetic product announcement. For small businesses, this means that customer communications, marketing videos, or even automated phone systems can adopt a more human-like feel. “To create natural speaking patterns, pacing is a critical element,” Google highlighted in their announcement, emphasizing that specific cues, such as humor or urgency, can now be more effectively delivered through audio. Small business owners often grapple with how to engage customers effectively. A dynamic text-to-speech tool can cater to this need by allowing businesses to craft messages that resonate more deeply with their audiences. For instance, embedding storytelling techniques in marketing can amplify emotional connections, encouraging greater customer loyalty and engagement. As Google put it, the model now follows “explicit pace-related instructions with much higher fidelity,” indicating a higher degree of control that could lead to more tailored customer experiences. This upgrade also addresses the significant challenge of differentiating content in a crowded marketplace. In an era where businesses often compete for consumers’ limited attention, delivering messages that stand out is crucial. This technology could enable small businesses to automate personalized engagement, making their communications feel more impactful without requiring extensive manual effort. However, as with any technology, there are considerations for small business owners. The transition to implementing advanced text-to-speech capabilities may require an initial investment in time and resources to learn how to best leverage these features. Understanding how to write for the audio format may also demand a shift in traditional content creation strategies. Without a clear plan for utilizing the new capabilities, the risk of inconsistent messaging or miscommunication looms. Moreover, while the model offers the possibility of enhanced customer engagement, there is the potential for overreliance on technology. Small business owners must balance automation with personal touch to ensure they maintain genuine relationships with their customers. As Google noted, the refined control over pacing is a powerful tool, but it must be used judiciously to achieve the desired outcome. For small businesses looking to adopt this technology, the key benefits lie in its ability to enhance communication while saving time. The potential to automate voice responses, using natural speech that adapts in real-time, means staff can focus on other critical business areas while retaining high customer service standards. Moreover, the improvements in pacing control could greatly enhance brand storytelling. By customizing pacing based on context, messages can resonate more effectively, whether sharing a brand’s journey, promoting a new product, or announcing special events. This adaptability can elevate the overall customer experience and could become a defining factor in fostering brand loyalty. As small businesses evaluate the potential integration of Google’s innovative text-to-speech technology, it is essential to weigh both the advantages and the obstacles they may encounter. Balancing tech advancement with the preservation of personal engagement will be pivotal in ensuring that this new tool doesn’t compromise the essence of customer relationships. For those interested in exploring these advancements further, more detailed information can be found in Google’s announcement: Gemini 2.5: Text-to-Speech. As this technology evolves, it holds the promise of transforming how small business owners communicate with their customers, paving the way for more engaging and tailored interactions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Google Gemini Introduces Dynamic Pacing Control for Natural Speech" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The fintech industry has spent the last decade obsessing over seamless experiences and bringing financial products inside the tools that consumers were already hooked on. Instant approvals, one-click funding, and frictionless onboarding became the benchmarks of success. And for good reason; they removed friction that had frustrated their customers for generations. But here’s what we’re learning as embedded finance matures: The consumers and businesses that use embedded financial products repeatedly and stay loyal to their platforms are not just staying for the technology and platform. They’re staying because when they need it, they’re able to get help from people who understand the product, can anticipate their issues, and guide them through decisions that carry real financial weight. It’s not just the technology that is required to win, but the right level of service also. EMBED SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST PRODUCTS Embedded fintech puts financial services directly inside the software people already use to manage their everyday life or business. Here’s why the human element matters from day one. Say you’re a restaurant owner looking to apply for capital through your point-of-sale system. When a business owner needs to understand their costs, their options, and whether it makes sense to take a bank loan or advance, reassurance and education are the difference between gaining a customer and losing one. Financial issues carry real consequences and static. Confusing FAQ pages often aren’t enough to build the trust needed to work through them. Tomorrow’s embedded solutions cater to the full experience. They offer support from onboarding onwards, and a person to call when need arises. An API that works smoothly is embedded finance. A specialist who walks a customer through why their funding limit changed and what they can do about it? That’s a true embedded solution. SPEED ALONE WON’T HELP Fast approvals get customers excited. A three-minute application that results in instant access to $50,000 in working capital, or a next generation embedded credit card, feels impressive at first. But speed without guidance often leads to confusion and eventually customers who stop using the product. Consider the restaurant owner we mentioned above who is applying for working capital through their point-of-sale system. They’re looking at questions about personal guarantees, wondering what happens to their home if the business hits a rough patch. They’re trying to figure out if automatic deductions will interfere with making payroll next week. A self-serve flow can’t anticipate or answer questions like this. It makes it hard to build trust or drive long-term use. Human support changes the numbers by helping customers understand what they have access to and how to use it. When someone has access to a human to help them work out how to use a product, the math is simple. They use it a lot more. BETTER SERVICE EQUALS MORE ADOPTION The most successful embedded fintech products combine great products with a team of people who know how to guide customers through complex decisions. It’s not about choosing between automation and service. It’s about using both where they work best. Even with a smooth digital experience, first-time financial product users benefit from talking to someone who understands their business. The best specialists don’t just answer questions. They help customers see how to get the most value. Most businesses don’t use the maximum available credit. Not because they don’t need it, but because they’re unsure when it makes sense to access more. When a specialist reaches out to say, “We noticed you’re growing quickly and using about 60% of your available capital. Want to talk about whether increasing your limit makes sense?” two things happen. First, the customer feels seen. Second, they’re more likely to access additional capital that actually helps them grow. THE FUTURE OF EMBEDDED FINANCE The embedded finance industry is moving past the early “automate everything” phase. The platforms and providers building long-term relationships understand that financial products are fundamentally about trust, and trust comes from consistent, helpful interaction backed by reliable technology. This doesn’t mean every fintech provider will build massive support teams. It means the successful ones will figure out how to deliver expert guidance at scale, using technology to make human expertise more accessible and effective, not to replace it. For software platforms, this creates an opportunity. As embedded finance becomes more common, service quality becomes a key way to stand out. It’s not just about access to capital and financial services. The platforms that help their customers actually use them to grow will build stronger relationships than platforms that simply offer another feature. Luke Voiles is CEO of Pipe. View the full article

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose new employee felt excluded on a well-meaning but cliquey team? Here’s the update. I had actually done some of the things you suggested when Anya joined (e.g., organizing a Teams call before she started so she could ask me questions and briefly meet the rest of the team before she started, having a team lunch in the staff cafeteria on her first day with us in the office, setting up coffee meetings with each member of the team in her first couple of weeks, designating an official buddy in another team and an informal buddy in our team, having individual members of the team work with her on particular pieces of work and provide her some of her on the job training) but none of them had created the right atmosphere. One thing that I didn’t mention at the time was that the managers on Anya’s old team tried to make a big deal out of the issue during the performance ratings conversation and argued that Buffy, Cordelia and Willow should all have their ratings downgraded, which would have affected their bonuses. I got a bit emotional at this suggestion because I genuinely didn’t feel it was fair to use information against people that they were unaware of and hadn’t been given a chance to respond to. None of the other managers in the meeting had any idea what we were talking about and it got extremely awkward, but in the end it was agreed that it would not be fair to downgrade people based on hearsay that hadn’t been fully investigated. Anya was too new at that point to get a performance rating (two months in, much of which had been spent on induction/orientation). Shortly after this happened, Buffy was promoted and moved to a different team and I moved as well. The team was meant to get an internal transfer to backfill Buffy’s role, but due to reorganization of the workload, this didn’t happen. The work Willow had been doing moved with me to my new team and she wound up doing Buffy’s old job, Anya stayed where she was and seems happier, reporting to Xander, even when a new manager eventually came to replace me. When we interact, she seems to find it awkward to talk to me, but I make sure to treat her with complete professionalism. Over the summer, Cordelia also got a promotion and has moved to a team in the same department as Buffy. Cordelia also hasn’t been replaced, so now the team is just Willow, Xander and Anya plus the managers. We’re all on the same floor and I can see that Cordelia and Buffy still hang out together a lot (coffee, lunch, but still not outside of