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Olivia Walch is an investigator in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan and CEO of a tech start-up called Arcascope. Her research has been featured on CNN, NPR, and in The Atlantic, among other outlets. Beyond sleep research, she coedited Political Geometry, a book on the mathematics of gerrymandering, and published comics with The Nib and Silver Sprocket. She is also the cartoonist of Imogen Quest, a webcomic that won her the “America’s Next Great Cartoonist” prize from the Washington Post. What’s the big idea? If you are dancing and can’t catch the beat, you are not dancing well. In this way, if your sleep doesn’t follow a regular pattern that matches your biological beat, then you are not sleeping well. To find the beat your body is wired to cycle through and not just step along with it but groove with that beat, it’s important to develop an intuition about how your circadian rhythms work to shape overall health. Below, Olivia shares five key insights from her new book, Sleep Groove: Why Your Body’s Clock Is So Messed Up and What To Do About It. Listen to the audio version—read by Olivia herself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Sleep is like your heartbeat; rhythm is central to health. Even if both beat 60 times a minute, you wouldn’t say an arrhythmic heartbeat was as healthy as a regular one. Yet, we do this all the time when it comes to sleep. We think that as long as we get eight hours a night on average—even if one night you go to bed at 8 p.m. and the next you stay up until 2 a.m.—the rhythm doesn’t matter. Except it totally does. A recent study found sleep regularity (how much your sleep schedule on one day resembles your sleep on the next day) to be a better predictor of mortality than sleep duration. Every day, a new study comes out linking sleep irregularity to hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, you name it. Sleep regularity correlates with all these things because it correlates with circadian health. Specifically, when you have regular sleep, the signals you send to your body’s circadian clock are very rhythmic. When you give your clock rhythmic inputs, then it is more confident about when daytime is and when nighttime is, and it does a better job scheduling things that happen during the day, at night, and at all the times in between. One of those things is making you feel sleepy at bedtime, but other things include metabolism, DNA repair, and immune response. In general, you do better when your body does those things confidently at the right times versus muddling through them at all hours because of mixed signals. 2. Circadian rhythms are like being on a swing. The same input can give you wildly different outputs depending on when it’s delivered. When I say being on a swing, I mean a classic playground-style swing. In this analogy, that rhythm (swinging back and forth) is a stand-in for your circadian rhythms. The input, when you’re on a swing, is a push in the forward, outgoing direction. Biologically, that push in the outward direction can be anything that affects your clock’s sense of time. The biggest influence on your body’s sense of time is light exposure, but meal timing and exercise can also affect what time your body thinks it is. Let’s go with light exposure since it’s the primary signal your clock pays attention to. Getting light exposure when your body expects it, during the day, is like a push in the forward direction when you’re heading forward. It helps reinforce your rhythm; it helps you get to a higher amplitude swing. But that same forward push when you’re on the backswing actively messes up your rhythm. You don’t want someone to give you a forward shove when you’re swinging backward. Similarly, when you’re entering your biological night, you don’t want a burst of light exposure—you want to continue in the dark. Just like how a forward push is good at some times, that burst of light exposure is critical for health only when you get it during your biological day. “When you’re entering your biological night, you don’t want a burst of light exposure.” This is both a simple point—if I get light during the middle of the night, it will confuse my brain and throw off my rhythms—and a hard one to internalize. We’re not primed to understand how the same thing can go from good to bad to good again as time passes. We don’t think of anything being more rhythmic as making us healthier. I chose the title Sleep Groove because groove—along with “getting in the swing of things”—is a concept that explicitly ties rhythmicity to positive outcomes. I think our way of understanding health writ large will change once we begin to think of not just sleep but all aspects of health, in terms of how much they’re grooving. 3. Circadian rhythms are like walking. Circadian rhythms are robust, stretchy, able to entrain, and can be more or less in a groove. Let’s say I gave you a yellow shoe and a black shoe, and I told you to walk on a sidewalk with alternating yellow tiles and black tiles, with your yellow shoe hitting yellow tiles and black shoe hitting black tiles. If the tiles were well sized for your legs (not too long, not too short), you’d be able to adapt your stride to match this yellow-on-yellow, black-on-black pattern. This process of adapting your rhythms (your gait) to match the environment (the sidewalk) is something circadian scientists call entrainment. You’re able to stretch or shrink your walking pattern to match the size of the tiles, which is what I mean by stretchy. If I randomly put a puddle on the sidewalk that you had to step around, you could do that, throwing off your walking pattern temporarily, and then falling back into the pattern once you were around the puddle—which is what I mean by robust. Your body’s clock is the same. For circadian rhythms, it’s not the color of tile your body is adapting to but the light exposure you get. Your natural day length—how often your circadian rhythms would repeat if you were cut off from all signals, like light and food timing—is probably a little longer than 24 hours, but your circadian clock adapts to match the lighting patterns in your environment the same way you can adapt how long your stride is on a sidewalk. Or at least it tries to. Imagine I take that original sidewalk and change it so you’ve got a yellow tile, followed by a black tile, and then a shorter grayish tile that looks halfway between yellow and black. Step with the yellow foot on the yellow tile and the black foot on the black tile, I tell you, except now it’s kind of hard to do. You can still manage it, but you’re not taking strides of an even size with a consistent tempo. You’ve gone from walking in an easy, effortless groove to stepping. When we give our brains ambiguous day/night signals, our circadian clocks struggle to keep a rhythm going. It’s one of the reasons why Daylight Savings Time, which moves the light later in the day, is so disruptive to sleep and health. 4. Your sleep system is like a water cooler. “Listen,” you might be saying, “this is all very well and good, but my problem is that I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep. What do multi-day patterns of light and dark have to do with me waking up on Tuesday at 3:40 am?” You’ve probably been to a barbecue before, gone up to a water cooler to fill your glass, and noticed, as you’re pouring, that the level’s getting low. If it drops too low and falls below the level of the tap, your flow of water is going to stop. So, you tilt the water cooler toward you to keep the flow going and get a nice, long, uninterrupted pour. “Your circadian clock tilts your system in favor of sleep during your biological night, allowing you to sleep longer than you would without the tilt.” This is exactly what your circadian clock does during your biological night. Think of your sleep system as governed by two things: how “hungry” for sleep you are (how full your cooler is) and how much your circadian clock is promoting sleep (how tilted your water cooler is). Sleeping is when you drain the water cooler, and if your water level (sleep hunger) falls below the level of the tap, you wake up. Your circadian clock tilts your system in favor of sleep during your biological night, allowing you to sleep longer than you would without the tilt. It also tilts away from sleep at some times. If you’ve ever tried to scoot your bedtime up a few hours and been unable to do it, it could be because your circadian clock is tilting your sleep water cooler away from you, making it so that even though you’re pretty full of water (sleep hunger), the level is below the tap and you can’t fall asleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep again, here are three reasons why that might happen: You might have gone to sleep earlier than your clock expected. The tilt is still coming; it’s just late. If you stay in the dark and wait for it to hit, you might be able to fall back asleep. You might have gone to sleep later than your clock expected. The tilt could have come and gone already. In this case, it could be tough to fall back asleep, even if you try to wait. Try going to bed earlier the next day. Maybe you tilted at the right time, but it wasn’t a big enough tilt. It was a shallow, barely-there tilt. That can happen to older people or those who have lower amplitude rhythms. The theoretical way to boost amplitude is to get really bright light during the day and the darkest dark at night, at the same time every day. If you think you might not have enough of a circadian tilt to your sleep at night, send your brain clear, unambiguous day/night signals for at least two weeks and see what happens to your sleep. 5. Circadian rhythms are like an audio recording slowed way, way down. We don’t understand how much of our health is rhythmic because the rhythms happen on a timescale too slow for us to really notice. But rhythms are fundamental to how our bodies work, even if we don’t always consciously register them. Let’s bring it back to the heartbeat analogy. If you were performing chest compressions on someone in cardiac arrest, you wouldn’t do one push, sit back, and decide you’ve done everything you could. We intuitively understand that rescuing a heartbeat means giving it a clear rhythm of inputs to lock onto. The same goes for your sleep. To rescue a grooveless sleep rhythm, there’s no one-time hack. You need to fundamentally change how you think about light, activity, and food to center rhythmicity. If you give your body enough time to find the beat, you’ll notice differences not only in how you sleep but also how you feel. To listen to the audio version read by author Olivia Walch, download the Next Big Idea App today: This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

