How To Choose A CPA

Sure, some small business owners in the U.S. prepare their own taxes, but many entrepreneurs wouldn’t even consider handling this aspect of their operations. If your business is looking to hire a tax accountant this season, there are several things to keep in mind.
First, understand that some firms are accepting new tax clients for 2016, while others are not. If your business hasn’t had an accountant before or in several years, be prepared to contact several firms and perhaps ask the accountant to file an extension request with the IRS for 2015 taxes. Of course, the IRS doesn’t require a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or even an accountant to prepare a business’s taxes. There are other professional tax preparers available, and the IRS provides a guide to choosing a tax professional on its website.

What do Americans think their privacy is worth? (part 2) [Infographic]

When Americans were asked to share private information, in exchange for something of value, they often answered “it depends”. Whether it was fear of spam or scammers it was clear that Americans understood a lot about trading their private information. The details are in the infographic below.

Why J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Is Spending A Half Billion Dollars On Cybersecurity

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s Form 10-Q Quarterly Report -- which was filed on August 3, 2015 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission -- provides a partial explanation as to why the firm is planning to spend a half billion dollars on cybersecurity. That number is twice the $250 million which the financial services giant previously had budgeted for protecting its information technology systems and networks.

Report Illuminates Wealth-Creation Gap Among Small Business Owners

A growing number of self-reliant Americans have started one-person businesses in recent years to make a living. But minority and women business owners who opt for self-employment aren't faring as well as they might be, when it comes to building the value of their businesses, according to a new report by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities. The report, CFED's "Assets & Opportunity Scorecard," looks at a number of factors affecting the economic picture for low-income families.

Stopping The Security Incident Power Grab

In the world of IT, I think it is time for us to think about what the apocryphal verse “Security, security, you shall pursue” might mean in practical terms and how a proper understanding can stop the misuse of the idea of perfect security in a power grab.

Freelancers: Get Ready To Stand Up And Be Counted

Freelancers' needs have pretty much been ignored in a society where most institutions are organized around the lifestyles of Americans with traditional jobs. But with a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office showing that 40.4% of U.S. workers now do contingent jobs--such as freelancing, contract work and part-time work--it appears that leaders in Washington are finally getting interested in this fast-growing segment of the population.

Tax Foundation Analysis Of Sanders Plan Only Shows Downside

The Tax Foundation has scored the Bernie Sanders tax plan. As you might expect, it is not a pretty picture. I think that there is something of a flaw in the Tax Foundation's model in looking at whether the plan is good public policy, but let's dig into the details a bit first.

Judicial Redress Act 'National Security Interests' Amendment Could Affect US-EU Negotiations

A proposed "national security interests" amendment to the Judicial Redress Act, posted last night, passed and may further disrupt already turbulent US-EU negotiations on an agreement to replace the Safe Harbor Agreement.

Three ADT Dealers Merge

Three of ADT’s largest authorized dealers, SafeStreetsUSA, Gaylord Security and ASC Security USA, have merged their businesses and will operate under the name SafeStreetsUSA.

The World's Next Top Tax Haven Is...America

The IRS hunts offshore accounts and tax evasion worldwide. Yet ironically, America is now ranking as a kind of offender itself.

'Bug' Exposes Uber Driver's Tax Info, Including Name and Social Security Number

Uber drivers were worried for the privacy of their personal data after one driver had her information exposed over the internet. The on demand car company is blaming the incident on a "bug."

Let's Face It, Tim Cook Is A Manager, Not An Innovator

Once Apple was an innovative company which developed radical products that changed the way people live and work.
That's why the company's revenues and earnings grew by leaps and bounds, beating the most bullish analyst estimates quarter after quarter.
But that was some time ago, when the founder of the company was a serial innovator, competition was almost nonexistent, and market saturation was low.
Today, Apple is still an innovative company. But iy no longer develops radical products. It just churns out different versions of its old blockbuster products as the competition closes in and the market saturation grows high.
That’s why Wall Street doesn’t get as impressed as it used to with the company’s new product releases— and the reason Apple’s stock has been lagging in a strong technology market.

Ransomware: Coming To A Business Near You

When a user becomes a ransomware victim on their home computer, the files at risk are likely to be local to that system – but the same isn’t true in the business environment. Instead, Ransomware can target files on shared drives, both locally and in the cloud.

Johnson Controls and Tyco to Merge

Johnson Controls and Tyco have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, will combine with Tyco, a global fire and security provider, and will together provide building products and technology, integrated solutions and energy storage.

Content Engagement Strategies To Market To The $3.4 Trillion Multicultural Segment

Two of the U.S.?s largest and fastest growing groups are millennials (see article here) and multiculturals. While much has been written about millennials (see example here), little has been written about the rapidly growing multicultural segment of the U.S. To better understand this segment of the population, I turned to James Briggs, CEO of Briabe Mobile, who discusses the best strategies for targeting this highly influential group by providing insights into multicultural content engagement trends that convert into brand loyalty.

Peerio Co-Founder On Why He Left The Company (Hint: It Had To Do With Admin Backdoors)

Nine months after former CSO Nadim Kobeïssi quit the company he co-founded, the 25-year-old programmer and privacy advocate took to Twitter to share the reason he left—big money interference and pressure to create custom versions of the app with administrative backdoors. It’s an accusation the company, both on its own blog and in an interview with me, denies.

Guidewire: How An Entrepreneur Can Win An Industry

My talk with the CEO of Guidewire, a company that is revolutionizing insurance

11 Tips To Protect You From Identity Theft & Related Tax Fraud

Identity theft tops the list of taxpayer concerns for 2016. And it's not all in your head: a 2015 Identity Fraud Study, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, found that identity thieves stole $16 billion from 12.7 million U.S. consumers in 2014. The more you know about how to protect yourself, the better chance you have to not be a victim. Here are 11 tips help you protect yourself from identity theft and identity theft related tax fraud:

Saudi Arabia And Iran Aren't Ready For Syrian Peace

The lifting of sanctions have re-ignited an old fear for the Saudi Kingdom: an open and prosperous Iran that could serve as a model to its own young population, and hence a challenge to its monarchy rule.

Making Indian Marketing A Digital Thing

With India’s massive foray into the online domain for consumers, companies need new ways of tackling their marketing strategies, says Canvass.in’s Rahul Lakhani.

ESPA Names Jeff Gardner Executive Director

The Electronic Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA) has named Jeff Gardner as its first executive director. He takes this position after nine years on staff at CEDIA, directing both technical training and industry certification.

I Tried To Shop Online Anonymously (And It Was A Pain In The Butt)

All sorts of glitches and limitations come up when trying to buy something online anonymously (or leave a smaller footprint).

