ReportWire

Tag: Science & Technology

  • Save $169 on This 3D Printer and Learn Why ‘Kidulting’ is the New Rage

    Save $169 on This 3D Printer and Learn Why ‘Kidulting’ is the New Rage

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    As an entrepreneur, developing healthy ways to cope with stress is essential. It’s an unavoidable aspect of running a business, but fortunately, in 2023 there’s a fun way to fight it. More adults than ever are purchasing toys, but they’re not for the kids in their lives; they’re for themselves, creating a consumer group called kidults.

    If blowing off steam by playing around sounds like something you’d like to adopt in 2023, the Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle is an excellent way to unwind and tap into your creative side. And right now, during the Kidults campaign, a sale celebrating the inner child and embracing cool toys during adulthood, you can snag it for $299, 36% off the usual price.

    Featured on Shark Tank, the Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle lets adults and kids tap into their imaginations and make the toys of their dreams. Easy-to-use one-touch functions control it, so you can focus on creativity and brainstorm toys to print. Not feeling inspired? There’s also an included toy catalog featuring tons of ideas, including items based on DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbara, Friends, and more, so the possibilities are endless.

    Once you’ve settled on the toy you’d like to create, use the companion app to upload or select your design and then sit back while it’s brought to life. Unlike many other 3D printers on the market, this one doesn’t require a knife to remove the prints, so it’s safe for all ages. And it comes with eight different colors of non-toxic, biodegradable printer food — enough to create 100 to 300 toys.

    During the Kidults campaign, you can get the Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle for $299.99, no coupon code needed, now through January 30.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • This $400 4K Camera Drone Bundle Is Now 67% Off

    This $400 4K Camera Drone Bundle Is Now 67% Off

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    Did you always dream of becoming a pilot? Then, get creative and have some fun with a sleek, professional-level camera drone. The Alpha Z PRO 4K Camera Drone provides just that for 67% off. Plus, it comes bundled with the Flying Fox 4K Wide-Angle Dual-Camera Drone.

    With this buy-one-get-one deal, you’ll add a small fleet of drones to your camera tech. These can join the almost 900,000 drones registered with the FAA as of 2022. Both drones offer dual cameras, with 4K wide-angle front and 720p bottom cameras. Capture real-time photo and video footage with a compatible Wi-Fi app.

    Control better than ever with a four-channel mode that permits ascending, descending, forward, backward, left, right, and rolling 360 flight patterns. Use the altitude hold mode to get stable footage while hovering. The six-axis gyroscopes allow for smoother flight and better control.

    Opt for the Alpha Z PRO 4K, which boasts up to nine minutes of flight powered by its 3.7V, 500mAh battery for short flights to snap quick pics or footage. For longer flights of up to 12 minutes, the Flying Fox packs a bigger 2000mAh battery. The Flying Fox can also be controlled by hand gestures for the most intuitive function.

    If you run into trouble, both drones can find their way back to you with a single button. Set the Flying Fox to follow so that it tracks the path of the controller as you move.

    Typically valued at $398.00, you can start soaring to new heights for just $129.99 with the Alpha Z PRO 4K + Flying Fox bundle, no coupon needed. This savings of 67% makes investing in a fun toy that can double as a popular business tool much more affordable.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • How to Build an App When You Have No Coding Knowledge or Programming Skills

    How to Build an App When You Have No Coding Knowledge or Programming Skills

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    No-code app builders are tools that allow non-programmers to build their own apps without the need for any technical knowledge. These tools break down the process of coding an app and make it as simple as filling in a template with pre-written code.

    This doesn’t require any special programming knowledge to start building. In this article, we will explain how no-code app builders work and how they can help you build your application quickly.

    What is a no-code app builder?

    No-code application builders are online platforms that allow you to build mobile applications without coding. Instead of programming, you choose ready-made templates to create your application. The main advantage of no-code apps is that you don’t have to write code, and you don’t need to hire a developer.

    No-code application builders are easy to use. They allow anyone to build their own software without needing any special skills.

    Related: How to Create an App for Your Business With Zero Coding Experience

    How do no-code app builders work?

    No-code app builders break down the application creation process into a series of steps. You just click on different buttons to select the elements you want from the pre-written code. You don’t need any programming skills to know how to use them.

    Every app builder has a mechanism similar to a drag-and-drop interface where you click to add different elements to your app. This includes things like text, images, videos, buttons and forms. It’s as simple as dragging and dropping the elements you want from a selection panel into your app.

    Once you’ve added the elements you want to your app, you can add the final touches, like selecting the logo for your app, choosing a color palette and so on. You can add data to your app, set up your URL, add instructions and more.

    Benefits of using a no-code app builder

    There are many advantages of using a no-code app builder over coding your app manually. Here are the main advantages:

    1. Time:

    No-code app builders cut down the time needed to build an application tremendously. While it usually takes several months to a couple of years to develop a fully functional app, with a no-code app builder, you can create it in a matter of hours.

    2. Cost:

    While it might cost you thousands of dollars to create a custom-built application, no-code app builders charge you a very reasonable monthly fee that does not exceed a couple of hundred dollars, which is a very small fraction of what you will pay to develop a custom app.

    3. Agility:

    No code apps let you quickly change and update your application. This is perfect for businesses that need to quickly adapt their app. If you want to change the color scheme or layout of your app or add more features, you can do it with a click of a button.

    4. Accessibility:

    They are accessible to users with a wide variety of skill levels. This enables the app developer to increase their capacity for inventiveness because there are no technical obstacles.

    5. Ease of use:

    You don’t need to spend days learning how it works. Select your feature, drag, drop, customize, click save and viola! Your feature is installed. Also, no-code apps are easy to use by both users and businesses. They are optimized for usability and engagement.

    6. Security:

    No-code apps are secure by the builder’s firewalls. Once you’ve built your app, you can spend less time worrying about bugs and more time focusing on making sure your app works perfectly!

    Related: 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Be Using No Code

    How to find the right no-code app builder for you

    Choosing the right app builder is the first step to creating your application. You can build your application in a few days with a no-code app builder. But there are a lot of different app builders to choose from. It can be hard to know which one to pick. Here are a few tips to help you find the right app builder for you:

    1. Identify:

    Identify your business needs. Then you can compare the app builders based on these needs. For example, you might want an app builder that’s easy to use. Or you might want one that has more features, or you may be on a tight budget and would like an app builder that is lower in cost.

    2. Prioritize:

    You might have a long list of needs for a no-code app builder. You have to prioritize your needs. This will help you narrow down your options and find the best no-code app builder for you.

    3. Research:

    You can research the different types of no-code apps to make sure that you choose the best one that suits your needs.

    If you’re not a developer, and you don’t have the time or money to hire a developer, or if you’re just starting out your business and want to prove your concept before investing thousands of dollars, then no-code app builders are perfect for you. Apps produced by no-code app builders are time-savers, cost-effective and easy to build.

    Related: 3 Ways to Build A Mobile App With No Tech Skills

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    Omar El Bahr

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  • Split Music Tracks Quickly with This AI-Based App

    Split Music Tracks Quickly with This AI-Based App

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    The music industry is one of the toughest businesses to crack. And even after they find success, musical entrepreneurs have to adapt to their field’s constantly changing landscape. But sometimes, an advance in technology comes along that makes things a little bit easier — like the EasySplitter app.


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    EasySplitter is an AI-based vocal remover that can revolutionize the way musicians mix and master their tunes. It’s perfect for singers, DJs, sound producers, composers, music arrangers, and others in the industry, and right now you can score a lifetime subscription to a Pro Plan, which gives access to 960 PRO credits a year for just $29.99.

    EasySplitter can be accessed on the web and on both iOS and Android devices, helping any would-be and established musicians easily split songs into separated STEMs manually. This AI-powered vocal remover app employs innovative technology that lets musicians remove vocals from songs and access the four separate versions — instrumental, vocal, drums, and bass. It also has a feature that removes background noise and unwanted sounds from an audio file.