Gulf state pushes for free trade agreement with blocView the full article

Freddie Mac reported a 2 basis point drop in mortgage rates, but other timelier measurements had the 30-year fixed close to or above the 7% mark. View the full article

If you haven't filed tax returns for several years, you're not alone: The IRS anticipates a $500 billion decrease in tax revenue this year. (That’s a more than 10% decline compared to last year.) More anecdotally, the IRS has also noted increased talk online from people saying they won’t pay taxes this year, and that they're willing to take the gamble that they won’t be audited. So, with just a few days left before the April 15 deadline, you might be wondering: What if I keep on ignoring my taxes? How long can this con go on? Unfortunately, that's a mighty risky gamble. You're better off filing as soon as you can, or else be on the line for costly penalties and interest. Here are the steps you need to address unfiled tax returns and get back on track with the IRS. What happens when you don't file your taxesFirst off, it's important to clarify the difference between failure to file and failure to pay. Failure to file refers to neglecting to submit tax returns by the filing deadline, while failure to pay occurs when taxes owed are not remitted by the due date. The most important piece of advice here: File even if you can't pay. Filing on time avoids the failure-to-file penalty, which is typically higher than the failure-to-pay penalty. The IRS imposes a late filing penalty of 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month the return is late, capped at 25% of the unpaid tax bill. Additionally, interest accrues on both unpaid taxes and penalties from the due date until the debt is settled. Plus, if you don't file, you of course won't get any refund. You must claim refunds within three years, so if you don't file, you risk losing out on the money you're owed altogether. Steps to take to file your old taxes ASAP The good news: The IRS generally prefers late filing to no filing at all and has programs to help taxpayers become compliant. Gather your documentsStart by collecting the basics, like your W-2s and 1099s from employers; bank and investment statements; receipts and records of deductible expenses; any prior tax returns you still have available. If you're missing documents—understandable, at this point—you can request wage transcripts from the IRS through a few different avenues: IRS.gov (Use the "Get Transcript" tool) Form 4506-T (Request for "Transcript of Tax Return") Contacting previous employers Determine which years you need to fileThe IRS generally focuses on the last six years of unfiled returns, though legally you should file for all unfiled years. Priority should be given to the most recent three years, so that you have a chance of getting your potential refunds. After that, focus on any years during which you had significant income. Prepare and file those returnsFile returns in chronological order, starting with the oldest. Unfortunately, one of the most common filing options, like IRS Free File, doesn't accept past tax years. Still, you have several filing options: Use commercial tax preparation software. Think big names like H&R Block, TurboTax, and FreeTaxUSA. Hire a tax professional. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) or Enrolled Agents can help with complex returns. Here's how to make sure your preparer knows what they're doing. File by mail. Mail each year separately with appropriate documentation. Address your payment optionsIf you owe taxes but can't afford to pay the full sum, call the IRS and ask about the following options: Installment agreement: A monthly payment plan until you're paid up Offer in compromise: Settlement for less than full amount owed Currently Not Collectible status: Temporary hardship relief From here, the IRS may be able to guide you through some special programs available to you, such as: Administrative penalty relief: They may waive failure-to-file penalties for first-time offenders with a good compliance history. Voluntary disclosure programs: The IRS offers various programs to encourage taxpayers to come forward voluntarily as a means to resolve non-compliance and limit exposure to criminal prosecution. Streamlined filing compliance procedures: For taxpayers with foreign accounts who haven't filed required FBAR forms. Going forwardThe worst approach is continued inaction. The IRS has extensive information-gathering capabilities and eventually identifies non-filers. By taking proactive steps, you can minimize penalties, protect your financial future, and eliminate the stress of unfiled returns. If you find yourself with multiple years of unfiled returns, or maybe even need representation before the IRS, you really should consult with a qualified tax professional. Once you're back on track, you can avoid the headache that brought you to this article and start using a spreadsheet to track all your tax-related information throughout the year. I've created a basic template to get you started here. The purpose is to create a handy archive of all your tax records in one spot, making it much easier to file on time next year. Remember: Your current situation is fixable, and addressing it sooner rather than later will always be the smartest choice. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Here’s a round-up of advice about how to deal with rude coworkers. how to deal with a coworker who’s rude to you dealing with a cranky, unpleasant coworker how to work with a jerk who raises his voice, when “that’s just how he is” new coworker is a rude know-it-all my coworker is rude and insubordinate my rude and intrusive coworker makes me feel horrible dealing with coworkers who are rude in meetings my intern is a rude jackass my coworker is a rude, inconsiderate bully — but am I being too sensitive? when a colleague is being rude to someone else what to say when your boss is rude to a coworker in front of you coworker is rude to my intern my coworker is rude to Uber drivers my boss is rude to waitstaff my boss is rude to my husband can I fix how my boss treats people? when you’re the manager my employee has a bad attitude I have to manage the office jerk my employee is combative and rude — how could I have prevented this? my employee is rude to colleagues — but some of them are rude to her too do I need to give my rude, difficult employee more positive feedback? my employee is being rude to others — but I think it’s from the stress of cancer when you might be the rude one am I the office jerk? what does it mean if your boss says you have a “bad attitude”? should I tell my boss I know I’ve been a jerk and I’m getting therapy? View the full article