8 Practices To Galvanize Innovation In Your Startup

Entrepreneurs and startups are big believers in innovation, but sometimes they forget that innovation must be continual to assure long-term success, rather than the one big-bang idea that initiated their journey. By default, innovation in every business decreases over time, and continuous innovation requires ongoing initiatives and measures of customer perceived value.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Wearables May Soon Track Heartbreak, Orgasms in Real Time

A wave of new emotion-tracking wearables seeks to help users share their feelings from a data-driven perspective.

Samsung Struggling To Overcome Android's Crucial Error

Samsung is facing a lawsuit from the Dutch Consumers Association, Consumentenbond. The association is making the case that the South Korean smartphone manufacturer does not provide enough information about software updates, security vulnerabilities, or the updates themselves.

4 Ways To Save Money On Marketing

What sounds better: spending thousands — or millions — of dollars on elaborate print or television advertising campaigns with no way to measure a return on investment, or paying nothing to integrate simple solutions into your current marketing strategy and get closer to your customers? Marketing doesn't have to be expensive, but it needs to be strategized smartly to provide big returns.

IBM Reports $2 Billion In Annual Security Revenues

International Business Machines Corp. announced its 2015 earnings yesterday. The financial figures around IBM's next generation technologies suggest that Ginni Rometty's bet on cloud computing, mobility, analytics, and security is working.

An Ode To Tax Season: How To Bid Farewell To Your Family

Tax season is here. Tax season is the worst. But don't just abandon your family for the next three months with no explanation; make them aware of the series of mistakes that were set into motion long ago that led you to this self-imposed hell. And tell them with rhymes! It will make your prolonged absence less painful.

Huge Number Of Critical Flaws Revealed In Apple, Android, Linux And Oracle Systems

It's time to get patching, as scores of critical flaws across iPhones, Macs, Androids, Linux devices and Oracle systems are disclosed.

5 Great Marketing Tools For Boosting Productivity In 2016

According to an informal survey published on HubSpot, marketers spend about 16 hours each week on routine tasks; email accounts for almost four of those hours (so much for Tim Ferriss's 4 Hour Workweek). Meanwhile, collecting, organizing, and analyzing marketing data from different sources takes up an additional 3.55 hours a week.

2015's Worst Passwords Are Still Really Bad (So Please Tell Me Yours Is Not On The List)

The list of worst passwords used in 2015 includes longer passwords, but they're not exactly stronger.

The Rise And Fall Of America's Unicorns

It is no secret that the number of private companies with valuations in excess of one billion dollars has skyrocketed since the start of 2014. As shown in CBInsight’s chart below, the number of such “unicorns” created during the first half of 2014 was roughly equivalent to the number created during the prior three years.

Biggest Municipal Bankruptcies In U.S. History

Biggest Municipal Bankruptcies In U.S. History

Cold Communication Isn't Dead, Bad Messages Are

I get them all the time, those pesky emails from salespeople asking me for 30 minutes of my time to pitch me on their super cool, next generation, game-changing product. I feel sorry for them because I know it's their job. They're supposed to reach out. They need to prospect. The sales aren't going to create themselves. Salespeople have to cold call (in this instance, I mean cold anything; email, LinkedIn, calling, etc.). But man, are the emails and calls awful.

Saudi Arabia's Worst Fear About Iran

Saudi Arabia has many fears about Iran. But there is one fear that is the worst of them all: an open Iran that mends relations with Saudi Arabia’s closest western ally, the US. And that scenario seems very likely, following the lifting of UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic. For Iran, an open and prosperous society could pave the way for a moderate regime that would fulfill the causes and promises of the 1979 revolution against the tyranny of monarchy. So why should Saudi Arabia be fearful of this prospect? Because the Iranian revolution could serve as a model for its own young population. “Iran and Saudi Arabia are regional rivals, economically, politically, ideologically and culturally,” wrote a commentator in one of our previous pieces. “Both countries have a young population with an average age of 27. Both countries want to keep their system and elite safe, in other words keep their population and hence their youth under control. Elections are imminent in Iran. The worst case scenario for Saudi Arabia would be a more moderate, world-friendly and especially West-friendly Iran. Iran has despite all its human rights abuses, more democratic institutions than the Saudi Kingdom. If only it cleaned up its act, the promises of the 1979 revolution against tyranny would be served and it would go a long way in allowing Iranians to fulfill their potential. A scenario like that would be detrimental to the Saudi elite, as it wouldn’t want to see its own youth follow that lead.” Key Economic Metrics

Steve Blank On Making Lean Startups Out Of Scientists

It’s no stretch that Steve Blank’s students and mentees refer to him as one of “the Godfathers of Silicon Valley.” Blank’s methodology of Customer Development is the building block on which Eric Ries’ Lean Startup movement is built; in fact, Blank calls Ries, “The best student I’ve ever had.” With over thirty years of experience in the high technology industry, three books, a wildly successful blog and eight startups under his belt, Blank has moved into the next phase of his brilliance: creating highly accessible NSF-funded entrepreneurial curriculum to train scientists and engineers across the country.

Why Retirees Need To Stop Writing Checks To Charities

Since 2006, those age 70 ½ and older have had the opportunity to direct up to $100,000 of distributions annually from their IRAs to the charity of their choice. This is not a particularly well known rule for several reasons. At first blush, it looks like something that is only for the very rich—who can afford to give away $100,000 a year to charity? Secondly, the rule has always been in the tax code as a temporary provision, meaning that Congress had to reinstate it periodically after it lapsed. This reinstatement often took place at the very end of the year, making it hard to count on for planning purposes. In fact, when it was reenacted this past December, most people had already completed the majority of their charitable contributions for the year. Retirement Risks: An eBook From Forbes Don’t risk your golden years. This book will help you plan around roadblocks that can derail your retirement. Now, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 has finally made the rule permanent. As such, it is time to take this planning opportunity seriously and pay more attention to the advantages it can provide. This rule can actually represent a valuable tax strategy for many retirees. To gain a tax advantage from this provision, retirees only have to meet three requirements: Have reached age 70 ½ Own a traditional IRA subject to the required minimum distribution rules Intend to make charitable contributions (of any size)

2016 30 Under 30: Food & Drink

2016 30 Under 30: Food & Drink

How A Weird Hummus Habit Led One Under 30 To Reinvent Traditional Pasta

With double the protein and four times the fiber of traditional pasta, Under 30 Brian Rudolph's Banza chickpea pasta is out to turn your next Italian meal on its head.

The Hottest Startups Of 2015

The Hottest Startups Of 2015

Is Keyword Density Still Important For SEO?

Is there an optimal density that guarantees you'll rank better for a given keyword? Should we even be calculating keyword density at this point? And if not, how do keywords fit into web-based content? This article will explore these questions and more.

The 3 Big Trends Shaping Online Commerce

Being the technology at the heart of more than 200,000 small to medium sized ecommerce and retail businesses means that Shopify has a unique view into changes in both how consumers are looking to buy, and how the ecommerce and retail industries are shifting to deal with new opportunities created by technology. Here is how we see the year ahead, based on the trends in our data and our perspective on the market.