work hours), often with Willow as well even though they are all on different teams. Cordelia’s ex-boyfriend went for promotion at the same time as Buffy, didn’t get it and resigned for a job externally. The post update: my new employee feels excluded on a well-meaning but cliquey team appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Aerospace company Starfighters Space, which operates the world’s only commercial supersonic aircraft fleet out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is down double digits after major gains following completion of its initial public offering (IPO) last week. Starfighters Space’s stock price has had a volatile ride in the days since, and Tuesday was no exception. On Tuesday, shares of the stock, which are trading under the ticker symbol FJET, were down 55%, just one day after Monday’s record gains, when it soared a whopping 371%. The Florida-based company completed its IPO last Wednesday, with shares beginning to trade on the NYSE American the next day. The company raised $40 million in its Regulation A offering. The stock opened at $10 per share, and peaked at $17.72 on Thursday before sliding back down to $6.69 on Friday, according to Investor’s Business Daily. In midday trading on Tuesday at the time of this writing, FJET was trading at $14.18 a share. What is Starfighters Space? The company owns and operates the largest commercial fleet of supersonic aircraft, which consists of seven Lockheed F-104 Starfighters adapted for space missions, and is based out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Starfighters is developing a StarLaunch program, which uses the jets to deploy satellites and small payloads into space, with the capability to fly at MACH 2 speed. Founded just three years ago in 2022, the company also offers pilot and astronaut training, in-flight testing services, and solutions for both defense and private sector industries. Current customers include Lockheed Martin, GE, Innoveering, Space Florida, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Starfighters Space financials Starfighters Space Inc. had an approximate market capitalization of $395 million at the time of this writing. “The public listing . . . reflects growing investor interest in companies providing real-world aerospace capabilities aligned with national security, space access, and advanced testing requirements,” Starfighters CEO and founder Rick Svetkoff said in a recent statement. “The Company is well positioned to deliver services to a range of customers through our fast, innovative and unique platform.” View the full article

If you’re new to video editing, selecting the right software can make a significant difference in your experience. Various options cater to beginners, each with unique features and interfaces. For instance, CyberLink PowerDirector and Wondershare Filmora stand out for their user-friendly designs. Meanwhile, iMovie is a great free choice for Mac users. As you explore these tools, you’ll find that some offer more advanced capabilities, which can improve your editing skills. What might suit your needs best? Key Takeaways User-Friendly Interfaces: Software like iMovie and Movavi offer intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, making them accessible for beginners. Affordable Options: Many programs, such as ACDSee Luxea and Movavi, provide one-time payment models without recurring fees. Essential Tools: Programs like Wondershare Filmora and CyberLink PowerDirector include built-in music, filters, and motion tracking to enhance editing capabilities. Free Versions Available: Clipchamp and iMovie offer free access to essential tools, making them ideal for novice users. Flexible Learning Resources: Software like Adobe Premiere Elements and Wondershare Filmora provide helpful tutorials and step-by-step instructions for easy mastery. CyberLink PowerDirector CyberLink PowerDirector stands out as a versatile video editing software customized for beginners and more experienced users alike. Its user-friendly interface makes it a good video editing software for beginners, allowing you to plunge right into editing without feeling overwhelmed. With features like fast project rendering and multicam editing, you can create professional-quality videos quickly. This software furthermore supports motion tracking, which improves your editing capabilities. Compatible with both Windows and Mac, it even offers cross-device editing on iOS and Android. In addition, flexible pricing options, including a monthly subscription or an annual plan, give you choices to fit your budget. A free trial lets you explore its extensive library of templates and AI tools before committing to a purchase. Imovie by Apple When you’re ready to plunge into video editing, iMovie by Apple offers a strong yet accessible option for beginners. This free software comes pre-installed on all Apple devices, providing a seamless editing experience on macOS and iOS. Its user-friendly interface features intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to create and edit videos without a steep learning curve. iMovie includes advanced tools like green-screen effects, picture-in-picture, and audio editing capabilities, allowing you to improve your projects with professional results. Supporting 4K video resolution, iMovie enables you to export high-quality videos perfect for various platforms, including social media and YouTube. Its integration with other Apple applications further enriches your editing experience. Wondershare Filmora Wondershare Filmora stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it easy for you to navigate and edit videos efficiently. You’ll find a variety of effective editing features, such as filters, shifts, and text tools, that help create professional-looking content without overwhelming complexity. Whether you choose the “Easy Mode” for quick edits or explore its full range of capabilities, Filmora caters to your video editing needs across multiple devices. User-Friendly Interface For those new to video editing, an intuitive interface can make all the difference in the learning experience. Wondershare Filmora stands out as one of the easiest video software options available, designed particularly for beginners. Its layout is clear and organized, allowing you to navigate through editing tools effortlessly. The “Easy Mode” feature enables quick drag-and-drop editing, perfect for those unfamiliar with complex techniques. You’ll find a variety of filters, overlays, and shifts that can be applied with just a click, enhancing your creativity. Moreover, helpful pop-ups and tutorials guide you through various tasks, further reducing the learning curve. With Filmora, you can focus on creating great videos, rather than struggling with the software. Effective Editing Features Building on its user-friendly interface, Wondershare Filmora offers a range of effective editing features that cater to beginners and seasoned editors alike. As a free Premiere Pro alternative, it simplifies the editing process through various tools designed for ease of use: Intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for clips and effects A diverse selection of filters, overlays, and changes “Easy Mode” for quick movie creation with automated features Motion tracking and picture-in-picture tools for dynamic scenes Built-in music, sound effects, and title creation tools These features enable you to improve your videos effortlessly, allowing you to produce polished content ready for sharing on various platforms. With Filmora, you can create engaging videos without needing advanced technical skills. Movavi Movavi Video Editor stands out as a practical choice for beginners venturing into the domain of video editing. Its user-friendly interface simplifies the editing process, making it accessible even for those with little experience. As an excellent Adobe Premiere alternative, Movavi supports multiple video formats and resolutions, allowing seamless import and export across platforms. Feature Description Benefits User-Friendly Design Intuitive interface Easy navigation for beginners Built-in Assets Music, sound effects, filters, changes Boosts creativity effortlessly One-Time Payment Lifetime license No recurring fees Quick Rendering Speed Fast processing times Efficient content creation With built-in music and quick rendering speeds, Movavi makes video editing both enjoyable and efficient for new creators. Clipchamp Clipchamp offers a modern solution for beginners enthusiastic to explore video editing without the burden of upfront costs. This browser-based software allows you to create and edit videos directly from your web browser, making it accessible on any device. As you might wonder what video editing software do YouTubers use, Clipchamp is a popular choice because of its features: Free version with crucial editing tools Numerous templates for social media marketing AI-powered speech-to-text auto-captioning Easy video editing without downloads Subscription options for high-resolution exports With Clipchamp, you can easily improve your video content and engage your audience, making it a great starting point for your video editing expedition. DaVinci Resolve DaVinci Resolve stands out for its high-end editing experience, offering a robust free version that includes a wide array of tools for both video editing and color correction. With an intuitive interface, you can start with basic edits and gradually tackle more complex projects as you build your skills. Plus, the free version doesn’t expire, allowing you to explore its features without any time constraints. High-End Editing Experience When you’re looking for a high-end editing experience that caters to both beginners and advanced users, DaVinci Resolve stands out as a premier choice. Many YouTubers have embraced this software for its robust features. Here’s what makes it a top contender: Extensive suite of professional-grade editing tools High-speed rendering capabilities for efficiency Support for 4K video editing, requiring a mid-range graphics card Intuitive user interface, though it may take time to master Abundant online resources, including tutorials and community support As you explore what editing software do YouTubers use, you’ll find that DaVinci Resolve not only meets your current needs but likewise grows with you, allowing for a seamless shift to advanced features over time. Generous Free Version One of the standout features of DaVinci Resolve is its generous free version, which provides an extensive array of editing tools that cater to both beginners and experienced users alike. This great editing software for YouTube videos offers a thorough set of features, including color correction, audio post-production, and visual effects, all without any time limit. You can practice and refine your skills indefinitely, as the free version never expires. Additionally, it supports various video formats and is forgiving in HD editing, even though you have a mid-range graphics card. To assist you further, a wealth of online tutorials and resources is available to help you navigate its complex interface and master crucial editing techniques. ACDSee Luxea ACDSee Luxea stands out as a versatile video editing software option for beginners, offering