Tips to boost Note10 battery
By Katie Ritchie Last week I shared ways to extend your Windows 10 laptop battery life. This week I’m sharing tips to boost your Samsung Galaxy Note10. Have a specific phone or tablet you’d like battery tips for? Email me at [email protected] . 1. Adjust your display resolution and brightness. One of the perks…
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Extend your laptop battery life
By Katie Ritchie Does your laptop battery last long enough? Most folks answer that with an enthusiastic “no,” regardless of what device they mean. In this series, I’ll share tips for making your mobile device battery last. Have a specific phone or tablet you’d like tips for? Email me at [email protected] . Boost Windows…
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Are starvation diets a dumb idea?
By Jerry Bellune Fellow Maverick Entrepreneur Suzanne Riley Whyte asks if you have ever been really hungry. Maybe you’ve gone on one of those diets where you eat almost nothing to lose a few pounds and then gain it all back in the next month. How did your family like being around you when…
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Foreign Manufacturer + Union Campaign = Netflix Documentary (and Lessons for Employers)
This week’s article provides insight from Nexsen Pruet attorney William Floyd. NP Strategy is part of the Nexsen Pruet family, working collaboratively alongside lawyers for the benefit of clients. A few years ago, a major Chinese manufacturer, Fuyao, opened the world’s largest windshield-making plant in Ohio. Fuyao renovated an old General Motors facility, invested millions…
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Please, make a profit!
By Ken Gasque Have you heard the news media reporting that Warren Buffett wants to pay more taxes? “Please, raise my taxes.” Legendary investor Warren Buffett said on Monday that rich Americans, including himself, are not paying enough in taxes. “The wealthy are definitely undertaxed relative to the general population,” the Berkshire Hathaway Chairman…
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You should live large – like your dog
By Jerry Bellune Ace ad copywriter John Carlton reminds us of an essential truth. To be successful, rich and happy, “we gotta be healthy.” That means taking time every day to nurture your body, brain and soul. • Learn to breathe deeply. • Eat fabulous, fuel-laden food. Pizza and burgers are treats, not sustenance.…
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Be wary of stalkerware
By Katie Ritchie Jesse’s ex-boyfriend had always been difficult. He called it “over-protective because he cared.” Her family called him controlling. He wanted to know where she was and who she talked to. When they broke up, Jesse started running into him everywhere. He said it was fate. It was actually stalkerware. Stalkerware is…
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You’d better make a profit – or else
By Jerry Bellune Our old boss Don Carter liked to ask job applicants what they thought was the 1st duty of a business. A few got the right answer – “to make a profit.” We were reminded of that truth the other day when the CEOs of something called the Business Roundtable declared that…
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AirDrop settings may put phone at risk
By Katie Ritchie Is your iPhone open to files from strangers? If you’re an Apple products user, you may have used a feature called AirDrop. It’s a handy filesharing tool. Using AirDrop, you can transfer videos, photos, and documents with nearby Apple users. This can be helpful when sharing family vacation pictures. However, it…
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Do you need a videographer?
By Taylor Kearns Finding the best videography services for your business Ask a barber, and he’ll tell you yes, you need a haircut. Ask a videographer if you need to hire an experienced professional to help produce something compelling, and they’ll usually answer in the affirmative. That’s our business, right? But these days, the…
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How to super-charge your motivation
By Jerry Bellune An executive recruiter friend keeps on his desk a photo of a fire truck-red Lamborghini he wants. This is no toy. The car costs $200,000. The photo goads him to achieve his daily goals and buy the car. He knows exactly how many calls he will have to make, how many rejections…
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New tech may prevent hot car deaths
By Katie Ritchie Each year infants, children, and pets are in danger during the summer months. The National Safety Council reports that 32 children have died so far in 2019 from being left in a hot vehicle. It claims that on average, 38 children per year succumb to heat stroke after being left in…
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How Engaging with Stakeholders Supports a Company’s Bottom Line
By Peter LaMotte Senior Vice President, Chernoff Newman Far too often companies forget that a strong reputation is more than just keeping your nose clean in the media. The truth is that building your reputation can support all kinds of bottom-line activities such as sales, employee morale, stock value, and other important business goals. Traditionally,…
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Don’t underestimate the power of a sticker
By Ken Gasque “The human race built most nobly when limitations were greatest.” – Frank Lloyd Wright. I think this applies equally to marketing and advertising. Any fool can take a budget of $2,000,000 and create a great campaign…well maybe not, because I see some very stupid and annoying advertising being produced by some…
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How to get free business publicity
By Jerry Bellune Savvy business owners seek relations with local newspaper, magazine and broadcast reporters, editors and news directors. When they have something about their business the community should know about, they know who to call and how to pitch the news to appeal to journalists. In other words, advertising is what you pay…
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Facebook, Youtube address ‘miracle cures’
By Katie Ritchie Have you ever been duped by a “miracle cure”? You wouldn’t be the only one. Phony physicians have promised cure-alls for health problems for hundreds of years. We’ve all seen a Western where a “medicine man” rides into town with dubious elixirs. He is driven out of town when the citizens…
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Six Benefits of Stakeholder Engagement
By Jean Cecil Frick Business is about relationships, both good and bad. Successful organizations must be constantly aware of who will help move the organization forward, and those who will hold the organization back. Creating a stakeholder map that outlines who will be an ally or foe can be one of the most effective…
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Forget Your Job Title. Here Are 4 Reasons You Are in Sales and it’s a Good Thing!
