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On Saturday evening, a group of Yosemite National Park employees hung an upside-down American flag 3,000 feet in the air, at the top of El Capitan summit. The display was absolutely not missed. It happened in the midst of this year’s Firefall at Horsetail Fall, a popular event at the Mariposa County, California, national park, when between mid- to late February, the waterfall begins to light up 5 to 15 minutes before sunset, looking almost like molten lava. Hundreds of photographers and observers were in the park when the upside-down flag, known as a “distress flag,” according to American flag code—a sign that something is desperately wrong—hung from the mountain top. The act came shortly after Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired more than 1,000 National Park Service rangers amid drastic cuts to the federal budget. The message was clear: America’s parks are in trouble. “We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,” Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic at the park, told the San Francisco Chronicle. Carpenter was central to the employees pulling off the feat, supplying the flag and helping to get it to the top of El Capitan. “It’s super important we take care of [the parks] and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open,” Carpenter told the paper. National Park Service rangers are massively important to the preservation of our national parks. Their duties range from running programs and camps for children to maintaining the cleanliness and upkeep of trails, as well as staffing visitor centers and helping to keep visitors safe from wild animals and other dangerous natural elements. But as DOGE’s federal firings continue, many are expressing huge concerns over how parks will be maintained if there are not enough employees to manage them. Some parks have already begun trimming their hours, cancelling tours and other events, and closing visitor centers. In a post on Facebook, which has garnered more than 20,600 comments, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Florissant, Colorado, announced it would be forced to cut hours. “Due to a lack of staffing, effective Monday, February 24, 2025, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. There will be no access to the visitor center, trailhead parking, or public restrooms,” the post read. Social media posts from devastated park employees who have been let go in recent weeks have gone viral, too. “I am absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated to have lost my dream job of an education park ranger with the National Park Service this Valentine’s Day,” former ranger Brian Gibbs wrote in a February 14 post on Facebook. “My position was ripped out from under my feet after my shift was over at 3:45 p.m. on a cold snowy Friday.” The post went on to detail the many irreplaceable roles of a national parks ranger: “I am my son’s ‘Junior Ranger’ idol . . . I am a college kid’s dream job . . . I am the smiling face that greets you at the front door . . . I am your family vacation planner . . . I am a voice for 19 American Indian cultures.” DOGE’s alarming layoffs have not been limited to park workers. Last week, the administration also fired more than 300 National Nuclear Security Administration workers, then quickly rehired most of them over major national security concerns. And on Sunday, approximately 2,000 employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were informed they were being laid off. The majority of full-time staff were put on administrative leave. View the full article

Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees and eliminate hundreds of open and unfilled positions, CEO Brian Niccol said on Monday. In a memo, Niccol said the cuts will remove duplication “to create smaller, more nimble teams,” and the company will inform employees who are being laid off by midday Tuesday. Starbucks, which has 16,000 corporate employees, said the cuts will not affect staff at cafés. “We believe it’s a necessary change to position Starbucks for future success,” Niccol said in the statement. “Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity, and drive better integration.” Shares of the coffee giant (NASDAQ:SBUX) rose nearly 2% on the news in midday trading Monday. Like many fast-food chains and retail stores, Starbucks has been struggling with declining in-store sales as customers are less interested in the chain’s high-priced drinks. The cuts come just one month after the Seattle-based coffee chain reversed its popular open-door policy, which allowed anyone to sit in its cafés or use the bathroom without making a purchase. Last week, Niccol told the Wall Street Journal he plans to speed up wait times and improve mobile ordering. He also said Starbucks will be offering smaller menus in the future. According to Today.com, starting March 4, these 13 drinks will be off the menu: Iced Matcha Lemonade Espresso Frappuccino Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Java Chip Frappuccino Chai Crème Frappuccino Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino White Hot Chocolate Royal English Breakfast Latte Honey Almondmilk Flat White The chain will instead focus on customer favorites like the new Cortado and will be bringing back the Iced Cherry Chai and Jalapeño Chicken Pocket this spring. 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. Party speakers hold a special place in my heart. I love hosting people and music, so I'm always on the lookout for the next best thing, which at the moment, it's the JBL PartyBox Stage 320. But not everyone has over $500 to spend on a party speaker. If you're looking for a budget option that still has great features and packs a punch, consider Hisense's HP100 Party Rocker Speaker, currently $149.99 (originally $299.95) on Woot, the lowest price it has been according to price-tracking tools. Remember Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. If you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping; otherwise, it’ll be $6 to ship. Hisense Party Rocker Speaker HP100 2.0CH, 300W, IPX4 Waterproof, 15 Hour Long-Lasting Battery, Bluetooth 5.0, DJ and Karaoke Mode. $149.99 at Woot $299.95 Save $149.96 Get Deal Get Deal $149.99 at Woot $299.95 Save $149.96 The HP100 has been around since 2022, but it was ahead of its time when it comes to features for party speakers. It has a waterproof IPX4 rating, a 15-hour battery (with no lights and 50% volume), a two-channel system so you get stereo sound, and features to set it up for karaoke. One of the most important things for a party speaker is its output power. The HP100 has 300W of output power, which beats the PartyBox Stage 320's 240W, meaning it can get loud and not sound edgy (of course, the quality of your media also plays a role). You'll also be limited to Bluetooth 5.0, so your range, codec support, and other features will be affected (the JBL has Bluetooth 5.4). The HP100 has a microphone and guitar in port, so you can set up karaoke and control those inputs with the speaker. The control panel on the top has a wireless charging pad for supported phones, a slot to place phones so they're propped up, a battery indicator, controls for playing FM radio, light controls, and other physical buttons. The HP100 is a respectable speaker in 2025, just don't expect any fancy features like an app companion and everything that comes with that. However, this is a great opportunity at just $150 for a quality party speaker. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. National home prices have risen by 2.6% year-over-year from January 2024 to January 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index, a slightly decelerated rate from the 4.6% year-over-year rate last spring. However, not every housing market is seeing rising home prices. Among the 300 largest metro area housing markets, 31 markets are seeing falling home prices on a year-over-year basis. While home prices continue to rise in regions with tight inventory—such as much of the Northeast, Midwest, and Southern California—some housing markets in states like Texas, Florida, and Louisiana, where inventory has now surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels, are experiencing modest price corrections. These year-over-year declines are evident in major metros such as Austin (-3.4%); Tampa (-2.8%); San Antonio (-1.8%); New Orleans (-1.1%); Jacksonville, Florida (-0.9%); Phoenix (-0.8%); Dallas (-0.7%); and Orlando (-0.6%).\] The markets seeing the most softness, where homebuyers are gaining leverage, are primarily located in Sun Belt regions, particularly the Gulf Coast and Mountain West. These areas saw major price surges during the pandemic housing boom, with home price growth outpacing local income levels. As pandemic-driven migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives to maintain sales, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals. Will this softening continue this year? A key indicator to watch will be active inventory levels. If weaker markets like Tampa continue to see substantial increases in active inventory—already above pre-pandemic levels—it may signal ongoing softening, potentially creating more opportunities for homebuyers. View the full article