a free version packed with vital tools and screen recording capabilities. This software is designed particularly for novice editors, making it an excellent choice for video editing for beginners. Key features include: Fully featured toolset for basic editing tasks Screen recording capabilities for creating tutorials or presentations Exports up to 1080p in the free version Budget-friendly one-time payment model, eliminating subscription fees User-friendly interface that simplifies navigation and improves learning While ACDSee Luxea provides fundamental tools for beginners, its limited advanced features may not meet the needs of more experienced editors seeking extensive capabilities. Adobe Premiere Elements Adobe Premiere Elements is a great choice for beginners because of its user-friendly interface and crucial editing tools. With a one-time payment option, it offers an affordable solution for those looking to improve their video projects without the burden of recurring fees. As you explore its features, you’ll find it supports various content types, making it suitable for everything from social media clips to family memories. User-Friendly Interface In relation to video editing software, a user-friendly interface can make all the difference for beginners. Adobe Premiere Elements excels in this area, simplifying the editing process with features designed for those new to video editing tools for YouTube. Guided edits help you learn without feeling overwhelmed. Automated features speed up the editing process. A clear workspace layout allows intuitive navigation. A library of templates and presets makes quick video assembly easy. Multiple format support and easy social media sharing improve accessibility. With these elements, you’ll find it easy to create and share your videos. Adobe Premiere Elements guarantees that you can focus on your creativity rather than getting bogged down by complex tools. Essential Editing Tools When you start using video editing software, having access to vital editing tools can greatly improve your productivity and creativity. Adobe Premiere Elements stands out as an effective choice, especially for beginners. Its user-friendly interface simplifies navigation, allowing you to quickly access fundamental tools. The “Quick Edit” mode offers automated editing options, enabling you to make fast adjustments and produce polished videos effortlessly. Moreover, built-in guided edits provide step-by-step instructions, ensuring you master effects and improvements. With support for various file formats, including 4K resolution, this software accommodates different video sources seamlessly. As a reliable youtube editing software, Premiere Elements offers a one-time purchase covering three years of use, making it an appealing option for new editors. Affordable Pricing Options For those looking to get started with video editing without breaking the bank, Adobe Premiere Elements offers an appealing pricing structure. Priced at a one-time payment of $99.99, this inexpensive video editing software provides a three-year license, making it a budget-friendly alternative to subscription models. Plus, you can try it out with a free trial before committing. Here are some key benefits: User-friendly interface, perfect for beginners Bundled Photoshop Elements for added creative versatility Extensive features that improve editing skills Competitive pricing compared to similar software Long-term license, eliminating recurring fees With these options, Adobe Premiere Elements stands out as an excellent choice for anyone seeking an affordable yet effective video editing solution. Nero Video Nero Video stands out as a practical option for those new to video editing, offering a blend of affordability and essential features. Priced at just $49.99, or $39.95 with a one-time payment, it eliminates the stress of ongoing subscription fees. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality make it accessible for beginners. With basic changes, titles, and audio editing, you can create polished videos without needing advanced skills. If you’re wondering what editing app do YouTubers use, Nero Video is an excellent choice for those on a budget. It provides various tricks and effects that improve simple video projects, ensuring you can make engaging content without breaking the bank. Corel VideoStudio Corel VideoStudio is widely regarded as one of the most user-friendly video editing software options available, making it a great choice for beginners enthusiastic to learn video editing skills. If you’re wondering what video editor do YouTubers use, this software could be your answer. It supports 4K video editing and includes advanced features such as motion tracking— a first in consumer software. Here are some key features: A variety of effects and templates to improve your videos A straightforward timeline interface for ease of use Regular updates to keep the software current Budget-friendly pricing at around $40 Compatibility with various formats for versatile editing With Corel VideoStudio, creating engaging videos becomes an enjoyable expedition. Frequently Asked Questions Which Is the Best Software to Learn Video Editing? To learn video editing effectively, consider software like iMovie or Corel VideoStudio for their beginner-friendly interfaces. These programs simplify the editing process and help you grasp key concepts. If you’re looking for more features, DaVinci Resolve and HitFilm Express offer extensive tutorials to guide you. For affordability, Filmora and Movavi Video Editor present budget-friendly options. As you progress, tools like Adobe Premiere Rush can adapt to your growing skills, ensuring versatility in your projects. Which Editing Software Should I Start With? When you’re starting out with video editing, consider options like iMovie, CyberLink Director, or Filmora. iMovie’s free and user-friendly for Mac users, whereas Director offers advanced features with a monthly fee. Filmora’s budget-friendly and includes helpful guides for learning. Corel VideoStudio is intuitive and affordable, and CapCut provides a straightforward editing experience without hardware strain. Each option caters to different needs, so choose based on your preferences and budget. Which Editor Is Best for Beginners? For beginners, the best video editing software depends on your specific needs. iMovie is great for Mac users, offering crucial tools and a user-friendly interface. Filmora’s drag-and-drop functionality makes editing straightforward, whereas Corel VideoStudio combines affordability with advanced features. Adobe Premiere Rush simplifies sharing and includes templates for quick edits. If you’re looking for versatility and speed, CyberLink PowerDirector provides a sleek experience with 4K support, catering to both novices and experienced users. Which Course Is Best for Video Editing for Beginners? When choosing a video editing course for beginners, consider platforms like Skillshare and Udemy for thorough options. Skillshare offers courses on popular software, whereas Udemy provides lifetime access to specific software training. LinkedIn Learning focuses on vital techniques, and Coursera features structured courses with hands-on projects. YouTube remains a great free resource for tutorials. Evaluate your preferred software and learning style to select the course that best fits your needs and goals. Conclusion In conclusion, choosing the right video editing software is vital for beginners looking to create impressive content. Options like CyberLink PowerDirector, iMovie, and Wondershare Filmora provide user-friendly interfaces and fundamental features to ease the learning curve. Similarly, Movavi, Clipchamp, and others offer accessible tools that cater to various editing needs. By exploring these software choices, you can find the best fit for your projects, allowing you to develop your skills and produce quality videos efficiently. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Top 10 Good Video Editing Software for Beginners" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re new to video editing, selecting the right software can make a significant difference in your experience. Various options cater to beginners, each with unique features and interfaces. For instance, CyberLink PowerDirector and Wondershare Filmora stand out for their user-friendly designs. Meanwhile, iMovie is a great free choice for Mac users. As you explore these tools, you’ll find that some offer more advanced capabilities, which can improve your editing skills. What might suit your needs best? Key Takeaways User-Friendly Interfaces: Software like iMovie and Movavi offer intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, making them accessible for beginners. Affordable Options: Many programs, such as ACDSee Luxea and Movavi, provide one-time payment models without recurring fees. Essential Tools: Programs like Wondershare Filmora and CyberLink PowerDirector include built-in music, filters, and motion tracking to enhance editing capabilities. Free Versions Available: Clipchamp and iMovie offer free access to essential tools, making them ideal for novice users. Flexible Learning Resources: Software like Adobe Premiere Elements and Wondershare Filmora provide helpful tutorials and step-by-step instructions for easy mastery. CyberLink PowerDirector CyberLink PowerDirector stands out as a versatile video editing software customized for beginners and more experienced users alike. Its user-friendly interface makes it a good video editing software for beginners, allowing you to plunge right into editing without feeling overwhelmed. With features like fast project rendering and multicam editing, you can create professional-quality videos quickly. This software furthermore supports motion tracking, which improves your editing capabilities. Compatible with both Windows and Mac, it even offers cross-device editing on iOS and Android. In addition, flexible pricing options, including a monthly subscription or an annual plan, give you choices to fit your budget. A free trial lets you explore its extensive library of templates and AI tools before committing to a purchase. Imovie by Apple When you’re ready to plunge into video editing, iMovie by Apple offers a strong yet accessible option for beginners. This free software comes pre-installed on all Apple devices, providing a seamless editing experience on macOS and iOS. Its user-friendly interface features intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to create and edit videos without a steep learning curve. iMovie includes advanced tools like green-screen effects, picture-in-picture, and audio editing capabilities, allowing you to improve your projects with professional results. Supporting 4K video resolution, iMovie enables you to export high-quality videos perfect for various platforms, including social media and YouTube. Its integration with other Apple applications further enriches your editing experience. Wondershare Filmora Wondershare Filmora stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it easy for you to navigate and edit videos efficiently. You’ll find a variety of effective editing features, such as filters, shifts, and text tools, that help create professional-looking content