Business leaders rely on their spouses for much more than just support when running a company.
For many CEOs and business owners, their wives and husbands are the first people they turn to for advice when making major decisions, according to a new study from the staffing firm Adecco. Specifically, nearly 40 percent of CEOs and business owners said the opinions of their spouse matter most to them when making big business decisions.
Joyce Russell, president of Adecco Staffing U.S., said that while CEOs and business owners may have people inside their companies to lean on and confide in, spouses hold a very special role.
"You look towards your spouse as the one person that will always have your best interest at heart, and in many cases, the spouse has watched the progression towards the top, so he or she understands the variables at play," Russell told Business News Daily. "A spouse can be someone to discuss ideas or decisions off of without judgment or agenda. If you're in a partnership with someone, you hold their thoughts and opinions very highly."
Russell said an outside perspective can be a very good thing if you trust the opinions of the person you're speaking with. That includes business peers, consultants and spouses.
"However, that being said, it shouldn't be the only opinion to take into consideration when making decisions," Russell said. "A smart leader is someone who can see, hear and understand multiple angles to a challenge."
In the study, business leaders and owners also said that some departments play more of a role in the success of their organization than others. More than 40 percent of the business owners and CEOs surveyed attribute the financial success of their companies to customer service and sales staff over any other groups.
Russell said high-powered sales and customer service teams are essential parts of all high-performing organizations.
"Companies need to deliver on the promises and commitments made by the sales team," she said. "Customer service never goes out of style, and in the end, great service always wins and helps to maintain and grow strong relationships."
Knowing what a valuable role the sales and customer service teams play, many businesses plan to add employees in those areas in the coming months. The research found that of those planning to increase headcount next year, 51 percent intend to do so for customer service and sales personnel.
The study was based on surveys of 500 business owners and CEOs living in the United States.
Gaining a leadership position generally means that someone has done something right. He or she has demonstrated the ability to remain graceful under pressure, inspire colleagues and execute plans to move the company forward. But leaders are far from perfect, and like anyone else, many of them need to work on certain things. Here are five common leadership weaknesses and how you can work to improve them.
Accomplishing goals without providing a vision
A recent leadership survey by business coaching service provider The Alternative Board (TAB) found that 46 percent of business owners feel a leader's most important function is "accomplishing goals," followed closely by "setting a vision" (38 percent). TAB vice president David Scarola said that the two actually go hand in hand.
"Neither establishing a vision nor accomplishing goals can stand on its own," Scarola said. "A vision without goals will never be achieved. Goals without a vision will lead to an aimless company direction. Therefore, both must be present and done successfully in order for a company to meet its full potential."
But many leaders have a hard time doing both simultaneously. Scarola said that this iseither because the leaders have not figured out how to establish a set of goals and the associated strategies for realizing the vision, or, because they have goals but are not good at getting them done. Learn which side of the fence you fall on, and work on finding the right balance.
Not trusting employees
The job of a leader is to guide his or her team to accomplish organizational goals. Too often, however, leaders either micromanage their employees or take on more tasks than they can handle. These two things happen for the same reason: Leaders don't trust their teams to do something as well as the leaders themselves can do it.
"Leaders struggle with delegating projects to others, for fear that no one will be able to meet their level of execution," said Max Friedman, founder of Hatchery, an online marketplace and subscription service for artisan cooking ingredients. "This mentality slows progress and ultimately causes team members to feel less invested in the success of a particular initiative. It's important that as a leader, you select a team of people who you truly trust and give them the autonomy to be able to succeed individually."
Building a team of trusted employees begins during the hiring process. Friedman advised looking beyond a candidate's list of credentials and using the interview as an opportunity to get to know that person's character. When you do find a trustworthy employee, make sure that worker hears it straight from you.
"It's important that those who you're delegating to understand not only the importance of the project at hand, but that you're wholeheartedly entrusting them with the success of that project, as well," Friedman said. "This feeling of trust will lead to a more efficient and productive team environment."
Excessive connectivity
Mobile devices have enabled the lines of communication between a manager and his or her staff to remain open long after everyone leaves the office. Being connected 24-7 has become a hallmark of the modern workforce, but is it always the best way to operate?
"[Connectivity] allows managers to provide feedback on the go and never let a small decision stand in the way of progress," said Nicholas Thorne, CEO of digital badge platform basno and co-founder of Bitcoin-powered digital signature service BlockSign. "The problem, however, is that this can lead to an always-connected, omnipresent approach to leadership that is bad for managers and team members alike."
Thorne noted that leaders should be aware of and understand the full impact 24-7 connectedness has on their teams. Being available at all times can be a big plus, especially if you have remote workers in different time zones, but it can ultimately disempower employees who feel they should also be online 24-7 because their manager is, or believe they need to get their boss's approval on everything.
"Leaders need to be proactive in empowering team members to work decisively," Thorne told Business News Daily. "Just because project management tools, instant messaging, email, etc. allow a manager to participate in every minute decision that gets made does not mean that that's good for everyone involved. Communicate clearly to set consistent expectations, [and] be quick to tell people, 'I trust your judgment.'"
Stagnancy
All leaders will eventually face the danger of getting stuck in their ways. The current way of doing things may be working, but it's important not to let yourself — or your team — grow stagnant.
"The biggest threat to a successful business is becoming static, and losing a desire for innovation," said Liz Elting, co-CEO of business language services firm TransPerfect. "How do we continue to motivate and reinvent ourselves in order to inspire our employees to continue to create innovative and enthusiastic solutions?"
The best thing you can do for your team as a leader is communicate and instill a clear sense of why you're doing what you do, Elting said. That company mission will likely lose credibility without continued innovation, and reminding the organization of its purpose will motivate you to collaborate and grow.
To stay adaptive and innovative, leaders also need to listen to feedback from anyone who has a stake in the business, including clients.