This morning, Apple announced its largest spend commitment to date: A whopping $500 billion that’s set to be invested in American manufacturing, engineering, and AI efforts over the next four years. The major news comes just days after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump to discuss the tech giant’s current manufacturing practices and the president’s tariff initiatives. Earlier this month, the Trump administration moved ahead with a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports and proposed even larger tariffs on Mexican imports—both countries that serve as major manufacturing suppliers for Apple’s partner, Foxconn Technology Group. After Cook and Trump met on Friday, the president said that Apple planned to close existing plants in Mexico and build more products in the U.S. instead, claiming, “They don’t want to be in the tariffs.” “[Cook] is going to start building,” Trump told reporters of the CEO’s plans for U.S. investment. “Very big numbers—you have to speak to him. I assume they’re going to announce it at some point.” Now, Cook’s plans have come into sharper focus. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s supersized American investment: Where will the money go? According to a press release from Apple, the $500 billion investment will be spread across a few major projects and several smaller initiatives. To start, the company plans to begin building servers in the U.S. via a new 250,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. The plant will be located in Houston, Texas, and is slated to open sometime in 2026. Meanwhile, in Detroit, Apple will open the Apple Manufacturing Academy, a tech education initiative. “Apple engineers, along with experts from top universities such as Michigan State, will consult with small- and medium-sized businesses on implementing AI and smart manufacturing techniques,” the press release notes. The company will also use the new investment to double its existing U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund, a program designed to create American manufacturing jobs. Part of that expansion will entail “a multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple to produce advanced silicon in TSMC’s Fab 21 facility in Arizona,” the release reads. What can Apple users expect? Another core beneficiary of the $500 billion initiative will be Apple’s U.S.-based research and development (R&D) teams, which are responsible for new product releases like the recent iPhone 16E. Over the next four years, Apple expects to hire around 20,000 new employees, the “vast majority” of whom will be focused on R&D, silicon engineering, software development, AI, and machine learning—each a subcategory that will presumably shape Apple’s future product releases. Why is Apple doing this now? As Trump continues to pursue higher tariffs, costs for overseas manufacturing are rising for Apple, especially given that China is the company’s largest manufacturing hub. Meanwhile, Cook—like many tech CEOs in Trump’s second administration—seems intent on maintaining a strong relationship with the president, including via donations to his campaign and visits to his Mar-A-Lago estate. During Trump’s first term, Cook leveraged his connection to the president to secure a tariff exemption for the iPhone. Now, it seems, this unprecedented new investment is part of Cook’s plan to shepherd Apple forward in a political climate that rewards American manufacturing while punishing production abroad. View the full article

Donald Trump’s re-engagement with Russia has given new urgency to European discussionsView the full article

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has introduced the Cooper WORK Series Regional Haul All-position (RHA) 2, a commercial truck tire designed to balance fuel efficiency with durability for super-regional and regional fleets. The SmartWay-verified tire is engineered to deliver long miles to removal and even wear, addressing the evolving demands of Less-than-Truckload (LTL) carriers and super-regional operations. Addressing Efficiency and Durability in Super-Regional Transport As shipping hubs move closer to last-mile delivery networks, the demand for commercial tires that can withstand both highway and urban driving conditions is increasing. Joe Burke, vice president of North America Commercial at Goodyear, emphasized the importance of adapting to these trends. “The super-regional category is evolving with shorter routes between shipping hubs and a focus on improving efficiency by being closer to last-mile delivery fleets,” says Joe Burke, vice president, North America Commercial at Goodyear. “The new Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 helps address these needs by combining a long-haul tread with a scrub guard compound, creating a tough tire that can handle everything from long trips to urban traffic.” Key Features of the Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 The RHA 2 is designed to provide fleets with both performance and longevity, featuring: Balanced long-haul and regional tread compound for improved fuel efficiency and extended mileage. Scrub guard compound to resist wear in high-scrub environments. Five-rib tread with a wide footprint and solid shoulder to promote even wear and long tread life. Stone protector ledges to reduce stone retention and improve retreadability. Cooper Wear Square indicator for quick assessment of remaining tread life. Expanding the Cooper WORK Series Portfolio The RHA 2 joins Goodyear’s Cooper WORK Series, SEVERE Series, and PRO Series in providing commercial fleets with high-value tire solutions. Each line is designed to optimize total cost of ownership while meeting the durability needs of modern trucking operations. The Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 is available now. This article, "Goodyear Unveils Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 Tire for Super-Regional and Regional Fleets" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has introduced the Cooper WORK Series Regional Haul All-position (RHA) 2, a commercial truck tire designed to balance fuel efficiency with durability for super-regional and regional fleets. The SmartWay-verified tire is engineered to deliver long miles to removal and even wear, addressing the evolving demands of Less-than-Truckload (LTL) carriers and super-regional operations. Addressing Efficiency and Durability in Super-Regional Transport As shipping hubs move closer to last-mile delivery networks, the demand for commercial tires that can withstand both highway and urban driving conditions is increasing. Joe Burke, vice president of North America Commercial at Goodyear, emphasized the importance of adapting to these trends. “The super-regional category is evolving with shorter routes between shipping hubs and a focus on improving efficiency by being closer to last-mile delivery fleets,” says Joe Burke, vice president, North America Commercial at Goodyear. “The new Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 helps address these needs by combining a long-haul tread with a scrub guard compound, creating a tough tire that can handle everything from long trips to urban traffic.” Key Features of the Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 The RHA 2 is designed to provide fleets with both performance and longevity, featuring: Balanced long-haul and regional tread compound for improved fuel efficiency and extended mileage. Scrub guard compound to resist wear in high-scrub environments. Five-rib tread with a wide footprint and solid shoulder to promote even wear and long tread life. Stone protector ledges to reduce stone retention and improve retreadability. Cooper Wear Square indicator for quick assessment of remaining tread life. Expanding the Cooper WORK Series Portfolio The RHA 2 joins Goodyear’s Cooper WORK Series, SEVERE Series, and PRO Series in providing commercial fleets with high-value tire solutions. Each line is designed to optimize total cost of ownership while meeting the durability needs of modern trucking operations. The Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 is available now. This article, "Goodyear Unveils Cooper WORK Series RHA 2 Tire for Super-Regional and Regional Fleets" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The new iOS 18.4 beta is still missing an AI-overhauled Siri, on-screen awareness, and the app integrations feature we were promised all the way back in June at WWDC. If you're waiting for those features, try your luck with iOS 18.5. However, 18.4 isn't an empty update. The first beta introduces Priority Notifications, and Apple Intelligence now supports more languages—which is great news for Apple users across the globe. In addition, Apple Intelligence is now accessible in the European Union for the first time. Here's everything that's new with iOS 18.4. Priority NotificationsOne of the new highlight features in iOS 18.4 is Priority Notifications. When enabled, your iPhone will use on-device intelligence to figure out which notifications are truly important, and will highlight them in a new Priority Notifications box at the top. However, in this beta, it's not enabled by default. Go to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and then enable the feature. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Sketch style in Image Playground Credit: Khamosh Pathak When you're creating an image in Image Playground, you'll see a new style option called Sketch. This style makes it look like your AI-generated image was sketched on a paper. If that sounds familiar, that's because we also saw this back at WWDC, but Apple only just added it to iOS with this update. New Ambient Music feature in Control Center Credit: Khamosh Pathak Apple already has a background sounds feature that generates nature sounds for ambient playback. However, in iOS 18.4, you'll find a new Ambient Music section in Control Center. There are four options: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Tap one, and it'll play a corresponding playlist from Apple Music. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Apple has mapped a playlist to each button by default, but you're not locked to any. If you go into the editing view and then tap on a control, you can choose a different playlist (Apple gives you four different options for each control), or you can choose any playlist from your own collection. Apple Intelligence comes to the EUApple Intelligence now supports French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified), plus there's now support for localized English language in both India and Singapore. Recipes come to the News+ appThe News app has a new Apple News Food+ section for paying subscribers. Here, you can access tens of thousands of aesthetically pleasing recipes. There are also stories, restaurant reviews, and more. The new Mail app comes to iPad and MacWith iPadOS 18.4 beta and macOS 15.4 beta, the redesigned Mail app is coming to the iPad and the Mac. Once you update, you'll get access to email categories and other AI features on your tablet and computer. A much better Genmoji button Credit: Khamosh Pathak When I wrote about Genmoji, I was tempted to call it a hidden feature, because that's what it felt like. Genmoji was just a multicolor smiley face tucked in the corner of the Emoji keyboard. Apple seems to have learned its lesson: With 18.4, the new icon says "Gemoji" right next to the smiley face rainbow icon. New Podcasts widgets Credit: Khamosh Pathak The Podcasts app has two new widgets: one for Library, and for Shows. The Library widget can show you all saved episodes, downloaded episodes, or latest episodes. The Shows widget is for highlighting all episodes from a single show. You can choose a show, and then access all the latest episodes from the show from the Home Screen. More choices for default apps Apple's selection of default apps options is growing. You can now set a different Translate app by default, and if you're in the EU, there's now support for choosing a default navigation app, too. (If you're not in the EU, try using Map Redirect as a workaround.) CarPlay changesFor some users, it looks like CarPlay is adding a third row of app icons on the Home screen. Other small changesMajor app updates like iOS 18.4 typically include a number of smaller changes in addition to more notable ones. Here's what else iOS 18.4 updates on your iPhone: When you're setting up a new device with iOS 18.4, you'll be prompted to select an age range. You can choose between Child (12 or younger), Teen (13 to 17), and Adult (18 or older). Apple says that it will use this data only to help set up parental controls. There are two new Shortcuts actions for the Messages app: Open Conversation, and Send Message. When you go to edit your Albums, you'll see a new List View option, hopefully making it easier to rearrange albums. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: My father-in-law was visiting over the weekend. He started talking about how my brother-in-law is job-hunting to escape new company ownership. At one of my brother-in-law’s interviews, the employer asked to talk to his wife (my sister-in-law, who isn’t employed and cares for my three young nephews). I was so surprised that I exclaimed, “They can’t do that!” Well, I guess my comment offended my father-in-law because he raised his voice and said back, “What do you mean they can’t do that?!” I said what if the candidate was a single mom with kids? My father-in-law snapped at me, saying the employer wants to make sure that my brother-in-law’s wife “is on board.” (He missed my point that not everyone who works is a married man.) I dropped the conversation and said nothing more after that, because it wasn’t worth fighting over it in front of my daughter and husband. So now I’m wondering, is it okay for an employer to ask to talk to “The Wife” before hiring? It seems very outdated to me. It’s like they want to know that she will agree to provide free childcare so my brother-in-law can work as many hours as the company wants. It’s a very retro and outdated practice. And I’d love to know whether they’re asking to talk to female candidates’ husbands, because I bet they’re not. Some years back, I had an interesting conversation with Suzanne Lucas of Evil HR Lady about companies that ask to meet the whole family before offering a job that would involve moving to a new country (something Suzanne herself has done; she and her kids moved to Switzerland when her husband took a job there). She made a good argument for why it makes sense in that situation — the job won’t work out if the family is unhappy in the new country / doesn’t want to move — but that’s very different than interviewing for a job locally. My guess is that the explanation is one of the following: * Your brother-in-law is interviewing for a high-up executive role where his spouse will be expected to play more of a role in his career and/or the company is more-than-usually invested in the character of the executives they hire and think meeting his spouse will give them insight into whether they’d be comfortable having him as representing their company. * The role is relatively senior and they want to make sure his spouse is on-board with what the demands of the role are expected to be. (Typically this is something that the company would convey to the candidate and let the candidate talk with their spouse about, but again — retro.) * The company thinks of themselves as “family-oriented” and this is part of that. In any case, it’s pretty weird, and your father-in-law sounds like a difficult in-law (not because he doesn’t find it weird, but because he took it personally to the point of snapping at you about it). View the full article