without overwhelming complexity. Whether you choose the “Easy Mode” for quick edits or explore its full range of capabilities, Filmora caters to your video editing needs across multiple devices. User-Friendly Interface For those new to video editing, an intuitive interface can make all the difference in the learning experience. Wondershare Filmora stands out as one of the easiest video software options available, designed particularly for beginners. Its layout is clear and organized, allowing you to navigate through editing tools effortlessly. The “Easy Mode” feature enables quick drag-and-drop editing, perfect for those unfamiliar with complex techniques. You’ll find a variety of filters, overlays, and shifts that can be applied with just a click, enhancing your creativity. Moreover, helpful pop-ups and tutorials guide you through various tasks, further reducing the learning curve. With Filmora, you can focus on creating great videos, rather than struggling with the software. Effective Editing Features Building on its user-friendly interface, Wondershare Filmora offers a range of effective editing features that cater to beginners and seasoned editors alike. As a free Premiere Pro alternative, it simplifies the editing process through various tools designed for ease of use: Intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for clips and effects A diverse selection of filters, overlays, and changes “Easy Mode” for quick movie creation with automated features Motion tracking and picture-in-picture tools for dynamic scenes Built-in music, sound effects, and title creation tools These features enable you to improve your videos effortlessly, allowing you to produce polished content ready for sharing on various platforms. With Filmora, you can create engaging videos without needing advanced technical skills. Movavi Movavi Video Editor stands out as a practical choice for beginners venturing into the domain of video editing. Its user-friendly interface simplifies the editing process, making it accessible even for those with little experience. As an excellent Adobe Premiere alternative, Movavi supports multiple video formats and resolutions, allowing seamless import and export across platforms. Feature Description Benefits User-Friendly Design Intuitive interface Easy navigation for beginners Built-in Assets Music, sound effects, filters, changes Boosts creativity effortlessly One-Time Payment Lifetime license No recurring fees Quick Rendering Speed Fast processing times Efficient content creation With built-in music and quick rendering speeds, Movavi makes video editing both enjoyable and efficient for new creators. Clipchamp Clipchamp offers a modern solution for beginners enthusiastic to explore video editing without the burden of upfront costs. This browser-based software allows you to create and edit videos directly from your web browser, making it accessible on any device. As you might wonder what video editing software do YouTubers use, Clipchamp is a popular choice because of its features: Free version with crucial editing tools Numerous templates for social media marketing AI-powered speech-to-text auto-captioning Easy video editing without downloads Subscription options for high-resolution exports With Clipchamp, you can easily improve your video content and engage your audience, making it a great starting point for your video editing expedition. DaVinci Resolve DaVinci Resolve stands out for its high-end editing experience, offering a robust free version that includes a wide array of tools for both video editing and color correction. With an intuitive interface, you can start with basic edits and gradually tackle more complex projects as you build your skills. Plus, the free version doesn’t expire, allowing you to explore its features without any time constraints. High-End Editing Experience When you’re looking for a high-end editing experience that caters to both beginners and advanced users, DaVinci Resolve stands out as a premier choice. Many YouTubers have embraced this software for its robust features. Here’s what makes it a top contender: Extensive suite of professional-grade editing tools High-speed rendering capabilities for efficiency Support for 4K video editing, requiring a mid-range graphics card Intuitive user interface, though it may take time to master Abundant online resources, including tutorials and community support As you explore what editing software do YouTubers use, you’ll find that DaVinci Resolve not only meets your current needs but likewise grows with you, allowing for a seamless shift to advanced features over time. Generous Free Version One of the standout features of DaVinci Resolve is its generous free version, which provides an extensive array of editing tools that cater to both beginners and experienced users alike. This great editing software for YouTube videos offers a thorough set of features, including color correction, audio post-production, and visual effects, all without any time limit. You can practice and refine your skills indefinitely, as the free version never expires. Additionally, it supports various video formats and is forgiving in HD editing, even though you have a mid-range graphics card. To assist you further, a wealth of online tutorials and resources is available to help you navigate its complex interface and master crucial editing techniques. ACDSee Luxea ACDSee Luxea stands out as a versatile video editing software option for beginners, offering a free version packed with vital tools and screen recording capabilities. This software is designed particularly for novice editors, making it an excellent choice for video editing for beginners. Key features include: Fully featured toolset for basic editing tasks Screen recording capabilities for creating tutorials or presentations Exports up to 1080p in the free version Budget-friendly one-time payment model, eliminating subscription fees User-friendly interface that simplifies navigation and improves learning While ACDSee Luxea provides fundamental tools for beginners, its limited advanced features may not meet the needs of more experienced editors seeking extensive capabilities. Adobe Premiere Elements Adobe Premiere Elements is a great choice for beginners because of its user-friendly interface and crucial editing tools. With a one-time payment option, it offers an affordable solution for those looking to improve their video projects without the burden of recurring fees. As you explore its features, you’ll find it supports various content types, making it suitable for everything from social media clips to family memories. User-Friendly Interface In relation to video editing software, a user-friendly interface can make all the difference for beginners. Adobe Premiere Elements excels in this area, simplifying the editing process with features designed for those new to video editing tools for YouTube. Guided edits help you learn without feeling overwhelmed. Automated features speed up the editing process. A clear workspace layout allows intuitive navigation. A library of templates and presets makes quick video assembly easy. Multiple format support and easy social media sharing improve accessibility. With these elements, you’ll find it easy to create and share your videos. Adobe Premiere Elements guarantees that you can focus on your creativity rather than getting bogged down by complex tools. Essential Editing Tools When you start using video editing software, having access to vital editing tools can greatly improve your productivity and creativity. Adobe Premiere Elements stands out as an effective choice, especially for beginners. Its user-friendly interface simplifies navigation, allowing you to quickly access fundamental tools. The “Quick Edit” mode offers automated editing options, enabling you to make fast adjustments and produce polished videos effortlessly. Moreover, built-in guided edits provide step-by-step instructions, ensuring you master effects and improvements. With support for various file formats, including 4K resolution, this software accommodates different video sources seamlessly. As a reliable youtube editing software, Premiere Elements offers a one-time purchase covering three years of use, making it an appealing option for new editors. Affordable Pricing Options For those looking to get started with video editing without breaking the bank, Adobe Premiere Elements offers an appealing pricing structure. Priced at a one-time payment of $99.99, this inexpensive video editing software provides a three-year license, making it a budget-friendly alternative to subscription models. Plus, you can try it out with a free trial before committing. Here are some key benefits: User-friendly interface, perfect for beginners Bundled Photoshop Elements for added creative versatility Extensive features that improve editing skills Competitive pricing compared to similar software Long-term license, eliminating recurring fees With these options, Adobe Premiere Elements stands out as an excellent choice for anyone seeking an affordable yet effective video editing solution. Nero Video Nero Video stands out as a practical option for those new to video editing, offering a blend of affordability and essential features. Priced at just $49.99, or $39.95 with a one-time payment, it eliminates the stress of ongoing subscription fees. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality make it accessible for beginners. With basic changes, titles, and audio editing, you can create polished videos without needing advanced skills. If you’re wondering what editing app do YouTubers use, Nero Video is an excellent choice for those on a budget. It provides various tricks and effects that improve simple video projects, ensuring you can make engaging content without breaking the bank. Corel VideoStudio Corel VideoStudio is widely regarded as one of the most user-friendly video editing software options available, making it a great choice for beginners enthusiastic to learn video editing skills. If you’re wondering what video editor do YouTubers use, this software could be your answer. It supports 4K video editing and includes advanced features such as motion tracking— a first in consumer software. Here are some key features: A variety of effects and templates to improve your videos A straightforward timeline interface for ease of use Regular updates to keep the software current Budget-friendly pricing at around $40 Compatibility with various formats for versatile editing With Corel VideoStudio, creating engaging videos becomes an enjoyable expedition. Frequently Asked Questions Which Is the Best Software to Learn Video Editing? To learn video editing effectively, consider software like iMovie or Corel VideoStudio for their beginner-friendly interfaces. These programs simplify the editing process and help you grasp key concepts. If you’re looking for more features, DaVinci Resolve and HitFilm Express offer extensive tutorials to guide you. For affordability, Filmora and Movavi Video Editor present budget-friendly options. As you progress, tools like Adobe Premiere Rush can adapt to your growing skills, ensuring versatility in your projects. Which Editing Software Should I Start With? When you’re starting out with video