Valyrian steel is as good as gold for this entrepreneur

(This post originally appeared on The Washington Post)

Winter is here and it’s going to last a while. Or at least another year and a half until the final season of “Game of Thrones” airs. That’s bad news for the show’s fans. But the good news is that we’ve all got time to prepare for the war that is upon us–with our own Valyrian steel swords.

Valyrian steel, for the two of you who haven’t been watching the series, is what brings down White Walkers. Only a few swords made from the metal exist in Westeros. But don’t worry–you can get a Valyrian steel sword here in the United States and you don’t need even need permission from the Mother of  Dragons. You can just buy it from Valyrian Steel. It’s an actual company owned by Chris Beasley that sells the namesake sword.

“Game of Thrones” has been a moneymaker for HBO…and for the dozens of companies that make miniatures of the show’s characters, coins, jewelry and of course swords. But some, like Beasley, have capitalized on the pop culture phenomena more than others. Ever the savvy entrepreneur, Beasley recognized the potential of the show’s popularity well before it was even a show and then became one of the very few entrepreneurs to do a license deal with HBO before the pilot aired.

Smart. Many other companies that made GoT-related products were apprehensive about partnering with HBO because of the upfront fees the network demanded and the investment needed to mass-produce products. Beasley, however, jumped right in–and now his swords, which barely moved from his warehouse before HBO aired the show’s first episode, sell out almost instantly. His attention to detail, respect for the swords’ individual histories and commitment to HBO, his licensor, paid off.

Valyrian Steel manufactures a limited amount of its custom-made swords and sells them for $600. But because of the product’s quality and attention to detail, aftermarket demand has risen enormously, with some swords going for as much as $3,000 on eBay, according to GQ report. Given the enormous popularity of the show as well as the scarcity of the product, some people are buying up the swords not only to protect themselves from the White Walkers (naturally), but also as an investment. One of Beasley’s customers claims he used the profits from reselling some of the swords he bought to build a pool and take a trip to Disney World.

Naturally, as any successful entrepreneur will tell you, some luck was involved. This time it was provided by none other than Jon Snow. “It’s helpful that Kit Harington [the actor who portrays the King of the North] is not a tall man,” Beasley told GQ. “He wears [the sword] on his hip but because he’s not a tall man, the pommel of the sword sits at about his sternum in every scene he’s in, more or less. So, it gets a ton of screen time.” I can’t speak for Snow, but clearly Beasley is not someone who knows nothing.

YouTube’s New Design Overhaul Signals Changes for Small Business Users Too

If you went on YouTube this morning and felt something was amiss but couldn’t quite put your finger on it, you were not alone. The company made several changes to the user interface (UI) for the desktop and mobile platforms, along with a redesigned logo.

A Look at the New YouTube Design

The logo change is the first for YouTube, and it represent the shift that has taken place in our viewing habits since the site was launched 12 years ago. The screen with the play button has moved to the left, signifying a flexible design for the many different devices now available in the marketplace. More importantly, the company also recognizes the creators who have made YouTube an industry in itself. So the changes are going to improve the way creators and viewers interact on YouTube.

In announcing the changes on the company blog, Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer, said YouTube is far from finished. Mohan added, “Over the last few months we’ve started releasing updates and will continue to throughout the rest of the year. When all is said and done, we’ll bring a new level of functionality and a more consistent look across our desktop and mobile experiences.”

Mobile

The changes to mobile begin with a clean new design and more control of what is being watched. For creators such as small businesses, it includes a feature that changes shape to match the video format, such as vertical, square or horizontal when users watch it.  This means less time in post-production time spent on reformatting videos.

Additional mobile updates include videos that move with you, being able to watch at your own pace, and browse and discover videos while you watch. 

Desktop

The changes to the desktop also include some of the mobile UI improvements. A feature called Dark Theme delivers a cinematic look by turning the background dark while you watch a video.

 

Highlighting the Content

YouTube is making changes, but addressing the UI first highlights the company’s desire to make consuming videos much easier. As Facebook Video continues to capture more of the market, YouTube’s dominance will not be as strong.

For small businesses that rely on video to engage with their customers, it will mean using YouTube and Facebook, as well any other platform as long as it delivers results.