By Dr. Cindy McGovern A firefighter, a professor, a computer repair technician and a lawyer are having dinner together. Which one is the salesperson? None, right? One is in the business of saving lives; another teaches; one fixes stuff; and the last one keeps people out of jail. They’re not in sales. Or are they?…
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Can you stand and deliver real value?
By Jerry Bellune What value do your products and services deliver to your customers? You know you will have to show that to your prospects. Your ‘value proposition’ is a clear statement of the results a customer gets from using your products or services, advises our friend Jill Konrath. It reveals the critical issues…
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Are generic cell phone chargers safe?
By Katie Ritchie Who made your cell phone charger? If it’s not your phone manufacturer, you may be at risk. Electrical Safety First, an electricity safety organization in the UK, did safety testing of 64 generic iPhone chargers. They found 58% of the generic chargers failed electric strength tests. That indicates a breakdown of…
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Guarantee your advertising will work
By Jerry Bellune Highly successful retailer R.H. Macy said he suspected half of his advertising didn’t work. He just didn’t know which half. Macy was smarter than that. You don’t spend millions of dollars a year without knowing what works and what doesn’t. Here are 5 ways to make your ads work. You can…
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Breaking the Bad News: How to best deliver tough information
By Sara McCarthy We receive bad news almost every day. It comes to us indirectly through the news and social media, or directly in emails, letters, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations. Bad news can be global or individual, life-changing or trivial. We receive the bad news of a security breach at a bank, for…
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What are your business’s values?
by Jerry Bellune Paul Davis believed that for your business to succeed you must always practice your basic values. What are yours? Here are 3 of our values: • Our internal and external customers come first. We take care of those who invest their time, money and trust in us. • Honesty is the…
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Changes to Business Entertainment Expense Deductions
By Eileen M. Stevens, CFP® The introduction of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017 brought many areas of uncertainty, some of which are only being clarified over time as the IRS releases further explanation. One such question is how businesses treat deductions. Prior to 2018, businesses could deduct a variety of…
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Wait for a letter announcing jury duty
By Katie Ritchie Have you ever been summoned for jury duty? If so, you know official jury paperwork comes through the mail. For Federal cases, you may get a letter which directs you to fill out an online questionnaire. Note, even then the first contact will always be made through the mail. The online…
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Did your mama ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?
By Ken Gasque Why did she tell you that? Did she feel that looks were superficial and shallow? Did she feel that looks could be deceiving? Did she feel that looks could be very influential? She probably felt all of these things were true. Do you judge a book by its cover? Yes, you…
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Are the police after you for an accident?
By Katie Ritchie What would you do if you got a call from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department? The deputy on the phone claims he needs to discuss a traffic violation with you. He claims you’re accused of a hit-and-run accident and you need to clear your name. Captain Adam Myrick, Public Information Officer,…
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Rank your business on the SWAG Meter
By Jerry Bellune Last week we talked about you and your business’s SWAG. That’s: S = Self Confidence. Customers trust you because you believe in yourself. W = Wonderment. Your confidence creates their feelings of being amazed. A = Assertiveness. You don’t wait for something to happen. You make it happen. G = Greatness.…
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Have you and your business got SWAG?