After nearly 40 years providing decor for countless birthdays across the United States, Party City is entering its final days of operations. And as the company’s last storefronts close their doors, competitors including Five Below and Dollar Tree are vying to move in for majorly discounted prices. Party City filed for bankruptcy twice—first in 2023 and again this past December—before ultimately announcing at the end of 2024 that it could not recover its losses and would be permanently shutting down its 800 locations. In a memo sent to employees at the time, the company listed February 28 as its last day of operations (though, since then, some Redditors have noted extensions at their local locations). While most Party City stores are living out their last hurrah this week, the company itself is working down to the wire to sell designation rights for more than 200 existing leases. Discount retailers are stepping up According to documents submitted to bankruptcy court in the southern district of Texas, Party City is currently hoping to secure deals with two new tenants: Five Below and Dollar Tree. Per a memo submitted on February 19, the proposed Five Below deal would include 44 storefronts in exchange for a $2 million upfront payment, followed by an additional $70,000 for each lease agreement signed after 29 leases. Likewise, the proposed Dollar Tree deal (submitted to court on February 21) would include 148 storefronts for a $1 million upfront payment, followed by an additional $65,000 for each lease agreement over 10 leases. In both cases, Party City’s legal representation noted, the company has “an urgent need” to close the transactions quickly, given that its dwindling budget “does not provide for continued payment of rent.” Both proposals are expected to be heard in court this week. Fast Company reached out to Party City, Five Below, and Dollar Tree for more information on the deals, and did not hear back from any of the parties involved at the time of publication. Many legacy retailers are struggling in 2025 Party City’s final woes come amidst a larger “retail apocalypse” affecting stores like 7-Eleven, Big Lots, and Joann Inc. (which also just announced it will permanently cease operations). As inflation persists and e-commerce continues to gain ground as consumers’ preferred method of shopping, physical retail locations are taking a major hit. According to a report from Coresight Research, this year could be the worst yet for U.S. retailers (including pandemic years), with an estimated 15,000 closures on the near horizon. Based on a report from The Independent, while the Party City corporation’s days are numbered, the store won’t entirely fade into oblivion just yet. Currently, nine franchisees representing 29 Party City locations are planning to run their stores independently for the foreseeable future. A similar phenomenon has kept the last remaining Blockbuster store open years after the company itself died off—preserving a beloved site of retail nostalgia against all odds. View the full article

