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This morning, orders from the Federal Aviation Administration led U.S. airlines to cancel hundreds of flights across the country. The FAA's unprecedented orders are due to air traffic controllers missing their paychecks, which is due to the unprecedented government shutdown (now the longest in U.S. history). These air traffic control staffing shortages have been disrupting flights at 40 major U.S. airports, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling to figure out backup plans. Unlike weather delays that clear up on their own, this could continue as long as the government shutdown continues. Airlines are scrambling to adjust schedules on short notice, which means chaos and uncertainty. You want to be prepared to fight for what you’re entitled to when an airline, for lack of a better phrase, utterly screws you over. Here’s how to always get the most money possible from a canceled or delayed flight. Know your airline passenger rightsFederal law still does not require airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when flights are delayed. This means that in most cases, compensation is at the discretion of the airline. Canceled flightsIf an airline cancels your flight less than 14 days before departure and you choose to cancel your trip entirely, you’re entitled to a refund of both your plane ticket and any pre-paid baggage fees. This typically applies even if you have non-refundable tickets. Delayed flightsAgain, federal law does not require airlines to provide passengers with any sort of reimbursement when flights are delayed. When flights are delayed for unpredictable events like weather or mechanical issues, compensation is at the discretion of the airline. However, the airline is required to rebook you on a different flight at no additional cost. And if you end up stuck in the airport, it's up to the airline to decide what sort of vouchers they offer—more on that below. Baggage issuesFew things are as frustrating as finally making it to your destination, only for your luggage to be lost somewhere between your departure and your arrival. Airlines are required to compensate you for any “reasonable, verifiable, and actual” expenses that arise due to your baggage damage or delay, according to the DOT. Unfortunately, you may not be fully compensated for everything that’s lost or damaged in your bag. There is also a cap on the amount of money airlines are required to compensate you if your bags are lost, damaged, or delayed. The maximum liability amount allowed by the DOT is $4,700 per passenger. You should immediately notify your airline if your bag has been damaged and ensure the conversation is documented so you can file a claim with the DOT if you are not properly compensated. And if your bag is delayed, it’s the airline’s responsibility to find and get it back to you. While most airlines promise to bring your bag to your hotel or wherever you’re staying once it’s found, this is not a requirement nor a guarantee. Overbooking and denied boardingSomehow, overbooking flights is not only legal, but commonplace. When an airline overbooks a flight, it can either voluntarily or involuntarily bump passengers. Before bumping passengers involuntarily or without approval, airlines must seek out voluntary travelers willing to take another flight in exchange for compensation. You've probably heard airlines incentivize travelers with vouchers. However, if no one takes the customer service reps up on these voucher offers, the airline may involuntarily bump passengers or deny boarding. This turns into "denied boarding." Depending on the airline’s reasoning, you may be eligible for compensation if you are denied boarding. If you are bumped from a flight due to reasons such as overbooking, you may qualify for denied boarding compensation. However, passengers are usually not eligible for compensation if they experience any of the following situations: Aircraft changes due to safety or operational reasons A plane’s weight or balance restrictions prevent the passenger from boarding A passenger is downgraded to a lower seating class for an overbooked flight Charter flights that run outside an airline’s regular schedule are overbooked, delayed, or canceled Flights on small aircrafts (less than 30 passengers) are overbooked, delayed, or canceled International flights are overbooked, delayed, or canceled To qualify for involuntary denied boarding compensation, you must have a confirmed flight reservation, you must have checked in and arrived at your gate on time, and you must be unable to reach your destination within one hour of your original flight’s arrival time. The compensation amount will depend on how long of a delay you face, which is outlined on the DOT website. What exactly are you entitled to if your flight is delayed? According to DOT, you are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and you choose not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers, or other forms of compensation offered by the airline. But while airlines are required to give passengers refunds if their flights are outright canceled, the rules around delays are less clear. For instance, "significant delay" is not officially defined anywhere by the DOT. The most useful, up-to-date resource for what you’re entitled to is the DOT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard. Follow this link to check out a grid of the major U.S. airlines and which services they’ve promised to provide should there be a “controllable” flight cancelation or delay. What counts as controllable includes maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading, fueling, and other delays caused by the airline itself. However, the DOT encourages travelers to reach out to the airlines before filing a complaint. Customer service representatives may be able to resolve your issue on the spot. You can also visit FlightRights.gov for a listing of the benefits and rights they are entitled too. Finally: Don’t automatically accept that voucherWhile some airlines may offer tickets or vouchers for those involuntarily bumped, you have the right to request a check for cash instead. The likelihood you’ll receive one depends on the circumstances around your reason for cancelation as well as the airline’s policies. Still, double-checking with a customer service representative could reap cash rewards. On that note, if you do need to connect with a real human, here’s our guide to navigating an airline’s phone lines. The bottom line for today's news: Check your flight status frequently, contact your airline proactively to understand your options, and consider having backup plans. Airlines will typically rebook you if your flight is cancelled, but with so many disruptions happening, alternative flights may fill up quickly. And hey, as a last resort, you can take to social media to publicly complain in the hopes that a representative will finally respond to you. View the full article

