ResidentialBusiness

At the recent AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a groundbreaking innovation in software development—three AI “frontier agents” designed to support small businesses in managing, securing, and operating their software infrastructure more efficiently. This announcement could potentially revolutionize how small businesses leverage technology to stay competitive. The new offerings include the Kiro autonomous agent, the AWS Security Agent, and the AWS DevOps Agent. Each of these agents operates autonomously, allowing them to function independently for extended periods—an attractive proposition for small business owners who often juggle multiple responsibilities. One of the most significant advantages the Kiro autonomous agent provides is its independence. “Kiro is your virtual developer that maintains context and learns over time while working independently,” AWS representatives stated. This means small business owners can delegate routine coding tasks to Kiro, freeing up time for strategic planning and other high-priority projects. For owners with limited technical resources, this agent could effectively expand their development team without the need for additional hires. Meanwhile, the AWS Security Agent acts as a virtual security engineer, performing crucial functions such as security consultancy during app design, conducting code reviews, and executing penetration testing. Security is often a major concern for smaller enterprises, and failing to adopt comprehensive security strategies can lead to costly breaches. The ability to have a dedicated, AI-driven resource focused on securing applications can not only provide peace of mind but also enhance the overall trustworthiness of a business’s software solutions. The availability of the AWS DevOps Agent further supports small businesses in maintaining their software’s reliability and performance. This agent can help resolve issues as they arise and proactively prevent incidents by utilizing continuous improvement techniques. “AWS DevOps Agent is your virtual operations team member,” noted AWS, emphasizing its role in boosting operational efficiency. However, co-opting AI agents into existing workflows may present some challenges for small business owners. While the technology boasts the ability to learn and improve, businesses must invest time in initial setup and integration with existing systems. Owners may find that navigating this integration process requires technical know-how or even outside consulting, which can carry additional costs. Moreover, while automation can alleviate many bottlenecks, it is essential for small businesses to remember the value of human oversight. Strategic decisions, creative problem solving, and customer relationship management still benefit hugely from human intuition and empathy. Small business owners may need to adjust their approach, considering how best to balance AI capabilities with human input. In addition, the initial investment in such technology could present a barrier for some small businesses. As they evaluate their budget and ROI, owners may need to weigh whether the long-term benefits of employing these agents outweigh the upfront costs. With this launch, AWS aims to democratize access to sophisticated technology in a way that is manageable for small businesses. As companies continue to navigate the digital landscape, the introduction of these frontier agents could help level the playing field. Overall, small business owners might find these AI agents compelling tools that offer improved efficiency and security in software development. By embracing these technologies, they could not only optimize their operations but also position themselves more favorably in an increasingly competitive market. To explore more about AWS’s new frontier agents, you can read the full press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Amazon Unveils AI Frontier Agents to Transform Software Development and Security" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The bond market isn't buying President Donald The President's idea that faster rate cuts will send bond yields sliding down and, in turn, slash the rates on mortgages, credit cards and other types of loans. View the full article

Understand the legal tax hack the IRS actually wants you to use. The Concierge CPA With Jackie Meyer For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

Understand the legal tax hack the IRS actually wants you to use. The Concierge CPA With Jackie Meyer For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

This post was produced in collaboration with Hustle Culture, a free Substack newsletter. Every freelancer brings a unique mix of technical and creative expertise to the table, but most of us share two key skills: self-discipline and time management. Without those, working for yourself can look like long, slow days on the couch or weeks jam-packed with endless tasks. I’ve fallen into both of those modes, but over time I’ve developed a formula that helps me create a manageable and productive weekly schedule. It’s difficult for me to sit and focus on one task for many hours at a time. Instead, I break up my days and weeks into dedicated blocks for each of my weekly obligations. This allows me to manage my time and create a calendar I can stick to. It also gives me a framework for which projects I can say yes to, and what might push me beyond my limits. Below, I’ve outlined a broad day in my life, which includes both creative writing work and the projects I do for publications and brands. Please note that not every day looks this perfect! Sometimes I talk to my mom on the phone for an hour, watch YouTube, or clean the whole house to avoid working. This is the schedule I strive for, but life is often more complicated than the structures I create in advance. First Thing (7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.) This is my dedicated creative writing time. I wake up around 6:45 a.m., make tea, and then quickly open Google Docs before my brain can convince me not to. Most often I’m working on chapters for my memoir-in-progress, though sometimes I use this time to write other essays or outline new ideas. Within this time frame I also eat a bit of breakfast, always oatmeal. I’ve been eating the same breakfast for a decade because I don’t really know how to cook. Exercise and Get Ready (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.) When I worked in an office full time, I exercised first thing in the morning. In hindsight, I realize that routine was quite hard on my body. Now that I make my own schedule, I wait until my writing is done, then head out for a walk, start a workout video at home, or go to the yoga studio around the corner from my apartment. Once that’s done, I shower and get ready for the rest of the day. Client Work (10 a.m. to ~4 p.m.) During this mid-day block, I focus on paid writing work. That includes putting together newsletters, blogs, op-eds, or research for the clients I work with every month. When I’m on deadline for a journalism piece, I also conduct interviews and write those stories during this part of the day. I try to wrap up by 3:30 or 4 p.m., depending on how much is on my plate. I also take 15 to 30 minutes to eat lunch (away from my computer and phone!) around noon or 1 p.m. On Fridays, I dedicate much of this time to invoicing, taxes, email follow-ups, planning my week ahead, and other life admin. I prefer to tackle all of that in one day rather than letting it seep into other parts of the week. Pitching, Ideas, Reading (~4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.) On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I spend the late afternoon working on pitches for new ideas or putting freetogether concepts for personal essays. That includes research, reaching out to editors, and dropping notes into various Google Docs (that I try very hard to keep organized but ultimately become unwieldy). Because this work is unpaid until the pitch is sold, I focus on it after all the paid work is done. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I use the end of the day to journal or catch up on reading. That includes longform articles, Substack posts I’ve bookmarked, and nonfiction books that inform whatever I’m working on. Some afternoons, I go to a coffee shop to switch my focus and get out of the house. A lot of the cafes in my neighborhood don’t have WiFi, which is nice for analog tasks like writing by hand or reading but not so nice for research or emails. Occasionally, I use this time to see a new museum exhibit, watch a movie in theaters, or go to an off-peak yoga class. I try to remind myself that I became a freelancer to be free and that my day can look however I want it to! Evenings Two nights a week, I have class in-person for my MFA program from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Because of that, I try to keep the other nights relatively free and stop working by 6 p.m. Sometimes I struggle to stop checking emails, so I turn my phone completely off and try to get outside again before it gets dark. When I started freelancing, I let work creep into all hours of the weekday and the weekends. Lately, I’ve been trying to align my hours with that of a “normal” work day when I can, though I do make adjustments when I’m traveling, visiting family, or just having an off week. View the full article