Anthropic released on Monday its Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, which it says returns results faster and can show the user the “chain of thought” it follows to reach an answer. This latest model also powers a new coding tool called Claude Code that can perform some development tasks autonomously. Claude 3.7 Sonnet offers an “extended thinking” mode that engages in a more detailed “chain of thought” reasoning but takes longer to generate a response. For simpler questions it eschews this mode and instead focuses on speed. Other models offer their own versions of “thinking” mode, but typically the user has to select that feature for harder problems; Anthropic says Claude 3.7 Sonnet is the first publicly available model with the capability to choose the best mode based on the user’s question. If Grok 3 and DeepSeek-R1 are stick shifts, then Anthropic’s new model is an automatic. “Just as humans use a single brain for both quick responses and deep reflection, we believe reasoning should be an integrated capability of frontier models rather than a separate model entirely,” Anthropic says in a blog post. Claude 3.7 Sonnet outperforms other “thinking” models in some important benchmark tests. On SWE-bench, which evaluates AI models’ ability to solve real-world software issues, the model beat OpenAI’s o1 and o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1 by a comfortable margin. It was the same story on TAU-bench, which tests AI agents on complex real-world tasks with user and tool interactions. However, OpenAI’s o1 model still edges out Claude 3.7 Sonnet in math problem solving, visual reasoning, multilingual Q&A, and graduate-level reasoning benchmarks. Anthropic describes the Claude Code tool as an active collaborator that can search and read code, edit files, write and run tests, and commit and push code to GitHub. The company says the tool has already become “indispensable” for its own coders, completing tasks in a single pass that would normally take 45 minutes or more of manual work. Claude 3.7 Sonnet is now available on all Claude subscription plans—Free, Pro, Team, and Enterprise–but the extended thinking mode isn’t available to users of the free tier. Claude 3.7 Sonnet is also available to developers as an API for the same price as earlier Claude models. View the full article

BP‘s chief executive will scrap a target to increase renewable generation 20-fold by 2030, returning the focus to fossil fuels, as part of a strategy shift announced on Wednesday to tackle investor concerns over earnings, two sources told Reuters. BP’s shares have underperformed rivals in recent years and the oil major has already dropped its target to cut oil and gas output by 2030, Reuters reported in October. On Wednesday, when BP holds a capital markets day, CEO Murray Auchincloss will tell investors the company is abandoning its target to grow renewable generation capacity 20-fold between 2019 and 2030 to 50 gigawatts, two sources close to the matter said. The plan to drop the target has not been previously reported. BP declined to comment. Its earnings reports show the company has 8.2 GW of renewable generation capacity, and that for 2019, BP’s net wind generation capacity reached 926 megawatts. It did not give a figure on total renewable capacity for that year. The sources said BP will also ditch a target to reach core earnings (EBITDA) of $49 billion this year and instead set an annual percentage growth target, the sources said. They declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the strategy change. While BP has said in a call with analysts it could drop the targets, it has yet to formally announce any decision. BP failed to reach its 2024 EBITDA target of 40.9 billion. The company will also make public plans to divest assets and cut other low-carbon investments to reduce debt and boost returns, the sources said. The capital markets day was originally scheduled for February 11 in New York, but was changed to to Wednesday in London because Auchincloss had to undergo a medical procedure. Sector-wide shift Across the energy sector, major companies that shifted their portfolios in response to the need to lower carbon emissions and curb climate change have returned the focus to oil and gas, where returns have become easier as fossil fuel prices have rebounded from pandemic lows. The investor environment has also been transformed by the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump, a climate sceptic and advocate of fossil fuels. Pressure has become intense on BP after activist investor Elliott Investment Management built up a nearly 5% stake. Elliott, known for pushing changes at companies such as Honeywell and Southwest Airlines, is demanding an overhaul, including tighter cost discipline at BP. A separate source familiar with the matter told Reuters Elliott wanted BP to scale down its green energy spending and sell assets such as wind and solar. BP would also benefit from selling its Castrol lubricants and its network of service stations to unlock value and boost share buybacks, added the source, who also asked not to be named. Under Auchincloss’ predecessor, Bernard Looney, BP pledged in 2020 to cut oil and gas output by 40% while rapidly growing renewables by 2030. BP lowered the reduction target to 25% in 2023. Since taking office, Auchincloss has slowed investments in renewables and announced plans to cut costs and reduce staff by 5%. BP could on Wednesday announce cuts to its annual low-carbon capex by $2-$3 billion, analysts at Bank of America said. BP’s 2024 capital spending was $16.24 billion. —Arunima Kumar and Anousha Sakoui, Reuters View the full article

Sir Keir Starmer reiterates that Britain is ‘ready and willing’ to put troops on ground in Ukraine to secure peaceView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you're looking for a budget-friendly phone that gets the job done, the Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2024, Unlocked) is currently $179.99 (down from $299.99)—its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. Available in midnight blue and pale lilac, this PCMag Editor’s Choice winner features a vegan leather finish, which while giving it a premium feel tends to attract dust and pet hair (so a case might be a smart investment). On the upside, the textured surface provides a secure grip, making accidental drops less likely. It also packs a side-mounted fingerprint scanner in the power button, a decent single speaker with Dolby Atmos support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for those who prefer wired audio. Moto G Power 5G | 2024 | Unlocked | Made for US 8/128GB | 50MP Camera | Midnight Blue $179.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $299.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $179.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $299.99 Save $120.00 For an affordable device, it performs surprisingly well, thanks to its MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor and 8GB of RAM. Everyday tasks feel smooth, and its 6.7-inch 120Hz display makes scrolling and animations feel more fluid than you’d expect at this price point. Additionally, its 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD), gives you plenty of space for apps and media. And with NFC support for mobile payments, it adds a small but significant convenience that’s often missing in budget phones. Battery life is another strong point, with a 5,000mAh capacity lasting well over 12 hours. And when it’s time to charge, 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging ensure you’re not stuck waiting for too long. Where the Moto G Power 5G (2024) starts to show its budget roots is in the camera department: Its 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization sounds promising, but the results can be inconsistent, with oversaturated colors and pixel blurring, notes this PCMag review. If capturing crisp, high-quality shots is a priority, the OnePlus Nord N30 5G ($299.99) might be a better option. View the full article

“I had a bit of a harsh reality check today, and felt like it’s important to share with whoever is listening,” model and actress Hunter Schafer said in an eight-minute video posted on TikTok last week. Speaking in a rare direct-to-camera clip, the Euphoria actress held up her new passport and reflected on what it said about trans rights under the Trump administration. Schafer explained that the gender marker on her passport had been changed, a direct consequence of President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order. The order declared that the United States would “recognize two sexes, male and female,” and “these sexes are not changeable.” It added that documents like passports and visas must “accurately reflect the holder’s sex.” Schafer also referenced the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs policy under Trump’s executive order, which states, in part: “We will no longer issue U.S. passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs) with an X marker. We will only issue passports with an M or F sex marker that match the customer’s biological sex at birth.” “My initial reaction to this, because our president is a lot of talk, was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’ and today, I saw it on my new passport,” Schafer said in the video, which has already been viewed over one million times. Schafer had her gender listed as female on official documents since updating her driver’s license as a teenager. But after her passport was stolen while filming in Barcelona, she applied for a routine replacement—only to find that the new document listed her gender as male. “I’m not making this post to fearmonger or to create drama or receive consolation,” Schafer continued. “I don’t need it, but I do think it’s worth posting to sort of note the reality of the situation and that it is actually happening.” She said the new passport marker would not change anything about her identity. “I don’t go give a f— that they put an M on my passport. It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness. However, it does make life a little harder,” she said. Next week, she’ll be using the passport for the first time and added that she anticipates having to out herself to Border Patrol agents and officials. “I just want to say trans people are beautiful,” she said. “We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that.” View the full article