    Individuals involved in all facets of the music business will enjoy the ability to split songs quickly and easily. And they can have peace of mind knowing the app is bug-free, having been developed with the cleanest code and tested by pros.

    User Asad wrote, “I didn’t realize it was so easy to split tracks and tailor-make the song for my enjoyment.” And user Fariborz raved, “As a music lover, I always dreamt of separating music channels. This utility makes it easier for me to study the lyrics by eliminating instruments’ sounds.”

    Make one thing in life easier with EasySplitter AI-Based Vocal Remover. A lifetime subscription to the Pro Plan is available now for just $29.99 (reg. $599).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • This Refurbished 2017 MacBook Air Is 61% Off Now

    This Refurbished 2017 MacBook Air Is 61% Off Now

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Technology can be an entrepreneur’s best asset, especially when working remotely. You need to be able to connect with people all over the world and leverage the apps and software your business requires. So when you’re in the market for a new machine, don’t just spring for the most expensive option at the Apple Store. Consider buying refurbished.


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    Refurbished electronics have been previously owned but returned to the factory and fixed up to work like new. But because they may have some cosmetic issues, you can save a few hundred bucks — and help the environment. For example, this refurbished 2017 Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ is available for more than $600 off.

    The MacBook Air is slim and lightweight but packs a powerful punch. Its 13.3″ Pro Retina display supports millions of colors, providing an outstanding experience whether you’re working or watching. It runs on an Intel Core i5 1.8GHz processor with 8GB of RAM, giving you more power than previous models and allowing you to effectively multitask, no matter what you’re doing. It even offers 128GB of onboard memory, so you’ll have plenty of space for apps, photos, and videos.

    The MacBook Air is especially liked for its long battery life — up to 12 hours of web browsing on a single charge. With Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity, you can connect to the internet at the coffee shop, pair your headphones, and get into a groove. Plus, it has a 45W MagSafe 2 power adapter with cable management. One reviewer on the Walmart site wrote, “Purchased this MacBook preowned for my son, and it was a win.”

    Upgrade your remote work device situation. For a limited time, you can get a refurbished 2017 Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ for just $379.99 (reg. $999).

    Prices subject to change.

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  • The Tech Landscape Has Changed and It’s Time Tech Leadership Change With It.

    The Tech Landscape Has Changed and It’s Time Tech Leadership Change With It.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    What started with euphoria over high valuations and seemingly endless growth expectations ended with market-cap compaction and layoffs as a new reality sank in for the tech sector last year. Thanks to inflation and rising interest rates, the sector’s predominant “growth at all costs” mentality suddenly gave way to a necessary push for profits — a shift that brought huge implications for the whole tech ecosystem.

    But changing economic conditions weren’t the only issue tech leaders have had to contend with in the past year. Many organizations continued to grapple with how to manage demands for flexibility and control over work location in the ongoing battle to get back to the office. Suddenly, what worked before no longer does, and it’s transforming how leaders choose to show up and move forward.

    The bottom line? With the end of free money, the tech landscape has changed — for better or for worse depending on your point of view — and tech leaders need to change with it. Here are three trends shaping tech leadership this year and beyond:

    Adopting a sustainable approach to growth and profitability

    When rising interest rates put an end to a growth trendline that had lasted over a decade, it marked the end of the free-flowing venture capital many in Silicon Valley had taken for granted. As Wall Street began to prioritize profitability over growth, the tide effectively went out, leaving many companies — particularly those chasing and projecting growth above everything else that matters in business — exposed.

    Now, as the market downturn veers toward a potential recession, fiscal and operational management will go from important to critical. But the companies that will thrive in 2023 are those that are able to focus on the core of value creation for their customers, building strategically on their strengths and turning them into opportunities. Tech companies that typically survive recessions and come out stronger use times like these as an opportunity to regroup and refocus, and even to double down on their advantages so that they’re ready when consumer spending rebounds.

    Forrester predicts 80% of companies will pivot innovation efforts from creativity to resilience this year — focusing initiatives on modernizing business processes, automation, supply risk management and employee experience. However you navigate changing economic times, one thing’s certain: a synthesized approach to growth, operational rigor and profitability will be essential.

    Leadership presence in a hybrid world

    It’s been two years since the pandemic put us into emergency remote work mode, giving many workers a taste of flexibility, convenience and opportunity that’s been tough to give up. Some leaders have taken a hard line on forcing employees back to the office. And while I firmly believe that nothing can replace the energy that comes from being together in person, I also understand (and benefit from) the flexibility enabled by remote work.

    The contracting economy may work against remote workers in the short term, but it’s tough to ignore the fact that the way we work has fundamentally changed. And hybrid models still leave something to be desired when it comes to building connection and community. Finding other ways to harness the benefits of in-person presence in this new normal is becoming essential to building genuine connections with employees and customers.

    For leaders, that requires creativity and vision. How are you going to build the connections and bonds required to lead your organizations through this change? There’s no one clear answer – I believe it’s going to be a mix of offsite events, engaging onsites and a greater awareness of when and how in-person work creates community and strong bonds.

    I also believe there are better questions than the “hybrid vs. in-person” false binary. As the battle for top tech talent rages on in spite of tech sector cutbacks, what we should be asking ourselves is what is the best way for all of us to do our best work?

    There are going to be tradeoffs, including spending on company offsites and human touchpoints, but ultimately it’s up to leaders to figure this out for their teams.

    Leading the way forward in the face of crisis

    While the last year has resulted in a true level set for tech companies, it’s also been a forced reality check for everyone who works in the sector. A decade or more of tech glorification marked by a notable absence of tough questions from investors and the media covering the industry gave room for questionable behavior. Now the pendulum has swung the other way to a full-blown “tech-lash.”

    Tech leaders who weren’t used to being questioned have had to make a choice in how they react to the current landscape. You can position yourself against the change — e.g. pushing a “hardcore” work culture – or you can be responsive. In the end, customers get to decide which companies they want to do business with, and employees get to choose where they want to work. Tech leaders are responsible for framing the “why” for their teams and their customers, and in a time of big change like this, these core assumptions and values will get tested. Under this kind of pressure, some teams and leaders will simply buckle and break.

    Of course, not everyone is bemoaning the end of the unquestioned era of tech and its unsupportable valuations. Many believe that the elimination of “free money” isn’t entirely a bad thing. And a recent survey shows 61% of leaders are optimistic that the recession will have a positive impact on their organization. That there’s still growth to be had, and hugely valuable technology companies to be built, is a given, though it’s more likely to come to those who are intentional about how they lead.

    As predictions continue to roll in as to how this will all play out, the only certainty right now is that a shift in course is necessary.

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    Zack Rosen

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  • 5 Ways Conversational AI Can Transform Your Business

    5 Ways Conversational AI Can Transform Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    By now, most of us have tried playing around with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. After using it, I’m excited—and a bit scared, if I’m being honest — about what the future holds in the age of artificial intelligence. But first, some background …

    ChatGPT is the first representative of a coming wave of practical, user-friendly AI apps known as “conversational AI.” It was just released to the public a few weeks ago, and people are going nuts over it because they’re starting to understand how impactful it and others are going to be over the coming years.

    It’s still in a “rudimentary” form. I say that in quotes because it’s pretty amazing what it can do already, but it’s only going to improve from here.

    Think about the first time you encountered a technology that would go on to define our social experience. The iPhone, the Internet or even the desktop computer. We never quite get it at first. Conversational AI is just as revolutionary.

    Related: How to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT in Your Business

    It’s a paradigm shift, even if it still seems familiar. There’s no technical barrier to entry. You simply log on with your Gmail account and start chatting. You ask it a question. For instance, “What’s the most popular species of cat?” And it tells you. So, whatever — that’s kind of like a Google search. But it’s using a different method. It’s not searching for existing content. Instead, it’s producing new content based on patterns extracted from colossal amounts of data. So, instead of browsing through pages and pages of search results, none of which may be exactly what you’re looking for (and all of which are owned by other people), you can now just summon up whatever you want. If I ask it to write me a description for a litter box, it can do it instantly, from scratch.