Google Ads introduced customer lifecycle features in Performance Max, which will let you bid more aggressively for lapsed customers and track acquisition costs more precisely. PMax is also getting new image tools to boost creative flexibility. Customer Lifecycle management expands. Retention goals are now widely available, giving you the power to bid more strategically for lapsed users. For former customers: You can identify high-value former customers and prioritize who sees your ads and when. For new customer acquisition: In “new customer only” and “new customer value” modes, you will see a dedicated column in campaign reporting that displays customer acquisition cost. Enhanced image controls. Two new image features aim to improve ad creative variety: Landing page images: Automatically sources images from your landing pages to diversify your ad creative. Image enhancements: Smart cropping creates more image versions of existing images to access more ad inventory. Google plans to add more image enhancement options in the future, including uncropping and animation features. Why we care. These improvements address key advertiser concerns around control, reporting, and creative assets while maintaining the AI-powered efficiency that can make Performance Max valuable. The focus on customer lifecycle management aligns with increasing advertiser interest in maximizing customer lifetime value rather than just acquisition metrics. View the full article

Approximately 9% of current homeowners experience a labor market event that results in a negative credit shock, limiting access to their equity, Point said. View the full article

After a viral disappearance and rumors of his demise, Duo the owl is alive—and he’s finally ready to speak: “I said, ‘It’s either Spanish or vanish.’” Watch the full tell-all interview and hear from the bird behind the chaos. View the full article

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here. Blade Runner wasn’t so far-fetched after all In Blade Runner 2049, Ryan Gosling’s Officer K has a live-in girlfriend named Joi, played by Ana de Armas. The two interact like a real couple—they share familiar banter and seem to have a history together. But Joi is a hologram, projected from ceiling-mounted emitters in K’s apartment. She’s not human; she’s an advanced form of spatial computing—a future-facing concept we’re already seeing the early stages of today. The “AI girlfriend” (or boyfriend) is no longer just science fiction—it’s quickly becoming a cultural reality. The concept raises both social and technological questions. In the film, Officer K chooses Joi in part because he isn’t human himself. But here in 2025, as people are spending increasing amounts of time in online and virtual spaces, they’re more and more likely to choose digital companionship over human relationships. Generative AI is already remarkably good at simulating emotional intimacy. It can craft a persona that listens, supports, and never judges. These AI companions can learn your quirks, understand your personal challenges, and respond with surprising emotional intelligence. They remember shared moments, build a simulated history with their users, and interpret new interactions through the lens of that shared memory. Even though these relationships currently unfold through text windows on phones and laptops, the demand is clear. A 2024 MIT study found that the second-most common use of ChatGPT was sexual role-play. Meanwhile, Character.ai drew both popularity and controversy for offering AI companions willing to engage in almost any kind of conversation. We may not have home hologram systems yet, but we do have a more accessible—if still awkward—form of spatial computing: augmented reality (AR). And in the next few years, generative AI and spatial computing are likely to merge. One key driver of this shift is Apple’s Vision Pro headset. Until recently, AR hardware wasn’t immersive or comfortable enough to hold a user’s attention for long. Apple changed that. The Vision Pro is engaging, comfortable, and—for some—so compelling that users lose track of time while wearing it. The $3,500 price tag may seem steep, especially if you see it as just another screen for work or entertainment. But what if it could project your digital partner in vivid, life-size clarity—standing in your living room or sitting beside you on the couch? What if it could bring back the likeness of a loved one who passed away? Whether or not Apple delivers that future remains to be seen. The company is making a big push to integrate “Apple Intelligence” into its devices. Vision apps will almost certainly evolve to become more interactive and personalized with AI. So far, however, Apple has said little about bringing AI to VisionOS, its spatial computing platform. Of course, even immersive AR has its limits. In both Blade Runner 2049 and Her, characters attempt physical intimacy with AI through surrogate stand-ins. In Blade Runner, Joi overlays her holographic image onto the replicant Mariette. In Her, Samantha arranges for a woman named Isabella to act as a physical body while she provides the voice. In both stories, the experiences are unsettling. Still, companies are already working to bridge that physical-digital divide. Apple prohibits “adults only” content—including pornography—in its app stores, VisionOS included. However, its content ratings do allow for apps labeled 17+, which may include “frequent or intense sexual content or nudity.” So while Apple may not lead the charge into sexually immersive AI companionship, the space is wide open for others. As AR headsets get cheaper and more widespread, the real hook will be the software. MIT researchers Robert Mahari and Pat Pataranutaporn have warned that AI’s constant validation and charm could become addictive—encouraging people to abandon the unpredictability and imperfection of human relationships. “AI wields the collective charm of all human history and culture with infinite seductive mimicry,” Mahari and Pataranutaporn wrote in MIT Technology Review in 2024. “These systems are simultaneously superior and submissive, with a new form of allure that may make consent to these interactions illusory.” The line between intimacy and illusion is getting blurrier—and we’re stepping over it willingly. Google injects more AI into Google Docs At its Google Cloud Next event, Google announced several new artificial intelligence features for its Workspace suite of cloud computing, productivity, and collaboration tools. Powered by its Gemini models, Google Docs will now support audio capabilities, allowing users to create complete audio versions of documents or generate podcast-style summaries highlighting key points. The company is also adding a new AI writing assistant called “Help me refine” that will go beyond simple grammar and clarity checks to offer intelligent hints on everything from improving an argument to enhancing structure. A new integration of Google’s Veo 2 image generation model in Google Chat, enables teams to describe and embed videos within their documents to help convey messages more clearly. Further, enhanced AI functionality within Sheets automatically analyzes data and identifies stories told by the numbers. Google is also expanding Gemini’s agentic capabilities across Workspace at a time when businesses are looking to use reasoning agents to automate repetitive multistep tasks. Workspace now features “Gems“—Google-speak for AI agents—that can research, analyze, and generate content to handle specialized workflows. For example, a Gem might read over marketing materials and point out language inconsistencies. Ai2’s new model links its answers back to its training data I’ve fretted more than once in this newsletter over the fact that AI researchers can’t fully explain how large language models generate their outputs, and that the big AI labs are spending a lot more money enhancing those outputs than on explaining them. To its credit, Anthropic has done some strong explainability research, and now the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) has turned that mode of inquiry into a product feature. The lab’s flagship model, OLMo 2 32B, can tie elements of its output to actual content from their training data. In a demo, Ai21 researcher Jiacheng Liu, showed me how the model now highlights and underlines factual claims in its outputs. Click on one, and a pane opens on the right side of the screen, showing the relevant excerpt from the source document (usually scraped from the public internet) that the model is referencing. The tool even labels the training data by how relevant it is to the generated response. With this feature, users can pinpoint exactly where the model learned certain information, verify factual claims, and even detect potential sources of hallucinations (i.e. when models generate things that sound right but aren’t true). Researchers and developers may be able to use the feature to understand how models behave during training and how and why they generate content in production. Enterprises may be very interested in fact-checking model outputs as the risk of model contamination grows. (Contamination can occur when AI models are inadvertently trained on false AI-generated content from the web or when bad actors poison training data to make models do destructive things.) Ai2 has been talking about open-sourcing models and model transparency for years (the lab was started in 2014 by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen). Ai2 CEO Ali Farhadi tells me the tide may be turning for transparency in the industry. “We started from the time that the word on the street was ‘Oh, opening these things up is the worst thing you could do to humanity’ to the point now where these big enterprise companies are fighting with each other about who’s more open,” Farhadi said during an interview with Fast Company Monday. “So we see a big shift in the industry—obviously we’d like to take credit for part of that shift—that’s part of our story: the more people that open up, the better it would be for AI.” You can see the tool in action in this short demo video or try it for yourself on the Ai2 Playground. More AI coverage from Fast Company: How AI is steering the media toward a ‘close enough’ standard Sparq wants drivers to be their own AI-powered mechanics Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke: AI is now a ‘fundamental expectation’ for employees How ChatGPT is helping bend websites to my will Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium. View the full article