The real estate company's latest move leverages artificial intelligence to optimize and simplify the entire home-buying journey for consumers. View the full article

There are multiple ways to run a salon business. The owner can rent or buy a space and hire employees who work for a set wage. Or they can set up a salon booth rental arrangement. The latter option provides some unique benefits both for business owners and those who rent the space. The following post is your complete guide for finding a booth and/or renting booths to stylists. What is Booth Rental? With a booth rental salon, the salon owner simply rents chairs to other licensed cosmetologists instead of hiring them to work for a set wage. The owner gets the profits from renting the space. And those who rent the space essentially run their own business within the larger salon. They can set their own schedule and are responsible for their own marketing and client management. But they benefit from having the space and amenities of the established salon. How Much Does Booth Rental Cost? The precise cost of salon booth rental depends on the salon’s location and the amenities available. Typically, the average cost is about $400 to $600 monthly. However, salons situated in upscale neighborhoods and high-traffic locations such as Manhattan can demand thousands per month. In contrast, salons located in areas with lower traffic may have rates as low as $200 per month. How Does Salon Booth Rental Work? If you are in the process of finding out how to open a hair salon or how to open a nail salon, or you already own a salon, booth rental would simply allow you to earn income from renting each chair in your location. Each stylist pays a monthly fee and/or a percentage of their earnings. If you’re a stylist, salon booth rental allows you to essentially start your own business without setting up your own location. You simply rent the space from a booth rental business and start bringing in clients. You pay a monthly fee or a small percentage of earnings and keep the rest. Why You Should Consider Renting a Booth as a Stylist If you’re starting out as a stylist, you have to consider whether to rent a booth or look for more traditional employment. Here are some reasons to go with a booth rental business. Be Your Own Boss When you rent a booth from a salon, you’re basically an independent contractor instead of an employee. This means you get to book your own clients, set your own hours, and build a brand that’s entirely your own. As long as you follow the rules of your rental contract, you don’t have to worry about traditional employment constrictions. Set Your Own Schedule Salon booth businesses don’t operate like other local businesses. Since you’re not an employee, you can schedule clients only for the times you’re available. If you’re a busy parent, you can just schedule clients when the kids are in school. If you want to build a robust business, you decide how many clients you can handle each day. Save on Startup Costs For those who know they want to start their own beauty business, booth rental provides a low-cost way to build a client base. You don’t need to secure an entire building, purchase all your own supplies, and go through complicated permitting processes. You only rent the space. Have Your Own Clients However, you’re still responsible for booking your own appointments. And your clients are your own – not the salon’s. So if you ever choose to start your own full salon or move to a different location, you can easily keep your customers. Be Based in an Established Salon with Your Own Business An established beauty salon can also provide some important authority for your new business. It provides a professional setting to host your appointments. And the brand name may even carry some weight. What are the Disadvantages of Booth Renting? Renting a salon booth provides a lot of benefits for certain stylists. But it’s not right for everyone. Carefully consider the following elements before signing on. You’re Paying Rent as a Salon Booth Renter When you work for a salon, you receive a paycheck without having to invest anything upfront. But as a booth renter, you pay for the space and amenities. This may be worth it for some, but it could be difficult for those without any startup cash or clients. Less Name Recognition than Larger Salons Your salon booth is its own business. So you’re still going to be up against larger competitors. Your business model as an independent stylist needs to be able to gain clients steadily through the years. You are Responsible for Your Own Supplies The salon you rent space from will likely provide large items like chairs and access to sinks and phones. However, salon renters normally use their own tools. So you do need to budget for these purchases. Booth Rental Tips for a Profitable Business If you do decide that a salon booth rental business is right for you, a well thought out business model and plan can keep you on track. Here’s how to maximize profits while growing your clientele. Plan Your Business Model Working as a stylist in a booth rental salon is akin to running your own business. You set your own services and prices, decide your working hours, and choose whether to accept walk-ins. To remain organized and focused, outline your services, policies, expenses, and projections from the beginning. Develop a Pricing Strategy Part of your business model should include prices for all your services. This helps you customers know what to expect and can help you determine how much you need to work to meet your earnings projections each month. Get Your Record-Keeping Right Once you get started, you need a way of tracking earnings, expenses, and customers. Some new stylists just use spreadsheets. But you may want actual accounting software to manage finances, a CRM to track customer interactions, and a calendar to book appointments. Marketing and Promotion Invest in promoting your services. Leverage social media, local advertising, and word-of-mouth to enhance your visibility. Specialize in a Niche Consider specializing in a specific niche or style that sets you apart from competitors and attracts a dedicated clientele. Maintain a Professional Image Keep your booth clean, organized, and professional. This reflects on your business and can significantly impact customer perceptions and satisfaction. Continuously Upgrade Your Skills Stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the industry. Consider attending workshops or training sessions to enhance your skills. Build Strong Customer Relationships Focus on building lasting relationships with your clients. Personalized service and understanding their preferences can lead to repeat business and referrals. Know Your Products and Services Many stylists offer a variety of hair care products along with their services. Keep a list of everything handy at your booth. And get to know each item and its price so you can speak intelligently when customers ask. Schedule Your Appointments and Consider Salon Software Appointment scheduling is a major factor that stylists work on daily. A calendar system or salon software can help you manage these. For example, Salon Iris allows you to customize forms to send to customers and easily collect data and complete transactions. And Boulevard is a business management solution that automates booking and personalizes appointment data. Understand that Marketing Your Business is Incredibly Important Marketing is a pivotal aspect of running a booth rental business. As a booth owner, you’re not just managing a physical space but also building a brand and attracting customers. Here’s a deeper dive into why marketing is essential and the strategies you can employ: The Significance of Marketing for Your Booth Business: Self-Reliance: Unlike working within a larger store or establishment, booth owners typically do not gain from the broad marketing strategies employed by bigger brands. As a result, individual marketing becomes essential. Building Brand Identity: Marketing helps carve out a unique identity for your booth amidst potential competition. Attracting and Retaining Customers: Regular marketing initiatives help in not only attracting first-time customers but also retaining them and encouraging repeat