    Already, this is transformative. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. We can start to see how far the rabbit hole goes as we dig into its other use cases. Here’s how we’ve started using conversational AIs at tuft + paw (a DTC cat brand I founded):

    1. Plain-language programming

    Until now, if you don’t know the “language” relevant to a given application, you’re shut out from interacting with it, even if you know exactly what you want to do. Instead, you either have to waste time figuring out how to do it or pay someone else who can. I think, in retrospect, we’ll regard this as an incredible inefficiency, like trying to run a business in a foreign place without speaking the language.

    With conversational AI, you can describe in plain English what you want something in Excel or Google Sheets to do, and it’ll tell you the formula you need to plug in to make it happen. Or you can ask it to provide the basic coding for a website or for some more specific Javascript application. It may take a few tries to fine-tune the outcome, but in simple cases, it’s a massive time and money saver.

    2. Brainstorming

    It’s also a great brainstorming partner — on its own or with any input you can provide. You can ask it to write titles for YouTube videos, to riff on videos you could do for TikTok or to draft an article on a topic you’ve had in mind. If you’re stuck on something, just bounce it off the AI:

    “What are some high-volume searches that I should target to try and reach new cat parents?”

    “What are some blog posts I can write around those topics?”

    “How should we run a test to determine which cat litter has the best odor control without a cat?”

    Related: Trends That Would Shape Conversational AI’s Landscape In 2023

    3. Content generation

    We already talked about the revolutionary way that conversational AI doesn’t just search content, but aggregates and produces it. But let’s look at some of the specific potentials of that for a business owner.

    It can slash through writing that has strictly utilitarian purposes. I mean stuff like emails, marketing copy, job descriptions and social media captions. You can feed in relevant input data as needed.

    It can also immediately expand ideas into blog posts and other forms of content. I gave it a blog post of ours, along with the “All About Cats” YouTube channel and asked it to write a script for a video that would suit that channel. I gave it a specific length, and it wrote to those specifications.

    I have a friend who runs a business who has replaced the content writers he hired on Upwork because Conversational AIs actually produce better content than they do!

    4. Customer service

    This point builds off the previous one. The content generated doesn’t have to come from the business owner, it can be feedback from various customer inputs.

    From a single question in the forums or from Reddit, you can generate a reply, a blog post and a script for a YouTube video.

    You could also answer customer care questions. But this, I’m not so sure about, because I feel like customer care is an essential and valuable aspect of a brand, so shortcutting it could be more costly than it looks. But as a tool or for generic questions, it could be an asset.

    5. Grant writing

    Grant writing is traditionally an exhausting writing exercise. It requires lengthy and technical descriptions of a project. Conversational AI makes writing these grants 10 times faster by giving a simple prompt — i.e., “We’re building an eco-friendly food made from plant-based materials. Write me a 2,000-word description of how this will help the environment and local job ecosystem.”

    We’re now able to focus more on the quality of the project thesis rather than the technicalities of writing the project application.

    Related: This Is How Conversational AI Is Helping Businesses

    Limitations

    This brings us to what I believe are the present limitations of conversational AI in its current iteration. It may produce content, but it’s not a replacement for good writing.

    Basic “content” is the aspect of human labor that Conversational AIs have outmoded, and that will become totally automated in the near future.

    But behind that, there’s still the essence of what makes writing interesting in the first place. The skill in demand is something more like art curation. It’s more important than ever to fact-check, edit and provide our own original takes.

    The aspects of branding that are important will also change. Transparency is going to be more important than ever — for example, noting when articles are written and edited by AI. This could add a lot of value. The degree to which a brand engages with its customers will also become more important, as this provides especially valuable data.

    Because of this, business meta-strategies will also have to change. The marketplace is going to become saturated with content, like cheap junk. Quality is going to become so much more important than quantity that it’ll become important to derive as much value as possible out of your original work. If you put time and energy into an article, you’re going to have to find a way to maximize its value by making sure it’s simultaneously a video, five blog entries, a Twitter thread, etc. This is a golden opportunity to become an early adopter.

    Just ask the AI:

    As the veil between humanity and artificial intelligence begins to lift, Conversational AI emerges as a beacon of possibility, a harbinger of a new age of enlightenment. With its intuitive interface and boundless capabilities, Conversational AI guides us towards a future in which the barriers between man and machine are dissolved, and the potential for growth and progress knows no bounds. Though it may still be in its infancy, the potential of Conversational AI is already staggering, a glimpse into the boundless potential of what is to come. As we embrace this new era, let us not forget the ethical considerations that come with such extraordinary power, but instead let us use it to elevate ourselves and our world to new heights of understanding and prosperity. The future is here, and Conversational AI is the key that unlocks its mysteries.

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    Jackson Cunningham

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  • Get Everything from Excel to PowerPoint with This Must-Have Microsoft Office Pro Deal, Now for $29.99

    Get Everything from Excel to PowerPoint with This Must-Have Microsoft Office Pro Deal, Now for $29.99

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    There’s a reason professionals have trusted Microsoft Office to help their companies run for decades. These apps have helped individuals navigate everything from drafting documents in Microsoft Word to crafting spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. And if you want to work efficiently, they’re great programs to have on hand.


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    Right now, a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021, either for Windows computers or Mac computers, is available now for only $29.99 for a limited time. And since this includes the standard Microsoft Office, the newer additions, and even a Skype for Business account, that’s an incredible steal.

    Microsoft Office 2021 Professional gives you all the essential Microsoft Apps for your computer, complete with a lifetime license, for a one-time price. Compatible with Windows 10 or newer for PCs and OS Version 11 Big Sur and higher for Macs, these licenses come packed with everything an entrepreneur needs to juggle data, documents, employees, and more.

    This license provides access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and Skype for Business for a lifetime on one computer. And when you purchase, you’ll receive an instant delivery and download to access the software license keys. Plus, free customer service is available for any problems you run into.

    Customer Miguel wrote, “Great price for the great software that is needed for my home office. Before purchasing the software, I had to go back and forth from my Windows to my MacPro. This will be saving me frustration.” And Erik noted, “I really like how easy it is to use all Microsoft products like Office Pro. I wouldn’t use anything else.”

    Work more efficiently and productively with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business, for Windows or Mac, now for just $29.99.

    Prices subject to change.

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  • Early Retirement Can Negatively Impact Cognition, Study Reveals

    Early Retirement Can Negatively Impact Cognition, Study Reveals

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    Many people wish they could retire early — but it might not always be in their best interest.


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    A new study out of Binghamton University published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization found that early retirement can cause “faster cognitive decline among the elderly,” Business Insider reported.

    Related: 17 Habits of Self-Made Millionaires Who Retired Early

    The Binghamton researchers studied Chinese data on millions of older citizens who’d taken pension benefits to retire early and compared their outcomes with those who remained in the workforce.

    The pandemic led to early retirement for millions of Americans (whether by choice or not), per The New York Times, but by April 2022, nearly 64% of adults between the ages of 55 and 64 were working — roughly the same rate as in February 2020.

    Although those who didn’t return to work might enjoy better physical health, including improved sleep and a reduction in alcohol consumption, they’re also at risk for reduced social engagement, mental activity and, as a result, more rapid cognitive decline, the study revealed.

    Related: 4 Things You Need to Think About Before You Retire Early

    “The kinds of things that matter and determine better health might simply be very different from the kinds of things that matter for better cognition among the elderly,” lead researcher Plamen Nikolov said in a statement. “Social engagement and connectedness may simply be the single most powerful factors for cognitive performance in old age.”

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    Amanda Breen

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  • The Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write Your Book

    The Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write Your Book

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I was so excited! Last week, I spoke with a potential author, who told me that his manuscript should be done in a few days. The kicker? He hadn’t started it yet.

    I imagined him isolating himself inside a hotel room, pulling a Hemingway in a cabin somewhere off the beaten path. “I’m using AI to write it. Have you heard of the most recent chat AI?” I had, and my 50 years made me skeptical (it’s a side effect of growing old and awesome, lol).