This post was produced in collaboration with Hustle Culture, a free Substack newsletter. Every freelancer brings a unique mix of technical and creative expertise to the table, but most of us share two key skills: self-discipline and time management. Without those, working for yourself can look like long, slow days on the couch or weeks jam-packed with endless tasks. I’ve fallen into both of those modes, but over time I’ve developed a formula that helps me create a manageable and productive weekly schedule. It’s difficult for me to sit and focus on one task for many hours at a time. Instead, I break up my days and weeks into dedicated blocks for each of my weekly obligations. This allows me to manage my time and create a calendar I can stick to. It also gives me a framework for which projects I can say yes to, and what might push me beyond my limits. Below, I’ve outlined a broad day in my life, which includes both creative writing work and the projects I do for publications and brands. Please note that not every day looks this perfect! Sometimes I talk to my mom on the phone for an hour, watch YouTube, or clean the whole house to avoid working. This is the schedule I strive for, but life is often more complicated than the structures I create in advance. First Thing (7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.) This is my dedicated creative writing time. I wake up around 6:45 a.m., make tea, and then quickly open Google Docs before my brain can convince me not to. Most often I’m working on chapters for my memoir-in-progress, though sometimes I use this time to write other essays or outline new ideas. Within this time frame I also eat a bit of breakfast, always oatmeal. I’ve been eating the same breakfast for a decade because I don’t really know how to cook. Exercise and Get Ready (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.) When I worked in an office full time, I exercised first thing in the morning. In hindsight, I realize that routine was quite hard on my body. Now that I make my own schedule, I wait until my writing is done, then head out for a walk, start a workout video at home, or go to the yoga studio around the corner from my apartment. Once that’s done, I shower and get ready for the rest of the day. Client Work (10 a.m. to ~4 p.m.) During this mid-day block, I focus on paid writing work. That includes putting together newsletters, blogs, op-eds, or research for the clients I work with every month. When I’m on deadline for a journalism piece, I also conduct interviews and write those stories during this part of the day. I try to wrap up by 3:30 or 4 p.m., depending on how much is on my plate. I also take 15 to 30 minutes to eat lunch (away from my computer and phone!) around noon or 1 p.m. On Fridays, I dedicate much of this time to invoicing, taxes, email follow-ups, planning my week ahead, and other life admin. I prefer to tackle all of that in one day rather than letting it seep into other parts of the week. Pitching, Ideas, Reading (~4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.) On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I spend the late afternoon working on pitches for new ideas or putting freetogether concepts for personal essays. That includes research, reaching out to editors, and dropping notes into various Google Docs (that I try very hard to keep organized but ultimately become unwieldy). Because this work is unpaid until the pitch is sold, I focus on it after all the paid work is done. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I use the end of the day to journal or catch up on reading. That includes longform articles, Substack posts I’ve bookmarked, and nonfiction books that inform whatever I’m working on. Some afternoons, I go to a coffee shop to switch my focus and get out of the house. A lot of the cafes in my neighborhood don’t have WiFi, which is nice for analog tasks like writing by hand or reading but not so nice for research or emails. Occasionally, I use this time to see a new museum exhibit, watch a movie in theaters, or go to an off-peak yoga class. I try to remind myself that I became a freelancer to be free and that my day can look however I want it to! Evenings Two nights a week, I have class in-person for my MFA program from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Because of that, I try to keep the other nights relatively free and stop working by 6 p.m. Sometimes I struggle to stop checking emails, so I turn my phone completely off and try to get outside again before it gets dark. When I started freelancing, I let work creep into all hours of the weekday and the weekends. Lately, I’ve been trying to align my hours with that of a “normal” work day when I can, though I do make adjustments when I’m traveling, visiting family, or just having an off week. View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. Google is testing Search Live in AI Mode...View the full article

LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now sit across search, content generation, and recommendations. Now, 80% of tech buyers rely on generative AI at least as much as traditional search to research vendors, according to a Responsive survey of B2B buyers. This effective transfer of trust in AI discovery has become an enablement tool for B2B buyers, quietly deciding which brands get remembered and which get ignored. And those decisions, once invisible, are now measurable. Previsible has been studying this shift through a new lens called LLM perception drift, the month-over-month change in how AI models reference and position brands inside a given category. (Disclosure: I’m the CEO and co-founder of Previsible.) Using recent data from Evertune, which tracks brand visibility within model outputs, we focused on a single case study: the project management software space, comparing September 2025 to October 2025. The results show how rapidly AI brand perception is evolving, and why that volatility is about to become the next major SEO metric. Key insights LLM perception drift is solidifying as a new visibility metric for SEO and B2B marketing. Project management and adjacent enterprise brands saw meaningful movement, with tools like Atlassian surging while Trello, Slack, and Monday.com posted notable drops, according to recent data from Evertune. These movements reveal that AI brand perception is dynamic and measurable, reshaping how marketers understand authority and semantic relevance inside large language models. In 2026, AI brand signal stability will become central to maintaining digital relevance as LLMs evolve and retraining cycles accelerate. A subtle shake-up inside the AI mind Evertune’s AI brand score tracks how likely a large language model is to recommend a brand without being prompted by name. The score captures two things: how often the brand appears in AI responses (visibility) and where it ranks when it does (average position). Between September and October, project management brands saw big swings in their scores, signaling real shifts in the AI’s internal brand landscape. Some of the more striking movements: Slack saw one of the most dramatic drops (-8.10). Trello fell sharply (-5.59). Monday.com (-0.78) and ClickUp (-0.74) also declined. Meanwhile, gains concentrated around ecosystem and enterprise-connected brands: Atlassian jumped (+5.50). Microsoft (+2.08). Google (+3.62). Professional services firms like Deloitte (+5.00), KPMG (+4.00), PwC (+2.45), and EY (+2.75) also climbed. At face value, it looks like a leaderboard reshuffle. But beneath the surface, the shift reflects something deeper – a measurable change in the AI’s unaided brand awareness, a drift in how the model perceives and prioritizes brands, even when nothing visible changed in the market itself. The meaning behind the drift The data suggests two overlapping forces driving the change. Category entanglement Rather than declining, the category is becoming blurrier. LLMs are increasingly pulling project management tools into broader conceptual neighborhoods: Operations. Digital transformation. Workflow orchestration. Enterprise productivity. IT consulting. That’s why names like Deloitte, KPMG, and Amazon rise alongside Smartsheet and Atlassian. Ecosystem advantage Multi-product ecosystems are gaining attention more reliably. Atlassian’s +5.50 lift is a prime example: strong documentation, cross-product integrations, and high contextual density drive richer model associations. Similarly, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Adobe all saw upward movement. Models favor brands that live across multiple contexts. This is the same pattern entity-based SEO taught us, but happening faster and with more volatility. The more interconnected the brand, the more persistently it appears in AI-generated discourse. Dig deeper: Alignment for LLM visibility is incredibly complex, but doable Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. New entrants, new patterns The long tail continues to reveal emerging signals. Brands like Celoxis (+5.17), Workfront (+2.38), TeamGantt (+0.92), LiquidPlanner (+1.40), Podio (+1.65), and GanttProject (+0.45) grew during the period. This reflects how LLM fine-tuning and retrieval-augmented systems pull in broader datasets: SaaS directories. GitHub repositories. Technical documentation. Reviews. Community content. For smaller B2B brands, this is a key unlock: you can surface in model responses without dominating classic SEO. Why this shift matters for B2B discovery – and why it’s speeding up Traditional SEO metrics measure what search engines decide to display. But LLMs don’t index, they synthesize. That means brand memory inside AI systems is built from associations, context, and semantic density – it goes beyond authority signals or link structures. The data shows these associations can swing several points in a single month, even for established brands. That volatility is LLM perception drift, the difference between being surfaced consistently in model outputs versus quietly disappearing from unaided recall. Dig deeper: Why AI availability is the new battleground for brands A new AI optimization KPI: AI brand signal stability In our work with B2B clients, we’re increasingly tracking AI brand signal stability, the consistency of a brand’s presence and positioning across LLM outputs over time. If your score fluctuates sharply, the model’s understanding is fragile, influenced by retraining cycles, data sparsity, or competitive content expansion. If it remains stable, you have strong semantic anchoring: the model “knows” you belong to the category. By 2026, AI brand signal stability will sit next to share of voice and keyword rankings as a core visibility metric. From project management to every B2B vertical What’s happening in project management is also happening across different verticals – from CRM to HR tech, analytics, cybersecurity, and every other B2B category. LLMs are constantly recalibrating which brands belong in which contexts. As models reinterpret category boundaries, they also reshape buying journeys. A small dip or surge in model attention can shift which brands appear in summaries, comparisons, and decision-support workflows. What looks like a few points of movement today is a glimpse into the next marketing battlefield: AI memory. Dig deeper: LLM perception match: The hurdle before fanout and why it matters The next frontier of optimization This shift represents the natural evolution of SEO, moving from optimizing for search indices to optimizing for model memory. The focus is increasingly on: Measuring and influencing how brands exist inside AI ecosystems. Tracking their representation. Reinforcing their associations. Ensuring they remain contextually relevant as models retrain. We’re moving from “How do we rank higher?” to “How do we make sure AI responds correctly?” That requires new tools, new data pipelines, and a mindset shift: treating LLMs as dynamic perception systems, not static endpoints. Evertune’s latest dataset reveals something bigger than the month-to-month shifts of Asana, Trello, or Monday.com. It captures the early signs of how quickly an AI system’s sense of a category can change. These shifts are now visible enough to track, steady enough to analyze, and influential enough that marketing teams will soon watch them as closely as any core marketing metric. By 2026, a brand’s presence inside AI-generated summaries and comparisons will shape decision-making more than pageviews or clicks ever did. Companies that track how they show up in these model-driven moments – and learn to strengthen those signals – will gain a real edge as AI becomes the primary layer of digital research. View the full article