"Their feedback is the most valuable piece of information to the success of your company," Elting said. "Make it a top priority to not only solicit feedback from them, but [also] decipher that feedback, and act upon it."
Needing to be liked
No bosses want their staff members to hate them, but as a leader, your top priority isn't to make friends with your team. Leaders are people first, and it's natural that they want to be liked, Scarola said. But the need to be in everyone's good favor can sometimes cloud solid business judgment.
"A common mistake with new managers and new business owners is that they make decisions that are popular, which are often not the best decisions for the business," Scarola said. "[Leaders] need to sometimes make unpopular decisions. That comes with the territory. Employees cannot put themselves in the leader's shoes and do not have the perspective that the leader has. Therefore, if a leader makes an unpopular decision and does not take the time to explain it to employees, the employees will jump to the wrong conclusion about their motivations."
Instead of trying to be well-liked among your employees, seek instead to be understood and respected. Learn how to communicate openly and frequently with your team, and always keep staff members in loop about the reason behind any decisions, popular or not.
"The best leaders have learned that if they make the right decisions for their business, even if unpopular, and also take the time to explain their reasoning, they will earn the respect of their employees," Scarola said. "In the long run, this is the best outcome a leader can aspire to."
With the job market as hot as it is, it's critical that job seekers find a way to stand out from the crowd.
While many companies are boosting their hiring, they're also being more selective when adding new employees, according to a study from the staffing services firm The Creative Group.
The research revealed that advertising and marketing executives receive an average of 23 résumés for every open position. They then interview at least six of those applicants before filling the role.
"Employers are looking for individuals with very specific skill sets who also will be a good fit with the team and work environment," Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, said in a statement. "Job seekers can get a leg up on the competition by being prepared for every stage of the hiring process."
To help job seekers stand out during the search process, The Creative Group offers these tips.
Do your homework: Before applying for a new job, it is critical to study up on the organization. Spend time reviewing the firm's website and social media feeds, searching for news articles and company reviews, and asking people in your network for insight. If called in for an interview, the information gathered will help job seekers better communicate the specific ways they can contribute to the organization's success.
Be error-free: When sending out résumés it is important to avoid mistakes. In addition to simple spelling and grammar errors, job seekers also want to avoid including information that's not targeted or job-specific. You want to tailor your résumé and application materials to each company's specific needs.
Interview preparation: Since hiring managers often ask tough interview questions to gauge interpersonal and problem-solving skills, job seekers should not only practice responses to common queries but also practice thinking on their feet. It's important to shape answers that highlight your ability to work well with a team and how you can solve difficult objectives.
Be yourself: With an extra emphasis being put on hiring employees who are both a technical and cultural fit, employers want to get a sense of an applicant's personality and passions to ensure they're a good choice.You can make a stronger impression by answering questions honestly, rather than firing off boring cookie-cutter responses.
Don't forget to follow up: While it might seem obvious, following up after an interview is an often overlooked step in the process. The Creative Group recommends job seekers send a personalized email thank-you to each person they met with within 24 hours of an interview.
The study was based on interviews of200 marketing executives from companies with 100 or more employees and 200 advertising executives from agencies with 20 or more employees.
Smart businesses put a high premium on a great SEO and content-marketing strategy. Having the right keywords and links will make search engine algorithms happy, and shareable content will make consumers happy. But save for the occasional lucky "viral" break, search traffic and social media shares will only get you so far.
If your company's website regularly publishes well-written, relevant commentary and reporting on what's happening in your industry, you may want to consider applying to Google News as a way to greatly expand your organic reach.
"Becoming a trusted source of information in your community not only publicizes your brand, but also bolsters its reputation," said Nick Chowdrey, technical writer for U.K.-based online accounting firm Crunch. "The problem is that you have to [publish] a lot of really good posts for a really long time to get a decent audience. Getting onto Google News is kind of a shortcut for achieving this, because of the sheer amount of traffic it exposes you to."
However, as many businesses have learned through Google's various algorithm updates, there's no such thing as a true "shortcut" to SEO success. Appearing in Google News search results still requires a lot of investment, and many small businesses may not have the talent, time or funds to make it a reality, Chowdrey said.
"It takes a large editorial commitment to get onto Google News," he told Business News Daily. "Not only are there many content requirements, but there are also many technical ones, which means that smaller teams can be pushed to get the work done."
Applying to be listed on Google News isn't right for every business, but if you want to establish your company as a provider of high-quality, expert content in your field, it can be a great brand booster. Chowdrey offered the following tips for businesses that want to look into Google News as part of their content marketing strategy.
Meet the standards before applying. Google News has a list of technical requirements your website needs to meet before accepting it, so your design and development team need ample time to make adjustments. There's no point in rushing your application, because if it's rejected there's a six-week waiting period before you can apply again. Instead, focus on clearly setting out what changes need to be made, and making sure they're all done to standard before applying.
Set a schedule. Train your staff so that everyone knows what Google's standards are and feels confident that they can meet the requirements. Once they're trained, enforce a policy of completing several news pieces (the Crunch team produces a minimum of four) each workday, preferably first thing in the morning.
"Lots of people spend the first hour [of the workday] not doing much anyway," Chowdrey said. "You might find that having an early deadline could even improve your team's productivity."
Remember that quality really counts. Google News applications are one of the only content areas that Google checks manually, so it really is worth making sure the news content you're producing lives up to its standards. Put some effort into making your articles unique. Be sure that all quotes are correctly attributed and plagiarism is avoided at all costs.
"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again," Chowdrey said. "Google is very helpful with pointing out exactly why it rejects your application, so as long as you have the resources to meet its demands, you'll get there eventually."
For more information about Google News guidelines and submitting your company's website to Google News, visit Google's support page.