When considering a franchise, it’s crucial to understand the costs involved. You’ll likely face initial expenses ranging from about $48,500 to $160,000, influenced by franchise fees, legal documentation, and operational costs. Initial setup alone can run between $26,000 and $84,500, with additional legal fees for the Franchise Disclosure Document. As you assess these figures, you’ll likewise need to account for ongoing costs. What factors should you consider to guarantee you’re financially prepared? Key Takeaways Initial setup costs for a franchise can range from $26,000 to $84,500, depending on various factors. Total investment estimates vary between $48,500 and $160,000, influenced by franchise fees and operational support. Legal documentation, including a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), can cost between $15,000 and $45,000. Ongoing expenses include royalty fees (3% to 9% of gross sales), employee salaries, and insurance costs. State filing and registration fees typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, varying by state requirements. Estimated Cost to Franchise Your Business When you consider franchising your business, it’s important to understand the estimated costs involved in the process. The question of how much does a franchise cost typically ranges from $26,000 to $84,500 for initial setup, which includes various startup expenses and legal requirements. For many, the average franchise fees for restaurants can greatly impact these figures. Additional first-year franchise sales costs can add between $22,500 and $75,500, leading to a total investment of approximately $48,500 to $160,000. Factors like the franchise team, industry, and support levels may influence costs. If you’re considering a quick service franchise, be mindful of state filing fees, which can range from $1,000 to $4,500, adding to your overall expenses. Legal Costs: Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Development Developing a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a fundamental step in setting up your franchise, as it outlines the legal framework that governs the relationship between franchisor and franchisee. The estimated cost to create an FDD ranges from $15,000 to $45,000, depending on its complexity and the expertise required. Hiring an experienced franchise lawyer is important to guarantee your document complies with all legal standards. The FDD must include financial performance representations, like Item 19, and trademark registrations, which can drive up costs. Remember, you must provide this document to potential franchisees at least 14 days before any agreements are signed. If you’re wondering how much does Chick-fil-A make a day, comprehending these costs is critical for your franchise’s success. Operations Manual Development Creating an Operations Manual is fundamental for establishing consistent procedures across your franchise locations. The estimated cost for developing this manual can range from $0 to $30,000, depending on whether you choose to create it in-house or hire professional services. You’ll receive the Operations Manual after signing the franchise agreement, and it outlines the operational procedures and standards necessary for your success. Even though the cost isn’t detailed in the Franchise Disclosure Document, it’s an important aspect of franchise development. The method you select for preparation, whether a do-it-yourself approach or consulting, greatly affects the overall cost. A well-structured Operations Manual not merely guarantees consistency but also provides critical guidance for effectively managing your franchise business. Financial Statement Preparation Comprehending the costs associated with financial statement preparation is crucial for franchise development, as accurate financial documentation not merely guarantees compliance but furthermore improves credibility with potential investors. The estimated cost for preparing these statements ranges from $2,500 to $5,000. A licensed CPA is required to audit and certify the financial statements of your new corporate entity. Including these financial statements in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is critical for compliance. They provide transparency about the franchise’s financial health, which can greatly impact its attractiveness to investors. Cost Range CPA Requirement Importance $2,500 – $5,000 Yes Transparency & Credibility State Filing and Registration Fees When you’re looking to start a franchise, comprehending state filing and registration fees is essential. These costs can vary considerably, typically ranging from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on your state and specific requirements. You’ll additionally need to take into account additional fees for trademark filings and FDD registration, which contribute to the overall complexity and expense of the registration process. State Requirements Overview Maneuvering state requirements for franchising can be complex, especially when considering the various filing and registration fees involved. These fees can range considerably, so it’s vital to budget accordingly. Here’s a quick overview of some common costs you might encounter: Fee Type Cost Range State Filing and Registration $1,000 – $4,500 Incorporation Fee Approximately $300 Trademark Filing (per class) About $250 FDD Registration (per state) $250 – $750 Filing Fee Variations Grasping filing fee variations is vital for anyone looking to navigate the franchising terrain, as these costs can greatly influence your budget. State filing and registration fees typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on the specific requirements of each state. Incorporating a business usually costs around $300, which is part of these overall state filing expenses. Furthermore, trademark filings with the USPTO can set you back about $250 per class. If you’re registering your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), expect to pay between $250 and $750 for each state involved. Overall costs will fluctuate based on the number of registrations and the unique requirements of each state, so it’s important to plan accordingly. Registration Process Steps Comprehending the registration process for franchising is essential since it involves multiple steps and varying costs based on state requirements. Here are some key costs to take into account: State Filing Fees: These typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on the state and required filings. Incorporation Fee: On average, expect to pay around $300 to establish a corporate entity necessary for your franchise. Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Fees: These usually range from $250 to $750 per state, depending on how many states you plan to operate in. Costs for First Year of Franchise Sales When you consider the costs associated with the first year of franchise sales, it’s essential to understand the various financial commitments involved. The estimated total investment ranges from approximately $48,500 to $160,000, influenced by factors like franchise team support and industry specifics. Initial setup costs typically fall between $26,000 and $84,500, covering your shift from business owner to franchisor. Furthermore, first-year sales costs can vary from $22,500 to $75,500, adding to your financial commitment. Legal expenses for developing the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) usually range from $15,000 to $45,000, ensuring compliance. Finally, state filing and registration fees can contribute another $1,000 to $4,500, depending on your state’s requirements. The Myth of Million-Dollar Franchise Costs Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe that starting a franchise requires a hefty investment, often assuming that million-dollar costs are the norm. Nevertheless, that’s a misconception. Here are some key points to reflect on: Many franchises can be started for as little as $15,000 or less, making them more accessible than you think. The average initial investment is about $250,000, but numerous low-cost options exist that challenge the million-dollar myth. Franchises like Dream Vacations and Complete Weddings + Events can launch for under $10,000, offering significant ROI potential. While major brands like Taco Bell and KFC may require up to $1.5 million, they’re just a small part of a diverse franchise market generating over $2.1 trillion in revenue. How to Finance the Cost of Starting a Franchise Financing the cost of starting a franchise can seem intimidating, but several options are available to make it manageable. Many franchisors collaborate with lenders to create customized financing programs, easing your startup burden. Commercial Small Business Administration loans often hinge on your credit history and require a detailed business plan. The Small Business Administration provides favorable loan terms with partial repayment guarantees, making it an attractive choice for many. If traditional loans aren’t viable, consider alternative lenders, though they typically come with higher interest rates. Moreover, personal financing options like crowdfunding or loans from friends and family can also help cover your initial investment, giving you various pathways to secure the necessary capital for your franchise venture. Ready to Franchise Your Business? Are you considering franchising your business? Comprehending the initial investment breakdown and ongoing costs is essential before you take the leap. From setup fees to legal documentation, knowing what to expect financially can help you make an informed decision. Initial Investment Breakdown When you’re ready to franchise your business, comprehending the initial investment is essential for making informed decisions. The costs can vary greatly, so here’s a breakdown to evaluate: Initial Setup Costs: Typically range from $26,000 to $84,500, influenced by your industry and support level. Franchise Sales Costs: Expect an additional $22,500 to $75,500 in the first year, bringing your total to about $48,500 to $160,000. Legal and Operational Costs: Developing a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) can cost between $15,000 and $45,000, whereas operations manual development can range from $0 to $30,000 depending on whether you go DIY or hire professionals. Understanding these figures will help you plan your franchise expedition more effectively. Ongoing Costs Overview Comprehending ongoing costs is fundamental for successfully managing your franchise, as these expenses can greatly impact your profitability. You’ll typically face royalty fees ranging from 3% to 9% of gross sales, based on your franchise agreement. Furthermore, you must budget for recurring operating expenses like employee salaries, utilities, and maintenance to keep your franchise running smoothly. Marketing expenses play a role, as you might need to contribute a percentage of your gross sales to an advertising fund for national or regional promotions. Don’t forget about insurance costs, which are crucial for covering liabilities. Finally, having sufficient working capital is imperative to cover both operational costs and personal living expenses during those initial months of operation. Frequently Asked Questions Why Does It Only Cost $10,000 to Open a Chick-Fil-A? It only costs $10,000 to open a Chick-fil-A since the company covers most startup expenses, including real estate and equipment, which can total over $1 million. This low initial fee allows you to focus on running the restaurant rather than worrying about significant capital investment. Nevertheless, the selection process is rigorous, emphasizing leadership and brand commitment. Chick-fil-A seeks franchisees who actively engage with their communities and share a passion for the brand. How Much Does a Franchise Cost to Start? Starting a franchise involves various costs that can vary widely. Typically, you’ll pay an initial franchise fee ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, which grants you access to the brand and its business model. Additional costs may include real estate, legal fees, and initial inventory, often bringing your total investment to around $250,000. To understand your specific situation better, reviewing the Franchise Disclosure Document and consulting with existing franchisees is crucial. How Much Does Chick-Fil-A Franchise Owner Make? As a Chick-fil-A franchise owner, you can expect to earn between $100,000 and $200,000 annually, depending on your restaurant’s location and performance. Meanwhile, the initial franchise fee is only $10,000, you’ll need to invest significant time and effort, as the company requires hands-on management. Furthermore, you’ll face strict operational controls that may impact profit-sharing, making the selection process competitive for aspiring franchisees. Which Franchise Is Most Profitable? When considering which franchise is most profitable, options like Image One and Dream Vacations stand out. Image One has franchisees potentially earning up to $1 million annually, whereas Dream Vacations reports average annual sales of $336,971 with a low startup cost. Showhomes Home Staging likewise shows promise with average sales of $377,258. Franchisees should evaluate these figures alongside startup costs and ongoing fees to determine which opportunity aligns with their financial goals. Conclusion In conclusion, starting a franchise involves various costs that can range from $48,500 to $160,000, including legal, operational, and ongoing expenses. Comprehending these financial commitments is essential for anyone considering franchising their business. By preparing a detailed budget and exploring financing options, you can navigate the financial environment more effectively. If you’re ready to take the next step, make sure you have a clear plan in place to support your franchise’s growth and success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "How Much Does a Franchise Cost?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When considering a franchise, it’s crucial to understand the costs involved. You’ll likely face initial expenses ranging from about $48,500 to $160,000, influenced by franchise fees, legal documentation, and operational costs. Initial setup alone can run between $26,000 and $84,500, with additional legal fees for the Franchise Disclosure Document. As you assess these figures, you’ll likewise need to account for ongoing costs. What factors should you consider to guarantee you’re financially prepared? Key Takeaways Initial setup costs for a franchise can range from $26,000 to $84,500, depending on various factors. Total investment estimates vary between $48,500 and $160,000, influenced by franchise fees and operational support. Legal documentation, including a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), can cost between $15,000 and $45,000. Ongoing expenses include royalty fees (3% to 9% of gross sales), employee salaries, and insurance costs. State filing and registration fees typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, varying by state requirements. Estimated Cost to Franchise Your Business When you consider franchising your business, it’s important to understand the estimated costs involved in the process. The question of how much does a franchise cost typically ranges from $26,000 to $84,500 for initial setup, which includes various startup expenses and legal requirements. For many, the average franchise fees for restaurants can greatly impact these figures. Additional first-year franchise sales costs can add between $22,500 and $75,500, leading to a total investment of approximately $48,500 to $160,000. Factors like the franchise team, industry, and support levels may influence costs. If you’re considering a quick service franchise, be mindful of state filing fees, which can range from $1,000 to $4,500, adding to your overall expenses. Legal Costs: Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Development Developing a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a fundamental step in setting up your franchise, as it outlines the legal framework that governs the relationship between franchisor and franchisee. The estimated cost to create an FDD ranges from $15,000 to $45,000, depending on its complexity and the expertise required. Hiring an experienced franchise lawyer is important to guarantee your document complies with all legal standards. The FDD must include financial performance representations, like Item 19, and trademark registrations, which can drive up costs. Remember, you must provide this document to potential franchisees at least 14 days before any agreements are signed. If you’re wondering how much does Chick-fil-A make a day, comprehending these costs is critical for your franchise’s success. Operations Manual Development Creating an Operations Manual is fundamental for establishing consistent procedures across your franchise locations. The estimated cost for developing this manual can range from $0 to $30,000, depending on whether you choose to create it in-house or hire professional services. You’ll receive the Operations Manual after signing the franchise agreement, and it outlines the operational procedures and standards necessary for your success. Even though the cost isn’t detailed in the Franchise Disclosure Document, it’s an important aspect of franchise development. The method you select for preparation, whether a do-it-yourself approach or consulting, greatly affects the overall cost. A well-structured Operations Manual not merely guarantees consistency but also provides critical guidance for effectively managing your franchise business. Financial Statement Preparation Comprehending the costs associated with financial statement preparation is crucial for franchise development, as accurate financial documentation not merely guarantees compliance but furthermore improves credibility with potential investors. The estimated cost for preparing these statements ranges from $2,500 to $5,000. A licensed CPA is required to audit and certify the financial statements of your new corporate entity. Including these financial statements in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is critical for compliance. They provide transparency about the franchise’s financial health, which can greatly impact its attractiveness to investors. Cost Range CPA Requirement Importance $2,500 – $5,000 Yes Transparency & Credibility State Filing and Registration Fees When you’re looking to start a franchise, comprehending state filing and registration fees is essential. These costs can vary considerably, typically ranging from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on your state and specific requirements. You’ll additionally need to take into account additional fees for trademark filings and FDD registration, which contribute to the overall complexity and expense of the registration process. State Requirements Overview Maneuvering state requirements for franchising can be complex, especially when considering the various filing and registration fees involved. These fees can range considerably, so it’s vital to budget accordingly. Here’s a quick overview of some common costs you might encounter: Fee Type Cost Range State Filing and Registration $1,000 – $4,500 Incorporation Fee Approximately $300 Trademark Filing (per class) About $250 FDD Registration (per state) $250 – $750 Filing Fee Variations Grasping filing fee variations is vital for anyone looking to navigate the franchising terrain, as these costs can greatly influence your budget. State filing and registration fees typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on the specific requirements of each state. Incorporating a business usually costs around $300, which is part of these overall state filing expenses. Furthermore, trademark filings with the USPTO can set you back about $250 per class. If you’re registering your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), expect to pay between $250 and $750 for each state involved. Overall costs will fluctuate based on the number of registrations and the unique requirements of each state, so it’s important to plan accordingly. Registration Process Steps Comprehending the registration process for franchising is essential since it involves multiple steps and varying costs based on state requirements. Here are some key costs to take into account: State Filing Fees: These typically range from $1,000 to $4,500, depending on the state and required filings. Incorporation Fee: On average, expect to pay around $300 to establish a corporate entity necessary for your franchise. Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Fees: These usually range from $250 to $750 per state, depending on how many states you plan to operate in. Costs for First Year of Franchise Sales When you consider the costs associated with the first year of franchise sales, it’s essential to understand the various financial commitments involved. The estimated total investment ranges from approximately $48,500 to $160,000, influenced by factors like franchise team support and industry specifics. Initial setup costs typically fall between $26,000 and $84,500, covering your shift from business owner to franchisor. Furthermore, first-year sales costs can vary from $22,500 to $75,500, adding to your financial commitment. Legal expenses for developing the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) usually range from $15,000 to $45,000, ensuring compliance. Finally, state filing and registration fees can contribute another $1,000 to $4,500, depending on your state’s requirements. The Myth of Million-Dollar Franchise Costs Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe that starting a franchise requires a hefty investment, often assuming that million-dollar costs are the norm. Nevertheless, that’s a misconception. Here are some key points to reflect on: Many franchises can be started for as little as $15,000 or less, making them more accessible than you think. The average initial investment is about $250,000, but numerous low-cost options exist that challenge the million-dollar myth. Franchises like Dream Vacations and Complete Weddings + Events can launch for under $10,000, offering significant ROI potential. While major brands like Taco Bell and KFC may require up to $1.5 million, they’re just a small part of a diverse franchise market generating over $2.1 trillion in revenue. How to Finance the Cost of Starting a Franchise Financing the cost of starting a franchise can seem intimidating, but several options are available to make it manageable. Many franchisors collaborate with lenders to create customized financing programs, easing your startup burden. Commercial Small Business Administration loans often hinge on your credit history and require a detailed business plan. The Small Business Administration provides favorable loan terms with partial repayment guarantees, making it an attractive choice for many. If traditional loans aren’t viable, consider alternative lenders, though they typically come with higher interest rates. Moreover, personal financing options like crowdfunding or loans from friends and family can also help cover your initial investment, giving you various pathways to secure the necessary capital for your franchise venture. Ready to Franchise Your Business? Are you considering franchising your business? Comprehending the initial investment breakdown and ongoing costs is essential before you take the leap. From setup fees to legal documentation, knowing what to expect financially can help you make an informed decision. Initial Investment Breakdown When you’re ready to franchise your business, comprehending the initial investment is essential for making informed decisions. The costs can vary greatly, so here’s a breakdown to evaluate: Initial Setup Costs: Typically range from $26,000 to $84,500, influenced by your industry and support level. Franchise Sales Costs: Expect an additional $22,500 to $75,500 in the first year, bringing your total to about $48,500 to $160,000. Legal and Operational Costs: Developing a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) can cost between $15,000 and $45,000, whereas operations manual development can range from $0 to $30,000 depending on whether you go DIY or hire professionals. Understanding these figures will help you plan your franchise expedition more effectively. Ongoing Costs Overview Comprehending ongoing costs is fundamental for successfully managing your franchise, as these expenses can greatly impact your profitability. You’ll typically face royalty fees ranging from 3% to 9% of gross sales, based on your franchise agreement. Furthermore, you must budget for recurring operating expenses like employee salaries, utilities, and maintenance to keep your franchise running smoothly. Marketing expenses play a role, as you might need to contribute a percentage of your gross sales to an advertising fund for national or regional promotions. Don’t forget about insurance costs, which are crucial for covering liabilities. Finally, having sufficient working capital is imperative to cover both operational costs and personal living expenses during those initial months of operation. Frequently Asked Questions Why Does It Only Cost $10,000 to Open a Chick-Fil-A? It only costs $10,000 to open a Chick-fil-A since the company covers most startup expenses, including real estate and equipment, which can total over $1 million. This low initial fee allows you to focus on running the restaurant rather than worrying about significant capital investment. Nevertheless, the selection process is rigorous, emphasizing leadership and brand commitment. Chick-fil-A seeks franchisees who actively engage with their communities and share a passion for the brand. How Much Does a Franchise Cost to Start? Starting a franchise involves various costs that can vary widely. Typically, you’ll pay an initial franchise fee ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, which grants you access to the brand and its business model. Additional costs may include real estate, legal fees, and initial inventory, often bringing your total investment to around $250,000. To understand your specific situation better, reviewing the Franchise Disclosure Document and consulting with existing franchisees is crucial. How Much Does Chick-Fil-A Franchise Owner Make? As a Chick-fil-A franchise owner, you can expect to earn between $100,000 and $200,000 annually, depending on your restaurant’s location and performance. Meanwhile, the initial franchise fee is only $10,000, you’ll need to invest significant time and effort, as the company requires hands-on management. Furthermore, you’ll face strict operational controls that may impact profit-sharing, making the selection process competitive for aspiring franchisees. Which Franchise Is Most Profitable? When considering which franchise is most profitable, options like Image One and Dream Vacations stand out. Image One has franchisees potentially earning up to $1 million annually, whereas Dream Vacations reports average annual sales of $336,971 with a low startup cost. Showhomes Home Staging likewise shows promise with average sales of $377,258. Franchisees should evaluate these figures alongside startup costs and ongoing fees to determine which opportunity aligns with their financial goals. Conclusion In conclusion, starting a franchise involves various costs that can range from $48,500 to $160,000, including legal, operational, and ongoing expenses. Comprehending these financial commitments is essential for anyone considering franchising their business. By preparing a detailed budget and exploring financing options, you can navigate the financial environment more effectively. If you’re ready to take the next step, make sure you have a clear plan in place to support your franchise’s growth and success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "How Much Does a Franchise Cost?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The numerate and money-confident students of today will bring benefits to the UK economy tomorrowView the full article

