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But in the age of AI-driven search, originality is not the boon we think it is. It might even be a liability… or, at best, a long game with no guarantees. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: LLMs don’t reward firsts.…Read more ›View the full article

Weakening demand in the US and Japan drags on performance at the owner of Louis Vuitton View the full article

None of the big bank chiefs really know whether The President’s fickle policies are causing good volatility or badView the full article

Lawrence Cappello is an award-winning professor of U.S. legal & constitutional history at the University of Alabama and a graduate of New York City Public Schools. He is the author of None of Your Damn Business: Privacy in the United States from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age (University of Chicago Press) and a certified information privacy professional (CIPP/US & CIPM). His work on the right to privacy has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Hill, and other media outlets. What’s the big idea? In an age of constant connectivity, privacy can feel like a thing of the past—but award-winning professor Lawrence Cappello makes a compelling case for why it still matters. With 20 sharp, practical lessons, On Privacy explores how privacy protects free societies, enhances personal well-being, and is worth defending. Designed for those who want to stay connected without sacrificing their personal space, it offers clear, actionable steps to safeguard privacy in everyday life. Concise, practical, and no-nonsense, On Privacy is a must-read guide to reclaiming control in the digital age. Below, Lawrence shares five key insights from his new book, On Privacy: Twenty Lessons to Live By. Listen to the audio version—read by Lawrence himself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Why privacy matters. There are parts of your life that are simply nobody else’s business. That’s not paranoia—that’s just being human. It doesn’t matter if you’re liberal or conservative, rich or poor—everyone, on a fundamental level, has a desire to keep certain aspects of their life private. Privacy is essential for human dignity. Privacy acts as a shield against people who would take snippets of information out of context to attack our reputations or manipulate us for their own personal benefit. And in the internet age, this is happening a lot more often. Privacy also creates space for intimacy. We share our secrets with the people we love and trust. It’s a crucial building block for establishing the trust needed to forge and maintain deep bonds with our friends and loved ones. For many of us, these bonds are the very best part of being alive. And it keeps us from being prisoners of our recorded past. A mistake you made at 16 shouldn’t define you at 40. But without privacy, our worst moments follow us forever. It also protects our mental health. Everyone needs time alone to think, to recharge, to just be. Without privacy, we never get a break from the noise Most importantly, privacy is a precondition for freedom. Tyrants invade privacy to accumulate power, suppress dissent, and control their citizens. If a society calls itself free, it must protect privacy—because without it, freedom is just an illusion. 2. How to respond when someone says: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you should have nothing to hide.” You’ve heard it before: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to hide.” That argument sounds reasonable—until you think about it for more than five seconds. People have been throwing this line around since the time of the Caesars, and it was just as stupid then as it is now. When you look at it closely, you realize this argument is just another way of saying that all secrets are bad. That privacy is only for criminals or people doing something sinful. But that’s nonsense. “Secrets aren’t sinful.” We all have secrets, and they’re not just normal—they’re essential. The secrets between romantic partners or close friends build trust and intimacy. The secrets between doctors and patients create a space where people can be honest about their health and their fears. The secrets between business associates protect innovation and keep creative ideas from being stolen. Secrets aren’t sinful. And really, how interesting can you really be if you don’t have any secrets? The problem is that all of our personal information today exists in snippets. And when taken out of context, these snippets can be twisted, misinterpreted, or weaponized against us. In the Internet Age, this happens constantly. People make snap judgments. Bad actors manipulate narratives. Reputation-damaging leaks happen in seconds. So, no, it’s not about hiding anything. It’s about controlling how we’re seen and making sure our private lives aren’t distorted or exploited by people who don’t have our best interests at heart. 3. Three quick ways you can protect your privacy right now. Cover your webcam. It sounds paranoid—until you realize that hackers can and do hijack webcams all the time. A simple slide cover or even a piece of tape blocks prying eyes. They cost about three dollars. Think about some of the more intimate things you do in front of your laptop. Now, think about the things your kids, your partner, or your loved ones might also do. Do you want a stranger in a position to record that? I don’t know one person who works in tech that doesn’t have a slide over their laptop – and you should too. Use old-school passcodes for your phone, not FaceID or fingerprints. A six-digit passcode for your phone might feel old-school, but it’s still one of the most effective ways to keep your data locked down. Biometric security like FaceID and fingerprints may feel futuristic, but they’re getting easier to hack. Nobody can hack your brain. You can be forced, legally or physically, to unlock your phone with your face or fingerprint. It’s way harder to make you spit out your passcode. Open your phone and check your app permissions. Right now, there’s a good chance some app on your phone has access to your microphone or camera, even if it doesn’t need it. Some apps default to always listening, always tracking. Take two minutes to check your settings and shut off unnecessary access. You’ll be shocked at what’s running in the background. None of these are drastic steps. They’re low effort, high reward ways to instantly boost your privacy. 4. If you want change, make privacy profitable. In America, money talks. We need to show companies that they can get rich by protecting privacy. The good news is that this is already happening. Have you seen an Apple commercial in the last couple of years? They built a whole ad campaign around the slogan “PRIVACY—THAT’S IPHONE.” Google, as well, runs ads for privacy all the time. Have you been on a subway or bus in a major metro area lately? Clever ads for VPNs are everywhere. “Did you know that the fastest-growing company in America in 2020 was a firm that helps businesses build privacy plans?” Privacy is now a commodity, and the market is responding. Privacy-first products—VPNs, encrypted messaging apps, password managers—are booming. Did you know that the fastest-growing company in America in 2020 was a firm that helps businesses build privacy plans? Why? Because consumers are demanding it. So many privacy invasions revolve around money. If we want real, lasting change, we need to make privacy profitable. That means spending money on privacy-first products and calling out companies that exploit data, because bad press affects the bottom line. If you want companies to care about privacy, make it worth their while. If you’re betting on Congress to fix this, you’ll be waiting quite a while. 5. Privacy isn’t dead. People say all the time that privacy is dead—and to those people, I say go hand your unlocked phone to a stranger for five minutes and try not to have a panic attack. If privacy were truly dead, cybersecurity wouldn’t be a trillion-dollar industry. Companies spend fortunes protecting their data. Governments guard their secrets. Even the people who claim they don’t care about privacy still use passcodes, delete messages, and think twice before posting certain things online. I’ve never met anybody who wants their text messages exposed to the public. Or their emails. Or their search history. The truth of it is that we have way less privacy than we used to, and people are exhausted. They’ve been told privacy is dead for so long that they no longer know what to fight for. “I’ve never met anybody who wants their text messages exposed to the public.” So, let’s get real about it. Instead of making privacy some impossible, all-or-nothing battle, we need to cut through the noise and focus on what kinds of privacy actually matter to people—what they instinctively protect in their daily lives. And because this issue has become so tangled, the last thing we need is academic jargon or overcomplication (and I say this as a professor). What people need are clear, practical solutions. The first step to protecting privacy is being able to explain why it matters in a way anyone can understand. That’s what this very short book is—a practical guide, written in plain-spoken language, that cuts through the complexity. So, if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by privacy debates or know someone who has, On Privacy was written with you in mind. Let’s start having smarter, saner conversations about privacy—because it’s not dead. Privacy matters. And it is worth protecting. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

There are numerous ways that your internet activity is tracked as you navigate from website to website, many of which you can mitigate with your choice of browser (and browser settings), as well as the use of tools like VPNs. Google Chrome remains the absolute worst browser for privacy for many reasons, but that doesn't mean the browser is free of privacy progress. In fact, the upcoming version of Chrome will finally patch a 20-year-old bug that allowed users to be tracked and profiled through their previously visited links. A privacy fix is coming to Chrome 136The issue, which Google is addressing with Chrome 136, has to do with how a user's previously clicked links are displayed from site to site. As BleepingComputer explains, Chrome stores visited links globally and allows them to be styled across sites as a different color from the default blue—even if you've clicked them from an entirely different website. For example, you might see a link as purple on one website, indicating you've visited it before, but you had first clicked that link on a different site entirely. This way of storing visited links creates significant privacy and security concerns, as it leaves users' browser history open to leaks and increases the risk of phishing and various cyber attacks. BleepingComputer reports that researchers have found multiple attacks in the past that originated from this vulnerability. Seeing as this was the way Chrome handled the situation for twenty years, that's not too surprising. That's changing with the upcoming 136 update. This version implements "triple-key partitioning," which marks links as visited only on the same site and frame origin where the link was clicked. There's also an exception for "self-links," meaning a site can display links to its own subpages as visited even if you clicked those links elsewhere on the internet—since sites already know if you've landed on these pages. What Chrome users need to doThe fix is expected to be turned on by default once Chrome 136 rolls out, but users on the current version (Chrome 135) and any previous versions back to 132 can enable it manually. Go to chrome://flags/#partition-visited-link-database-with-self-links and select Enabled from the drop-down. Note that the feature is still experimental and may not function as expected. Of course, you may simply consider switching to a browser that offers better privacy protection. (Firefox and Safari also have visited link styles concerns, though not as glaring as Chrome's.) View the full article

