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Five ways to reassure both regulators and donors. By Ed Mendlowitz 77 Ways to Wow! Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

Five ways to reassure both regulators and donors. By Ed Mendlowitz 77 Ways to Wow! Go PRO for members-only access to more Edward Mendlowitz. View the full article

YouTube is rolling out new ad features for Shorts aimed at helping brands stretch their holiday marketing budgets — and capitalize on short-form video momentum. What’s new: Comments on Shorts ads: Advertisers can now enable comments on eligible Shorts ads, bringing the ad experience closer to organic content and creating new avenues for real-time audience engagement. Creator links to brand sites: Shorts creators posting branded content can now link directly to a brand’s website — giving viewers a seamless path from discovery to action. Shorts ads on mobile web: YouTube is expanding Shorts ad placement to the mobile web, adding another surface to reach viewers as they bounce between devices — from TV to desktop to mobile apps. Why we care. These updates make Shorts ads feel more interactive, more native and more actionable — three things that directly improve performance in a crowded holiday season. Comment-enabled ads boost engagement signals and help brands understand audience reactions in real time. Creator link-outs shorten the path from discovery to purchase, turning creator influence into measurable traffic. And expanded placement on mobile web means more reach during the busiest shopping months of the year. The big picture. With more consumers watching short-form video across screens, YouTube is positioning Shorts as the platform that pairs creator authenticity with measurable performance — a pitch aimed squarely at holiday-focused advertisers. What’s next. Advertisers could benefit from YouTube’s more interactive, creator-friendly Shorts ads by helping to cut through the noise — and convert attention into holiday sales. View the full article

Netflix's January lineup is on the lighter side, but includes the return of period romance series Bridgerton (Jan. 29). Season four centers on Benedict, the second-eldest sibling, and Sophie, who he meets at Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball. The first four episodes drop in January, with the remaining four coming at the end of February. Another original series worth watching is Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (Jan. 15), an adaptation of crime author's novel The Seven Dials Mystery. Mia McKenna-Bruce plays sleuth Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, who is attempting to solve a murder mystery at a country house party in 1920s England. Martin Freeman and Helena Bonham Carter also star. On the film side, rom-com People We Meet on Vacation (Jan. 9) is an adaptation of Emily Henry's novel of the same name and stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader. The Rip (Jan. 16) is an action thriller starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as Miami cops who discover millions of dollars in cash at a stash house. Netflix is also releasing true crime documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Jan. 21) about the 2002 abduction of the 14-year-old from her home in Salt Lake City, and her return several years later. In addition to hosting WWE's Monday Night Raw every week, Netflix is also streaming Skyscraper Live (Jan. 23), in which free solo climber Alex Honnold will attempt one of the world's tallest skyscrapers in Taipei, Taiwan. Here's everything else coming to Netflix in January, and everything that's leaving. What's coming to Netflix in January 2026Coming soonFree Bert—Netflix Series Take That—Netflix Documentary Undercover Miss Hong—Netflix Series Available January 1Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish: Season 2—Netflix Family Love from 9 to 5—Netflix Series My Korean Boyfriend—Netflix Series Run Away—Netflix Series Time Flies—Netflix Series 12 Years a Slave 30 Minutes or Less Becky Brüno Colombiana Conan the Destroyer Dawn of the Dead Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 District 9 Dune Erin Brockovich Falling Skies: Seasons 1-5 Forever My Girl Free Solo Ghostbusters: Answer the Call Green Room Harry and the Hendersons Hellboy Johnny Mnemonic Just Go With It Lone Survivor Man on Fire Monty Python's The Meaning of Life My Girl Only the Brave Pitch Perfect Priscilla Twins Wild Things Available January 2Found: Seasons 1-2 Land of Sin—Netflix Series Available January 3The Following: Seasons 1-3 Available January 5Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Available January 6Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 - Rising Hope Part 1—Netflix Family Available January 711.22.63: Season 1 Marcello Hernández: American Boy—Netflix Comedy Special Unlocked: A Jail Experiment: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 8HIS & HERS—Netflix Series Love Is Blind: Germany: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 9Alpha Males: Season 4—Netflix Series People We Meet on Vacation—Netflix Film Prodigal Son: Seasons 1-2 Stone Cold Fox The Threesome Available January 12Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Available January 13The Boyfriend: Season 2—Netflix Series Available January 14The Queen of Flow: Season 3 Veronica Mars: Seasons 1-3 Available January 15Agatha Christie's Seven Dials—Netflix Series Bone Lake Love Through a Prism—Netflix Series The Upshaws: Part 7—Netflix Series To Love, To Lose—Netflix Series Available January 16Can This Love Be Translated?—Netflix Series No Tail to Tell—Netflix Series Southland: Seasons 1-5 The Rip—Netflix Film Available January 19Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event Sandokan: Season 1 Available January 20Just a Dash: Seasons 1-3 Rizzoli & Isles: Seasons 1-7 Star Search—Netflix Live Event WWE: Unreal: Season 2—Netflix Sports Series Available January 21Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart—Netflix Documentary Available January 22Cosmic Princess Kaguya!—Netflix Film Finding Her Edge—Netflix Series Available January 23Skyscraper Live—Netflix Live Event The Big Fake—Netflix Film Available January 26Monday Night Raw: 2026—Netflix Live Event My Sesame Street Friends: My Sesame Music Available January 27Mike Epps: Delusional—Netflix Comedy Special Available January 29Bridgerton: Season 4 Part 1—Netflix Series What's leaving Netflix in January 2026Leaving January 1Agatha Christie's Crooked House Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Baby Driver Blue Beetle Blue Crush Blue Streak Captain Phillips Clear and Present Danger Coach Carter Crazy Rich Asians Death Becomes Her Dirty Dancing Doctor Sleep Don't Worry Darling Dreamgirls Fifty Shades Darker Fifty Shades Freed Fifty Shades of Grey G.I. Joe: Retaliation G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Ghost The Goonies The Hangover The Hangover: Part II The Hangover: Part III How to Be Single I Love You, Man Isn't It Romantic Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 Kung Fu Panda 3 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Life of the Party Lost: Seasons 1-6 Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Mask Meet Joe Black Ocean's 8 Runaway Bride Scarface Star Trek Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Into Darkness The Sweetest Thing Taxi Driver Training Day Zero Dark Thirty Leaving January 2Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Leaving January 3Mr. Robot: Seasons 1-4 Leaving January 9Maze Runner: Death Cure Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials The Maze Runner Leaving January 16Confessions of a Shopaholic Leaving January 18Donnie Darko Leaving January 23House of Lies: Seasons 1-5 Leaving January 29Prison Break: Seasons 1-5 View the full article

Rejoice, New Year’s dieters: Oreos are getting a sugar-free option. Mondelez said Tuesday that Oreo Zero Sugar and Oreo Double Stuf Zero Sugar will go on sale in the U.S. in January. They’re a permanent addition to the company’s Oreo lineup. It’s the first time Mondelez has sold sugar-free Oreos in the U.S. They’re already sold in Europe and China, the company said. Mondelez said consumers are increasingly seeking what it calls “mindful indulgence,” and the new Oreos will fill an existing gap in the market for sugar-free sandwich cookies. Others have also noted the trend toward healthier snacks. In a report earlier this year, the market research company Circana found that a majority of Americans are seeking out snacks they consider “good for them.” Conagra Brands, which makes popcorn and Slim Jim meat snacks, said in a recent snacking report that Millennials and Generation Z consumers, in particular, are seeking portion-controlled and wellness-focused snacks. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, saw sales jump 9% last year, while original Coke sales grew just 2%. Mondelez is also facing competition from Hershey, which sells zero sugar versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and other candies, and Voortman, a sugar-free wafer cookie brand. Mondelez said it spent four years developing no-sugar Oreos so it could ensure the cookies still tasted like the originals. For sweetening, the Oreos contain maltitol, a type of sugar alcohol that’s also found in some fruits and vegetables; polydextrose, a soluble fiber; sucralose, a sweetener derived from sugar; and acesulfame potassium, a synthetic sweetener. Comparing the nutrition data on Zero Sugar and regular Oreos is tricky, since the serving sizes differ. A serving of Oreo Zero Sugar cookies, which is defined as 22.6 grams, has 90 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbohydrates. A serving of regular Oreos, which is defined as three cookies or 34 grams, has 160 calories, 7 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates. The biggest difference: a serving of regular Oreos contains 13 grams of added sugars, or 26% of the recommended daily amount. Zero Sugar Oreos contain none. —Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writer View the full article

In product design and prototyping, using the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and outcomes. Tools like Sketch allow for detailed vector-based designs, whereas Adobe XD facilitates the creation of high-fidelity prototypes. Figma stands out for its real-time collaboration features, enabling teams to work seamlessly together. Each tool serves a specific purpose, from wireframing to handoff, ensuring a thorough design process. Grasping these tools will help you streamline your projects and improve overall efficiency. Key Takeaways Utilize Sketch for vector-based design and reusable elements to enhance consistency and efficiency in product design. Leverage Adobe XD for advanced prototyping and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools. Explore Figma’s real-time collaboration features to streamline design workflows and improve team communication. Implement InVision for interactive prototypes and user testing to gather feedback and refine designs effectively. Consider using Zeplin to facilitate smooth handoff between designers and developers with organized documentation and accurate specifications. Sketch Sketch stands out as a crucial tool for product designers, thanks to its vector-based design capabilities and user-friendly interface. You’ll find that Sketch simplifies industrial design prototyping through its reusable design elements, which improve consistency across various projects. This feature greatly boosts efficiency, allowing you to focus on creating high-quality user interfaces. Collaboration is seamless, too, as Sketch supports numerous plugins and integrations that facilitate teamwork. Moreover, its version control features enable you to track changes and revert to previous iterations when needed, ensuring you maintain the integrity of your designs. With a pricing model starting at $10 per month, Sketch is accessible for both individual designers and larger teams, making it a valuable asset for product design and prototyping. Adobe XD Adobe XD stands out as a robust UI/UX design tool, particularly as a result of its seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows you to improve your workflow using familiar software. With advanced prototyping features, you can create high-fidelity prototypes that truly reflect your design vision, making it easier to present ideas to clients or stakeholders. This combination of integration and capabilities not just streamlines your design process but additionally encourages collaboration within your team. Seamless Creative Cloud Integration When you’re looking to improve your design workflow, integrating seamlessly with Creative Cloud can make all the difference. Adobe XD allows you to easily pull in assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, ensuring you have high-quality graphics at your fingertips. With access to your Creative Cloud libraries, you can quickly incorporate images and design elements into your projects. You can likewise export elements from Adobe XD to other Adobe tools for additional editing, promoting efficiency. Real-time collaboration features enable your team to share and review designs instantly, speeding up feedback and iteration processes. Plus, Adobe XD supports integration with third-party applications like Slack and Jira, enhancing communication and project management within the Creative Cloud environment. Advanced Prototyping Features As design projects evolve, the ability to create advanced prototypes becomes crucial for effective user experience testing. Adobe XD offers features like responsive resizing, which helps you adapt designs for different screen sizes effortlessly. The auto-animate function allows you to create interactive prototypes by smoothly shifting between artboards, enhancing user engagement. Moreover, integrated voice prototyping lets you include voice commands for more natural interactions. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback from team members, allowing simultaneous comments and edits on prototypes. These features streamline your workflow and improve design outcomes. Feature Description Responsive Resizing Adapts designs to various screen sizes easily Auto-Animate Animates shifts between artboards seamlessly Voice Prototyping Incorporates voice commands for natural interactions Real-Time Collaboration Enables simultaneous feedback from team members Figma Figma is a strong cloud-based design tool that transforms the way teams collaborate on product design. With real-time collaboration, you and your teammates can work on the same design file simultaneously, regardless of your locations. Figma offers a free plan, making it accessible for teams of various sizes, whereas paid plans start at $12 per editor per month when billed annually. Its features, like whiteboarding, note-taking, and user flow creation, improve your planning process and streamline workflows. The auto-layout feature automatically adjusts design elements as changes are made, saving you time during iterations. Furthermore, Figma integrates seamlessly with various third-party tools, allowing you to connect your work with project management, prototyping, and analytics platforms for enhanced efficiency. InVision InVision stands out as a thorough digital product design platform that enhances the design process from ideation to realization. With its interactive prototyping capabilities, you can create engaging designs that resonate with users. The platform’s real-time collaboration features allow team members to comment and provide feedback directly on designs, streamlining communication effectively. You can additionally conduct user testing, gathering valuable feedback to refine your prototypes based on actual interactions. InVision integrates seamlessly with tools like Sketch and Photoshop, enhancing your workflow. Its mighty version control system guarantees everyone works on the latest design iterations, minimizing confusion. Feature Benefit Tool Integration Interactive Prototyping Engaging user experience Sketch, Photoshop Real-time Collaboration Streamlined feedback Slack, Jira User Testing Informed adjustments UserTesting.com Version Control Improved project management N/A Proto.io Proto.io is a versatile web-based prototyping tool that empowers designers to create high-fidelity prototypes without any coding knowledge, making it an ideal choice for users of all skill levels. With a 15-day free trial and paid plans starting at $24 per month, you gain access to a vast library of templates, digital assets, and UI components, allowing for rapid design. Here are three key features that improve your prototyping experience: Micro Animations: Create interactive prototypes that simulate real app usage, enhancing user engagement. User Testing: Collect feedback directly within the prototype, facilitating an iterative design process. Collaboration Tools: Seamlessly integrate with various design tools, streamlining teamwork and design workflows. Axure RP When you need a potent tool for creating interactive prototypes, Axure RP stands out with its advanced features that cater to designers seeking to build dynamic content and incorporate conditional logic. This tool allows you to create detailed wireframes, user flows, and thorough specifications, making it ideal for teams that value meticulous documentation. Collaboration becomes seamless as team members can comment on prototypes in real-time, enhancing feedback and iteration processes. Furthermore, Axure RP integrates well with popular project management and design tools, streamlining workflows and ensuring effective communication between design and development teams. With pricing starting at $29 per user per month and a 30-day free trial available, you can easily explore its extensive functionalities before committing. Marvel Marvel serves as a strong cloud-based prototyping tool that simplifies the shift from design to interactive prototype without requiring any coding skills. It’s particularly beneficial for both beginners and experienced designers, offering a user-friendly interface and powerful features. Here are three key benefits of using Marvel: User Testing: You can gather feedback directly within the prototype, making it easier to iterate based on user insights. Marvel: Marvel provides an extensive library of templates and digital assets, which speeds up the design process and improves creativity. Collaboration: Multiple team members can work simultaneously, facilitating real-time feedback and revisions, ensuring everyone stays aligned. With these features, Marvel streamlines your prototyping efforts effectively. Balsamiq Shifting from interactive prototypes to wireframing, Balsamiq stands out as a potent tool designed for creating low-fidelity mockups that prioritize usability. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, making it accessible for beginners. You can quickly iterate on designs, thanks to a library of pre-built UI components that streamline assembly. Collaborating with teams becomes seamless as Balsamiq allows for easy sharing of wireframes, enhancing communication and feedback. Feature Description Low-Fidelity Mockups Focus on usability over aesthetics Drag-and-Drop Simple interface for rapid design iterations Collaboration Share wireframes for team feedback With a free trial and plans starting at just $9/month, Balsamiq is an affordable option for individuals and teams. Zeplin Zeplin simplifies the handoff process between designers and developers, making it easier for your team to work together effectively. By integrating with tools like Sketch and Figma, it provides organized documentation and automatically generates style guides that guarantee consistency in your projects. This improved collaboration reduces misunderstandings and keeps your development process on track. Streamlined Handoff Process When teams collaborate on product design, a streamlined handoff process is vital for ensuring that both designers and developers are on the same page. Zeplin simplifies this process by providing accurate specifications and style guides, making implementation straightforward. Here are three key benefits of using Zeplin: Seamless Integration: It works well with popular design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, ensuring smooth shifts. Version Control: You can manage changes effectively, which helps maintain project consistency throughout its lifecycle. Automatic Asset Generation: Zeplin reduces time spent on manual exports, improving overall workflow efficiency. Enhanced Team Collaboration How can teams improve collaboration throughout the product design process? Zeplin offers a solution by streamlining the handoff between designers and developers. It generates detailed specs, style guides, and assets, ensuring accurate implementation of design elements. By integrating seamlessly with tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, Zeplin boosts collaboration across various teams. Its version control feature allows you to manage changes efficiently, maintaining alignment throughout the design and development lifecycle. Moreover, the real-time collaboration tools reduce misunderstandings, promoting better communication between designers and developers. By simplifying the sharing of design specifications, Zeplin saves time on handoffs and improves overall workflow efficiency, in the end improving project outcomes and team productivity. Framer Framer is an essential no-code design tool that empowers you to create interactive prototypes quickly and efficiently. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can manipulate elements and design complex layouts without needing extensive coding knowledge. Here are three key features of Framer: Real-Time Collaboration: Work alongside your team members in real-time, enhancing teamwork and speeding up design iterations. Responsive Design: Guarantee your prototypes seamlessly adapt to various devices and screen sizes, making them accessible to all users. Pre-Built Components: Access a library of templates and components to streamline your design process, guaranteeing visual consistency across projects. Frequently Asked Questions Which Tool Is Best for Prototyping? When choosing the best tool for prototyping, consider your specific needs. Figma thrives in real-time collaboration, making it perfect for remote teams. Adobe XD offers responsive resizing for various screen sizes, whereas Proto.io provides a rich asset library for high-fidelity prototypes without coding. For complex projects, Axure RP’s dynamic content features are beneficial. If you need quick feedback, Marvel simplifies the process through integrated user testing, allowing for faster design validation. What Tool Is Used for Product Design? For product design, you’ll often turn to tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch. Figma’s cloud-based features allow real-time collaboration, whereas Adobe XD stands out in creating high-fidelity prototypes with interactive elements. If you’re a Mac user, Sketch offers a user-friendly interface with extensive plugin support. Each tool has unique strengths, so consider your specific needs and team dynamics when choosing the right one for your product design process. What Are Two Key Elements of Successful Prototyping? Two key elements of successful prototyping are swift iteration and user testing. Swift iteration allows you to refine designs quickly, minimizing costly changes later. User testing provides valuable feedback, helping you validate assumptions about functionality and user experience. What Is the Best Tool for Both UI and UX? The best tool for both UI and UX design is Figma. Its cloud-based platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing your team to work on design files simultaneously. Figma’s features include auto-layout for responsive designs and easy-to-share prototypes for stakeholder feedback. With a free plan and affordable paid options, it suits teams of all sizes. Its extensive plugin library and integration with popular applications improve your workflow, making it a versatile choice for design projects. Conclusion In summary, leveraging the right tools can markedly improve your product design and prototyping efforts. Whether you choose Sketch for vector design, Adobe XD for high-fidelity prototypes, or Figma for collaborative work, each tool offers unique advantages. Incorporating platforms like InVision or Proto.io for interactive prototypes, and using Zeplin for efficient handoff to developers, guarantees a streamlined process. By utilizing these crucial tools, you can nurture innovation, improve workflow efficiency, and in the end create successful products. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Essential Tools for Product Design and Prototyping Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In product design and prototyping, using the right tools can greatly improve your workflow and outcomes. Tools like Sketch allow for detailed vector-based designs, whereas Adobe XD facilitates the creation of high-fidelity prototypes. Figma stands out for its real-time collaboration features, enabling teams to work seamlessly together. Each tool serves a specific purpose, from wireframing to handoff, ensuring a thorough design process. Grasping these tools will help you streamline your projects and improve overall efficiency. Key Takeaways Utilize Sketch for vector-based design and reusable elements to enhance consistency and efficiency in product design. Leverage Adobe XD for advanced prototyping and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools. Explore Figma’s real-time collaboration features to streamline design workflows and improve team communication. Implement InVision for interactive prototypes and user testing to gather feedback and refine designs effectively. Consider using Zeplin to facilitate smooth handoff between designers and developers with organized documentation and accurate specifications. Sketch Sketch stands out as a crucial tool for product designers, thanks to its vector-based design capabilities and user-friendly interface. You’ll find that Sketch simplifies industrial design prototyping through its reusable design elements, which improve consistency across various projects. This feature greatly boosts efficiency, allowing you to focus on creating high-quality user interfaces. Collaboration is seamless, too, as Sketch supports numerous plugins and integrations that facilitate teamwork. Moreover, its version control features enable you to track changes and revert to previous iterations when needed, ensuring you maintain the integrity of your designs. With a pricing model starting at $10 per month, Sketch is accessible for both individual designers and larger teams, making it a valuable asset for product design and prototyping. Adobe XD Adobe XD stands out as a robust UI/UX design tool, particularly as a result of its seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows you to improve your workflow using familiar software. With advanced prototyping features, you can create high-fidelity prototypes that truly reflect your design vision, making it easier to present ideas to clients or stakeholders. This combination of integration and capabilities not just streamlines your design process but additionally encourages collaboration within your team. Seamless Creative Cloud Integration When you’re looking to improve your design workflow, integrating seamlessly with Creative Cloud can make all the difference. Adobe XD allows you to easily pull in assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, ensuring you have high-quality graphics at your fingertips. With access to your Creative Cloud libraries, you can quickly incorporate images and design elements into your projects. You can likewise export elements from Adobe XD to other Adobe tools for additional editing, promoting efficiency. Real-time collaboration features enable your team to share and review designs instantly, speeding up feedback and iteration processes. Plus, Adobe XD supports integration with third-party applications like Slack and Jira, enhancing communication and project management within the Creative Cloud environment. Advanced Prototyping Features As design projects evolve, the ability to create advanced prototypes becomes crucial for effective user experience testing. Adobe XD offers features like responsive resizing, which helps you adapt designs for different screen sizes effortlessly. The auto-animate function allows you to create interactive prototypes by smoothly shifting between artboards, enhancing user engagement. Moreover, integrated voice prototyping lets you include voice commands for more natural interactions. Collaboration tools enable real-time feedback from team members, allowing simultaneous comments and edits on prototypes. These features streamline your workflow and improve design outcomes. Feature Description Responsive Resizing Adapts designs to various screen sizes easily Auto-Animate Animates shifts between artboards seamlessly Voice Prototyping Incorporates voice commands for natural interactions Real-Time Collaboration Enables simultaneous feedback from team members Figma Figma is a strong cloud-based design tool that transforms the way teams collaborate on product design. With real-time collaboration, you and your teammates can work on the same design file simultaneously, regardless of your locations. Figma offers a free plan, making it accessible for teams of various sizes, whereas paid plans start at $12 per editor per month when billed annually. Its features, like whiteboarding, note-taking, and user flow creation, improve your planning process and streamline workflows. The auto-layout feature automatically adjusts design elements as changes are made, saving you time during iterations. Furthermore, Figma integrates seamlessly with various third-party tools, allowing you to connect your work with project management, prototyping, and analytics platforms for enhanced efficiency. InVision InVision stands out as a thorough digital product design platform that enhances the design process from ideation to realization. With its interactive prototyping capabilities, you can create engaging designs that resonate with users. The platform’s real-time collaboration features allow team members to comment and provide feedback directly on designs, streamlining communication effectively. You can additionally conduct user testing, gathering valuable feedback to refine your prototypes based on actual interactions. InVision integrates seamlessly with tools like Sketch and Photoshop, enhancing your workflow. Its mighty version control system guarantees everyone works on the latest design iterations, minimizing confusion. Feature Benefit Tool Integration Interactive Prototyping Engaging user experience Sketch, Photoshop Real-time Collaboration Streamlined feedback Slack, Jira User Testing Informed adjustments UserTesting.com Version Control Improved project management N/A Proto.io Proto.io is a versatile web-based prototyping tool that empowers designers to create high-fidelity prototypes without any coding knowledge, making it an ideal choice for users of all skill levels. With a 15-day free trial and paid plans starting at $24 per month, you gain access to a vast library of templates, digital assets, and UI components, allowing for rapid design. Here are three key features that improve your prototyping experience: Micro Animations: Create interactive prototypes that simulate real app usage, enhancing user engagement. User Testing: Collect feedback directly within the prototype, facilitating an iterative design process. Collaboration Tools: Seamlessly integrate with various design tools, streamlining teamwork and design workflows. Axure RP When you need a potent tool for creating interactive prototypes, Axure RP stands out with its advanced features that cater to designers seeking to build dynamic content and incorporate conditional logic. This tool allows you to create detailed wireframes, user flows, and thorough specifications, making it ideal for teams that value meticulous documentation. Collaboration becomes seamless as team members can comment on prototypes in real-time, enhancing feedback and iteration processes. Furthermore, Axure RP integrates well with popular project management and design tools, streamlining workflows and ensuring effective communication between design and development teams. With pricing starting at $29 per user per month and a 30-day free trial available, you can easily explore its extensive functionalities before committing. Marvel Marvel serves as a strong cloud-based prototyping tool that simplifies the shift from design to interactive prototype without requiring any coding skills. It’s particularly beneficial for both beginners and experienced designers, offering a user-friendly interface and powerful features. Here are three key benefits of using Marvel: User Testing: You can gather feedback directly within the prototype, making it easier to iterate based on user insights. Marvel: Marvel provides an extensive library of templates and digital assets, which speeds up the design process and improves creativity. Collaboration: Multiple team members can work simultaneously, facilitating real-time feedback and revisions, ensuring everyone stays aligned. With these features, Marvel streamlines your prototyping efforts effectively. Balsamiq Shifting from interactive prototypes to wireframing, Balsamiq stands out as a potent tool designed for creating low-fidelity mockups that prioritize usability. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, making it accessible for beginners. You can quickly iterate on designs, thanks to a library of pre-built UI components that streamline assembly. Collaborating with teams becomes seamless as Balsamiq allows for easy sharing of wireframes, enhancing communication and feedback. Feature Description Low-Fidelity Mockups Focus on usability over aesthetics Drag-and-Drop Simple interface for rapid design iterations Collaboration Share wireframes for team feedback With a free trial and plans starting at just $9/month, Balsamiq is an affordable option for individuals and teams. Zeplin Zeplin simplifies the handoff process between designers and developers, making it easier for your team to work together effectively. By integrating with tools like Sketch and Figma, it provides organized documentation and automatically generates style guides that guarantee consistency in your projects. This improved collaboration reduces misunderstandings and keeps your development process on track. Streamlined Handoff Process When teams collaborate on product design, a streamlined handoff process is vital for ensuring that both designers and developers are on the same page. Zeplin simplifies this process by providing accurate specifications and style guides, making implementation straightforward. Here are three key benefits of using Zeplin: Seamless Integration: It works well with popular design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, ensuring smooth shifts. Version Control: You can manage changes effectively, which helps maintain project consistency throughout its lifecycle. Automatic Asset Generation: Zeplin reduces time spent on manual exports, improving overall workflow efficiency. Enhanced Team Collaboration How can teams improve collaboration throughout the product design process? Zeplin offers a solution by streamlining the handoff between designers and developers. It generates detailed specs, style guides, and assets, ensuring accurate implementation of design elements. By integrating seamlessly with tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma, Zeplin boosts collaboration across various teams. Its version control feature allows you to manage changes efficiently, maintaining alignment throughout the design and development lifecycle. Moreover, the real-time collaboration tools reduce misunderstandings, promoting better communication between designers and developers. By simplifying the sharing of design specifications, Zeplin saves time on handoffs and improves overall workflow efficiency, in the end improving project outcomes and team productivity. Framer Framer is an essential no-code design tool that empowers you to create interactive prototypes quickly and efficiently. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can manipulate elements and design complex layouts without needing extensive coding knowledge. Here are three key features of Framer: Real-Time Collaboration: Work alongside your team members in real-time, enhancing teamwork and speeding up design iterations. Responsive Design: Guarantee your prototypes seamlessly adapt to various devices and screen sizes, making them accessible to all users. Pre-Built Components: Access a library of templates and components to streamline your design process, guaranteeing visual consistency across projects. Frequently Asked Questions Which Tool Is Best for Prototyping? When choosing the best tool for prototyping, consider your specific needs. Figma thrives in real-time collaboration, making it perfect for remote teams. Adobe XD offers responsive resizing for various screen sizes, whereas Proto.io provides a rich asset library for high-fidelity prototypes without coding. For complex projects, Axure RP’s dynamic content features are beneficial. If you need quick feedback, Marvel simplifies the process through integrated user testing, allowing for faster design validation. What Tool Is Used for Product Design? For product design, you’ll often turn to tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch. Figma’s cloud-based features allow real-time collaboration, whereas Adobe XD stands out in creating high-fidelity prototypes with interactive elements. If you’re a Mac user, Sketch offers a user-friendly interface with extensive plugin support. Each tool has unique strengths, so consider your specific needs and team dynamics when choosing the right one for your product design process. What Are Two Key Elements of Successful Prototyping? Two key elements of successful prototyping are swift iteration and user testing. Swift iteration allows you to refine designs quickly, minimizing costly changes later. User testing provides valuable feedback, helping you validate assumptions about functionality and user experience. What Is the Best Tool for Both UI and UX? The best tool for both UI and UX design is Figma. Its cloud-based platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing your team to work on design files simultaneously. Figma’s features include auto-layout for responsive designs and easy-to-share prototypes for stakeholder feedback. With a free plan and affordable paid options, it suits teams of all sizes. Its extensive plugin library and integration with popular applications improve your workflow, making it a versatile choice for design projects. Conclusion In summary, leveraging the right tools can markedly improve your product design and prototyping efforts. Whether you choose Sketch for vector design, Adobe XD for high-fidelity prototypes, or Figma for collaborative work, each tool offers unique advantages. Incorporating platforms like InVision or Proto.io for interactive prototypes, and using Zeplin for efficient handoff to developers, guarantees a streamlined process. By utilizing these crucial tools, you can nurture innovation, improve workflow efficiency, and in the end create successful products. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Essential Tools for Product Design and Prototyping Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Having a successful marketing campaign involves the coordination of many different departments. Marketing plans manage research, design and copywriting, digital and print production, plus so much more. These separate departments all have to work together, sticking to a shared schedule and budget. Managing all those marketing assets is challenging. Get a headstart on your next marketing project by using these 20 free marketing templates for Excel and Word. They’ll help you from the planning stage and budgeting to tracking your campaign to ensure you stay on schedule and within your budget. We have dozens of free project management templates to choose from. Here’s a selection of marketing-related templates. 1. Marketing Plan Template Organize the phases of your marketing plan by downloading our free marketing plan template for Word. Our free marketing plan template gives you a place to define your strategy and how you intend to implement it over the month, quarter or year. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Marketing-Plan-Screenshot.jpg You can use the marketing plan template to highlight your goals and current position in the market. Use it to schedule tasks over a timeline with start and end dates, track KPIs and much more. A marketing plan offers a high-level view of the marketing campaign and helps you market your brand, product or service more effectively. Use our free template to build a framework for your marketing plan within the context of the potential customers you want to target. It helps you reduce risk and increase the chances that your marketing will be successful. 2. Marketing Campaign Template Using our free marketing campaign template will help you plan how you introduce your product or service across multiple platforms. The template helps you use market research to better map out a product or service launch and communicate the plan to everyone on your marketing team. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Kanban_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-different-status.jpgTry it free You can use the template to organize everything you need for a successful marketing campaign including the goals of the marketing campaign, who you’re going to target, the media plan and how you’ll execute it. Not only that, but you have the tools to keep track of the marketing campaign, including collecting key performance indicators (KPIs). Use our free marketing campaign template when the product or service you created is done but hasn’t launched. Our free marketing campaign template will help you successfully promote the product or service, connecting with your target audience. See your plan on our kanban board, which visualizes the workflow and gives marketing managers visibility into their team’s process. If they see issues, they can quickly reallocate resources to keep work moving forward uninterrupted. Teams can manage their backlog and collaboratively plan sprints. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/marketing-campaign-template.jpg Get your free Marketing Campaign Template Use this free Marketing Campaign Template to manage your projects better. Get the Template 3. Marketing Budget Template Marketing costs money, but you don’t have unlimited funds. That’s why you need our free marketing budget template for Excel. It ensures you get a good return on your investment and don’t overspend on your marketing campaign. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Marketing-Budget-Screenshot.jpg The free marketing budget template outlines the financial investments related to your marketing project broken up by year or quarter. It helps you collect your costs, from paid advertising and sponsored web content to marketing personnel, software and more. Using a marketing budget template goes hand-in-glove with the marketing plan, as it’s an integral part of the larger marketing plan. It helps you forecast what you need to spend to deliver a successful marketing campaign. 4. Marketing Calendar Template Capture important dates in an easy-to-read format to make sure you don’t miss deadlines, meetings and more with our free marketing calendar template for Excel. Use the free template to view your marketing campaigns by the month, quarterly or over the course of a year./wp-content/uploads/2022/09/marketing-calendar-template.jpg Marketing calendars are essential pieces to a larger marketing plan. Marketing plans can be complicated, whereas a marketing calendar is easy to read at a glance to make sure you’re meeting the necessary milestones. A marketing calendar template is also a great tool for communication with stakeholders. They don’t need to get into the weeds of your marketing campaign. They’re interested in your progress and your schedule, both of which can be tracked on a marketing calendar template. 5. Creative Brief Template Marketing, advertising and design projects require project briefs just as construction, manufacturing or engineering projects do. Only they’re not called project briefs, they’re called creative briefs. If you’re managing one of these projects, then you need our free creative brief template for Word. /wp-content/uploads/2022/10/creative-brief-template-screenshot-600x731.jpg The creative brief is used to plan the project, define its objectives and keep everyone involved clear on what the project is about. It’s created at the beginning of the project but referred to throughout the project life cycle as a roadmap to keep everyone working together. Our free creative brief template details the target audience, your competitors in the marketplace, what the key message is and how it should be delivered plus more. It’s the rule by which you measure the project requirements to ensure that you’re keeping to them. 6. Marketing Proposal Template Clients want confidence that a marketing initiative is worth the investment, and a proposal helps provide that clarity. It explains the current situation, the approach being recommended and the results the strategy is designed to achieve. Rather than diving straight into tactics, the proposal builds a narrative that connects marketing work to business goals. This alignment makes decision-making easier and strengthens the relationship before a project even starts. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/marketing-proposal-template.png This marketing proposal template provides a structured format for pitching a complete marketing plan. It includes an executive summary, SWOT analysis and detailed buyer personas to ground decisions in research. Strategy sections specify channels, messaging and performance metrics, while the scope of work, timeline and budget make deliverables transparent. Terms and conditions complete the package, giving clients everything they need to confidently approve and move forward. 7. Marketing Media Plan Template Marketing campaigns work best when every message knows where it’s going and why. A media plan maps out the channels, timing and budget needed to reach the right audience with the right content. It considers goals, demographics and performance metrics to ensure money isn’t wasted on low-impact placements. With a clear implementation plan in place, teams coordinate seamlessly and make smarter decisions about which tactics will drive the greatest ROI. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/media-plan-template.png This media plan template brings every element of campaign planning into one structured document. Traditional media like TV, radio and print are organized alongside digital channels such as SEO, paid search, email and social. Fields for audience targeting, dates, spend, and key metrics support accurate forecasting and ongoing optimization. By aligning investments with performance data, this template helps marketers stay focused on results and maintain full visibility into campaign effectiveness. 8. Go to Market Strategy Template Bringing a product to market takes more than a launch date; it requires a clear plan for how the product will win customers. A go to market strategy links target buyers, messaging, pricing and distribution into one coordinated approach. It helps teams focus on the channels that drive adoption, remove barriers to purchase and align marketing and sales activities. With a solid GTM strategy, launches become more predictable and growth more achievable. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/go-to-market-plan-template.png This go to market strategy template organizes everything needed for a successful product introduction. It begins with the product’s value proposition and a detailed profile of the target audience, then defines promotional, sales and delivery channels with associated costs. A structured timeline helps teams coordinate development, marketing and launch activities. By centralizing planning and budget details, the template ensures alignment across teams and supports smarter decision-making at every stage of market entry. 9. Customer Journey Map Template Customers experience a brand long before and long after a purchase is made. A customer journey map captures every step of that relationship—from initial awareness to retention—to reveal what people think, feel and need along the way. Marketers use it to find friction points, strengthen engagement and align messaging with real customer motivations. With a clear map, teams improve satisfaction and guide more prospects toward becoming loyal advocates. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/customer-journey-map-template-1600x790.png This customer journey map template breaks down the full buying experience into stages such as awareness, consideration, purchase, onboarding and retention. It links customer actions to emotions, pain points and touchpoints to show where support or improvements are needed. Persona details add context for decision-making, while backstage processes highlight operational responsibilities. With these insights in one place, teams can design more seamless interactions and elevate the overall customer experience. 10. Competitive Analysis Template Companies rarely operate without rivals, and understanding their strengths and weaknesses is key to winning market share. A competitive analysis examines how competitors position their products, price offerings, promote themselves and serve customers. Marketing teams use these insights to spot differentiation opportunities, evaluate projects and identify threats and refine messaging that resonates more strongly. With clearer visibility into the landscape, brands can make more confident decisions about where to compete and how to outperform others. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/competitive-analysis-template-1600x537.png This competitive analysis template organizes detailed research into a structured view of the market. It includes competitor descriptions, marketing mix elements and a full SWOT breakdown to compare value propositions side by side. Teams can evaluate pricing approaches, distribution strategies, branding tactics and customer experience quality in one place. By highlighting strategic gaps and emerging opportunities, the template supports smarter positioning and helps guide tactical moves that strengthen your market advantage. 11. Marketing Change Log Template Change can have a big impact. Whether you change the messaging of an ad, adjust a budget or redesign your homepage, you need to log such events. Use this free change log template for Excel to control and manage change. /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Change-Log-Screenshot.jpg This marketing template is a document that captures whatever change is impacting work and tracks it throughout. It captures the date the change was identified, its priority, who’s assigned to dealing with it and its status to ensure that it’s on track and doesn’t fall through the cracks. 12. Marketing Flowchart Template Marketers use flowcharts to visually represent the steps involved in the marketing process, from developing plans and content marketing to advertising. Using this free flowchart template will help marketers communicate these processes more clearly, identify weaknesses and improve the client or customer experience. /wp-content/uploads/2023/11/flowchart-template-screenshot-600x618.png This marketing template can save time and increase efficiency by eliminating unnecessary steps as well as making sure the important steps are done on schedule. It can analyze the performance of the firm or its campaigns in terms of data reach, digital presence, website visits, lead generation and customer conversion. The flowchart template is fully customizable, which allows it to be easily edited and reused over and over again. Through ovals that represent the start or finish of a process, arrows that indicate the direction of the process steps, diamonds that mark a decision or activity and rectangles that represent a process, marketers get valuable insights. 13. Marketing Event Plan Template Whether it’s a tradeshow, corporate retreat or networking party, events are projects and they need to be planned to be successful. Our free event plan template for Excel lays out everything you need to do and helps you avoid any glitches that will negatively impact your event. /wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Event-Plan-Template.jpg You’ll find places to list the tasks you need to complete to have the event, including the resources you need to execute that work. Every task will have an owner, an estimated time it’ll take to complete and a checklist to mark if it’s been started and to note when completed. This is your first step to scheduling your event and figuring out a feasible timetable to get everything ready. The more accurately you can forecast the amount of time it’ll take to prepare for the event, the less likely you’ll miss deadlines and threaten the success of the event. 14. Vision Statement for Marketing Template Marketing is targeted and must deliver a product or service to an intended audience. But if that target is not clear, the marketing message will be equally vague and not effective. That’s why this free vision statement template for Word is so important. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vision-statement-template-screenshot-600x537.png A vision statement is a document that defines the purpose of a business, or it can be used to define the reason behind a marketing campaign. This marketing template is a way to ensure that all work is being done to achieve that vision in the future. The vision statement template will guide the strategic plans for a marketing firm, or its client’s plans, in a way that’s easy to understand by all. The vision statement template works by following a few simple steps, such as defining the mission, core values and value proposition of the brand. For each of these steps, there is a corresponding question that the marketing leadership team will answer. Through this process, the vision for the firm or the project becomes clear and the work that follows more impactful. 15. Strategic Roadmap for Marketing Template Marketing firms and teams must keep strategy in mind. All campaigns and tactics should feed into a higher goal. That’s where the free strategic roadmap template for Excel comes in. It allows for the long view, which is often how businesses stay in business. /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Strategic-Roadmap-Template-for-Excel-ProjectManager-2.webp A strategic roadmap template visually communicates the strategy of a marketing firm as well as those steps that will be taken to achieve its long-term goals and objectives. This marketing template is a powerful tool for ensuring that everyone from leaders to marketing team members are on the same page when it comes to why the firm is doing what it’s doing. The strategic roadmap template has a timeline that gives a bird’s-eye view of where the firm currently is and where it wants to be in the next five to 10 years. This is an essential tool to prepare and disseminate strategy throughout the organization. 16. Marketing Action Items Template We’ve talked a lot about planning for campaigns or events, but we haven’t covered how you’ll go about accomplishing your goals. Our free action items template for Excel will help you outline the steps you have to take to successfully complete that marketing plan. /wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Action-Items-Screenshot.jpg Action items are the steps you have to take to implement your marketing plan. In other words, they’re the activities or tasks that’ll carry the project over the finish line in time. This helps you figure out how you’re going to get the marketing project work done. Once you have the action items laid out, you can then begin to assign them to the marketing team. Without first knowing what the action items for the marketing project are, it would be impossible to fully plan for either a small or larger project. 