It’s time to vote on the worst boss of the year! Today we’ll vote for the worst boss in each of four match-ups. On Wednesday, the winners will go head-to-head with each other. On Friday, we’ll vote on the finalists. The winner will be crowned next Monday. Voting in this round closes at 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday. 1. A Dreadful Duo – The Nominees: my boss told me to stop having sex with my boyfriend or quit my job boss says it’s unacceptable not to meet all deadlines, no matter how unreasonable 2. A Perfidious Pair – The Nominees: my boss made me verify that I’m really exercising the CEO keeps asking young male employees to try her breast milk 3. A Terrible Twosome – The Nominees: my company makes summer interns wear bikinis I was written up for having a visible thong outside of work 4. A Detestable Dyad – The Nominees: can I ask my boss not to scream at me with her door open? my boss said I’m threatened by his “masculine energy” The post vote for the worst boss of 2025 appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

OpenAI is trying to reassure paying users after ChatGPT surfaced what looked like ads from brands like Target and Peloton – and said those prompts weren’t ads at all. What happened. Paying ChatGPT users shared screenshots of promotional-style prompts, including a message urging them to “Shop for home and groceries. Connect Target.” In response, OpenAI said those prompts were recommendations for apps built on the ChatGPT platform, with “no financial component.” Users saw a brand logo and a call to action – and drew the obvious conclusion: these were ads. Users were not pleased. One response: “Bruhhh… Don’t insult your paying users.” What OpenAI is saying. OpenAI leaders moved quickly to clarify: “No ads.” ChatGPT head Nick Turley said there are “no live tests for ads” and claimed the screenshots were “either not real or not ads.” Not an ad, but… Chief research officer Mark Chen struck a more apologetic note, admitting OpenAI “fell short” and that anything that feels like an ad must be “handled with care.” Feature off. Chen said OpenAI has disabled these app suggestions while it sharpens the model’s precision and adds controls so users can dial them down or turn them off. Ads on hold. Despite all the discussion about ChatGPT ads, OpenAI paused its advertising plans. CEO Sam Altman declared a companywide “code red” to rapidly improve ChatGPT’s quality, according to an internal memo. That push is delaying several initiatives, including advertising. Why we care. We thought we were seeing the first ChatGPT ads, but that wasn’t the case. So for now, we wait until ChatGPT comes out of its “code red” status with its new and improved product experience. More coverage. See Techmeme View the full article

By CPA Trendlines Research You want to hit the busy season running, not getting organized. The holiday season provides an excellent slow-time opportunity for tax offices to get ahead on tax season preparations. MORE Listicles here Exclusively for PRO Members. … Continued Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

By CPA Trendlines Research You want to hit the busy season running, not getting organized. The holiday season provides an excellent slow-time opportunity for tax offices to get ahead on tax season preparations. MORE Listicles here Exclusively for PRO Members. … Continued Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

The robots won’t be replacing us, but we will increasingly be working side-by-side with artificial intelligence tools that can then learn from our human expertise. That’s one conclusion of researchers and engineers who are applying AI to the physical world in transformative ways, from autonomous vehicles to microscopes for detecting malaria to the design of wholly new materials. And there’s a balance to be struck between automation and human expertise, according to K.T. Ramesh, the Alonzo G. Decker Jr. professor of science of and engineering at Johns Hopkins University and a senior advisor to the university’s president for AI. “We can develop autonomous research—which is the way we are going, our research labs are becoming autonomous—but what questions do you ask?” Ramesh said during a panel discussion at last month’s World Changing Ideas Summit, cohosted by Fast Company and Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. “That’s where the human comes in.” ‘A WORLD OF COEXISTING’ Humans are likewise crucial for Cephla, which is deploying AI-powered microscopes in life science research, drug discovery, and diagnostics, said Hongquan Li, cofounder and CEO of the biotech company. Starting with malaria detection, humans are collecting data for training, annotating images, and providing input on relevant clinical metrics, he said. “When those machines are deployed, humans operate those microscopes and interact with patients and make the critical clinical decisions,” Li said. And humans play a critical role at Waymo, which is ”arguably the most mature manifestation of AI in the physical world today,” said Smitha Shyam, the self-driving car company’s senior director of engineering. AI systems for the physical world must be built to act safely, given the likelihood of chaos or uncertainty, which is why Waymo relies on human safety operators before expanding its fleet of fully autonomous vehicles to new markets, she added. “AI is informing the choice, but the humans are making the assessment if the driver is ready for the public roads,” Shyam said. “So I think it’s a world of coexisting and leveraging the best of each other.” View the full article

Google Search Console will be gaining social channel data in the Insights report tab. This is a new “experiment” that “unified view of their Google Search performance across their websites and social channels,” Google wrote. The Insights report will show performance data for some of your social channels, including YouTube, Tiktok and Instagram. What Google said. Google said: “Today, we are excited to announce a new experiment in Search Console that offers site owners a unified view of their Google Search performance across their websites and social channels.” “With this update, we are expanding the Search Console Insights report to include performance data not only for your website, but also for some of your social channels.” “This new integration lets you review Search performance of social channels associated with your website directly within Search Console.” Who will see this. Not all sites will see this experiment yet, it is an “experiment” and is a limited roll out. Google wrote: “We are rolling out these new insights for a limited set of websites.” “At this first stage, the insights are available only for sites and channels that Search Console has identified automatically. On the Search Console Insights report, you will be prompted to add the social channels that Search Console has automatically identified and associated with your website.” What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of this report with social channel data, specifically your YouTube channel data: What data it shows. Google said the “new view will display familiar performance insights for each channel, including:” Additional traffic sources: total clicks your site receives from additional sources such as Image Search, Video Search, News Search, and Discover. Total reach: total clicks and impressions driving traffic from Google to your social channel. Content performance: top social channel pages, as well as those trending up or down. Search queries: top and trending queries leading users to your social profiles. Audience location: top countries where users are clicking on your social channel in Search results. How do you add this data. Again, it is a limited roll out so you might not see it. But if you do, Google will prompt you to add the social channels that Search Console has automatically identified and associated with your website. Why we care. More data is great, but currently, several of the Search Console reports are super delayed. But when the reports are not delayed, this data and additional information can be useful. “We hope these insights will give you a better understanding of your combined performance in the insights report,” Google wrote. View the full article