Images: YouTube

This article, "YouTube’s New Design Overhaul Signals Changes for Small Business Users Too" was first published on Small Business Trends

Egyptian technology startups stand on the shoulders of giants

 With technology and curious minds, several founders not only built great products and companies, they created the foundation for a strong and resilient technology sector that has been an economic driver and job creator in a country looking for stable footing. Read More

Lost in Translation? These Uniquely American Business Phrases Baffle the British (INFOGRAPHIC)

Virtual offices bring together people from all corners of the world. And it’s creating a linguistic nightmare — even when people are speaking the exact same language.

If you’ve partnered with some freelancers or have clients living in the U.K., you may have already encountered this phenomenon. You’re having a normal conversation and suddenly the Brit on the other end has no idea what you’re saying. This goes beyond replacing Zs with Ss or spelling COLOR with a U.

Turns out, there are plenty of phrases and words in American English that simply do not translate to British English. These are phrases that Americans in business use every day — maybe a little too much — but are completely foreign to our friends over there.

In the blog written by Kerry Noonan on the Foothold America site, she says, “One thing that’s becoming more prevalent in UK offices, it’s the frequency of which we hear Americanism expressions spoken by British colleagues.”

She goes on to say, “Many of us use them without even realising (it is realizing for the American version) that they have origins across the pond.”

It may be some time before we start adopting more British business-isms in America. Don’t expect to hear people complaining about queues at the bank any time soon. But it does appear the British are catching on to the way American business colleagues speak.

American Business Phrases

Here’s just a sampling of the puzzlers that have Brits doing searches to figure out just what their American counterparts are saying …

Boiling the Frog

Apparently this is an American expression meaning, the art of managing a smooth transition, so much so it goes unnoticed. The frog analogy comes in from the folklore that frogs jump out of hot water, but do nothing if the water is heated slowly. 

Sausage and the Sizzle

This is an expression used in marketing about selling the sizzle and not the sausage. It means to sell the benefits and not the features. (Another version of this expression is to sell the sizzle not the steak.)

Aces in Their Places

It sounds pretty straightforward to an American audience. Clearly, this means having the best people in the roles best suited for them. In the U.K., it’s pure gibberish.

Ninth Inning

They don’t play much baseball in the U.K. Cricket has innings, too, but this just doesn’t translate. You’ll probably want to avoid most sports references unless you’re a soccer (err, football) fan.

Speaking a Foreign Language

Effective communications is key to any business relationship. And while the Brits have adopted some American phrases, it would behoove any small business in the U.S. to reciprocate.

Check out these stumpers that are spoken plenty in the U.K.:

Throwing a Spanner in the Works

To really understand the meaning of this, it helps to know that a spanner is a wrench.

Chuffed to Bits

If your business partner tells you they are chuffed to bits, take it as a compliment. It means they’re happy.

Check out the full infographic from Foothold America highlighting these uniquely American business phrases that baffle the Brits:

Flags Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Lost in Translation? These Uniquely American Business Phrases Baffle the British (INFOGRAPHIC)" was first published on Small Business Trends

Dharma wants to let anyone borrow a small amount of cryptocurrency

 dApps, or decentralized apps, are open-source applications built on top of a blockchain. But here’s the thing – users usually can’t interact with these dApps unless they have tokens issued by these projects. For example, both Augur, a decentralized prediction market and REXMLS, a free global listing network for real estate, require tokens to interact with. But if you… Read More

Listen Here, Ladies: Guys Have Work-Family Stress Too!

(This post originally appeared on Entrepreneur)

You know what? It’s actually more stressful to be a working guy than most people think. If you don’t believe me then take a look at a recent new study  from the American Psychological Association.

The research, which took several years and included the examinations of about 250,000 people around the world, concluded that men have similar levels of work-family conflicts as women.

“We essentially found very little evidence of differences between women and men as far as the level of work-family conflict they report,” Kristen Shockley, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and the study’s lead researcher said. “This is quite contrary to the common public perception.” The study found that, when pushed, men complain of similar challenges meeting their family needs and balancing their work-lives as their female colleagues.

Amen, Dr. Schockley. Amen!

Sure, I admit some women have challenges in the workplace that could cause a wee bit of stress. I’ve known women that have been forced to smile politely and pretend they don’t mind when men fart, burp, surf porn or talk about inappropriate things within their earshot. I’ve read about women getting pinched, winked at, patted, pawed and approached for sex by male superiors who have an impact on their career advancement. Females in the workplace are still called “honey,” “dear,” “love,” “missy” and “sweetie” by some men. And guys, don’t even try to deny that you’re discussing their bottoms, tops, legs, arms and faces the minute they leave a room or at the bar that night. I’ve been there.