editing, consider options like iMovie, CyberLink Director, or Filmora. iMovie’s free and user-friendly for Mac users, whereas Director offers advanced features with a monthly fee. Filmora’s budget-friendly and includes helpful guides for learning. Corel VideoStudio is intuitive and affordable, and CapCut provides a straightforward editing experience without hardware strain. Each option caters to different needs, so choose based on your preferences and budget. Which Editor Is Best for Beginners? For beginners, the best video editing software depends on your specific needs. iMovie is great for Mac users, offering crucial tools and a user-friendly interface. Filmora’s drag-and-drop functionality makes editing straightforward, whereas Corel VideoStudio combines affordability with advanced features. Adobe Premiere Rush simplifies sharing and includes templates for quick edits. If you’re looking for versatility and speed, CyberLink PowerDirector provides a sleek experience with 4K support, catering to both novices and experienced users. Which Course Is Best for Video Editing for Beginners? When choosing a video editing course for beginners, consider platforms like Skillshare and Udemy for thorough options. Skillshare offers courses on popular software, whereas Udemy provides lifetime access to specific software training. LinkedIn Learning focuses on vital techniques, and Coursera features structured courses with hands-on projects. YouTube remains a great free resource for tutorials. Evaluate your preferred software and learning style to select the course that best fits your needs and goals. Conclusion In conclusion, choosing the right video editing software is vital for beginners looking to create impressive content. Options like CyberLink PowerDirector, iMovie, and Wondershare Filmora provide user-friendly interfaces and fundamental features to ease the learning curve. Similarly, Movavi, Clipchamp, and others offer accessible tools that cater to various editing needs. By exploring these software choices, you can find the best fit for your projects, allowing you to develop your skills and produce quality videos efficiently. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Top 10 Good Video Editing Software for Beginners" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

I get it, these are uncertain times. Organic traffic is dropping like a rock, and new referral traffic coming in from LLMs like ChatGPT barely scratches the surface of what’s been lost. The narrative of “traffic is simply coming from a new source” is not accurate. Search and engagement are happening in new ways, but CTRs are dropping significantly across nearly all industries. It’s no surprise that many in the industry are feeling anxious about the future of SEO and whether AI might eventually render their roles obsolete. Bringing this up with your C-suite team might feel like the last thing you want to do. But here’s the reality: Now is exactly the time to lean in. Your leadership team needs to understand what’s happening, and, more importantly, what you’re doing about it. Use this moment to educate, align expectations, and map out how your search strategy is evolving to meet the new landscape head on. Schedule the meeting. Start the conversation. I’ll walk you through exactly what to do to maximize the value of this very important meeting. Don’t avoid leadership — address AI visibility head-on No, I’m not going to tell you to picture your leadership team in their underwear. That won’t make the conversation easier, it’ll just make it awkward. What will help is showing up prepared to lead the conversation. Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with Set the tone from the start. Your leadership team will already respect the fact that you’re raising this issue before they assign someone to investigate it. Use this opportunity to guide the discussion and provide clarity, not excuses. This isn’t the time to sugarcoat or downplay what’s happening. Let’s break down the key points to bring to leadership to provide clarity. Why SEO is down and how that impacts business This is your opportunity to lead with facts, not fear. Give an honest recap of the current state of the industry and how it’s affecting your business. To start, here are a few critical events that may help explain shifts in performance: Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are changing user behavior and pulling searches away from Google entirely. Google has since rolled out AI Overviews (AIOs), which are appearing in more and more SERPs and driving fewer clicks to third-party sites. (Reports of -61% reduction in organic CTR have been reported). LLMs are sending some traffic, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what’s been lost from traditional search. Bing launched AI-powered search summaries, but the impact was limited due to its smaller market share. Next, present a clear, data-driven overview of what’s changed at your company and how it’s already affecting your business. If organic traffic is down 30%, own it, and if revenue has dipped as well, own that too. Keep the conversation grounded in measurable outcomes and alignment with company goals. And confirm in advance with your analytics team that data you are citing (in addition to LLM visibility metrics you are collecting) are accurate. Here’s data that needs to be shared. Discuss revenue, leads (or actions marked as key events), and organic traffic data over time, ideally including year-over-year numbers. These numbers tie the discussion directly to business impact instead of rankings or other vanity metrics. Year-over-year views help distinguish seasonality and industry trends from real performance drops. Identifying these allows leadership to quickly understand when performance went down vs. a soft market (or shift to a new search ecosystem). Export and review keywords you’ve been tracking. This is valuable for Google and Bing, and additional insights from LLM rank tracking can add more context. No, I’m not going against my long standing take that rankings shouldn’t be used as a performance metric on their own. However, in situations like these, rankings are incredibly important to understand if the decrease in traffic is purely lost rankings, lost demand, or shifts in how people search. Export click/impression and CTR data in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Isolate queries/URLs that saw a CTR decrease and determine if those SERPs are now displaying AIOs. This further demonstrates when performance is truly down or if everyone playing the game has been impacted. If the pages that saw the biggest dips in clicks also display AI overviews, then the impact is likely very similar for your competitors as well. Just another valuable piece of the puzzle. Once you deliver the current state of the business, questions will follow. Don’t wait to be asked, own the narrative. Explain the broader context, industry-wide shifts, and emerging technologies behind these changes. A few opportunities to consider: Pull traffic estimates and keyword ranking reports for your top competitors. Are they seeing similar results? Review Google Trends and Exploding Topics to identify increasing (or decreasing) demand for topics/products within your industry. Leverage new AI visibility technology/reports to show your brand’s visibility where the conversation/research is happening (LLMs). Remember, this isn’t about assigning blame. It’s about showing you understand the change in landscape and how it’s impacting overall performance. What we’ve learned so far and where we’re going This is the moment to show leadership that you are not just diagnosing a problem, you are actively working toward a solution. They might not love every answer, but they will respect that you are thinking three steps ahead. Make it clear that while the rules are changing, your team is already adapting to win in the next era of search. Then be explicit about what you need from them, whether that’s budget, headcount, data support, or cross-functional alignment, so you can actually execute the plan instead of just presenting the problem. Here are a few ideas to communicate the next plan of attack. We are working to increase our brand’s presence outside of traditional search, focusing heavily on AI-generated answers and emerging discovery platforms. That includes tracking which questions matter most to our buyers, understanding where our brand appears today, and prioritizing content, PR, and partnerships to increase our odds of being named in those answers. The goal is simple: If people are getting answers without clicking, our brand still needs to show up in the answer. This is done by repetition and consistency in our brand mentions/citations across the web. We are rethinking content strategy around entities and topics, not just keywords and rankings. LLMs reward brands that have deep, consistent coverage of a topic and clear signals of expertise. That affects what we publish, how we structure content, and how we collaborate with PR, product, and subject matter experts to build authority over time. This is the 2.0 version of “SEO content” and it won’t be easy, but the results will be worth it. We are investing in visibility measurement across both traditional and non-traditional search channels. Google organic traffic is no longer the single source of truth. We are building reporting that accounts for AI surfaces, social discovery, referral ecosystems, and even offline demand, so the broader team sees the full picture instead of assuming “SEO is down, therefore demand is down.” This helps quantify the broader shift in search ecosystems. AI Overviews are a permanent shift, not a test. This means resetting traffic baselines, forecasts, and goals to reflect fewer clicks from classic blue links within the SERP. We are not planning our pipeline in the hope that Google turns AI Overviews off, we are planning for a world where this is the new normal. Some version of “AI Mode” will likely become Google’s default experience in 2026. If more searches are answered directly in Google’s interface, fewer visitors will hit our site. That changes how many leads or sales we can expect from SEO alone, and it will force us to rethink everything, including budgeting and how we attribute performance across channels. How we’ll be proactive and adapt to the new search landscape You’ve explained what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how your team is adapting. Now, make it clear to leadership that to succeed in this shifting landscape, it can’t be done in isolation. You’ll need alignment, resources, and ongoing support. Use this opportunity to preemptively answer questions like “What do you need from us?” and to shape the path forward. Leaders like nothing more than an actionable plan that they simply have to bless to get done. Here are some critical needs to outline. Search success in the AI era looks different, is measured differently than we are used to, and will take time to optimize. We should agree up front on realistic timeframes, what leading indicators we will track, and how often we will report back. Rankings, traffic, and last-click revenue will not always move neatly in sync, so leadership needs to be comfortable with a period where we are learning