It’s fair to assume that most of us can relate to the famous saying, “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This is just the second half of one of Benjamin Franklin’s last great nuggets of wisdom, but more on that to come. As Franklin would likely have reminded you, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, is the last day to file your federal income taxes for 2024. With everything going on at Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including reported layoffs at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it might be tempting to try and fly under the radar this year and not file your taxes, hoping to dodge an audit. However, even with all the cuts in government jobs, this life decision will have consequences. Here’s a deeper look at Franklin’s words, an overview on potential IRS job cuts, and what could happen if you don’t file by the April 15 deadline. Some of Benjamin Franklin’s last words What the average Joe might not know is that Franklin’s proverb was first penned in November 1789 in a letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, according to the National Constitution Center. It became public knowledge in 1817 when it was translated from French and printed as part of a larger collection of Franklin’s private correspondence. The reason for the letter was twofold. Franklin wanted to check up on his old friend because he hadn’t heard from him since the start of the French Revolution. He also updated Le Roy on America’s beginnings. The full quote reveals Franklin’s cautious optimism for the new country he helped create. “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” he wrote. He went on to discuss his own well-being. “My health continues much as it has been for some time, except that I grow thinner and weaker so that I cannot expect to hold out much longer.” Franklin’s words turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts as he died just five months later on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia. How DOGE cuts will affect the IRS Since Franklin valued the checks and balances found in the constitution and spoke out against authoritarianism, it is fair to say that he might have concerns about some of the The President administration’s actions. It’s likely he would have agreed with Theodore Chuang, a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Maryland, who claims that Musk’s leadership position is unconstitutional, as Inc. reported. According to Chuang, Musk’s position violates Article II, Section 2 of the constitution, otherwise known as the “appointments clause,” because he has not been properly appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. For now, The President and Musk plan to continue their cuts. In March, CNN reported on a leaked email from DOGE that called for a 20% reduction of the IRS, which would put 18,200 individuals out of a job. According to the nonpartisan Budget Lab at Yale University, although this would save $1.4 billion in 2026, it would ultimately cost the federal government $6.8 billion in lost tax revenue. If there are fewer people to collect taxes, fewer people pay. So what if I don’t file my 2024 taxes? Just because the IRS is laying off workers, that doesn’t mean you should blow off your taxes. They help fund everything from roads to education to defense of our country. If you miss the April 15 deadline and you owe, you could be slapped with interest and fees. The amount would depend on just how late you are and how much you owe. The IRS has a breakdown of failure-to-pay penalties on its website. If you owe the federal government money, the failure-to-file penalty is around 5% of the unpaid taxes due each month until you hit the 25% maximum. After 60 days, you will be charged $485, or 100% of the tax due, whichever figure is less. If you don’t pay on time, there is an additional penalty of 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month. You are able to appeal penalties if you can prove that you missed the deadline due to a “reasonable cause.” These include serious illness, natural disasters, death in the family, and more. Typically, the IRS does not accept an incompetent tax professional or absence of funds excuses. I don’t owe any taxes. Do I still have to file? If you are due a refund but have not filed your taxes, you won’t face penalty fees. However, you also won’t receive your refund if you don’t file within three years. For context, the ultimate deadline to file for 2024 tax refunds is April 15, 2028. If you don’t file by then, Uncle Sam will keep your money. How do I avoid fees and interest? If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you have until April 15 to file an extension. Use Form 4868 to give yourself the gift of more time. It’s important to note, though, that even with this extension, you still need to pay your estimated taxes to prevent pesky penalties and inconvenient interest charges. View the full article

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about setting up an integration to sync ServiceNow records with Zendesk tickets using an automated 2-way flow from Unito. Since Unito is a completely customizable platform with the advantages of a no-code interface, you won’t need an IT team to deploy your first integration. No troubleshooting complex automations or working with third-party experts, either. More of a visual learner? Check out this video tutorial for a very similar integration. By the end of this guide your ServiceNow-Zendesk integration will: Create new Zendesk tickets automatically based on ServiceNow records. Create new ServiceNow records synced with Zendesk tickets. Update fields in real-time with a two-way sync when you work in either tool. In this article: Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time Step 1: Connect ServiceNow and Zendesk to Unito Step 2: Choose flow direction Step 3: Build rules to sync specific work items Step 4: Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Zendesk Step 5: Launch your ServiceNow-Zendesk integration Before you sync You need to connect a ServiceNow account with CRUD rights (create, read, update, and delete) for the records and tables you plan on syncing to Unito. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your ServiceNow admin for guidance. Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time A ServiceNow admin will need to set up the initial connection between Unito and your ServiceNow account. From there, you can either connect using OAuth 2.0 or sign in with a username and password. Make sure you have the following information on hand to connect your account: ServiceNow Domain URL: https://INSTANCENAME.service-now.com OAuth 2.0: An OAuth Client ID and Secret Username: Your ServiceNow username and password Step 1. Connect ServiceNow and Zendesk to Unito Sign up for Unito. Click +Create Flow in the Unito App. Click Start Here to connect ServiceNow and Zendesk. Click +Choose account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Choose the type of ServiceNow record you want to include in your flow. Unito supports all record types, including requests and incidents. Once you’ve connected your tools, click Confirm. First time connecting tools to Unito? Check out our in-depth guide. Step 2. Choose flow direction Flow direction allows you to choose where Unito automatically creates work items to match records your team creates in ServiceNow or tickets they open in Zendesk. When choosing flow direction, you have three options: 2-way: Both ServiceNow records and Zendesk tickets are automatically created by your Unito flow to match the items your team creates manually in each tool. 1-way from ServiceNow to Zendesk: Zendesk tickets will be automatically created by Unito to match ServiceNow records you create manually. Unito won’t create new ServiceNow records. 1-way from Zendesk to ServiceNow: ServiceNow records will be automatically created by Unito to match Zendesk tickets you create manually. Unito won’t create new Zendesk tickets. Here’s a more detailed guide to how flow direction works. Step 3. Build rules to sync specific work items Unito rules perform two primary tasks: Filtering out work items you don’t want to sync. For example, you could create a rule that only syncs ServiceNow records of a certain urgency. Automating certain actions. For example, you could create a rule that automatically asigns new Zendesk tickets to a certain person on your team. To start building your rule, click Add a new rule, then choose a trigger and an action for it. You can learn more about setting rules here. Step 4. Map fields between ServiceNow and Zendesk Mapping your fields tells Unito exactly where data from ServiceNow should land in Zendesk, and vice versa. Unito can usually map most fields automatically, whether they have the same name (Assignee→Assignee) or not (Assignee→Owner). You can also choose to map fields manually to get more control over your flow. [Map fields automatically or manually screenshot] When Unito maps your fields automatically, you’ll see this screen. Now whether you want to map your fields manually or add more mappings after Unito maps fields automatically, click +Add mapping then Select a field. Unito will automatically recommend compatible fields in a drop-down menu. A cog icon identifies fields that can be customized further after mapping. For example, a Status field can be customized so its options match the specific options in another field. Step 5. Launch your ServiceNow-Zendesk integration That’s it! You’re ready to launch your flow. Unito will automatically keep ServiceNow records and Zendesk tickets in sync. From there, teams can collaborate more effectively without any extra manual work or switching back and forth between tools. What’s next? Need to integrate ServiceNow or Zendesk with other tools in your stack? Check out our other guides: Syncing ServiceNow with Asana Integrating Zendesk with Wrike Connecting ServiceNow and Google Sheets Syncing Jira with Zendesk Integrating ServiceNow and Azure DevOps Connecting Azure DevOps and Zendesk View the full article

NJ Lenders, a nonbank licensed in 22 states, has over 100 loan originators and recorded nearly $1.5 billion in origination volume last year. View the full article