Hostile all-cash offer comes just days after streaming service won auction to buy Hollywood studio View the full article

Publishers navigating the collapse of the search-to-traffic model need clarity on how emerging AI payment structures are reshaping value, leverage, and long-term strategy. The post LLM Payments To Publishers: The New Economics Of Search appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

AI advances made through group’s custom processor hits Nvidia’s stock and prompts ChatGPT maker to declare ‘code red’ View the full article

Move would restrict individual states from regulating tech groupsView the full article

Malicious extensions do occasionally find their way into the Chrome Web Store (and similar libraries in other browsers) by posing as legitimate add-ons. They are particularly difficult to catch when they are benign to begin with, only morphing into malware after gaining user trust. That's what happened with a number of extensions on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge: researchers at Koi Security identified add-ons across both browsers that operated legitimately for several years before receiving malicious updates that allow hackers to surveil users and collect and exfiltrate sensitive data. The scheme, known as ShadyPanda, reached four million downloads and is still active on Edge. Threat actors ran a similar campaign targeting Firefox earlier this year: They gained approval for benign extensions mimicking popular crypto wallets, accumulated downloads and positive reviews, and then injected the add-ons with malicious code capable of logging form field inputs, which they used to access and steal crypto assets. Browser extensions can turn badAs Koi Security outlines, ShadyPanda started out as an affiliate scam, with 145 extensions masquerading as wallpaper and productivity apps across the two browsers. The initial phase injected affiliate tracking codes and paid commissions with clicks to eBay, Amazon, and Booking.com and then evolved to hijack and manipulate search results before launching the five extensions in 2018 that would later be converted to malware. Those add-ons were marked as Featured and Verified in Chrome—one, a cache cleaner known as Clean Master, accrued a 4.8 rating from thousands of reviews. The extensions were updated in 2024 to run malware that could check hourly for new instructions and maintain full browser access, feeding information to ShadyPanda's servers. (These have since been removed from Chrome.) Hackers launched an additional five extensions, including WeTab, to Edge in 2023. Two are comprehensive spyware, and all were still active as of Koi's report. How to find malicious extensions in Chrome and EdgeUnfortunately, malicious extensions are usually pretending to be something else, so a quick visual check of your installed extensions may not reveal a problem. In this case, Koi Security has a list of the extension IDs associated with the ShadyPanda campaign, and you'll have to search for them one by one. In Chrome, type chrome://extensions/ into your address bar and hit Enter. Toggle on Developer mode in the top-right corner to reveal the IDs for installed extensions. From here, you can copy and paste each ID into the search bar (Ctrl+F on your PC or Cmd+F on your Mac). If there are no results, your browser is safe. If you do find a malicious add-on, click the Remove button. In Edge, follow the same process from edge://extensions/. While this campaign shows that extensions can be weaponized long after they've been installed, you should still follow best practices for vetting browser add-ons just as you would apps for your device. Check the name carefully, as fraudulent extensions often have names that are nearly identical to trustworthy ones. Review the description for any red flags, such as misspellings and unrelated images. If you see a lot of positive reviews in a short amount of time on a new extension, or if they seem to be reviewing something else entirely, proceed with caution. You can also do additional research, such as a search on Google or Reddit, to see if the extension is legit. View the full article

Long sales cycles, low conversion volume, and multi-stage purchase journeys make measurement and attribution harder, creating real obstacles to campaign optimization. For B2Bs and brands selling high-ticket items, this is the reality. A campaign launched today may take weeks or even months to show revenue, retention, or lifetime value – delaying your ability to use those measurements to refine bidding and targeting. That’s where proxy metrics – also known as soft metrics, or micro-conversions – can come into play. Let’s dig into proxy metrics. What are proxy metrics? Proxy metrics are early indicators of future outcomes. They give you a way to measure momentum before final – or more downstream – results show up. Some examples: Engagement rate on ads can foreshadow conversions. Add-to-cart events often predict sales. First-week retention can predict long-term customer value. Leveraging proxy metrics can help teams: Course-correct campaigns earlier. Optimize budget allocation faster. Avoid waiting for lagging outcomes. They help you move quickly and de-risk decisions when used effectively. In some cases (e.g., when purchase cycles stretch beyond Google Ads’ 90-day latency window), you’re forced to find alternative ways to track performance. Here, I look for the best predictors that occur within the first 90 days after a click and use those instead of the longer-term activity that won’t be recorded within Google’s limits. Dig deeper: How to use GA4 predictive metrics for smarter PPC targeting How do proxy metrics power algorithmic bidding? The powerhouse digital ad platforms, Google and Meta, use machine learning to optimize campaign performance. But algorithms need signals. When businesses optimize only for end conversions that occur weeks later, the system struggles to learn, and “conversion”-focused goals end up harvesting cheap, low-quality users. Proxy metrics bridge that gap. Feeding the algorithm with earlier signals enables some important things to happen: Micro-conversions (such as email or free trial signups) can act as training signals for the bidding algorithm. Quality indicators (such as time on site or scroll depth) can refine targeting when conversion data is sparse. Predictive scoring models can translate raw behaviors into weighted signals that approximate revenue likelihood. This approach helps algorithms learn who’s likely to convert and, with some proportion-based calculations, lets you bid according to the relative value of the proxy metrics you’re using. How to use proxy metrics to build audiences and enrich insights Beyond bidding, proxy metrics unlock smarter audience building and deeper insights. Let’s start with audience building. Segmenting users based on early behaviors (e.g., engaged video viewers, repeat site visitors, high click-through engagers) allows you to create lookalike audiences that align with future high-value customers. Basically, instead of targeting “everyone who clicked,” proxy metrics can shift your focus to “everyone who looks like people who eventually bought.” On the data front, proxy metrics help analysts run faster tests. Instead of waiting months for LTV data, you can validate hypotheses using leading indicators. For example, if an experiment shows a 20% lift in proxy metrics that historically correlate with revenue, you can make earlier investment decisions with confidence. It’s the same principle when you’re running an incrementality test or media mix modeling (MMM). In many cases, proxy metrics deliver stronger statistical significance or better model accuracy than long-term business metrics. If your data is too thin to run incrementality tests or MMM with confidence, pick proxy metrics with enough volume and close proximity to your conversion event, and build from there. Dig deeper: MTA vs. MMM: Which marketing attribution model is right for you? Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. How to assess the reliability of proxy metrics Proxy metrics can vary wildly in quality and reliability. Some are high-fidelity predictors. Others are simply prerequisites that don’t always guarantee downstream success. (Important note: Going too far up the funnel for your proxy metrics gives the algorithm license to prioritize lower-value activity.) For example: Newsletter sign-ups often signal genuine interest and correlate strongly with future engagement or purchases, making them a dependable early indicator. In contrast, add-to-cart events are necessary before a purchase, but are notoriously leaky, as many shoppers abandon their carts without checking out. Similarly, a video view might suggest curiosity, but it’s a weaker proxy for revenue than a trial activation. It’s critical to: Rigorously validate which proxies have a consistent relationship with long-term outcomes. Calculate a ratio of proxy events to desired events that can be used in assessing the value of proxy metrics. Continuously revisit these assumptions as markets and customer behavior evolve. To choose the right proxies, consider these four factors: Correlation strength: Does the metric consistently correlate with the desired business outcome (e.g., revenue, retention, LTV)? Test this historically with data and strike a balance between metrics with sufficient volume to be useful and proximity to the ultimate purchase event. Timeliness: How quickly does the metric show up relative to the final outcome? Strong proxies deliver early signals that shorten feedback loops. Actionability: Can the team act on this metric? A good proxy should inform bidding strategies, audience creation, or campaign optimization. Stability: Does the proxy remain predictive across campaigns, segments, and time periods? Or does it fluctuate too much to be reliable? Metrics that score well on all four dimensions (e.g., trial-to-paid conversions in SaaS, newsletter signups in ecommerce) can be safely used as guiding signals. Metrics that are weak in correlation or stability should be treated with caution. They may be useful for contextual insight, but should not be relied upon as a bedrock for optimization. Putting proxy metrics to work Proxy metrics aren’t foolproof, but with strategic use and a few advanced calculations, they can be a powerful tool in hard-to-measure campaigns. Their benefits – more precise bidding, sharper insights, and larger audience segmentations – make the work of identifying and applying the right metrics well worth it. View the full article