The headlines are clear: AI is disrupting entry-level jobs across industries, including consulting and professional services. There’s just one problem. Eliminating these roles overlooks a critical business need—your pipeline of next generation leaders. The rush from pyramid to diamond workforce models is short-sighted. In the pyramid model, you grow leaders from the ground up. In the diamond model, you cut the base and bet on later-stage talent to carry the weight. It may look efficient now, but it comes at the expense of long-term leadership development. If we don’t shift the trajectory, it’s likely to worsen the leadership gender gap. Despite women outpacing men in college graduation rates, recent Russell Reynolds data finds men are still 2.5 times more likely to be executives than women, and 10 times more likely to be CEOs at S&P 100 organizations. Yet, women remain underrepresented in feeder roles to the top job. The solution isn’t some new, fancy workplace tech platform or another mandatory training program. It’s intentional mentorship that directly addresses barriers women experience in advancing their careers. WHY UPSKILLING PROGRAMS FALL SHORT So why are companies still betting on upskilling programs? They look great on slides and earnings calls. They’re measurable, seemingly fair, and relatively simple to implement. They’re also not moving the needle. The problem lies in traditional delivery. Put simply, classroom or lecture settings without immediate practice opportunities fall short. Online training will not build our next generation of leaders. The approaches overlook two human-centric barriers that many professionals, particularly women, face: representation and confidence. Seeing people in top positions who look like you proves you can make it there, too. Harvard Business School research found that women are less likely than men to apply for advanced jobs because they think they aren’t qualified enough. I distinctly remember when a new leadership opportunity came my way. Instead of immediately jumping at it, I spent an entire day poring over role requirements and determining whether the position felt true to my identity. At that point, I just considered myself to fall squarely in the “marketer” role. Ultimately, I took a chance, accepting the new role. In that critical moment, I was fortunate to have mentors who pushed me to think about myself and my capabilities more expansively. That push, more than any certificate, gave me confidence to take on the challenge. This mindset shift allowed me to then pay it back, leading to countless hours in the trenches, coaching team members on how to best deliver their tasks, regardless of how the members professionally defined themselves. THE MENTORSHIP ADVANTAGE Why is quality mentorship so effective? When done right, it’s deliberate and rooted in real experience. Here’s my playbook, as seen through a soccer lens, a sport near and dear to my heart: 1. Find the right fit. Building a team with myriad skillsets is essential to any winning soccer club. It’s ideal to have both male and female mentors. There’s value in someone who thinks differently and may have unique strengths you don’t have. And there’s value that can only come from someone who has walked in your shoes. Take maternity leave, for example. Women working with me tend to have easier transitions back because I have lived it and my philosophy is to always celebrate the “small moments” that carry outsized positive impact. Mentors don’t have to be all things to mentees. Instead, seek mentors with specific strengths. You might seek a leader known for bold, creative thinking, and another leader strong in people management. 2. Get in the trenches. I believe in “learning in combat”—education that comes from sitting in client meetings and sales calls, being in the room where tough conversations happen, and getting real-time feedback on actual work. Time spent “on the field” together always outweighs theoretical examples and 1:1 coaching. 3. Be vulnerable. For me, that means showing people the marshmallow I am on the inside of this executive exterior. Mentors should create an environment where mentees feel comfortable showing their strengths and weaknesses. Authenticity beats a fake front any day. This comes from celebrating your wins, but also asking your teammates for help when you are struggling. A defender under pressure passes back to the goalkeeper, trusting their teammate to help the team stay in control—a reminder that asking for support keeps everyone moving forward. 4. Know when to listen and when to speak up. Real mentorship is about creating space for people to figure things out, not just giving advice without hearing what someone has to say. When mentors are effective listeners, they can better advocate. Sometimes that means being the voice advocating for an idea others gloss over because you see the potential in the person surfacing it. Other times, it means understanding a mentee’s dream job and clearing the way for them to secure it. Any good coach can attest to the importance of this approach with their players. 5. Get out of the way. Too many leaders listen to junior colleagues talk about their dreams, then forget to give them the opportunity to reach them. In soccer, the left wing fights to let the striker take the shot. But if the striker never gets the ball, it’s useless to have that position. Say “ok” and let your players play. There’s a delta between knowing mentorship works and building programs that deliver. The most effective programs have leadership buy-in, authentic matching, and accountability. Companies must expect leaders to coach, then create space and accountability for it. Not every leader needs to be a mentor, but you need enough who will and who want to. DIAMONDS AREN’T FOREVER (IN THE WORKPLACE) ROI and value creation remain paramount. Companies can continue chasing short-term gains and allow AI to eliminate their next generation of leaders—male or female—or they can do the harder work of building intentional mentorship relationships that create a more level playing field. Companies that over-index towards these diamond models will inevitably have to swing back. The importance of strong mentorship will never be obsolete. The question is whether companies realize this before or after losing a generation of strong, diverse talent to organizations that remained focused on their potential. Casey Foss is chief commercial officer of West Monroe. View the full article

Google is making strides in the wellness tech space with the introduction of its AI-powered personal health coach, developed with its Gemini technology. This innovative tool promises to be a comprehensive guide to fitness, sleep, and overall health—potentially changing how small business owners approach employee wellness. Beginning tomorrow, a public preview of the health coach will be available to eligible Android Fitbit Premium users in the U.S., with iOS users set to gain access soon. This initiative arrives at a time when many small businesses are looking to enhance employee well-being and productivity. Small business owners may find the idea of integrating an AI health coach into their operations appealing. The personal health coach combines the functions of a fitness trainer, sleep coach, and wellness advisor to provide a personalized experience. This multifaceted approach can help employees improve their health, potentially leading to better job performance and reduced absenteeism. “Building this health coach takes time, rigor, and input to make sure it works well for everyone,” the team at Google explained. They are launching a public preview to gather user feedback, indicating a commitment to refining the product based on actual user experience. As this is a new endeavor, early adopters may encounter some limitations, but Google reassures users that improvements will come regularly. For small businesses, the implementation of such a tool could lead to significant advantages. Employers can encourage employees to make healthier lifestyle choices, which can lead to increased energy levels and productivity at work. Integrating a simple, gamified health initiative can foster a culture of health within the workplace, potentially lowering healthcare costs over time. The tool’s public preview also features a community forum where users can check for updates on added functionalities. This interactive aspect allows users to feel like part of the development process, an appealing feature for those who value transparency and active participation. However, small business owners should also be aware of potential challenges. First and foremost, while adopting innovation is essential, it requires an understanding of both the technology and how it can fit within existing employee wellness initiatives. Not every employee may be comfortable with or interested in using such a tool, which could lead to uneven levels of participation. Moreover, small businesses may need to consider the costs associated with providing access to Fitbit Premium for their employees. While investments in wellness can reap long-term benefits, the initial outlay may be a concern for businesses with tight budgets. Additionally, fostering an environment where employees feel encouraged to engage with an AI-driven initiative is crucial. Communication is key; leaders should not only introduce the health coach but also explain its benefits clearly. Wellness programs that are well-communicated are more likely to succeed in garnering employee interest and participation. In the fast-paced world of small business, where time and resources are often limited, leveraging technology for employee wellness can pay dividends. Google’s push into AI-driven health coaching could be just what small businesses need to enhance employee health effectively. For further details about this exciting development and to keep track of new features, small business owners can visit the original post on Google’s blog here. By staying informed about advancements in technology like Google’s health coach, small businesses can adapt quickly and leverage new tools to create a healthier workplace for their teams. This article, "Google Unveils AI-Powered Health Coach for Fitbit Users in U.S." was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Google is making strides in the wellness tech space with the introduction of its AI-powered personal health coach, developed with its Gemini technology. This innovative tool promises to be a comprehensive guide to fitness, sleep, and overall health—potentially changing how small business owners approach employee wellness. Beginning tomorrow, a public preview of the health coach will be available to eligible Android Fitbit Premium users in the U.S., with iOS users set to gain access soon. This initiative arrives at a time when many small businesses are looking to enhance employee well-being and productivity. Small business owners may find the idea of integrating an AI health coach into their operations appealing. The personal health coach combines the functions of a fitness trainer, sleep coach, and wellness advisor to provide a personalized experience. This multifaceted approach can help employees improve their health, potentially leading to better job performance and reduced absenteeism. “Building this health coach takes time, rigor, and input to make sure it works well for everyone,” the team at Google explained. They are launching a public preview to gather user feedback, indicating a commitment to refining the product based on actual user experience. As this is a new endeavor, early adopters may encounter some limitations, but Google reassures users that improvements will come regularly. For small businesses, the implementation of such a tool could lead to significant advantages. Employers can encourage employees to make healthier lifestyle choices, which can lead to increased energy levels and productivity at work. Integrating a simple, gamified health initiative can foster a culture of health within the workplace, potentially lowering healthcare costs over time. The tool’s public preview also features a community forum where users can check for updates on added functionalities. This interactive aspect allows users to feel like part of the development process, an appealing feature for those who value transparency and active participation. However, small business owners should also be aware of potential challenges. First and foremost, while adopting innovation is essential, it requires an understanding of both the technology and how it can fit within existing employee wellness initiatives. Not every employee may be comfortable with or interested in using such a tool, which could lead to uneven levels of participation. Moreover, small businesses may need to consider the costs associated with providing access to Fitbit Premium for their employees. While investments in wellness can reap long-term benefits, the initial outlay may be a concern for businesses with tight budgets. Additionally, fostering an environment where employees feel encouraged to engage with an AI-driven initiative is crucial. Communication is key; leaders should not only introduce the health coach but also explain its benefits clearly. Wellness programs that are well-communicated are more likely to succeed in garnering employee interest and participation. In the fast-paced world of small business, where time and resources are often limited, leveraging technology for employee wellness can pay dividends. Google’s push into AI-driven health coaching could be just what small businesses need to enhance employee health effectively. For further details about this exciting development and to keep track of new features, small business owners can visit the original post on Google’s blog here. By staying informed about advancements in technology like Google’s health coach, small businesses can adapt quickly and leverage new tools to create a healthier workplace for their teams. This article, "Google Unveils AI-Powered Health Coach for Fitbit Users in U.S." was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When Carly Kaprive left a job in Kansas City and moved to Chicago a year ago, she figured it would take three to six months to find a new position. After all, the 32-year old project manager had never been unemployed for longer than three months. Instead, after 700 applications, she’s still looking, wrapped up in a frustrating and extended job hunt that is much more difficult than when she last looked for work just a couple of years ago. With uncertainty over interest rates, tariffs, immigration, and artificial intelligence roiling much of the economy, some companies she’s interviewed with have abruptly decided not to fill the job at all. “I have definitely had mid-interview roles be eliminated entirely, that they are not going to move forward with even hiring anybody,” she said. Kaprive is caught in a historical anomaly: The unemployment rate is low and the economy is still growing, but those out of work face the slowest pace of hiring in more than a decade. Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, calls it a “jobless boom.” While big corporate layoff announcements typically grab the most attention, it has been the unwillingness of many companies to add workers that has created a more painful job market than the low 4.3% unemployment rate would suggest. It is also more bifurcated: The “low hire, low fire” economy has meant fewer layoffs for those with jobs, while the unemployed struggle to find work. “It’s like an insider-outsider thing,” Guy Berger, head of research at the Burning Glass Institute said, “where outsiders that need jobs are struggling to get their foot in, even as insiders are insulated by what up until now is a low-layoff environment.” Several large companies have recently announced tens of thousands of job cuts in the past few weeks, including UPS, Target, and IBM, though Berger said it is too soon to tell whether they signal a turn for the worse in the economy. But a rise in job cuts would be particularly challenging with hiring already so low. For now, it’s harder than ever to get a clear read on the job market because the government shutdown has cut off the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly employment reports. The October jobs report was scheduled for release Friday but has been delayed, like the September figures before it. The October report may be less comprehensive when it is released because not all the data may be collected. Before the shutdown, the Labor Department reported that the hiring rate — the number of people hired in a given month, as a percentage of those employed — fell to 3.2% in August, matching the lowest figure outside the pandemic since March 2013. Back then, the unemployment rate was a painful 7.5%, as the economy slowly recovered from the job losses from the 2008-2009 Great Recession. That is much higher than August’s 4.3%. Many of those out of work are skeptical of the current low rate. Brad Mislow, 54, has been mostly unemployed for the past three years after losing a job as an advertising executive in New York City. Now he is substitute teaching to make ends meet. “It is frustrating to hear that the unemployment rate is low, the economy is great,” he said. “I think there are people in this economy who are basically fighting every day and holding on to pieces of flotsam in the shark-filled waters or, they have no idea what it’s like.” With the government closed, financial markets are paying closer attention to private-sector data, but that is also mixed. On Thursday, the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas unnerved investors with a report that announced job cuts surged 175% in October from a year ago. Yet on Wednesday, payroll processor ADP said that net hiring picked up in October as businesses added 42,000 jobs, after two months of declines. Still, the gain was modest. ADP’s figures are based on anonymous data from the 26 million workers at its client companies. Separately, Revelio Labs, a workplace analytics company, estimated Thursday that the economy shed 9,000 jobs in October. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimates that the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% last month. Even when the government was releasing data, economists and officials at the Federal Reserve weren’t sure how healthy the job market was or where it was headed next. A sharp drop in immigration and stepped-up deportations have helped keep the unemployment rate low simply by reducing the supply of workers. The economy doesn’t need to create as many jobs to keep the unemployment rate from rising. Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, has called in a “curious balance” because both the supply of and demand for workers has fallen. Economists point to many reasons for the hiring slowdown, but most share a common thread: Greater uncertainty from tariffs, the potential impact of artificial intelligence, and now the government shutdown. While investment in data centers to power AI is booming, elevated interest rates have kept many other parts of the economy weak, such as manufacturing and housing. “The concentration of economic gains (in AI) has left the economy looking better on paper than it feels to most Americans,” Swonk said. Younger Americans have borne the brunt of the hiring slowdown, but many older workers have also struggled. Suzanne Elder, 65, is an operations executive with extensive experience in health care, and two years ago the Chicago resident also found work quickly — three months after she left a job, she had three offers. Now she’s been unemployed since April. She is worried that her age is a challenge, but isn’t letting it hold her back. “I got a job at 63, so I don’t see a reason to not get a job at 65,” she said. Like many job-hunters, she has been stunned by the impersonal responses from recruiters, often driven by hiring software. She received one email from a company that thanked her for speaking with them, though she never had an interview. Another company that never responded to her resume asked her to fill out a survey about their interaction. Weak hiring has meant unemployment spells are getting longer, according to government data. More than one-quarter of those out of work have been unemployed for more than six months or longer, a figure that rose sharply in July and August and is up from 21% a year ago. Swonk said that such increases are unusual outside recessions. A rising number of the unemployed have also given up on their job searches, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. That also holds down the unemployment rate because people who stop looking aren’t counted as unemployed. But Kaprive is still sticking with it — she’s taken classes about Amazon’s web services platform to boost her technology skills. “We can’t be narrow-minded in what we’re willing to take,” she said. —Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer View the full article