business. Effective Marketing Strategies for Booth Owners: Social Media Presence: Platforms: Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or even TikTok, depending on your target audience and product offering. Engagement: Regularly post updates, promotions, or behind-the-scenes content to engage your audience. User-Generated Content: Encourage satisfied customers to share photos of their purchases, which can serve as organic testimonials. Local Search Ads: Google My Business: Ensure you have a listing on Google My Business to appear in local searches. Pay-per-click (PPC) Campaigns: Invest in ads that target local keywords related to your booth’s offerings. Sponsor Local Events: Visibility: This can offer significant visibility, especially if your target audience aligns with the event’s attendees. Partnerships: Collaborate with event organizers for special promotions or booth placements. Loyalty Programs: Encourage repeat business by offering loyalty cards or discounts for regular customers. Email Marketing: Newsletters: Regular updates about new arrivals, special promotions, or events can keep your audience engaged. Personalization: Send personalized recommendations or offers based on past purchases. Collaborations and Partnerships: Partner with complementary businesses or local influencers for shoutouts, giveaways, or collaborative events. Make Sure You Choose the Right Salon The salon you choose should match your values and goals for your business. For example, if you plan to start a luxurious brand, choose a salon that is in an upscale neighborhood with modern decor and amenities. Choose a Salon in the Perfect Location You also need a salon that is convenient for both you and your customers. Distance is important, but also consider the types of customers in the area and local amenities like parking and walkability. Starting a Booth Rental Business as a Salon Owner If you’re a salon owner, offering booth rental to stylists can provide a consistent source of income. Here are several strategies to enhance this business model. What to Include in Booth Rental Before collaborating with stylists, it is important to clearly communicate their expectations. For instance, your booth rental fee may cover: salon chair mirror sinks hair dryers towels coffee, water, and snacks office tools like a phone and printer How to Make Booth Rental Profitable for Your Business When you own a booth rental salon, you turn a profit based on your ability to attract stylists. You can attract more stylists by offering features that may help them attract customers. For example, salons in high-traffic areas tend to be popular. However, if you don’t have the best location, offer more options like spa services that renters can offer their clients. Deciding on the Rental Rate The rental rate needs to be enough for you to turn a profit. But it also needs to be low enough that stylists are willing to pay it each month. If you have trouble attracting enough stylists, you may need to offer more amenities or improve your storefront so it appeals to more customers. If you have too many stylists interested in booth rental, you may want to raise rates. Advantages of Renting Chairs in Your Salon Running a salon rental business can be significantly less involved than running a traditional salon. Here are some top advantages: No need to hire and train employees Ability to earn passive income through monthly rent Easy to predict income each month No need to build a full service and pricing list Disadvantages of Renting Chairs in Your Salon However, renting chairs to independent stylists can also have drawbacks. Here are some to consider: Lack of control over services offered at your location Damage to reputation if customers have a bad experience with a stylist Complications with employment law over dealing with independent contractors Losing customers to chair renters in your salon, if you also provide stylist services there The Legal Aspects of Booth Rental Before you can start a salon using this business model, it’s important to get the legal aspects right. Here are some issues to consider. Contracts and the Booth Rental Salon Agreement Your rental agreement should lay out what space they’re provided and any add-ons that are included. It also needs to state exactly what they can and can’t do. For example, are they responsible for doing their own laundry? Can they sell their own products? What behavior is not tolerated around other renters and their clientele? A signed agreement with all this outlined may help you cut ties with any contractors who don’t follow the rules. State Laws Each state has its own regulations regarding booth rental. For instance, you might need to fulfill specific criteria related to collaborating with contractors or providing physical space. It’s advisable to consult your state’s business office for detailed information. Protecting Yourself Stylists who rent booths are generally responsible for their own insurance. Professional liability can protect against some legal action from clients. For salon owners, general liability can protect against injury on-site. Taxes Chair renters are responsible for tracking and paying taxes based on their earnings. And salon owners must also pay taxes on their rental income. Specific rates vary by state. Developing Your Own Company Policies Each salon needs policies for what stylists are allowed to do and what’s included in rental agreements. And then renters need policies for what services are offered and how customers can book and keep appointments. For example, write out rates for all services and let customers know when payment is expected and how and when appointments can be canceled. How do I start booth renting? First, find a salon in your area that suits your needs. For example, if you need to bring in new customers, look for salons in high traffic areas. Then compare prices and amenities. Once you find a salon, invest in the tools and supplies that are not included, like hair tools and beauty products from your favorite brands. What are booth renters responsible for? Booth renters are usually responsible for running most aspects of their business, including: Finances Marketing Creating service lists and prices Communicating with customers Appointment scheduling Providing services Should I charge booth rent or commission? When renting chairs in a salon, you have the option to charge either a flat monthly fee or a percentage of each renter’s commission. A flat rent structure offers more predictability, while a commission-based approach could potentially yield higher earnings if your renters generate significant income. Think about the level of accounting work you’re prepared to handle and how much predictability matters for your business model. CriteriaFlat Monthly FeePercentage Commission PredictabilityHigh - You know the exact amount you'll receive each month.Variable - Depends on the renters' income for that period. Potential EarningsFixed - You earn the same regardless of the renters' income.Flexible - Earnings can increase if renters have a good month. Accounting ComplexityLow - Simple and consistent tracking of fixed rental amounts.Higher - Need to calculate and track variable amounts regularly. RiskLower - Assured income irrespective of the renters' business.Potential for lower income during slow periods for renters. Incentive for RentersNone - Renters pay the same regardless of their earnings.Renters might be more motivated to earn more, as it also affects their own take-home amount. Business Model AlignmentSuitable for those prioritizing stability and simplicity.Works best for salons willing to share risks and rewards with renters. Are booth renters considered employees? No, booth renters in a salon are independent contractors. They basically run their own business. But they use some amenities at the salon. How do I prepare for a booth rental? If you’re thinking about renting a booth at a salon, here are some things to consider: Read your rental agreement to learn exactly what is included Invest in your own tools Market your services online or locally Get a salon software Schedule appointments Image: Depositphotos This article, "Booth Rental Guide for Salon Owner and Stylists" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