You’ve documented your ticket escalation process. Level One handles password resets and basic requests. Level Two takes infrastructure issues and account access problems. Level Three owns complex technical problems and vendor coordination. The workflow diagram looks clean. The support tiers are clearly defined. Then a ticket escalates, and everything breaks down. Level Two gets a ticket with “Network connectivity issue, escalating” in the notes and nothing else. They can’t see the troubleshooting steps Level One already tried. They don’t know which user reported the problem or when it started. They spend twenty minutes reconstructing context from Slack messages and email threads before they can even start diagnosing the actual issue. Or worse. The ticket gets escalated, someone claims it, and then… silence. The original technician has no idea if Level Two is working on it, stuck, or forgot about it entirely. The user keeps asking for updates, and you have nothing to tell them because the escalation created an information barrier instead of bridging one. The escalation process works on paper because we assume information moves with tickets automatically. It fails in practice because information lives in contexts (in the technician’s head, in Slack threads, in tool-specific fields that don’t translate across systems), and escalation is a boundary where context dies unless you actively preserve it. Why escalation loses context and what translation infrastructure looks like Most help desk tools implement escalation as forwarding. A ticket moves from one queue to another. Assignment changes from one team to another. The technical mechanism works perfectly. It’s the information architecture that fails. Forwarding versus translation Watch what happens in a forwarding system. Level One investigates a dashboard access issue. The technician checks the user’s account status, confirms browser version, asks about error details via Slack, discovers the user can access other web apps fine, and tries having them clear their cache. The problem persists. The technician realizes this might be a single sign-on configuration issue based on the specific error code the user mentioned in Slack but didn’t include in the original ticket. Level One escalates: changes the ticket status to “Escalated,” adds a note “User can’t access finance dashboard. Might be SSO issue. Please investigate,” and assigns to the Level Two identity management queue. Level Two receives: a ticket with the original description “Dashboard won’t load, shows error message” and a note about a possible single sign-on issue. No error code. No record of troubleshooting steps. No Slack context. They’re staring at a ticket going “what does ‘might be SSO issue’ even mean?” They start from scratch, asking the user for the error message (again), checking account status (again), and eventually discovering the same information Level One already found. The forwarding worked. The context didn’t. Level Two got a ticket object, not a knowledge state. Translation architecture treats escalation differently. The boundary between teams becomes an active layer that explicitly captures context, translates it into the receiving team’s working model, and maintains visibility back to the source. Same scenario with translation: Level One escalates, but the translation layer captures the current state. Troubleshooting completed: account status checked, cache cleared, browser version confirmed. Outstanding question: single sign-on configuration for the finance app. Supporting context: specific error code from the Slack conversation. User availability: working remotely, responds quickly on Slack. This state gets formatted into Level Two’s intake structure. They receive: “Pre-validated: account active, browser supported, other web apps accessible. User reports error code [specific code] when accessing the finance dashboard. Level One assessment: likely single sign-on configuration scope issue based on error pattern. User available on Slack for additional testing.” Plus a link back to the complete Level One investigation thread. Level Two starts from Level One’s conclusion, not from zero. They check the single sign-on configuration, immediately see that the finance app scope isn’t assigned to the user’s role, and fix the issue in three minutes. The translation layer updates Level One automatically: “Level Two identified single sign-on scope misconfiguration, applied fix, monitoring.” Level One can tell the user what happened without asking Level Two for an update. Why native tool integrations can’t solve this Most IT organizations run help desk operations across multiple tools. Level One might operate in Zendesk for speed and volume. Level Two uses ServiceNow for infrastructure tracking. Level Three works in Jira because they’re part of the engineering organization. Tool vendors build integrations between these systems. The integrations sync ticket status, assignment, and maybe some key fields. They create the illusion of information flow. But integrated means “can pass objects back and forth,” not “preserves working context.” The Level One tech in Zendesk tracks issues through a conversation view. Every message with the user, every internal note, every status change appears in chronological order. That’s their mental model: a conversation thread they scan top to bottom. The ticket escalates to ServiceNow through the native integration. ServiceNow receives the ticket data: title, description, status, and priority. But ServiceNow organizes information differently. It structures work through assignment groups, configuration items, change requests, and incident relationships. The conversation thread doesn’t map to ServiceNow’s model, so the integration drops most of it or flattens it into a single text block that nobody reads because it’s not formatted for ServiceNow’s interface patterns. The Level Two tech in ServiceNow sees a ticket that looks like it was just created. The history that mattered to Level One exists somewhere in a text field, but it’s not structured the way Level Two works. They start over. Then the problem needs engineering input and escalates to Jira. Jira receives title, description, and maybe priority. It organizes work around sprints, epics, and story points. Neither Zendesk’s conversation model nor ServiceNow’s incident management model translates into Jira’s development workflow model. Each tool integration works. Each escalation loses context. The boundaries between tools become information barriers because integration focuses on object synchronization, not context translation. What translation infrastructure requires Making escalation work means building infrastructure that assumes context won’t survive transitions without active engineering. You need systems that capture state explicitly, translate it between different working models, and maintain visibility across boundaries. State capture at transition points. When a ticket escalates, the system needs to actively extract what information was gathered, what actions were taken, what hypotheses were formed, and what constraints matter. Not a freeform text box where someone types “please investigate.” Structured enough that the receiving team gets information in a format they can actually use: Validated facts: User authentication confirmed, network connectivity confirmed, other applications accessible Diagnostic results: Browser console shows CORS error on domain xyz.company.com Attempted remediation: Cache cleared, different browser tested, user logged out and in Working hypothesis: Cross-origin policy misconfiguration after last weekend’s infrastructure change Business context: User is a finance team lead, month-end close starts tomorrow User accessibility: Available eight AM to five PM Eastern, prefers Slack The receiving team can start from this state instead of reconstructing it. Translation at the boundary. If Level Two works in ServiceNow and organizes problems around configuration items, the translation layer needs to map “Browser console shows CORS error on domain xyz.company.com” to the relevant configuration item in ServiceNow. If Level Three works in Jira and thinks in terms of components and affected versions, the same information needs to arrive as “Component: API Gateway, Affected version: 2.4.1 deployed last weekend.” This translation can’t be a manual field mapping that someone maintains. It needs to understand both the source context and the target working model. When the state moves from a support tool’s conversation model to a development tool’s technical specification model, translation means extracting structured technical details from the conversational context and formatting them for technical evaluation. Bidirectional visibility. Escalation creates a boundary, but that boundary can’t become a wall. The team that escalated needs to see what’s happening with the ticket. Not because they’re going to intervene, but because they’re the interface to the user and they need to provide updates. When Level Two updates the ticket in ServiceNow with “Identified misconfigured CORS policy on API gateway, coordinating with infrastructure team for emergency change approval,” that update needs to flow back to Level One in Zendesk as something they can actually communicate: “We’ve identified the configuration causing your access issue and are working with our infrastructure team to deploy a fix. Expected resolution within two hours.” You can’t do this with point-to-point integrations between tools. Each tool pair would need custom translation logic. Each new tool multiplies the integration maintenance burden. You need a translation layer that sits between your tools and moves context between different operational models. The organizational shift that makes translation work The technical infrastructure makes context preservation possible, but it doesn’t guarantee it. You need to change how teams think about escalation. Instead of “I’m moving this ticket to another queue,” it needs to be “I’m preparing this context for handoff to another team’s working model.” Before: A Level One tech realizes a ticket needs escalation, changes the status to “Escalated,” types a quick note summarizing the issue, and assigns the ticket to the Level Two queue. Takes thirty seconds. Context dies at the boundary. After: A Level One tech realizes a ticket needs escalation, opens the escalation template, fills in structured capture fields (facts validated, steps taken, working hypothesis, business impact, user availability), reviews what Level Two will see in their tool, confirms the translation makes sense, and completes the escalation. Takes three minutes. Context survives the boundary. That extra two and a half minutes feels like overhead when you’re the person doing it. It saves twenty minutes for the receiving team. Making it stick Make context preservation visible as a measurable practice. Track mean time to escalation handoff: how long after Level Two receives a ticket before they start actual diagnostic work versus time spent reconstructing context. Track escalation ping-pong: how often tickets bounce back to the escalating team for clarification. Track user satisfaction specifically for escalated tickets versus non-escalated ones. When these metrics show that consistent context capture at escalation reduces Level Two’s time to engage significantly, and that improves escalated ticket resolution time substantially, the three minutes Level One spends on structured handoff stops feeling like overhead and starts feeling like leverage. Someone needs to own the translation layer maintenance. The logic that maps Zendesk conversation context to ServiceNow incident structure to Jira technical specification isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it integration. It’s an operational capability that needs attention when your tools change, your team structures change, or your support model changes. This usually lives with whoever owns your IT Service Management implementation. They’re already responsible for how work flows through your support organization. Making context preservation part of that workflow design is a natural extension. Building escalation that actually works Escalation stops being a black hole when you stop treating it as a routing problem and start treating it as a translation problem. Tickets need to move between teams, yes, but more importantly, context needs to transform from one team’s working model to another’s while remaining coherent and complete. The difference between forwarding architecture and translation architecture shows up most clearly when something breaks. In forwarding systems, broken escalation looks like a communication failure: teams complaining that they don’t get enough context, tickets bouncing back and forth, users frustrated by repeated questions. You fix it by telling people to write more thorough notes. In translation systems, broken escalation looks like infrastructure failure: the translation layer isn’t mapping fields correctly, state capture templates are missing key information, and visibility back to source teams is delayed. You fix it by improving the translation logic, not by asking people to work harder. That architectural difference matters because communication problems don’t scale. You can train people to write more thorough escalation notes for your current team size and tool set. When you add new tools, new teams, or new escalation paths, the training becomes unmaintainable. Infrastructure scales. Process documentation doesn’t. If your escalation process looks consistent on paper but fails in practice, the problem isn’t discipline or documentation. You’ve built escalation as a routing system when what you need is a translation layer. Building this translation infrastructure means creating systems that actively maintain context as work moves between different tools and different team working models, preserving the knowledge state that makes escalation actually work the way your workflow diagram says it should. Fix the architecture, and the process starts working. Get the right integration for ticket escalation Meet with a Unito product expert to see how a two-way integration can streamline your ticket escalation workflow. Talk with sales View the full article