Have an unmotivated sales team? Your business is doomed. And if they aren't responding to or participating in team-building and incentive programs, your business may be equally doomed as well. Sales reps stand at the front lines of your operations — and keeping them motivated is key to any business's success.
To effectively motivate sales teams, business owners and sales managers need to create a fun, goal-oriented culture that both encourages friendly competition and recognizes how reps want to be rewarded. And if you think financial incentives are the way to go, you couldn't be more wrong. For one, small businesses and startups don't have a ton of money throw around in the first place. Second, when it comes to motivating sales teams, money simply isn't everything.
"We’ve tried running sales contests in the past, using various software and tools," said Rick Hanson, vice president of worldwide sales and field operations at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Security. "There was a single goal and the reps who achieved that goal were rewarded, usually with money."
As a result, only a certain number of sales reps actually participated in these incentive programs, Hanson said. Those who knew they couldn't reach that one goal didn't bother to join, which meant the same reps would always get the cash.
"This was hardly the work of a cohesive, driven team with shared goals," Hanson said. Rather than engage sales reps by establishing goals and metrics across the sales teams, such a financially driven contest missed its mark, he said.
Instead, business should think outside the box. To help you get some ideas, here are 10 creative — and even amusing — ways to motivate your sales teams.
1. Fantasy sports
Using FantasySalesTeam, players earn points for everything they do. For example, a rep might earn points for increasing pipeline or for every deal they close. Results are shared at online leaderboards and dashboards, visible to everyone in the company. The unique twist is that the reps don’t just compete as individuals; they build teams just like in fantasy football. Reps earn points for their FantasySalesTeam based on the performance of their chosen peers and friends, and this creates an environment of encouragement and pressure amongst the players. To win the game, they must rely and push on each other to perform. Even more exciting is just how many reps in our sales organization can, and want to, participate. FantasySalesTeam mixes business with pleasure, and when a rep enjoys a contest they typically work harder at it. — Rick Hanson, vice president, worldwide sales and field operations, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Security
2. Get a Ping-Pong table
Reward them with office/desk gadgets, toys, games, etc. You might not think that a Ping-Pong table for the office would push people and drive behaviors. Try it. Ipromise people will bust ass to hit metrics. From my experience, chair massagers, beanbag chairs, stand up desk converters, cube art, etc. can all be motivational rewards as well. — Kevin Baumgart, vice president of sales, Hireology
3. Sing, dance, nap, yoga and beer (not necessarily in that order)
At Yesware, we strive to create a fun environment where everyone wants to come into work every day. When a sales representative succeeds, it's heard around the company. For instance, a closed deal results in the playing of a song of the salesperson's choice, as well as a subsequent team dance. We also have a yoga studio onsite, as well as a nap room — which gets used a lot —for those who need a mental and/or physical break during the day. And beer o'clock comes around every Friday at 4:30 p.m., a time when we all share our highs and lows from the week. — Bridget Gleason, vice president of sales, Yesware
4. Play Hungry, Hungry Hippos
We organize daily contests and games based on different key performance indicators (KPI). Games including Minute to Win It, Spin the Wheel and Hungry, Hungry Hippos. A break that involves a quick game creates a sense of excitement for the entire team. It gives everyone something to chant for. — Mitch Paterson, manager, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
5. Call their spouses
I created award trips that must include at least the spouse and, ideally, the children. Since it is the spouse and the children who have to sacrifice when the salesperson runs appointments into the evening, checks his emails at breakfast and works on presentations over the weekend, they should be rewarded, too. Getting the spouse involved helps motivate the salesperson at home also because the spouse wants them to win, as well as feed in to their deepest needs and desires: to provide for and make their family proud of them. It works best when you have a relationship with the spouse, too. I have, in the past, skipped over the salesperson and called his spouse to let her know he needs to step it up if he's going to qualify for the contest (or get that new house they want or pay for the kids' college education). This can only have a positive effect when there is a deep relationship of trust and mutual desire for each other's success. — Jessica Magoch, sales director, JPM Partners, LLC
6. Keep calm and ZUMBA
I hold weekly ZUMBA classes for my on-the-floor furniture/home décor sales team before store openings. This motivates and energizes them for the day. — Niki Cheng, co-owner, BoConcept
7. Public recognition. Using crowns.
When my sales reps have an exceptional week I find that publicly recognizing their accomplishments in front of their peers is that extra little morale boost to keep pushing. We make sure the entire office is aware of the accomplishments of our reps by holding an "honoring ceremony." The highest achiever receives a custom-made crown with his or her name on it and for a week after, everyone in the offer refers to them as "Master," which comes along with leadership duties such as leading the team chant. I've found that the "Master" incentive, coupled with bonuses for targets reached, encourages the already active, friendly competition between my sales reps. It keeps their motivation high and keeps them hungry to be the "Master." — Nima Noori, CEO & founder, Toronto Vaporizer
8. Drinks on the house
On the last day of every month once the team has hit quota, every salesperson that hit their individual quota would be sent to a neighborhood outdoor bar to celebrate. We'd give them a budget to enjoy themselves and have them leave after lunch. It was great for motivation and for team bonding. The team was always focused on making sure they were a part of the group that enjoyed our favorite outdoor bar, Palomino in San Francisco! — Fernando Campos, co-founder, Topwick
9. Reward rejections
One of the best things we learned for motivating sales was rewarding them for the no's. Every time someone got a "no" we tracked it in our system and the person with the most no's received a $100 gift card every week. This might sound crazy, but you get a lot of no's when doing sales. The more no's you get, the closer you are to getting a "yes." The prize of getting a "yes" is way larger than $100, so you still wanted to get "yes." This nearly doubled our outbound calls and motivated the whole team. — Dan McGaw, founder and CEO Dan, Fuelzee
10. And don't forget to celebrate the good times
When the wins come, we celebrate them. It can be as simple as a shout-out on the sales floor, an email message to the whole company to recognize the efforts, or on occasion I will request that the CEO take them out for lunch. It also isn't uncommon for us to do team outings to celebrate hitting goals as a team. We've gone bowling, rented pontoon boats, played mini-golf, feasted on big dinners, or relished in a much deserved happy hour. Not surprisingly, these events reflect the culture we've created: social, friendly, and competitive. — Jeremy Hudson, director of sales, Logic Supply
With the 2014 World Series games approaching in October, sports fans have baseball on the brain. But baseball is more than just running bases and foul balls: America's pastime can actually be a great teaching tool for today's business leaders.