QuickBooks Recruits App Developers To Create Greater End-User Value

How can a market leader stay on top? Innovation, engagement, self-disruption, entrepreneurship and thought leadership are all solid business drivers. But how can a company employ such theories in practical, timely and effective ways to create immediate value for customers? Intuit may have solved this challenge by enlisting the help of a large and growing community of independent app developers.

8 Tips For Crowdfunding Success

Crowdfunding gives access to new funding with fewer strings attached for innovative entrepreneurs.

Hong Kong-Based Fintech Startup Boosting Banks' Profits

As an investor in SoFi, a San Francisco-based consumer lending service, I am not surprised when fintech startups aspire to convince consumers to fire their banks.

EU-US Safe Harbor: Judicial Redress Act Vote Delayed

The U.S. has delayed a vote scheduled for tomorrow on a key piece of U.S. legislation, the Judicial Redress Act, potentially impacting ongoing EU-US negotiations over new trans-Atlantic data transfer rules.

As Oil Prices Gyrate, Underlying Trends Are Shifting To Oil's Disadvantage

As investors panic over the steep drop in the price of oil, it is quietly becoming uncompetitive even at low prices before it can test the still relatively recent bullish forecasts that it would become unavailable even at high prices.

Bernie Sanders Tax Plan Moderate On Top Income Tax Rate

Video

Bernie Sanders has finally dropped the other shoe on his tax plan. I'm pleased that he has not exactly gone crazy with the top marginal rates, although, all things considered, they are steep. Ironically, you could make a case that his plan is more conservative than many of the Republican

Two Is Not Better Than One: The FTC And FCC Join Forces On Privacy

Expect plenty of stumbling as the FCC joins the FTC in regulating consumer privacy.

15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently

I recently interviewed over 200 ultra-productive people including 7 billionaires, 13 Olympians, 20 straight-A students and over 200 successful entrepreneurs. I asked a simple, open-ended question, “What is your number one secret to productivity?” After analyzing all of their responses, I coded their answers into 15 unique ideas.

Synaptics 'IronVeil' Brings Biometric Security To The Desktop PC

Over the last week, there have been some important announcements related to client device security. Intel announced Authenticate yesterday, and late last week, Microsoft reiterated support for Intel's Skylake with its Credential Guard. Security is becoming one of the most important things that businesses and consumers think about when it comes to their computer usage. Given the learnings from both the Sony and Target hacks, the increase in state sponsored hacking, and the press that the iPhone photo hacking incident received, this make a lot of sense. One of the leading companies enabling client device biometric security has been Synaptics through their fingerprint sensor technologies.

IRS Wipes Another Hard Drive Defying Court Order...But You Must Keep Tax Records

IRS is deleting emails again in violation of a court order. Meanwhile, you have to keep your records or face IRS wrath. What gives?

Security Industry Has Large Presence at CES

This year at CES, the security industry was well represented.

This Phishing Attack Could Get LastPass Users To Forfeit Their Credentials

A security researcher found a major vulnerability in the online password manager.

Many Americans Are Willing To Sacrifice Personal Information For Good Deals

However, survey respondents did find certain tradeoffs unacceptable, were concerned with the security of the information they did share, and disliked some of the ways it was used.

Bootstrapping: When Do Dollars Make Sense?

When does it make sense to bootstrap a startup?

The Hunt For A Virtual Assistant And My Attempt To Delegate

My digital detox led to a hunt for a virtual assistant. Apparently, I can't do it all alone, so I'm learning how to delegate.

Layoffs Won't Fix Walmart's Real Problem

Wal-Mart’s big problem isn’t competition from Amazon’s low prices. It’s poor quality of customer service, according to the scores of comments in response to a previous post published here about the company. That’s why laying off scores of employees won’t solve its problem. In fact, it will make things worse, deteriorating

Crowdfunding Platform Patreon Raises $30 Million In Series B Funding

The members of today's creative class are more actively disrupting conventional business models, and perhaps nothing is more indicative of this change than the recent success of crowdfunding platform Patreon.

Even Richard Branson Needs A Mentor, Here's How To Get One

If your resolution for 2016 is to take the next step as an entrepreneur or take your company to the next level, developing mentor relationships should be a priority. Here are four key tips I’ve compiled over the years for finding great business mentors and making the most of those relationships.

Why Attitude Is More Important Than IQ

New research shows that your attitude is more important to how you do in life than your intellect. Dr. Travis Bradberry shows you how to develop the attitude you need to succeed.

Trends In Food, Applications In Wine: Tips From The Fancy Food Show

The $109 billion specialty food category has something to teach the wine industry. Here’s a look at prominent trends that are driving that growth, along with suggestions for how wineries can apply it to their communications.

Better, Stronger, Faster: Why Nootropics Will Be Big Business In 2016

Supplements are big business. Now Silicon Valley is getting in on the game.

Market Segmentation: Sell More By Selling To Fewer

Rarely does one size fit all, and your prospects know it.

3 Ways To Build A Strong CEO-CMO Relationship

A CEO and CMO working together can be one of the most powerful forces for positive change and growth in an organization today. Just listen to the CMO of Philips Healthcare talk to McKinsey about what he and the Philips CEO accomplished together, or read about how the CEO and CMO of Caesars collaborated closely in the charge to drive the entertainment company forward. It’s clear that we’ve come a long way from the days of excruciatingly short CMO tenures and low CEO confidence in marketers.

Alarm.com Integrates With Amazon Echo, Apple TV

Alarm.com made two announcements at in conjunction with CES earlier this month.

The Most Scary Thing About China's Debt

Japan’s debt to GDP ratio is 230%. America’s debt to GDP ratio is 103%. These are large numbers. But they are known. So credit agencies and financial markets have already discounted their effect on the prices of financial assets of these countries. What about China’s debt to GDP ratio? Officially, it is a small number: 41%. Unofficially, nobody knows. Yes, nobody knows. For a good reason: piles of loans from government-owned banks to government owned enterprises. This unknown is what is most scary about China’s debt, as credit agencies and financial markets have yet to factor its effect into the price of Chinese financial assets. Compounding the problem, the simultaneous government ownership of both the creditors and the borrowers concentrates rather than disperses credit risks, creating the potential of a systemic collapse -- as the Greek crisis so colorfully confirmed. Worse, government ownership complicates creditor bailouts. The reason why the “haircut” of Greek debt had such a pervasive impact on the Greek economy is that government-controlled banks and pension funds were the creditors of the general government and government-owned enterprises. And the haircut shifted losses from one government branch to another. The situation is even more dire in China, where the outright simultaneous government ownership of banks, pension funds, and common corporations has yielded an odd state in which both the creditor and the borrower are government branches. Government-owned banks lend money directly to government owned corporations, which usually function as welfare agencies; and to land developers, who are behind the country’s “investment” bubble, one of the engines of the Chinese economy. Could you imagine what would happen to financial markets if China undergoes a Greek-style crisis, one day? Investors in currencies, commodities, and equities have already got a taste of it, following the recent crash in Chinese equity markets.