and recalibrating, not just chasing last year’s dashboards. Executive buy-in is needed to prioritize long-term brand-building alongside short-term performance metrics. This means leadership agrees that some SEO and content initiatives will not pay off in this quarter’s reporting but are required to keep the brand visible in search and AI-driven experiences over the next 12 to 24 months. It also means updating KPIs so the team is not punished for investing in assets that compound over time instead of quick, last-click wins. Budget flexibility to invest in experimental channels, new content formats, and tools that help track AI visibility. A portion of the marketing budget will need to be earmarked for testing, for example: new AI visibility tools, structured data implementations, interactive content, and partnerships that increase the odds of being cited in AI answers. The goal is to learn fast, kill what does not work, and scale what does. Cross-functional collaboration with analytics, product, PR, and content teams needs to happen to shift how we measure and execute organic growth. SEO can no longer operate in a silo. We need analytics to help us build new dashboards that track visibility and assisted impact, PR to prioritize stories and placements that feed both search and AI systems, and product and content teams to align roadmaps with the topics and entities that matter most. Without that alignment, we end up with fragmented efforts and noisy data that no one trusts. This is your moment to lead the AI visibility discussion You’re not just reacting to change but guiding your organization through it. AI and LLMs are rewriting how people search, discover, and click. This isn’t the time to panic, let alone support the “organic search is dead” rumor. It means the game has changed, and good businesses aren’t afraid. They adapt. Part of that strategy is ongoing monitoring. One-time pitches for buy-in are great, but all marketing efforts need to be measured. Set a regular cadence—for example, a monthly AI visibility update metric alongside your “normal” SEO KPIs. As AI and LLMs evolve, you can leverage the data you’ve measured to brief leadership on what has changed and how you have adapted to the situation. See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with By getting ahead of the conversation, grounding your message in data, and proposing a realistic path forward, you’re showing exactly the kind of strategic thinking that executives value. This is no longer only about SEO, it’s about future-proofing how your business earns visibility, trust, and traffic in a radically new environment. It doesn’t matter if that happens on Google, ChatGPT, Reddit, or anywhere else. What’s important is being visible in the spaces where your customers are hanging out. View the full article

Last weekend, a gnarly power outage in San Francisco took out a number of traffic lights, which, in turn, sent a number of self-driving Waymo robotaxis into a sort of fugue state. Instead of driving, some of the Waymos responded to these now-analog intersections by turning on their hazard lights, blocking traffic, and, well, not doing much of anything. There were multiple instances of Waymo cars clogging up roads, turning futuristic technology into glorified bollards. The city quickly asked the company to turn off the service. The immediate issue has been resolved—the power is back on and the Waymo service had resumed in San Francisco as of Sunday. But questions linger about whether Waymo, or the city, had a plan for a relatively predictable type of municipal emergency—a blackout that crowds communications networks—or how they’re adjusting now. One of the big solutions to AI failures is the much-discussed human in the loop. The idea: At some point in an automated process — whether it be a job-application screening system or powerful self-driving car algorithms — humans have the opportunity to intervene and fix the hard stuff that artificial intelligence can’t handle. AI doesn’t understand every complex situation, the logic goes. So there are safeguards built into a system to ensure that, at some point, an actual live person can set an automated system back on the right path. The problem, as recent events demonstrated, is that sometimes this human-in-the-loop doesn’t always answer the phone. Or can’t. Over the weekend, a remote assistance team was supposed to help the cars navigate when they encountered a confusing traffic situation, a Waymo spokesperson explains. But networks were overwhelmed – because of the power outage – making it difficult for the Waymo Driver software in some of the cars to connect with that team and receive confirmations. Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher tells Fast Company that the company prioritizes safety and tests and refines its emergency preparedness and response protocols on a regular basis. He also defends the company’s response to other emergencies, including Hurricane Helene in Atlanta and previous tsunami warnings in San Francisco. “We are committed to continuous improvement, and we will use learnings from the weekend to strengthen our resilience under even the most challenging conditions,” Teicher says. “Ahead of entering any city, we work to understand the types of issues that impact the region.” Waymo works with local officials and first responders to keep lines of communication open, he adds. “In the event of an emergency, we have operational controls that range from active routing of vehicles to avoid certain locations (for example, in the case of flooding), to fleet reductions or restrictions like we enacted over the weekend in response to the widespread PG&E power outages in the Bay Area,” he says. The California Department of Motor Vehicles says that it was in contact with the City of San Francisco about the incident, and that its officials met with Waymo on Monday morning, too. “The DMV will continue communication with Waymo to discuss broader operational plans, including actions related to emergency response,” a spokesperson for the agency added. The incident is a reminder that while the cars are self-driving, they don’t always operate completely independently of public infrastructure, like communications networks. A major proposition of self-driving car companies is that they will be far safer to operate overall than human drivers. Autonomous vehicles do make serious mistakes, but so do human drivers. Importantly, there are also procedures for first responders who encounter Waymo robototaxis, including ways for the cars to call a remote team when it senses an interaction with police, as Fast Company has previously reported. In this case, though, the backup plan for a complex driving situation seems to have actually exacerbated issues. In at least one reported case, the cars apparently blocked emergency vehicles. For example, Cruise, the now-shut-down self-driving car company that was owned by General Motors, also had problems with its cars getting confused and blocking traffic because of wireless connection issues. Waymo has emphasized that its cars do not rely on continuous wireless connection to operate. The company wants its cars to be able to operate with “the compute to be on board and for it to make decisions, without needing to rely on cell signals and remote operators,” it previously told Light Reading. Still, the power outage is a reminder that the cars sometimes do, in some circumstances, depend on these networks when they need extra assistance. Now comes the question of what happens in the next blackout, and whether the city – or Waymo – had a plan for this kind of situation. The San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Authority did not respond to a request for comment. Terrie Prosper, who handles external communications at the California Public Utilities Commission, says the agency was aware of the Waymo outage and was looking into “specifics.” As others have pointed out, this isn’t just about San Francisco. Waymo is now operating in several places, including perhaps its greatest challenge yet: New York City, where it is in the initial testing phase. The New York City Department of Transportation tells Fast Company the city was in regular communication with Waymo about its testing in some neighborhoods and that it was aware of the outage in San Francisco. A spokesperson emphasizes that state law mandated the presence of a safety driver behind the wheel who would be prepared to take over in the event of a blackout. Waymos have also appeared in Austin and are expected to fully launch in Dallas. A spokesperson for the city of Austin and a spokesperson for the city of Dallas both said their governments are not able to regulate self-driving cars, per state law. The state of Texas did not respond to a request for comment. “While Texas law prohibits cities from regulating AVs, including during emergencies, the City of Austin works with all AV companies on expectations around weather and other emergency scenarios,” says Jack Flager, a spokesperson for the city of Austin. “When our staff work with AV companies on the expectations around weather and other emergency scenarios, those expectations include AVs understanding how to properly react to barricades, floodwater, and dark or flashing signals.” As for New York, Oren Barzilay, the president of the FDNY EMS Local 2507, tells Fast Company, an outage like the one in San Francisco would delay emergency response times. “We already have major delays with current traffic conditions, this will only add to a growing issue,” Barzilay says. “It is a public safety issue if our crews can’t get through to reach victims in a timely manner.” View the full article