There are multiple ways to run a salon business. The owner can rent or buy a space and hire employees who work for a set wage. Or they can set up a salon booth rental arrangement. The latter option provides some unique benefits both for business owners and those who rent the space. The following post is your complete guide for finding a booth and/or renting booths to stylists. What is Booth Rental? With a booth rental salon, the salon owner simply rents chairs to other licensed cosmetologists instead of hiring them to work for a set wage. The owner gets the profits from renting the space. And those who rent the space essentially run their own business within the larger salon. They can set their own schedule and are responsible for their own marketing and client management. But they benefit from having the space and amenities of the established salon. How Much Does Booth Rental Cost? The precise cost of salon booth rental depends on the salon’s location and the amenities available. Typically, the average cost is about $400 to $600 monthly. However, salons situated in upscale neighborhoods and high-traffic locations such as Manhattan can demand thousands per month. In contrast, salons located in areas with lower traffic may have rates as low as $200 per month. How Does Salon Booth Rental Work? If you are in the process of finding out how to open a hair salon or how to open a nail salon, or you already own a salon, booth rental would simply allow you to earn income from renting each chair in your location. Each stylist pays a monthly fee and/or a percentage of their earnings. If you’re a stylist, salon booth rental allows you to essentially start your own business without setting up your own location. You simply rent the space from a booth rental business and start bringing in clients. You pay a monthly fee or a small percentage of earnings and keep the rest. Why You Should Consider Renting a Booth as a Stylist If you’re starting out as a stylist, you have to consider whether to rent a booth or look for more traditional employment. Here are some reasons to go with a booth rental business. Be Your Own Boss When you rent a booth from a salon, you’re basically an independent contractor instead of an employee. This means you get to book your own clients, set your own hours, and build a brand that’s entirely your own. As long as you follow the rules of your rental contract, you don’t have to worry about traditional employment constrictions. Set Your Own Schedule Salon booth businesses don’t operate like other local businesses. Since you’re not an employee, you can schedule clients only for the times you’re available. If you’re a busy parent, you can just schedule clients when the kids are in school. If you want to build a robust business, you decide how many clients you can handle each day. Save on Startup Costs For those who know they want to start their own beauty business, booth rental provides a low-cost way to build a client base. You don’t need to secure an entire building, purchase all your own supplies, and go through complicated permitting processes. You only rent the space. Have Your Own Clients However, you’re still responsible for booking your own appointments. And your clients are your own – not the salon’s. So if you ever choose to start your own full salon or move to a different location, you can easily keep your customers. Be Based in an Established Salon with Your Own Business An established beauty salon can also provide some important authority for your new business. It provides a professional setting to host your appointments. And the brand name may even carry some weight. What are the Disadvantages of Booth Renting? Renting a salon booth provides a lot of benefits for certain stylists. But it’s not right for everyone. Carefully consider the following elements before signing on. You’re Paying Rent as a Salon Booth Renter When you work for a salon, you receive a paycheck without having to invest anything upfront. But as a booth renter, you pay for the space and amenities. This may be worth it for some, but it could be difficult for those without any startup cash or clients. Less Name Recognition than Larger Salons Your salon booth is its own business. So you’re still going to be up against larger competitors. Your business model as an independent stylist needs to be able to gain clients steadily through the years. You are Responsible for Your Own Supplies The salon you rent space from will likely provide large items like chairs and access to sinks and phones. However, salon renters normally use their own tools. So you do need to budget for these purchases. Booth Rental Tips for a Profitable Business If you do decide that a salon booth rental business is right for you, a well thought out business model and plan can keep you on track. Here’s how to maximize profits while growing your clientele. Plan Your Business Model Working as a stylist in a booth rental salon is akin to running your own business. You set your own services and prices, decide your working hours, and choose whether to accept walk-ins. To remain organized and focused, outline your services, policies, expenses, and projections from the beginning. Develop a Pricing Strategy Part of your business model should include prices for all your services. This helps you customers know what to expect and can help you determine how much you need to work to meet your earnings projections each month. Get Your Record-Keeping Right Once you get started, you need a way of tracking earnings, expenses, and customers. Some new stylists just use spreadsheets. But you may want actual accounting software to manage finances, a CRM to track customer interactions, and a calendar to book appointments. Marketing and Promotion Invest in promoting your services. Leverage social media, local advertising, and word-of-mouth to enhance your visibility. Specialize in a Niche Consider specializing in a specific niche or style that sets you apart from competitors and attracts a dedicated clientele. Maintain a Professional Image Keep your booth clean, organized, and professional. This reflects on your business and can significantly impact customer perceptions and satisfaction. Continuously Upgrade Your Skills Stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the industry. Consider attending workshops or training sessions to enhance your skills. Build Strong Customer Relationships Focus on building lasting relationships with your clients. Personalized service and understanding their preferences can lead to repeat business and referrals. Know Your Products and Services Many stylists offer a variety of hair care products along with their services. Keep a list of everything handy at your booth. And get to know each item and its price so you can speak intelligently when customers ask. Schedule Your Appointments and Consider Salon Software Appointment scheduling is a major factor that stylists work on daily. A calendar system or salon software can help you manage these. For example, Salon Iris allows you to customize forms to send to customers and easily collect data and complete transactions. And Boulevard is a business management solution that automates booking and personalizes appointment data. Understand that Marketing Your Business is Incredibly Important Marketing is a pivotal aspect of running a booth rental business. As a booth owner, you’re not just managing a physical space but also building a brand and attracting customers. Here’s a deeper dive into why marketing is essential and the strategies you can employ: The Significance of Marketing for Your Booth Business: Self-Reliance: Unlike working within a larger store or establishment, booth owners typically do not gain from the broad marketing strategies employed by bigger brands. As a result, individual marketing becomes essential. Building Brand Identity: Marketing helps carve out a unique identity for your booth amidst potential competition. Attracting and Retaining Customers: Regular marketing initiatives help in not only attracting first-time customers but also retaining them and encouraging repeat business. Effective Marketing Strategies for Booth Owners: Social Media Presence: Platforms: Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or even TikTok, depending on your target audience and product offering. Engagement: Regularly post updates, promotions, or behind-the-scenes content to engage your audience. User-Generated Content: Encourage satisfied customers to share photos of their purchases, which can serve as organic testimonials. Local Search Ads: Google My Business: Ensure you have a listing on Google My Business to appear in local searches. Pay-per-click (PPC) Campaigns: Invest in ads that target local keywords related to your booth’s offerings. Sponsor Local Events: Visibility: This can offer significant visibility, especially if your target audience aligns with the event’s attendees. Partnerships: Collaborate with event organizers for special promotions or booth placements. Loyalty Programs: Encourage repeat business by offering loyalty cards or discounts for regular customers. Email Marketing: Newsletters: Regular updates about new arrivals, special promotions, or events can keep your audience engaged. Personalization: Send personalized recommendations or offers based on past purchases. Collaborations and Partnerships: Partner with complementary businesses or local influencers for shoutouts, giveaways, or collaborative events. Make Sure You Choose the Right Salon The salon you choose should match your values and goals for your business. For example, if you plan to start a luxurious brand, choose a salon that is in an upscale neighborhood with modern decor and amenities. Choose a Salon in the Perfect Location You also need a salon that is convenient for both you and your customers. Distance is important, but also consider the types of customers in the area and local amenities like parking and walkability. Starting a Booth Rental Business as a Salon Owner If you’re a salon owner, offering booth rental to stylists can provide a consistent source of income. Here are several strategies to enhance this business model. What to Include in Booth Rental Before collaborating with stylists, it is important to clearly communicate their expectations. For instance, your booth rental fee may cover: salon chair mirror sinks hair dryers towels coffee, water, and snacks office tools like a phone and printer How to Make Booth Rental Profitable for Your Business When you own a booth rental salon, you turn a profit based on your ability to attract stylists. You can attract more stylists by offering features that may help them attract customers. For example, salons in high-traffic areas tend to be popular. However, if you don’t have the best location, offer more options like spa services that renters can offer their clients. Deciding on the Rental Rate The rental rate needs to be enough for you to turn a profit. But it also needs to be low enough that stylists are willing to pay it each month. If you have trouble attracting enough stylists, you may need to offer more amenities or improve your storefront so it appeals to more customers. If you have too many stylists interested in booth rental, you may want to raise rates. Advantages of Renting Chairs in Your Salon Running a salon rental business can be significantly less involved than running a traditional salon. Here are some top advantages: No need to hire and train employees Ability to earn passive income through monthly rent Easy to predict income each month No need to build a full service and pricing list Disadvantages of Renting Chairs in Your Salon However, renting chairs to independent stylists can also have drawbacks. Here are some to consider: Lack of control over services offered at your location Damage to reputation if customers have a bad experience with a stylist Complications with employment law over dealing with independent contractors Losing customers to chair renters in your salon, if you also provide stylist services there The Legal Aspects of Booth Rental Before you can start a salon using this business model, it’s important to get the legal aspects right. Here are some issues to consider. Contracts and the Booth Rental Salon Agreement Your rental agreement should lay out what space they’re provided and any add-ons that are included. It also needs to state exactly what they can and can’t do. For example, are they responsible for doing their own laundry? Can they sell their own products? What behavior is not tolerated around other renters and their clientele? A signed agreement with all this outlined may help you cut ties with any contractors who don’t follow the rules. State Laws Each state has its own regulations regarding booth rental. For instance, you might need to fulfill specific criteria related to collaborating with contractors or providing physical space. It’s advisable to consult your state’s business office for detailed information. Protecting Yourself Stylists who rent booths are generally responsible for their own insurance. Professional liability can protect against some legal action from clients. For salon owners, general liability can protect against injury on-site. Taxes Chair renters are responsible for tracking and paying taxes based on their earnings. And salon owners must also pay taxes on their rental income. Specific rates vary by state. Developing Your Own Company Policies Each salon needs policies for what stylists are allowed to do and what’s included in rental agreements. And then renters need policies for what services are offered and how customers can book and keep appointments. For example, write out rates for all services and let customers know when payment is expected and how and when appointments can be canceled. How do I start booth renting? First, find a salon in your area that suits your needs. For example, if you need to bring in new customers, look for salons in high traffic areas. Then compare prices and amenities. Once you find a salon, invest in the tools and supplies that are not included, like hair tools and beauty products from your favorite brands. What are booth renters responsible for? Booth renters are usually responsible for running most aspects of their business, including: Finances Marketing Creating service lists and prices Communicating with customers Appointment scheduling Providing services Should I charge booth rent or commission? When renting chairs in a salon, you have the option to charge either a flat monthly fee or a percentage of each renter’s commission. A flat rent structure offers more predictability, while a commission-based approach could potentially yield higher earnings if your renters generate significant income. Think about the level of accounting work you’re prepared to handle and how much predictability matters for your business model. CriteriaFlat Monthly FeePercentage Commission PredictabilityHigh - You know the exact amount you'll receive each month.Variable - Depends on the renters' income for that period. Potential EarningsFixed - You earn the same regardless of the renters' income.Flexible - Earnings can increase if renters have a good month. Accounting ComplexityLow - Simple and consistent tracking of fixed rental amounts.Higher - Need to calculate and track variable amounts regularly. RiskLower - Assured income irrespective of the renters' business.Potential for lower income during slow periods for renters. Incentive for RentersNone - Renters pay the same regardless of their earnings.Renters might be more motivated to earn more, as it also affects their own take-home amount. Business Model AlignmentSuitable for those prioritizing stability and simplicity.Works best for salons willing to share risks and rewards with renters. Are booth renters considered employees? No, booth renters in a salon are independent contractors. They basically run their own business. But they use some amenities at the salon. How do I prepare for a booth rental? If you’re thinking about renting a booth at a salon, here are some things to consider: Read your rental agreement to learn exactly what is included Invest in your own tools Market your services online or locally Get a salon software Schedule appointments Image: Depositphotos This article, "Booth Rental Guide for Salon Owner and Stylists" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The first moves by Germany’s chancellor-designate are bold and encouragingView the full article