Bernie Sanders Releases Tax Plan, Nation's Rich Recoil In Horror

Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders took a break from yelling at clouds long enough to release his tax plan today, and it's, how should I put this...aggressive. Sanders proposes a top rate on individual income of a whopping 52%, which would be the highest since 1980, when tax rates reached a high of 70% under Jimmy Carter.

Cyber Crime Costs Projected To Reach $2 Trillion by 2019

'Crime wave' is an understatement when you consider the costs that businesses are suffering as a result of cyber crime. 'Epidemic' is more like it. IBM Corp.'s Chairman, CEO and President, Ginni Rometty, recently said that cyber crime may be the greatest threat to every company in the world.

Don't Throw Your "Dumb" Business Idea Away. It Can Bring You A Fortune.

What do Amazon, Dell Computer, Home Depot, Airbnb, and Uber have in common? They all started with a “dumb” idea. Every fortune begins with a business idea that passes the market test and turns into a product that changes people’s lives. Business ideas come in two types -- smart ideas and “dumb”

Who Killed Wal-Mart's Business Model?

For more than three decades, Wal-Mart ruled the US retailing industry. Its large stores and everyday low prices were too much for smaller neighborhood stores and supermarkets that ended belly-up shortly after Wal-Mart invaded their turf. That’s how Wal-Mart ended with close to a half-trillion in sales, dwarfing the economies of

From Medical Tests To Drones In Backyards: Is Physical Privacy Dead?

While most discussion of privacy has focused on the online world, the data-driven revolution has profoundly reshaped privacy norms in the physical world

Apple's Advantage Over Android Embarrasses Google

A recent study by the University of British Columbia (Android Permissions Remistified) shows that four out of five Android users would like the ability to deny permissions for certain functions to applications when they are run. And in that simple statement lies Android's continuing problem, and one that its biggest competitor has already solved.

Will 2016 Be The Year Of The Unicorn Apocalypse In Silicon Valley?

By Paul Glader

What Goldie Hawn Taught Me About Business Success

Being a celebrity can be tough. When business executive Liz Edlich traveled with her actress friend Goldie Hawn to Rome, the two were constantly interrupted by those seeking autographs and pictures.

How Starbucks Lifted A Young Homeless Man From The Streets To Success

From the streets to success via Starbucks: The incredible true store of how a young homeless man's drive and willpower, coupled with some irreplaceable assistance from Starbucks managers and partners, lifted him from poverty to a Corcoran Groupreal estate career

New 'Jeneration' PR: How To Promote Your Own Company Well

New words of advice for effective do-it-yourself approaches to entrepreneurial PR.

3 Reasons To Invest In January's Bear Market

I left for Asia on January 4 -- to lead a Babson College MBA course on startups in Hong Kong and Singapore -- and returned on the 15th to a "bear market."

Cryptocurrency OBITS Ends Robust 'Crowd Sale' With BTC/BTS Buyback Adding Fiat Gateway

In just a few weeks from now this February the first and potentially “last buyback” of fledgling cryptocurrency OBITS is expected to occur, whereby an anticipated dividend option will be possible to exercise on the world’s first decentralized financial trading platform, the BitShares 2.0 platform OpenLedger. But with an imminent fiat gateway development things are now poised for a further step up.

When Cameras And Wearables Could Be Used To Steal Passwords And Keys

How digital cameras, wearables, neural networks and 3D printing are coming together to render the world of passwords and keys obsolete.

Zoosk Drops 1/3 Of Staff As Dating App Boom Lets Users Play The Field

A year after laying off 15% of its staff, San Francisco-based dating platform Zoosk is ending things with another 40 employees, or 1/3 of the company, TechCrunch reported this week. Faced with a boom of competitor apps in the past few years, the site explains, Zoosk, Inc. has been suffering from a significant drop in its user base as distract-able online daters explore their options for getting matched.

Inside Forbes: Our Ad Block Test Stirs Up Emotions, Then Brings Learnings and New Data

I can still remember the angst at Newsweek in the mid-80s as slumping ad pages ate away at the size of each issue. The business side grumbled about lackluster covers. Editors, myself included, ridiculed sales guys (we could call them that back then) for their martini lunches with soft-shell crabs.

SDM’s 2016 SDM 100 Report: Apply Now!

Were you a part of 2015’s growth in the security industry? Apply to be ranked on the 2016 SDM 100 Report to find out.

A Cyber Security Pro Shares The Best Tricks For Cloud-Based Threat Scanning

What are some technical considerations for cloud-based vulnerability scanners? This question was originally answered on Quora by Sai Ramanan.

A Framework For How Any Company Can Design Amazing Employee Experiences

Over the past few months I've been working on a series of articles all around the employee experience which I define as being a combination of three distinct environments (physical, cultural, and technological). I shared several examples, explored how these three environments create experiences, and defined four types of organizations that emerged as a result of focusing on the employee experience. Today I wanted to share a framework for how the employee experience design process can actually work inside of an organization but first, here are the previous articles for you to check out. The Physical Environment The Cultural Environment The Technological Environment The Three Employee Experience Environments (Summary) The Four Types of Organizations (Empowered, Enabled, Engaged, Experiential)

How To Become A Super Villain With Your Powerball Winnings

So you've defied the odds and won Powerball? What next? Become a super villain of course!

Tri-Ed Wraps up Stadium Tours Across the Country

Tri-Ed Distribution’s 2015 Stadium Tour wrapped up its cross country journey with a final stop in Denver. These customer appreciation and training events attracted hundreds of dealers and integrators in Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver, according to a Tri-Ed press release.

Athletes Tom Brady, Jeremy Lin and Giancarlo Stanton Design TAG Heuer Connected Watches

When do smart watches or Connected watches go too far? TAG Heuer recently announced new dials to its Connected watch - created in conjunction with star athletes such as Tom Brady, Giancarlo Stanton and Jeremy Lin.

Tri-Ed Opens New Branch in Memphis

Tri-Ed, an Anixter company, has opened a new branch location in Memphis, Tenn.

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Online Business At A Young Age

I first started dabbling in entrepreneurship when I was a freshman in highschool.

Vivint Connects to ASAP

Vivint, a smart home technology provider with more than 850,000 customers, is the latest national alarm company to go live with Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

Five Ways Startup Funding Will Change In 2016

There are a number of untenable conditions in startup financing that will lead to market corrections, but I do not see a "bubble burst" coming our way. Check out all of my startup financing predictions for 2016 here.