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

Google is launching a suite of updates across Ad Manager, AdSense, and AdMob to help publishers save time, strengthen advertiser relationships, and better monetize content — with major additions powered by AI and real-time technology. AI-driven automation: Smarter brand safety: A new AI tool learns a publisher’s specific brand standards and will soon automatically block unwanted ads, reducing time spent in manual ad reviews. Generative AI reporting: Publishers can now ask questions like “Which ad units had the highest CPM last week?” and instantly generate tailored performance reports in Ad Manager. AI Help guide: Rolling out in Ad Manager, AdMob, and AdSense, this chat tool offers instant onboarding and troubleshooting — a boost for smaller publishers with limited support resources. Why we care. These updates could mean cleaner, safer, and more efficient ad inventory across Google’s platforms. Automated brand safety tools reduce the risk of ads appearing alongside unsuitable content, while AI-driven reporting gives publishers faster insights — possibly leading to better-optimized campaigns. And with new live CTV and Buyer Direct features, advertisers gain real-time access to premium audiences and more transparent, performance-driven media buying. Monetizing live moments. Google’s new CTV Live-biddable solution in Ad Manager helps publishers capture more value from unpredictable live events — like sports games or award shows — by selling premium inventory programmatically in real time. “Google Ad Manager’s live CTV solution allowed us to deliver high-quality streams of the FIFA Club World Cup to millions of fans globally,” said Ronan McCarthy, SVP of Media Operations at DAZN. Streamlining direct deals. The new Buyer Direct feature in Ad Manager blends the control of traditional direct deals with programmatic efficiency — offering cross-publisher frequency management, real-time reporting, and consolidated billing. The big picture. By automating ad reviews, reporting, and support, Google is giving publishers more time to focus on content — and advertisers access to more consistent, brand-safe, and high-performing inventory across its platforms. View the full article

Growth doesn’t always mean moving on—it can mean moving deeper. Gear Up for Growth With Jean Caragher For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jean Marie Caragher. View the full article

Growth doesn’t always mean moving on—it can mean moving deeper. Gear Up for Growth With Jean Caragher For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jean Marie Caragher. View the full article

There are times when I feel like my AirPods are pure magic. It's always impressive how they automatically shift from my Mac to my iPhone when I get a call, or how I don’t need to reconnect them to my iPad when I want to start watching a show. But when it comes to automatically swapping my audio over to Bluetooth speakers, they can get pretty jarring. Often, speakers and audio outputs will take over audio from my AirPods when I’m wearing them. This happens every time I get in my car while wearing a single AirPod, usually while listening to music or podcasts (I would not recommend driving while using both AirPods). As soon as I turn on my car, bam, the media starts blaring through my car speakers, whether I want it to or not. Until recently, there was no remedy for this (other than manually pausing and then resuming playback from the AirPods themselves). It seems like I wasn’t the only person annoyed be this, though. In iOS 26, Apple has introduced a dedicated setting that stops speakers from taking over your audio when you’re wearing your AirPods, or any other wireless headsets. Here's how to try it. On your iPhone running iOS 26 and above, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity and then enable the new “Keep Audio with Headphones” setting. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Don't worry. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use your car speakers or other audio outputs. Your device will still connect to your car speakers when they're available, and you can switch to them manually using the Control Center. As for the rest of your car, in iOS 26, Apple is also starting to play nice with AirPods and CarPlay, adding official support for AirPods in CarPlay systems. So, if you're accessing content through CayPlay, you can continue using your AirPods to listen to music, or answer calls. The best part? This won’t take away your AirPods' auto-switching feature, as that’s powered by Handoff. If you want your AirPods to never automatically switch between any device, you can disable the Handoff feature from the AirPlay & Continuity menu. View the full article

Despite its status as an architectural celebrity, the Breuer building, commissioned by the Whitney Museum in the 1960s, has never had an easy relationship with New York City. With a hulking, top-heavy build, brooding dark-gray granite cladding, and nearly windowless facade, it’s as introverted as buildings come, standing confrontationally against its traditional Upper East Side neighbors. Either you love it or hate it. Critic Ada Louise Huxtable described the building as an acquired taste akin to “olives or warm beer” (how appetizing) yet celebrated the “maximum artistry and almost hypnotic skill” of its namesake architect, the Bauhaus-trained modernist Marcel Breuer. Now the historic building, also known as 945 Madison, has entered its latest chapter as the new worldwide headquarters for the 281-year-old auction house Sotheby’s. After a “careful and subtle” renovation by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, the space has now reopened to the public. For Sotheby’s, the updated building demonstrates the future of auction houses as cultural destinations. It wants its new headquarters to be a place people come for exhibitions, art fairs, lectures, panel discussions, retail, and fine dining, while better serving its collector clients with bespoke, high-end art-buying experiences. What better place to bid on masterpieces than from inside one? The hope is that the new building will bring a competitive edge to Sotheby’s. It arrives at a complicated time for the business, which has reportedly plunged into greater debt since billionaire Patrick Drahi took ownership in 2019. It’s also facing external headwinds as the art market slumps, prompting auction houses to diversify what they sell, cultivate new collectors, and digitize. Sotheby’s was responsible for $6 billion worth of sales in 2024, down from a record high of $8 billion in 2022. Architecture to the rescue? “It’s museum quality, but it’s the art auction house philosophy,” says Steve Wrightson, global head of real estate, facilities, and security for Sotheby’s. “I think people who’ve been here before are going to be pleasantly surprised.” An untouchable history Change hasn’t come easy to the Breuer building, and throughout its history suggestions of alterations have been met with severe skepticism. Soon after the Whitney Museum opened in 1966, it outgrew the quarters Breuer built for it, ushering in an era of uncertainty for the building. Numerous failed expansion attempts—by Norman Foster in the ’70s, Michael Graves in the ’80s, and Rem Koolhaas in the aughts—ignited battles royal between critics and architects that played out on the pages of dailies and weeklies. Paul Goldberger, writing for The New York Times, described the building as a paradox: To add to it is to subtract from it. Eventually, the Whitney gave up on renovating and decamped for the Meatpacking District in 2015. Then a series of adaptations came, demonstrating that something different might be for the better. In 2015, the Whitney leased the space to the Met, which commissioned a $15 million restoration by Beyer Blinder Belle that brought renewed luster to the building’s bluestone floors, concrete walls, and bronze fixtures. Then the Frick Collection moved into the space temporarily to critical appeal; turns out Breuer’s austere brutalism is a transcendent setting for traditional portraiture. In 2023, the revolving door of tenants closed when the Whitney sold the building to Sotheby’s for an astounding $100 million. The acquisition was part of a real estate strategy that began at Sotheby’s about six years ago. Instead of housing all of its functions under one roof, as it did at its former York Street headquarters, the company decided to assemble a portfolio of spaces dedicated to a single purpose. A building in Long Island City that Sotheby’s purchased in 2022 is now its processing and storage center. Though the company sold its York Street building to Cornell University’s medical school in October, it will lease four floors for offices. For auctions and exhibitions, it sought a location central to collectors with a street-facing presence. The Breuer building was “right at the bull’s eye” of the area the real estate team identified, Wrightson says. “This was the heart of the arts and culture scene in New York City,” he says. Same structure, new function While museums and auction houses both display art, the shift in function from a space that stewards culture to a sales floor represents a major conceptual shift. Because of this, Sotheby’s and Herzog & de Meuron (who collaborated with the local architecture firm PDBW on the project) had their work cut out for them, even though they always intended to apply a gentle hand to the renovation. “Our deep respect for Breuer drove the project from the outset,” says Wim Walschap, a senior partner at the firm. Portions of the building are still under construction, including a new freight elevator and Marcel, the Roman and Williams-designed restaurant on the lower level. But the majority of the renovation, which encompasses a refreshed lobby and four floors of gallery and auction space above, is complete. Still, preservationists worried that the Breuer building would be “permanently and unsympathetically” altered; they successfully lobbied the city to designate it as an individual and interior landmark, which affects the exterior plus the lobby, staircase, and portions of the restaurant visible from the street. Moreover, even though Sotheby’s is keeping the building open to the public, there’s a distinction between that notion and a “public building,” wrote Philip Kennicott in The Washington Post. “Museums exist to preserve culture; the art market exists to make a profit off the exchange of a commodity. Going to the Breuer will be like going to a wake.” The actual experience is more like visiting your old home after the new owners have moved in: The spaces are familiar but different. “For the Breuer, we kept what carries identity and public life: structure and spatial sequence, primary materials and tactility, calibrated light, and the way a building meets the street,” Walschap says. “We removed later accretions that cloud the original intent and revived lost spaces where they clarified the experience.” All the features that made the building distinctive—crossing over the moat of the sculpture garden, the luminous lobby ceiling, the large windows—are still there. But the concrete benches in the lobby are now vitrines, and the coat check in the corner is a retail space selling luxury lifestyle products like Patek Philippe watches, first editions of literary classics like Alice in Wonderland, and limited-edition Birkin bags. The original galleries, which were not landmarked, are structurally the same as before. However, the second level’s dark parquet floor has been changed to white oak. “We tried to get it refinished and it was just splintering so we had to replace it,” Wrightson says. “A bit like theater” The most major interventions to the Breuer involved modifying the building to better serve the logistical needs of Sotheby’s, which are more demanding than a museum due to the volume of objects and number of exhibitions it displays in a year. A museum might have a dozen special exhibitions over the course of a year; Sotheby’s averages 125. “It’s a bit like theater, but it’s also like a Formula One event,” Wrightson says of the precision turnover that happens. The goal is to be able to change an entire exhibition in 48 hours. Most changes to the building that make this possible are completely out of sight from visitors: Herzog & de Meuron lengthened the loading dock and inserted a new freight elevator in what were formerly administrative spaces in the northeastern section of the building. This way, Wrightson says, “we can maneuver in the background.” Concentric SquarePtolémée III Sotheby’s has 30% more exhibition space than the building’s previous incarnation as the Frick Madison. To find this room, Herzog & de Meuron converted back-of-house and administrative areas into galleries, which sometimes resemble typical white-box galleries that feel like they could be anywhere. Instead of replicating Breuer’s tectonic sensibility in the new exhibition spaces, the firm channeled his intentions. “New work aligns with the existing rhythms and joints, remains legible and light touch, and, where possible, is reversible,” Walschap says. Interior with Sudden JoyEl sueñoMaison hantée Back when Breuer designed the building, the Whitney’s collection primarily consisted of painting and sculpture, and his structure is well suited for those mediums. Sotheby’s sells a far wider range of objects and artwork, so having a blank canvas gives the exhibition teams more options for viewing experiences. “We could have a dinosaur in a gallery one day and then the next day it could be a basketball jersey,” Wrightson says. “So we really have to be able to plan for all of those different needs.” The fifth floor, which the Frick used for offices, is now primarily gallery space, plus flexible work space for about 50 Sotheby’s employees who need to be on-site. “The public hasn’t seen [this floor’s] windows and skylights for the better part of a decade,” Wrightson says. He thinks jewelry and watches, which benefit from natural light, will look especially good here. A site for desire Adaptability was a critical element of the renovation to support the range of objects Sotheby’s sells but also the new formats it uses to sell them, like online auctions and livestreams. To make installations efficient, the design team created a metal-framed wall system that straps to the concrete coffered ceiling that Breuer designed. And to give curators more options to illuminate art, Herzog & de Meuron created custom LED track lighting, which nestles into the concrete ceiling, that can be operated remotely. The ceiling also proved to be an ideal mount for cameras that Sotheby’s uses for virtual sales. “When we first started doing livestreams back in June of 2021, it was an army of people who would come in with multiple giant boom cameras and we’d have massive control rooms set up with cables spread out everywhere. That’s gone,” Wrightson says. “Most of that is now happening remotely with what looks like joysticks.” The Breuer building gives Sotheby’s more options for what an art buying, shopping, or appreciation experience embodies. The building’s fourth floor, which is a double-height space, will serve as the main gallery space most of the time and convert into an auction room whenever there is a sale. (Sotheby’s is still working out what the auction room will look like.) This also means creating more opportunities for exclusivity. The level’s mezzanine, which also used to be offices, now features private viewing areas and skyboxes for clients who want a bird’s-eye view of the action. A former conservation studio is now a viewing area for works that require black lights to examine. Meanwhile, the auctioneers who prefer to have more intimate sales, like those who specialize in wine and watches, have the option to use the restaurant, which visitors will be able to access directly from Madison Avenue once it’s open next year. “They like more of a banquet-style table and more of a playful experience,” Wrightson says. With its new headquarters, Sotheby’s architectural language is more aligned with the mass appeal of a major cultural institution than the art market. It’s trying to make auction houses cool. I can imagine regular museumgoers who haven’t stepped foot in an auction house before will be thrilled about admission-free access to see Kahlos and Klimts before collectors squirrel them away, just as I can see the thrill collectors might take in going shopping in what feels like a museum. As its viral auctioneer Phyllis Kao told Ssense, Sotheby’s really sells desire; a pedigreed set and setting enhances that effect. During the peak of the Breuer building style in the 1980s, Village Voice critic Michael Sorkin summed up the challenges of retooling an architectural darling. “Adding to a master­piece is always difficult, calling for discipline, sensitivity, restraint,” he wrote. “Above all, though, it calls for respect.” Thankfully, outstanding original architecture remains crucial to all the audiences Sotheby’s wants to welcome into its world. Whether or not visitors will be “pleasantly surprised,” as Wrightson hopes, may come down to how they feel about the art market itself. View the full article