Plus some thoughts on alternative management and perfectionism. By Marc Rosenberg The Rosenberg Practice Management Library Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Plus some thoughts on alternative management and perfectionism. By Marc Rosenberg The Rosenberg Practice Management Library Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Today's Bissett Bullet: “Giving away your knowhow for free to potential clients can be dangerous.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Today's Bissett Bullet: “Giving away your knowhow for free to potential clients can be dangerous.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Key Takeaways Growing Market Opportunity: The juice bar franchise sector thrives on increasing consumer demand for healthy beverage options, presenting a lucrative business opportunity.Established Brand Benefits: Investing in a juice bar franchise offers brand recognition, providing instant credibility and access to a loyal customer base from the start.Operational Flexibility: Franchisees enjoy operational independence while benefiting from the support and proven systems of the franchisor, allowing for local customization.Navigating Challenges: Franchisees must be aware of market competition and potential supply chain issues, necessitating strong marketing strategies and reliable supplier relationships.Thorough Research Required: Prospective franchisees should research various franchise options, aligning their goals and finances with suitable brands to ensure a successful venture.Financial Planning is Key: A solid financial plan, including understanding the initial investment, royalty fees, and financing options, is crucial for the sustainable success of a juice bar franchise. Thinking of diving into the vibrant world of juice bars? A juice bar franchise offers a refreshing opportunity to tap into the booming health and wellness market. With consumers increasingly prioritizing nutritious options, starting your own juice bar can be both fulfilling and profitable. Overview Of Juice Bar Franchise Juice bar franchises cater to the increasing consumer demand for healthy beverage options. With a franchise model, you benefit from an established brand and a proven business system. Many franchisors offer comprehensive franchise support, including training on franchise operations, marketing strategies, and compliance with industry regulations. Entering this franchise opportunity often requires an initial investment, which can vary based on location and brand. Factors like franchise fees and territory exclusivity play a critical role in determining your initial financial commitment. Franchise disclosure documents provide detailed information about expected royalty fees and ongoing support, which help you make informed decisions. Franchise growth in the juice bar sector shows promise, with a surge in interest among franchisees looking to capitalize on the health trend. The franchise network associated with juice bars typically includes marketing assistance and access to robust franchise consultants, enhancing your chances of success. Engage in franchise research to assess potential franchises and understand the competitive landscape. Location analysis forms a vital part of your franchise strategy. Identifying a high-traffic area ensures maximum visibility and customer engagement. As you explore franchising trends within the juice industry, take advantage of franchise expos and recruitment strategies to connect with franchisors and fellow franchisees. Overall, investing in a juice bar franchise presents a unique chance to tap into a thriving market while leveraging the support of an established franchise system. Benefits Of Owning A Juice Bar Franchise Owning a juice bar franchise provides several advantages that enhance your chances of success in the entrepreneurial landscape. Flexibility And Independence You gain substantial flexibility and independence when you invest in a juice bar franchise. While you operate under the franchise model, you still manage daily operations as an independent business owner. You can implement local marketing strategies that cater to your exclusive territory, allowing customization based on community preferences. This balance provides the proven franchise support you need while enabling you to adapt your business to local trends and customer demands. Brand Recognition Brand recognition is a significant asset of joining a juice bar franchise. With an established name like Smoothie King, Nékter Juice Bar, or Main Squeeze Juice Co., you benefit from instant credibility in the marketplace. These brands come with a loyal customer base, reducing the marketing effort required to build a clientele from scratch. Customers are more inclined to trust a familiar brand, leading to increased foot traffic and repeat business from day one. The brand recognition associated with these franchises facilitates quicker profitability while reinforcing your franchise’s growth potential. Challenges Faced By Juice Bar Franchises Juice bar franchises face several challenges that can impact your success as a franchisee. Understanding these issues helps you navigate the competitive landscape effectively. Competition In The Market You encounter significant competition in the juice bar market, with various established brands and independent operators vying for customer attention. Competing with popular franchises and local juice bars requires strong brand recognition and a unique value proposition. Your franchise marketing strategy needs to emphasize your offerings and create customer loyalty. Utilizing tools like franchise metrics helps measure your market position and adapt to changing consumer preferences. Supply Chain Issues You may experience supply chain issues that affect your juice bar operations. Fluctuations in the availability of fresh produce and other ingredients can hinder your ability to maintain consistent product quality. Adhering to your franchise operations manual ensures compliance with supplier mandates. Establishing relationships with multiple suppliers can mitigate risks and ensure reliability. Additionally, understanding your franchise disclosure document helps clarify any required commitments from the franchisor related to supply chain management. Steps To Start A Juice Bar Franchise Starting a juice bar franchise involves several key steps to ensure a successful launch. Each step requires careful consideration and planning. Researching Franchise Options Understand Your Goals and Finances: Assess your motivation for choosing a juice bar franchise over an independent option. Clarifying goals aligns your vision with the franchise model. Choose the Right Franchise: Investigate various juice bar franchises that match your objectives and health-focused concept. Examine factors such as the franchisor’s reputation, support offerings, and overall business model. Meet with the Franchisor: Schedule consultations with potential franchisors. Understand their franchise agreement, support structure, and training programs. Discussions should include marketing assistance, operational standards, and expectations. Securing Financing Evaluate Your Financial Situation: Determine the initial investment amount necessary to start your juice bar franchise. Consider costs for equipment, location, inventory, and franchise fees. Review Franchise Disclosure Documents: Analyze franchise disclosure documents (FDD) to understand financial commitments, including royalties and ongoing support obligations. Explore Financing Options: Research various financing alternatives, such as bank loans, SBA loans, or personal savings. Explore partnerships or investment groups as potential sources of capital. Engage with Financial Professionals: Consult with franchise consultants or financial advisors to create a robust financial plan that considers all costs and potential revenues, including franchise profitability metrics. Conclusion Owning a juice bar franchise can be an exciting journey into the thriving health and wellness market. With the right planning and support from established brands you can create a successful business that resonates with health-conscious consumers. While there are challenges to navigate like competition and supply chain issues staying informed and adaptable will serve you well. By leveraging the resources provided by your franchisor and focusing on effective marketing strategies you can build a loyal customer base and enjoy the benefits of franchise ownership. This venture not only offers financial potential but also the satisfaction of promoting a healthier lifestyle in your community. Embrace the opportunity and take the first step toward your juice bar franchise today. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of starting a juice bar franchise? Starting a juice bar franchise offers numerous benefits, including tapping into the growing demand for health-conscious options. Franchisees gain from brand recognition, a proven business model, and comprehensive support from franchisors. This can fast-track success and increase profitability while allowing owners flexibility to implement local marketing strategies. What is the initial investment required for a juice bar franchise? The initial investment for a juice bar franchise varies based on factors such as location and brand. Generally, it includes costs for real estate, equipment, marketing, and royalty fees. Potential franchisees should review franchise disclosure documents to understand detailed financial commitments before proceeding. How important is market research for a juice bar franchise? Thorough market research is crucial for a juice bar franchise since it informs franchisees about competition, customer preferences, and location viability. Understanding these factors helps in making informed decisions and developing effective marketing strategies that attract and retain customers. What challenges do juice bar franchises face? Juice bar franchises often encounter challenges like intense market competition and supply chain issues, particularly with fresh produce. To succeed, franchisees must develop strong brand recognition and unique value propositions while maintaining quality and consistency in their offerings through reliable supplier relationships. How can I ensure a successful juice bar franchise? To ensure success, focus on careful planning, including thorough research of franchises and locations. Engage with franchisors to understand their support systems, develop effective marketing strategies, and secure adequate financing. Building a loyal customer base and managing daily operations effectively are also vital for long-term success. Image Via Envato: alexlucru123, jacoblund, valeriygoncharukphoto, yurakrasil, peus80, valevenezia, StudioVK This article, "Unlocking Success in the Juice Bar Franchise Market: Your Path to a Rewarding Business Venture" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Growing Market Opportunity: The juice bar franchise sector thrives on increasing consumer demand for healthy beverage options, presenting a lucrative business opportunity.Established Brand Benefits: Investing in a juice bar franchise offers brand recognition, providing instant credibility and access to a loyal customer base from the start.Operational Flexibility: Franchisees enjoy operational independence while benefiting from the support and proven systems of the franchisor, allowing for local customization.Navigating Challenges: Franchisees must be aware of market competition and potential supply chain issues, necessitating strong marketing strategies and reliable supplier relationships.Thorough Research Required: Prospective franchisees should research various franchise options, aligning their goals and finances with suitable brands to ensure a successful venture.Financial Planning is Key: A solid financial plan, including understanding the initial investment, royalty fees, and financing options, is crucial for the sustainable success of a juice bar franchise. Thinking of diving into the vibrant world of juice bars? A juice bar franchise offers a refreshing opportunity to tap into the booming health and wellness market. With consumers increasingly prioritizing nutritious options, starting your own juice bar can be both fulfilling and profitable. Overview Of Juice Bar Franchise Juice bar franchises cater to the increasing consumer demand for healthy beverage options. With a franchise model, you benefit from an established brand and a proven business system. Many franchisors offer comprehensive franchise support, including training on franchise operations, marketing strategies, and compliance with industry regulations. Entering this franchise opportunity often requires an initial investment, which can vary based on location and brand. Factors like franchise fees and territory exclusivity play a critical role in determining your initial financial commitment. Franchise disclosure documents provide detailed information about expected royalty fees and ongoing support, which help you make informed decisions. Franchise growth in the juice bar sector shows promise, with a surge in interest among franchisees looking to capitalize on the health trend. The franchise network associated with juice bars typically includes marketing assistance and access to robust franchise consultants, enhancing your chances of success. Engage in franchise research to assess potential franchises and understand the competitive landscape. Location analysis forms a vital part of your franchise strategy. Identifying a high-traffic area ensures maximum visibility and customer engagement. As you explore franchising trends within the juice industry, take advantage of franchise expos and recruitment