Florida Archaeologists Condemn Proposed 'Citizen Archaeology' Permit

A new "citizen archaeology" bill introduced in the Florida House this week has archaeologists fearful of the future of archaeology in the state.

Al Jazeera: America's Not-So-Warm Embrace

Several years ago when Al Jazeera announced its ambitious plans to expand its TV news footprint from the Middle East to the United States, I scratched my head and pondered the foolishness of such an idea. After all, didn't Al Jazeera built its brand identity as the propaganda arm for the Intifada and a few recognized terrorist groups? Minimally, those charged with re-positioning Al Jazeera America into a reputable journalistic enterprise, by U.S. standards, would have their work cut out for them.

Dr. Andrew Weil Works To Focus Healthcare System On Health

Dr. Andrew Weil is the Harvard-trained physician who led the holistic health revolution of the last fifty years. Whatever you think of alternative medicine, he has been successful at building a following and a community.

African Tech Startups Raised $186 Million In 2015 - Report

African tech startups raised US$185.79 million in funding over the course of 2015, with South African companies receiving in excess of US$54.5 million, making the country the most popular destination for investments over the course of the year.

A Simple Way To Raise Your Odds Of Winning The $1.5 Billion Powerball Jackpot

Winning the Powerball jackpot is a long, long shot. The odds of winning are 1 in 292.2 million, and they remain the same as the jackpot keeps on rising.

This Impact Investor In Ethiopia Fills Financing Gap

Matt Davis, founder of RENEW LLC, is providing SMEs in Ethiopia with six-figure financing that no one else is currently able to provide, allowing small businesses to scale to a point where larger funds can invest.

5 Tools To Help You Generate Better Content Ideas

When people talk about 'great' content being what sets successful companies apart, it’s easy to think about the 'guts' of that content. You think about the data, arguments, insights, word choices, and structural clarity of the articles. All those factors are important, but topic selection has to come first.

What Business Can Learn From Clemson's Loss

Clemson’s loss in the national championship game offers a lesson for all businesses. Clemson looked like the stronger team most of the game. They would look strong for 10 minutes, then get hammered by a big play that took all of 10 seconds. Then for another 10 minutes they looked strong, only to lose on another 10-second play.

Hydroswarm: Next Generation Drones That Are Exploring The World's Oceans

Hydroswarm aims to change the way we explore our oceans with their autonomous underwater drones. Learn more about the huge opportunity in ocean exploration and why Hydroswarm is poised to shape this burgeoning industry.

Rating The Obama Years For Small Business Growth

Among the items President Obama highlighted as part of his legacy in the State of the Union Address and thereafter will be the slow, albeit steady, growth of the economy over the past five years.

Whoever Said End Of Year Predictions Have To Come Out By End Of The Year?

Someone please show me where it is written that an end of the year prediction for the coming year has to be released before the start of the new coming year? There is no law or statute that I am aware of that prevents me from sharing my yearly collection of marketing predictions for the coming year, pop culture style of course.

5 Tips For Brands To Work With Influencers

Influencers are the megaphones of social media, and that’s not because they have big mouths -- although some of us aren’t exactly quiet! It’s because influencers have the reach to deliver a message to a large audience. More than that, though, they also have the power to make that audience trust the message it receives.

New Loan Program Helps Refugees Start Businesses

Refugees have even more difficulties than American entrepreneurs in starting businesses, so it's great to see a new program from the International Rescue Committee to finance their efforts.

True Or False? 'Employees Today Only Stay One Or Two Years'

It’s time to put an end to the popular myth.

Grow Your Business And Your Industry, By Starting Your Own Association

You can start your own national association.

5 Ways to Grow Your Business With A Little Help from Your Friends

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Everyone needs a support system and entrepreneurs have a lot to choose from.

GE Heads North And Why You May Get A Deal On A Conn. House

It's official: General Electric is retreating from Connecticut and relocating its headquarters to Boston.

CEO, Founder, And CS Professor Luis Von Ahn Talks MOOCs, Founding A Company, And Duolingo's Future

CEO, Founder, And CS Professor Luis Von Ahn Talks MOOCs, Founding A Company, And Duolingo's Future. These questions were originally answered on Quora.

The Asset Protection Year In Review 2015

2015 will be remembered as the year when the number of appellate opinion dealing with creditor-debtor issues and, by extension, asset protection issues, finally fell off dramatically from the veritable flood of such opinions that started in 2011 as a result of the real estate bubble that finally started to burst in 2007.

IRS Continues To Whipsaw Taxpayers: Sales Of Land Generate Ordinary Income, Capital Loss

Imagine this: Two clients walk into your office on the same day. Client A stops by in the morning, and provides you with the following fact pattern:

This Guy Is Responsible For Reducing The Impact Of CES

Jeff Chase of Freeman, the company that organizes the annual CES trade show for the Consumer Electronics Association, is responsible for reducing the environmental impact of the one of the world's largest trade shows.

Beijing Wants To Be A Hub For Foreign Student Start-ups -- Any Takers?

Taking its cue from Tokyo, Beijing is getting serious about attracting talent. Foreign talent, that is -- by offering foreign students internships and issuing permits to run their own start-ups in Zhongguancun Science Park. Beijing is further easing permanent residency rules for foreigners, making it easier for talented foreigners to relocate

Tax Foundation Scores Ben Carson Tax Plan

The Tax Foundation is out with its analysis of Dr. Ben Carson's tax plan. Tax Foundation scores it with a ten-year $5.6 trillion revenue loss on a static basis and a $2.5 trillion loss on a dynamic basis. (The dynamic scoring takes into account the positive effect that the plan

To Recruit Top Entry-Level Millennial Talent, Use This HR Exit Strategy

I’ve come up with a clever, and what I think is an original strategy, to recruit top entry-level talent at The Oxford Center For Entrepreneurs. The key premise to my strategy is hiring employees with the intention of increasing their workplace value, and landing them a major promotion with another company. Yes, it's Know, Grow and Exit for employees just as we do for entrepreneurs.

The Hottest On-Demand Startups Of 2015

The Hottest On-Demand Startups Of 2015

Leaked: Uber's Financials Show Huge Growth, Even Bigger Losses

It's no surprise that Uber is growing, or that it's losing money. What's surprising is the magnitude of both.

Choosing The Right Startup Funding Sources Makes All The Difference

ItsOn has developed a disruptive platform that allows mobile network operators such as Verizon to develop new revenue streams, design and deploy new types of service plans in minutes rather than months, and dramatically upgrade the customer experience for end users.

To Patent Or Not To Patent: That Is The Question For Startups

I go over some of the questions I hear most often — such as why you do or don’t need a patent, what can happen if you don’t have one and just how to go about participating in the patent system.

How I Became My Own Boss By Age 25

I became my own boss by 25, but not in the way you think. I didn’t create an app on a napkin; didn’t launch a startup in a Seattle coffee shop; didn’t buy an organic farm.