When he takes office next year, Zohran Mamdani will be the first mayor of New York City in decades not to own a car. Mamdani—who bikes and rides public transit to work—wants to make city buses both faster to ride and free, building on a fare-free pilot he helped run in 2023. He also plans to expand the city’s network of bike lanes, add more car-free streets in front of schools, and wants to pedestrianize more areas in Manhattan as congestion pricing has reduced traffic. “In a city where the majority of households are car-free, we haven’t had a car-free mayor in a really long time,” says Alexa Sledge, communications director at the nonprofit Transportation Alternatives. “It’s really exciting to see how he can prioritize the vast majority of the New Yorkers who do walk, bike, and take public transportation every single day.” Mamdani inherits a city with streets that have massively transformed over the last two decades. “People have seen their streets change in real time,” says Janette Sadik-Khan, the former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation under the Bloomberg Administration. Sadik-Khan, now a principal at Bloomberg Associates, built nearly 400 miles of bike lanes, launched Citi Bike, introduced new rapid bus lanes, created dozens of plazas, and pedestrianized Times Square. The changes have continued to roll out. New York now has 1,500 miles of bike lanes, more than half a million daily cyclists, and a mile-long stretch of 14th Street dedicated entirely to buses. Under the city’s Streets Plan, passed in 2019, Mamdani’s administration must add 50 miles of bike lanes and 30 miles of bus lanes each year—targets the Adams administration missed. But he wants to go farther. He’s proposed making buses free to ride, though that’s likely to be a tough sell with the MTA. He also wants to bring true bus rapid transit to the city. “A car-free bus lane can move 8,000 people an hour; meanwhile a busway on a car-free street can move 25,000 people an hour in each direction,” he told Streetsblog earlier this year. “This is an essential service that New Yorkers need, especially those in transit deserts or those forced to rely on the poor service of our current bus system.” Right now, he says, city buses only move at an average of 8 miles an hour. The 14th Street Busway sped up buses by 30%, and other major roads across the city—including in the outer boroughs—could see the same results with a similar design. “People walking and biking and taking transit far outnumber those in cars, but the street does not reflect that reality,” says Sadik-Khan. Improving reliability matters as much as cost, she says. “New Yorkers don’t just want more affordable transit. They want more frequent and reliable service, so they’re not rolling the dice every time they go to and from work,” she says. Other than dedicated bus lanes, other tweaks to street design could help improve speeds, including “bulb-out” bus stops that allow buses to pick up passengers without pulling over to the side of the road. The city can also roll out more traffic signals that give buses priority at lights. To improve the experience of biking, Sadik-Khan says that the city needs to find a way to deal with the surge of e-bikes and scooters that are too fast for bike lanes now. Mamdani could consider a new type of bike lane, she says. “New York City could be the first in the nation to dedicate lanes on avenues and in crosstown streets to faster bikes and scooters, which would take them out of the way for regular bike riders and pedestrians and make the streets much safer for everybody,” she says. Mamdani wants to pedestrianize “vast swaths” of the new congestion pricing zone, along with streets near public open space and schools. It’s an ambitious vision, though not impossible. Paris has transformed even more radically than New York, turning a highway into park space, planting tens of thousands of parking spaces with trees, closing more than 100 streets to cars, charging SUVs extra to park, and making rush hour look more like Copenhagen, with streets filled with bikes. Other cities have also reshaped around pedestrians, like Barcelona, which now has several car-free superblocks. The same scale of change could happen in New York. “There’s absolutely no reason we couldn’t do it here,” says Sadik-Kahn. “We have all of the scaffolding for it. I think it’s really a matter of imagination and implementation.” Even after years of improvements in New York, it’s still a challenge to get support for new bike lanes and other changes. But Mamdani has one key advantage: he’s skilled at communicating a vision. “I think he’s done an extraordinary job of communicating the importance of change in this election,” she says. “He’s definitely laid things out. And now I think the implementation is the next step.” View the full article

What are Rachel Reeves’ options? View the full article

Nasdaq has fallen more than 3.5% this week as investors worry about sky-high valuationsView the full article