In their recently released book, "Lead Me Out to the Ballgame" (Major League Leadership Enterprises, 2014), leadership experts Howard Fero and Rebecca Herman interviewed Major League Baseball (MLB) players and managers to discover what lessons leaders can take from the ballpark into the boardroom.
"While our office building likely doesn't look like a baseball diamond, we can find many parallels," said Herman, a graduate leadership and organizational development professor at Kaplan University's School of Business. "In each, there are positions, departments or functions, and walls. People have very specific jobs but must work together to achieve established goals. We don't work in a vacuum, because there is an outside environment that affects business results, such as the challenges and obstacles that we face, the fans who support us, and the competitors who desire to beat us."
Based on their MLB interviews, Fero and Herman outlined three "dimensions" of successful business leadership that mirror successful baseball team management.
Leading yourself. Regardless of your specific role or position, you must first ensure that you're ready to lead yourself. This, Herman said, is the essence of your "inward" leadership, and this is true in baseball and in business. Set the tone for your organization by exhibiting the behaviors that you desire others to emulate. To earn respect from your colleagues, establish an environment of trust by being honest, fair and consistent.
Leading others. Once you are prepared to lead others, you must focus on people and relationships — your "outward" leadership. Baseball managers are very similar to business managers in that they must both spend time with their people to understand their motivations and strengths, and how to help them reach their potential, Herman said. Truly cultivate relationships with all those that you interact with, so that you can know and understand people on a deeper, less superficial level.
"Often, managers get caught up working in their business and don't set aside enough time to work on their business," added Fero, who serves as the director of graduate leadership programs and a management and leadership professor at New Haven, Connecticut's Albertus Magnus College. "We need to set aside time each day [to] cultivate relationships with our people and connect with them one on one, so that they want to work for us. In baseball, it is easy to become overly focused on the next game, thinking about matchups, pitch counts, etc., but the teams that are successful need to not only focus on the strategy, but also on the people."
Leading the game. MLB managers must lead the game with staffing decisions, teamwork and strategic choices, Herman said, and business leaders must do the same for their companies. Like the professional baseball manager, leaders must understand their industries, their organizations, how the pieces fit together to function as teams and what it takes to create a winning culture. They must know their businesses inside and out, and be able to communicate effectively.
While each of these three dimensions is essential to good leadership, it's important to remember that your people — and your relationships with them — are the foundation of your organization. Baseball managers know this, and spend time motivating each of their players. Fero shared that Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays inspires his players to unite as a team, depend on each other and be individuals. Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin engages and capitalizes on each team member (not just the star performers), and communicates regularly to ensure that they all share and understand his vision.
"It's important for each member of the team to understand their role in the organization's vision and strategic plan," Fero told Business News Daily. "Once they understand this, they will be more apt to embrace the organization's goals and do their part in helping achieve it."
A long to-do list shouldn't be an excuse for not checking in with your team on a regular basis. Find little ways to spend time with your staff and cultivate strong relationships with them, Herman advised.
"Quality time doesn't have to include a formal meeting or going to lunch together," Herman said. "We can forge our relationships by simply saying 'hi.' Inquire about how they are doing, if they are having any challenges or if there is anything we can do to help. A simple greeting or conversation builds bridges for more-complex conversations in the future. As we cultivate relationships, we can lead others to be the best they can be, and that is rewarding for everyone."
In the movies, books and on TV, love almost always gets a happy ending. Even couples who repeatedly break up and get back together somehow wind up married in the end. In real life, however, romance can fizzle and relationships end for good. But, believe it or not, even the worst breakups can spark a successful business venture.
These businesses know what it's like to get dumped and are taking advantage of it. But don't worry, unlike your ex, they're not really taking advantage of you. In fact, most of these companies exist to help you mend your broken heart while they turn a profit, too.
Here are eight breakup inspired businesses to help you learn to love again.
BreakupText
Let's face it: breaking up is hard to do. So what do you do when you're ready to call it quits with your significant other but you just can't find the words to let him or her know? You use the BreakupText app.
The iPhone app prompts you to plug in your name as well as your soon-to-be ex-lover's name and phone number, select the commitment level of your relationship and why you think it should end. It then sends a text on your behalf relaying the bad news.
Consider yourself warned, though - the app was meant to be taken as a joke. In fact, the creators felt so bad about ruining real relationships that they launched an app called MakeupText to help customers fix their broken relationships.
BreakupText is available for 99 cents in the app store, but you can also use it via the Web, too. (MakeupText is currently free, as what appears to be a peace offering.)
Bummer Baskets
Whether you've been dumped, or called things off yourself, going through a breakup can leave you feeling forlorn. Bummer Baskets capitalizes on your post-breakup sadness and your friends' empathy by selling specialized gift baskets tailor-made for helping you get over your lost love.
Featuring things like broken-heart-shaped chocolates, personalized greeting cards, a "happy endings"-themed wineglass set and more, Bummer Baskets are all hand-made and assembled with care. You can also build your own custom gift basket, buy T-shirts, barware and more. Basket add-ons include things like candy cigarettes, condoms, bottle openers (to go with the barware, of course), sleep masks and oversize chopsticks perfect for emotionally indulging in a little too much takeout.