Key Takeaways Franchise Advantage: Owning a franchise barbershop provides instant brand recognition and a proven business model, making it easier to attract customers and establish trust. Support and Training: Franchisees benefit from comprehensive training and operational support from the franchisor, ensuring they are well-equipped to manage their businesses effectively. Growing Market: The grooming industry is thriving, generating over $50 billion annually in the U.S., offering significant growth potential for franchise barbershops. Cost Awareness: Starting a franchise barbershop involves initial investments, including franchise fees and ongoing royalties. Understanding these financial commitments is essential for long-term success. Competitive Landscape: The barbershop market is competitive, necessitating unique services or exceptional customer experiences to stand out from independent shops and larger chains. Popular Franchises: Established franchises like Floyd’s 99 Barbershop and Sport Clips offer unique selling points and support, enhancing the chances of franchisee success in the grooming industry. If you’re considering a venture into the world of entrepreneurship, a franchise barbershop could be your ticket to success. With the grooming industry booming and demand for quality haircuts on the rise, this model offers a unique blend of creativity and business acumen. You get to tap into a proven brand while also delivering personalized service to your clients. Owning a franchise barbershop means stepping into a community-focused environment where you can build lasting relationships. It’s not just about cutting hair; it’s about creating a welcoming space where customers feel valued. As you explore this opportunity, you’ll discover the benefits of established systems, training support, and marketing strategies that can help you thrive in a competitive market. Overview of Franchise Barbershops Franchise barbershops offer an appealing opportunity for small business owners interested in the grooming industry. These establishments combine brand recognition and a proven franchise model, making them an attractive venture for aspiring franchisees. Definition and Concept A franchise barbershop operates under a franchise agreement between the franchisor and franchisee. The franchisor provides a recognizable brand, established operational systems, and comprehensive training. The franchisee gains access to a proven business model along with support in areas like marketing and operations. This partnership allows you to focus on providing quality services while leveraging the franchisor’s experience and resources. Growth of Franchise Barbershops Franchise barbershops have experienced significant growth in recent years. The franchise industry overall has expanded due to increasing demand for grooming services. Statistics show that the grooming and personal care market generates over $50 billion annually in the U.S. With effective franchise marketing strategies and business support, you can capture a share of this lucrative market. Factors contributing to this growth include a rise in the number of franchise networks, evolving consumer preferences, and the expansion of multi-unit franchising. As a franchisee, you benefit from collective brand strength, which enhances customer loyalty and drives profitability. Benefits of Owning a Franchise Barbershop Owning a franchise barbershop provides several key advantages that enhance your chances of success. These benefits not only lower risks but also attract customers more effectively. Established Brand Recognition With a franchise barbershop, you tap into instant brand recognition. The franchisor has already built a reputable brand, which draws in customers familiar with the name. Recognized brands like V’s Barbershop, Sport Clips, and ManCave for Men foster trust and loyalty, ensuring a steady stream of clientele. Your positioning within a franchise network enhances your local appeal and strengthens your marketing strategy, making it easier to establish yourself in a competitive market. Support and Training Provided Extensive support and training come with owning a franchise barbershop. The franchisor offers a franchise operations manual covering everything from best practices to daily operations. You receive thorough franchise training focused on the art of barbering, employee management, and customer service. For instance, V’s Barbershop includes site selection guidance, employee onboarding techniques, and the use of advanced technology systems. This training ensures that you begin your franchise journey with the knowledge and tools necessary for success. Additionally, ongoing support allows you to navigate challenges efficiently, ensuring compliance with franchise regulations and promoting overall franchise growth. Challenges Faced by Franchise Barbershops Owning a franchise barbershop presents distinct challenges that every franchisee should consider. Initial Investment and Fees Starting a franchise barbershop requires significant initial investment. This investment typically includes franchise fees, equipment costs, leasehold improvements, and working capital. Franchise fees can range from $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the brand. You’ll also face ongoing royalty fees, often between 4% and 8% of gross sales. Ensure you review the franchise disclosure document for a comprehensive breakdown of costs. Understanding these expenses is crucial for effective franchise financing and operating a profitable unit franchise. Competition in the Market The barbershop market is saturated with numerous competitors, including independent shops and larger salon chains. To thrive, focus on differentiating your business through unique services or exceptional customer experiences. Creating a strong franchise marketing strategy and investing in franchise branding can help build brand recognition. This approach increases your visibility and draws in customers seeking quality grooming services. Implementing effective franchise recruitment marketing can also amplify your reach, allowing you to establish an exclusive territory that fosters customer loyalty and boosts franchise growth. Popular Franchise Barbershop Chains Franchise barbershop chains offer unique opportunities for aspiring small business owners. Several well-known franchises deliver brand recognition, operational support, and training. Here are details on a couple of leading brands in the franchise industry. Overview of Leading Brands Floyd’s 99 Barbershop Founded: 2001 Franchising since: 2005 Initial Investment: $294,000 – $642,000 Franchise Fee: $45,000 Royalty Fees: 6% Floyd’s 99 stands out with its rock-and-roll-inspired atmosphere. Creativity and self-expression are encouraged, offering a distinct experience for clients. Sport Clips Founded: 1993 Initial Investment: $266,300 – $439,500 Franchise Fee: $59,500 (first three stores), $12,500 (each subsequent store) Sport Clips creates a sports-themed barbershop experience. Clients enjoy watching sports during their haircuts, enhancing their overall service experience. Unique Selling Points Floyd’s 99 Barbershop Combines quality men’s grooming services with a fun environment. Fosters a relaxed vibe, making it inviting for clients seeking self-expression. Sport Clips Provides a unique sports viewing experience, catering to men who enjoy watching games. Combines efficient service with a fun, engaging atmosphere tailored to sports enthusiasts. These franchise opportunities demonstrate strong potential for business growth. Establishing a franchise in the barbershop industry allows you to benefit from proven business models and robust support systems. Conclusion Owning a franchise barbershop can be a rewarding venture that combines your passion for grooming with solid business opportunities. With the grooming industry on the rise and the benefits of established brands backing you, the potential for success is significant. By leveraging the support and training from franchisors, you can navigate challenges and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Remember to differentiate your services in a competitive market and create strong marketing strategies that resonate with your community. As you consider this path, keep in mind that the right franchise can lead to both personal fulfillment and financial growth in a thriving industry. Frequently Asked Questions What is a franchise barbershop? A franchise barbershop operates under a franchise agreement where the franchisee uses the franchisor’s brand name, operational systems, and training support. This allows barbershop owners to focus on providing quality services while benefiting from established brand recognition and customer loyalty. What are the benefits of owning a franchise barbershop? Owning a franchise barbershop offers advantages like brand recognition, comprehensive training, and operational support, which enhance the likelihood of success. Additionally, franchisees can tap into proven marketing strategies and benefit from an established customer base. What challenges do franchise barbershops face? Franchise barbershops encounter challenges such as significant initial investments, which can range from $20,000 to $50,000 for franchise fees, plus ongoing royalty fees. The competitive market also requires franchisees to differentiate services and create strong marketing strategies to attract customers. How much does it cost to open a franchise barbershop? The cost to open a franchise barbershop typically includes franchise fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, with ongoing royalty fees of 4% to 8% of gross sales. Additional costs will depend on location, renovations, and equipment needed to start the business. What popular franchise barbershop chains are available? Popular franchise barbershop chains include Floyd’s 99 and Sport Clips. Floyd’s 99 offers a unique rock-and-roll atmosphere with investment costs from $294,000 to $642,000. Sport Clips provides a sports-themed experience with initial investments ranging from $266,300 to $439,500, depending on the number of locations. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking Success with a Franchise Barbershop: Your Path to Entrepreneurship" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Franchise Advantage: Owning a franchise barbershop provides instant brand recognition and a proven business model, making it easier to attract customers and establish trust. Support and Training: Franchisees benefit from comprehensive training and operational support from the franchisor, ensuring they are well-equipped to manage their businesses effectively. Growing Market: The grooming industry is thriving, generating over $50 billion annually in the U.S., offering significant growth potential for franchise barbershops. Cost Awareness: Starting a franchise barbershop involves initial investments, including franchise fees and ongoing royalties. Understanding these financial commitments is essential for long-term success. Competitive Landscape: The barbershop market is competitive, necessitating unique services or exceptional customer experiences to stand out from independent shops and larger chains. Popular Franchises: Established franchises like Floyd’s 99 Barbershop and Sport Clips offer unique selling points and support, enhancing the chances of franchisee success in the grooming industry. If you’re considering a venture into the world of entrepreneurship, a franchise barbershop could be your ticket to success. With the grooming industry booming and demand for quality haircuts on the rise, this model offers a unique blend of creativity and business acumen. You get to tap into a proven brand while also delivering personalized service to your clients. Owning a franchise barbershop means stepping into a community-focused environment where you can build lasting relationships. It’s not just about cutting hair; it’s about creating a welcoming space where customers feel valued. As you explore this opportunity, you’ll discover the benefits of established systems, training support, and marketing strategies that can help you thrive in a competitive market. Overview of Franchise Barbershops Franchise barbershops offer an appealing opportunity for small business owners interested in the grooming industry. These establishments combine brand recognition and a proven franchise model, making them an attractive venture for aspiring franchisees. Definition and Concept A franchise barbershop operates under a franchise agreement between the franchisor and franchisee. The franchisor provides a recognizable brand, established operational systems, and comprehensive training. The franchisee gains access to a proven business model along with support in areas like marketing and operations. This partnership allows you to focus on providing quality services while leveraging the franchisor’s experience and resources. Growth of Franchise Barbershops Franchise barbershops have experienced significant growth in recent years. The franchise industry overall has expanded due to increasing demand for grooming services. Statistics show that the grooming and personal care market generates over $50 billion annually in the U.S. With effective franchise marketing strategies and business support, you can capture a share of this lucrative market. Factors contributing to this growth include a rise in the number of franchise networks, evolving consumer preferences, and the expansion of multi-unit franchising. As a franchisee, you benefit from collective brand strength, which enhances customer loyalty and drives profitability. Benefits of Owning a Franchise Barbershop Owning a franchise barbershop provides several key advantages that enhance your chances of success. These benefits not only lower risks but also attract customers more effectively. Established Brand Recognition With a franchise barbershop, you tap into instant brand recognition. The franchisor has already built a reputable brand, which draws in customers familiar with the name. Recognized brands like V’s Barbershop, Sport Clips, and ManCave for Men foster trust and loyalty, ensuring a steady stream of clientele. Your positioning within a franchise network enhances your local appeal and strengthens your marketing strategy, making it easier to establish yourself in a competitive market. Support and Training Provided Extensive support and training come with owning a franchise barbershop. The franchisor offers a franchise operations manual covering everything from best practices to daily operations. You receive thorough franchise training focused on the art of barbering, employee management, and customer service. For instance, V’s Barbershop includes site selection guidance, employee onboarding techniques, and the use of advanced technology systems. This training ensures that you begin your franchise journey with the knowledge and tools necessary for success. Additionally, ongoing support allows you to navigate challenges efficiently, ensuring compliance with franchise regulations and promoting overall franchise growth. Challenges Faced by Franchise Barbershops Owning a franchise barbershop presents distinct challenges that every franchisee should consider. Initial Investment and Fees Starting a franchise barbershop requires significant initial investment. This investment typically includes franchise fees, equipment costs, leasehold improvements, and working capital. Franchise fees can range from $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the brand. You’ll also face ongoing royalty fees, often between 4% and 8% of gross sales. Ensure you review the franchise disclosure document for a comprehensive breakdown of costs. Understanding these expenses is crucial for effective franchise financing and operating a profitable unit franchise. Competition in the Market The barbershop market is saturated with numerous competitors, including independent shops and larger salon chains. To thrive, focus on differentiating your business through unique services or exceptional customer experiences. Creating a strong franchise marketing strategy and investing in franchise branding can help build brand recognition. This approach increases your visibility and draws in customers seeking quality grooming services. Implementing effective franchise recruitment marketing can also amplify your reach, allowing you to establish an exclusive territory that fosters customer loyalty and boosts franchise growth. Popular Franchise Barbershop Chains Franchise barbershop chains offer unique opportunities for aspiring small business owners. Several well-known franchises deliver brand recognition, operational support, and training. Here are details on a couple of leading brands in the franchise industry. Overview of Leading Brands Floyd’s 99 Barbershop Founded: 2001 Franchising since: 2005 Initial Investment: $294,000 – $642,000 Franchise Fee: $45,000 Royalty Fees: 6% Floyd’s 99 stands out with its rock-and-roll-inspired atmosphere. Creativity and self-expression are encouraged, offering a distinct experience for clients. Sport Clips Founded: 1993 Initial Investment: $266,300 – $439,500 Franchise Fee: $59,500 (first three stores), $12,500 (each subsequent store) Sport Clips creates a sports-themed barbershop experience. Clients enjoy watching sports during their haircuts, enhancing their overall service experience. Unique Selling Points Floyd’s 99 Barbershop Combines quality men’s grooming services with a fun environment. Fosters a relaxed vibe, making it inviting for clients seeking self-expression. Sport Clips Provides a unique sports viewing experience, catering to men who enjoy watching games. Combines efficient service with a fun, engaging atmosphere tailored to sports enthusiasts. These franchise opportunities demonstrate strong potential for business growth. Establishing a franchise in the barbershop industry allows you to benefit from proven business models and robust support systems. Conclusion Owning a franchise barbershop can be a rewarding venture that combines your passion for grooming with solid business opportunities. With the grooming industry on the rise and the benefits of established brands backing you, the potential for success is significant. By leveraging the support and training from franchisors, you can navigate challenges and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Remember to differentiate your services in a competitive market and create strong marketing strategies that resonate with your community. As you consider this path, keep in mind that the right franchise can lead to both personal fulfillment and financial growth in a thriving industry. Frequently Asked Questions What is a franchise barbershop? A franchise barbershop operates under a franchise agreement where the franchisee uses the franchisor’s brand name, operational systems, and training support. This allows barbershop owners to focus on providing quality services while benefiting from established brand recognition and customer loyalty. What are the benefits of owning a franchise barbershop? Owning a franchise barbershop offers advantages like brand recognition, comprehensive training, and operational support, which enhance the likelihood of success. Additionally, franchisees can tap into proven marketing strategies and benefit from an established customer base. What challenges do franchise barbershops face? Franchise barbershops encounter challenges such as significant initial investments, which can range from $20,000 to $50,000 for franchise fees, plus ongoing royalty fees. The competitive market also requires franchisees to differentiate services and create strong marketing strategies to attract customers. How much does it cost to open a franchise barbershop? The cost to open a franchise barbershop typically includes franchise fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, with ongoing royalty fees of 4% to 8% of gross sales. Additional costs will depend on location, renovations, and equipment needed to start the business. What popular franchise barbershop chains are available? Popular franchise barbershop chains include Floyd’s 99 and Sport Clips. Floyd’s 99 offers a unique rock-and-roll atmosphere with investment costs from $294,000 to $642,000. Sport Clips provides a sports-themed experience with initial investments ranging from $266,300 to $439,500, depending on the number of locations. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking Success with a Franchise Barbershop: Your Path to Entrepreneurship" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As the federal government moves to eliminate U.S. climate rules, companies still face pressure to be better stewards of the planet from their customers, investors, employees, local communities, lenders, insurers, global trading partners, and many states. Each of those groups knows it will face increasing costs from rising temperatures and extreme weather if corporations don’t rein in their greenhouse gas emissions. Many companies will find that returning to past polluting ways isn’t in their best interest. Over 60% of chief financial officers surveyed by global management firm Kearney in December 2024 signaled that they intended to invest at least 2% of their revenue in sustainability in 2025. These companies may maintain a low profile about climate change while the The President administration is in power, but they have strong financial incentives to continue to reduce their emissions and their own climate risks. We study private environmental governance—the ways companies and organizations work outside government to improve the nation’s sustainability and reduce environmental damage. Our work finds that, in this polarized era, addressing climate and sustainability challenges is not just a matter of government action. That’s because a lot of climate and sustainability progress is underway in the private sector. Sustainability matters to companies’ bottom lines Businesses have used climate and sustainability initiatives for years to make their operations and supply chains more efficient and to reduce their long-term costs. When McDonald’s faced public pressure to reduce waste in the late 1980s, the company teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to analyze the problem. It was able to reduce its waste by 30% over the following decade, saving the company US$6 million a year. This early risk-taking by McDonald’s opened the door for other environmental groups to help businesses understand how to reduce their environmental impact, including emissions, while boosting the companies’ profitability. Maersk, the logistics giant responsible for nearly a quarter of global shipping, has responded to pressure from its corporate customers with a plan to reduce carbon emissions by one-third from 2022 to 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. It expects the combination of low-emissions vessels and a more efficient delivery network with hubs and shuttles to help meet its climate goals while increasing productivity. Companies have also helped drive the expansion of renewable energy, motivated by the competitive economics of renewables and business opportunities. Facebook’s parent company Meta and Google invested nearly $2 billion in projects to provide renewable energy in the Tennessee Valley Authority service area, even though no government required them to do so. And major companies continued signing renewable energy power purchase agreements in 2025. Microsoft and Amazon are responding to massive new power demand by trying to locate data centers near existing nuclear power plants for cleaner energy supplies. Thousands of companies report emissions via private systems Another sign of companies’ continuing commitment to sustainability is how many of them measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions even when governments do not require them to do so. Nearly 25,000 companies representing two-thirds of total global market capitalization and 85% of the S&P 500 report their emissions to the nonprofit CDP. Disclosing emissions is like keeping a fitness journal with a personal trainer. It helps a company track its progress and plan for future financial and environmental risks. More than 12,500 small- and medium-size companies also disclosed emissions to CDP in 2024. Many of these companies were initially motivated by pressure from environmental groups or corporate customers. Today, they have more reason to continue paying attention to emissions. California has its own formal reporting requirements designed to encourage companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. And other states are considering setting climate disclosure rules. The The President administration has promised to challenge them, and announced that it also plans to cut federal greenhouse gas reporting standards, but companies will likely still face reporting rules in the future. The European Union also has reporting requirements. It delayed their start date in April 2025 to give companies more time to comply. Cleaner supply chains can also be more efficient Managing supply chains with climate and environmental risks in mind can also help businesses increase their efficiency and reduce the risk that climate change will disrupt their operations. The supply chain is the largest source of the average company’s emissions and may be particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. A storm can easily disrupt vital production or shipping, and droughts or heat waves can damage crops, stop work and increase costs. Companies estimate climate-related supply chain risks at $162 billion, nearly three times the cost of mitigating those risks. Many companies therefore have incentives to reduce emissions and their exposure to related hazards. Nearly 80% of the largest companies across seven global economic sectors had set environmental requirements for suppliers within their value chains as of 2023. These requirements include reporting carbon emissions, reducing emissions and using sustainable forestry practices. Walmart eliminated 1 billion tons of carbon emissions from its supply chain in less than seven years by sharing its expertise with suppliers and working with them to reduce their emissions. Walmart’s global director of sustainable retail noted in 2024 that the effort made its suppliers more efficient, too. Keeping employees and customers happy Companies also face pressure from average people − both employees and customers. More than two-thirds of Americans support action to address climate change. Even companies that are not consumer-facing need retail customer and employee support. Pro-climate actions have been found to improve employee and customer loyalty. The outdoor clothing company Patagonia ranked third out of over 300 brands in a 2024 customer experience survey, in part because of its reputation for sustainable practices. Many of the over 10,000 respondents cited the company’s sustainable practices as the leading reason for their support. Many companies also face pressure from lenders and insurers who want to reduce climate risks to their own bottom lines. Dozens of insurers have committed to ending or restricting underwriting for new fossil fuel projects. Others use incentives, such as lower premiums for companies that reduce emissions or invest in climate adaptation. Climate change may accelerate the current 5% to 7% annual increase in insured losses, according to estimates from insurer Swiss Re. That has led some insurance leaders to recommend insurance companies take bigger steps to reduce emissions through their investments and policy underwriting. Private climate governance can help buy time Media attention and interest group advocacy is often focused on government actions, but decisions made in boardrooms and through initiatives with nonprofits have created an important kind of private climate governance. As companies respond to their own economic risks and incentives, they help buy time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change until the political system recognizes the financial risks posed to the entire country. Ethan I. Thorpe is a fellow at the Private Climate Governance Lab at Vanderbilt University. Michael Vandenbergh is a professor of law and co-director of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Program at Vanderbilt University. Zdravka Tzankova is an associate professor of the practice in climate & environmental studies at Vanderbilt University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Sony said it will raise prices starting Monday for some PlayStation 5 video game consoles in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, citing global economic turmoil. The company unveiled the price hikes of at least 10%, saying it was a “tough decision” amid the “backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.” The recommended retail price for a PS5 Digital Edition will go up to 499 euros ($570) in Europe, according to a post Sunday on the official PlayStation blog. That’s up from 449 euros in a previously announced pricing update in 2022. In the United Kingdom, the new price will be 430 pounds ($565), up from 389 pounds previously while in Australia the price will increase to 749 Australian dollars ($474) from $649. The price in New Zealand will rise to 859 New Zealand dollars ($504). The PS5 Digital Edition is a slimmed-down version of the console that comes without a disc drive. Sony said the price in Europe and the U.K. for the standard PlayStation 5, which was released in 2020 and comes with a Blu-ray Disc drive, will remain unchanged, as will the price for the PS5 Pro version, which was released last year. U.S. President Donald The President’s move earlier this month to impose tariffs on nations around the world has roiled global manufacturing supply chains. News on the weekend that imports of electronics like smartphones and laptops are getting a temporary reprieve until the administration figures out a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry has added to the confusion for exporters. —Associated Press 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. The Sony WF-1000XM line has been an innovative and solid series of headphones and earbuds for many years. Right now, the latest version of the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are $179.99 (originally $299.99), a new record-low price, according to price-tracking tools. They are also the best earbuds for audio quality that you can get in 2025, especially if you want to use active noise canceling (ANC). Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds $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 You can fully customize the sound of these earbuds with various EQ and personalization options in the accompanying app, but they sound balanced and full out of the box. You also get support for the high-end LC3 and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. Their ANC is great, but what makes them special is that, unlike many other ANC earbuds, their audio quality isn't hindered by using ANC, as noted in PCMag's "outstanding" review. You'll get an IPX4 rating, meaning you can use them during workouts—just don't wear them in the shower. The microphones are quite clear, making them suitable for Zoom or work calls. The battery life lasts eight hours with ANC and 16 hours without it. The carrying case gives you up to 24 hours with a full charge. The app comes with many high-end features that earbuds at this price point offer, like Ambient Sound (hear your surroundings), Adaptive Sound Control (switch between ANC and Ambient Sound), Speak-to-Chat (your media stops when you speak), voice assistance from Alexa or Google Assistant, and other features that you can read more about in CNET's review. View the full article