How Virtual Technology Is Disrupting The E-Commerce Marketplace

Shopping online is a very different experience today than it was 10 years ago. E-commerce has grown dramatically across industries and has turned the web into a widely used, reliable way to shop for most consumers in America.

How To Help Your Legal Practice Thrive As An LGBT Lawyer

Starting your own legal practice isn't a cakewalk, but at times it can seem even more difficult if you don't always feel welcomed with open arms by others in the industry as an LGBT professional. This is one of the reasons the LGBT Bar and the American Bar Association's Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity produced Out and About: The LGBT Experience in the Legal Profession to tell the stories of 55 gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender attorneys, academics and jurists.

Could Your Business Survive An Economic Downturn In 2016? Four Ways To Prepare Yourself

What if the economy begins to weaken as many economists expect? We share four steps to take to manage your way through a potentially challenging year.

10 Steps To Take When You Win A Lottery Jackpot

10 Steps To Take When You Win A Lottery Jackpot

The Priciest Part Of The $100 Golden Doughnut Isn't The Gold

We ate the new gold standard in pastry

Networking And Referrals: Are You A Hero Or A Zero?

You know how important referrals are in business. You might seek referrals to grow your business. Others might seek referrals for new career opportunities. In either case, how you make those requests can determine whether you are a networking and referral hero or zero.

Social Media Is No Longer A Marketing Channel, It's A Customer Experience Channel

As we move into 2016, the business world is finally beginning to realize what the “social” in social media means—and can do—for every organization. In my Forbes 2016 marketing predictions piece, I talk about how brands will increasingly recognize that social media is no longer an isolated marketing channel used primarily to sell their product or service. What once served primarily as a platform to increase sales is now a meeting space, and has become part of the brand experience itself.

The Top Qualities Successful CMOs Need To Succeed Today

These 6 qualities set aside the best CMOs from those who get merely average results for their companies.

Plaintiff Lawyers And The Government Ratchet Up Pressure On Employers

Employers faced an invigorated plaintiffs' bar and aggressive government enforcement in 2015, and can expect more of the same this year.

12 Surprising Items IRS Says You Must Report On Your Taxes

What's taxable? Just about everything, and the IRS gets a surprising array of Forms 1099 and other information returns. To steer clear of an IRS audit, report everything.

Does Anyone Really Care About The Internet Of Things?

Last week's Consumer Electronics Show ("CES") put a spotlight on Internet of Things ("IOT") and the smart home. Has it now arrived? I'm skeptical because I don't yet see the killer app.

This Product Is Making Sure Women Never Undermine Themselves On Email Again

Tami Reiss knew she had a problem. As CEO of Cyrus Innovation, a New York City-based consultancy that helps companies of all shapes and sizes build better products, she knew she was a powerful, capable woman. She led teams, made bold decisions, and pushed the envelope of what was possible in the tech world. Yet, she also knew that sometimes her communication didn’t reflect that. When she was worried about being too forward, she would be overly apologetic in emails, sometimes starting them with the undermining phrase “I’m so sorry.” When she was feeling less powerful, she would say “I’m just checking in,” as if she needed to justify her communication. “We put phrases in there with the intention of saying, ‘I want the other person to know I’m not a horrible, pushy person,’” she said. “What people hear is, 'This person talking to me or writing to me isn’t very confident.'” Reiss understood she was hardly alone. She was part of a group named League for Extraordinary Woman, made of female CEOs, managers, and entrepreneurs who support one another, and they would discuss the issue. Sometimes they undermined themselves on email intentionally; other times, subconsciously. Regardless, it had to stop quickly. So Reiss, along with engineers at her company, created a plugin for Gmail named Just Not Sorry, that automatically underlines distracting or demeaning phrases before an email is sent out. It also includes a short explanation given by an expert of why these phrases - Just, I'm sorry, I think, or I'm no expert, are just a few - could take away from your message. The plugin is barely two weeks old, and it’s already been installed 90,000 in 140 countries. “We definitely struck a nerve," said Reiss. "This is a way to give people a leg up."

Bitcoin-Like MintChip Acquired By Canada's nanoPay With Digital Cash Future Promise

nanoPay Corporation, a loyalty and payment platform tech start-up in Toronto, has acquired all the assets related to MintChip, a fledgling digital currency developed by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM), which has been in the coin making business for over 100 years, and likened to Bitcoin - but backed originally by the Canadian dollar. Plans are now afoot to commercialize the technology during 2016 under the new custodians.

The Top 3 Most Ridiculous Things I've Done To Grow My Startup

One entrepreneur's list of the three most ridiculous action taken to grow his startup.

Veeam Hunts Enterprise Customers With Availability Suite v9

Veeam continues to aggressively target enterprise customers in its hunt for $1 billion in revenue by 2018.

What To Do When Your Buyer's Just Not That Into You

A business owner is sometimes so excited about his own product or service, it can be surprising when a potential customer doesn’t share that excitement. This usually comes up during the sales process, when it becomes clear that a pitch isn’t connecting or that customers aren’t engaged in the way they should be. It can be difficult to know whether to keep talking or call the meeting to a close, since either choice can feel awkward in the moment.

What You Should Know When Choosing Automated Online Investing Services

"Do-it-yourself" financial advice is more accessible to the average retail investor than ever before, thanks to the accelerating popularity of so-called "robo-advisors." These web-based platforms allow retail investors to input personal and financial data, and in exchange, receive asset allocation and investment product recommendations. Then, based on those recommendations, the robo-advisor platform will typically manage clients’ assets for an ongoing fee.

The Big Idea: 13 Steps To Entrepreneurial Success

There are things you can do to align yourself with those big, once in a lifetime, million dollar ideas. Here are 13 steps to come up with your BIG idea.

Higher Ed To Career Tech Startup Funded With Competitions, Incubators And Angels

Patrick Jones, the Founder and CEO of Vacatio, has been on a tear. A graduate of undefinedLeadership Atlanta, Jones was exposed to the challenges of developing leaders by bringing college graduates into the workplace. Jones saw an opportunity to develop a technology solution that could bridge the gap between higher education and higher pursuits in employment. Thus Vocatio—which Jones call the GPS for your career journey—was born…but growing it would take a lot more financial creativity and a varied approach to fundraising.

Forbes CIO Summit Features World Class Speakers And Attendees And CIO Growth Champions Award

Having had the pleasure of interviewing a vast number of technology executives over the years, there are some who have risen above the rest. These include the likes of John Hinshaw, the Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Andi Karaboutis, the Executive Vice President of Technology and Business Solutions at Biogen, Linda Clement-Holmes, the board-level CIO of P&G, Ben Fried, the CIO of Google, Stephanie von Friedeburg, the board-level CIO of the World Bank Group, Roger Gurnani, the Chief Information and Technology Architect of Verizon, among many others. See each of these executives speak on stage at the second annual Forbes CIO Summit at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. Request an invitation through this link.