17. Marketing Project Timeline Template All marketing initiatives have a deadline that you have to align with a product launch or campaign. Whatever the marketing project is, without a schedule you’ll never get it done in time. You can quickly schedule your marketing push with our free project timeline template for Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Project-Timeline-Screenshot.jpg A timeline is a visual tool to see your entire marketing campaign in one place. It helps you see when tasks need to be completed, which in turn can make you allocate resources more wisely. It’s also the backbone of any thorough marketing schedule. When you’re done filling out our free project timeline template, you’ll see where your major deliverables and milestones are and have a better idea of how much the project will cost and the resources you’ll need to complete it. 18. Marketing Project & Task Tracker Template Of course, all of this planning and scheduling is for nothing if you’re unable to track the work as your marketing team is executing it. That’s why you need the free project task tracker template for Excel to know if your actual progress is keeping up with your planned progress. /wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Task-Tracking-Screenshot.jpg Having a project task tracker template means you have the tools to see if you’re keeping to your schedule. If you’re not, then you have the opportunity to get back on track before it’s too late. Best of all, you can follow the task throughout the marketing project life cycle, from planning through execution. Our free project task tracker lets you list all your tasks and describe them. You can add any dependent tasks that need to be done before, after or during. Plus, you can add the marketing team members assigned to that task. Then add priority, start and end dates, the actual end date and whether the status is opened or closed to keep track of your tasks. 19. Event Proposal Template Marketing comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s direct mail, billboards, digital ads, websites and much more. But one of the most effective ways to connect with the target audience is in an event. Whether that’s a tradeshow, webinar or launch party, this free event proposal template for Word is the perfect document to get things moving. /wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Event_Proposal_Template_Screenshot-1.png This marketing template is a detailed document that takes the coming event and defines its goals and objectives to better serve the client. It is a thorough tool that is designed to win the bid, which is the first step of any event planning process. All the pertinent information is collected on this customizable marketing template, from its purpose, target audience and event stakeholders to the even schedule. That comprehensiveness will show the client that the firm understands the event and mapped out all the steps to ensure its success. 20. Cost-Benefit Analysis Template Not all marketing ideas are good ones. To know which to follow through on and which to skip you need to figure out if the benefit is greater than the cost of implementing the campaign. To do that, use our free cost-benefit analysis template for Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cost-Benefit-Analysis-Screenshot.jpg Cost-benefit analysis works by comparing what you expect to pay against the benefits or opportunities you’ll get from the marketing project. It’s a way to determine if the investment is worth the return in terms of costs. Using our free cost-benefit analysis template allows marketing executives to look at data when figuring out if the marketing push is worth the price they’ll be paying. Having this knowledge is a powerful tool for keeping your company financially viable. Go Beyond Templates With ProjectManager Download the above free marketing templates and you’ll be able to better manage your campaigns. However, templates can only take you so far. They are, after all, static documents. If you need to change anything, it’s time-consuming, and time shouldn’t be wasted in business. ProjectManager is online software that does what the free templates do and more, plus it does it in real time so you have more insight. Use the Tools You Want to Collaborate One thing templates can do is help you collaborate. You can’t have multiple marketing teams working on the same document or allow different versions to float around. Our software has multiple project views, all of which are updated in real time so you’re always working on the most current version. Managers can play on robust Gantt charts with timelines that can link dependencies, add milestones and set a baseline to track planned vs. actual effort in real time. Design teams can use kanban boards for a visual workflow and other teams can use task lists or calendars. /wp-content/uploads/2022/10/marketing-plan-gantt.jpg See How You’re Doing in Real Time The task track template requires that you add to the document. Our real-time dashboard tracks the marketing project automatically. There’s no setup required as in competitors’ lightweight products. Our live dashboard collects data and displays it in colorful graphs giving you a high-level view of your costs, workload and more. We even have customizable reports for more detail, and they’re easy to share to update stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Dashboard-Marketing.jpg Marketing teams, be they in copy, design or another department, need to collaborate across tools. Our collaborative platform allows them to comment at the task level, share files and tag anyone on the project team. Real-time communication is facilitated by email notifications and alerts in the tool so you don’t have to leave your work to stay in touch with team members in different departments or locations. ProjectManager is award-winning software that empowers teams to work better together and gives managers the tools they need to plan, manage and track work in real time. Use task, resource and risk management features to further drive successful projects. Join teams at businesses as varied as Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. 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SoundSource, my preferred volume control app on the Mac, just got a major upgrade. The developer, Rogue Amoeba, recently released SoundSource 6 for Mac, which adds support for AirPlay devices, per-app equalizers, output device groups, and much more. It's an incredibly polished app packed with features, but my favorite feature is its ability to turn any random group of earbuds and speakers into a multi-room audio setup. Multi-room audio with SoundSource 6 Credit: Pranay Parab You can use SoundSource 6 to create a group of audio output devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, AirPlay speakers, and literally any other audio device your Mac can connect to. Then, you can send audio from any app to all of these devices at the same time, making for the ideal multi-room audio setup. I've used this to play Apple Music songs simultaneously on my AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, my Mac's speaker, and my HomePod. It's a great way to get music playing throughout your whole house. To get started, click SoundSource's menu bar icon to open the app, and click the drop-down menu next to any app's volume slider. You'll see a button called Create Output Group or Edit Output Groups. Click this button and select New Group. You can now add as many audio devices as you want to the group. In theory, you could also use this to chain a bunch of Bluetooth speakers from different brands to enjoy a more immersive audio experience while watching a movie, but in practice, latency makes the experience less than ideal. Even a slight lag in one of the speakers can ruin an immersive audio experience, but that's not SoundSource's fault. It's a difficult job to get multiple speakers from different brands, which use different audio output standards, to work as a perfect surround sound setup. Given the barriers in place, SoundSource does an admirable job with its task. I found that the multi-room audio feature works best when you're listening to music with one speaker in each room. That way, the slight latency won't bother you at all, and you can have music to keep you company as you run through household chores. AirPlay support is great to have Credit: Pranay Parab As someone who's used SoundSource since 2017, I've always missed the ability to send audio to AirPlay devices. Until recently, Rogue Amoeba had left that feature to another of its apps—Airfoil. However, SoundSource's latest release adds support for AirPlay devices, which means that you can finally use it to send audio from any app on your Mac to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay-enabled device. I use SoundSource to redirect audio from certain apps to specific speakers, and with AirPlay support, I can send music straight to my HomePod, while restricting notification sounds from messaging apps to the Mac's built-in speakers. Per-app EQ is a big deal Credit: Pranay Parab I first started using SoundSource for its ability to let you set a custom volume level for each app on your Mac. I used this to reduce the volume of notifications from Messages and Slack, while keeping sounds from other apps at a higher level. SoundSource 6 has added another layer to this feature by shipping a per-app equalizer, which lets you set a different sound profile for every single app you use. It ships with nearly two dozen EQ presets for you to choose from. You can choose one EQ preset for music streaming apps and a different one for the apps you use to watch movies. You can locate this feature by clicking the right-arrow button under the FX section in SoundSource. Set a custom audio level for each device Credit: Pranay Parab SoundSource also lets you set a custom volume level for each audio device your Mac is connected to. This lets me reduce the volume on a particularly loud Bluetooth speaker I own, while keeping my Mac's speaker volume a little higher. The app also allows you to set a maximum volume limit for each audio device, which you should use for two reasons: To prevent hearing loss if you're using headphones, and to avoid damaging your speakers. I've accidentally damaged a speaker by keeping it at 100% volume for a few hours in an outdoor venue, which isn't what the speaker was designed for. Since then, I've shied away from running speakers at full volume, and you can use the maximum volume limit feature here to help with that. To use this feature, open SoundSource and click the speaker icon in the top-right corner. This will show you all your input and output devices. Select any device and locate the Output tab in the right pane. Here, move the Max Volume slider to an acceptable limit. More features Credit: Pranay Parab SoundSource 6 has many other new features that make it worth the upgrade. You can set a preferred device order to ensure that your Mac doesn't accidentally connect to the wrong audio devices. I use this to set my AirPods as my preferred speaker, followed by my HomePod, my Mac's own speakers, and my Bluetooth speaker comes in last. The app also allows you to add volume controls for individual apps to the menu bar, which means that you can control the audio level of Chrome, Music, Spotify, or any other app without opening the main SoundSource window. This is great for the times when you only want to adjust a single app's volume. There's also a neat feature where SoundSource can set your AirPods to 'output-only' mode, which means that every app will use the Mac's built-in mic for input and send the audio to the AirPods. Rogue Amoeba says this improves audio quality on the AirPods significantly. There are many such quality-of-life improvements in this app, which made it an easy decision for me to buy its sixth version. If you've never used SoundSource before, you'll have to pay $49 to use the app. There is a trial mode that lets you try the app for up to 20 minutes for free, after which it degrades the audio. Those upgrading from previous versions of SoundSource can get the updated app for $25. View the full article

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. For gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts, finding earbuds that are the right blend of durable and comfortable can be difficult —especially if you’re on a budget. JBL excels in this area; they’re known for delivering strong, bass-y sound, and some models, like the JBL Endurance Peak 3 earbuds, can withstand even the toughest workouts. Right now, they’re $59.95 (originally $99.95), a 40% drop that brings them down to their lowest price ever. JBL Endurance Peak 3 Earbuds $59.95 at Amazon $99.95 Save $40.00 Get Deal Get Deal $59.95 at Amazon $99.95 Save $40.00 These exercise earbuds don’t include active noise cancellation, but they do have what PCMag—which gives them an Editors’ Choice Award—calls a “powerful, bass-forward sound signature.” They’re also completely waterproof and dust-tight with an IP68 rating, meaning they can be submerged in water for more than 30 minutes, making them suitable for heavy rain or rinsing under running water. To keep them in place during intense movement, the earpieces have sport ear hooks that gently but securely clamp them into place without interfering with glasses. The hooks also double as a power switch: w\When the tips magnetically connect with the main body of the earpiece, they turn off. This can be frustrating if you need to take them off briefly, since you’ll need to stop the tips from touching the body to avoid powering down. Touch controls are on the outside of each earbud. They last around 10 hours per charge, and the IPX charging case holds an extra 40 hours of battery life. According to JBL, around 10 minutes of charging will get you an hour of playback, and they fully charge in about two hours. The case, it should be said, is large, clunky, and hard to open, and its slippery exterior makes it hard to grip. The companion app allows you to adjust EQ, view battery life, switch between or turn off Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes, and customize touch controls. These might not be the best choice if you’re looking for noise-canceling buds or a more compact case. However, if you’re in the market for ultra-durable workout earbuds with a secure fit, long battery life, and great value, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 earbuds are a solid choice for sporty people, especially at the $60 price point. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $219.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $278.00 (List Price $399.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 3-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core — $74.99 (List Price $189.99) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team 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. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who was miserable in their PhD program and just wanted to teach but didn’t think they could drop out? Here’s the update. I regretted sending my letter in to Alison about three seconds after I hit the “submit” button. I was convinced that I was just whining, that there wasn’t anything that could fix this situation, and it was my job to just grit my teeth and get through it. Hearing from so many of you that you’ve been where I am, that you were miserable too, and that things were okay for you if you left, was just … thank you all so, so much. I took on board all of your advice (and shout-out to those of you who mentioned education recruiter Carney Sandoe, I’d never heard of that!), and made a list for myself of things to try. I talked to other members of my committee, as well as my PI, about moving projects and labs as well. After quite a lot of deliberation, and a heavy conversation with my PI, I have decided – I might try to squeeze a tiny, inconsequential paper out of data I already have, and if so, I will get my Phd. Regardless, I will not be asked to do lab work anymore – and if I don’t get a paper, then I will master out. My PI mentioned that, when I’d made the decision to leave, I immediately looked like 20 pounds had come off my shoulders. I feel like I’ve finally stepped out into the sunlight for the first time, after being shut in a dark room for ages on end. I keep waiting for someone to drag me back in, to tell me that no, you don’t get to have this kind of happiness, or that this has all somehow been a mistake. But it keeps not happening, and I keep feeling like breaking out into song and dance every time I realize that I’m still free from lab work! And, now that I don’t have to do lab work anymore, I’m free to network my butt off! I’ve had informational interviews with adjuncts, private school teachers, public school teachers, program directors, and I’ve joined, like, three new professional networks now! I’m applying for jobs, I’m doing classroom observations to see what kind of teaching I like and don’t like, I’m gathering certification to help with my teaching skills – I’m doing the work! I’ve been fighting self-accusations of laziness for so long, as I found it so difficult to convince myself to do lab work, but it turns out, I can do things in a timely manner, I can put in effort, I just can’t do it around something that is actively hurting me! Even better, because my PI is an amazing person, he’s allowing me to stay in his lab until this coming May (I’m getting paid for my teaching work, so he doesn’t need to use grant funding on me), and he’s supporting me in using as much time as possible for my teaching development! Also, for the course I’m TAing for now, I’ve told the professor that I’m interested in teaching, and that I’d like more responsibility in course design elements – and he’s letting me design the active learning activities for discussions now! I’ve also been playing around with making an intro biology course in my free time for a while (as in writing learning objectives, making slides, etc), and he’s offered to review my learning objectives and lesson plans for that too, if he has time, to give me feedback! Speaking of which, someone asked me what I liked the most about teaching in the comments section – though I do absolutely love my students, and seeing them grow, I think my favorite part is the course design. I love creating a logical flow of information, I love when I make something as complicated as Bio clear and goal-based, I love seeing my students’ eyes light up when they realize that they know what they’re expected to learn, I love when the way I explain something just clicks, and finally a student understands why they’ve been asked to learn something, and