And if your friends don't send you a Bummer Basket the next time your heart gets broken, you can treat your newly single, independent self. Bummer Baskets will ship your goodies within 48 hours of your order so you can grieve ASAP.
The House of Voodoo
The House of Voodoo is the business you can turn to once you've gotten over the sad and mopey early stages of your breakup. If you're feeling vengeful (and a little superstitious, of course), then a custom voodoo doll made to look exactly like your ex might be just the thing you need.
Send a photo of the person you'd like to put a curse on to The House of Voodoo and a local New Orleans voodoo society member and artist will create a one-of-a-kind, handmade voodoo doll in their likeness. Then you can stick your ex with as many pins as you'd like. You'll be over him or her in no time, and they may suffer some serious bad luck.
If you're ready to "Hex You Ex!" like the company's website says, The House of Voodoo is here for you.
Anger Room
Whether you believe in voodoo or not, revenge, of course, isn't exactly a healthy concept. So if cursing your old lover isn't how you want to channel your relationship rage, the Anger Room in Dallas, Texas, could be a good alternative for you – especially if thinking about your ex makes you want to break things.
How does the Anger Room work? Well, first you sign up to reserve a room and choose a package that meets your stress level. Options include "I need a break," which lasts for five minutes, "Lash Out," at 15 minutes, and full on "Demolition" mode, lasting a whole 25 minutes. Once you make your reservation, you head on over, get suited up in protective gear and goggles, enter your room and start breaking things.
Anger Room is in the process of upgrading and will be closed until later in 2014, but in the meantime, if you have frustrations that just can't wait, you can play the company's Virtual Sofa Bash game online.
And if you want to help others experience such smashing satisfaction, Anger Room accepts donations of items like old computers, mirrors, tables, chairs, vases and more.
Killswitch
When you've finally passed the breakup rage stage, it's time to start ridding yourself of everything ex-related. It's bad enough that you're newly single and not so happy about it, but social media makes getting over it that much more painful. Why? Every time you sign online, you're forced to look at Facebook posts and all the photos you're tagged in together. And even if you want to delete everything, you still have to go through it all one at a time to do so.
Luckily, there's an app for that. Killswitch allows you to set and identify your target (your ex) and what kinds of posts you want to hide, like photos and status updates, and then the app goes through your account to hide everything.
But don't worry, Killswitch also saves all of those old photos in a hidden album on your Facebook page. So if you and your old flame rekindle your relationship (or you just want to laugh at them later when you're finally over it), they're not gone for good.
The app is available free in the iPhone app store, and the company also donates a portion of its proceeds to the American Heart Association. The Killswitch website says this is "so broken hearts can help broken hearts."
Never Liked It Anyway
Aptly named, Never Liked It Anyway is the website you can turn to when you realize you really never did like that necklace he bought you for Valentine's Day or that sweater she gave you last Christmas. While there's some satisfaction in throwing out or burning your ex's stuff, why not kill two birds with one stone and make some extra money from it instead?
With Never Liked It Anyway, you can sell all the gifts your old partner gave you to others and buy new stuff that you actually like. Some of the things you can find in the online store? Jewelry and clothing, of course, but also weird knickknacks like kitchen timers and home décor items.
And the best part? Each item displays the original cost of the item and the new "break up price" so you can see what kind of deal you're getting. You may not be able to put a price on love, but with Never Liked It Anyway you can put a price on getting over it.
I Do Now I Don't
I Do Now I Don't is the more serious version of Never Liked It Anyway. Instead of selling your old unwanted gifts, I Do Now I Don't is there for you when your wedding gets called off or you get divorced and you need to sell your engagement ring, wedding band and other expensive pieces of jewelry.
The business operates on the concept that jewelers often mark up diamonds by 200 to 300 percent, and when you try to sell your pieces back they offer you much less than what you paid. Another alternative, pawn shops, will probably offer you only 10 percent of what your items are worth, according to the I Do Now I Don't website.
The company boasts that sellers can earn up to two times more for their diamond jewelry using their marketplace. And while nobody wants to be left at the altar, getting more of your money back does soften the blow a little.
Don't Dial
No matter how long it's been since your breakup, you might find not contacting your ex a more difficult task than you initially realized. Few things are more embarrassing than going out for drinks with your friends and waking up the next day only to realize that you texted your old flame, "I miss you," or left them a voicemail. Don't Dial is a smartphone app that saves you from the humiliation of drunk dialing.
So how does it work? Once you download Don't Dial, set your target contacts before you go out (e.g., your ex, and maybe your boss, for good measure) and either set a timer so that you can’t contact them until a certain time the next day or let your friend or "designated dialer" put in a password for you. The app then locks those specific contacts for you, so you can't get in touch with them.
And if you think you can give this app the slip by deleting it, you might want to think twice. Deleting the app while it's in lock mode will also delete your target contacts from your phone. Like it says in the app's description, "This is for your own safety!"
Don't Dial is available for download in the iPhone app store for 99 cents, serving as a reminder that love may not cost a thing, but shame can be a little pricey.
It takes a lot to make employees happy these days.
Although compensation is the biggest factor in determining most Americans' job happiness, it's not the only thing they care about. According to a new study from staffing firm Spherion, U.S. workers value interest in their position and job security almost as much as money. In addition, a positive company culture and work environment, and the ability to work with people they like are other critical elements of job happiness.
The research revealed that many of the factors that employers think are important parts of job happiness aren't as significant to employees. Just 7 percent of workers said workplace flexibility is an important factor in job happiness, and only 5 percent said career advancement opportunities make them happy.
In addition, many workers would make a number of sacrifices when accepting a new job for the sake of being happier in their careers, the study also found. More than three-quarters of those surveyed would be willing to work in a less-private office space, and 60 percent would accept a lower position or title, to improve their job happiness.