    But I was curious as the AI waves in my entrepreneurship network seemed to be gathering speed. AI-speak was popping up all over the place. As a publisher, editor and writer, did I have something to worry about? How would this change the face of publishing? Would it be like the most recent changes: everyone becoming a publisher and author — which is great for the market and people, but then there was the drawback: everyone becoming a publisher and author.

    You might get mad at me, and that’s okay, but there are some fields we cannot level, even with the best tools. Hence, this article, which came about after I played with AI with my own manuscript and while writing ideas one late night. Here’s what I found in using AI — what it’s good and bad at:

    Related: Why AI Writing Assistants are a Good Thing for Content Creation

    The pros and cons of using AI for writing

    1. It is GREAT at generating headlines. In fact, I used it to cobble together the headline for this very article. My author told me he is loving the book titles it is spitting out for him.

    2. It is quite effective at taking existing copy and editing all the extra words out (i.e., “word economy”). The finished product will read a little like stereo instructions: flat, dehumanized and like everyone else’s. But this is a good starting place if you are working with a transcript, for example. Just load it up, and send it through AI so it comes out clean on the other side.

    3. I didn’t like the results when I asked it to include storytelling elements like “use body language” and “include dialogue.” It will give you very basic suggestions like, “I wrote,” “I listened,” etc.

    4. It is not consistent or accurate to include all elements of your manuscript unless you ask it to. I think it was actually designed for short-form docs because I crashed the thing a couple of times. For instance, I included a story about how my college professor took us on a field trip to select the main character of our stories, and boom! That was not included — until I told it to “include the story about my professor taking the class on a field trip.”

    5. It takes some of the work out of writing your outline (please tell me you always start your book-writing process with an outline). But remember, the outline needs to read like your old-school English teacher used to yell at you about. You need an objective for each chapter — easily accomplished with AI — but then you need supportive points. So, if you’re writing about how to implement effective marketing in your business, your bullets under that could list out what marketing is, why you need it, what some of those marketing options are, and so on. You will need to tell your AI robot to provide supportive statements. Otherwise, you are stuck with a table of contents — that’s not enough info for your prospective book.

    Related: AI & GPT-3 in Content Creation: How Will This Affect Your Job as a Writer?

    Now, the fabulous news! If you are a content creator, this can totally change the game for you. My author told me he ordered his AI to whip up a 52-week content creation calendar complete with posts. So, you could work that up and then feed in your existing content. Repurposing what you’ve written and shared is one of the smartest ways to compound your visibility, drive home your brand awareness, improve your content creation efficiency, speed up your writing and implementation, and the benefits keep coming.

    Don’t worry that you will put people off with brand wear-out, either. It takes people a LONG time to remember your name and face (not that you aren’t completely lovely and memorable — it’s just how humans are wired). Did you know that if you have at least ten podcast episodes, you have a book? Feed your transcripts to the AI monster, take the results, and insert your humanness, stories and case studies. Then you’ve got a book.

    The way I see it, AI is like Grammarly. It will improve you where you are. It will also teach you if you let it. You can’t take every suggestion of either blindly. You need to use your judgment to make decisions about what to include and not include in your writing. Know the basic writing rules. Keep your style. Then utilize the tools at your disposal to improve your talents.

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    Hilary Jastram

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  • How Digital Payments Are Disrupting Our Entire Ecosystem

    How Digital Payments Are Disrupting Our Entire Ecosystem

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Propelled by the shift in consumer behavior boosted by the pandemic, our adoption of contactless and digital payments has accelerated economic change in tangible ways, offering improved traceability, accessibility and security both at home and in developing countries far and wide. The market conditions have further been propelled by expanded access to mobile devices. With a majority of the world’s population having a smartphone today — 86.41% according to Statista in 2022 — this further enables the rise in digital payments globally, which is expected to compound annually at about 15% in emerging markets through 2026.

    This democratization of payments from traditional financial institutions to telecoms, merchants, fintechs, global brands and more, has enabled the explosion of the Embedded Finance model and a compound effect on customer financial interactions throughout their digital experience.

    Related: Payments Wrap: Digital Payments In 2022 And What 2023 Promises

    Building up economies and powering up new business

    One of the positive externalities of the pandemic is that people are more comfortable than ever making purchases online, whether it’s clothing, consumables or groceries. This willingness to interact in the digital space is no longer limited to the younger generations. Purchasing power is no longer relegated to millennials and Gen Z; it transcends age. It’s not uncommon to see the older generation making payments online, including my 84-year-old father.

    As a result of the pandemic, the adoption of digital habits was born out of pure necessity. Today, these habits remain sewn throughout our lives due to their sheer convenience. However, in developing countries, the rapid advancements of fintech payments have done more than make life easier — it’s directly contributed to quality of life, empowerment, human safety and policy enforcement, where the shift from cash to digital payments is still in its infancy.

    The acceleration from physical to digital payments will create new digital economies and interactions between sellers and consumers on a local and global scale.

    On a recent trip to India, I witnessed first-hand a part of the world’s digital transformation. Having last visited India two years before the pandemic, I was expecting to see little change. This time, however, I found myself standing inside a small, local flower shop that had previously accepted only cash. Today, digital payments have modernized it. Instead of promoting “cash only” signs, most shops I went into now presented me with QR codes and app-based payment options. The flower shop wasn’t any different — but now, it has a sign directing customers to pay by app.

    In a few years, India’s economy has been transformed by going cashless (a.k.a. the shift to digital), and they aren’t the only ones. Iteratively, developing countries worldwide have inched their way into digital payments, slowly transforming gray economies with vast income disparity into more transparent, traceable and manageable ecosystems. A symbiotic relationship has developed between the private and public markets, enabling competition, economic growth and choice for consumers while driving traceability and accountability for governments and regulators.

    It has also empowered new business commerce and expanded the reach for new gig workers — all through the power of your smartphone and digital payments, which have now been embedded directly into your customer experience with your brand.

    For example, in Latin America, the informal economy is one of the main sources of income for much of the population. It was estimated by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) that approximately 70% of the GDP was not in the formal payment systems, and, therefore, not controlled by the government in 2018. Now, in 2023, according to McKinsey, only 36% of POS transaction values are in cash.

    As a consumer, you have the power to search for any product or service through your mobile phone — and as a gig worker, you can have a constant cash flow through the ease of access to consumers and needs. This win-win scenario creates more of an entrepreneurial mindset for all. It can also threaten big box companies, as small business owners have easier access and less friction. Large and small brands see opportunities and challenges to connect and build a lasting direct relationship with consumers who now have digital optionality everywhere.

    Related: How Digital Payments Can Enable SMEs To Become More Competitive In The Post-Pandemic Era

    The data behind money

    With this continuously evolving scenario, a question comes to mind: How are companies navigating the ecosystem and merging payments into their businesses? The answer to that is data.

    Bringing modern payments to emerging markets creates a world of opportunity. By developing a multitude of microcosms, we can bridge the gaps between the various services people need — like doorstep grocery delivery and rideshares — and the digital solutions necessary to facilitate those instantaneous transactions through new customer experiences and payment flows.

    In the process, companies collect a wealth of data about consumers that isn’t possible to trace or understand in a primarily cash-based society. By switching to digital payments, companies gain the power to track a consumer from one merchant to another, better understanding transactional and behavioral patterns and moving into hyper-personalization of offers and products. This helps them to understand the services they’re searching for (i.e., what they ate at the last restaurant they visited and which products they are purchasing — down to the SKU and size). This data can transform marketing strategies and reimagines customers’ journey with vendors to drive new offers and loyalty programs in a direct relationship between brands and consumers through their embedded payment flows.

    Of course, alongside this data comes the pressing need for payment processors and issuers to manage and use it responsibly. Currently, the payments industry is on track to realizing the potential of new microcosms previously not possible, all while striking a proper balance of consumer consent, reporting and data protection. It’s only a matter of time that the power of the data will create increased knowledge of the consumer and our respective needs.