how they can grow on their terms, get the skills they want, and that I’ve managed to help them on their journey. This, combined with some other elements from observations and interviews, tells me that K-12 teaching isn’t for me, as the curriculum is often dictated to you, instead of being in your control. But making goals, being organized, and clear communication are also very transferable skills – more evidence that there’s such a wider world out there for me than I realized! Many in the comments also mentioned that mastering out is not failure, and I wanted to thank you all so, so much for that as well, because that is not the message I am getting from coworkers and friends. There’s very much a vibe of “we were all fighting the same war, now you’re abandoning us to go surrender to the enemy?!” and one of my work friends has decided to make it his mission to get me to stay no matter what (I don’t know why – we’re not in the same lab – I guess he just thinks I’m making a horrible mistake?). My family is also … not pleased, shall we say. Someone pointed out that I’m rather blind to the world outside academia, and that is more true than you know – nobody in my family has below a masters. No one. When I started reading Alison’s column, I was astonished that there were people who got jobs with just a bachelor’s, because everything I’d been taught said that the only point in getting a bachelor’s was to get a master’s, that anyone who stops at a bachelor’s is doomed to failure. Even though I am getting a master’s, it’s not viewed the same way – I know I have a few uncles who went to get a PhD, and when they mastered out, they stopped being invited to family events, which I don’t want to happen to me. My niblings are mostly matter-of-fact about it, but my parents are very visibly disappointed with my decision, and with the holidays coming up, there’s going to be a lot of dodge-the-conversation-topic with grandparents and cousins. But I don’t care. If leaving this program can have this many people angry with me, and I’m still this light, and this happy, and this productive, then it’s more clear to me than ever that I’m doing the right thing. I have Internet strangers at my back, my bosses support me, I’m doing work I love, I’m supporting my students, my niblings have my back, and I’ve managed to respond to every comment and complaint from friends and family with confidence and enthusiasm. I don’t know what will happen next for me – maybe I’ll be unemployed for a year, maybe I’ll get a job at some company I’ve never heard of, or maybe I will be teaching as I wanted to be. But it’s my decision, and I get to decide to be free. The post update: I’m miserable in my PhD program appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Adobe’s latest move brings some of its most recognizable creative and document-editing tools directly into ChatGPT — a shift that could reshape how small businesses handle marketing, content creation, and everyday productivity tasks. With Photoshop, Adobe Express, and Acrobat now built into ChatGPT’s interface, business owners gain access to advanced creative capabilities simply by describing what they want to do. For entrepreneurs who often juggle design work without dedicated staff, this integration offers a more streamlined, lower-friction path to producing professional-quality visuals and documents. Adobe says its goal is to “make creativity accessible for everyone,” a message that resonates with small businesses increasingly relying on digital content to compete. “We’re thrilled to bring Photoshop, Adobe Express and Acrobat directly into ChatGPT, combining our creative innovations with the ease of ChatGPT to make creativity accessible for everyone,” said David Wadhwani, president of digital media at Adobe. “Now hundreds of millions of people can edit with Photoshop simply by using their own words, right inside a platform that’s already part of their day-to-day.” For small business owners accustomed to navigating multiple apps to complete simple tasks, these integrations could offer meaningful time savings. Instead of opening Photoshop, hunting down the right tool, or figuring out layers, users can type instructions like “Adobe Photoshop, help me blur the background of this image,” and ChatGPT will guide the action. The process works similarly for tasks in Adobe Express and Acrobat, allowing business owners to stay within a single workspace and move faster from idea to execution. Key benefits surfaced immediately. Photoshop’s conversational controls allow users to fine-tune specific elements of an image — adjusting brightness, exposure, or contrast — or apply effects without understanding advanced editing workflows. This lowers the barrier for small teams that need frequent social graphics or product photos but don’t have formal design experience. Adobe Express adds access to a large library of templates for events, promotions, and marketing campaigns, making it easier to customize designs without switching apps. Acrobat’s capabilities may be especially relevant for businesses managing contracts, invoices, or compliance documents. Owners can edit PDFs, extract tables, merge files, or redact sensitive information directly in chat, which could reduce reliance on separate editing tools. While the new integrations expand access, they also introduce considerations for small businesses. Relying heavily on AI-driven creative tools may shorten production cycles, but users still need to maintain brand consistency and review outputs carefully. Templates and automated designs help speed up work but do not replace the need for oversight, especially when producing client-facing or regulated documents. Additionally, businesses handling sensitive data should pay attention to how content flows through ChatGPT and Adobe’s systems, ensuring internal policies align with platform capabilities. Adobe notes that users can seamlessly transition into full desktop apps when projects require more precision, suggesting the ChatGPT integrations serve best as fast-action tools rather than full replacements for advanced workflows. The rollout also highlights Adobe’s broader investment in agentic AI and conversational interfaces. The company points to earlier launches like Acrobat Studio and AI Assistants for Photoshop and Express as part of an ongoing effort to simplify creative tasks through natural language. An upcoming AI Assistant for Adobe Firefly, designed to help users move ideas across multiple Adobe applications, suggests deeper integrations are on the horizon. For small businesses increasingly operating across mobile and web platforms, availability matters. Photoshop, Adobe Express, and Acrobat for ChatGPT are free and live today on desktop, web, and iOS. Adobe Express is already available on Android, with Photoshop and Acrobat support coming soon. Cost-conscious business owners may find value in testing these tools without committing to paid plans, especially if they frequently need quick edits or design iterations. This expansion positions ChatGPT as a more comprehensive workspace for content-driven businesses. By pulling Adobe’s high-end capabilities into a conversational interface, the partnership could help smaller companies move faster, present more polished materials, and operate with fewer technical hurdles — as long as they remain attentive to quality control and data-handling practices. This article, "Adobe Brings Photoshop, Express and Acrobat Tools Directly Into ChatGPT" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Adobe’s latest move brings some of its most recognizable creative and document-editing tools directly into ChatGPT — a shift that could reshape how small businesses handle marketing, content creation, and everyday productivity tasks. With Photoshop, Adobe Express, and Acrobat now built into ChatGPT’s interface, business owners gain access to advanced creative capabilities simply by describing what they want to do. For entrepreneurs who often juggle design work without dedicated staff, this integration offers a more streamlined, lower-friction path to producing professional-quality visuals and documents. Adobe says its goal is to “make creativity accessible for everyone,” a message that resonates with small businesses increasingly relying on digital content to compete. “We’re thrilled to bring Photoshop, Adobe Express and Acrobat directly into ChatGPT, combining our creative innovations with the ease of ChatGPT to make creativity accessible for everyone,” said David Wadhwani, president of digital media at Adobe. “Now hundreds of millions of people can edit with Photoshop simply by using their own words, right inside a platform that’s already part of their day-to-day.” For small business owners accustomed to navigating multiple apps to complete simple tasks, these integrations could offer meaningful time savings. Instead of opening Photoshop, hunting down the right tool, or figuring out layers, users can type instructions like “Adobe Photoshop, help me blur the background of this image,” and ChatGPT will guide the action. The process works similarly for tasks in Adobe Express and Acrobat, allowing business owners to stay within a single workspace and move faster from idea to execution. Key benefits surfaced immediately. Photoshop’s conversational controls allow users to fine-tune specific elements of an image — adjusting brightness, exposure, or contrast — or apply effects without understanding advanced editing workflows. This lowers the barrier for small teams that need frequent social graphics or product photos but don’t have formal design experience. Adobe Express adds access to a large library of templates for events, promotions, and marketing campaigns, making it easier to customize designs without switching apps. Acrobat’s capabilities may be especially relevant for businesses managing contracts, invoices, or compliance documents. Owners can edit PDFs, extract tables, merge files, or redact sensitive information directly in chat, which could reduce reliance on separate editing tools. While the new integrations expand access, they also introduce considerations for small businesses. Relying heavily on AI-driven creative tools may shorten production cycles, but users still need to maintain brand consistency and review outputs carefully. Templates and automated designs help speed up work but do not replace the need for oversight, especially when producing client-facing or regulated documents. Additionally, businesses handling sensitive data should pay attention to how content flows through ChatGPT and Adobe’s systems, ensuring internal policies align with platform capabilities. Adobe notes that users can seamlessly transition into full desktop apps when projects require more precision, suggesting the ChatGPT integrations serve best as fast-action tools rather than full replacements for advanced workflows. The rollout also highlights Adobe’s broader investment in agentic AI and conversational interfaces. The company points to earlier launches like Acrobat Studio and AI Assistants for Photoshop and Express as part of an ongoing effort to simplify creative tasks through natural language. An upcoming AI Assistant for Adobe Firefly, designed to help users move ideas across multiple Adobe applications, suggests deeper integrations are on the horizon. For small businesses increasingly operating across mobile and web platforms, availability matters. Photoshop, Adobe Express, and Acrobat for ChatGPT are free and live today on desktop, web, and iOS. Adobe Express is already available on Android, with Photoshop and Acrobat support coming soon. Cost-conscious business owners may find value in testing these tools without committing to paid plans, especially if they frequently need quick edits or design iterations. This expansion positions ChatGPT as a more comprehensive workspace for content-driven businesses. By pulling Adobe’s high-end capabilities into a conversational interface, the partnership could help smaller companies move faster, present more polished materials, and operate with fewer technical hurdles — as long as they remain attentive to quality control and data-handling practices. This article, "Adobe Brings Photoshop, Express and Acrobat Tools Directly Into ChatGPT" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Cracker Barrel posted lower-than-expected sales in its fiscal first quarter and trimmed its revenue forecast for the year as it continued to feel the fallout from a botched plan to revamp its logo and restaurants. The Lebanon, Tennessee-based restaurant chain said Tuesday its revenue fell 5.7% to $797.2 million in the three months ending Oct. 31. That was lower than the $800 million Wall Street anticipated, according to analysts polled by FactSet. Cracker Barrel said its same-store restaurant sales dropped 4.7% while sales in its retail shops dropped 8.5%. Those declines were also slightly higher than analysts forecast. Cracker Barrel said it now expects total revenue of $3.2 billion to $3.3 billion in its 2026 fiscal year. That’s down from $3.35 billion to $3.45 billion previously. The company also said it expects adjusted pre-tax earnings of $70 million to $110 million, down from $150 million to $190 million previously. Cracker Barrel shares fell more than 10% in after-hours trading Tuesday. Cracker Barrel announced in August that it was simplifying the chain’s logo as part of a larger plan to modernize the chain’s dark, antique-filled restaurants. But the move had disastrous consequences. Fans didn’t like that the new logo didn’t include Cracker Barrel’s longtime mascot, an overall-clad man leaning on a barrel, or the words “Old Country Store.” They also rebelled against the store redesigns. Cracker Barrel backtracked a week later, saying it would keep the logo. In September, the company also suspended its plans to remodel stores. The chain operates around 650 restaurants nationwide, with many in Texas, Florida and Tennessee. Cracker Barrel shareholders voted late last month to keep company CEO Julie Felss Masino in place despite the logo debacle. But one of the company’s directors, Gilbert Davila, resigned from Cracker Barrel’s board Thursday after preliminary results indicated that shareholders rejected his reelection. Davila, who joined Cracker Barrel’s board in 2020, is the president and CEO of DMI Consulting, a multicultural marketing firm. He reviewed Cracker Barrel’s advertising as part of his role on the board. —Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writer View the full article

If you’re considering a franchise opportunity in the USA, it’s crucial to know the top contenders that could lead to success. The Melting Pot offers a unique dining experience with fondue, whereas Marco’s Pizza stands strong in the competitive pizza market. Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, and Cinnabon with its iconic cinnamon rolls are notable as well. Other options like PJ’s Coffee, Arby’s, and Great Clips® present diverse choices. Each brand boasts solid support for franchisees, ensuring a profitable venture. Key Takeaways The Melting Pot offers a unique fondue dining experience with strong franchise support, appealing to investors without prior restaurant experience. Marco’s Pizza is a well-established brand with a low initial fee and a focus on quality ingredients, making it a robust growth option. Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, provides a trendy menu with strong growth potential and a compelling celebrity endorsement. Cinnabon boasts high foot traffic with its iconic cinnamon rolls, supported by extensive marketing and brand recognition. PJ’s Coffee emphasizes quality beverages and breakfast items, backed by strong franchisee support and Direct Trade coffee sourcing. The Melting Pot The Melting Pot® stands out in the casual dining sector by offering a unique interactive dining experience centered around fondue. This concept positions it well among franchise opportunities in the USA, attracting a diverse range of investors. You don’t need prior restaurant experience to become a franchisee, making it accessible to many looking for food industry franchise opportunities. With an initial franchise fee of $45,000, total investments range from $1,364,514 to $2,069,764, reflecting its commitment to quality food and service. The Melting Pot® has earned numerous franchise awards, highlighting its strong performance and customer satisfaction. This franchise’s engaging dining concept continues to thrive in a competitive restaurant environment, ensuring both profitability and lasting popularity. Marco’s Pizza With over 1,150 locations across the United States, Marco’s Pizza has established itself as a key player in the competitive pizza delivery market. Founded in 1978, the franchise offers a unique opportunity for aspiring business owners. Key features include: A $25,000 initial franchise fee, making entry feasible for many. A total investment ranging from $242,142 to $633,109, appealing to a diverse range of investors. Recognition as the first national pizza delivery brand to offer crustless pizza, showcasing innovation. Marco’s Pizza consistently ranks well in industry news for its growth and commitment to quality ingredients, enhancing customer satisfaction. If you’re considering international franchise opportunities, Marco’s Pizza presents a robust option with a proven track record in the fast-food sector. Big Chicken Big Chicken, founded by Shaquille O’Neal, stands out in the fast-casual dining scene with its unique menu of crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders. With over 22 locations already open and more on the way, the franchise showcases strong growth potential, bolstered by O’Neal‘s celebrity endorsement. If you’re considering a franchise opportunity, Big Chicken‘s innovative offerings and brand recognition could be a significant draw in today’s competitive market. Celebrity Endorsement Impact Celebrity endorsements greatly influence consumer behavior, especially in the competitive world of franchising. Big Chicken, founded by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, effectively leverages his star influence to improve brand visibility and attract customers. This strategy not only boosts trust and loyalty among consumers but also positions the franchise favorably for potential franchisees. Shaquille O’Neal’s image directly contributes to increased customer engagement. The franchise’s focus on celebrity appeal improves its marketing efforts. Big Chicken’s growth potential is considerably tied to its strong celebrity endorsement. With over 22 locations and more in development, Big Chicken showcases the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements in driving brand success and solidifying its place in the market. Menu Variety and Innovation How does menu variety contribute to a franchise’s