Outputs, Outcomes, And Obstacles

Do you do work just to make others think you?re busy? Or are you focused on providing real value? When you encounter a challenge do you groan and lose hope, or do you figure out how this obstacle can become a benefit?

PR's Secrets: Create Great Partnerships; Leverage Them Well

The pages of VOGUE? Partnership with Richard Branson or an endorsement from Barbara Corcoran? These four entrepreneurs excel in partnership-driven PR.

'Googling Reality': Internet Of Things Extends Business' Ability To Sense And Respond

The Internet of Things literally has the potential to turn every object on this planet into a computer node. Is that a good thing? Who knows? But the proliferation of computing power and data opens up interesting new avenues for business. The challenge is figuring out what those avenues are, and garnering the organizational support and capacity to pursue it. And understand how IoT has the potential to become an incredibly intelligent and observant extension of our senses.

Top Cyber Security Salaries In U.S. Metros Hit $380,000

Last week we reported that there are over one million cybersecurity job openings in 2016. This week we take a look at the highest paying jobs in cybersecurity.

Small Business Owners: Still Crazy After All These Years

“Still crazy after all these years” is the title of a contemplative, 1975 song by the legendary singer-songwriter and multiple Halls of Fame member, Paul Simon. Listening to it on the radio the other day for the zillionth time, the song’s title/refrain made me to think about what makes small business owners different.

Ask Ethan: How Can We Know If North Korea Is Testing Nuclear Bombs?

North Korea claims to have developed and tested a Hydrogen Bomb. How can we tell if that's true, using science?

From Product-Centricity To Consumer-Centricity: A Shift At One Of The World's Largest Tech Companies

Almost all companies talk about how they are ?consumer-centric.? And yet, academic research shows tremendous variance in the degree to which companies are actually centered on understanding consumers and designing products and services around their needs. Lenovo recently underwent a significant cultural change designed to shift from a company focused on product first to one focused on the consumer first. To learn more about the impetus and challenges of such a significant change, I talked with David Roman, the CMO of Lenovo. What follows are his insights.

Young Stephen King: Brilliant Entrepreneur

Long before author Stephen King sold over 350 million books, he was a budding entrepreneur. In order to pay his college tuition, young Stephen created a sole proprietor startup with a very entrepreneurial pricing structure.

Rule #1 For A Successful Startup: Hire The Right Key Employees

The day we hired our first sales rep to work for our startup, we loaded up his trunk with the first couple of cases of our product. When he came back later, the trunk was empty and we gave him some more. ?OK?, you?re hired - now you can work tomorrow too?.

Poor Return Preparation Kills Facade Easement Tax Deduction

The Tax Court opened the new year with a charitable easement decision. It is pretty disappointing. Charitable easements are a great area of creative abuse, but David and Kathryn Gemperle weren't up to anything wicked. Instead they lost from poor return preparation.

Here's Why China Won't Contain North Korea Anytime Soon

North Korea is China?s best bargaining chip -- in its on going territorial dispute with Japan and its US ally, that is.

Six Small Business Books To Enlighten Even The Savviest Entrepreneurs

Are you sellable? What is your intellectual property? What can you learn in unexpected places? Here are six new books to help you think differently about your small business.

Manhattan's First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens And Is Already Working With Mt. Sinai Hospital

Find out what's going on in Manhattan's first Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Apigee CEO: Navigating Rough IPO Waters

Apigee CEO thinks IPOs are a good thing

6 Tips For Millennials Doing Their Taxes

It’s hard to believe, but April 15th is almost upon us once again. And if you’re gainfully employed in these United States, that means it’s almost time for tax day.

How To Strike The Right Balance On Creating Systems For A Growing Business

Although systems are critical building blocks for a growing system, entrepreneurs need to be deliberate about what systems are really necessary and when they are really needed.

Lessons From Inside A Shark Tank

Driving innovation?what ginormous and teeny enterprises alike do to defy the odds and successfully launch new products, services and business models.

Psychological Price Of Entrepreneurship

While there are many conversations about the business challenges of a startup, few voice concerns about the psychological effects of entrepreneurship. What guides the entrepreneurial spirit amid stifling emotional hardship, and how can an entrepreneur survive the process?

Using Technology To Create Safe And Ethical Retail Supply Chains

On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,129 garment workers. The world watched in horror as thousands were pulled from the rubble. While the disaster marked the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, the greater tragedy was that much of the devastation was preventable. Cracks had been discovered in the building, but workers were ordered to stay; and managers constantly employed dangerous and unsafe practices. The structure itself was never approved to be built.

Parents Talk To Their Kids About IRL Interactions More Than Online Behavior, Pew Finds

Despite the prevalence of cyberbullying covered in the media, only 36% of parents frequently talk to their kids about online behavior towards others, according to a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center.

NetApp Officially More Than ONTAP

NetApp's SolidFire acquisition is CEO George Kurian's clearest signal yet that the future of NetApp is about much more than DataONTAP.

SIA Names Janet Fenner Marketing Chair

The Security Industry Association (SIA) announced that Janet Fenner, director of marketing North America for Samsung Techwin America, has been appointed to the position of chair, SIA marketing committee.

DICE Spins-off Telecom Division to Form IPtelx.net

DICE Corporation announces IPtelX.net, a telecommunications spinoff of its telecom services business, which is designed to allow DICE to remain focused on security industry software solutions while the new company deals with VoIP in the alarm industry.

11 Popular Career-Related New Year’s Resolutions

11 Popular Career-Related New Year’s Resolutions

LOUD Security Systems Acquires Nash Security

LOUD Security Systems, a Kennesaw-based provider of security technology and monitoring solutions for residential and commercial applications, has merged with Nash Security of Stone Mountain, Ga.

Inside Forbes: From 'Original Sin' To Ad Blockers -- And What The Future Holds

It was my first day of class as a first-time Skype instructor, so I got right to it: "How many of you pay for content?" I asked a dozen or so University of Iowa journalism students as the fall semester got under way at my alma mater. Two, maybe three, gently

Going Above And Beyond Customer Service To Achieve True Customer Engagement

?Anyone who wants to get to the top 1% of customer satisfaction and loyalty needs to go beyond ?service? to the heart of creating a superior the customer experience. And the way you get there is through customer engagement.? These are the words of Ricard Casimiro, whom I had the opportunity

Convergint Technologies Acquires Dakota Security Systems

Convergint Technologies, a service-based systems integrator, announced the acquisition of Dakota Security Systems, a security integration company based in Sioux Falls, S.D., with offices in Arizona, New Jersey and throughout the upper Midwest.

Ukraine Claims Hackers Caused Christmas Power Outage

Ukraine government cyber investigators tell FORBES hackers brandishing a well-known malware were responsible for shutting off power in the west of the country just before Christmas day.