I confess to the fact that there are other stressful things in a woman’s working day that men don’t ever have to deal with. For example, women can’t just wear the same suit every day to work like most guys do. Their outfits can’t be too short or too long. Their hair can’t be mussed. Their makeup must be applied professionally. They are forced to paint, pluck, perfume and groom every exposed part of their bodies. They are judged critically if they’re too heavy…or too thin. Their shoes must be professional, despite the pain they endure wearing them.

OK, I also admit I’ve heard that women must be especially aware of predators at work and during the day. For example, it’s not uncommon for a woman walking down the street to work — even in 2017 — to be the recipient of rude comments or aggressive behavior from male strangers just because they made the mistake of catching someone’s eye. Even when travelling I’ve never had to be careful about who’s sitting next to me on a plane, the rental car bus, or even a restaurant. But women do. That seems kind of stressful.

And yes, I’m aware that many experienced female executives are still sometimes asked to “get their boss on the phone” or to “check the boss’ calendar”… even when they’re the boss. I’ve watched as female colleagues are asked to fetch coffee, make dinner reservations and order food for the company barbeque despite having a more responsible position than other male colleagues who could (and should) perform the same tasks. I can name specific clients that have avoided giving career-advancing assignments to women because the work is deemed to be too physical, demanding or taxing.

When it comes to the family, I do concede that it always seems to be the working mom who’s the first responder for any child or home emergency, doctor’s appointment or school meeting in lieu of dad. I grant that pregnant woman have it especially tough, battling nausea, sickness and the aches and pains of their pregnancy with little sympathy from their male colleagues. When they do take time off to care for their newborns their commitment to the job and long term status at the company is at risk of being called into question. Yet, their commitment to their child is called into question if they take less time off than is offered by the company.

Then again, if a mother chooses to work instead of being a stay-at-home mom then she’s criticized by other stay-at-home moms while at the same time being ostracized by working moms if she chooses to stay at home. Phew.

Oh, almost forgot: women get paid a lot less than men.

But hey, just a few years ago, I had to come home early from the company softball game because one of our kids had to be picked up from a friend’s house and my wife couldn’t be there. That was a huge pain and caused me a lot of work-family stress. See? We guys have the same pressures too! That’s what the American Psychological Association says and they are very smart people with advanced degrees and stuff, so they must be right.

You just can’t argue with the data, can you.

Five years after its launch, website building platform Strikingly raises $6M Series A

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Which is the best daily planner for busy entrepreneurs?

 Keeping on track is hard. Over the years I’ve tried a number of personal information managers – PIMs, for short – from the original Palm V to my current iPhone/iCal/Vyte/phone tag method of making sure I’m in the right place at the right time. It rarely works. Something is always dropping out. An appointment added a week ago disappears while old appointments reappear on… Read More

Cowboy is a new e-bike startup from founders of Take Eat Easy

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Podcast-focused media company HowStuffWorks spins out with $15M in new funding

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Thirstie is powering on-demand delivery for Dom Perignon

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30 Percent of Small Business Owners Don’t Take a Salary

Running your own small business is the life, right? Being in control of your day and your destiny sounds great.

That’s the goal and the reason you decide to venture into business on your own, but a new Fundera survey of small business owners reveals small business ownership isn’t for the weak-willed or faint of heart. The life certainly comes with its hardships.

Salary of a Small Business Owner

And most notable is the lack of pay. The Fundera survey reveals that 30 percent of small business owners don’t take a salary.

What that says is, if you’re looking to collect a regular paycheck or you’re dependent on the check you’re getting from your day job, think twice about starting your own business.

Of course, if 30 percent aren’t taking a salary, that means that 70 percent are. Running a business certainly won’t leave you penniless, at least if you’re avoiding catastrophic mistakes. But compared to the average CEO, a small business owner’s pay is considerably less. According to Fundera, the national average pay for a CEO is $160,000. Almost 87 percent of the small business owners surveyed told Fundera they take a salary less than $100,000.

Paying the Cost to Be the Boss

Even if a small business owner is making close to that $100,000 figure, it’s not without toil.