Football club could also lay off as many as 200 people in Jim Ratcliffe’s latest round of spending cutsView the full article

To create automations using Apple's Shortcuts app on your Mac, you're dependent on Apple's support for various actions. While Shortcuts supports an array of useful actions, some aren't in the app yet, such as clearing all notifications or quitting all apps. If you want to add a few more helpful actions to your Mac automations, consider Shortcutie ($6), a powerful extension for Shortcuts that lets you execute actions Apple doesn't yet support. Shortcutie itself has no interface. Once installed, all of its actions will appear in Apple's Shortcuts app on your Mac. To access them, install the app, open Shortcuts, and select Shortcutie from the Apps tab in the right pane. The app requires Accessibility permissions to function, which is necessary because macOS's strict sandboxing rules prevent apps from running many of the actions this app supports. (Note: only grant apps you trust, like Shortcutie, this permission.) Once you grant it access, you'll find new, useful tools in Shortcuts, such as changing your default browser, clearing all notifications, hiding all windows, quitting all apps, and checking if your screen is being recorded, mirrored, or shared. macOS supports all of these actions, but they aren't available in Shortcuts, which prevents you from creating automation routines around these actions. Once you have Shortcutie, you can add these triggers to your shortcuts and execute complex automations that your Mac doesn't otherwise support. Don't forget that the Shortcuts app appears in the menu bar and you can run automations directly from the menu bar, too. That can make it much quicker and easier to run certain actions, such as the dreaded "clear all notifications." When you combine this app with Shortery, which lets you run Mac automations based on various triggers, you can automate pretty much everything. Credit: Pranay Parab Without Shortcutie, you can open the Notification Center and clear notifications, but macOS doesn't always show the clear all button, forcing you to clear notifications one-by-one. With Shortcutie, I set up a simple automation, and in two clicks, I'm now able to clear all alerts. Similarly, quitting all apps is quite easy with the action added by this app. You normally don't need to do this, but if your Mac has slowed down due to a memory leak or high ambient temperatures, Shortcutie's quit all apps action offers a one-click method to reduce the burden on your computer. Here are some more useful actions from the app: Empty Trash Eject all disks Clear recent lists (from menus) Set grayscale mode Show/hide desktop widgets Get URL and title of the active browser tab At the time of writing, Shortcutie supports 29 actions, and the developer, Sindre Sorhus, has promised to add more. The biggest concern is that Shortcutie relies on private APIs to access these actions and those can change at any point. The developer has promised to keep a tab on these changes and to support the app, but it does leave the app vulnerable to losing features. Regular updates should be able to fix any issues that may crop up in the future, but it's something to keep in mind. I'm not worried though, knowing the developer: Sorhus has created over 50 apps and utilities for Mac and iPhone (Lifehacker has covered many), so I expect he will continue to keep Shortcutie updated. View the full article

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees — most of whom are on administrative leave — were asked in an email to list what they accomplished last week. National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 335 said workers should list all the tasks they were told not to perform. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Ever realized you haven’t seen a particular coworker in weeks, asked around, and discovered they left the company a month ago and no one bothered to tell anyone? If you’ve worked for reasonably functional companies, hopefully the answer is “no.” But, whether through incompetence or design, a startling number of employers don’t announce it when employees depart — leaving their colleagues to piece it together themselves after their emails go unanswered for weeks. At Slate today, I wrote about this bizarre and inefficient phenomenon. You can read it here. View the full article

Microsoft is testing a new version of Bing named Copilot Search, where it uses Copilot AI to provide a different style of search results. It looks different from the main Bing Search, it looks different from Copilot and it looks different from the Bing generative search experience. More details. The folks over at Windows Latests reported, “Microsoft is testing a new feature on Bing called “AI Search,” which replaces blue links with AI-summarized answers. Sources tell me it’s part of Microsoft’s efforts to bridge the gap between “traditional search” and “Copilot answers” to take on ChatGPT. However, the company does not plan to make “AI search” the default search mode.” You can access it at bing.com/copilotsearch?q=addyourqueryhere – just replace the text “addyourqueryhere” with your query. What it looks like. Here is a screenshot I captured of this interface: Why we care. Everyone is looking to build the future of search now – with Google Gemini, Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity and the dozens of other start up AI search engines – the future of search is something they are all trying to crack. This seems to be one new test that Microsoft is trying out for a new approach to AI search. View the full article