Additionally, 60 percent said they would reduce their workplace flexibility, and 41 percent would give up benefits, such as vacation time and 401(k) contributions.
Experts say there are some small changes employers can make to the workplace environment in order to boost employee happiness. The study showed that 30 percent of workers think the availability of food throughout the day contributes to their workplace happiness, while 29 percent think a lounge where they can get away or have time to themselves would make their job more pleasing.
"Employers have a unique opportunity to capitalize on these findings and offer small, but meaningful, opportunities that can help workers be happy in their current roles," Sandy Mazur, division president of franchise and license operations at Spherion, said in a statement. "And that can pay big dividends for the employee and the employer."
The research also found that happiness at work can be contagious. Sixty percent of employees said they are happier when they see others happy at work.
The vast majority of those surveyed said they would be happier at an established company than at a startup, and that they'd rather be in a collaborative environment than in a competitive one.
The study was based on surveys of 882 full-time or part-time U.S. employees.
Staying organized is key to a successful workday. So why not use your iPhone to do it? Your iOS device can help you manage your email inbox, take notes and even balance your books. But it's also great at simply keeping you on task and organized. If you need help organizing your long-term calendar, your daily business meetings or even your paper receipts, there's an app that can help. Read on for five of the best organizational apps for iPhone and iPad.
Keep your calendar organized
Fantastical 2 ($1.99)
A good calendar might be the best tool to help you organize your work life, and Fantastical 2 is one of the best calendar apps on iOS, available in both iPhone and iPad versions. It improves upon the stock calendar app with a deep feature set and an easy-to-use interface. It mirrors the basic functionality of other good calendar apps, letting you sort your calendar by day, week, month or year, and quickly drill down to view individual event details. Fantastical 2 also supports voice commands, and lets you add events using natural speech, such as "Meet Susan for lunch at 1 p.m. on Thursday." The app will automatically parse your sentence and fill in the relevant details, and when it comes time for the event, you'll receive an automated alert. Plus, the intuitive interface offers handy functionality like the ability to reorder events across multiple days by simply dragging and dropping them.
Keep your notes organized
Evernote (Free)
To keep your notes organized, paper notebooks just won't cut it anymore. A good note-taking app like Evernoteis a better option for business users who want to stay organized. This app lets you dictate or manually enter notes, snap photos or even draw in notes using a capacitive stylus. The app's text-identification functionality can recognize and index printed and handwritten text, so you can search for specific words printed in a PDF, typed in a memo or scrawled on a piece of paper. And since Evernote is available for just about every computing platform — including iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mac and PC — your notes will be automatically synced across all your work devices. This happens whether you're at home or in the office. That way, you can always find your notes in a single place, and you can really stay organized.
Keep your agenda organized
Schedule Planner (Free)
Staying on top of your long-term schedule is the first step in getting organized. But managing the minutiae of your daily agenda can be just as important. Schedule Planneris a solid app for iOS that helps you focus on what you need to get done today, also providing tools to help you spend your time wisely. It starts with an easy-to-use interface that lets you plan your day each morning by placing items in color-coded categories, such as Work and Free Time. You can pull up a chart whenever you'd like to see where your time is going at a glance, which can really help you get back on track. And like any good day-planner app, Schedule Planner includes the ability to set customer alerts so you never miss an appointment. It also lets you add recurring daily tasks that will carry over to later dates.
Keep your paper documents organized
Shoeboxed (Free with Shoeboxed subscription, starting at $10/month)
Keeping your receipts, bills and other financial documents organized isn't easy. But an app like Shoeboxed for iOS makes the process more manageable. This app lets you upload any paper document by snapping a photo with the camera on your iPhone or iPad. The app uses text-recognition software to extract the important data, including vendor, date, total amount and payment type. It then uses that information to create a fully searchable database of your transactions. Using this app takes a bit of effort up front, but uploading your documents to Shoeboxed can pay off in a major way when it's time to file your taxes. It saves you time, since finding a particular document in a digital database is quicker and easier than fumbling through stacks of paper. And it can save you money, since hiring someone to manage your paper documents isn't cheap.
Keep your meetings organized
Mynd (Free)
The easiest route to an organized business meeting is to make sure that everyone is on the same page before the meeting even starts, and Agenda Makerfor iOS can help you do this. The app lets you create and edit detailed outlines for each meeting, and it makes reordering items on each agenda as easy as dragging and dropping them. You also have the ability to tweak how much time is allotted for each item to ensure your meeting stays on track. When you finish your agenda, you can send it out to all attendees via email with a few taps. Agenda Maker also lets you send the agenda to others who have the Agenda Maker app on their iPhones or iPads, so you can edit collaboratively.
Dropping out of college paid off for Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, but that doesn't mean you should follow their lead – regardless of how great your business idea is.
While budding entrepreneurs may feel that their time in college is stopping them from making millions on their new businesses, new research from LinkedIn shows they may want to rethink that idea. LinkedIn researchers analyzed data on more than 1,200 tech entrepreneurs whose companies raised a round of venture capital in 2013 and discovered that the majority of the VC-backed entrepreneurs listed a college education on their LinkedIn profile.
"Building from a strong educational foundation is a smart bet," Michael Conover, a senior data scientist at LinkedIn, wrote on the company's blog.
In addition to investing in those who have graduated from college, venture capitalists are also looking for entrepreneurs who have experience working in the real world. The study revealed that more than 30 percent of the entrepreneurs who received funding had experience working for a blue chip company.
"What's more, these men and women tend to develop leadership experience before founding a company, with more than 40 percent holding positions at the director level or above prior to their current role," Conover wrote.
The research also shows that venture capitalists like investing in those who have shown they know how to start a new company. Twenty percent of the entrepreneurs who received venture capital last year had started at least one company.