Mauritania isn’t typically a major tourist destination. But its only railway has recently become the subject of a viral TikTok travel trend: riding the “Iron Ore Train.” This 437-mile journey through the Sahara desert offers dramatic selfie backdrops—and no shortage of controversy. The History of the Iron Ore Train The Mauritania Railway, or “Iron Ore Train,” is the country’s only rail line. Since the 1960s, it has transported iron ore from the mining hub of Zouérat to the port city of Nouadhibou. Operated by the state-owned Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM), the train is a crucial economic lifeline for Mauritania—hauling up to 16,800 metric tons of iron ore per trip across remote desert terrain in open-air cars stretching up to two miles long. Iron ore makes up nearly 50% of the small nation’s exports. Why Tourists Are Drawn to the Mauritania Railway Although the Iron Ore Train includes a designated passenger car, the social media trend focuses on riding atop the loaded iron ore cars—promoted online as a daring travel adventure. TikTok videos showcase sweeping desert vistas described by commenters as “post-apocalyptic.” The now-ubiquitous selfies show tourists in what one blogger called “the uniform” of “ski goggles and a seche tied tightly around the head,” posing amid clouds of iron dust to “survive the elements.” The Risks and Challenges of Riding the Iron Ore Cars Many posts highlight the journey’s harsh conditions—constant iron dust coating travelers’ skin and lungs, freezing nights, scorching days, and no access to food, water, or restrooms for an average of 20 hours. But instead of serving as a warning, these challenges are often framed as selling points, promoting the trip as a “bucket list item” or “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” The train offers no safety measures for those riding atop the ore cars. If a rider falls off, operators likely wouldn’t know—leaving injured tourists stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The Legal and Ethical Controversy As the trend has grown—and as videos show increasingly unsafe behavior, including backflips on moving cars—SNIM has officially banned tourists from riding on the iron ore cars. Still, that hasn’t stopped social media. Influencers now share tips for evading security, bribing officials, and sneaking onto the train. Some, like Isaac Elam, even sell guides for riding illegally. Social media can be a valuable tool for discovering unique experiences—but it’s important to question who’s sharing this “inside info.” Before chasing the latest viral trend, consider the safety, legal, and ethical risks to yourself and the communities you visit. The livelihood of Mauritania’s people depends on this railway. If reckless tourist behavior causes delays or shutdowns, the consequences could be far more serious than a missed photo op. View the full article