strategies to connect with franchisors and fellow franchisees. Overall, investing in a juice bar franchise presents a unique chance to tap into a thriving market while leveraging the support of an established franchise system. Benefits Of Owning A Juice Bar Franchise Owning a juice bar franchise provides several advantages that enhance your chances of success in the entrepreneurial landscape. Flexibility And Independence You gain substantial flexibility and independence when you invest in a juice bar franchise. While you operate under the franchise model, you still manage daily operations as an independent business owner. You can implement local marketing strategies that cater to your exclusive territory, allowing customization based on community preferences. This balance provides the proven franchise support you need while enabling you to adapt your business to local trends and customer demands. Brand Recognition Brand recognition is a significant asset of joining a juice bar franchise. With an established name like Smoothie King, Nékter Juice Bar, or Main Squeeze Juice Co., you benefit from instant credibility in the marketplace. These brands come with a loyal customer base, reducing the marketing effort required to build a clientele from scratch. Customers are more inclined to trust a familiar brand, leading to increased foot traffic and repeat business from day one. The brand recognition associated with these franchises facilitates quicker profitability while reinforcing your franchise’s growth potential. Challenges Faced By Juice Bar Franchises Juice bar franchises face several challenges that can impact your success as a franchisee. Understanding these issues helps you navigate the competitive landscape effectively. Competition In The Market You encounter significant competition in the juice bar market, with various established brands and independent operators vying for customer attention. Competing with popular franchises and local juice bars requires strong brand recognition and a unique value proposition. Your franchise marketing strategy needs to emphasize your offerings and create customer loyalty. Utilizing tools like franchise metrics helps measure your market position and adapt to changing consumer preferences. Supply Chain Issues You may experience supply chain issues that affect your juice bar operations. Fluctuations in the availability of fresh produce and other ingredients can hinder your ability to maintain consistent product quality. Adhering to your franchise operations manual ensures compliance with supplier mandates. Establishing relationships with multiple suppliers can mitigate risks and ensure reliability. Additionally, understanding your franchise disclosure document helps clarify any required commitments from the franchisor related to supply chain management. Steps To Start A Juice Bar Franchise Starting a juice bar franchise involves several key steps to ensure a successful launch. Each step requires careful consideration and planning. Researching Franchise Options Understand Your Goals and Finances: Assess your motivation for choosing a juice bar franchise over an independent option. Clarifying goals aligns your vision with the franchise model. Choose the Right Franchise: Investigate various juice bar franchises that match your objectives and health-focused concept. Examine factors such as the franchisor’s reputation, support offerings, and overall business model. Meet with the Franchisor: Schedule consultations with potential franchisors. Understand their franchise agreement, support structure, and training programs. Discussions should include marketing assistance, operational standards, and expectations. Securing Financing Evaluate Your Financial Situation: Determine the initial investment amount necessary to start your juice bar franchise. Consider costs for equipment, location, inventory, and franchise fees. Review Franchise Disclosure Documents: Analyze franchise disclosure documents (FDD) to understand financial commitments, including royalties and ongoing support obligations. Explore Financing Options: Research various financing alternatives, such as bank loans, SBA loans, or personal savings. Explore partnerships or investment groups as potential sources of capital. Engage with Financial Professionals: Consult with franchise consultants or financial advisors to create a robust financial plan that considers all costs and potential revenues, including franchise profitability metrics. Conclusion Owning a juice bar franchise can be an exciting journey into the thriving health and wellness market. With the right planning and support from established brands you can create a successful business that resonates with health-conscious consumers. While there are challenges to navigate like competition and supply chain issues staying informed and adaptable will serve you well. By leveraging the resources provided by your franchisor and focusing on effective marketing strategies you can build a loyal customer base and enjoy the benefits of franchise ownership. This venture not only offers financial potential but also the satisfaction of promoting a healthier lifestyle in your community. Embrace the opportunity and take the first step toward your juice bar franchise today. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of starting a juice bar franchise? Starting a juice bar franchise offers numerous benefits, including tapping into the growing demand for health-conscious options. Franchisees gain from brand recognition, a proven business model, and comprehensive support from franchisors. This can fast-track success and increase profitability while allowing owners flexibility to implement local marketing strategies. What is the initial investment required for a juice bar franchise? The initial investment for a juice bar franchise varies based on factors such as location and brand. Generally, it includes costs for real estate, equipment, marketing, and royalty fees. Potential franchisees should review franchise disclosure documents to understand detailed financial commitments before proceeding. How important is market research for a juice bar franchise? Thorough market research is crucial for a juice bar franchise since it informs franchisees about competition, customer preferences, and location viability. Understanding these factors helps in making informed decisions and developing effective marketing strategies that attract and retain customers. What challenges do juice bar franchises face? Juice bar franchises often encounter challenges like intense market competition and supply chain issues, particularly with fresh produce. To succeed, franchisees must develop strong brand recognition and unique value propositions while maintaining quality and consistency in their offerings through reliable supplier relationships. How can I ensure a successful juice bar franchise? To ensure success, focus on careful planning, including thorough research of franchises and locations. Engage with franchisors to understand their support systems, develop effective marketing strategies, and secure adequate financing. Building a loyal customer base and managing daily operations effectively are also vital for long-term success. Image Via Envato: alexlucru123, jacoblund, valeriygoncharukphoto, yurakrasil, peus80, valevenezia, StudioVK This article, "Unlocking Success in the Juice Bar Franchise Market: Your Path to a Rewarding Business Venture" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Buying a house has always been a stressful experience. It involves a lot of money for most people, and it’s where you’re going to live, the most meaningful space in your life. Finding the house that ticks all the financial, physical, and emotional boxes can be a challenge. And it’s a challenge that a lot of people fail: 82% of home buyers experience buyer’s remorse. House hunting should be relatively straightforward—you need X number of bedrooms, X amount of square footage, in this specific area, at this specific price, with this short list of features and amenities. But we often let our emotions mess us up, usually without even realizing it. Considering how much of your money and time is going into buying a house, you owe it to yourself to be aware of these six psychological traps that can lead you to the wrong house. The endowment effectIt’s natural—and often useful—to imagine your future life in a house, to picture your family around the dining table, or the perfect spot for a prized piece of furniture. But all that imagining can lead to a phenomenon called the endowment effect, where you place a higher value on something you own. By imagining your future in the house, in a sense you’re imagining that you already own it, and suddenly it becomes much more valuable and important to you. This can lead to irrational decisions like overbidding for the house. To defend against this, try to keep your imaginings unemotional—measurements, use of space, correct number of rooms, fixtures, and outlets. Avoid emotionally charged visions like prom pictures at the foot of the stairs or serving holiday dinners to a crowd of friends and family. Price anchorsThe anchoring effect causes us to put too much weight on the first piece of data we require, creating a bias that influences all subsequent decisions. With a house, the first piece of data you typically get is the list price—and real estate agents and home sellers always tweak the list price for their own purposes. They might set it low to inspire a bidding war, or set it high to imply the house is special in some way. Either way, they’re trying to anchor that price in your head in order to manipulate you in some way. To fight back, research the fundamentals and come up with your own fair price for the property (your real estate agent can help you with this). Once you have an objective opinion on what the house is actually worth in the market, you can proceed using the list price as a starting point for negotiation instead of an anchor. Herding behaviorsBidding wars work because of herd behaviors—once we see other people doing something, it suddenly seems like a much more legitimate option. Contagion theory describes how an opinion held by a large majority can "infect" individuals, which can come into play when people are bidding way over listing price on a property and you suddenly feel like the house is worth more than you thought. Another herding behavior that can push you to overpay for a property is the scarcity principle—the belief that a limited supply makes something more valuable. That can explain how a house that you thought a bit overpriced yesterday can suddenly seem worth much more once you realize the inventory of comparable houses is not as large as you thought—but the fundamentals of the house or the market haven’t changed. The scarcity principle can be explicitly leveraged against you by someone selling a home, as well. Listings that emphasize the unique features of a house—maybe it’s the only one on the block with a basement, or has an outdoor space no other house in the neighborhood boasts—can make the home seem more valuable even if those features weren’t on your list of must-haves. Choice paralysisAlso called "analysis paralysis," this psychological phenomenon occurs when you’re overwhelmed by choices, decisions, or what-if scenarios. We tend to assume that having more choices is always better—but having to constantly sift through property features or having to choose between several very similar, comparable properties can leave you frozen and unable to make a decision. That can lead to losing out on a house that’s perfect for you and your family—not to mention much higher stress levels. Combating choice paralysis when house hunting is all about slowing down and shutting out. Seeing a dozen potential houses every day will just leave you with a long list of houses that might work. Instead, take each potential house one at a time, and focus on that property. Have a plan based on facts—what you can afford, what you need to have in your home—and carefully consider each property against that plan before moving on. Sunk-cost fallacyThe sunk-cost fallacy is a psychological trick that you can actually play on yourself. It boils down to a feeling that once you’ve invested time and energy into something, walking away would transform the whole experience into a huge waste of time. That pushes you to try and salvage that time. When house-hunting, that translates into buying a house in part because you’ve put a lot of time into it. Combating the sunk-cost fallacy when house hunting can be a challenge. The key is to resist attaching a value to the basic work of finding a house and negotiating the sale. The ultimate value is getting the right home, not in paying yourself for the time spent finding it. FOMOThe fear of missing out can drive people to worry that prices or interest rates are going to rise and they’ll be priced out of the market; that a particular house will get snatched up by someone else if they hesitate to make the jump; or that time is running out for them to jump into home ownership. Once you convince yourself that you’re about to miss your one and only shot to get the house hunt right, you’re vulnerable to bad decisions. The only way to defend against FOMO is to remove the fear part. Having the advice of a trusted real estate professional and doing some research about the market can reassure you about home prices, and getting pre-approved by a lender can give you confidence in your buying power and ability to make an offer when the perfect house comes along. Most importantly, hit pause and ask yourself if you would buy this house at this price if all the perceived pressure was taken away. View the full article