While budding entrepreneurs might feel that the older they get, the less likely they are to find an investor, the study found otherwise. The data shows that the largest investments are made in entrepreneurs over age 30. Entrepreneurs over 30, on average, four times as much money as those in their teens and 20s.
"For the men and women interested in starting a company, the path to success is rarely straightforward," Conover wrote. "But this analysis sheds light on the popularized image of a young, unstoppable founder and replaces it with the educated, experienced business leader."
LinkedIn researchers said the key takeaways from the study for budding entrepreneurs are:
Education: Invest in your education. While in school, focus on your management and leadership skills.
Experience: Try and get experience working at top-tier companies. This will expose you to many industry best practices.
Patience: Spending more time focusing on your education and work experience is likely to pay off in the form of a larger investment in the long run.
The research was based on funding data found on the investment tracking platform CrunchBase.
Our Bright Ideas series asks successful entrepreneurs how they came up with their great business ideas, and what advice they'd offer other entrepreneurs. Today we hear from Sharone Ben-Harosh, owner of Unpakt — a two-year-old website that makes finding and pricing a moving company quick and simple.
Business News Daily: What does your business do?
Sharone Ben-Harosh: Unpakt is the only online comparison site for moving that allows customers to easily plan their move, compare reputable moving companies who are available in their area, read genuine reviews from real customers, and book a guaranteed moving price. All in one place, in less than 10 minutes.
BND: Where did you get the idea for your business?
S.B.: I noticed three main problems in the moving industry:
Finding a reputable moving company was very time consuming
Estimating the price of the move was complicated
Price estimates were not binding and prices would often increase on the move day itself.
Before the Internet, it was less confusing to find a moving company. A person looking for a reputable moving company would go into the Yellow Pages, and call the two or three moving companies in their area. The biggest problem then was getting a fixed price. The only company in New York who provided fixed prices was Flat Rate, all other companies would provide non-binding estimates which tended to be unrealistically low and then would increase dramatically on the move day itself.
Today, looking for a moving company is very confusing and time consuming. Researching online is misleading because a lot of alleged moving companies are actually just lead generators and brokers who just sell customers' personal details to the highest bidder.
Flat Rate invented an algorithm years ago that could accurately calculate the price of a move based on three factors: Inventory x Distance x Services = Guaranteed price.
Twenty years later, Unpakt is now offering a solution to customers by providing moving companies the ability to enter their own rates into that algorithm. Now, customers can compare guaranteed prices from reputable moving companies, based on their specific needs in less then 10 minutes.
Unpakt can guarantee that the price the customer is given is the price they pay because customers pay through Unpakt and not to the moving company directly. This allows Unpakt to make sure that the guaranteed prices are honored while maintaining the highest level of quality service.
BND: What three things go into a successful business idea?
S.B.: 1. Be the Solution - A successful business idea should solve a problem that troubles enough people around the world. Make sure the product or service is something that people need and that you offer real value.
2. Have a vision for your company - Make sure you are always improving the service or product. It's also extremely important to know where do you see your company five years from now.
3. Plan Ahead – Planning is hard in business because things change and evolve so quickly. It's extremely important to plan the finances of a business as accurately as you can. You don't want to get halfway through a project or idea and run out of money. You might not always be able to plan for the unexpected but you can have a plan for when those situations arise.
BND: What’s the biggest mistake people make when starting a business?
S.B.: Unfortunately, people often get intoxicated with a good idea. They forget how to run it as a business and develop it to the next stage. People often severely underestimate the challenges awaiting them, as projects tend to get more complicated along the way.
BND: How do you know if your business idea has broad appeal?
S.B.: You can never really know, you can only assume. If you have a good solution for a critical problem, that's a good start. You will never really be sure until you are actually there and your business proves to be a success.
BND: How did you test your business idea?
S.B.: I tested it before I started working on it, I tested while it was being developed, I am testing it now and will probably never stop.
My advice is to never stop asking questions or testing your business idea it can always grow and get better.
BND: What advice would you give to someone who thinks they have a great business idea?
S.B.: You should follow your intuition and do it! But, it's important to make sure you never risk money you don't have and you make wise business decisions. If you have a great idea that requires capital you don't have, look for outside funding.
BND: Where do you look for inspiration when you are trying to find new ideas or ways to grow your business?
S.B.: I look for segments in life that are mishandled and are not easy for users or consumers. Try this exercise: If in 40 years there isn't any limitation on technology, what would be a perfect solution to the problem you are facing and what would that solution look like? Once you visualize that, simply try to be as close to that solution as you can be.
Maintaining and keeping track of your business equipment is no easy task, and it's even harder when your equipment's on wheels. Whether your business has two cars or a fleet of 200 vehicles, a GPS fleet tracking solution could make things easier for you.
While you may not be familiar with these systems, you probably know about personal GPS navigation systems; you may even have a Garmin or a TomTom plugged into your car for use on long drives or trips to unfamiliar destinations. GPS fleet tracking services use the same technology to track company vehicles and transmit information. This gives you real-time updates to monitor things like where your drivers go, how many times they stop, how fast they drive and more.
So how do you know that a GPS fleet tracking solution is right for your business? If you've got vehicles to keep track of, it's probably a good idea.
"Any business with company vehicles wanting to improve efficiency and productivity would want to explore a GPS vehicle tracking system," said George Karonis, founder and CEO of GPS fleet tracking service provider LiveViewGPS. "A GPS vehicle tracking system is the modern-day equivalent of placing a full-time manager in every company vehicle."
And GPS fleet tracking solutions do much more than just track your vehicles' locations. A GPS solution can help keep you in the loop about vehicle maintenance, expenses and more.