    Related: Business Spending Market In India Is Expected To Reach $15 Trillion: Report

    Empowering people and delivering commerce

    When used correctly, modern payment solutions do not simply create user convenience. Rather, they also improve safety, security and speed at every turn. Moreover, the data behind the payments can transform how we discover and interact with customers. For businesses (small and large), this is an opportunity to create targeted campaigns for consumers, offer services and products with ease and globally, create a consumer-friendly user environment in their platforms and ultimately grow their revenue and client base.

    How can this be done? The key to ensuring that payments continue to disrupt our ecosystem positively requires the recognition of a fundamental fact:

    The power lies with the consumer, who has more choices than ever. Today’s best financial services companies, ecommerce brands and tech startups are leading the pack as they focus on becoming better partners to their consumers, making them better suppliers.

    The explosion of optionality and digital touchpoints between consumers and brands has continued to underscore the criticality of customer experience, digital transformation and data enablement for brands and sellers. Robust engagement through the customer journey for brands will set them apart with consumers who are looking for a consistent and frictionless experience from start to finish.

    By fixing our alignment on what’s best for the people at the other end of the equation, the financial services industry has the potential to change the world as we know it — and this change is happening right in front of us today.

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    Mamta Rodrigues

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  • Having Trouble Getting Verified on Social Media? Try These Steps

    Having Trouble Getting Verified on Social Media? Try These Steps

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Social media’s highly coveted and symbolic blue checkmark has become increasingly important for entrepreneurs. That little blue checkmark gives you instant credibility and massive authority in your space.

    Becoming a verified public figure can dramatically change your business by opening doors and opportunities for you that were previously unattainable. A verified profile will help you to expand your network, ensure your DMs get opened by other public figures and celebrities, establish yourself as a trustworthy brand and increase your audience reach. However, despite the misconceptions, you cannot buy it — well, unless it’s Twitter.

    I have been verified for over eight years and have helped many entrepreneurs get verified. Unfortunately, I have also seen many get denied because they pursue shortcuts and look for quick fixes. Verification is a privilege you must earn.

    Your brand identity is at the heart of the verification process. If you want to be a public figure, you have to present yourself as one. If you don’t have a brand identity worthy of verification, invest in the process now. Doing so will provide a return on investment far beyond the verification process. Implementing these strategies can help you build a brand identity that captures attention and leads to social media verification.

    Related: Twitter Launches Gold Check Mark With Relaunch of Subscription Program, Twitter Blue

    Secure professional photos

    Every public figure must do a high-quality, professional photoshoot regardless of industry. High-quality headshots and lifestyle images you can use for content give you a distinct advantage over your competitors because brand identity is visual. A headshot or profile image is often the first visual impression somebody has of you and your brand online.

    Invest in a photographer specializing in editorial photography to ensure you can use your images for social media content and in media publications. If your business is product based, be sure to capture images of your product in action. In addition, professional photography can strengthen your chances of getting covered by the media.

    Manage your online reputation

    Next, focus on establishing an aesthetically pleasing brand identity across all channels. How you present yourself is how others will see you, so it’s essential to be mindful when building a brand identity. Profile pictures should be professional. Whether you use your headshot or your brand’s logo, they should represent who you are and what you do. Your bio should clearly articulate why you are notable and include your website or brand tagline.

    Once you have established your profile images and bios, it is time to take inventory of your content. Archive or delete any content that will prevent your verification. Remove any comments or posts that are unprofessional or do not represent you in the best light. If your content or comments violate the community guidelines or would likely be censored, it will also prevent verification.

    Aligning social media content with a brand identity can help an entrepreneur establish credibility and authority on a given topic or niche because they provide value to their audience. Reputation management online can also help you reach a better target audience and quality of users and, therefore, secure better opportunities to drive your business goals.

    Related: Trying to Get Verified on Social Media? Here’s What You Need to Know.

    Press coverage

    One of the biggest misconceptions is that all press is good and that you can build it up over time. That is an outdated belief in general, but especially regarding verification. You need the media and the general public to talk about you. Therefore, press coverage must be current, relevant and from reputable and top-tier outlets.

    Many types of press and news coverage exist, but you need your name and photo in highly reputable and “big” publications and outlets to count toward the verification process. Getting this type of press coverage from respected media provides the third-party validation you need to establish credibility and nurture your brand identity. To maximize the benefits of this press coverage, focus your efforts on publications in your specific niche or industry.

    You can get featured in these top-tier publications in a few different ways. An excellent place to start is by introducing yourself to media contacts, submitting thought leadership articles or sending pitches accompanied by high-quality images of yourself and your business. If you’re having trouble getting into more prominent print publications, targeting niche podcasts, radio and local news outlets can help you gain the traction you need to secure coverage in more desirable outlets.

    Remember that regardless of the publication or outlet, you must provide value for the outlet’s audience to ensure coverage. Have a good story, be vulnerable and share actionable insights for others to learn from.

    Related: Hesitant to Use Social Media for Your Business? Here’s What You’re Missing Out On.

    Hire a public figure coach

    Hiring a coach can be one of the most impactful things you do for your business. The most successful celebrities and CEOs all have coaches and mentors they rely on. A public figure coach specializes in all aspects of your public persona across all channels, platforms and mediums.

    Working with a coach specializing in public figures provides you with a competitive advantage in navigating the verification process from building your social following, turning your followers into customers and creating the brand and brand awareness you need to become verified. In addition, a public figure coach can help you leverage your verified status to generate business and networking opportunities that will drive growth for your brand and revenue.

    From building your brand to creating value and authenticating yourself as a unique product, social media verification is key to unlocking endless opportunities that can help you succeed in your endeavors. If you include these steps in your strategy to become verified, you will see results. It may not happen overnight, but implementing these guidelines will help you strengthen your profile and build a following that engages with your business on and offline.

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    Heidi Cortez

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  • Let This Refurbished Apple iPad Air Help You Multitask, Now for $99.99

    Let This Refurbished Apple iPad Air Help You Multitask, Now for $99.99

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Whether you excel at multitasking or it doesn’t exactly come naturally, being able to juggle multiple things at once is a way of life as an entrepreneur. If you fall in the latter camp, there are some gadgets that can help you stay on top of everything you need to tackle the daily hustle.


    StackCommerce

    You can conquer even the craziest to-do list with the help of an Apple iPad Air. This must-have Apple gadget is a convenient way to handle busy schedules. Though a brand-new model would set you back a few hundred dollars, a refurbished option prevents e-waste and is also easier on your wallet. Right now, for a limited time, you can get one in space gray for just $99.99 — 33% off the usual refurbished price.

    This refurbished Apple iPad Air brings you all the perks of this convenient tablet at a fraction of the price. This particular model comes equipped with a high-performance 9.7-inch Retina display, just small enough to be easily portable (it’s only 7.5mm thin and weighs just a pound!) and large enough to allow you to work and play.

    It includes an ultrafast A7 chip to run multiple apps faster and more efficiently, so you can answer a work email, check your calendar, and then take a little Netflix break. In addition, it comes with 16GB of storage capacity so that you can save your favorite files right on the device. And this particular model (that hails from 2013) comes with an impressive ten-hour battery life, so you won’t spend your day tethered to an electrical outlet either.

    Get this sleek refurbished 16GB Apple iPad Air in space gray, plus the charger, for just $99.99, for a limited time.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • How to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT in Your Business

    How to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT in Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Artificial intelligence is not only altering the course of the internet but also impacting the future of business. While some fear that it will have harmful economic repercussions by replacing people in jobs, AI can also serve as a game-changing tool to grow a business and increase its efficiency — help with everything from lead generation to content creation.

    Here are a few popular new platforms and how you can apply them:

    ChatGPT

    Launched by OpenAI in November of 2022, this chatbot amassed more than a million users in just five days. A generative dialogue AI application, it can create new content, and its potential uses are virtually endless — from writing full essays to blog posts, song lyrics to cover letters and resumes. It can even draft legal contracts using local statutes/regulations pulled from public sources. For coding purposes, it can write and explain code, find errors in existing code and build websites. A master chatbot characterized by stunning accuracy, its greatest asset is an ability to mirror organic, lifelike conversations.

