Benay Informer 9/1/2021

What your clients are thinking but won't tell you

Want to know what your prospects and clients are really thinking? Get an inside look from Mike Brooks and Dawn Reshen-Doty. Previously recorded on LinkedIn Live, enjoy this recording and listen to Dawn share a candid look at her experiences with the three MSPs she employed over the years. Learn more. Watch further videos from the Maine Forum Event here. #InsiderLook #LinkedInLive #MSP #Clients #BenayInformer

FINANCE

4 things you need to know about the Fed's taper

To say the market is having a good year would be an understatement. Here are the three things you need to know about the Fed's taper plans and how you can not only protect your portfolio in the coming 18 months but keep profiting from one of the greatest bull markets in history. Learn more. #business #finance #businessfinance #federal #taper #bullishmarket #benayinformer

Citi considering bitcoin futures trading for some institutional clients

Citigroup Inc is considering offering bitcoin futures trading for some institutional clients, a spokesperson for the bank said citing increased demand in the cryptocurrency space. Bitcoin prices rose past $50,000 this week, after having weathered a crackdown by Chinese authorities on domestic cryptocurrency mining companies earlier this year, as mainstream adoption by corporations and the wider public gathers pace.. Learn more. #finance #businessfinance #business #bitcoin #crytpocurrency #citi #benayinformer

Former Starbucks CEO funds free online educational platform for small businesses

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is funding a free online learning platform to help small businesses accelerate their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Called BackTo.Biz, the learning program assembled by Seattle-based production company Creative Live features more than 400 video lessons, articles, and tools from entrepreneurs. Learn more #business #finance #starbucks #backtobiz #education #benayinformer

A 5-step financial checkup for your business

It’s well known that during an annual health exam, your doctor can help identify areas that need attention so they won’t become bigger issues later on. The same principle applies to your business. By proactively addressing financial issues, you can help keep your business strong and prepared for the future. When conducting a financial checkup for your business, consider the following five steps: Learn more #business #finance #checkup #financialissue #benayinformer

POLITICS

Hurricane Ida: the economic impact

The Gulf Coast is not only a major base for oil and natural gas companies but also a vital hub for the nation’s chemical and shipping industries. Companies evacuated oil and gas platforms south of Louisiana ahead of the hurricane. But a far greater worry was potential damage to refineries and petrochemical plants in its path from flooding and storm surge. Learn more. #hurricane #ida #louisiana #damage #benayinformer

Firms still grappling with home working puzzle

As the pandemic struck wealthy economies in early 2020, workers (in white-collar jobs, at least) found themselves carrying out their duties from home. Now that vaccination programs are continuing apace, more companies are grappling with how – and whether – to end the great enforced experiment in home working. Learn more #politics #businesspolitics #workfromhome #benayinformer

MANAGEMENT

Being connected and flexible with hybrid work

Even though we have become quite adept at remote work, face-to-face engagement still plays a vital role in productivity. “Now that the world is willing to accommodate different workstyles, the workplace will need to be engaging,” says Melissa Werneck, Global Chief People Officer for The Kraft Heinz Company. “If an employee can work from home and avoid a 1 – 2 hour commute, many will opt to work from home.” Learn More. #management #hybrid #workfromhome #workplace #benayinformer

Create your hybrid workplace schedule with 7 questions

Even the most progressive and innovative companies haven't totally figured out what works. And it's very likely that success will be largely defined by the unique industry, demographics, talent pool, culture and customer expectations of your one-of-a-kind organization.

The best thing leaders can do right now is to ask the right questions -- and answer them with their organization's needs in mind. Learn more #business #management #businessmanagment #hybrid #benayinformer

5 reasons you need to learn time management for your business

What's the most valuable thing in the world? Now, if your answer was a materialistic one, you are wrong. Time is the one we are talking about. Ever wondered what the common difference between the business owners who succeed and those who fail is? The answer lies in successfully managing your time. Learn more. #business #management #time #management #success #benayinformer

TECHNOLOGY

Best cloud hosting services in 2021

Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) web hosting products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments. Learn more. #business #technology #thecloud #data #benayinformer

Most employee monitoring tools are needlessly invasive

A new study compared the data collection features in 32 of the most popular employee monitoring tools. The group found that 75% of these tools can record employees’ screens and monitor which apps or websites they’re using, while 59% can monitor keyboard and mouse movements. Nearly half of those tools can run in a stealth mode, allowing employers to deploy the software on company-owned computers without workers’ knowledge. Learn more. #business #technology #businesstechnology #employee #monitoring #stealth #benayinformer

Indeed launches a "more human" virtual hiring platform

Jobs website Indeed has launched a new virtual hiring platform aimed at employers who want to speed up the recruitment process. Its new virtual solution aims to help employers control the timeline from job posting through to interview directly on Indeed, while allowing them to automate the sourcing, screening and scheduling of interviews to leave them free to concentrate on getting to know candidates. Learn more. #technology #business #indeed #hire #benayinformer

COVID-19

Small businesses preparing for another shutdown

COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise as the Delta variant spreads. Increasing case counts have prompted the CDC to issue new guidance about mask-wearing and vaccinations.

With mask recommendations revived, small-business owners might be wondering if another round of shutdowns is on the table. Learn More #COVID19 #breakthrough #delta #shutdown #economy #benayinformer

Business travel falls again as COVID persists

U.S. business travelers are scaling back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases, with 67% planning to take fewer trips, 52% likely to cancel existing travel plans without rescheduling, and 60% planning to postpone existing travel plans, according to a new national survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Learn more. #COVID19 #business #travel #businesstravel #benayinformer

COVID vaccines may become a viable business, that's a problem

For most of us, the growing evidence that the efficacy of COVID vaccines is declining over time should be a cause of worry. For the drug companies that have spent billions of dollars developing them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That’s quite a shift for the traditional vaccine business model. Learn more. #COVID19 #business #vaccine #pandemic #benayinformer