success? At Big Chicken, the diverse menu, featuring crispy chicken sandwiches, tenders, and unique sides, appeals to a broad range of customer preferences. This variety not only attracts different demographics but also encourages repeat visits. The franchise emphasizes innovation by regularly introducing new items, which keeps the dining experience fresh and engaging. With over 22 restaurants currently operational and more in development, Big Chicken showcases its commitment to broadening menu offerings to draw in new customers. Franchise Growth Potential With a strong foundation built on menu variety and innovation, Big Chicken is well-positioned for significant growth in the fast-casual dining sector. Currently operating over 22 restaurants, this franchise, endorsed by Shaquille O’Neal, is broadening swiftly. The initial franchise fee is $40,000, with total investments ranging from $673,000 to $1,642,000, making it attractive for potential franchisees. Key aspects of Big Chicken’s growth potential include: A menu focused on crispy chicken sandwiches and unique sides, meeting consumer demand for quality fast food. Celebrity association that improves brand recognition and attracts diverse customers. An emphasis on innovative dining experiences, aligning with current trends in the franchise environment. Cinnabon Cinnabon offers a unique product that stands out in the food service industry, primarily because of its famous cinnamon rolls. With over 1,500 locations globally and strong brand recognition, investing in a Cinnabon franchise can lead to significant customer loyalty and foot traffic. As the initial franchise fee ranges from $5,500 to $30,500, the total investment can vary between $112,000 and $546,800, providing extensive support to franchisees for operational success. Unique Product Offering With regard to unique product offerings in the dessert franchise market, few compare to the appeal of Cinnabon’s signature cinnamon rolls. These warm, gooey treats are a staple, driving significant foot traffic to over 1,500 locations worldwide. Their distinct flavor profile and generous frosting make them irresistible, especially in high-traffic areas like malls. Key features of Cinnabon’s product offerings include: Diverse Menu Options: Beyond cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon offers various pastries and drinks, catering to different tastes. Consistent Quality: Each roll is crafted with the same high standards, ensuring a reliable customer experience. Customizable Treats: Customers can personalize their orders, enhancing satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits. This unique product strategy positions Cinnabon as a strong contender in the dessert franchise sector. Established Brand Recognition Established in 1985, Cinnabon has cultivated a strong brand recognition that greatly benefits its franchisees. With approximately 1,500 locations worldwide, Cinnabon stands as a leader in the bakery franchise sector. The brand’s signature cinnamon rolls attract significant customer traffic, particularly in mall settings, ensuring a steady flow of business. Franchisees enjoy the advantages of this established presence, which improves customer loyalty and drives sales. Cinnabon furthermore provides marketing support, further contributing to the profitability and operational success of its franchises. By leveraging the brand’s recognition, you can tap into a loyal customer base, making it easier to establish your location in the competitive food service market. This strong brand foundation makes Cinnabon an appealing franchise opportunity. Investment and Fees When considering a franchise opportunity like Cinnabon, grasping the investment and fees involved is crucial. The initial franchise fee ranges from $5,500 to $30,500, making it accessible for many potential franchisees. The total initial investment varies between $112,000 and $546,800, largely depending on your location and setup costs. Furthermore, you’ll need to account for ongoing royalty fees, typically between 4% and 8% of your gross sales. Cinnabon franchises benefit from high customer traffic, especially in mall locations. The franchise model includes extensive support for marketing, operations, and training. A well-established brand improves your revenue potential, making the investment worthwhile. Understanding these financial aspects can help you make an informed decision. PJ’s Coffee As you explore franchise opportunities, PJ’s Coffee stands out due to its rich history and commitment to quality. Established in 1978 and now part of Ballard Brands, this franchise offers a diverse menu of coffee beverages and breakfast items. PJ’s sources its coffee through Direct Trade partnerships, ensuring high-quality products. The initial franchise fee is $35,000, with total investments ranging from $406,000 to $1,024,000. Franchisees enjoy a robust support system, including training programs, marketing assistance, and operational guidance. With a loyal customer base and an increasing demand for quality coffee, PJ’s Coffee is well-positioned in the market. The brand’s focus on creating a unique coffee shop experience appeals to consumers seeking quality and convenience. Arby’s Arby’s offers a compelling franchise opportunity for those interested in the fast-food sector, particularly in the sandwich market. Founded in 1964, it has grown to be the second-largest sandwich chain globally, with over 3,500 locations across nine countries. The initial franchise fee ranges from $6,250 to $50,000, and total investments can vary from $628,950 to $2,000,000. Arby’s focus on high-quality meats, especially its signature roast beef sandwiches, sets it apart in the industry. Drive-thru business growth caters to consumer preferences for convenience. Franchisees receive robust training and operational support. Innovative menu items attract a diverse customer base. This combination of factors makes Arby’s a remarkable franchise option. Great Clips® Great Clips® stands out as a leading hair salon franchise in the United States, offering a unique opportunity for those interested in the service industry. With over 4,400 locations nationwide, it’s known for affordable, no-appointment hair care services that attract a steady stream of customers. This no-appointment model allows for quick and efficient haircuts, contributing to high satisfaction rates. As a franchisee, you’ll benefit from a well-established brand, thorough training, and ongoing corporate support, ensuring smooth operations. The initial investment is relatively low, with franchise fees between $20,000 and $25,000, and total costs ranging from $150,000 to $300,000. Great Clips®’ strong marketing and community involvement further improve customer loyalty, making it a reliable opportunity. Frequently Asked Questions Which Franchise Is Most Profitable in the USA? Determining the most profitable franchise in the USA depends on various factors, including industry performance and location. Fast food franchises like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A consistently show high sales figures. In home services, Mr. Rooter thrives because of ongoing demand. Furthermore, Marco’s Pizza and Cinnabon likewise report strong financial returns. Typically, successful franchises can offer a return on investment ranging from 15% to 25%, emphasizing the importance of support and strategic placement. What Is the Number One Franchise in the US? The number one franchise in the U.S. is McDonald’s, known for its strong brand and global presence. Its franchisees benefit from extensive support systems, including training and marketing. With an initial franchise fee of around $45,000 and total investments between $1 million and $2.2 million, it remains accessible to many. McDonald’s adaptability to trends, like digital ordering, and its vast network of over 38,000 locations contribute to its leading position in the fast-food industry. What Are the Most Profitable Franchises in 2025? In 2025, you’ll find home service franchises, like plumbing and cleaning services, maintaining profitability because of ongoing consumer demand. Food service franchises, especially those with unique menus or celebrity partners, are expected to thrive as convenience becomes crucial. Weight loss franchises are likewise poised for growth, reflecting society’s focus on health. Furthermore, well-established brands with strong marketing support, like Arby’s, will likely continue to attract loyal customers and guarantee profitability. Which Franchise Is Best for Beginners? If you’re a beginner looking into franchising, consider options like Cinnabon, which has lower initial costs and accessible franchise fees. Marco’s Pizza offers strong support with a reasonable franchise fee. The Melting Pot provides a unique dining experience, though it requires a higher investment. On the other hand, Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, presents a recognizable brand. Finally, Mr. Rooter is ideal for those interested in service-based businesses, featuring strong growth potential and support. Conclusion To summarize, exploring the top seven franchise opportunities in the USA can help you make an informed decision about your future business venture. Each brand, from The Melting Pot to Great Clips, offers unique services and strong support systems, which are critical for success. By comprehending the strengths of each franchise, you can align your interests with the right opportunity, potentially leading to a profitable and fulfilling career in the franchise industry. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Top 7 Franchise Opportunities in the USA" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If you’re considering a franchise opportunity in the USA, it’s crucial to know the top contenders that could lead to success. The Melting Pot offers a unique dining experience with fondue, whereas Marco’s Pizza stands strong in the competitive pizza market. Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, and Cinnabon with its iconic cinnamon rolls are notable as well. Other options like PJ’s Coffee, Arby’s, and Great Clips® present diverse choices. Each brand boasts solid support for franchisees, ensuring a profitable venture. Key Takeaways The Melting Pot offers a unique fondue dining experience with strong franchise support, appealing to investors without prior restaurant experience. Marco’s Pizza is a well-established brand with a low initial fee and a focus on quality ingredients, making it a robust growth option. Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, provides a trendy menu with strong growth potential and a compelling celebrity endorsement. Cinnabon boasts high foot traffic with its iconic cinnamon rolls, supported by extensive marketing and brand recognition. PJ’s Coffee emphasizes quality beverages and breakfast items, backed by strong franchisee support and Direct Trade coffee sourcing. The Melting Pot The Melting Pot® stands out in the casual dining sector by offering a unique interactive dining experience centered around fondue. This concept positions it well among franchise opportunities in the USA, attracting a diverse range of investors. You don’t need prior restaurant experience to become a franchisee, making it accessible to many looking for food industry franchise opportunities. With an initial franchise fee of $45,000, total investments range from $1,364,514 to $2,069,764, reflecting its commitment to quality food and service. The Melting Pot® has earned numerous franchise awards, highlighting its strong performance and customer satisfaction. This franchise’s engaging dining concept continues to thrive in a competitive restaurant environment, ensuring both profitability and lasting popularity. Marco’s Pizza With over 1,150 locations across the United States, Marco’s Pizza has established itself as a key player in the competitive pizza delivery market. Founded in 1978, the franchise offers a unique opportunity for aspiring business owners. Key features include: A $25,000 initial franchise fee, making entry feasible for many. A total investment ranging from $242,142 to $633,109, appealing to a diverse range of investors. Recognition as the first national pizza delivery brand to offer crustless pizza, showcasing innovation. Marco’s Pizza consistently ranks well in industry news for its growth and commitment to quality ingredients, enhancing customer satisfaction. If you’re considering international franchise opportunities, Marco’s Pizza presents a robust option with a proven track record in the fast-food sector. Big Chicken Big Chicken, founded by Shaquille O’Neal, stands out in the fast-casual dining scene with its unique menu of crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders. With over 22 locations already open and more on the way, the franchise showcases strong growth potential, bolstered by O’Neal‘s celebrity endorsement. If you’re considering a franchise opportunity, Big Chicken‘s innovative offerings and brand recognition could be a significant draw in today’s competitive market. Celebrity Endorsement Impact Celebrity endorsements greatly influence consumer behavior, especially in the competitive world of franchising. Big Chicken, founded by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, effectively leverages his star influence to improve brand visibility and attract customers. This strategy not only boosts trust and loyalty among consumers but also positions the franchise favorably for potential franchisees. Shaquille O’Neal’s image directly contributes to increased customer engagement. The franchise’s focus on celebrity appeal improves its marketing efforts. Big Chicken’s growth potential is considerably tied to its strong celebrity endorsement. With over 22 locations and more in development, Big Chicken showcases the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements in driving brand success and solidifying its place in the market. Menu Variety and Innovation How does menu variety contribute to a franchise’s success? At Big Chicken, the diverse menu, featuring crispy chicken sandwiches, tenders, and unique sides, appeals to a broad range of customer preferences. This variety not only attracts different demographics but also encourages repeat visits. The franchise emphasizes innovation by regularly introducing new items, which keeps the dining experience fresh and engaging. With over 22 restaurants currently operational and more in development, Big Chicken showcases its commitment to broadening menu offerings to draw in new customers. Franchise Growth Potential With a strong foundation built on menu variety and innovation, Big Chicken is well-positioned for significant growth in the fast-casual dining sector. Currently operating over 22 restaurants, this franchise, endorsed by Shaquille O’Neal, is broadening swiftly. The initial franchise fee is $40,000, with total investments ranging from $673,000 to $1,642,000, making it attractive for potential franchisees. Key aspects of Big Chicken’s growth potential include: A menu focused on crispy chicken sandwiches and unique sides, meeting consumer demand for quality fast food. Celebrity association that improves brand recognition and attracts diverse customers. An emphasis on innovative dining experiences, aligning with current trends in the franchise environment. Cinnabon Cinnabon offers a unique product that stands out in the food service industry, primarily because of its famous cinnamon rolls. With over 1,500 locations globally and strong brand recognition, investing in a Cinnabon franchise can lead to significant customer loyalty and foot traffic. As the initial franchise fee ranges from $5,500 to $30,500, the total investment can vary between $112,000 and $546,800, providing extensive support to franchisees for operational success. Unique Product Offering With regard to unique product offerings in the dessert franchise market, few compare to the appeal of Cinnabon’s signature cinnamon rolls. These warm, gooey treats are a staple, driving significant foot traffic to over 1,500 locations worldwide. Their distinct flavor profile and generous frosting make them irresistible, especially in high-traffic areas like malls. Key features of Cinnabon’s product offerings include: Diverse Menu Options: Beyond cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon offers various pastries and drinks, catering to different tastes. Consistent Quality: Each roll is crafted with the same high standards, ensuring a reliable customer experience. Customizable Treats: Customers can personalize their orders, enhancing satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits. This unique product strategy positions Cinnabon as a strong contender in the dessert franchise sector. Established Brand Recognition Established in 1985, Cinnabon has cultivated a strong brand recognition that greatly benefits its franchisees. With approximately 1,500 locations worldwide, Cinnabon stands as a leader in the bakery franchise sector. The brand’s signature cinnamon rolls attract significant customer traffic, particularly in mall settings, ensuring a steady flow of business. Franchisees enjoy the advantages of this established presence, which improves customer loyalty and drives sales. Cinnabon furthermore provides marketing support, further contributing to the profitability and operational success of its franchises. By leveraging the brand’s recognition, you can tap into a loyal customer base, making it easier to establish your location in the competitive food service market. This strong brand foundation makes Cinnabon an appealing franchise opportunity. Investment and Fees When considering a franchise opportunity like Cinnabon, grasping the investment and fees involved is crucial. The initial franchise fee ranges from $5,500 to $30,500, making it accessible for many potential franchisees. The total initial investment varies between $112,000 and $546,800, largely depending on your location and setup costs. Furthermore, you’ll need to account for ongoing royalty fees, typically between 4% and 8% of your gross sales. Cinnabon franchises benefit from high customer traffic, especially in mall locations. The franchise model includes extensive support for marketing, operations, and training. A well-established brand improves your revenue potential, making the investment worthwhile. Understanding these financial aspects can help you make an informed decision. PJ’s Coffee As you explore franchise opportunities, PJ’s Coffee stands out due to its rich history and commitment to quality. Established in 1978 and now part of Ballard Brands, this franchise offers a diverse menu of coffee beverages and breakfast items. PJ’s sources its coffee through Direct Trade partnerships, ensuring high-quality products. The initial franchise fee is $35,000, with total