A San Diego restaurant owner has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Leronce Suel, the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Suel conspired with others to underreport more than $1.7 million in gross receipts on Rockstar Dough’s 2020 corporate tax return and COVID-19 relief applications. As a result of the scheme, Suel’s businesses fraudulently obtained $1,773,245 in funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, both created to help businesses suffering economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Suel and a co-conspirator misused the relief funds by making substantial cash withdrawals from business accounts, purchasing a home in Arkansas, and storing more than $2.4 million in cash in Suel’s bedroom. In addition to the COVID-19 relief fraud, Suel failed to file timely tax returns for the 2018 and 2019 tax years. On the returns he did file for 2020 through 2023, he did not report income from his businesses, including large sums of withdrawn cash. In 2023, Suel also submitted false original and amended tax returns, including personal filings for 2016 and 2017 that listed fraudulent depreciable assets and fabricated business losses. A federal jury convicted Suel in September 2024 of multiple charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns, and failure to file tax returns. Following his conviction, Suel agreed to forfeit $1,466,918 in U.S. currency. U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro, presiding in the Southern District of California, sentenced Suel to 42 months in prison and ordered him to pay approximately $1,773,245 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. The court also ordered Suel to forfeit $1,466,918. A separate restitution hearing concerning payments to the IRS is scheduled for June 6. This article, "San Diego Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Over Three Years for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A San Diego restaurant owner has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for defrauding COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Leronce Suel, the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Suel conspired with others to underreport more than $1.7 million in gross receipts on Rockstar Dough’s 2020 corporate tax return and COVID-19 relief applications. As a result of the scheme, Suel’s businesses fraudulently obtained $1,773,245 in funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, both created to help businesses suffering economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Suel and a co-conspirator misused the relief funds by making substantial cash withdrawals from business accounts, purchasing a home in Arkansas, and storing more than $2.4 million in cash in Suel’s bedroom. In addition to the COVID-19 relief fraud, Suel failed to file timely tax returns for the 2018 and 2019 tax years. On the returns he did file for 2020 through 2023, he did not report income from his businesses, including large sums of withdrawn cash. In 2023, Suel also submitted false original and amended tax returns, including personal filings for 2016 and 2017 that listed fraudulent depreciable assets and fabricated business losses. A federal jury convicted Suel in September 2024 of multiple charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns, and failure to file tax returns. Following his conviction, Suel agreed to forfeit $1,466,918 in U.S. currency. U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro, presiding in the Southern District of California, sentenced Suel to 42 months in prison and ordered him to pay approximately $1,773,245 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. The court also ordered Suel to forfeit $1,466,918. A separate restitution hearing concerning payments to the IRS is scheduled for June 6. This article, "San Diego Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Over Three Years for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that the helicopter tour company whose sightseeing chopper broke apart in flight and crashed in New York, killing the pilot and a family of five visitors from Spain, is shutting down operations immediately. The FAA, in a statement posted on X, also said it would launch an immediate review of New York Helicopter Tours’ operating license and safety record. The move came hours after New York Sen. Chuck Schumer had called on federal authorities to revoke the operating permits of New York Helicopter Tours. The company’s sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River Thursday, killing the tourists from Spain and the pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran. At a news conference Sunday, before the announcement by the FAA, Schumer said the company should be required to halt all flights as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the deadly crash. The Senate Democrat minority leader also called on the Federal Aviation Administration to ramp up safety inspections for other helicopter tour companies, accusing them of “cutting corners and putting profits over people.” The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023. “One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Schumer said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: They have a deadly track record.” Thursday’s crash has renewed safety concerns about New York’s sightseeing excursions, a popular tourist draw that whisks passengers high above the city, offering soaring views of the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, and other landmarks. In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have fallen into the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, pilot errors, or collisions, killing 20 people. The president of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, did not respond to phone and email inquiries. The company said in a statement published on its website that it was cooperating with authorities in the investigation. In response to Schumer’s calls for more oversight, an industry group, Eastern Region Helicopter Council, said Manhattan’s sightseeing choppers “already operate under the most stringent of regulations.” “We stand ready to work with leaders on finding ways to ensure the safety and preservation of our businesses and aviation community,” the group said. Critics of the industry have long sought to limit or entirely ban nonessential helicopter flights from taking off above the city, though they have had limited success. After New York City capped the number of flights that could take off from Manhattan heliports at 30,000 annually in 2016, many companies moved operations to New Jersey. Two years later, in 2018, five people died when a helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed in the East River after a passenger’s restraint tether snagged on a fuel switch, stopping the engine. The cause of Thursday’s crash is not yet determined. According to Schumer, rescue divers were continuing to search for the helicopter’s main rotor and assembly gear box, which would give clues about what happened. —Jake Offenhartz, Associated Press View the full article