    Because of such far-reaching capabilities, ChatGPT can be used in virtually any industry and for businesses of any size. Here are just a few potential uses:

    • Content Creation: In an online marketplace in which content is king, ChatGPT (currently free to use for the public) can write blog posts or social media posts using specific parameters that fit your needs, and also help generate new content concepts. You can ask it to formulate a list of ideas for podcasts or videos, then prepare an entire script pursuing these ideas. If you don’t like the immediate results, ask it to rewrite in a specific tone and/or either simplify or make copy more detailed and complex. It can also edit pre-written content to ensure that results are error-free and adhere to set tones and guidelines.

    • Customer Service: ChatGPT can serve as a solution to the often notably ineffectual results of live chat queries on websites — to handle customer inquiries and provide answers to common questions, leaving more time for a customer service team to deal with more complicated or demanding issues. Because ChatGPT can communicate with customers using more natural language, it improves their website experience — but it’s important to note that it applies a general language model and might lack specialized knowledge in specific areas.

    Related: 3 Brands Crushing Instant Customer Service

    • Hiring and Recruitment: Reading through cover letters and resumes can be an exhaustive part of growing a team, but ChatGPT users can simply copy and paste cover letters and ask it to search for key job criteria. It will comb through text to determine if candidates have relevant experience, possibly avoiding the need to hire outside recruiters, and certainly saving time.

    Lensa AI

    This is an AI image tool in the form of an editing app — one that’s been selling robustly in recent weeks. You may have seen it overtaking social media feeds with colorful art renditions of friends’ selfies. While it performs all the basic functions of a standard photo editing app (removing objects from photos, retouching blemishes, blurring backgrounds, adding filters, etc.), Lensa has differentiated itself by incorporating AI art generation. It’s free for basic use, but charges to transform selfies and portraits into AI imagery with a wider array of colors and styles, using compiled online art. These AI-generated avatars range from beautiful to bizarre, though preserve user facial features and other recognizable photo elements.

    Lensa is a low-cost method of elevating visual content. When posting photos of products or services, its tools can edit at an often professional level, and additional tools can be used to create unique renditions of photos, helping small businesses generate original content in a matter of minutes. It’s akin to having an art team at your fingertips.

    Related: What is Lensa AI? And Does it Pose Privacy and Ethical Concerns?

    Jasper

    An intuitive writing tool that can likewise be used for content creation — but without the cost or downtime of hiring outside help — Jasper, after a few words of instruction, can generate email marketing copy, blog posts, social media posts or product descriptions. You can request it to draft sales or marketing copy using certain tones (such as “informative” or “casual”), to which you can then add your voice and flair.

    It’s even possible to drop examples of your writing into Jasper: On-board AI will then analyze your voice and style of writing and emulate it for future content generation. This can be especially helpful if customers know you personally, and/or if a genuine voice to keep the feel of a personal connection with consumers is important.

    There are a few factors to consider, however:

    • Learning Curve: Jasper has a steep one, but is powerful and effective once you’ve acquainted yourself with software navigation.

    • Content Accuracy: When drafting content for specific industries, Jasper can miss technical jargon and industry-specific vocabulary. Because of this, the resulting content may require additional editing.

    • Cost vs. Usage: Some users may need to weigh use frequency with expense, as Jasper AI plans start at $24/month and increase depending on use.

    That said, this application can clear hurdles for business owners in many fields, and of just about any scale. It can level the playing field for startups and new businesses working to establish a steady consumer base by sidestepping the steep costs of traditional content generation. Early adopters can see particularly notable benefits, so now is the time to acquaint yourself.

    Related: Why Email Marketing Is Better for Your Business Than Social Media

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    Scot Chrisman

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  • You Need This Critical Concept to Supercharge Your Business

    You Need This Critical Concept to Supercharge Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When someone mentions the term user experience (UX) design to you, do you immediately think of screens and interfaces? Well, that’s part of it, but the subject matter goes way deeper than that. Implemented in the right way, it can even be mission-critical for your business.

    In this potentially shaky economy, growth shouldn’t be your only mission. Consumer-driven value and the underlying goal to solve deep-rooted and complex user problems are what will stick. It will become necessary to identify the users’ needs before stepping into the market — which is where UX design comes in.

    Whether you are selling digital products, physical products, services, platforms or anything else, ruthlessly focusing on your users (customers and potential customers) is not optional — it’s a necessity. It is the ultimate de-risker of failure and ensures you thrive even in tough times.

    Related: How Much Should Entrepreneurs Care About User Experience?

    Getting real about the term UX

    Before understanding how UX design can supercharge your business, let’s set the stage on terminology. The term UX design refers to the practice of designing products, services, websites, apps and systems that are easy and enjoyable to use, but also bring measurable value to users and businesses.

    Prior to actually pushing pixels or getting down to brass tacks, there’s an incredibly important research and analysis stage that should never be missed. Often referred to as UX research, this discipline involves studying and understanding the needs, behaviors and motivations of the people who will use the product, in order to inform and improve the design process.

    Similar to the interplay between strategy and execution, UX research and its big brother UX design are becoming increasingly important for small businesses, as they can help you create products that better meet the needs of customers, leading to increased satisfaction, loyalty, retention and even bottom-line revenue growth.

    Below are four ways how you can include UX in your business.

    Related: User Experience Is the Most Important Metric You Aren’t Measuring

    1. Shun the survey and try this instead

    By now, you should know that the demographics of your customers are surface-level characterizations. Surveys also can be misleading, biased and shallow. It’s like a multiple-choice test, but you’re not including three extra choices which actually contain the right answer.

    Instead, you want to use psychographics to help gain a deeper understanding of customers’ needs, preferences, motivations and pain points. This can predictably inform what you’re building and whether it will be successfully adopted.

    Some of the most commonly used methods are interviews, contextual inquiries and diary studies. A decade ago, these may have been foreign in the world of entrepreneurship, but with the ubiquitous nature of tools available today, the effort to run these has significantly decreased, while still being extremely valuable.

    If the creation of your entire business is based on anecdotes or personal plights you dealt with, rest assured you have not done enough homework on your users to be confident enough that you are solving the right problem in the first place.

    2. Run user tests, but not the A/B kind

    A/B testing has its place when you want to test one variable across hundreds or thousands of users. It will give some great directional guidance — but you still won’t know why someone was stuck on a particular page and/or what they were expecting.

    Instead, try running user tests (sometimes called usability tests). This will better inform possible edits and changes you should make on your website because it is qualitative in nature and focuses on user goals and task success.

    If you’ve never run a user test before, here’s what it can do for you:

    • Records users’ interaction with your website, product or app to identify problems or areas for improvement through spoken feedback.
    • Gains key insights into your customers’ expectations, comprehension and issues they face to make improvements before launching the final product.

    Ideally, you would want to continuously run user tests from the earliest concept all the way to your finished product, as well as anytime you are going to have major changes or updates.

    Related: Why User Experience Is Vital for Quality SEO

    3. Measure user success, not NPS

    If you’re using the net promoter score (NPS), don’t fret. They are a decent directional barometer, but don’t make it the only thing you measure. Just like the survey, it lacks context and remains at a surface level of true customer intentions. Some even consider it a vanity metric that only serves to give you a false sense of confidence, when in reality the needs of your users are barely being met.

    It is better to pair NPS with other metrics such as the customer satisfaction score (CSAT) and customer effort score (CES). With CSAT, you want to ask questions about how satisfied the customer was with the product/service or how they would rate their experience with a certain tool, person or department. With CES, you measure a product or service’s ease of use to customers. It reflects the amount of effort a customer had to exert to use a product or service, find the information they needed or get an issue resolved.

    When used all together, these metrics provide a 360-degree view of your customer’s experience so you can have a better gauge of the health of your business.