When considering what makes sales work effectively, it’s essential to understand several key components. These include recognizing customer preferences, aligning the sales process with the buying path, and identifying the roles of various stakeholders. Moreover, establishing clear milestones and providing support at each stage can improve efficiency. Continuous training keeps your team sharp, whereas feedback allows for necessary adaptations. To truly grasp how these elements interact, let’s explore them further. Key Takeaways Understanding customer preferences and stakeholder dynamics is essential for tailoring sales strategies effectively. Aligning the sales process with the buyer’s journey helps address concerns at each stage. Minimizing clerical work through automation enhances sales efficiency and productivity. Collaboration between sales and other departments improves understanding of customer needs and retention. Utilizing data and analytics for decision-making leads to targeted marketing and improved sales outcomes. Understanding Customer Preferences How can you better comprehend customer preferences to improve your sales approach? To start, recognize that modern buyers prefer a sales process that aligns with their needs, rather than one focused solely on the seller. Research indicates that 70% of consumers like to conduct their own research online before engaging with salespeople, so providing accessible information is essential. Effective sales strategies should also consider the various stakeholders in the buying process, as 60% of decisions involve a group. Furthermore, adapting to preferred communication channels enriches customer experience; studies show 64% of consumers value personalized interactions. Finally, streamline your sales process to reduce clerical work, as excessive data entry can decrease productivity by 30%. Comprehending these aspects can greatly improve your sales outcomes. Aligning Sales Process With Buying Journey To effectively align your sales process with the buyer’s path, it’s crucial to understand the different stages customers go through, from recognizing a need to evaluating options. Tailoring your sales approach to these stages allows you to address specific concerns and provide relevant information that resonates with potential buyers. Understanding Buyer Stages Comprehension of the various stages of the buyer’s progression is essential for aligning your sales process with customer needs. The buying process typically includes five stages: awareness, consideration, decision, implementation, and post-purchase evaluation. Each stage demands specific sales strategies customized to address customer concerns effectively. It’s important to recognize that multiple stakeholders often influence purchasing decisions; therefore, you must engage with each one to build consensus. Establishing milestone dates for every stage helps manage expectations and provides necessary support. Focus your sales strategies on assisting customers in articulating their needs and evaluating options, positioning yourself as a trusted advisor rather than merely pushing for a sale, ensuring a smoother change throughout the buyer’s process. Tailoring Sales Approaches What if you could improve your sales effectiveness by aligning your strategies with the customer’s purchasing path? Customizing sales approaches means comprehending your customer’s needs at each stage of their decision-making process. A successful sales process incorporates key milestones that reflect your prospects’ timelines for evaluating their options and reaching consensus. Salespeople must provide relevant information and support customized to each milestone, ensuring informed decisions. Moreover, recognizing multiple stakeholders is vital; addressing their unique concerns can greatly impact your success. Establishing Clear Milestones Establishing clear milestones in your sales process is crucial for measuring success and tracking progress. By defining success metrics and setting achievable goals, you can guide both your team and your customers through each stage of the buying experience. This structured approach not just improves accountability but likewise helps identify potential delays, allowing you to address challenges proactively. Define Success Metrics How can you effectively measure success in your sales process? Defining success metrics is essential for any sales definition business. Start by identifying specific, measurable milestones aligned with the customer’s buying process, such as recognizing needs, setting budgets, and evaluating alternatives. Establish milestone dates for each step in personal selling to help both your team and customers track progress. This collaborative approach identifies potential roadblocks early. Clear milestones allow you to understand your role in guiding customers through their decision-making, enabling timely support. Utilize performance metrics that align with sales goals and customer expectations to improve accountability. Regularly review these success metrics to adapt strategies based on evolving customer needs and market conditions, ensuring ongoing effectiveness in your sales efforts. Set Achievable Goals Setting achievable goals is crucial for driving sales success, and using the SMART criteria can provide a solid framework. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, ensuring clarity in expectations within the sales definition. Establishing clear milestones allows you to track progress effectively through the sales process steps, promoting accountability and motivation. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these milestones based on performance metrics helps you identify areas for improvement and keeps you aligned with overall sales objectives. Utilizing milestone dates for each buying step encourages collaboration between you and your customers, ensuring both parties are on the same page regarding timelines. In the end, clear milestones improve focus and productivity, contributing to higher sales performance. Identifying Stakeholders and Their Roles Who are the key players in the sales process? Identifying stakeholders in the sales process is vital for a successful sales strategy. Each stakeholder influences the buying decision in unique ways, so comprehending their roles is significant. Here are the main types of stakeholders: Decision-Makers: They’ve the authority to approve purchases. Influencers: They provide insights and recommendations based on expertise. End-Users: They’ll eventually use the product or service. Budget Holders: They control the financial resources for purchases. Providing Support at Each Stage Once you’ve identified the key stakeholders in the sales process, the next step is to provide effective support at each stage of their progression. You should clearly define your role as a salesperson, guiding customers through the sales process steps. This includes addressing concerns, offering relevant information, and facilitating consensus among decision-makers. Regular communication is vital, ensuring customers have access to resources and answers throughout the buying expedition. Utilizing customer feedback allows you to adapt your approach, enhancing satisfaction and increasing the likelihood of closing deals. Minimizing Clerical Work To minimize clerical work in sales, you can automate administrative tasks and streamline communication processes. By using tools that handle routine activities, like follow-up emails and reminders, you free up time to focus on building relationships with customers. Furthermore, improving your communication methods can make it easier to share information, reducing the need for excessive documentation and enhancing overall efficiency. Automating Administrative Tasks As you look to improve your sales team’s effectiveness, automating administrative tasks can be a transformative factor. By implementing automation solutions, you can enhance sales efficiency and productivity. Here are four key benefits to take into account: Reduced Clerical Work: Automating administrative tasks decreases manual workload, allowing your team to focus on selling. Enhanced Data Accuracy: Automation tools minimize human error, leading to better decision-making and sales forecasting. Timely Follow-ups: Automated reminders and scheduling tools guarantee consistent communication with prospects, improving response rates. Increased Productivity: By minimizing clerical work, your team could boost sales performance by as much as 20%, making more effective use of their time. Investing in automation can lead to significant gains in your sales operations. Streamlining Communication Processes Efficient communication processes are crucial for minimizing clerical work within sales teams. By implementing effective CRM systems, you can greatly reduce data entry requirements, allowing sales reps to focus on building relationships instead of administrative tasks. Establishing clear communication protocols guarantees that sales information flows seamlessly, minimizing misunderstandings and redundant follow-ups. Utilizing collaborative tools improves communication efficiency, enabling your team to share updates, insights, and documents in real time, thereby avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth emails. Furthermore, standardizing templates for emails and reports can save time during communication consistency. This ultimately enhances sales outcomes and customer satisfaction, helping your team navigate the sales process steps more effectively and understand the true sales rep meaning in cultivating client relationships. Building Relationships Over Administrative Tasks Though many sales professionals may feel compelled to prioritize administrative tasks, focusing on building relationships with prospects and customers proves far more beneficial. The sales meaning in business extends beyond paperwork; it’s about connections. Here’s why you should emphasize relationship-building: 70% of buying experiences rely on how customers feel treated during interactions. Prioritizing relationships can boost sales productivity by 20%, making it easier to close deals. Satisfied customers lead to a 25% reduction in churn rates, enhancing loyalty. Salespeople skilled in building relationships achieve 15% higher sales quotas compared to those buried in clerical work. Collaboration Between Sales and Other Departments Collaboration between sales and other departments is vital for maximizing a company’s effectiveness and boosting overall performance. When there’s strong collaboration between sales and marketing, you can see a remarkable increase in customer retention and sales win rates. Regular meetings with customer service teams improve response times to inquiries, leading to higher customer satisfaction. Sharing data and insights with product development allows for a better comprehension of customer needs, which can lead to customized offerings and a significant increase in product adoption. Cross-departmental collaboration also promotes a unified company culture, boosting employee engagement and overall team performance. Integrating feedback from sales into business strategy enables quick adaptation to market changes, improving competitive advantage and driving revenue growth. Utilizing Data and Analytics for Decision-Making Sales teams thrive on information, and utilizing data and analytics for decision-making is a strong way to improve their effectiveness. By comprehending how do sales work through data, you can refine your approach and results. Here are four key benefits: Identify trends in customer behavior for targeted marketing, boosting conversion rates by up to 20%. Utilize predictive analytics to improve forecasting accuracy by 10-20%, optimizing resource allocation. Segment your audience based on analyzed customer data, increasing retention rates by 15%. Incorporate data insights into strategies, leading to a 30% rise in sales productivity by focusing on high-value prospects. Comprehending what does sales mean in this context highlights the importance of informed decision-making throughout the sales process steps. Continuous Training and Development To remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market, businesses must prioritize continuous training and development for their sales teams. Research shows that organizations with thorough training programs generate a staggering 218% higher income per employee. By providing ongoing training opportunities like workshops and webinars, you can boost employee retention rates by 50%, creating a more experienced sales force. Regularly updating training materials guarantees your sales reps stay informed about new product features and market trends, which is crucial since 70% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. Implementing mentorship programs accelerates learning, helping new hires achieve their first quotas 20% faster. Ultimately, continuous development not only improves sales techniques but also boosts employee satisfaction and loyalty. Encouraging Feedback and Adaptation A strong sales strategy doesn’t just rely on effective techniques and ongoing training; it additionally thrives on feedback and adaptation. Encouraging feedback from your sales team cultivates a culture of continuous improvement, enabling you to identify what works and what doesn’t. Here are some key steps to reflect on: Implement a structured feedback system to collect insights regularly. Revise your sales playbook based on gathered feedback, aligning your sales strategies with market changes. Share success stories within the team to motivate and promote collaboration. Utilize customer insights to inform product development and improve overall sales strategies. Creating a Positive Sales Environment Creating a positive sales environment is essential for nurturing a culture of collaboration and success within your team. Open communication allows salespeople to share challenges and successes, cultivating a supportive atmosphere that improves morale. Recognizing and rewarding achievements, like meeting sales targets, greatly boosts motivation and instills a culture of excellence. Ongoing training and development opportunities guarantee sales reps feel confident and equipped to perform, leading to improved job satisfaction. A well-defined sales culture that emphasizes teamwork, accountability, and customer focus contributes to a more engaged sales force. Furthermore, promoting work-life balance helps reduce burnout and turnover rates, resulting in a more stable, productive team that thrives in achieving sales goals. Implementing Effective Sales Tools and Resources Building on a positive sales environment, implementing effective sales tools and resources plays a significant role in enhancing team performance. To maximize your sales performance, consider these vital components: CRM Systems: Streamline communication and manage customer relationships efficiently. Conversational Marketing Software: Engage customers in real-time and analyze data to refine sales strategies. Integration with Business Systems: Align messaging and outreach efforts across departments, enhancing collaboration. Training Resources: Empower your team with ongoing development opportunities to effectively utilize sales technology. Regularly evaluating and updating these sales tools guarantees your team remains competitive in a swiftly evolving market, eventually leading to improved sales outcomes and a more productive work environment. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the Key Components of Selling? The key components of selling include comprehending your customer’s needs, effective communication, and product knowledge. You need to actively listen to prospects and tailor your messaging to build trust. Having a deep grasp of your product allows you to confidently address questions and highlight its benefits. Furthermore, strong interpersonal skills help cultivate relationships, whereas good time management guarantees you prioritize sales activities and follow up swiftly, enhancing your overall effectiveness. What Are the 5 C’s of Sales? The 5 C’s of sales are fundamental for developing a strong sales strategy. First, focus on your Customer to understand their needs and preferences. Next, evaluate Cost to guarantee your pricing reflects value during staying competitive. Convenience is vital; make the buying process easy for customers. Then, prioritize Communication to engage effectively with prospects. Finally, cultivate Collaboration among team members to align sales efforts with your business goals for greater success. What Are the 7 C’s in Sales? The 7 C’s in sales are essential for effective communication. You need Clarity, guaranteeing your message is easily understood. Conciseness helps you respect your prospect’s time by delivering information briefly. Consistency builds trust, as you maintain the same message across channels. Courtesy shows respect, enhancing relationships. Completeness guarantees you provide all necessary information. Consideration takes your customer’s needs into account, and Correctness emphasizes accuracy in your details. Mastering these principles can greatly improve your sales effectiveness. What Are the 5 Key Factors of the Sales Process? The five key factors of the sales process are prospecting, qualifying, presenting, closing, and following up. You start by identifying potential leads during prospecting. Then, you qualify these leads to guarantee they fit your criteria. Next, you present your product or service, showcasing its value. After addressing objections, you close the sale. Finally, following up helps nurture the relationship, assuring customer satisfaction and potentially leading to repeat business. Conclusion In conclusion, successful sales rely on key components like comprehending customer preferences, aligning with the purchasing path, and establishing clear milestones. By identifying stakeholders and providing support throughout the sales process, you can promote collaboration and adaptability. Continuous training guarantees your team remains effective, during feedback mechanisms help refine strategies. Utilizing the right tools further boosts efficiency. By focusing on these elements, you can improve sales performance, customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive revenue growth. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are the Key Components That Do Sales Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When considering what makes sales work effectively, it’s essential to understand several key components. These include recognizing customer preferences, aligning the sales process with the buying path, and identifying the roles of various stakeholders. Moreover, establishing clear milestones and providing support at each stage can improve efficiency. Continuous training keeps your team sharp, whereas feedback allows for necessary adaptations. To truly grasp how these elements interact, let’s explore them further. Key Takeaways Understanding customer preferences and stakeholder dynamics is essential for tailoring sales strategies effectively. Aligning the sales process with the buyer’s journey helps address concerns at each stage. Minimizing clerical work through automation enhances sales efficiency and productivity. Collaboration between sales and other departments improves understanding of customer needs and retention. Utilizing data and analytics for decision-making leads to targeted marketing and improved sales outcomes. Understanding Customer Preferences How can you better comprehend customer preferences to improve your sales approach? To start, recognize that modern buyers prefer a sales process that aligns with their needs, rather than one focused solely on the seller. Research indicates that 70% of consumers like to conduct their own research online before engaging with salespeople, so providing accessible information is essential. Effective sales strategies should also consider the various stakeholders in the buying process, as 60% of decisions involve a group. Furthermore, adapting to preferred communication channels enriches customer experience; studies show 64% of consumers value personalized interactions. Finally, streamline your sales process to reduce clerical work, as excessive data entry can decrease productivity by 30%. Comprehending these aspects can greatly improve your sales outcomes. Aligning Sales Process With Buying Journey To effectively align your sales process with the buyer’s path, it’s crucial to understand the different stages customers go through, from recognizing a need to evaluating options. Tailoring your sales approach to these stages allows you to address specific concerns and provide relevant information that resonates with potential buyers. Understanding Buyer Stages Comprehension of the various stages of the buyer’s progression is essential for aligning your sales process with customer needs. The buying process typically includes five stages: awareness, consideration, decision, implementation, and post-purchase evaluation. Each stage demands specific sales strategies customized to address customer concerns effectively. It’s important to recognize that multiple stakeholders often influence purchasing decisions; therefore, you must engage with each one to build consensus. Establishing milestone dates for every stage helps manage expectations and provides necessary support. Focus your sales strategies on assisting customers in articulating their needs and evaluating options, positioning yourself as a trusted advisor rather than merely pushing for a sale, ensuring a smoother change throughout the buyer’s process. Tailoring Sales Approaches What if you could improve your sales effectiveness by aligning your strategies with the customer’s purchasing path? Customizing sales approaches means comprehending your customer’s needs at each stage of their decision-making process. A successful sales process incorporates key milestones that reflect your prospects’ timelines for evaluating their options and reaching consensus. Salespeople must provide relevant information and support customized to each milestone, ensuring informed decisions. Moreover, recognizing multiple stakeholders is vital; addressing their unique concerns can greatly impact your success. Establishing Clear Milestones Establishing clear milestones in your sales process is crucial for measuring success and tracking progress. By defining success metrics and setting achievable goals, you can guide both your team and your customers through each stage of the buying experience. This structured approach not just improves accountability but likewise helps identify potential delays, allowing you to address challenges proactively. Define Success Metrics How can you effectively measure success in your sales process? Defining success metrics is essential for any sales definition business. Start by identifying specific, measurable milestones aligned with the customer’s buying process, such as recognizing needs, setting budgets, and evaluating alternatives. Establish milestone dates for each step in personal selling to help both your team and customers track progress. This collaborative approach identifies potential roadblocks early. Clear milestones allow you to understand your role in guiding customers through their decision-making, enabling timely support. Utilize performance metrics that align with sales goals and customer expectations to improve accountability. Regularly review these success metrics to adapt strategies based on evolving customer needs and market conditions, ensuring ongoing effectiveness in your sales efforts. Set Achievable Goals Setting achievable goals is crucial for driving sales success, and using the SMART criteria can provide a solid framework. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, ensuring clarity in expectations within the sales definition. Establishing clear milestones allows you to track progress effectively through the sales process steps, promoting accountability and motivation. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these milestones based on performance metrics helps you identify areas for improvement and keeps you aligned with overall sales objectives. Utilizing milestone dates for each buying step encourages collaboration between you and your customers, ensuring both parties are on the same page regarding timelines. In the end, clear milestones improve focus and productivity, contributing to higher sales performance. Identifying Stakeholders and Their Roles Who are the key players in the sales process? Identifying stakeholders in the sales process is vital for a successful sales strategy. Each stakeholder influences the buying decision in unique ways, so comprehending their roles is significant. Here are the main types of stakeholders: Decision-Makers: They’ve the authority to approve purchases. Influencers: They provide insights and recommendations based on expertise. End-Users: They’ll eventually use the product or service. Budget Holders: They control the financial resources for purchases. Providing Support at Each Stage Once you’ve identified the key stakeholders in the sales process, the next step is to provide effective support at each stage of their progression. You should clearly define your role as a salesperson, guiding customers through the sales process steps. This includes addressing concerns, offering relevant information, and facilitating consensus among decision-makers. Regular communication is vital, ensuring customers have access to resources and answers throughout the buying expedition. Utilizing customer feedback allows you to adapt your approach, enhancing satisfaction and increasing the likelihood of closing deals. Minimizing Clerical Work To minimize clerical work in sales, you can automate administrative tasks and streamline communication processes. By using tools that handle routine activities, like follow-up emails and reminders, you free up time to focus on building relationships with customers. Furthermore, improving your communication methods can make it easier to share information, reducing the need for excessive documentation and enhancing overall efficiency. Automating Administrative Tasks As you look to improve your sales team’s effectiveness, automating administrative tasks can be a transformative factor. By implementing automation solutions, you can enhance sales efficiency and productivity. Here are four key benefits to take into account: Reduced Clerical Work: Automating administrative tasks decreases manual workload, allowing your team to focus on selling. Enhanced Data Accuracy: Automation tools minimize human error, leading to better decision-making and sales forecasting. Timely Follow-ups: Automated reminders and scheduling tools guarantee consistent communication with prospects, improving response rates. Increased Productivity: By minimizing clerical work, your team could boost sales performance by as much as 20%, making more effective use of their time. Investing in automation can lead to significant gains in your sales operations. Streamlining Communication Processes Efficient communication processes are crucial for minimizing clerical work within sales teams. By implementing effective CRM systems, you can greatly reduce data entry requirements, allowing sales reps to focus on building relationships instead of administrative tasks. Establishing clear communication protocols guarantees that sales information flows seamlessly, minimizing misunderstandings and redundant follow-ups. Utilizing collaborative tools improves communication efficiency, enabling your team to share updates, insights, and documents in real time, thereby avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth emails. Furthermore, standardizing templates for emails and reports can save time during communication consistency. This ultimately enhances sales outcomes and customer satisfaction, helping your team navigate the sales process steps more effectively and understand the true sales rep meaning in cultivating client relationships. Building Relationships Over Administrative Tasks Though many sales professionals may feel compelled to prioritize administrative tasks, focusing on building relationships with prospects and customers proves far more beneficial. The sales meaning in business extends beyond paperwork; it’s about connections. Here’s why you should emphasize relationship-building: 70% of buying experiences rely on how customers feel treated during interactions. Prioritizing relationships can boost sales productivity by 20%, making it easier to close deals. Satisfied customers lead to a 25% reduction in churn rates, enhancing loyalty. Salespeople skilled in building relationships achieve 15% higher sales quotas compared to those buried in clerical work. Collaboration Between Sales and Other Departments Collaboration between sales and other departments is vital for maximizing a company’s effectiveness and boosting overall performance. When there’s strong collaboration between sales and marketing, you can see a remarkable increase in customer retention and sales win rates. Regular meetings with customer service teams improve response times to inquiries, leading to higher customer satisfaction. Sharing data and insights with product development allows for a better comprehension of customer needs, which can lead to customized offerings and a significant increase in product adoption. Cross-departmental collaboration also promotes a unified company culture, boosting employee engagement and overall team performance. Integrating feedback from sales into business strategy enables quick adaptation to market changes, improving competitive advantage and driving revenue growth. Utilizing Data and Analytics for Decision-Making Sales teams thrive on information, and utilizing data and analytics for decision-making is a strong way to improve their effectiveness. By comprehending how do sales work through data, you can refine your approach and results. Here are four key benefits: Identify trends in customer behavior for targeted marketing, boosting conversion rates by up to 20%. Utilize predictive analytics to improve forecasting accuracy by 10-20%, optimizing resource allocation. Segment your audience based on analyzed customer data, increasing retention rates by 15%. Incorporate data insights into strategies, leading to a 30% rise in sales productivity by focusing on high-value prospects. Comprehending what does sales mean in this context highlights the importance of informed decision-making throughout the sales process steps. Continuous Training and Development To remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market, businesses must prioritize continuous training and development for their sales teams. Research shows that organizations with thorough training programs generate a staggering 218% higher income per employee. By providing ongoing training opportunities like workshops and webinars, you can boost employee retention rates by 50%, creating a more experienced sales force. Regularly updating training materials guarantees your sales reps stay informed about new product features and market trends, which is crucial since 70% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. Implementing mentorship programs accelerates learning, helping new hires achieve their first quotas 20% faster. Ultimately, continuous development not only improves sales techniques but also boosts employee satisfaction and loyalty. Encouraging Feedback and Adaptation A strong sales strategy doesn’t just rely on effective techniques and ongoing training; it additionally thrives on feedback and adaptation. Encouraging feedback from your sales team cultivates a culture of continuous improvement, enabling you to identify what works and what doesn’t. Here are some key steps to reflect on: Implement a structured feedback system to collect insights regularly. Revise your sales playbook based on gathered feedback, aligning your sales strategies with market changes. Share success stories within the team to motivate and promote collaboration. Utilize customer insights to inform product development and improve overall sales strategies. Creating a Positive Sales Environment Creating a positive sales environment is essential for nurturing a culture of collaboration and success within your team. Open communication allows salespeople to share challenges and successes, cultivating a supportive atmosphere that improves morale. Recognizing and rewarding achievements, like meeting sales targets, greatly boosts motivation and instills a culture of excellence. Ongoing training and development opportunities guarantee sales reps feel confident and equipped to perform, leading to improved job satisfaction. A well-defined sales culture that emphasizes teamwork, accountability, and customer focus contributes to a more engaged sales force. Furthermore, promoting work-life balance helps reduce burnout and turnover rates, resulting in a more stable, productive team that thrives in achieving sales goals. Implementing Effective Sales Tools and Resources Building on a positive sales environment, implementing effective sales tools and resources plays a significant role in enhancing team performance. To maximize your sales performance, consider these vital components: CRM Systems: Streamline communication and manage customer relationships efficiently. Conversational Marketing Software: Engage customers in real-time and analyze data to refine sales strategies. Integration with Business Systems: Align messaging and outreach efforts across departments, enhancing collaboration. Training Resources: Empower your team with ongoing development opportunities to effectively utilize sales technology. Regularly evaluating and updating these sales tools guarantees your team remains competitive in a swiftly evolving market, eventually leading to improved sales outcomes and a more productive work environment. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the Key Components of Selling? The key components of selling include comprehending your customer’s needs, effective communication, and product knowledge. You need to actively listen to prospects and tailor your messaging to build trust. Having a deep grasp of your product allows you to confidently address questions and highlight its benefits. Furthermore, strong interpersonal skills help cultivate relationships, whereas good time management guarantees you prioritize sales activities and follow up swiftly, enhancing your overall effectiveness. What Are the 5 C’s of Sales? The 5 C’s of sales are fundamental for developing a strong sales strategy. First, focus on your Customer to understand their needs and preferences. Next, evaluate Cost to guarantee your pricing reflects value during staying competitive. Convenience is vital; make the buying process easy for customers. Then, prioritize Communication to engage effectively with prospects. Finally, cultivate Collaboration among team members to align sales efforts with your business goals for greater success. What Are the 7 C’s in Sales? The 7 C’s in sales are essential for effective communication. You need Clarity, guaranteeing your message is easily understood. Conciseness helps you respect your prospect’s time by delivering information briefly. Consistency builds trust, as you maintain the same message across channels. Courtesy shows respect, enhancing relationships. Completeness guarantees you provide all necessary information. Consideration takes your customer’s needs into account, and Correctness emphasizes accuracy in your details. Mastering these principles can greatly improve your sales effectiveness. What Are the 5 Key Factors of the Sales Process? The five key factors of the sales process are prospecting, qualifying, presenting, closing, and following up. You start by identifying potential leads during prospecting. Then, you qualify these leads to guarantee they fit your criteria. Next, you present your product or service, showcasing its value. After addressing objections, you close the sale. Finally, following up helps nurture the relationship, assuring customer satisfaction and potentially leading to repeat business. Conclusion In conclusion, successful sales rely on key components like comprehending customer preferences, aligning with the purchasing path, and establishing clear milestones. By identifying stakeholders and providing support throughout the sales process, you can promote collaboration and adaptability. Continuous training guarantees your team remains effective, during feedback mechanisms help refine strategies. Utilizing the right tools further boosts efficiency. By focusing on these elements, you can improve sales performance, customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive revenue growth. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are the Key Components That Do Sales Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The world’s richest man was just handed a chance to become history’s first trillionaire. Elon Musk won a shareholder vote on Thursday that would give the Tesla CEO stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade. The vote followed weeks of debate over his management record at the electric car maker and whether anyone deserved such unprecedented pay, drawing heated commentary from small investors to giant pension funds and even the pope. In the end, more than 75% of voters approved the plan as shareholders gathered in Austin, Texas, for their annual meeting. “Fantastic group of shareholders,” Musk said after the final vote was tallied, adding “Hang on to your Tesla stock.” The vote is a resounding victory for Musk showing investors still have faith in him as Tesla struggles with plunging sales, market share and profits in no small part due to Musk himself. Car buyers fled the company this year as he has ventured into politics both in the U.S. and Europe, and trafficked in conspiracy theories. The vote came just three days after a report from Europe showing Tesla car sales plunged again last month, including a 50% collapse in Germany. Still, many Tesla investors consider Musk as a sort of miracle man capable of stunning business feats, such as when he pulled Tesla from the brink of bankruptcy a half-dozen years ago to turn it into one of the world’s most valuable companies. The vote clears a path for Musk to become a trillionaire by granting him new shares, but it won’t be easy. The board of directors that designed the pay package require him to hit several ambitious financial and operational targets, including increasing the value of the company on the stock market nearly six times its current level. Musk also has to deliver 20 million Tesla electric vehicles to the market over 10 years amid new, stiff competition, more than double the number since the founding of the company. He also has to deploy 1 million of his human-like robots that he has promised will transform work and home — he calls it a “robot army” — from zero today. Musk could add billions to his wealth in a few years by partly delivering these goals, according to various intermediate steps that will hand him newly created stock in the company as he nears the ultimate targets. That could help him eventually top what is now considered America’s all-time richest man, John D. Rockefeller. The oil titan is estimated by Guinness World Records to have been worth $630 billion, in current dollars, at his peak wealth more than 110 years ago. Musk is worth $493 billion, as estimated by Forbes magazine. Musk’s win came despite opposition from several large funds, including CalPERS, the biggest U.S. public pension, and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. Two corporate watchdogs, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, also blasted the package, which so angered Musk he took to calling them “corporate terrorists” at a recent investor meeting. Critics argued that the board of directors was too beholden to Musk, his behavior too reckless lately and the riches offered too much. “He has hundreds of billions of dollars already in the company and to say that he won’t stay without a trillion is ridiculous,” said Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at research firm Telemetry who has been covering Tesla for nearly two decades. “It’s absurd that shareholders think he is worth this much.” Supporters said that Musk needed to be incentivized to focus on the company as he works to transform it into an AI powerhouse using software to operate hundreds of thousands of self-driving Tesla cars — many without steering wheels — and Tesla robots deployed in offices, factories and homes doing many tasks now handled by humans. “This AI chapter needs one person to lead it and that’s Musk,” said financial analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. “It’s a huge win for shareholders.” Investors voting for the pay had to consider not only this Musk promise of a bold, new tomorrow, but whether he could ruin things today: He had threatened to walk away from the company, which investors feared would tank the stock. Tesla shares, already up 80% in the past year, rose on news of the vote in after-hours trading but then flattened basically unchanged to $445.44. For his part, Musk says the vote wasn’t really about the money but getting a higher Tesla stake — it will double to nearly 30% — so he could have more power over the company. He said that was a pressing concern given Tesla’s future “robot army” that he suggested he didn’t trust anyone else to control given the possible danger to humanity. Other issues up for a vote at the annual meeting turned out wins for Musk, too. Shareholders approved allowing Tesla to invest in one of Musk’s other ventures, xAI. They also shot down a proposal to make it easier for shareholders to sue the company by lowering the size of ownership needed to file. The current rule requires at least a 3% stake. —- This story corrects that Rockefeller wealth was in oil, not railroads. —Bernard Condon, Associated Press View the full article

