BUSINESS
Four Tech Tools That Can Help Your Small Business Grow(NewsUSA)
Fifty-four years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed into effect a proclamation that established a week to celebrate the contributions of small U.S. businesses. Every president since then has continued the tradition.
Next month kicks off National Small Business Week, which recognizes America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. This year it runs from April 30 to May 6. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. To help celebrate the week, Marc Saltzman, business technology expert, has partnered with KillerApps.tv (Click here to view video.) and four brands that have the tech tools and services to help small businesses grow by boosting productivity in the office or on the go. First up, mobility. BlackBerry is back with the BlackBerry KEYone, an award-winning smartphone that fuses the functionality and security you’d expect from a BlackBerry with the familiarity and versatility of Android 7.1 Nougat. This BlackBerry KEYone is made for the modern smartphone user, offering a reimagined Smart Keyboard with built-in fingerprint sensor, up to 26 hours of mixed-use battery life, and unique convenience and privacy features in what is being billed as the world’s most secure Android smartphone. It also has 4.5-inch touch display to tap and swipe through more than a million apps at the Google Play store. It goes on sale in May. To help keep your data secure on the go, Kingston has a pair of encrypted USB flash-drive solutions. With the DataTraveler 2000, no one can see what’s stored on the drive without knowing the PIN that you type on the alphanumeric keypad. The hardware-based encryption resides on the USB 3.0 drive itself — not on the host computer. It’s water- and dust-proof and available in 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes. And then there’s the DataTraveler Vault Privacy drive, which you access via password instead of keypad. Get the password wrong ten times and it’ll reformat and wipe it clean, just in case you lose it. It’s available from 4GB and up. Next up, regardless of the industry you’re in, you need a reliable multifunction printer to work faster, smarter, and more cost effectively. The Canon MAXIFY MB5420 Wireless All-In-One Printer empowers small businesses with a high-speed, high-quality, and cost-effective printer, scanner and copier. You’ll see crisp prints, such as client invoices and legal- size documents, along with features such as duplex scanning, built-in WiFi, support for a Canon app, and more. And the Canon MAXIFY MB5420 is backed by a U.S.-based customer service and support center. Finally, in celebration of National Small Business Week, The UPS Store is saluting small business owners with its first national “Pitch Off” contest. Small business owners and startups can compete for a chance to win $10,000 by submitting a business pitch to theupsstore.com/pitchoff. Capture a 90-second video describing your business or idea. Be sure to submit soon, as people will be able to view and vote for their favorite videos throughout the month of May. The grand prize winner will be announced June 6. Throughout the year, visit one of more than 4,500 locally owned and operated UPS Store locations, to find tools and resources to support your growing business. How Your Business Can Survive The Coronavirus(NewsUSA) – As the world has hit the metaphorical panic button during the rise of Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases worldwide, the daily reality for people and businesses is rapidly changing. Practically overnight, businesses have been forced out of the comfort zone of face-to-face contact, now having to heavily rely on digital platforms. Businesses, especially, are struggling with figuring out how to survive by using digital communication techniques. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government officials emphasizing "social distancing and mandatory nonessential business closures," technology such as live video conferencing, chat boxes, and email will be the basis for millions of Americans for their jobs, schooling, and everyday communication. So, with so many players in the game, how can businesses continue to function successfully? Higher Images, a 20-year-old full-service digital marketing agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is helping organizations, businesses, and the community re-imagine what their lives and work-life will look like through web-based technology and mobile devices. President and CEO of Higher Images, Bryan Thornberg, says, "Rather than going into crisis mode, businesses should take this as an opportunity to expand their knowledge and reach. With many more people relying on digital communication, this is an ideal opportunity for businesses to break boundaries and try new techniques when connecting with clients."Thornberg and his team want to help people not just survive this crisis but to thrive during it and come out with an organization and business model stronger than ever. Thornberg has already been able to impact his clients by thinking outside the box and recommending the usage of technology such as live feeds and Facetime. For example, a hot tub distributor – a business that relies on their retail location for sales – took the recommendation of Thornberg and is now offering live video conferencing for customers to do live demonstrations of products and make purchases. Higher Images also urges businesses to utilize their existing websites to drive business: for example, adding a chat-box function to their website for customer communication, allowing organizations to respond to clients in real-time from the convenience of a cell phone or office computer from any location in the world. With higher internet traffic, this is also a key time for organizations to utilize search engine marketing, Google ads, and mobile in-app advertising technology such as Web tracker, which geo-fences homes to enhance brand visibility. Strategizing with a digital marketing company like Higher Images will provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed. Visit www.howcanmybusinesssurvivethecoronavirus.com for more information.
|
Some of the Biggest Misconceptions About Life Insurance (NU)- So much forfancy cars, houses and jewelry. Eighty-one percent of Americans believe their “most valuable asset” is their family, according to a new survey by Edward Jones and the nonprofit consumer-education organization Life Happens. And one quarter of respondents in the national sampling of adults confessed that their biggest fear was saddling their nearest and dearest with unexpected financial burdens ifthey’re unable to work or die prematurely. Which begs the question: If we're so worried about protecting what we treasure most, why don’t more people have life insurance? Ask most experts, and they’ll tell you thatsuch policies can help provide crucial resources for anyone with loved ones to support. And yet the latest figures show only 41 percent of U.S. households have individual life insurance. “MostAmericans have little or no safeguards for their financial goals,” says Ken Cella, principal of the Client Strategies Group at the financialservicesfirm Edward Jones. “They may understand the value of having emergency funds to cover unexpected financial ex- penses in the short term, but they’re less protected for the long- term financial implications.” Faisa Stafford, president of Life Happens, puts it even more bluntly: “Emergency savings aren’t a long-term financial solu- tion, especially if a family’s prima- ry breadwinner were to die.” Much of the disconnect be- tween what we’ll call “the urge to protect” and the reality on the ground can be blamed on one or both of the following misconceptions: • It’s too expensive. Think of this asthe equivalent of the alligators-in-New-York-City-sewers myth. When Life Happens and LIMRA, a global life insurance research and consulting group, asked participantsin their 2017 Insurance Barometer Study how much a $250,000 term life policy for a healthy 30-year-old would cost, NerdWalletreports, the median estimate was $500 a year- more than three times the actual annual amount of $160. But let’ssay that would-be policy holder wanted even more protection for his dependents. Forbes magazine recently calculated that that same incorrect median estimate - $500 - would buy a healthy, non-smoking, 30-something male a 20-year term policy with a million-dollar death benefit. Some people spend more than that in a year on caffe lattes. Thatsaid, prices do vary based on factorslike age, health, amount of coverage, and whether you opt for term or permanent insurance. The former - the most affordable - covers a specific time frame (usu- ally 20 years orless), while the lat- ter stays in force for life (as long as you continue to pay the premi- ums). Online aids like Edward Jones’ complementary Life Insur- ance Needs calculator can help with factors to consider when de- termining how much life insurance may be appropriate for you. • The policy I have through work is good enough. And if you’re no longer employed there? Not only is group life insurance generally not portable, it typically only provides benefits equal to one or two times your annual salary. “Growing families usually need greater protection than that,” says Scott Thoma, an investment strategist at Edward Jones, “and they need coverage that’s not contingent on work status.” Know that life insurance doesn’t simply assign a monetary value to someone’s life. Which brings usto anotherrevealing finding ofthe Edward Jones-Life Happens "Protect What Matters" survey. Twenty-three percent of participants didn’t know it can even cover expenseslike college tuition for a surviving child. Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. and in California, New Mexico, and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.
|