A well-organized construction site logistics plan keeps materials, equipment and people moving efficiently across the jobsite. From delivery schedules to storage locations and traffic flow, a clear construction logistics plan helps reduce delays, improve safety and control costs. In this guide, we’ll break down what is a construction site logistics plan, why it matters and how a strong site logistics plan construction teams can rely on supports smoother project execution. What Is a Construction Site Logistics Plan? A construction site logistics plan outlines how people, materials, equipment and vehicles move through a jobsite. It defines site access, storage locations, traffic flow and temporary facilities to keep work organized and safe. In short, a construction logistics plan turns a busy site into a controlled environment that supports productivity, safety and schedule adherence throughout the project lifecycle. ProjectManager makes it easy to streamline your construction site logistics plan by providing a centralized, online platform to plan, coordinate and monitor site operations in real time. With customizable site logistics plan construction tools like a Gantt chart, project managers can map traffic flows, schedule deliveries, assign tasks and monitor progress without siloed spreadsheets or disconnected systems. Try it now with a free 30-day trial. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Construction-Gantt-light-mode-task-info-general-CTA-BUTTON-1.jpgLearn more What Is the Purpose of a Construction Site Logistics Plan? The purpose of a construction site logistics plan is to reduce congestion, improve safety and prevent delays. By clearly mapping site layout, delivery routes and work zones, teams avoid conflicts that waste time and increase risk. A strong site logistics plan supports efficient coordination between trades while protecting workers, materials and the surrounding community. Who Makes the Construction Site Logistics Plan? Typically, the construction manager or general contractor develops the construction site logistics plan. Input often comes from project managers, superintendents, safety officers and key subcontractors. Collaboration ensures the plan reflects real site conditions, trade sequencing and safety requirements while remaining practical to execute daily. When to Make a Construction Site Logistics Plan Ideally, you’ll create a construction logistics plan during preconstruction and refined before mobilization. However, it should remain a living document that evolves as the project progresses. Updates are especially important when site conditions change, phases shift or major deliveries and equipment are introduced. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/construction-schedule-template.jpg Get your free Construction Schedule Template Use this free Construction Schedule Template to manage your projects better. Get the Template What Should Be Included in a Construction Site Logistics Plan? Whether you’re putting together a logistics plan for the first time or you’ve done this countless times previously, be sure to include the following elements. Project & Site Overview This section summarizes the project scope, site constraints and surrounding environment. It establishes context such as site size, access points and neighboring properties to guide all logistics decisions. Construction Site Layout Plan A site logistics plan construction drawing shows material storage, equipment zones, access routes and work areas. A clear layout reduces confusion and helps crews understand where activities should occur. Traffic Management Traffic management defines how vehicles enter, exit and move through the site. It separates pedestrian paths from equipment routes to reduce accidents and bottlenecks. Delivery & Material Handling This section outlines delivery schedules, staging areas and handling procedures. Proper planning prevents overcrowding and ensures materials arrive when crews are ready to use them. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-construction-ebook-banner-ad.jpg Crane, Hoisting and Vertical Transport Hoisting plans detail crane locations, swing paths and lift zones. Coordinating vertical transport avoids conflicts and improves efficiency on multi-level projects. Temporary Work Facilities Temporary offices, break areas and restrooms should be clearly located. Proper placement supports worker comfort without disrupting active work zones. Utilities and Services Temporary power, water, lighting and communications are identified here. Reliable access to utilities keeps work moving and supports site safety. Waste Management & Housekeeping Waste removal procedures help maintain a clean site. Regular housekeeping reduces hazards and supports compliance with safety standards. Related: 25 Free Excel Construction Templates Safety and Emergency Logistics Emergency access routes, muster points and first aid locations are documented. This ensures a fast response in the event of an incident. Security and Site Control Fencing, signage and access controls protect the site from unauthorized entry. Strong security also helps safeguard materials and equipment. Construction Site Logistics Plan Example A construction site logistics plan example typically includes a visual site layout paired with written procedures. Together, they show how materials flow, where equipment operates and how safety is maintained, giving teams a clear roadmap for managing daily site activity. Project & Site Overview This construction site logistics plan defines how personnel, materials, equipment and vehicles will be managed on site for the construction of a five-story residential building. The objective is to ensure safe access, efficient material flow and minimal disruption throughout all phases of construction. Project name Five-Story Residential Building Site address 456 Residential Avenue Site context Urban infill site with limited frontage Project duration 18 months Logistics plan owner Site superintendent Construction Site Layout Plan The site layout is designed to optimize material flow, maintain clear access routes and segregate pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Layout arrangements will be reviewed and updated as the project progresses through structural and fit-out phases. Layout element Description Location Site fencing and hoarding Perimeter fencing with controlled access points Entire site boundary Material laydown area Designated area for short-term material storage North side of site Crane base Tower crane foundation and exclusion zone Center of site Site offices Temporary offices and welfare facilities Southwest corner Traffic Management Traffic management measures are implemented to control vehicle movements, protect pedestrians and maintain emergency access. All site traffic follows a one-way internal circulation where feasible. Traffic element Control measure Notes Vehicle access Single gated entry with security check-in Delivery scheduling enforced Pedestrian routes Clearly marked and segregated walkways Barriers installed near vehicle paths Public interface Signage and flaggers during deliveries Required during peak hours Delivery & Material Handling Material deliveries are coordinated to support construction sequencing while minimizing on-site congestion. A just-in-time delivery approach is used for major materials due to limited laydown space. Material type Delivery method Handling approach Notes Concrete Scheduled truck arrivals Direct placement via pump Traffic control required during pours Structural steel and rebar Flatbed deliveries Tower crane lifting Delivered per floor sequence MEP materials Box truck deliveries Material hoist distribution Stored temporarily in designated zones Crane, Hoisting and Vertical Transport Vertical transportation is managed using a centrally located tower crane and a dedicated material hoist. Crane operations are scheduled daily to prevent conflicts between trades. Equipment Purpose Coverage Operational notes Tower crane Primary lifting of structural materials Entire building footprint Operator and rigger required Material hoist Vertical transport of finishes and MEP Levels 1–5 Scheduled by superintendent Mobile lifts Localized access and installation Interior zones Used during fit-out phases Temporary Work Facilities Temporary facilities are provided to support site operations, worker welfare and project coordination. Facilities will be adjusted as site conditions and project phases change. Facility Description Location Notes Site offices Offices for management and meetings Southwest corner of site Connected to temporary power Welfare facilities Restrooms and break areas Adjacent to site offices Serviced weekly Tool storage Secured containers for tools and equipment Near material laydown area Access controlled by trade leads Utilities and Services Temporary utilities are established to support construction activities while protecting existing services. Utility layouts are coordinated to avoid conflicts with access routes and lifting operations. Utility Provision method Coverage Notes Temporary power Site distribution panels All active work areas Inspected monthly Temporary water Connection to municipal supply Concrete works and welfare facilities Backflow prevention installed Temporary lighting Portable and fixed lighting units Access routes and work zones Night work compliant Waste Management & Housekeeping Waste management procedures are implemented to maintain a clean, safe and organized site. Waste removal frequency is aligned with construction activity levels. Waste type Collection method Disposal frequency Notes General construction waste Designated skips Weekly Segregation enforced Concrete waste Washout bins As required Environmental controls applied Recyclable materials Separated containers Bi-weekly Tracked for compliance Safety and Emergency Logistics Emergency access and response arrangements are integrated into the site logistics plan to ensure rapid response in the event of an incident. Emergency element Provision Location Notes Emergency access routes Clear, unobstructed pathways Perimeter and core areas Maintained at all times Muster points Designated assembly areas Outside site boundary Signposted First aid stations Fully equipped kits Site offices and Level 1 Trained personnel assigned Security and Site Control Site security measures are implemented to prevent unauthorized access, protect materials and maintain controlled site operations. Security measure Description Coverage Notes Perimeter fencing Full-height fencing and hoarding Entire site Inspected weekly Access control Badging and sign-in procedures Main site gate Mandatory for all personnel Material security Locked containers and monitored areas Laydown and storage zones After-hours protection Benefits of Thorough Construction Project Reporting Consistent, detailed construction project reporting keeps everyone aligned and informed as work progresses. Clear reporting supports better communication, reduces surprises and helps teams stay proactive rather than reactive throughout the project lifecycle. Key benefits include: Improved visibility into progress, costs and schedule performance Faster, more confident decision-making based on real-time data Early identification of risks, issues and potential delays Stronger accountability across project teams and stakeholders Better documentation for audits, compliance and future planning Free Construction Project Management Plan Templates Templates are an easy way to streamline your operations and ensure quality. Our site has hundreds of free templates available to download immediately. Below are just a few related to construction site logistics plans. Construction Scope of Work Template This construction scope of work template helps define project boundaries, deliverables and responsibilities from the start. By clearly outlining tasks, timelines and expectations, it reduces confusion, supports better coordination across trades and helps keep construction site logistics aligned with project goals. Construction Management Plan Template A construction management plan template provides a structured way to document workflows, roles, communication processes and site controls. It supports effective construction site logistics planning by bringing scheduling, safety, resources and reporting into a single, organized framework teams can follow throughout the project lifecycle. Construction Schedule Template This construction schedule template helps teams map tasks, dependencies and milestones in a clear timeline. It plays a critical role in construction site logistics planning by coordinating labor, materials and deliveries so work stays sequenced properly and delays, congestion and downtime are minimized. How ProjectManager Helps with Construction Progress Reporting ProjectManager makes construction progress reporting easier by pulling real-time data from schedules, tasks and teams into one centralized platform. Instead of chasing updates or manually compiling reports, project managers get instant visibility into what’s complete, what’s delayed and what’s at risk. Make Robust Plans on the Gantt Chart Interactive Gantt charts and scheduling features enable teams to visualize the sequence of activities, align material handling and crane usage with project milestones and adjust plans dynamically when site conditions change. Resource tracking and workload views help balance labor and equipment allocation so crews are in the right place at the right time, reducing bottlenecks and downtime. /wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Gantt-chart-resource-allocation-features.webp Leverage AI Project Insights Dashboards, real-time reporting and AI Project Insights further enhance your site logistics strategy by providing clear visibility into site performance, delivery status and resource usage. In a few clicks, generate tailored AI-driven reports to share progress with stakeholders. This supports smarter decisions, better safety coordination and improved efficiency throughout the life of the project. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Insights-Light-Mode-Dashboard-GPT5.png Related Construction Project Management Content 8 Free Construction Forms for Excel and Word 14 Types of Construction Contracts: Pros, Cons & Best Practices How to Manage a Construction Project Step by Step 10 Types of Construction Projects with Examples The Construction Process Explained Step-by-Step ProjectManager is online construction project management software that connects teams, whether they’re in the office or on the job site. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post What Is a Construction Site Logistics Plan? Example Included appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. In 2025, I tested a ton of exotic smart glasses, e-bikes, and other gear for Lifehacker, but the tech that upgraded and improved my day-to-day life the most is a more niche product. I'm a (very) amateur musician, and Yamaha's Seqtrak is my favorite thing this year. It's an "ideastation," a music production studio small enough to slip into a backpack. Look at how tiny this thing is: Credit: Stephen Johnson Yamaha SEQTRAK Mobile Music Ideastation, Black $299.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $299.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $50.00 What the Seqtrak can doThere is so much music junk crammed in here, it's ridiculous: It's a full-on drum machine with eight drum tracks, step-sequencer, synthesizer with three separate tracks and hundreds of pre-set sounds, and a sampler—in other words, everything you need to create any kind of music from scratch, in seconds. It's even battery-powered with an onboard speaker, so it's fully portable. Even with all those functions, it's crazy easy to use for basic music-making, even if you literally have no musical knowledge. Here's what it takes to create a basic beat from nothing in about 90 seconds: That’s just the surface. Everything can be customized completely. You can tweak any aspect of the presets and effects, add sequencer steps, mess with the arpeggiator, record or import your own samples, and warp sounds with countless synth parameters. Going deeper with the companion appIf you want to dig in further, there's a companion app for tablets, phones, and PCs that syncs with the Seqtrak and gives you access to all the on-board controls so you can change whatever. The app is a must for beginners: The Seqtrak has 32 input buttons, 17 dials, and three sliders, but it doesn't have a display screen, so being able to see what you're doing is a must until you're well-versed in the controls. The screenshot below is only one of dozens of pages of elements you can mess around with to customize sounds and effects: Credit: Stephen Johnson It can't do everything, but you can import your project from Seqtrak into another digital workstation for more advanced mastering or effects, and you can control the Seqtrak through an external MIDI device if you want more options than it offers from the box. The Seqtrak is my new desktop companionYou could use this gear to build detailed beats and even full songs, bring it out to accompany yourself live (although, it's not the most rugged piece of equipment), or integrate it into your larger music set-up with MIDI, but I mostly just keep my Seqtrak next to my desk and play it with a MIDI keyboard—the seven little plastic keys aren't optimal—because it lowers the friction between having an idea and making it happen. It's way simpler and more immediate to fire up this groove box than start a new project in FL Studio or something. Plus, it's so tangible—physical dials and buttons are just better for creativity than sliders on a computer, even if they're controlling digital output. I don’t use my Seqtrak to finish albums or chase perfect mixes. I use it because it makes messing around with music easy and fun again. It’s a gadget that gives you endless options, but also gets out of your way. View the full article

A group of 22 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Russell Vought, the bureau and the Federal Reserve, arguing that the administration's position that the CFPB cannot be funded is wrong. View the full article

Revelations suggest then-prince made arrangements to meet young women during a trip funded from official travel budgets View the full article

The national mortgage delinquency rate jumped to 3.85% in November, up 15% month over month and 2.79% year over year, according to ICE Mortgage Technology. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It never fails to annoy me when I tell my friends here in New York City that I am cold and they reply, "But you're from North Dakota! This is nothing compared to what you grew up with." I know. Why do you think I left the coldest state in the continental U.S. as soon as I turned 18? I hate the cold in North Dakota, but that doesn't mean I hate the cold in New York any less. Indeed, wherever I am in winter, I'm at war with the cold—midwestern cold, northeastern cold, it's all cold. This is why I've devised a number of plans to mitigate it, and the most useful of my anti-cold measures is the collection of heated accessories I cart around with me every day. These gadgets are inexpensive, effective, and small enough to stash in my bag once I'm back in the warm embrace of the indoors after a shivering commute. How to choose good cold-weather devicesMy friends do have a point: Us North Dakotans have come up with all kinds of ways to stay warm. Buildings in more populated areas are connected by skyways or underground tunnels, for instance, and people spend a small fortune each winter heating their garages so no one ever has to step into the cold for a second, even to get into the car. Growing up somewhere the cold can literally kill you if you're not prepared means growing up in a culture built around hacks to keep you out of it. When I moved to New York, I found it less cold, but I also discovered I was not ready for the reality of being outside and walking around in the winter. So I called on the spirit of my resourceful ancestors, replicating their anti-freezing measures on a smaller, personalized, more urban scale. I learned a lot along the way. For example, those crushable hand and foot warmers are useless because they're ineffective and will ultimately disintegrate into a grainy mess in your pockets or boots. Wearing a bunch of layers doesn't work for me either, because I'm still vain enough that I want to look cute and stylish when I get wherever I'm going, and that's not happening with multiple thermal base layers puffing up my outfit. After much trial and error, I've come to rely on "heat tech" that meets the following criteria:: It's small (so I can store it away post-commute) It's cheap (because so am I) It's effective at keeping me warm (or at least making me less cold) My favorite self-warming gadgetsAll of that preamble aside, here are three gadgets I consider an essential part of my winter warming kit. CooCoCo Portable Heating Pad $19.99 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $19.99 at Amazon Heated Scarf $19.99 at Amazon $29.99 Save $10.00 Learn More Learn More $19.99 at Amazon $29.99 Save $10.00 Heated Gloves $19.99 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $19.99 at Amazon SEE 0 MORE A wearable heating padMy winter time bag always includes a wearable heating pad (about $20). They are advertised for treating menstrual cramps, but the moment I saw one in my "suggested products" on Amazon, I knew it would be just right for my cold commutes, and I wasn't wrong. I've tried a variety of them over the years, and they all function about the same—which isn't necessarily a good thing, as no matter the brand, they tend to be a bit flimsy, so you'll probably end up buying a new one next year. I'd previously tried a heated vest, which I did like, but it was bulky and hard to store when I got where I was going. Belt-shaped devices work similarly but are far less obtrusive. They radiate heat around your core, are easily hidden under your coat, and can be easily stashed in a pocket or bag. (Two words of warning: Never let it rest directly on your skin, as you can suffer a minor burn and make sure to charge it whenever it's not in use, as they tend to run down quickly and recharge slowly.) A heated scarfMy heated scarf is a new addition to my arsenal this year, but I already consider it indispensable—it heats my upper body, complementing the work of my heated belt nicely. It's also around $20. I opted for a smaller one to make it easier to stash in my bag, but there are bigger, more fashion-forward options at the same price point. (Not all of them come complete with the removable battery, so make sure to check the listing carefully before you buy.) Heated glovesFinally, there are my beloved heated gloves. I ordered them in a fit of rage a few weeks ago after a pre-dawn walk to teach my 6 a.m. spin class. My hands were so cold I had to order a hot Dunkin' instead of an iced one—disgusting!—and I ordered heated gloves the instant they thawed. You have options here too: You can get the kind where the mitten top fronts fold back to leave your fingers exposed, as well as full-fingered gloves. Either way, I think you'll find them essential and easy to use, once you get used to having a battery pack hanging on the back of your hand (they don't have a removable battery, but can be recharged with a standard USB-C cable). View the full article

It’s probably the most frustrating part of job searching: you have an interview that seemed to go great, you nailed every question and felt rapport with you interviewer, they seemed impressed and said they’d be in touch soon, and then … silence. Do you follow up with them? Did you wait for them to get in touch? Will you ever hear back? What happened? At New York Magazine, I wrote about what to do when an interview goes great but then you don’t hear anything. You can read it here. The post why haven’t I heard back after my interview? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article