The United States has about 640 million acres of public land, covering national parks to conservation areas and wild rivers to lake shores. These lands contain resources like oil and gas reserves, or minerals like lithium and copper that could be mined. But they’re also home to hiking trails, camping sites, fishing spots, and all sorts of outdoor recreational activities—activities that contribute billions of dollars to our economy. Outdoor recreation specifically on federal public lands and waters generates $128 billion in economic activity every year, according to a new report by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), a coalition of trade associations and outdoor organizations. That translates to $351 million a day from access to outdoor recreation on public lands and waters—or $14.6 million in economic value every hour. The ORR report is a first-of-its-kind assessment meant to highlight the value of keeping public lands open and available to such activities, rather than closing them off to outdoor enthusiasts so that they can be mined and drilled for resources. The report comes amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, during which national parks have limited staff and so may also limit public access. The study also follows multiple attacks on public lands by President Donald The President, from considering selling off millions of acres to actually opening up public lands to more drilling and mining. Outdoor recreation as an ‘economic engine’ Outdoor recreation in the U.S. is a $1.2 trillion industry, supporting more than five million jobs and made up of more than 110,000 businesses (plus the countless individuals who partake in all sorts of activities, from boating to RVing to hiking). Whitney Potter Schwartz, ORR’s senior vice president of communications and operations, calls this industry “one of America’s greatest economic engines.” Yet, there hasn’t been a comprehensive picture of exactly how federal lands specifically contribute to all those numbers, she adds, until the study out this week. The $128 billion generated by such activities includes at least half a billion dollars that go straight to federal coffers through park passes, entrance fees, permits, and leases. Then there’s federal taxes revenue, which totals $5.8 billion. State and local taxes add another $5 billion. But outdoor recreation also benefits American businesses and American workers. Of the outdoor recreation industry’s five million jobs, one in five depend on federal public lands. When people visit public lands, they usually spend money on food, hotels, or recreational equipment. Direct annual spending by recreational visitors to federal public lands totals $72 billion, per the report. Federal agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, produce their own economic reports, but this is the first time all the information has been pulled together to provide a collective picture of outdoor recreation on public lands, says Rob Southwick, a senior adviser at Southwick Associates, which conducted the study. Economic models helped fill in the gaps, like to understand how much Americans spend outside of these sites. Unsplash A sustainable, long-term revenue source Using federal public lands for outdoor recreation provides a value that is sustainable, recurring, and long term, the report shows. That’s counter to the idea of generating revenue from public lands through resource extraction including oil, gas, and minerals. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has proposed leveraging the country’s public lands to pay off its national debt, specifically by ramping up drilling and mining. He has said he views public lands and waters as part of the country’s “balance sheet,” full of valuable assets just waiting to be extracted. But such resources are finite, the ORR report notes. “When the oil, gas, or minerals are gone, so are the associated jobs, income, and tax revenues,” it reads. “Furthermore, the land may require remediation before it is fit for other uses or it may never return as a revenue-bearing asset.” Outdoor recreation, in contrast, is a “sustainable and appreciating asset,” Schwartz says. Americans can hike, camp, and climb on the same piece of land over and over again, continuously generating money. Recreation can also support more jobs than other activities. It’s the largest source of economic returns from U.S. Forest Service lands, the report notes, supporting 161,000 jobs. In comparison, forest products, livestock grazing, mineral extraction, and energy production support a combined 103,200 jobs. “Access to recreation is this economic powerhouse,” Schwartz says, “and it delivers these compounding returns year after year for the economy.” View the full article