"Most businesses with a fleet of vehicles ranging from as little as five to many thousands do not have visibility and insight into fleet operations without GPS fleet tracking," said Ryan Driscoll, marketing director at GPS fleet tracking service provider GPS Insight. "If you don't know where your vehicles are at all times, if you think your fuel costs are high, if you are suspicious of overtime hours, if you unintentionally overlook maintenance, you need GPS fleet tracking."
Companies with mobile workforces need insight into how their employees and assets are performing, and not just where they're going, said Todd Ewing, director of product marketing at Fleetmatics, which provides GPS fleet tracking systems.
Pros
GPS fleet tracking systems can give business owners and managers a lot of valuable insights.
These systems provide total fleet visibility, which improves productivity, reduces fuel consumption and costs, and increases efficiency, Driscoll said.
Karonis explained that GPS fleet tracking systems can decrease your expenses, because not only do these systems keep track of your employees' billable hours, they also track vehicle mileage, idle times and routes traveled. This prevents your employees from misusing your equipment and racking up fuel costs.
Another advantage, Karonis said, is that you can improve your company's customer service quality.
"[GPS tracking solutions] give you the ability to offer your customer exact arrival and departure times, along with the amount of hours spent on site. This will eliminate any overbilling, and offer a quick response to the question we [businesses] always get: 'How far away is your driver?'" Karonis said.
A GPS fleet tracking system can help improve fleet safety and security, as well, Ewing said. With a GPS solution, you can use intelligence drawn from vehicle data to monitor harsh driving and improve driver safety, he noted.
And for business owners who are interested in going green, Ewing noted that a GPS solution can help shrink your carbon footprint.
Cons
Our experts agreed that while GPS fleet tracking services don't necessarily have any cons, one major issue often arises when installing the systems: employee pushback.
"Installing a GPS tracking system in fleet vehicles can sometimes be a sensitive topic, as some may consider it an invasion of privacy. When installing a new system, it's important that managers educate drivers on the specific reason behind it, whether it's related to a business goal or safety issue," Ewing said.
While Karonis agreed that employee pushback can be a problem, he offered a few different ways to handle the issue.
"I have learned that there are two different ways to deal with this situation," he said. "One is to be up front and honest with your employees, explain to them exactly what you are looking to accomplish, and how this system is going to help you do that. The second way is to install these units discreetly. With this option, you will be able to find out exactly what your drivers are doing, and who your problem employees are. Then, [have] a meeting to explain that you have been tracking their vehicles, and how this system will be used moving forward," Karonis said.
Choosing the right system
"[GPS tracking systems] have become so affordable, and the benefits are so dramatic, that any size fleet can gain from their use," Karonis said. "After taking a chance to weigh the pros and cons, any business owner should be able to find a way to improve his [or her] business model by including the use of a GPS tracking device."
But how do you find the best system for you? First, make sure it has the features your business needs.
Ewing said that a fleet management system should offer several features at no extra cost, including integration with fuel cards, dashboards that have trending on-key metrics, communication and navigation options, and ongoing customer support. He added that your provider shouldn't charge you add-on fees for key reporting issues.
"Reporting should save you money, not cost you money," Ewing said. "The solution you select should provide a reporting suite for no extra charge. All vehicle tracking systems should have extensive reporting options included in the basic monthly cost."
But, while the system you choose should fit into your budget, you shouldn't choose your GPS solution based solely on the price.
"All GPS tracking companies are not created equal," Driscoll said. "Don't choose the cheapest product out there, or you will get what you pay for — a low-quality product. It is about choosing the best solution that will help with your business challenges and deliver the most return on investment. Yes, it may cost more up front, but the benefits will far outweigh the cost. Choose a GPS tracking company that will be a long-term partner for location intelligence, not just a vendor that tells you where your trucks are."
Karonis also suggested that customers opt for a system with no long-term contracts.
Before you buy
Before you purchase a GPS fleet tracking solution, our experts said you should ask yourself these 10 questions:
Are there any processes we could automate in regards to payroll, driving logs, routing or call scheduling?
Is our business operating in the greenest way possible? Will this system help us continue to do so or make improvements?
Can we rely on our employees to consistently and accurately log hours worked and service-calls met?
Have we experienced or are we worried about theft of our equipment or our vehicles?
Are we overspending on our mobile workforce?
Do our fuel cost put a strain on our bottom line profitability?
Can this system address the problems we're trying to solve?
Will this system improve our customer service quality?
What features do we need now, and what might we need in the future?
What type of return on our investment will we get with this system?
By asking yourself these questions, you should be able to identify what you need out of a GPS fleet tracking system. Combined with your research, your responses should help you make an informed decision about which GPS fleet tracking system provider, if any, is right for your business.
One of the perks of using an enterprise point of sale service is the ability to track customer and sales data so you can see what works for your business (and more importantly, what doesn't). But what about small businesses that rely on mobile technology to process payments? If you're a Square user, there may be a tracking tool for you, too.
Square has added a new tool to their products: Square Analytics. The portable credit-card-processing provider announced the new sales solution last week on its website. The addition of Square Analytics turns the tiny credit card reader into a more robust (but still portable) point of sale service option for small business owners.
So what can you do with Square Analytics? The free tool has three key features that can help you better understand your business: the analytics home page, sales trends and buyer insights.
The home page shows sellers how their businesses are performing in real time as well as how that performance compares to competitors in their industries. It also shows a business which items or products are its most popular sellers.
With sales trends, business owners can see hourly, daily and monthly updates of sales. This feature also tells you what purchases are made and when, so you can determine which hours work best for your business and when you should restock your inventory.
The buyer insights tool tracks important customer data, so business owners can know who their returning customers are and how often they return. It also tracks average customer spending and how recently each customer visited your business or made a purchase.
Other features in Square Analytics include total sales breakdowns and comparisons, integration with accounting services like Quickbooks, and daily email summaries complete with spreadsheets.
Square also launched an online scheduling service called Square Appointments earlier this month.