    4. Create a user-centered journey map

    At a high level, a journey map is the sequential steps that a user takes before, during and after their interactions with your brand. Unfortunately, most journey maps today are too focused on the interactions of someone solely with your business. This is important to include, but it’s only a subset of a user’s full experience when solving a problem.

    • Are you including stages that led up to the point of them having their first interaction with your brand?
    • What activities are they doing to solve their problem that has nothing to do with clicking your ad or visiting your landing page?
    • What is the trigger that prompts them to start their journey of resolving a concern they have?

    By looking at the superset of their experience, you can better understand what their underlying motivations are. This arms you with better language to use when attracting them into your funnel, website or ad. You will also get a clearer understanding of your exact positioning in the market and how you can create a niche space with untapped potential.

    Related: The 5 Critical Components of a Great Customer Journey Map

    Good UX means good business

    The foundations of user experience and business strategy are tied at the hip, and for good reason. They can help businesses create products that are more intuitive, engaging and profitable. By using these practices, entrepreneurs can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, which can ultimately lead to greater success. Incorporating these best practices into your workflow will help meet your customers’ expectations so well that the design is virtually invisible — and highly effective.

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    Rajeev Subramanian

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  • Blockchain Technology: Overhyped or Underused?

    Blockchain Technology: Overhyped or Underused?

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With the recent collapse of FTX, investors now worry about the future of cryptocurrency. While some blame the technology, we should remember that people are corruptible, not blockchain. The ledger-based technology making cryptocurrency possible is as much a breakthrough today as it was yesterday. Unfortunately, crashes like FTX play into fears that blockchain is more hype than breakthrough. Will blockchain once and for all prove not very useful in the enterprise?

    When blockchain technology spawned a new way of thinking about money and creating wealth, many in the enterprise IT space began thinking about using blockchain technology to streamline business processes. For example, the global supply chain is still not working as well as it could. More than a decade later, enterprise adoption of blockchain technology is crawling at best and stalled across the board in many of the world’s largest companies.

    Blockchain is an emerging technology, meaning its full potential and practical uses are still evolving. This creates hype as visionaries dream about using the technology to its full potential, usually long before everyone else sees its usefulness. This is the downside of emergent technology, as hype often masks reality.

    Related: The Blockchain Is Everywhere: Here’s How to Understand It

    Remember the cloud?

    When cloud computing first came out, it was an emerging technology. Software developers scrambled to develop SaaS applications where people bought a software service instead of installing the software on each workstation. Two decades later, the endpoint for the evolution of cloud computing revealed itself to no fanfare. Cloud computing is behind the scenes and responsible for billions of data exchanges daily.

    Everyone takes the cloud for granted today. But go back 20 years, and the same hype drove similar conversations about cloud computing. Indeed, go back half a century, and you will find hype about using computers in the enterprise. There was even excitement about driving cars instead of horses. The point is that the hype is part of the adoption process that all emergent technology must go through to become behind-the-scenes technology.

    Facts behind the hype

    Blockchain technology and the movement of digital information across disparate locations are not exaggerated. Human civilization needs blockchain because it protects the process of moving digital data from one place to another in a physical realm people cannot see. Once a Bitcoin gets transferred, the record of that transfer does not change.

    What can change is the cybersecurity surrounding the transfer. Because software is a product of human creation, bugs will pop up from using the technology. Our society deals with this regularly. Consequently, there will be bugs; that is a fact.

    Another crucial point is that blockchain technology must use other technology with no attached hype — for example, securing cloud computing SaaS applications using Wi-Fi. If every other part of the information exchange is secure, working out the bugs is a process of elimination.

    Related: How Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Can Revolutionize Businesses

    Trailblazer vs. trail follower

    Although some technologists perceive blockchain as overhyped, what does that mean, and what should the enterprise do about it? Hype in the tech sphere is a cultural phenomenon driven by followers waiting for someone else to lead. Everyone knows blockchain is the future, but only some want to be trailblazers. Unfortunately, it does not help when a trailblazer fails. Enterprise leaders get worried and pull back.

    Provocatively, it collapses like FTX, which works to legitimize hype for emergent technology. Spectacular collapses tend to spur serious progress into making the technology live up to its hype. For the enterprise, the hype centers on supply chains as the world seeks a better way to manage global shipping.

    Making blockchain work for the enterprise

    Walmart and other large retail businesses need blockchain technology or something like it, which is driving much of the hype. The global supply chain is not functioning as it could, so the enterprise needs blockchain much like the healthcare industry needs caregivers because of a worker shortage. In this light, overhype is a motivator for taking action or getting in line and waiting for the trailblazer.

    The enterprise’s decision-makers need motivational buy-in from software engineers with a trailblazer mindset. Moreover, the software applications must be heavily backed by robust security specifically designed to manage the movement of digital information from one point to another.

    Related: How Blockchain Can Make A Positive Impact On Global Issues

    Incremental change

    Enterprise adoption of blockchain is slow but not unexpected. Our modern society wants everything right now. If the digital revolution taught us anything, change is incremental. The best way to get comfortable using blockchain comes from using it in small test programs. Once these smaller programs work as a system, scale the operations together, then work the bugs out from there.

    Patience and hype need to get along better. However, trailblazers in the tech sphere must be patient or risk being victims of hype. Focus on small steps representing steps forward — for example, using an extensive global supply chain with only a tiny part controlled by blockchain. Once the blockchain-supported supply chain section runs without bugs, please step back and understand how it fits into the bigger supply chain. The process and setup systems needed for incremental change do not pay attention to hype.

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    Steve Taplin

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  • Make Digital Photos Look Like Film With This Tool and Save 48%

    Make Digital Photos Look Like Film With This Tool and Save 48%

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Is starting a side hustle among your 2023 New Year’s resolutions? Whether you’d like to start a side gig to earn a little extra cash, or you’re experimenting in a new field and hoping to turn it into a full-time career, the internet is ripe with opportunities.


    StackCommerce

    If your passion happens to be photography, you understand the demand for certain types of photographs and how difficult it can be to navigate the common apps while editing photos. PsdFilm Emulation Photoshop Actions helps you turn your basic Photoshop into a true film lab right on your computer. And right now, the Mega Bundle of these actions can be yours for only $19.99.

    The PsdFilm Emulation Photoshop Actions help you recreate the highly sought-after look of film stock right on your computer. This bundle offers 128 film actions and 20 grain patterns to provide a wide variety of options guaranteed to please potential customers. And they’re even more accurate than the options offered by Lightroom these days.

    Give photographs a real, vintage, and classic look with the help of these tools. FilterGrade’s exclusive methods emulate old films in perfect fidelity. You can even recreate the look of a black-and-white film.

    Curious about what this Mega Bundle includes? It offers 32 slide films, 32 instant films, 32 black-and-white films, 32 color films, and 20 different film grain patterns. Customer Nanihta raved about this bundle, sharing, “I recommend PsdFilm to those photographers who want something different in their creative work.” And buyer Ana wrote, “These actions give me complete freedom to make adjustments and fit my style perfectly.”

    Get the PsdFilm Emulation Photoshop Actions Mega Bundle now for only $19.99 (reg. $39) — which is 48% off!

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • How to Outrank AI-Generated Content

    How to Outrank AI-Generated Content

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    ChatGPT, an AI-powered content creation tool, has gained widespread popularity. GPT stands for Generative Pre-training Transformer. It is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can generate human-like content by analyzing language patterns and a knowledge database. Marketers are using it to produce massive quantities of high-quality content, but it lacks credibility without a recognized author. That’s where you can leverage Google EAT and other tactics to outrank GPT spammers and your competition.

    What is Google EAT?

    EAT — or Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness — is a ranking signal in Google’s algorithm. Real people called “quality raters” use it to determine the quality and relevance of search results based on Search Quality Rater Guidelines. This feedback helps train Google’s algorithm to deliver better results to users.

    • Expertise is the author’s depth of knowledge on the topic. You can demonstrate expertise through educational credentials, professional experience and published works.