The shift away from fully keyword-targeted search campaigns has been building for years – but this week, it reached a tipping point. Two account managers on my team, each handling different clients in different industries, came to me with the same uneasy admission. They were leaning toward dropping some of their keyword search campaigns in favor of Performance Max. Not all of them. But some. These weren’t impulsive calls. They were data-backed decisions made after months of testing, optimization, and watching Performance Max consistently outperform keyword-targeted campaigns. Are we heading toward keywordless targeting? Not quite. But we’ve reached a stage where some accounts are no longer keyword-dominant – and that shift changes everything. When seasoned PPC marketers who’ve built their careers on keyword strategies start making this recommendation, it’s time to pay attention. The landscape has changed, and if you’re still resisting, you’re not being cautious – you’re forfeiting growth. The stars have aligned for AI-forward advertising Here’s what’s happening right now: AI Overviews are appearing more frequently in search results. Google’s AI Mode is gaining adoption. YouTube viewership continues to climb. Users are searching, scrolling, streaming, and shopping differently than they did even a year ago. If the way people engage with Google has fundamentally changed, doesn’t it make sense that the way we manage campaigns should change too? Google has been moving toward AI-powered campaigns for years, but 2025 is different. This is the year where AI-forward strategies aren’t just nice to have – they’re essential. The advertisers who embraced Performance Max, Demand Gen, and now AI Max early are seeing results. The ones who are still waiting? They’re watching their competitors pull ahead while they sit at the station. The holistic approach you’ve been missing Across client accounts – and in conversations with prospects – I’m seeing a clear pattern: B2B companies that focused too heavily on performance marketing are now admitting they have a brand trust problem. On the flip side, companies that invested only in awareness are struggling to convert. The answer isn’t choosing one or the other. It’s both. I used to call it awareness campaigns. Now I’m calling it what it really is: brand trust campaigns. Because when you show up consistently across platforms, you’re building more than awareness – you’re building trust that your brand exists, matters, and can solve your customers’ problems. While LinkedIn and Meta often dominate brand trust conversations, Google’s AI-forward Demand Gen campaigns deserve serious attention. These campaigns use first-party data and website engagement signals, and they’re currently the only campaign type that can target lookalike segments across the web. With high-impact images and videos, they function like social ads with strong engagement and brand recall. When you pair brand trust campaigns like Demand Gen with Performance Max – which will likely soon appear in AI Overviews, AI Mode results, and across Google’s entire ecosystem – you’re building a program with staying power. Dig deeper: How to optimize B2B PPC spend when budgets and confidence are low Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Performance Max is replacing keyword-dominant strategies I’m not saying keywords are dead – but 100% keyword-targeted search campaigns are no longer the dominant strategy. In those two accounts I mentioned earlier, the path to dropping some keyword campaigns wasn’t overnight. It was methodical. While our clients initially wanted to advertise every service, it wasn’t feasible to promote everything through keyword-targeted campaigns – it was simply too costly. We went with a keyword-based strategy for top-tier services, and tested Performance Max for tier-two and tier-three services. The results were promising, so we were given more budget. After several months, conversion rates and sales data made it clear. Performance Max was a rising star. We added top-tier services to PMax to complement existing search efforts. Is the final step completely dropping those keyword campaigns and going all-in on Performance Max? Maybe someday. Now, this isn’t an all-or-nothing scenario for every account. In many cases, Performance Max and keyword campaigns work beautifully together. But what I am seeing is a clear trend: Performance Max is earning more budget, more trust, and more results. Think about what these AI-powered campaigns actually do. They create opportunities for your brand to show up consistently across search, Google, and YouTube. By the time someone is ready to convert, they may search directly for your brand or use a high-intent keyword – and your Performance Max campaign will be there. But you’ve already built awareness, trust, and consideration long before that moment. Dig deeper: Top 6 B2B paid media platforms: Where and how to advertise effectively AI Max: The next evolution Google’s newest offering, AI Max for Search campaigns, represents yet another evolution. Early results from our testing are mostly flat – which is actually fine at this stage. But here we are again, facing the same hesitation we saw with Performance Max when it first launched. However, what’s exciting about AI Max is its location interest targeting at the ad group level and new brand controls that we haven’t seen before. These are meaningful additions that signal where Google is heading. The cost of resistance Here’s what I hear from the market: “I tried Performance Max and it didn’t work.” “I’m seeing too many junk keywords.” “I’m not ready to give up control.” I get it. Change is uncomfortable. Letting AI optimize assets feels like relinquishing control. Trusting the algorithm with your budget requires a leap of faith. But every single Google product launch faces this same resistance. Each time, the advertisers who adopt early, test thoroughly, and push through the learning curve are the ones who win. If something didn’t work six months ago, that doesn’t mean it won’t work today. Performance Max has evolved significantly. The platform has more controls, more transparency, and more ways to guide the algorithm toward your goals. Dismissing it based on outdated testing is like refusing to get on the train because it was delayed last year. How to prepare for an AI-first future If AI Mode and AI Overviews are changing how people search – and they are – then you need an AI-forward ad program to show up in those experiences. If you’re not testing these tools now, you won’t be ready when your competitors are already established. Here’s what you can do today. Audit your current campaigns: Are you still running 100% keyword-targeted campaigns? If so, test Performance Max alongside them and compare performance over at least two months. Invest in brand trust campaigns: Whether through Demand Gen, LinkedIn, or YouTube, make sure you’re building awareness and trust alongside your conversion campaigns. Create high-quality assets: Video and images that convey why customers trust you aren’t optional anymore. They’re essential for AI-powered campaigns to succeed. Adopt a test-and-learn mindset: Everything takes at least two weeks to settle. Some tests take months. If you give up too quickly, you’ll never know what could have worked. We’ve stopped tests that weren’t performing, only to revisit them months later with better results because the platforms evolve. Stop viewing these tools as threats to your control: They’re tools to expand your reach and improve your results. The fundamentals of great marketing – strong messaging, understanding your audience, and stellar content – still matter. AI just helps you reach more of the right people. Dig deeper: LinkedIn Ads or Google Ads? A framework for smarter B2B decisions The future belongs to AI-forward advertisers The Google Ads landscape is shifting toward AI-powered campaigns, and data from real accounts confirms this trend. Advertisers who are testing, learning, and adapting are seeing results. Those who wait for certainty or cling to outdated strategies are losing ground. You don’t need to abandon everything overnight. But you do need to start testing. Commit to the learning curve, knowing that initial results may not be extraordinary but that the platform will improve – and so will your results. The train has left the station. You can wait for the next one and arrive hours late, or you can pivot, adapt, and find a faster route. My team and I? We’re on that train, and we’ll keep riding. That’s what a growth mindset looks like – continuous testing, continuous learning, and staying open to what’s next. Because in this industry, standing still is the only way to lose. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon is already rolling out early Black Friday deals, and Google’s unlocked Pixel 9 just dropped to $499—a solid $300 off its original $799 price. Google Pixel 9 $499.00 at Amazon $799.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $499.00 at Amazon $799.00 Save $300.00 It’s not the newest in the lineup (that would be the Pixel 10 series), but as Lifehacker associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt put it, the Pixel 9 is “so good, you don’t need a Pro.” Released last summer alongside the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, this model sits neatly in the middle of the range, offering the premium Pixel experience without the premium price. At this discount, it’s also the lowest price the phone has seen since launch, according to price-tracking tools. Under the hood, the Pixel 9 runs on Google’s Tensor G4 chip with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, powered by Android 14. It’s fast, responsive, and built to handle Google’s growing suite of AI tools, even if those features still have the occasional hiccup. The 6.3-inch OLED display runs at up to 120Hz, offering a smooth, crisp experience for everything from scrolling to gaming. As for its battery life, its 4,700mAh battery lasted almost 12 hours in PCMag’s video test, meaning it should comfortably get most users through a full day. The Pixel 9 supports 27W wired charging (no charger in the box) and up to 15W wireless charging with Google’s Pixel Stand. You also get reverse wireless charging, which can top off earbuds or a smartwatch in a pinch. Camera-wise, the Pixel 9 holds its own even against pricier flagships. It features a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra-wide lens with a 123-degree field of view, the same as its Pro siblings. It doesn’t have the Pro’s multi-zone autofocus system, sticking instead with a single-zone LDAF sensor, but the image quality remains exceptional, especially in good lighting. Plus, the phone’s IP68 rating means it’s protected against dust and water, while its aluminum frame and matte finish give it a sturdy, premium feel. Add in seven years of software updates, support for 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual SIM (physical and eSIM), and you’ve got a smartphone built for longevity. If you don’t need the bleeding edge of Google’s Pixel 10 series, the Pixel 9, especially at this price, feels like a smart, balanced buy. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Shark AI Ultra Matrix Clean Mapping Voice Control Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base — $299.99 (List Price $599.00) Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones — $199.00 (List Price $349.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $24.99 (List Price $49.99) Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) — $749.00 (List Price $999.00) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Introducing Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni Mini-LED Series, QLED 4K UHD smart TV, Dolby Vision IQ, 144hz gaming mode, Ambient Experience, hands-free with Alexa, 2024 release — $819.99 (List Price $819.99) Google Nest Cam Indoor (Wired, 3rd Gen) - Security Camera with 2K Video and Gemini, Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Google Home - 2025 Model - Snow — $74.99 (List Price $99.99) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $328.00 (List Price $399.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

In a new holiday ad for Starbucks, set to the tune of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, two adorable animated figures traipse across Starbucks’s red holiday cups to reunite. It’s a sweet video that highlights Starbucks’s transition into the winter holidays, one of the biggest sales moments of the year for the company. But while the iconic red cups are starring in Starbucks’s early holiday promotion, they’ve also become the center of an ongoing dispute with Starbucks Workers United—and a potential strike. On November 6, Starbucks released its holiday menu in stores, including seasonal beverages, treats, and cups. The rollout heralds the arrival of Red Cup Day on November 13, an annual event when Starbucks offers free reusable cups to any customer who makes a holiday beverage purchase. Last year, an internal memo from Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, obtained by The Wall Street Journal, showed that Red Cup Day 2024 was the company’s best U.S. sales day of all time. Meanwhile, on November 5, Workers United overwhelmingly voted to authorize a proposed strike, starting on November 13, if Starbucks “fails to finalize a fair contract” with the union by then. “Union baristas are prepared to turn Starbucks’ Red Cup Day into the Red Cup Rebellion,” a press release from the union reads. Today, it’s been nearly four years since Starbucks workers organized their first store, with no contract agreement in sight—and, as the holidays roll around, it’s becoming clear that while the red cup symbolizes a huge financial win for Starbucks, it’s become a symbol of frustration for the union. What’s happened between Starbucks and its union? Starbucks and its union have been embroiled in a dispute over the company’s contracts since 2021. In the broadest of terms, the union is looking to secure better wages, benefits, and guaranteed hours for its employees. Starbucks, meanwhile, claims that it already offers “the best overall wage and benefits package in retail.” In April 2025, the union rejected a contract proposal from Starbucks, which it says “failed to improve wages or benefits in the first year of the contract and didn’t put forth proposals to address chronic understaffing.” Since then, negotiations between the two parties have broken down. Now, per a press release, Workers United says that union workers are prepared to strike in more than 25 cities as an “opening salvo,” if Starbucks does not offer new contract proposals which “address workers’ demands for better staffing, higher pay, and a resolution of unfair labor practice charges.” Jaci Anderson, Starbucks’s director of global communications, says that the union represents a small percent of Starbucks’s workforce, including 550 stores in total. Starbucks customers, she adds, should feel assured that the vast majority of the company’s more than 10,000 company operated and 7,000 licensed locations in the U.S. will be open on November 13, regardless of the union’s plans. “We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table,” she says. “When they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk.” In a letter published on Starbucks’s website on November 5 in response to Workers United’s strike authorization, chief partner officer Sara Kelly wrote, “Starbucks offers the best overall wage and benefits package in retail, worth on average $30 per hour for hourly partners,” going on to add, “Workers United proposes pay increases of 65% immediately and 77% over three years with additional payments on top of this for almost every aspect of the job, including for working within three hours of opening or closing, for working on the weekend, for receiving inventory, or on a day when Starbucks runs a promotion.” A Workers United spokesperson told Fast Company that Kelly’s letter intentionally obfuscated the union barista’s goals. They pointed out that the $30 an hour figure includes both wages and benefits together—while, in 33 states, the starting wage for a barista is $15.25. Further, they added, the proposals that she attributes to the union are outdated and were never offered as a package deal, but rather as a variety of options available on the bargaining table. “Our fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail,” Jasmine Leli, a three-year Starbucks barista and strike captain, said in the Workers United press release. “Right now, it’s only the best job in retail for Brian Niccol.” Red Cup Rebellion 2.0 If the strike proceeds as planned, it won’t be the first Red Cup Rebellion in Starbucks history. Back in 2023, union baristas held a similar protest at more than 200 stores, which, at the time, was the largest strike in the union’s history. At the time, the union explained that, due to its popularity, Red Cup Day is one of the hardest days for Starbucks workers, due to an explosion in foot traffic and chronic understaffing. For this Red Cup Rebellion, a Workers United spokesperson told Fast Company, union workers are prepared to make a potential strike bigger and longer than any strikes in years past. As the dispute between Starbucks and Workers United continues with no clear end in sight, the red holiday cup has become the ultimate symbol of how the company’s corporate goals clash with union barista’s demands. View the full article

Senate Republicans are moving to try to end the government shutdown by preparing a new bipartisan package of spending bills and daring Democrats to vote for it, but it was unclear if their plan would work. Many Democrats said they would continue to hold out for an extension of expiring health care subsidies, which was not expected to be part of the legislation. Senate Democrats, who have now voted 14 times not to reopen the government, left their second caucus meeting of the week Thursday with few answers about whether they eventually could find a compromise with Republicans — or even with each other — on how to end the shutdown. A test vote on the new package, which had not yet been publicly revealed, could come as soon as Friday. Democrats will then have a crucial choice to make: Do they keep fighting for a meaningful deal on extending health care subsidies that expire in January, while extending the pain of the shutdown? Or do they vote to reopen the government and hope for the best as Republicans promise an eventual health care vote, but not a guaranteed outcome? Emboldened by overwhelmingly favorable elections earlier this week, many Democrats say the fight isn’t over until Republicans and President Donald The President negotiate with them on an extension. “That’s what leaders do,” said Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. “You have the gavel, you have the majority, you have to bring people together.” Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said Democrats are “obviously not unanimous” but they are unified that “without something on health care, the vote is very unlikely to succeed.” Other Democrats have been working on a deal that would reopen the government with only an agreement for a future vote on the health care subsidies. Lawmakers in both parties were feeling increased urgency to alleviate the growing crisis at airports, pay government workers and restore delayed food aid to millions of people now that the shutdown has become the longest in U.S. history. Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s decision to keep the Senate in session Friday, and perhaps over the weekend, came after The President urged Senate Republicans at a White House breakfast Wednesday to end the shutdown. The President said he thought the six-week impasse was a “big factor, negative” for Republicans in Tuesday’s elections. A new effort to reopen the government The bipartisan package Thune is proposing would fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until December or January. The new package would replace the House-passed bill that the Democrats have repeatedly rejected. That legislation would only extend government funding until Nov. 21, a date that is rapidly approaching after six weeks of inaction. The details were still to be worked out, but the new legislation mirrors a tentative plan that moderate Democrats have been sketching out in hopes of finding agreement. The proposal led by New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen would also take up Republicans on their offer to hold a vote on extending the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies at a later date. It was still unclear what Thune, who has refused to negotiate while the government is closed, would promise on health care and if enough Democrats would agree to move ahead. Republicans have for weeks been five votes short of the 60 they need. Johnson delivers setback to bipartisan talks Democrats are facing pressure from unions eager for the shutdown to end and from allied groups that want them to hold firm. Many Democrats have argued that the results for Democrats in Tuesday’s election show voters want them to continue the fight until Republicans yield and agree to extend the health tax credits. A vote on the health care subsidies “has got to mean something,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said this week. “That means a commitment by the speaker of the House, that he will support the legislation, that the president will sign.” But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made clear Thursday morning he won’t make any commitment to Democrats. “I’m not promising anybody anything,” Johnson said when asked if he could promise a vote on a health care bill. Johnson’s clear refusal was a setback for negotiators. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, one of the moderate Democrats involved in negotiations, said the speaker’s comments were “a significant problem.” “We have to make sure we have a deal that we can get broad support for,” Peters said. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not yet weighed in on the latest push. He has repeatedly called for The President to sit down with Democrats — a meeting that seems unlikely to happen. “Donald The President clearly is feeling pressure to bring this shutdown to an end,” Schumer said Thursday. Closed-door negotiations become public A group of Democrats and Republicans that has been quietly negotiating for weeks insisted they were making steady progress on a deal. In a new development Thursday, Republicans suggested they might be open to including language in a final agreement that would reverse some mass firings of government workers by the White House, according to two people familiar with the private talks granted anonymity to discuss them. But it was unclear if that proposal would be included in the new package of bills. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, a moderate Republican who has been talking to Democrats, says she wants furloughed workers to be given back pay and workers who have been fired during the shutdown to be “recalled.” “We’re still negotiating that language,” she said. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. —Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press View the full article