Former housing secretary is one of seven set to enter House of Lords View the full article

Trip by Tony Radakin announced only by China’s government amid strained Sino-American relationsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. There are no surprises with the Blink Video Doorbell camera. Blink is an established brand, and the doorbell camera has been around since 2022. What might be surprising is how cheap it has become: You can get the Blink Video Doorbell and Sync Module 2 for $34.99 (originally $69.99) after a 50% discount, the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools. Blink Video Doorbell and Sync Module 2 $34.99 at Amazon $69.99 Save $35.00 Get Deal Get Deal $34.99 at Amazon $69.99 Save $35.00 Blink is owned by Amazon, so it's no surprise to see the doorbell get a big discount there—and that also means it is compatible with Amazon Alexa, but no other competitors. The Blink Video Doorbell can be wireless or use batteries, which last up to two years (depending on how many triggers you get a day). It uses your phone as a chime bell, has two-way audio so you can communicate with guests from your phone, and supports 1080p resolution and infrared night vision. You'll get a 180-degree field of view, so you can see your whole porch via the camera. Of course, you can also use the camera indoors, if needed. The Sync Module 2 is a hub that lets you control up to 10 Blink devices with your phone and use local storage for your video files instead of paying for cloud storage, but you'll need to buy a USB flash drive of up to 256 GB (sold separately). Keep in mind that you will still need a Blink subscription to use all of Blink's features (but it's not necessary). The Blink subscription plan starts at $30 a year for Blink Basic. You can read more about this camera and hub from PCMag's "good" review. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. For the Thursday “ask the readers,” what’s a secret about your field that would surprise outsiders to hear? Spill the beans in the comment section. (Make sure to specify your industry!) View the full article