AI has changed how people search – and what it means to be “visible” in results. Links and rankings still matter, but they’re no longer the full picture. Now, it’s about mentions, citations, and whether your brand even shows up in the conversation. Most SEO tools haven’t caught up. This makes tracking that kind of visibility hard – but not impossible. Here’s how to rethink visibility in the age of AI. Why tracking AI visibility is so tricky Remember when SEO was (relatively) simple? People typed in short phrases like: “Best project management tool or SEO tips 2020.” You knew how they searched, what they were probably looking for, and how to optimize for it. Fast-forward to today, and that same user might type: “Act as a SaaS expert and give me the top 3 project management tools for remote teams with a $50/month budget.” Welcome to the era of conversational search – where queries sound more like DMs to a colleague than keyword strings. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude have normalized full-sentence prompts and pushed search behavior into a new territory. We’ve seen glimpses of this shift before with voice search, but AI has made it feel seamless, fast, and dangerously convenient. That’s great for users – until it’s not. AI-generated answers don’t always cite their sources. Even when they do, the links might be missing, vague, or tossed in like an afterthought. As a result, people often end up back on Google to double-check facts, dig deeper, or figure out if the AI just hallucinated an entire case study. Still, many users are happy to take the shortcut – even if it means missing context or nuance – because who wants to read 20 blog posts when ChatGPT gives you an instant TL;DR? This has created a hybrid search habit: start with AI, fact-check with traditional search, and hope the truth lives somewhere in between. Or at least, this is the current situation. There is no guarantee it will be the same in six months. But even now, for SEOs, it’s chaos. Visibility is no longer just about ranking in Google’s top 10. Your brand might be mentioned in a Perplexity answer or your website cited in Google’s AI Overviews. And the tools we’ve relied on? They’re still stuck in the exact-match keyword era, blissfully unaware of how users are actually searching in these new environments. The result: SEO teams are flying blind. You can’t optimize for what you can’t see – and right now, most of what’s happening in AI-driven search is happening in the dark. It doesn’t sound great, right? So, what’s the next move? We can’t just sit and hope for the best. We should start from somewhere. The first step is to understand what matters in the AI era. Dig deeper: Answer engine optimization: 6 AI models you should optimize for Capabilities that matter in the AI era When it comes to tracking AI visibility, your needs will depend on your business size, market focus, and available resources. A small team may get by with basic tracking or even manual checks (something we have tried and I won’t recommend). But if you’re operating at mid-size or enterprise level – especially in a competitive niche – you’ll need more advanced features to get real value. Here’s a checklist of potential capabilities to look for when evaluating tools or building a solution in-house. Custom prompt tracking You should be able to import your prompts, not just rely on a default list. Without this, you’re measuring performance on queries your customers may never actually use. AI tools are smart, but your team knows the audience better. Multi-country and language support AI answers can vary widely by region and language. If you work on a website with multiple languages without localization, your visibility data might be incomplete or even wrong. For example, when you search in English, results in the U.S. and the UK might be completely different. Cross-platform tracking Your audience doesn’t live on one AI tool. A proper solution should cover ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others. Otherwise, you’re only seeing part of the picture. Especially if you are a B2B business, some of your potential customers might be already “married” to Microsoft’s or Google’s ecosystem and unwilling to pay for another platform. Competitor identification You need the ability to set your known competitors and discover others based on how often they’re mentioned in the answers to the prompts. If you miss this, you might not realize who’s gaining ground. Historical data access AI results change fast. You’re not the only one optimizing your website – your competition is not sleeping. Tracking historical performance is essential for spotting trends. No history means no real benchmarking. Topic and platform breakdowns Not all mentions are equal. You should be able to slice your visibility data by topic, category, or platform. Without this, your reporting stays surface-level. Exportable answer sets Make sure you can export the full AI responses tied to your prompts. This is critical for internal analysis, validation, and documentation. If you can’t export it, you don’t own it. Visual dashboards To make sense of your data and communicate it effectively, you’ll need clear visualization by time, prompt, platform, or topic. Otherwise, you’re stuck sifting through raw tables and spreadsheets. Most tools on the market don’t do all of this perfectly, or if they promise that they can do it – their features come with a high price. Unfortunately, building something in-house also takes time and technical expertise. The key here is to prioritize based on your team’s goals – whether that’s: Improving brand presence. Monitoring competitors. Understanding how AI tools are shaping the customer journey. Also, be mindful of your own resources Buying a tracking tool won’t increase your capacity for optimizations, and it will just show you partly the right path. Once you’ve defined the right capabilities, the next step is knowing what to actually measure. Dig deeper: AI optimization – How to optimize your content for AI search and agents Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. What to measure when rankings don’t matter In AI-driven search, you’re no longer measuring rankings or CTRs – you’re measuring brand exposure. Traditional SEO metrics still matter, but they won’t tell you how often your brand is mentioned or cited in AI-generated answers. Many of the metrics SEOs now need to track look more like PR KPIs: Mentions. Citations. Share of voice. Visibility is less about position and more about presence – and whether you’re being referenced as an authority. Here’s a list of metrics that can help you understand and track your AI visibility. You likely won’t need (or be able) to track all of them – especially early on. However, knowing what’s possible can help you prioritize based on your goals and resources. Brand mentions The number of times your brand or the brand of your competitors is referenced in AI-generated responses, regardless of whether a link is included. Why it matters: Mentions are the new impressions – a signal of awareness and authority. If your competitors are mentioned more often, you’re losing visibility at the top of the funnel. Citations (linked references) The number of times your website and the websites of your competitors are actually linked in AI answers. Why it matters: Mentions are good, but links are better. They offer validation and can drive traffic (depending on how the platform displays links). Tracking citations helps identify which content AI models consider authoritative. Prompt-triggered visibility Which prompts lead to your brand being mentioned or cited? Which prompts trigger the same for your competitor? Why it matters: It helps you understand the user intent that surfaces your brand. This is especially valuable for optimizing messaging and identifying new positioning angles. Context of mentions Are you listed as the top recommendation? One of 10 options? Are you described positively, neutrally, or vaguely? Why it matters: The quality of the mention shapes user perception. Being “mentioned” isn’t always a win if you’re buried in a list or framed as a secondary option. Share of voice (SOV) What percentage of relevant AI answers include your brand vs. competitors? Why it matters: SOV gives you a benchmark to measure your presence relative to others in your category. It’s useful for spotting gains and losses in competitive positioning. Dig deeper: How to monitor brand visibility across AI search channels Link destination and depth Are the links going to your homepage, product pages, blog posts, or support content? Why it matters: Shows which content is earning trust – and what type of pages you should prioritize to increase citations. Visibility over time Mentions and citations aren’t static. You need to track changes over time to understand trends. Why it matters: It helps you measure the impact of SEO and content work, PR activity, or product updates on your AI presence. Platform-specific performance How does your brand visibility compare across different tools – ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.? Why it matters: AI models pull from different data sources and respond differently to prompts. Tracking platform-specific visibility can help prioritize where to focus next. Not every team needs to track all of these, and most tools don’t cover all of them. Start with the metrics that align more closely with your goals and upgrade when needed. And now, for the fun part: finding tools that can track these metrics. Dig deeper: Your 2025 playbook for AI-powered cross-channel brand visibility Where to start with AI visibility tools The good news is that the landscape of AI visibility tools is evolving rapidly. The bad news is that most platforms currently don’t do it all. Most tools are still maturing and focusing on specific aspects of the visibility puzzle, such as just one or two of the main AI platforms. That makes tool selection less about finding “the best” solution and more about choosing the right fit for your needs and resources. Here are a few tools currently on the radar of SEO teams exploring AI visibility: Profound: Tracks brand visibility across AI platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT. Peec AI: Designed for prompt monitoring, brand detection, benchmarking, and historical trendline. Otterly: Offers prompt research, similar to the keyword research process, and tracking of selected prompts. Goodie: Combines SEO data with generative AI monitoring across different models. Adsmurai: Originally ad-focused, now expanding into AI visibility and performance insights. RankRaven: Built for tracking brand mentions and share of voice in AI-generated answers. seoClarity: The enterprise suite now offers tools to monitor visibility in AI-driven search results. Many others are emerging – and more are launching every month. Some tools may eventually cover everything you need, but the price quickly becomes a factor. The reason is simple. For most SEO teams, this means adding yet another platform to an already crowded stack. Something that rarely excites stakeholders, whether you’re in-house or agency-side. Building your own system is also an option – and it might seem cost-effective on paper. However, maintaining a reliable AI tracking setup requires engineering time, constant testing, and a high tolerance for platform changes. Depending on your scale, it may cost more in time than it saves in budget. Some teams may end up using a combination of tools: One external tool for broad coverage. One internal for deeper tracking. Whatever direction you choose, set aside time to explore, test, and watch demos. Most of these platforms are still evolving, and what works for your team today might need rethinking in six months. A flexible mindset and a willingness to experiment are just as important as the tools themselves. Tracking AI visibility in a changing search landscape Tracking AI visibility isn’t about figuring it all out today – it’s about laying the groundwork. Define the signals that matter. Pick the tools that fit. Be ready to pivot as the landscape changes. This is an exciting time to rethink what visibility means. Take the opportunity to think outside of the box and experiment. Dig deeper: 6 easy ways to adapt your SEO strategy for stronger AI visibility View the full article