Going Beyond Customer Service To Achieve Customer Engagement

“Anyone who wants to get to the top 1% of customer satisfaction and loyalty needs to go beyond ‘service’ to the heart of creating a superior the customer experience. And the way you get there is through customer engagement.”

Five Crucial Customer Experience Truths That Companies Just Don't Get, Period

The customer experience as you think of it internally doesn’t exist. (That's your experience, not the customer experience. Another thing entirely.) Customers don’t care about your org chart, your process map. In the customer’s eye there are no company divisions, no chain of command, no such thing as a subcontractor who “doesn’t really represent our brand.” Everything they see, they see from their own perspective. This, and only this, is the customer experience. Customer engagement is everything. Serving customers–fulfilling their stated needs–is absolutely crucial, but it’s not enough to ensure loyalty. There needs to be something else, something emotional, that involves the customer, that makes a connection with them. Like a movie engages an audience. Or like this DIY Christmas Tree engages lonely travelers at this hotel during the holidays. A great customer experience, once you put it together, isn’t just going to stay that way on its own. It requires continual work, polishing, entropy-fighting on the part of your organization at all levels. This is why great organizations like the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company devote 10-15 minutes every single day, at the start of every single shift, to talk about their customer service principles. Because otherwise those principles are going to be compromised. Sooner, rather than later. You need to streamline, hide, or eliminate the transactional parts of the customer experience, if you ever want to delight your customers. The Apple Store customer experience is designed so that registers, receipts, owner’s manuals, and so forth are out of sight or even nonexistent. Because they not only don’t add to the customer experience, they get in the way. Customers today are speed freaks. You need to become one too. Remember this: a perfect product, a perfect service, delivered later than the customer expected it is a defect. Micah Solomon is a customer experience consultant, customer service consultant, keynote speaker, trainer, and bestselling author.

The New Year Is More Than Just A Change In Calendar, It's The Perfect Time To Change Ourselves.

The New Year is more than just a change in calendar, it’s the perfect time to change ourselves by making a commitment to become better. It’s the perfect time to take a good hard look at the things we want to change in our lives and recognize what actions we have to take in order to do that. That’s why the start of the New Year is the perfect time to set our short-term goals for the year ahead.

One Thing Missing From Wall Street In 2015

Disclosure: I own shares of XOM Wall Street had its usual ups and downs in 2015, its winners and losers, and its surprises. But there was one thing missing: a traditional Santa Claus Rally. In fact, all major equity indexes moved south in December.

10 Top Keynote Speakers Tell How Presenting Advances Their PR Success

"If I had known that speaking could open so many doors I would have gotten into the business earlier." - Ruben Gonzalez, "The Olympian Speaker."

First Impressions: When an Airport Gets it Right

You can think of an airport as a community's front door. Every time a business or leisure traveler gets off a plane, an impression is created. It might be positive. It might be negative. But studies clearly tell us that it helps shape an individual’s overall perception of a destination.

Prepping Your Business For Sale: A Transaction Advisor On Three Mistakes To Avoid

Three mistakes to avoid if you're thinking of selling your business or bringing in minority investors.

A Psychologist's Secrets To Making New Year's Resolutions Stick

Research suggests that approximately half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions yet only 8% actually achieve them.

Could Co-Working Help Improve The Rural Banking Experience?

In the face of increasing rural bank branch closures, could leveraging the principles of co-working help improve the rural banking customer experience?

What Your 2016 Content Marketing Strategy Should Look Like

Seventy-six percent of B2C marketers report using content marketing, yet only 37% say their strategy is actually effective. Blindly pursuing content marketing and hoping it works isn’t a useful strategy. In the early days of social media, a single tweet could be heard around the world. Brands just had to show up and chat, post a few coupons, engage with whatever audience happened to be hanging around, and their content would practically share itself. Today’s consumers are savvier and more discerning about what they pay attention to. Content fatigue overwhelms the masses, and it’s tough to attract the attention of your audience, let alone convert customers.

Internet Of Things Is The Next Big Thing In Israeli Tech -- Here's Why

Israel is on the verge of becoming a powerhouse for innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) space. Can it live up to the hype?

Four Predictions For Entrepreneurship In 2016

All entrepreneurs grapple with uncertainty at some point in their journey. But as we look at the year ahead of us, we see uncertainty on all sides: a major election, rising interest rates for the first time since 2006 and hushed talks of a “bubble” when it comes to the startup world.

What Business School Doesn't Teach You About The Media

When I meet with student entrepreneur groups, or young founders, there are always a lot of questions about how to deal with the press. The trouble is no one has ever told them how to approach, and work with, the news media. To be honest, it’s getting more complicated given the proliferation of social media. But there are a few basics. Here’s some stuff they don’t teach you in business school:

Saying 'No Thank You' To Equity Financing

Although we have had interest in investment in our startup, we have chosen to forgo any outside funding. Why we are saying 'no thank you' to investment capital.

Get Alignment Around A Burning Imperative In Your First Month In A New Job

Experienced, successful leaders inevitably say that getting people aligned around a vision and values and focused on urgent business matters are the most important things they have to do

What The Juniper Breach Teaches Us About The Domestic Dangers Of Backdoors

How the US Government’s rush to create backdoors to monitor the world may have come back to haunt them

Top 10 Leadership Tips

In a new book M.A. Soupios and I co-authored, The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership, we share scores of leadership tips of great thinkers, Aristotle, Plato, Thales, and Hesiod. Here are my top ten tips. The most lethal distortions come not from the lips of our opponents or competitors. They tend to flow, instead, from our own hearts. The investment of power—granting a leader meaningful authority—is the trigger that will rapidly reveal that person’s inner qualities. Nothing will more rapidly disenchant and alienate workers than a manager who delights in resorting to the stick as opposed to the carrot. Supervisors who constantly micromanage, who second-guess every subordinate decision, who gleefully await any and all opportunities to criticize and bully, are a toxic presence in any environment. Understand the formal and the informal structure of your organization. Realize that effective leadership requires command over both the formal and the informal organization. Supervising the formal organization is the easy part, as the organization chart sets the lines of authority and grants the leader official status. Directing the informal organization is the difficult part, as formal management status cannot guarantee that subordinates comply privately with executive decisions. What can warrant such a compliance is the integrity of your character, a higher code of life that turns subordinates into faithful followers. Are you worthy of their loyalties? The "fate" of organizations is not based on the stars. The character of an organization's leadership determines a company's destiny.

Spotlight on Door Security: Modernizing Entry Control

Woodbine Entertainment Group has installed an entry control system that provides high-security entry control at an affordable cost.

Facebook's Free Web-India: Kindness Or Neo-Imperialism?

Unless it has a better plan to bring Internet to its poor, India should send a thank you note to Mark Zuckerberg.