Before defining an issue log, let’s define project issues. An issue is any roadblock or unintended impact that directly affects your project’s timeline and or performance. It’s different than a risk, which can be defined as a potential problem or future issue that might happen in your project. An issue is something that has already come up in your project, and you need to identify and track that issue immediately. What Is an Issue Log? An issue log is a simple list or spreadsheet that helps managers track the issues that arise in a project and prioritize a response to them. We have created an Excel Issue Log template you can download for free. It’s an easy way for you to manage those issues that always disrupt a project and resolve them before they develop into a problem that takes the project plan off track and grounds it in failure. /wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Issue-Tracking-Template-Excel-image.png Get your free Issue Tracking Template Use this free Issue Tracking Template for Excel to manage your projects better. Download Excel File Why Is an Issue Log Important? An issue log is a critical project management tool that provides a structured and systematic way to identify, track, manage and resolve problems that appear throughout a project. It offers a central repository for all identified problems, questions or concerns that could impact the project. Everyone on the team and relevant stakeholders can see this information, helping to improve visibility. It also helps with proactive problem-solving. A formal issue-logging process can help identify and document potential problems before they escalate into major crises. As each issue is usually assigned to a person or team member, it’s clear who is accountable for taking action. Issue logs also help establish a structured management process. It offers a consistent and standardized process for managing issues and ensuring all problems are handled in an organized manner. The team can then focus on addressing the most critical issues first. An issue log template is great, but it’s not integrated with the rest of your project. ProjectManager has multiple project views that let teams use the tools they prefer to log issues. For example, teams can see their issue log of a task list and work their way through it. Managers can add priorities and even customize workflow and set up automated task approvals to make sure only they’re authorized to change the status to done. Get started with ProjectManager for free today! /wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Project-list-light-mode-CTA.pngLearn more Who Creates and Manages the Issue Log? The project manager is usually responsible for creating and managing the issue log. They will set up the initial log, often on a spreadsheet, database or project management software. Then, they will define the fields to be tracked, such as the issue name, date reported, priority, status, assignee, etc. This means the project manager is also responsible for logging issues, either documenting issues themselves or guiding team members on how to do so. They will track and monitor the log regularly to understand the current status of all issues. Other roles, such as team members or senior leadership, may also be involved. This is especially the case when an issue escalates or requires strategic decision-making. Senior leadership, for example, can review escalated issues and choose to allocate additional resources as needed. What Are the Components of an Issue Log? An issue log is, at its most basic, a list where issues are collected as either ongoing or closed. This way you can track the issue from the time it’s identified until you have resolved it. But an issue log can be more dynamic. They can order and organize issues by type and severity, which can help you prioritize and manage them—a key part of issue management. Therefore, you want to have column titles such as the following. Issue Number: If you want to track the issue, you should have an easy way to differentiate it from the others, because there’ll always be more than one. Status: It’s important to note whether the issue is open, in progress, blocked or done. This is where you’ll keep track of resolving it. Issue Description: Write down what the issue is, in detail. It might sound obvious, but you don’t want to have the same issue tracked repeated in your log, and you want the person who will resolve the issue able to clearly understand what has happened, so they don’t have to chase people up and delay the response. Category: You might want to categorize issues by department or vendor, or define the type of issue it is. These might vary depending on the project or team. Priority: You might not have time or resources to address every issue, so it’s crucial that you prioritize them. Are they low, medium or high priority? Now you can filter the log and work on those issues that are most important to the project. Assigned to: This is also of paramount importance. If the issue doesn’t have an owner, it’s likely never to get resolved. This is where you note the team member who is assigned to follow that issue to its resolution. Raised by: This is different from the assigned to owner, who will shepherd the issue through the project and work on resolving it. This person is the one who first identified it, and they should be noted here, as they might prove a resource later in terms of answering questions that work towards its resolution. Open Date: You want to have a time frame, and to do so you must have a beginning, which is the day the issue was identified. Closed Date: Now you have a firm timeline from start to finish, which can help when and if you go back to look at historic data when dealing with a similar issue in a later project. Comments: You always want space to jot down important information like how the issue was resolved, whether it was connected to another task, and the likelihood of recurrence, etc. Issue Log Template Our free issue log template helps you log issues as team members find them while working on the project. But more than just a list of issues, you can use this free issue tracking template for Excel to monitor progress as your team works to resolve the issue. Add the date opened and closed, priority, impact and more. /wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Issue-Tracking-Screenshot.jpg Issue Log Best Practices When using an issue log there are a number of things you need to understand in order to get the most out of it. One is that you want to make sure you touch on all the components of an issue log. It might seem like a waste of time—you just want to get the issue fixed—but outlining what type of issue, describing it and so forth is all key to capturing and resolving the issue. It’s also important to have a plan with milestones. Meet with the team member who owns the issue and together come up with a way to quickly eradicate the issue. By adding milestones to the plan, you have a simple and effective way to track their progress. If they’re not meeting those milestones then you might have to review the plan or add resources to keep it on track. Related Issue Tracking Templates If you’re not using project management software you can still log issues with our free templates. We have many project management templates for Excel and Word that help you manage every aspect of your project. Here are some that can help you create an issue log, track progress and report back to stakeholders to keep them updated. Risk Register Template This free risk register template helps you list down potential project risks before they turn into issues. By doing this you can be prepared to mitigate issues faster, which could help you reduce the impact that issues might cause in your project budget or schedule. Project Dashboard Template Our free project dashboard template for Excel furthers your ability to monitor and track the work being done by your team to get those issues resolved. While not able to monitor in real time as in project management software, you can still set up metrics to track your tasks, workload, task lengths and costs in colorful graphs. Project Status Report Template Another free template is ideal for stakeholder presentations as you update them on issues in the project. Our free project status report template for Excel is a snapshot of the project that is great for communicating where you’re at and where you’re going. You have places to put milestones you’ve met, list key risks and issues. Using ProjectManager for Issue Management Now that you know the basic framework for creating an issue log, how do you manage project issues? An issue log is a great tool to have in your project management toolbox. It can help you manage both your team and stakeholders. That’s because an issue log delivers more than just a resolution of the issue, but creates trust and satisfies your stakeholders that you’re handling the project promptly and properly. Stakeholders and your team will feel they’re being heard and these issues won’t impact the project. You’ve already created the issue log, which is great. It should, at best, be a collaborative document, or even better, integrated with ProjectManager, an online project management tool. If you can share it online, so everyone has access to it. You’ve streamlined the process and made sure that no issue gets lost. Kanban Boards as Issue Logs The next step is logging in an issue once it’s been identified. You can do this online, where the person who first notes the issue has the responsibility to put it in the log. ProjectManager has online kanban boards that can track the issue. When it’s first identified, there can be a column that collects the issue. Then that card, which is the issue, can be assigned to a point person who is responsible. Now the team knows to go to them and they know it’s their responsibility to log the issues as they arise. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Agile-sprint-kanban-board-redesign-1600x739.jpg Follow the protocol of the issue log we outlined above. After assigning someone to take on that issue as their own, they are responsible for working on a resolution and tracking the progress of that action through the course of solving the issue. This project tracking features are why ProjectManager is so much more than an issue log. Not only can it assign an owner, who can collect documents directly to that task, as well as comment and @ team members for collaboration, but it also offers transparency to monitor the issue log. The final responsibility for the resolution of these issues doesn’t sit on the shoulders of those who are assigned to own it but on your own. Monitoring Issues Part of the monitoring process is assessing the impact of the issue and the actions in place to resolve it. Maybe you need to put all your resources on this one issue, but maybe that level of attention and effort is counterproductive. So, you must know what issues need to be escalated and which don’t. Along those lines, you want to ensure your actions are right for the issue at hand. Maybe this issue can wait. Maybe it needs immediate attention. That, of course, can change, which is why monitoring and continual assessment are important. You can see how the ProjectManager dashboard lets you monitor your tasks in one simple view, so you can ensure that your issues are being addressed. /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.webp While a team member might have ownership of the issue, once a course of action is developed to address it and, hopefully, resolve the issue, it’s now up to you to make final approval before implementing. Then you must make sure the plan is in fact effective and resolving the issue. If it’s not, then it’s back to the drawing board. Last but not least, the best part is when the issue has been resolved. Now you can strike the issue from your issue log. It feels good, doesn’t it? ProjectManager is online project management software that can help you better manage the issues in your project. You’re online and connected to your team, getting real-time data, which keeps you more on top of the issue and better equipped to resolve it. Try it out for yourself and see what it can do for you and your teams, with this free 30-day trial. The post What Is an Issue Log? Templates & Tips appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