investments ranging from $406,000 to $1,024,000. Franchisees enjoy a robust support system, including training programs, marketing assistance, and operational guidance. With a loyal customer base and an increasing demand for quality coffee, PJ’s Coffee is well-positioned in the market. The brand’s focus on creating a unique coffee shop experience appeals to consumers seeking quality and convenience. Arby’s Arby’s offers a compelling franchise opportunity for those interested in the fast-food sector, particularly in the sandwich market. Founded in 1964, it has grown to be the second-largest sandwich chain globally, with over 3,500 locations across nine countries. The initial franchise fee ranges from $6,250 to $50,000, and total investments can vary from $628,950 to $2,000,000. Arby’s focus on high-quality meats, especially its signature roast beef sandwiches, sets it apart in the industry. Drive-thru business growth caters to consumer preferences for convenience. Franchisees receive robust training and operational support. Innovative menu items attract a diverse customer base. This combination of factors makes Arby’s a remarkable franchise option. Great Clips® Great Clips® stands out as a leading hair salon franchise in the United States, offering a unique opportunity for those interested in the service industry. With over 4,400 locations nationwide, it’s known for affordable, no-appointment hair care services that attract a steady stream of customers. This no-appointment model allows for quick and efficient haircuts, contributing to high satisfaction rates. As a franchisee, you’ll benefit from a well-established brand, thorough training, and ongoing corporate support, ensuring smooth operations. The initial investment is relatively low, with franchise fees between $20,000 and $25,000, and total costs ranging from $150,000 to $300,000. Great Clips®’ strong marketing and community involvement further improve customer loyalty, making it a reliable opportunity. Frequently Asked Questions Which Franchise Is Most Profitable in the USA? Determining the most profitable franchise in the USA depends on various factors, including industry performance and location. Fast food franchises like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A consistently show high sales figures. In home services, Mr. Rooter thrives because of ongoing demand. Furthermore, Marco’s Pizza and Cinnabon likewise report strong financial returns. Typically, successful franchises can offer a return on investment ranging from 15% to 25%, emphasizing the importance of support and strategic placement. What Is the Number One Franchise in the US? The number one franchise in the U.S. is McDonald’s, known for its strong brand and global presence. Its franchisees benefit from extensive support systems, including training and marketing. With an initial franchise fee of around $45,000 and total investments between $1 million and $2.2 million, it remains accessible to many. McDonald’s adaptability to trends, like digital ordering, and its vast network of over 38,000 locations contribute to its leading position in the fast-food industry. What Are the Most Profitable Franchises in 2025? In 2025, you’ll find home service franchises, like plumbing and cleaning services, maintaining profitability because of ongoing consumer demand. Food service franchises, especially those with unique menus or celebrity partners, are expected to thrive as convenience becomes crucial. Weight loss franchises are likewise poised for growth, reflecting society’s focus on health. Furthermore, well-established brands with strong marketing support, like Arby’s, will likely continue to attract loyal customers and guarantee profitability. Which Franchise Is Best for Beginners? If you’re a beginner looking into franchising, consider options like Cinnabon, which has lower initial costs and accessible franchise fees. Marco’s Pizza offers strong support with a reasonable franchise fee. The Melting Pot provides a unique dining experience, though it requires a higher investment. On the other hand, Big Chicken, backed by Shaquille O’Neal, presents a recognizable brand. Finally, Mr. Rooter is ideal for those interested in service-based businesses, featuring strong growth potential and support. Conclusion To summarize, exploring the top seven franchise opportunities in the USA can help you make an informed decision about your future business venture. Each brand, from The Melting Pot to Great Clips, offers unique services and strong support systems, which are critical for success. By comprehending the strengths of each franchise, you can align your interests with the right opportunity, potentially leading to a profitable and fulfilling career in the franchise industry. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Top 7 Franchise Opportunities in the USA" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The internet has become a vital tool for human connection, but it comes with its fair share of risks, with the biggest being your privacy and security. With the big tech giants hungry for every ounce of your data they can get and scammers looking to target you every day, you do need to take a few precautions to protect your online privacy and security. There's no foolproof approach to these two things, and unfortunately, the onus is on you to take care of your data. Before you start looking for a VPN or ways to delete your online accounts, you should take a moment to understand your privacy and security needs. Once you do, it'll be a lot easier to take a few proactive steps to safeguard your privacy and security on the internet. Sadly, there's no "set it and forget it" solution for this, but I'm here to walk you through some useful hacks that can apply to whatever risks you might be facing. Don't use real information, unless you have toWhen you install an app on your phone, you'll often be bombarded with pop-ups asking for permission to access your contacts, location, notifications, microphone, camera, and many other things. Some are necessary, while most are not. The formula I use is to deny every permission unless it's absolutely necessary to the app's core function. Similarly, when you're creating a profile anywhere online, you should avoid giving out any personal information unless it's absolutely necessary. You don't have to use your legal name, real date of birth, or an email address with your real name on most apps you sign up for. Some sites also still use antiquated password recovery methods such as security questions that ask for your mother's maiden name. Even in these fields, you don't have to reveal the truth. Every bit of information that you put on the internet can potentially be exposed in a breach. It's best to use information that's either totally or partially fake to safeguard your privacy. You can remove yourself from Google search results Credit: Pranay Parab If your personal information is easily available on Google, and you want to get it removed, you can send Google a request to remove it. Check Google's support page for how to remove results to see specific instructions for your case. For most people, the simplest way to remove results about yourself is to go to Google's Results About You page, sign in, and follow the instructions on screen. Use email aliases to identify where your data was leaked fromMost modern email services let you create unlimited aliases, which means that you don't need to reveal your primary email address each time you sign up for a new service. Instead of signing up with realemail@gmail.com, you can use something like realemail+sitename@gmail.com. Gmail lets you create unlimited aliases using this method, and you can use that to identify who leaked your data. If you suddenly start getting a barrage of spam to a particular alias, you'll know which site sold your data. Your photos reveal a lot about youWhen you take a photo, the file for it contains a lot of information about you. By default, all cameras will store EXIF (exchangeable image format) data, which logs when the photo was taken, which camera was used, and photo settings. You should remove exif data from photos before posting them on the internet. If you're using a smartphone to take photos, it'll also log the location of each image, which can be used to track you. While social media sites may sometimes remove location and exif data from your pictures, you cannot always rely on these platforms to protect your privacy for you. You should take a few steps to strip exif data before uploading images. The easiest way to get started is to disable location access for your phone's camera app. On both iPhone and Android, you can open the Settings app, navigate to privacy settings or permissions, and deny location access to Camera. This will mean that you won't be able to search for a location in your photos app and identify all photos taken there, and you'll also lose out on some fun automated slideshows that Apple and Google create. However, it also means that your privacy is protected. You can also use apps to quickly hide faces and anonymize metadata from photos. While you're at it, don't forget that screenshots can also leak sensitive information about you. Some types of malware steal sensitive information from screenshots, so be sure to periodically delete those, too. Think about what you use AI for Credit: Pranay Parab Nearly every single AI tool is mining your data to improve its services. Sometimes, this means it's using everything you type or upload. At other times, it could be using things you've written, photos or videos you've posted, or any other media you've ever uploaded to the internet, to train its AI models. There's not much you can do about mass data scraping off the internet, but you can and should be careful with your usage of AI tools. You can sometimes stop AI tools from perpetually using your data, but relying on these companies to honor those settings toggles is like relying on Meta to keep your data private. It's best to avoid revealing any personal information to any AI service, regardless of how strong a connection you feel with it. Just assume that anything you send to an AI service can, and probably will, be used to train AI models or even be sold to advertising companies. You can delete information stored with data brokersYes, big companies like Facebook or TikTok can track you even if you don't have an account with them. Data brokers collect vast troves of information about your internet visits, and sell it to advertisers or literally anyone who's willing to pay. To limit the damage, you can start by following Lifehacker's guide to blocking companies from tracking you online. Next, you can go ahead and opt out of data collection by data brokers. If that's not enough, you can also use services that remove your personal information from data broker sites. A VPN isn't always the right answerNow, I'm sure some of you are thinking that using a VPN will protect you from most of the tracking on the internet. That may be true in some cases, but using a VPN 24/7 is not the right approach for most people. For starters, it just routes all your traffic via the VPN company's servers, which means that you need to place your trust in the company's promises not to log your information, and its ability to keep your data safe and private. It also won't protect you from the types of data leaks that might happen from, say, publicly posting photos tagged with location data. Many VPN providers claim to be able to protect you, but there are downsides to consider. Some companies such as Mullvad and Proton VPN have earned a solid reputation for privacy, but using a VPN all the time can create more problems than it solves. Your internet speed slows down a lot, streaming services may not work properly, and lots of sites may not load at all because they block VPN IP addresses. In most cases, you'll probably be better off if you use adblockers and an encrypted DNS instead. Try a different combination of privacy toolsFor most people, ad blockers are a good privacy tool. Even though Google is cracking down on ad blockers, there are ways to get around those restrictions. I highly recommend using uBlock Origin, which also has a mobile version now. Once you've settled on a good ad blocker, you should consider also using a good DNS service to filter out trackers, malware, and phishing sites on a network level. Having a DNS service is like having a privacy filter for all your internet traffic, whether it's on your phone, laptop, or even your router. I've been using NextDNS for a few years, but you can also try AdGuard DNS or ControlD. All of these services have a generous free tier, but you can optionally pay a small annual fee for more features. Use a good firewall for your computer Credit: Little Snitch Almost all apps these days send telemetry data to remote servers. This isn't too much of a problem if you only use apps from trusted sources, and can help with things like automatic software updates. But malicious apps or even poorly managed ones may be more open with your data than you would like. You can restrict some of that by using a good firewall app. This lets you monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic from your device, and restrict devices from sending unwanted data to the internet. Blocking these requests can hamper some useful features, like those automatic app updates, but they can also stop apps from unnecessarily sending data to online servers. There are some great firewall apps for Mac and for Windows, and you should definitely consider using these for better online privacy. Switch to a good password managerI've probably said this a million times, but I will repeat my advice: use a good password manager. You may think it's a bit annoying, but this single step is the easiest way to greatly improve your security on the internet. Password managers can take the hassle of remembering passwords away from you, and they'll also generate unique passwords that are hard to crack. Both Bitwarden and Apple Passwords (which ships with your Mac, iPhone, and iPad) are free to use, and excellent at their job. Go right ahead and start using them today. I guarantee that you won't regret it. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. When assessing home price momentum, ResiClub believes it’s important to monitor active listings and months of supply. If active listings start to rapidly increase as homes remain on the market for longer periods, it may indicate pricing softness or weakness. Conversely, a rapid decline in active listings beyond seasonality could suggest a market that is heating up. Since the national Pandemic Housing Boom fizzled out in 2022, the national power dynamic has slowly been shifting directionally from sellers to buyers. Of course, across the country that shift has varied. Generally speaking, local housing markets where active inventory has jumped above pre-pandemic 2019 levels have experienced softer home price growth (or outright price declines) over the past 36 months. Conversely, local housing markets where active inventory remains far below pre-pandemic 2019 levels have, generally speaking, experienced more resilient home price growth over the past 36 months. Where is national active inventory headed? National active listings are on the rise on a year-over-year basis (+13% between November 2024 and November 2025). This indicates that homebuyers have gained some leverage in many parts of the country over the past year. Some sellers markets have turned into balanced markets, and more balanced markets have turned into buyers markets. Nationally, we’re still below pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels (-6% below November 2019) and some resale markets, in particular chunks of the Midwest and Northeast, still remain tight-ish. While national active inventory is still up year-over-year, the pace of growth has slowed in recent months—more than typical seasonality would suggest—as some sellers have thrown in the towel and delisted in weak/soft markets. Here are the November inventory/active listings totals, according to Realtor.com: November 2017 -> 1,228,077 📉 November 2018 -> 1,273,047 📈 November 2019 -> 1,143,332 📉 November 2020 -> 683,822 📉 November 2021 -> 512,241 📉 November 2022 -> 750,200 📈 November 2023 -> 755,489 📈 November 2024 -> 953,452 📈 November 2025 -> 1,072,417 📈 If we maintain the current year-over-year pace of inventory growth (+118,965 homes for sale), we’d have 1,191,382 active inventory come November 2026. Below is the year-over-year active inventory percentage change by state: While active housing inventory is rising in most markets on a year-over-year basis, some markets still remain tight-ish (although it’s loosening in those places too). As ResiClub has been documenting, both active resale and new homes for sale remain the most limited across huge swaths of the Midwest and Northeast. That’s where home sellers next spring are likely, relatively speaking, to have more power than their peers in many Southern markets. In contrast, active housing inventory for sale has neared or surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in many parts of the Sun Belt and Mountain West, including metro area housing markets such as Punta Gorda and Austin. Many of these areas saw major price surges during the Pandemic Housing Boom, with home prices getting stretched compared to local incomes. As pandemic-driven domestic migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend was accelerated further by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives (if they have the margins to do so) to maintain sales in a shifted market, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market: Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals. That puts additional upward pressure on resale inventory. At the end of November 2025, 18 states were above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington. (The District of Columbia—which we left out of this analysis—is also back above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels too. Softness in D.C. proper’s predates the current admin’s job cuts.) Big picture: Over the past few years, we’ve observed a softening across many housing markets as strained affordability tempers the fervor of a market that was unsustainably hot during the Pandemic Housing Boom. While home prices are falling some in pockets of the Sun Belt, a big chunk of Northeast and Midwest markets still eked out a little price appreciation this year. Nationally aggregated home prices have been pretty close to flat in 2025. Below is another version of the table above—but this one includes every month since January 2017: View the full article