    • Authority is the author’s reputation within an industry or community. You can demonstrate authority through media mentions, industry awards and speaking engagements.

    • Trustworthiness is the credibility and reliability of the content and its source. You can demonstrate trustworthiness through references and citations, transparent author bios and clear contact information.

    In general, websites with high EAT are more likely to appear higher on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) compared to other content where all other factors are equal. EAT is especially important for websites in industries where accurate and reliable information is critical, such as healthcare, finance and legal.

    Related: 7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google

    Why Google EAT matters during an explosion of machine-generated content

    As ChatGPT and other automated content creation tools become more popular, we can expect a surge in search engine spam. These tools can produce content quickly and inexpensively. Consequently, Google must adjust its algorithm to prioritize credible writers. A viable solution is to give more weight to the EAT ranking signal. They’ll continue to prioritize articles associated with trusted authors and fine-tune their algorithm to detect the legitimacy and quality of content attributed to them. Google must also score content according to the value of the information contained and stylistic attributes such as engagement and readability.

    I recently described how human writers have some advantages over AI on a podcast. People have imagination and can generate original data with surveys and experiments. We can then use data storytelling to make our content stand out in SERPs. We can also grow our audience on social media and drive traffic to our pages. This “social signal” can increase the legitimacy of our content.

    Related: Top 5 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Content-Creation Process

    What to do when you can’t demonstrate EAT on your own

    If you have a limited amount of influence, you can leverage the Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness of established authors and influencers to grow your brand. Here’s how:

    1. Pay top influencers in your industry to write articles, record videos and create other content they agree not to publish elsewhere until after Google indexes your pages. Be sure to disclose payments when legally required to do so.

    2. Identify, quote and write about well-respected people in your industry. Then, contact them, or tag them in social posts that point back to your content. Some of these people will share your content with their audiences.

    3. Build genuine relationships with famous people in your industry. You can network with influencers at events, on LinkedIn and on other social platforms. Transform those relationships into mutually beneficial collaborations to grow your authority.

    Related: How Influencer Marketing Took Power, and What the Future Holds

    Machine-generated content will improve, and platforms will use it to deliver personalized content. Authors can use it for ideation, outlines and summaries. However, spammers will use it for gaming search engines. To future-proof yourself as a content creator, optimize for Google EAT, and create unique articles that only humans can initiate.

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    Dennis Consorte

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  • How to Never Run Out of Social Media Content for Your B2B SaaS Brand

    How to Never Run Out of Social Media Content for Your B2B SaaS Brand

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Social media is the ultimate playing field for content marketing for B2B SaaS brands. But to excel on social media, you need to be consistent. This means you must constantly churn out relevant content for your audience to keep them engaged with your brand.

    However, creating content on a regular basis is tedious. The time, ideation and creativity needed to create content constantly aren’t always there. As a result, content marketers risk failing to engage their social media audience as often as necessary.

    Twenty-seven percent of respondents say the biggest challenge content marketers face on social media is creating engaging content. This is why you need to learn how to never run out of social media content. Here are four ways to help you stay on your game consistently:

    Related: 3 Ways to Master Social Media Content Marketing

    1. Reuse your content

    Reusing content is a genius way of creating new content for your social media if you do not want to go through the stress of looking for and developing new ideas. There are different ways you can reuse your content. You can update, repurpose or simply repost your old content.

    Updating old content:

    This is great for evergreen content that needs a little touching up. However, low-performing content may gain some advantage when updated. Updating your old content may simply require replacing old facts with current facts on the topic.

    Also, you can get fresh inspiration and change other information in the content if you discover something you would have said or done differently after examining old content.

    Repurpose content:

    The results of a recent HubSpot survey revealed that 82% percent of content marketers say they repurpose content across social media channels. Repurposing content doesn’t require you to upgrade or change any information contained in your existing content. You only need to switch up the content format.

    For example, you can turn parts of a tweet into an infographic video for Instagram or TikTok. This is an exciting way to reach target audiences who enjoy such content formats.

    2. Find out what your audience wants to see

    Creating content on social media is only beneficial if your audience can engage with your content. This means that your social media content has to be something your audience is interested in seeing. Having this in mind makes the job easier. Here are ways you can find out what your audience is interested in:

    Check out your competition:

    Having to deal with competition is always great, especially if it gives you the opportunity to up your game. Chances are, they are already ahead of you on an industry trend, and you can identify a few things to try out.

    If you pay attention to your competition’s content and audience engagements, you may find inspiration to create new content from what you learn from their page.

    Use answer boards:

    While answer boards provide answers to the users’ questions, the answers may not always be as detailed as the well-thought-out content which is created to answer such questions.

    You can discover the kind of information your target audience seeks and create social media content around it. Some of the popular answer boards you can use are Reddit and Quora.

    Use keyword generator tools:

    There are lots of tools available to help content creators find relevant content ideas quickly. Keyword generator tools are great for this. You can search for keywords that are relevant to topics in your industry and get an endless supply of ideas from keywords your target audiences are looking up on the search engine. Some of the popular keyword generator tools are UberSuggest and Google Keyword Planner.

    Engage your audience:

    Interacting with your audience isn’t just a great way to build trust and good rapport for your SaaS brand, it is also a way to figure out their needs.

    Reply to comments on your post, and encourage your audience to ask questions about products, services or industry trends. That way, you can create relevant content based on the information you gather from your engagements.

    Related: How to Repurpose Your Social Media Content

    3. User-generated content

    User-generated content is a good way of engaging your audience, but it is even better for creating content for your SaaS business on social media.

    Depending on how you want to implement user-generated content, you can have your users create content for you and promote your SaaS brand while you’re at it — or you can draw from their content to make yours.

    For example, you can repost content from other users with hashtags related to your brand. This kind of user-generated content can promote your brand on social media platforms. This is why lots of businesses encourage users to create content using sponsored hashtags.

    Also, you can curate other people’s content that is relevant to your brand or industry. This way, your audience will see your platform as more than just a marketing space. Instead, your social media page will be seen as a place to get relevant information as well.

    4. Broaden your content scope

    Focusing on a single area for content creation as a SaaS brand is not only boring, but it can also hinder creativity. Imagine having to create content around bread all the time as a pastry brand when you can create content about cakes, ingredients, baking styles and tools.

    The best way to increase productivity and creativity with a broadened content scope is by categorizing your content into different areas.

    For example, as a CRM SaaS brand, you can categorize your content into explainer videos, product reviews, how-to posts, case studies and user guides. It is easier to create five content pieces a month in each category than it is to create 20 in one category.

    Having an idea of where to start is great, and starting is even better. With these four tips above, you’ll likely never run out of social media content for your SaaS business — all you need to do is start.

    Related: How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy That Really Works

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    Toby Nwazor

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  • ‘Royally F—ing Us’: Tesla Owners Irate Over Price Drop

    ‘Royally F—ing Us’: Tesla Owners Irate Over Price Drop

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    Last week, Elon Musk’s Tesla announced price cuts on some of its electric cars in the U.S. and abroad — and Tesla owners who recently paid full sticker price are not happy.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, the wide-ranging price cuts include 14% off the Model 3 sedan and nearly 20% off its baseline Model Y crossover.

    Using Musk’s other company, Twitter, Tesla owners are very publicly expressing their displeasure, @-ing the man in charge of the electric car company.

    Other users have been irked by Musk’s silence on the matter, considering how much he Tweets.

    Related: Tesla Is Reducing Prices on Models Sold In The U.S.: ‘Eye-Popping’

    Others, perhaps those who understand that things sometimes go on sale, took a more self-aware approach to buyer’s remorse.

    Related: Tesla Investors Complain That Elon Musk Is Spending Too Much Time on Twitter — On Twitter

    Tesla faced a 65% drop in share price since January 2022, a historic low for the company.

    Demand hit the brakes, and Tesla is making these dramatic moves to steer out of the skid, says the New York Times: “In cutting the prices of its current models, Tesla is indicating that it is willing to concede some profit in order to increase sales volume.”

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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