You’re mid-sentence in a meeting, sharing an idea or outlining a strategy you’ve been thinking through for weeks—then it happens. Someone jumps in, cuts you off, and shifts the conversation. You fade out while they take the spotlight. It’s frustrating—but even more so when it’s subtle. Maybe you weren’t shouted over, but you were redirected, ignored, or sidelined. Over time, it takes a toll on confidence, clarity, and leadership presence. So how do you know it’s happening—and how do you stop it? Here are five signs you’re being talked over in meetings, plus practical strategies to reclaim your voice and authority. 1. You’re constantly “circling back” to what you were saying. If you often hear yourself say, “As I was saying earlier,” or, “Just to finish that thought,” you’re probably being interrupted more than you realize. These polite reentries signal you’ve been cut off—and trained to work around it. What to do: Don’t just circle back—own the space. Use direct language. “I’d like to finish my point before we move on,” or, “I wasn’t finished with that thought—let me complete it.” It’s not rude. It’s reclaiming your airtime. 2. You’re the idea originator—but someone else gets the credit. You suggest something early in the meeting. Ten minutes later, someone repeats it—and suddenly it’s a brilliant new direction. This isn’t just annoying—it’s a visibility issue. What to do: Speak up—gracefully but clearly. Stating, “Thanks for building on my idea from earlier,” signals ownership without confrontation. And when others do this to your colleagues, amplify them too. It builds a culture of mutual respect. 3. You’re interrupted before you finish a full sentence. This one is easy to spot—but easy to dismiss. If you rarely get through your full thought before someone else jumps in, you’ve been conditioned to shrink your communication. You may start to self-edit, speak faster, or say less. What to do: Pause, then continue. “I’d like to finish my point,” is powerful and direct. And don’t speed up or apologize. Take your time. If someone consistently interrupts you, address it privately: “I’ve noticed I’m often cut off mid-thought. Can we be more mindful of giving each other space?” 4. Your contributions get ignored until they come from someone else. You bring a new perspective. Silence. Later, a colleague echoes it—and gets enthusiastic agreement. This isn’t your imagination. What to do: Keep a strong, clear voice. “That’s similar to what I shared earlier—maybe we can build on that.” You can also enlist allies ahead of time to support your points, creating an environment where your voice is heard the first time. 5. You leave meetings feeling invisible—or exhausted. The biggest red flag is how you feel. If meetings leave you drained, frustrated, or questioning your value, it’s not about being too sensitive. It’s a sign your presence isn’t being respected—or that you’re overworking to be heard. What to do: Set boundaries and speak up. But also, reflect on the environments you’re in. Is this a meeting problem—or a culture problem? Change what you can, advocate when you need to, and know when it’s time to take your brilliance somewhere it’s truly valued. The bottom line Being interrupted or talked over in meetings isn’t just annoying—it’s a leadership issue. When your voice is minimized, so is your influence. These patterns are deeply embedded in workplace culture, but they aren’t unchangeable. Start with awareness. Add practical language. And remember: owning your voice is one of the most powerful leadership tools you have. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: Recently, my boss sent me five spreadsheets, several with multiple tabs, to fill out but offered no information on what went in which row, column, or tab. I managed to figure most of it out (she gets annoyed when I ask her questions) and asked for clarification on the rest. I only had hours to get all of this done because it was due the next day and she had sent it to me a few hours into my workday so I had to work quickly. I apparently filled out one of the columns wrong, subtracting the scores instead of adding them. I went to her office to address it, and she was infuriated. She proceeded to scream at me about my mistake. Despite my apologies and offers to immediately fix the error, which would take five minutes, she shooed me away. All of this happened with the door open. I was so shocked and embarrassed, I left and cried in my office. I sent an email apologizing for the mistake, ignoring that her clarification had been my reason for doing it the way I had. Later, two women who work on the same floor as my boss asked how I was doing. They were horrified to hear her screaming at me. The next week, I had to complete 12 individual information packets to send to her. I reviewed them thoroughly, and we went back and forth on them about four times (through email) before they were finalized. The next day, she calls me into her office and, again, with the door open, proceeds to speak in quite an agitated and frustrated tone about my mistake, which had involved pasting in the wrong name in one of the documents. I could tell she wanted to scream at me again because the more she went on, the louder her voice got. I only realized after she had cut into me for five minutes that the door had been open the entire time. I left feeling embarrassed but also angry. I am quite thorough when I do my work. I’ve been at this job for nine months, and this was the first time I had made a mistake. One of them wasn’t my fault because I was provided with zero instructions except “fill this out with these numbers” and the other I owned up to just as quickly. At one point in the second conversation with her, I acknowledged I had made two mistakes, and she said, “No, three,” pointing out a “mistake” I had “made” in a document that had not been finalized yet. It involved removing a single word, but I hadn’t even finished looking over the whole thing. I am quite defeated already. I thought her reactions were quite disproportionate to the mistake both times. I’m not sure whether this is “get a new job” worthy, but I want to have a conversation with her about her tone because I don’t mind having my mistakes corrected, but I do think there is a way to do it without embarrassing the person. I think it begins with closing the door, but how do I go about bringing this up? It begins with not yelling. It begins with not berating. The open door is the least of the issues! It sounds like you’re feeling embarrassed that people heard your boss laying into you — but I promise, that reflects terribly on her, not on you. After all, imagine if you were walking down the hall and heard someone’s boss screaming at them. Wouldn’t you think “jeez, what a jerk?” not “wow, that person being yelled at must really suck?” That’s why your two coworkers checked on you afterwards, and why they were horrified. People make mistakes. If your boss needed to correct your work, the appropriate action was to matter-of-factly correct your work. It doesn’t require berating or yelling or being “infuriated” (!). If you’re making so many mistakes or such serious mistakes that she’s frustrated or even questioning your fit for the job, the correct way to deal with that is to use the many, many tools she has at her disposal as your manager and actually manage you, which could be anything from more intensive training/coaching to formal warnings to actually firing you. At no point along that path of progressively serious consequences would it be appropriate for her to berate you or yell at you, even if you were a disaster of an employee. (And if these were your first mistakes in nine months, you’re clearly not a disaster of an employee — but even if you were, it wouldn’t justify being abusive.) I want to know what your relationship with your boss is like aside from this. I doubt that she’s seemed calm and reasonable all along until she suddenly become infuriated over a single mistake and unloaded on you like this, so I’m guessing there have been issues with her all along — and that’s your bigger problem than just these most recent reactions. You can certainly try a calm conversation along the lines of, “I take my work seriously and I want to know about mistakes so I can fix them, but I do not want to be yelled at like what happened last week.” And if she ever yells at you again, you should feel free to say, “I’m not willing to be yelled at, but I will of course talk with you about this later once you’re no longer yelling” and then leave. Truly, you’re allowed to do that. You should also feel free to simply stand up and close the door if you’re concerned a conversation is getting heated and you’d prefer privacy. But you have a boss problem that goes beyond these most recent incidents, and it’s the sort that’s probably only solved by leaving for a new job when you can. As long as you’re stuck working for her, though, keep in the forefront of your mind that this is about her, not you. People who have the skills to manage effectively don’t operate this way, and she’s telling on herself to you and anyone who happens to overhear. View the full article

Winning an industry award can seriously impact how customers, clients, and colleagues regard your brand. Showcase your achievements and celebrate your professional excellence by entering the Search Engine Land Awards – the highest honor in search marketing! For the past 10 years, the Search Engine Land Awards have honored some of the best in the search industry – including leading in-house teams at Wiley Education Services, T-Mobile, Penn Foster, Sprint, and HomeToGo – and exceptional agencies representing Samsung, Lands’ End, Stanley Steemer, and beyond. This year, it’s your turn. The 2025 entry period is now open! Here’s what you need to know: This is the 10th anniversary of the Search Engine Land Awards, a program designed to celebrate individuals, agencies, and internal teams within the search marketing community who have demonstrated excellence in executing organic and paid search marketing campaigns. This year’s program features 19 unique categories, from Best Use of AI Technology in Search Marketing to Agency of the Year… click here to explore them all. Applying is easier than ever – send us an executive summary that showcases, in 750 words or less, the award-worthy work you and your team performed this past year. Completing your application empowers you to reflect on an impressive year of work, featuring its successes and lessons learned – an invaluable exercise for you and your team. Winning a Search Engine Land Award is a unique, rewarding, and cost-effective way to put your organization a step ahead of its competitors, gain well-earned publicity, boost company morale, and more. Submit your application by May 23 to enjoy Super Early Bird pricing – just $395 per entry ($300 off final rates!). Not sure where to begin? Check out this helpful collection of advice straight from past judges for insights on what makes a winning application. Don’t miss your opportunity to participate in the only awards program recognized by Search Engine Land, the industry publication of record. Begin your application today! View the full article

Judge tells Michael Viney ‘custody threshold has been crossed’ after he sold a flat in BarcelonaView the full article

President Donald The President bitterly attacked “60 Minutes” shortly after the CBS newsmagazine broadcast stories on Ukraine and Greenland on Sunday, saying the network was out of control and should “pay a big price” for going after him. “Almost every week, 60 Minutes … mentions the name ‘The President’ in a derogatory and defamatory way, but this Weekend’s ‘BROADCAST’ tops them all,” the president said on his Truth Social platform. He called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to impose maximum fines and punishment “for their unlawful and illegal behavior.” The network had no immediate comment. The President has an ongoing $20 billion lawsuit against “60 Minutes” for how it edited an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last fall. The president claims it was edited in a way to make Harris look good, something the newscast denies. But there are ongoing reports that The President’s lawyers and CBS’ parent company are involved in settlement talks. Carr and the FCC have launched a parallel investigation of CBS News about the same case, one of several that it has undergone that also involve ABC News, NBC, PBS, NPR and the Walt Disney Co. Despite the legal battle, “60 Minutes” has been unstinting in its coverage of The President’s administration since he took office for a second term, particularly correspondent Scott Pelley. He traveled to Ukraine to conduct an interview with that country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the site of a Russian attack where nine children were killed earlier this month. In the interview broadcast on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he has “100%” hatred for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine, and invited The President to his visit his country to see what has been done. Also Sunday, correspondent Jon Wertheim reported from Greenland on what some people in that nation are saying about The President’s desire to take control. In his social media message, The President said “60 Minutes” was no longer a news show but “a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as ‘News,’ and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing.” David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social —David Bauder, AP Media Writer View the full article

