Around the Water Cooler
These are the broader topics that you simply aren’t going to find on any small business site. Can you start a business after 40? Can music motivate you? Will issues like diversity affect your bottom line? Should you build your own computer? Are small business owners part of the gig economy? OK, you might not consider these issues all that important, but that might not be the case for your employees, your contractors, or your customers.
If your business profits allow you to buy fancy sports cars and designer watches, then you should consider making that extra money work for you first. You could be multiplying your income over time…
There is a culture of economic resilience in the US that does not exist elsewhere. This is an advantage that we have as a country that we need to embrace. No matter how…
Everyone is talking about using cleaner energy such as solar panels. You sure could cut some costs for your business that way, especially in the hot summer months. On the other hand, do you want to advertise this widely?
This seems to be a popular conversation starter these days. If you’re at a party and someone asks, well, they aren’t talking about your pancakes…
Ever wonder where the name Audi came from? Would you like to know how they came up with it? It’s actually a funny story…
A pen shouldn’t just be a tool to write with. It also has to make a statement. I’ve used many pens, but these are the ones I now use exclusively and with good reason.
Now that we know that writing down your notes is better, you need a pocket notebook to write them in. Here are the ones I have used and recommend so that you can make a great impression.
Want to succeed in business? Be the next Bezos or Buffett? Then you need to study what they studied. I am quite certain they know of these three, but if they don’t, then you could be a step ahead of them!
Forget the exaggerated trope that being green is bad for business. Green alternatives to your small business needs are actually good for your bottom line as well.
What if the music you listen to could actually be useful to you? What if you could make yourself more productive just by being more selective about what music you listen to?
When men tell women that they should not share their personal stories online, they are perpetuating an unfair and oppressive system. With social media, there is an opportunity to introduce more fairness.
You business is small, so why should you worry about diversity? It’s more than just not getting sued or flamed online, it’s also about what diversity can actually do for your business.
The opportunity to build computers exists for women as much as for men. Just because it has been a man’s hobby for so long does not mean it needs to remain so. Times change, and computer building has changed too.
If current trends prevail, more women than men will enter the career workforce while the gig economy will gain more men. Over time, this should alleviate gender inequities in both workforces.
The idea that being part of the gig economy is somehow negative or deficient is a huge misunderstanding of who gig workers are, what their working conditions are, and how they are compensated.
Discrimination is something everyone knows happens, but hopes it happens to someone else. For small businesses it is also something that they hope to avoid because they are small. Is being small enough to avoid embarrassment and public shaming?
If he were only a millionaire, or even a middle-class high school science teacher, Elon Musk would still be doing something to advance science for others. Ultimately it is about the leap forward for mankind.
Thanks to extensive research, we know that cognitive decline is directly related to the length of confinement. More importantly, the cognitive decline then further exacerbates the perceived isolation.
The issue of posture and prolonged screen time for our children as a result of the pandemic will continue to be an important one, that adults, especially gig workers, can learn from as well.
Walking, especially outside and away from your office, should become an important part of your work routine. The more you do it, the easier it will become and the better you will be able to determine what was important and what wasn’t.
Will this be the year that the gig economy becomes the dominant paradigm? Maybe not yet, but gig workers are becoming more self-aware of their worth and this is incredibly encouraging.
When I decided to pursue my doctorate degree, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that I loved school and saw it as a way to continue my own personal and professional growth and development. I didn’t pay much attention to how I would grow into an academic over time, but now that I reflect on it, it was definitely not a linear process, but rather occurred in ebbs and waves.
Those just finishing college and entering the workforce for the first time don’t always have the skills and experience that will help them land their dream job right away. Often, they have never worked and have only “done school”, so they need some coaching to identify what skills they did acquire while completing their education that can translate into skills that will help them succeed in the world of work.
Reach out, ask for help, ask questions, stay humble, smile, laugh. Also have faith in your abilities and your capacity to thrive. Your smarts got you this far, so I’m confident that you will continue to transform those roadblocks into speed-bumps.
If you have a business, then you are likely missing out on a goldmine of benefits and tax deductions. Let me ask you: do you have kids? Do they help out? Do you pay them? If so, they should be your employees!