Our expert judges have completed their voting so it's now time to announce the finalists for the 2025 WiFi NOW Awards. The post WiFi NOW Awards 2025 finalists announced – see the list here appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

When starting a business, it’s crucial to understand the various types available. You can choose from sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), corporations, and nonprofit organizations, each with unique legal and tax implications. Furthermore, businesses can be service-based or product-based, and franchises offer another option. Knowing these distinctions will help you make informed decisions about your venture’s structure and direction. So, what factors should you consider when selecting the right type for your needs? Key Takeaways Businesses can be structured as Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, LLCs, Corporations, or Nonprofit Organizations, each with distinct features and legal implications. Service-Based Businesses offer services rather than products, relying on skilled labor and expertise for revenue generation. Product-Based Businesses focus on manufacturing or selling physical goods, with inventory management being crucial for operations and sales. Franchise Businesses operate under established brands, providing support and recognition while paying fees and royalties to the parent company. Nonprofit Organizations are established for charitable purposes, funded through donations and grants, emphasizing community engagement and social goals. Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship represents one of the most straightforward and cost-effective business structures available today. This type of business is owned and operated by a single individual, meaning it doesn’t have a separate legal identity. As the owner, you face unlimited personal liability for all business debts, which means your personal assets could be used to settle those liabilities. One significant advantage of a sole proprietorship is pass-through taxation; business profits are reported on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. Establishing this structure usually requires minimal regulatory requirements, with some local permits potentially needed. It’s particularly suitable for low-risk ventures, such as freelancers and consultants, allowing you complete control over operations and profits compared to other different types of businesses. Partnership Partnerships involve two or more individuals sharing ownership, responsibilities, profits, and liabilities, making them one of the simplest business structures to set up. There are three main types of partnerships: General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships (LP), and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP). Each type offers different levels of liability protection and management roles. Type of Partnership Liability Management Role General Partnership Unlimited liability All partners manage the business Limited Partnership (LP) Limited for limited partners One general partner manages Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Limited for all partners All partners can participate Understanding these distinctions helps you choose the partnership type that aligns best with your business goals and risk tolerance. Limited Liability Company (LLC) Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) offer a hybrid business structure that merges the liability protection typically associated with corporations and the tax advantages found in sole proprietorships or partnerships. With an LLC, your personal assets are safeguarded from business debts and liabilities, meaning your home and savings can’t be seized to settle business obligations. Unlike corporations, LLCs have fewer formalities and ongoing compliance requirements, making them easier and less costly to maintain. You can operate an LLC as a single individual or with multiple members, and you can choose to manage it yourself or appoint managers. This flexibility has made LLCs increasingly popular, with over 1.4 million new ones formed in the U.S. in 2020 alone, reflecting their appeal among small business owners. Corporation When you consider structuring your business, a corporation stands out as a distinct legal entity formed by shareholders, which provides limited liability protection for its owners against business debts and liabilities. This structure offers several advantages: Capital Raising: Capital Raising can issue stocks, attracting public investment for growth. Tax Flexibility: There are various types, like C Corporations, subject to double taxation, and S Corporations, which allow profits to pass through to shareholders’ personal tax returns. Continuation: Unlike other structures, corporations can exist independently of ownership changes or bankruptcy, ensuring ongoing operations. However, forming a corporation requires adhering to strict formalities, such as drafting articles of incorporation and holding regular board meetings, to maintain compliance with legal standards. Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit organizations serve as vital entities dedicated to addressing societal needs and advancing a variety of missions, such as education, healthcare, and social justice. These organizations are established primarily for charitable, educational, or social purposes, meaning any profits generated must be reinvested into their mission instead of being distributed to owners or shareholders. To qualify for tax-exempt status under IRS regulations, nonprofits must adhere to strict compliance and reporting requirements, including filing Form 990 annually. Donations made to these organizations may be tax-deductible for donors, providing an incentive for contributions. Nonprofits often rely on funding sources like grants, donations, and membership fees, and they may engage in various fundraising activities to sustain their operations and support their missions. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business Structure When choosing a business structure, you’ll want to contemplate several key factors that impact your venture. Liability protection is vital, as it defines how much personal risk you’re willing to take on for your business’s debts. Furthermore, think about tax implications and how much control you want over management, as these elements can considerably affect your business’s operations and financial health. Liability Protection Offered Choosing the right business structure involves grasping the level of liability protection each option offers, as this can greatly impact your personal finances. Here’s a breakdown of what to evaluate: Sole Proprietorship: Offers the least protection; you’re personally liable for all debts, risking your assets. Partnerships: General partners have unlimited liability, whereas limited partners’ risk is capped at their investment. Clear role definitions are crucial. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Provide strong protection for personal assets against business debts, making them a popular choice. Corporations: Separate legal entities that protect shareholders from personal liability but come with more regulations. Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs): Shield partners from personal liability for others’ actions, ideal for professional firms. Understanding these options helps you choose wisely. Tax Implications Considered Comprehending the tax implications of different business structures is crucial for making informed decisions that can affect your financial future. Each structure presents unique tax scenarios that can impact your profits and liabilities. Business Structure Tax Treatment Key Points Sole Proprietorship Pass-through taxation Profits taxed at owner’s income level C Corporation Double taxation Taxed at corporate level and again on dividends S Corporation Pass-through taxation Limited to 100 shareholders Limited Liability Company (LLC) Flexible taxation Choose between corporate or pass-through taxation Understanding these differences will help you choose a structure that aligns with your financial goals and minimizes tax liability effectively. Management and Control Comprehension of the management and control dynamics of various business structures is essential for making informed decisions. Different structures offer varying levels of control, which can greatly impact your business operations. Consider these three key factors: Ownership Control: Sole proprietorships give you complete control, whereas corporations require a board of directors for decision-making. Partner Roles: In general partnerships, all partners share equal authority, whereas limited partners are excluded from daily operations. Management Flexibility: LLCs allow you to manage the business directly or appoint managers, offering adaptability to your needs. Understanding these elements will help you choose the right structure that aligns with your management preferences and operational goals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 4 Types of Businesses? The four types of businesses you’ll encounter are Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and Corporations. Sole Proprietorships are owned by one person, exposing them to unlimited liability. Partnerships involve multiple owners sharing profits and liabilities. LLCs provide liability protection while allowing profits to pass through to owners, avoiding double taxation. Corporations are separate legal entities that limit owner liability and can issue stock, but they face more regulations than other business types. Is an S Corp or LLC Better? Choosing between an S Corporation (S Corp) and a Limited Liability Company (LLC) depends on your specific needs. If you’re looking for flexibility and easier maintenance, an LLC might be better. Nevertheless, if you want potential tax benefits and credibility with investors, consider an S Corp. Remember, S Corps have stricter regulations and a shareholder limit, whereas LLCs allow more diverse ownership. Evaluate your management structure, funding, and growth plans before deciding. What Are the 10 Types of Business With Examples and Their? There are ten types of businesses you might encounter. These include sole proprietorships, where one person runs the venture; partnerships, involving shared ownership; limited liability companies (LLCs) that protect personal assets; and corporations, which are separate legal entities. You’ll likewise find cooperatives, franchises, nonprofit organizations, joint ventures, and social enterprises. Each type serves different purposes, from profit generation to social impact, and has unique legal and tax implications that affect owners. What Are Five Types of Small Businesses? You’ll find five common types of small businesses: sole proprietorships, where one person owns and controls the business; partnerships, which involve two or more individuals sharing ownership and profits; Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), offering liability protection and tax benefits; franchises, allowing you to operate under a recognized brand; and nonprofits, aimed at social or charitable missions. Each type has unique benefits and responsibilities, depending on your goals and resources. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending the various types of businesses—sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits—is crucial for any entrepreneur. Each structure has its own legal, tax, and operational implications, which can greatly affect your venture’s success. When choosing the right business type, consider factors like liability, management style, and tax obligations. By making an informed decision, you can better position your business for growth and sustainability in a competitive market. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Different Types of Businesses?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When starting a business, it’s crucial to understand the various types available. You can choose from sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), corporations, and nonprofit organizations, each with unique legal and tax implications. Furthermore, businesses can be service-based or product-based, and franchises offer another option. Knowing these distinctions will help you make informed decisions about your venture’s structure and direction. So, what factors should you consider when selecting the right type for your needs? Key Takeaways Businesses can be structured as Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, LLCs, Corporations, or Nonprofit Organizations, each with distinct features and legal implications. Service-Based Businesses offer services rather than products, relying on skilled labor and expertise for revenue generation. Product-Based Businesses focus on manufacturing or selling physical goods, with inventory management being crucial for operations and sales. Franchise Businesses operate under established brands, providing support and recognition while paying fees and royalties to the parent company. Nonprofit Organizations are established for charitable purposes, funded through donations and grants, emphasizing community engagement and social goals. Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship represents one of the most straightforward and cost-effective business structures available today. This type of business is owned and operated by a single individual, meaning it doesn’t have a separate legal identity. As the owner, you face unlimited personal liability for all business debts, which means your personal assets could be used to settle those liabilities. One significant advantage of a sole proprietorship is pass-through taxation; business profits are reported on your personal tax return, avoiding double taxation. Establishing this structure usually requires minimal regulatory requirements, with some local permits potentially needed. It’s particularly suitable for low-risk ventures, such as freelancers and consultants, allowing you complete control over operations and profits compared to other different types of businesses. Partnership Partnerships involve two or more individuals sharing ownership, responsibilities, profits, and liabilities, making them one of the simplest business structures to set up. There are three main types of partnerships: General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships (LP), and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP). Each type offers different levels of liability protection and management roles. Type of Partnership Liability Management Role General Partnership Unlimited liability All partners manage the business Limited Partnership (LP) Limited for limited partners One general partner manages Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Limited for all partners All partners can participate Understanding these distinctions helps you choose the partnership type that aligns best with your business goals and risk tolerance. Limited Liability Company (LLC) Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) offer a hybrid business structure that merges the liability protection typically associated with corporations and the tax advantages found in sole proprietorships or partnerships. With an LLC, your personal assets are safeguarded from business debts and liabilities, meaning your home and savings can’t be seized to settle business obligations. Unlike corporations, LLCs have fewer formalities and ongoing compliance requirements, making them easier and less costly to maintain. You can operate an LLC as a single individual or with multiple members, and you can choose to manage it yourself or appoint managers. This flexibility has made LLCs increasingly popular, with over 1.4 million new ones formed in the U.S. in 2020 alone, reflecting their appeal among small business owners. Corporation When you consider structuring your business, a corporation stands out as a distinct legal entity formed by shareholders, which provides limited liability protection for its owners against business debts and liabilities. This structure offers several advantages: Capital Raising: Capital Raising can issue stocks, attracting public investment for growth. Tax Flexibility: There are various types, like C Corporations, subject to double taxation, and S Corporations, which allow profits to pass through to shareholders’ personal tax returns. Continuation: Unlike other structures, corporations can exist independently of ownership changes or bankruptcy, ensuring ongoing operations. However, forming a corporation requires adhering to strict formalities, such as drafting articles of incorporation and holding regular board meetings, to maintain compliance with legal standards. Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit organizations serve as vital entities dedicated to addressing societal needs and advancing a variety of missions, such as education, healthcare, and social justice. These organizations are established primarily for charitable, educational, or social purposes, meaning any profits generated must be reinvested into their mission instead of being distributed to owners or shareholders. To qualify for tax-exempt status under IRS regulations, nonprofits must adhere to strict compliance and reporting requirements, including filing Form 990 annually. Donations made to these organizations may be tax-deductible for donors, providing an incentive for contributions. Nonprofits often rely on funding sources like grants, donations, and membership fees, and they may engage in various fundraising activities to sustain their operations and support their missions. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business Structure When choosing a business structure, you’ll want to contemplate several key factors that impact your venture. Liability protection is vital, as it defines how much personal risk you’re willing to take on for your business’s debts. Furthermore, think about tax implications and how much control you want over management, as these elements can considerably affect your business’s operations and financial health. Liability Protection Offered Choosing the right business structure involves grasping the level of liability protection each option offers, as this can greatly impact your personal finances. Here’s a breakdown of what to evaluate: Sole Proprietorship: Offers the least protection; you’re personally liable for all debts, risking your assets. Partnerships: General partners have unlimited liability, whereas limited partners’ risk is capped at their investment. Clear role definitions are crucial. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Provide strong protection for personal assets against business debts, making them a popular choice. Corporations: Separate legal entities that protect shareholders from personal liability but come with more regulations. Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs): Shield partners from personal liability for others’ actions, ideal for professional firms. Understanding these options helps you choose wisely. Tax Implications Considered Comprehending the tax implications of different business structures is crucial for making informed decisions that can affect your financial future. Each structure presents unique tax scenarios that can impact your profits and liabilities. Business Structure Tax Treatment Key Points Sole Proprietorship Pass-through taxation Profits taxed at owner’s income level C Corporation Double taxation Taxed at corporate level and again on dividends S Corporation Pass-through taxation Limited to 100 shareholders Limited Liability Company (LLC) Flexible taxation Choose between corporate or pass-through taxation Understanding these differences will help you choose a structure that aligns with your financial goals and minimizes tax liability effectively. Management and Control Comprehension of the management and control dynamics of various business structures is essential for making informed decisions. Different structures offer varying levels of control, which can greatly impact your business operations. Consider these three key factors: Ownership Control: Sole proprietorships give you complete control, whereas corporations require a board of directors for decision-making. Partner Roles: In general partnerships, all partners share equal authority, whereas limited partners are excluded from daily operations. Management Flexibility: LLCs allow you to manage the business directly or appoint managers, offering adaptability to your needs. Understanding these elements will help you choose the right structure that aligns with your management preferences and operational goals. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 4 Types of Businesses? The four types of businesses you’ll encounter are Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and Corporations. Sole Proprietorships are owned by one person, exposing them to unlimited liability. Partnerships involve multiple owners sharing profits and liabilities. LLCs provide liability protection while allowing profits to pass through to owners, avoiding double taxation. Corporations are separate legal entities that limit owner liability and can issue stock, but they face more regulations than other business types. Is an S Corp or LLC Better? Choosing between an S Corporation (S Corp) and a Limited Liability Company (LLC) depends on your specific needs. If you’re looking for flexibility and easier maintenance, an LLC might be better. Nevertheless, if you want potential tax benefits and credibility with investors, consider an S Corp. Remember, S Corps have stricter regulations and a shareholder limit, whereas LLCs allow more diverse ownership. Evaluate your management structure, funding, and growth plans before deciding. What Are the 10 Types of Business With Examples and Their? There are ten types of businesses you might encounter. These include sole proprietorships, where one person runs the venture; partnerships, involving shared ownership; limited liability companies (LLCs) that protect personal assets; and corporations, which are separate legal entities. You’ll likewise find cooperatives, franchises, nonprofit organizations, joint ventures, and social enterprises. Each type serves different purposes, from profit generation to social impact, and has unique legal and tax implications that affect owners. What Are Five Types of Small Businesses? You’ll find five common types of small businesses: sole proprietorships, where one person owns and controls the business; partnerships, which involve two or more individuals sharing ownership and profits; Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), offering liability protection and tax benefits; franchises, allowing you to operate under a recognized brand; and nonprofits, aimed at social or charitable missions. Each type has unique benefits and responsibilities, depending on your goals and resources. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending the various types of businesses—sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits—is crucial for any entrepreneur. Each structure has its own legal, tax, and operational implications, which can greatly affect your venture’s success. When choosing the right business type, consider factors like liability, management style, and tax obligations. By making an informed decision, you can better position your business for growth and sustainability in a competitive market. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Different Types of Businesses?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