By Jerry Bellune If you are an entrepreneur or business owner striving to grow your business, you need SWAG. This attracts and keeps customers, says our friend MaryEllen Tribby. MaryEllen has a simple SWAG Meter you can use to gauge your SWAG and how it relates to your business success. S = Self Confidence.…
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Workplace Safety and Summer Heat
By David Dubberly Summer temperatures can create hazards for workers, and employers can be liable for not addressing conditions that could lead to injuries and illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Liability can arise whether work is being done outside in construction, landscaping, and agriculture, or inside in non-air conditioned manufacturing plants and…
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US Attorney prevents fraud with Bingo campaign
By Katie Ritchie “Fraud Bingo!” That was what seniors called out at a Justine Department awareness campaign. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Stephens and Rob Sneed shared tips for seniors. These tips were to help seniors avoid financial exploitation and scams. Although this event happened in the upstate, it could happen in Lexington County. I…
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It’s a Match: Pairing Your Passions and Career Goals
By Amanda Loveday The perfect job can be described as the combination of your passion with your potential. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with interesting and inspiring people and experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities along the way. Above it all, though, I am most proud of the work that aligned with my values…
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Maverick entrepreneurs’ independent lives
By Jerry Bellune When anyone asks what’s so special about maverick entrepreneurs, we laugh. It’s like asking why your faith is important to you or why it is that we look forward to each day with such enthusiasm. “If I have to explain it to you,” I say, “you probably won’t understand it.” But…
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Learn to code for free
By Katie Ritchie Do you have an aspiring software developer or web designer in your family? SC Codes is an online learning platform which launched in September of 2018. It was developed by the SC Department of Commerce and Build Carolina. The website offers courses in front end web development, back end web development,…
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Your local advertising drives higher sales
By Jerry Bellune Local advertising is a small business’s best bet to attract customers, say advertising experts Brian and Michelle Mattingly. A simple, targeted approach to advertising will almost always yield better results if you work with limited dollars. A primary benefit of local advertising is forming local connections. These are more powerful than…
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FCC responds to Robocall complaints
by Katie Ritchie Did you hear the good news? We might finally get some relief from robocalls. The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to give cell phone companies more power to block unwanted robocalls. The FCC said robocalls are the top complaint they get from consumers. This isn’t a surprise to anyone with a phone…
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8 questions, millions of answers
By Jerry Bellune Ken Blanchard, co-author of “The One-Minute Manager,” “Raving Fans” and other books, has a challenge for us. As business owners and community leaders, we need to spend time developing a personal mission statement by answering these 4 short questions: • Why am I in the world? • What is my overarching…
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Attorney General aims to close online sex-trafficking loophole
By Katie Ritchie Online sex-traffickers have been hiding behind a loophole in a South Carolina law. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and 46 other state attorneys general want Congress to protect you from online crime. The AGs hope to address a misinterpretation in the 1996 Communication Decency Act (CDA). Some courts have allowed…
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Four Common Mistakes When Engaging The Media
By Heather Matthews NP Strategy In all my years as a journalist, it never failed: 5:50 p.m. and my work phone would ring. Did the caller not know we had a 6 p.m. newscast? During the decade I spent working for a variety of television stations, the ‘show stopping phone call’ was one of…
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Can Absolut vodka teach us anything?
By Jerry Bellune Have your products and services become commodities? Are you forced to compete on price, discounts and other concessions? Take a lesson from a former dish washer and French master marketer, Michel Roux. He made Absolut an iconic vodka with snob appeal in the booze market. As head of the firm importing…
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Try a free spam blocker
By Katie Ritchie If you followed the instructions from last week, you should be on track toward a much cleaner inbox. It can take up to 30 days for unsubscribe requests to take effect. This is even on legitimate company mailing lists, so try to be patient. The next step involves blocking the actual…
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How to get rid of email spam
by Katie Ritchie The best scam email I’ve ever gotten read as follows: Dear beneficiary, I have been mandated to inform you that, “Yvonne Wachendorfer” has come to let us know that you are dead, but before you die you instructed her to come to us and claim your $970,000 which has been deposited…
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Leaving the Nest: Financial Strategies for Life After College
By Ann J. Beckwith, CFP® With spring upon us, nearly 3 million college students are preparing to proudly accept their hard-earned college diplomas and storm the “real world.” With their ambition, ingenuity, and creativity, many of these graduates are bound for success and will truly make an impact for good on the world. If…
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Dog Trainer, Manager, Entrepreneur?
By Connie Cleveland A Business Owner’s Perspective Listening to a recent interview, this question was posed to comedian Brian Regan: “Your colleagues are in awe of how much material you produce. How is it that you come up with so much material?” Without any hesitation he responded, “I see funny where other people see…
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Are you neglecting your best branding tool?
By Marcia Purday, APR NP Strategy Companies throughout the nation invest millions (or billions!) in their brands – from research and communication strategies, to analytics and more. But ultimately, the key to your brand’s success has always been and will always be your employees. So why do businesses neglect this important branding tool? For…
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Make it fun to do business with you
By Jerry Bellune Dian and Gerald Harmon worked hard to make their concrete business successful and sold it for a bundle long before they were ready to retire. They started a “fun” business – a Christmas tree farm with hay rides, spooky Halloween rides and other events for kids. It was fun and profitable,…
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Use secure passwords
By Katie Ritchie Are you using a common, easily hacked password? The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) released the first UK Cyber Survey. With it, they released the 10,000 most used passwords found in data breaches. If your password is a loved one’s name or common phrase – change it! 23.2 million people who…
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Social Media and the Need for Brand Standards
By J. Bradley Studemeyer NP Strategy Small businesses often find themselves in a difficult position with social media marketing: on one hand, many feel like their current revenue streams aren’t profitable enough to justify adding a marketing professional to their staffs, while on the other, many intuit that one of the best ways to…
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Do you have enough cash to avoid disaster?
by Jerry Bellune Do you want profits or wealth? As a business owner, you need both. You cannot have wealth without profits, says our friend Ruth King of ProfitabilityRevolution.com . Many business owners focus only on the Profit & Loss statement and totally ignore their Balance Sheet. They focus solely on profits rather than…
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Time to upgrade your entire system?
by Katie Ritchie Do you have an older computer using Microsoft Windows software? You’ll need to update your computer. On May 14, Microsoft announced a computer bug it had just patched. Hackers had not exploited the bug as of Microsoft’s announcement. However, the company believes the Windows flaw will be targeted with malicious software.…
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