Researchers on the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) and leaders of many of the major platforms—from Jeffrey Hinton to Yoshua Bengio, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Elon Musk—have voiced concerns that AI could lead to the destruction of humanity itself. Even the stated odds from some of these AI experts, with an end-days scenario as high as 25%, are still “wildly optimistic,” according to Nate Soares, president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and coauthor of the recent best-selling book If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies. That’s because, as he argues in the book, the track we’re on with AI is headed for disaster—unless something radically changes. The book, cowritten with researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky, explores potential threats posed by “superintelligence,” or theoretical AI systems that are smarter than humans. “We’re sort of growing these AIs that act in ways nobody asked for, that have these drives and emergent behaviors nobody intended,” Soares said at last month’s World Changing Ideas Summit, cohosted by Fast Company and Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. “If we get superhumanly intelligent AIs that are pursuing ends nobody wanted, I think the default outcome is that literally everybody on earth dies,” he added. A reckoning for the world Likening the work of some AI leaders to building an airplane while flying with no landing gear, Soares said that not enough attention is being paid to the technology’s potentially negative outcomes. The amount of global investment being poured into AI shows that people are betting it won’t be a “total dud,” he said, but there are two other “crazy” options: AI radically automates all human labor, so the economy is captured by a very small group, or it becomes super intelligent and kills everyone. “The world hasn’t really quite come to understand just how crazy this AI stuff is,” Soares said. But there is some reason for optimism, Soares said, as a lot of people are worried about the future of AI, which makes for a “brittle” situation if more people—all of us included—voice their concerns. “Maybe if enough people are like, ‘Wait, we’re doing what now? What the heck?’” Soares said. “Maybe that will shake the whole world into saying, ‘Holy crap, let’s change course.’” View the full article

At the recent AWS re:Invent conference, Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled significant enhancements to its Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, designed to empower businesses in developing, deploying, and scaling AI agents effectively. These innovations can reshape how small businesses integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, providing tools that not only streamline tasks but also enhance decision-making processes. The new features of the Amazon Bedrock AgentCore include real-time policy enforcement, continuous evaluations, and advanced memory mechanisms. These developments address several challenges that businesses face when adopting AI technologies. One of the most critical capabilities introduced is policy enforcement that actively blocks unauthorized actions by AI agents. This function operates outside the core agent code, offering small business owners a robust layer of security against unintended or harmful decisions made by AI systems. As Paul Kinney, Vice President of Product Development at Amazon Device Operations, noted, “Trust is crucial in AI adoption, and our new policy controls ensure that human oversight is maintained even as businesses scale their operations.” Additionally, AgentCore Evaluations enable developers to continuously assess their AI agents’ performance. This real-time feedback can be particularly beneficial for small businesses that may lack the extensive resources to monitor AI developments rigorously. By leveraging these evaluation tools, small business owners can ensure that their agents are operating efficiently and making effective decisions based on current data. The newly introduced AgentCore Memory feature further enhances AI functionality by allowing agents to learn from past interactions and decisions, improving their decision-making capabilities over time. This episodic learning can significantly boost operational efficiency, particularly for businesses in customer service, marketing, and supply chain management. For instance, a small e-commerce shop could employ an AI agent that remembers customer preferences, delivering personalized experiences that drive sales and increase customer satisfaction. Real-world applications of these innovations span a wide array of industries. From healthcare organizations like Cohere Health, which could leverage AI for patient management, to logistics firms enhancing supply chain decisions with better data analysis, the potential is vast. This adaptability underscores the utility of AgentsCore across sectors, making it an attractive option for small businesses aiming to gain a competitive edge. However, it’s essential for small business owners to consider the potential challenges these technologies may bring. The complexity of implementing AI can overwhelm smaller teams lacking in-depth technical expertise. As noted by tech consultant Lisa Jacobs, “While these advancements are promising, it’s vital for small businesses to invest in training and support to maximize their benefits. Without a proper understanding, the risk of underutilization increases.” Moreover, the rapid pace of AI development means small businesses need to stay abreast of continuous updates and changes. Keeping up with technology is not just about acquisition but also involves ongoing education and adaptation. For some smaller firms, especially those operating under tight budgets, investing in such technology can feel daunting. However, taking advantage of AWS’s extensive resources and tutorials could ease this transition. Nevertheless, the potential benefits often outweigh the challenges. The enhancements to Amazon Bedrock AgentCore could catalyze significant transformation for smaller enterprises. By leveraging these advanced AI capabilities effectively, businesses can streamline operations, enhance customer interactions, and ultimately drive growth. The bottom line is that these innovations provide a unique opportunity for small businesses to harness the power of AI. The tools and mechanisms offered in the Amazon Bedrock AgentCore can help them navigate the complexities of AI integration while benefiting from increased productivity and improved decision-making processes. For more details on the newly introduced capabilities of Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, visit the original press release at Amazon News. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Amazon Launches Enhancements to Bedrock AgentCore for Smarter AI Agents" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

At the recent AWS re:Invent conference, Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled significant enhancements to its Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, designed to empower businesses in developing, deploying, and scaling AI agents effectively. These innovations can reshape how small businesses integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, providing tools that not only streamline tasks but also enhance decision-making processes. The new features of the Amazon Bedrock AgentCore include real-time policy enforcement, continuous evaluations, and advanced memory mechanisms. These developments address several challenges that businesses face when adopting AI technologies. One of the most critical capabilities introduced is policy enforcement that actively blocks unauthorized actions by AI agents. This function operates outside the core agent code, offering small business owners a robust layer of security against unintended or harmful decisions made by AI systems. As Paul Kinney, Vice President of Product Development at Amazon Device Operations, noted, “Trust is crucial in AI adoption, and our new policy controls ensure that human oversight is maintained even as businesses scale their operations.” Additionally, AgentCore Evaluations enable developers to continuously assess their AI agents’ performance. This real-time feedback can be particularly beneficial for small businesses that may lack the extensive resources to monitor AI developments rigorously. By leveraging these evaluation tools, small business owners can ensure that their agents are operating efficiently and making effective decisions based on current data. The newly introduced AgentCore Memory feature further enhances AI functionality by allowing agents to learn from past interactions and decisions, improving their decision-making capabilities over time. This episodic learning can significantly boost operational efficiency, particularly for businesses in customer service, marketing, and supply chain management. For instance, a small e-commerce shop could employ an AI agent that remembers customer preferences, delivering personalized experiences that drive sales and increase customer satisfaction. Real-world applications of these innovations span a wide array of industries. From healthcare organizations like Cohere Health, which could leverage AI for patient management, to logistics firms enhancing supply chain decisions with better data analysis, the potential is vast. This adaptability underscores the utility of AgentsCore across sectors, making it an attractive option for small businesses aiming to gain a competitive edge. However, it’s essential for small business owners to consider the potential challenges these technologies may bring. The complexity of implementing AI can overwhelm smaller teams lacking in-depth technical expertise. As noted by tech consultant Lisa Jacobs, “While these advancements are promising, it’s vital for small businesses to invest in training and support to maximize their benefits. Without a proper understanding, the risk of underutilization increases.” Moreover, the rapid pace of AI development means small businesses need to stay abreast of continuous updates and changes. Keeping up with technology is not just about acquisition but also involves ongoing education and adaptation. For some smaller firms, especially those operating under tight budgets, investing in such technology can feel daunting. However, taking advantage of AWS’s extensive resources and tutorials could ease this transition. Nevertheless, the potential benefits often outweigh the challenges. The enhancements to Amazon Bedrock AgentCore could catalyze significant transformation for smaller enterprises. By leveraging these advanced AI capabilities effectively, businesses can streamline operations, enhance customer interactions, and ultimately drive growth. The bottom line is that these innovations provide a unique opportunity for small businesses to harness the power of AI. The tools and mechanisms offered in the Amazon Bedrock AgentCore can help them navigate the complexities of AI integration while benefiting from increased productivity and improved decision-making processes. For more details on the newly introduced capabilities of Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, visit the original press release at Amazon News. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Amazon Launches Enhancements to Bedrock AgentCore for Smarter AI Agents" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The number one complaint isn’t pricing, it’s confusion. Big 4 Transparency By Dominic Piscopo, CPA For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Dominic Piscopo. View the full article

The number one complaint isn’t pricing, it’s confusion. Big 4 Transparency By Dominic Piscopo, CPA For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Dominic Piscopo. View the full article

It’s Christmas time, so I’m taking a look at myths related to the holiday. Last week, I focused on myths about Jesus. This week I’m taking a look at that other beloved Christmas icon: Santa Claus, the central figure in the secular holiday mascot pantheon, who is so mysterious, we can’t even agree on his real name. I’m sure he’s innocent of any crimes, but Santa has many aliases. Among many other sobriquets and honorifics, the guy who brings presents in December goes by Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, and Father Christmas. That’s a lot of fake identities, but what is his real name? And who invented him? Did Coca-Cola invent Santa Claus?There is an often repeated myths that the modern image of Santa Claus—red clothes, white beard, fat—was created by the Coca Cola company in the 1930s to sell soda. But nah. While it’s true that Coke blanketed popular publications with ads featuring Haddon Sundblom’s illustrations of a red-clad hefty boy drinking Coke, Sundblom’s was drawing on existing depictions of Santa, particularly the 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas," commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Did Clement Clark Moore invent Santa Claus? "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was written by Clement Clark Moore's and the poem did create some Santa details that have been nearly universally adopted. The chubbiness, the twinkly eyes, the jollyness, and the rosy cheeks are pure Moore. Also the sleigh and reindeer, the reindeer’s names, and Santa coming down the chimney were invented by Moore. But Moore didn’t invent Santa, because Moore thought St. Nick was a wee baby man. Santa Claus is not a wee baby manWhile Twas the Night Before Christmas offers no specific height for St. Nicholas, Moore describes St. Nick as “an elf,” and “a little old driver,” who pilots a “miniature sleigh” towed by “eight tiny reindeer.” He is said to fit up the chimney with ease, even though he has a belly like a bowlful of jelly. The preponderance of clues from Moore’s poem suggest St. Nick is around two feet tall. Moore’s poem isn’t even about Santa Claus. It’s about St. Nick, and much of Moore’s inspiration was based on centuries-old traditions, and those were based on folk myths drawn from Catholic hagiographies. But if you trace Santa Claus mythologies all the way back to the year 300, during the Roman Empire, you will actually land on a historically verified person who lived on earth. So Santa Claus is real—kind of. Jolly Old St. Nicholas: original Christmas badass Credit: Public Domain Above is a depiction of St. Nicholas painted between 1503 and 1508. You may be wondering why St. Nick is pictured gesturing to three miniature, naked men standing in a wooden barrel—like what kind of Christmas parties did they have back then?? I’m going to get to it, believe me, but first—the facts. Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, was a Catholic bishop who lived in Turkey during the Roman Empire and (probably) attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. He died on Dec. 6 sometime around 343. That’s all we know for sure about St. Nick—the earliest accounts of his life and deeds were hagiographies written centuries after his death, so, according to leading St. Nick historian Jona Lendering and common sense, can't be relied upon. But still, a cult formed around St. Nick, people built churches to him, and we still talk about him today as a good guy who brings kids presents, so he must have done something right. Here are only some of the good deeds and miracles attributed to St. Nicholas: As an infant, refused to suckle his mother’s breast on Fridays Rescued three girls from prostitution by giving their father gold to pay their dowries Calmed a storm at sea Saved three soldiers from wrongful execution Remained chaste Chopped down a tree possessed by a demon Slapped the heretic Arius at the Council of Nicaea for suggesting God created Jesus All those are good deeds, but one tale of St. Nick is a great deed that stands head and shoulders above the others; St. Nicholas, it is said, resurrected three children who had been murdered, chopped up, and and pickled in brine by an evil butcher planning to sell them as pork during a famine. As you’d probably expect, the story of St. Nicholas confronting an evil butcher and bringing pickled children back from the grave caught on with people in a bigger way than the one about him slapping a heretic. Some variations had him enslaving the evil butcher and bringing him around on his yearly rounds to beat naughty children with a stick. All of which brings us back to the homunculi: They're wearing goose suits. Credit: Public Domain The story of the resurrected children so enthralled people that artists started depicting St. Nick with three little buff boys in a vat (they only look like old men because painters in the early medieval period sucked at drawing children). “St. Nick with naked children” was seen so much that even people who hadn’t heard the story of the butcher associated the saint with children and he became known as the Saint who liked children (but not in a gross way). The legend and cult of St. Nicholas spread far and wide, and when it made it to the Netherlands, they called him “Sinterklaas" which eventually became Santa Claus. The religious rivalry of Kris Kringle and St. NicholasKris Kringle and St. Nick were once bitter enemies, products of warring religious dogmas, but Christmas magic and American religious tolerance melded them into a single holiday entity. By the 17th century, a jolly old saint named Nicholas bringing children presents on Dec. 6 was the tradition all over Europe. But Protestant reformer Martin Luther did not want no Catholic saint giving presents to no Protestant kids. So Luther replaced St. Nick with Jesus himself, creating and popularizing a tradition where Baby J gives children presents on Dec. 25, the anniversary of the day He was born, rather than St. Nick giving them presents on Dec. 6, the anniversary of his own death. The gift giver was called Christkindl, the Christ Child and was often depicted with wings. Said to hide mischievously when delivering gifts, Christkindl was to grown-up Jesus as The Muppet Babies are to The Muppets—not quite canonical, but fun for kids. He was also St. Nick's enemy, sent to erase the jolly old saint from the Protestant imagination, and the operation was partially successful. Christkindl is still the default seasonal gift bringer in some parts of the world. But the joke was ultimately on Martin Luther. Christkindl came to the U.S. with German immigrants in the 1800s. Germans met the Dutch settlers who were already here and devoted to St. Nicholas. Presumably because both St. Nicholas and Christkindle are myths told to children, there was no bitter, bloody religious war. Not a single heretic was slapped. Instead, they compromised: America gradually settled on presents being delivered on Dec. 25 instead of Dec. 6, but Santa Claus brought the gifts instead of Christkindl, whose name eventually morphed into “Kris Kringle,” another name for Santa/St. Nick. View the full article