So many productivity methods ask you to prioritize your daily tasks by considering how much time or effort they'll require, then tackling the resource-heavy ones first. For some people, that's a solid strategy, since you can definitely get some motivation from getting your toughest, most demanding responsibilities out of the way. There's even a weird name for doing that: "Eating the frog." But you can also find motivation in working toward a bigger goal, so what if you prioritized your tasks based on importance and impact, no matter how big or small they are? That's what the Most Important Task (MIT) method involves: rather than thinking of specific tasks and how long they'll take, the MIT method asks you to look more broadly at the overall goal you're trying to accomplish. Reframing your approach to productivity by focusing on your goal instead can motivate you to get more done and achieve better results. How to use the MIT methodFirst, you'll need to nail down your goals. You can set SMART goals or combine the MIT method with the Results Planning Method (RPM), which asks you to consider your purpose when planning your day. Take some time to write down your goals—the big ones, the ones that all your daily tasks are ostensibly supposed to move you toward. Think of weekly goals, monthly goals, and annual goals, as well as ongoing, long-term ones. Write these down or just keep them in mind, but always think about the broader, bigger picture. An easy example is school: You're not just studying so you can pass the test, but because your overall goal is to graduate, to do so with a solid GPA, and to get a quality job offer. Taking time to reaffirm that broader goal reframes how you view studying for one boring old test. Every morning, make a list of two or three Most Important Tasks for the day. These are critical tasks that will have an impact on your goals, but they don't have to be huge or resource-draining. If answering emails from a potential client will move you toward a monthly sales goal, that is more of an MIT goal than building a presentation for your boss, even though creating the presentation seems like the more demanding, large-scale project. Consider the results of your tasks and prioritize those that have fast or meaningful ones. You want to focus on the two or three tasks that will actually make a difference in moving you toward your goal. Take care of those two or three tasks first, then handle other, less important tasks from your to-do list for the rest of the day. You can use a scheduling technique like the 1-3-5 list or the pickle jar method to figure out which those are and how much time and energy you'll have for them. When using the MIT technique, you should also use a productivity journal to write down your daily to-dos in the morning and reflections on how it all went at night. If you're not familiar, learn how to conduct an after-action review so you have some structure to follow while reflecting and you can efficiently build on whatever takeaways you find. That nighttime reflection is key: You need to be able to identify and see how taking on those critical tasks impacts your progress toward your goal, plus what you did well and what you could do better as you keep striving. That will keep you motivated and moving forward. View the full article