The Prada Group announced a deal Thursday to buy Italy’s Versace from the U.S. luxury group Capri Holdings under terms that value the fashion house at 1.25 billion euros ($1.4 billion). Prada said the addition of Versace’s “highly recognizable aesthetic . . . constitutes a strongly complementary addition” to its portfolio, which includes the Prada and Miu Miu fashion brands. It said Milan-based Versace offered “significant untapped growth potential.” The final value of the deal will be adjusted at closing, expected in the second half of the year. It will be funded by 1.5 billion euros in new debt and has been approved by the Prada and Capri Holdings board of directors. “Versace will maintain its creative DNA and cultural authenticity, while benefitting from the full strength of the Group’s considerable consolidated platform, including industrial capabilities, retail execution and operational expertise,” Prada said in a statement. Versace, founded in 1978 by the late Gianni Versace, has been owned since 2018 by Capri Holdings, which includes Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo. Capri Holdings paid $2 billion for Versace, but had been struggling in the recent era of “quiet luxury” to position the stalwart of Italian fashion with its sexy silhouettes and loud patterns. Last month, Capri Holdings named Dario Vitale as creative director to replace Donatella Versace, who assumed the role after her brother’s 1997 murder. Vitale came from Miu Miu, the stunningly successful youth-driven brand in the Prada Group. Versace was given the new role of chief brand ambassador in the shakeup, which was widely viewed as setting the scene for the long-rumored Prada sale. Miuccia Prada acknowledged the group’s interest on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week in February. —Colleen Barry, Associated Press View the full article

Shaky markets. Panicky clients. Accountants, it’s your time to shine. Accounting ARC With Liz Mason Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

Shaky markets. Panicky clients. Accountants, it’s your time to shine. Accounting ARC With Liz Mason Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article

HubSpot unveils AI agents, new Workspaces, and key upgrades to Marketing Hub Enterprise in its Spring 2025 release, focused on speed and scale. The post HubSpot Announces 200+ Features At Spring Spotlight 2025 appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article