The death of downtown is now a familiar refrain. Central business districts (CBDs) in cities around the world—once bustling centers of office work—were hit hard by the pandemic and the shift to remote work, leading many to predict they would never fully recover. But instead of demise, downtowns are being reinvented. And Tokyo is leading the way. Traditional downtown business districts in cities around the world were defined and dominated by vertical towers where legions of white-collar professionals and support staff were stacked in isolated office buildings. The world’s largest metropolitan area is pioneering a new model where the city itself increasingly takes on functions that were once the province of the office, providing amenities and specialized services that enable companies to better attract and retain talent. Instead of a single monolithic CBD, Tokyo’s downtown has been reshaped into a mosaic of distinct downtown districts with their own that together make up its vibrant urban core. Each of them has its own distinct economic identity and unique mix of amenities which allow them to appeal to different kinds of talent. Evolving gradually over the past two decades, this approach is both an organic outgrowth of private sector shifts on development and office location, as well as innovative policies that relax zoning, incentivize mixed-use development, and prioritize public transport access. It also helps that people in Tokyo live in smaller homes and enjoy quick, reliable commutes on clean, efficient trains and subways—conditions that naturally support the return to office work. Taken together, these factors have enabled Tokyo’s downtown to experience one of the world’s strongest rebounds, with high rates of office return, higher commercial rents, and lower vacancy rates than nearly any other global city. We call this new model an urban knowledge campus. Indeed, Tokyo’s downtown districts resemble university campuses more than traditional downtown office clusters. After all, a great university campus is more than just a collection of lecture halls, dormitories, and dining facilities. It forms a complete ecosystem for learning, social interaction, and spontaneous exchange, encompassing labs and studios, sports and athletic centers, theaters, cultural venues, and green spaces. Our detailed research, released by the BCG Henderson Institute, examined five of Tokyo’s most prominent downtown districts—Marunouchi and Nihonbashi, Shibuya, Roppongi, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku—and identified the key characteristics that underpin their collective success as an urban knowledge campus. Density Done Right Tokyo’s downtown districts are among the densest, most intensively used urban spaces on the planet. With daytime populations exceeding 70,000 people per square kilometer in some areas, they are twice as dense as Manhattan but remain clean, orderly, and deeply livable. It’s this level of functional density that distinguishes Tokyo from more suburban innovation hubs like Silicon Valley or Boston’s Route 128. A True Urban Mix Tokyo is distinguished by more than physical density. Its messy, mixed-use urbanity fosters what we call interaction density—the constant, unplanned collisions that spark new ideas and connections. Office spaces intermingle with housing, vibrant retail, green spaces, restaurants, bars, clubs, cultural venues—and, importantly, schools and childcare facilities which help keep families with children in and around the urban core. In fact, office space accounts for less than 40% of land use in four of Tokyo’s five major downtown districts—far lower than in London’s Canary Wharf, where it exceeds 80%; Paris’s La Défense, where it makes up roughly 70%; or Lower Manhattan, where it comprises some 60%. Tokyo’s downtowns districts are 24/7 neighborhoods bustling with life long after business hours—a striking contrast to the CBDs of many global cities that are dominated by monolithic office towers and empty out after dark. A Mosaic of Distinctive Districts Tokyo’s urban knowledge campus isn’t a single entity but rather a mosaic of specialized urban environments that appeal to distinct industries. The unique amenities, services, and character, these districts appeal to different kinds of talent these industries require. This specialization is reflected in the chart below which arrays the city’s five main downtown districts based on two key factors: how specialized each is around particular industries, and how much of each district is dedicated to office space versus other uses. Marunouchi-Nihonbashi is comprised of two adjacent districts in central Tokyo that serve as the hub for the city’s financial and professional services industries. These districts attract finance professionals, strategic consultants, senior executives, and corporate leaders. They have the highest level of industry specialization, and offices make up the largest share of their total footprint. Anchored by major banks, global headquarters, and consultancies, these districts exude stability and formality, with prestige modern skyscrapers rising beside historic facades, and streets lined with luxury retail, fine dining, and shaded plazas. Unsplash Roppongi has evolved into a cosmopolitan center for technology and international business. It has a moderate level of industry specialization compared to Marunouchi-Nihonbashi and a greater variety of non-office uses. Drawing on its historic role as a hub for expatriates, it has become Tokyo’s main center for global corporations and international talent. Once known primarily for nightlife and dining, it now offers a more balanced set of amenities, including more sophisticated arts and culture venues, abundant green spaces, and schools and educational facilities for families. Shibuya is the city’s creative and digital epicenter, home to media firms, startups, and tech ventures. Its specialization and mix of uses are similar to Roppongi. The district is a magnet for the creative class: designers, coders, digital media workers, and creative professionals who thrive on collaboration, improvisation, and inspiration. Its colorful, neon-lit streetscape pulses with energy, featuring avant-garde architecture, ramen shops, clubs, pop-up boutiques, and live-music venues. Loud, fast, and experimental, Shibuya’s edgy vibe was a key factor in Google’s decision to place its Japanese headquarters here. Unsplash Shinjuku stands out as more balanced in terms of its industry mix and use of space. It attracts a diverse workforce—bureaucrats, executives, business travelers, and creatives—to its mix of government offices, high-rise hotels, entertainment venues, shops, and transit terminals. With amenities ranging from policy think tanks to karaoke bars, it’s the most “Tokyo” of the city’s districts: dense, vertical, chaotic, and dynamic. Unsplash Lessons for Corporate Location Strategy Companies in the U.S. and around the world have much to learn from what Tokyo has done. Choosing a location isn’t merely about real estate or cost; it’s about strategically positioning organizations in areas that can help attract, energize, and retain essential talent. The office today is more than a building or a place to work; it’s a platform for culture, community, and innovation. The urban knowledge campus is what this looks like when scaled to the level of the city. At a time when talented people have more choice than ever, companies must move beyond the idea that workers should simply report to an office. They must place themselves in locations that excite and inspire. The knowledge campus functions more as a magnet than a mandate. Companies must elevate location as a core element of their overall corporate strategy. Where a company chooses to locate shapes its culture, its innovation capacity, and its prospects for growth. Forward-thinking firms increasingly understand that talent attraction depends on far more than amenities inside the office. It depends on the quality of the broader environment—transit access, housing, schools, safety, vibrancy, and a sense of place. But this goes beyond simply selecting great locations. To truly succeed in this new era, companies must engage proactively in shaping the environments they inhabit, partnering with developers, local governments, and other institutions to co-create the kinds of neighborhoods that support their workforce and long-term success. In Tokyo, private developers have played a critical role in evolving the downtown districts into more livable, vibrant spaces. And such development has been facilitated by government policies that allow greater land-use flexibility; encourage mixed-use development; provide transit connectivity; and fill the urban core with schools, child-care facilities, and other essential services that keep families with children in the urban center alongside young people and empty-nesters. Such long-term public investments in urban ecosystems enable companies to thrive. Tokyo’s experience shows what’s possible when companies, developers, and government are aligned around making great places for companies and for people. In today’s knowledge economy, place matters more than ever. Choosing a location isn’t just about selecting an address—it’s the cornerstone of sustained competitive advantage. This research was conducted under the auspices of the BCG Henderson Institute. View the full article

China’s leader Xi Jinping said no one wins in a trade war as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, reiterating China’s commitment to global trade in contrast with U.S. President Donald The President’s latest tariffs moves. Although The President has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145% duties on China, the world’s second-largest economy. “There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial jointly published in Vietnamese and Chinese official media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.” Xi’s visit lets China show Southeast Asia it is a “responsible superpower in the way that contrasts with the way the U.S. under President Donald The President presents to the whole world,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Xi was greeted on the tarmac by Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong at the start of his two-day visit, a mark of honor not often given to visitors, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a professor of Vietnamese studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. Students of a drum art group performed as women waved the red and yellow Chinese and Communist Party flags. While Xi’s trip likely was planned earlier, it has become significant because of the tariff fight between China and the U.S. The visit offers a path for Beijing to shore up its alliances and find solutions for the high trade barrier that the U.S. has imposed on Chinese exports. In Vietnam, Xi will meet with Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, his counterpart, as well as the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. “The trip to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia is all about how China can really insulate itself against the from The President,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, pointing out that since Xi became the president in 2013, he has only visited Vietnam twice. The timing of the visit sends a “strong political message that Southeast Asia is important to China,” said Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group think tank. She said that given the severity of The President’s tariffs and despite the 90-day pause, Southeast Asian nations were anxious that the tariffs, if implemented, could complicate their development. Vietnam is experienced at balancing its relations with the U.S and China. It is run under a communist, one-party system like China but has had a strong relationship with the U.S. In 2023, it was the only country that received both U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping. That year it also upgraded the U.S. to its highest diplomatic level, the same as China and Russia. Vietnam was one of the biggest beneficiaries of countries trying to decouple their supply chains from China, as businesses moved here. China is its biggest trading partner, and China-Vietnam trade surged 14.6% year-on-year in 2024, according to Chinese state media. But the intensification of the trade war has put Vietnam in a “very precarious situation” given the impression in the U.S. that Vietnam is serving as a backdoor for Chinese goods, said Giang, the analyst at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. Vietnam had been hit with 46% tariffs under The President’s order before the 90-day pause. China and Vietnam have real long-term differences, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has faced off with China’s coast guard but does not often publicize the confrontations. After Vietnam, Xi is expected to go to Malaysia next and then Cambodia. —- —Huizhong Wu and Aniruddha Ghosal, Associated Press View the full article