Fundera found in its survey that the average small business owner is working much harder than the average worker. According to the data, 81 percent of small business owners work nights and almost half (45 percent) do so on a regular basis.

Weekends are no exception either. In fact, it’s more likely a small business owner will work a weekend (87 percent) and will do so more often (45 percent) than the average worker.

The average small business owner, according to Fundera, works between 40 and 49 hours per week. The average American worker clocks in for 38.6 hours a week.

For this survey, Fundera partnered with Qualtrics and questioned 409 small business owners and people in positions of upper management at small businesses.

Images: Fundera

This article, "30 Percent of Small Business Owners Don’t Take a Salary" was first published on Small Business Trends

How Philly’s Accountants Can Easily Raise $100 Million for the City

(This post originally appeared on PhillyMag)

If you have up to three kids and make less than $54,000 a year, you are probably owed about $6,300 this year from the federal government. In fact, the government has likely owed you this money for the past few years, and you can apply for that too. No, I am not making this up.

It’s called the Earned Income Tax Credit. It’s money owed by Washington to low-income individuals and, unfortunately, too many people in Philadelphia are leaving it on the table. How many? According to City Councilman Allan Domb, about 40,000 people in the city are eligible for an average refund of about $2,500. The amount of money left on the table last year? About $100 million.

“It’s crazy!” Domb recently told me. It’s also part of his plan, as I previously wrote, to pull 100,000 people in the city out of poverty.

Why would so many people who could use this money not apply for it? There’s a simple answer: They don’t know about it. In fact, many people in poverty may not be filing tax returns at all. For some it’s because they don’t want to report anything to the government – even though the law requires it above a certain income threshold. But for most it’s because filing tax returns — and calculating the Earned Income Tax Credit — isn’t so easy for them, regardless of how “simple” the IRS claims it to be. So benefits like the EITC are ignored, the money goes wasted, and people who could use the cash go without. Domb’s right: It’s crazy.

But this can also be easily fixed. Are you listening, accounting colleagues?

I’m a Certified Public Accountant. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I never specialized in taxes. However, there are thousands of fellow CPAs in the Philadelphia area who do. They work independently, for public firms or for private companies. The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants — a great organization that I belong to — boasts more than 22,000 members statewide, with the majority coming from their Greater Philadelphia Chapter. The “Big 4” firms — KPMG (my alma mater), PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte — all have large offices in the city with hundreds of tax professionals employed.

There is no shortage of tax accountants in Philadelphia. Can they help? Yes, they can. They can do these returns and help those in need get the money they deserve from Washington.

The PICPA has volunteer programs. The Big 4 firms, and a dozen other great ones — like CliftonLarsonAllen, Marcum, EisnerAmper and Isdaner & Company — who profit from their location near the city also have philanthropic and volunteer programs. Individual CPAs who understand tax preparation can contribute their time too. The dozens of colleges, universities, and business schools in the area that offer accounting programs have thousands of students that can use this opportunity as a learning requirement toward their degree. And what about me? Even though I’ve never done a tax return in my life, I can figure out an individual return for a lower-income individual and calculate the EITC. It’s not rocket science for someone who’s used to dealing with numbers.

If every CPA, accounting professional, and degree-candidate in and around the city took ownership of a few individual returns, wouldn’t this have an enormous impact? For us, it’s pretty easy. So why are we not doing this? It’s because, like everything else worthwhile in life, it will take a little work. For it to work, Domb needs to lead (or find an executive or firm to lead) the effort. CPAs, professionals, and students need to be enrolled. Coordination between the PICPA, firms, schools, and the city government will be essential. Awareness needs to be raised. Targeted taxpayers need to be educated, comply with the law, and come forward for the help. It’s not hard. But it’s an effort that will take a few years to gain momentum.

“As an elected official, my goal is to get as much money as our residents are entitled to from the federal and state governments,” Domb said. “Ten percent of the city’s residents who are in poverty could get checks.”

Will the city’s accounting community step up to help?

Star Wars Promotion Teaches Small Businesses Important Local Marketing Lesson

Disney is going local to promote the newest Star Wars movie. Instead of sticking with nationwide advertising campaigns and huge events in big cities around the world, the popular film franchise is letting fans discover secrets about the new movie through an augmented reality game that takes them to locations within their own communities.

From September 1 through 3, fans can pull up the game in the Star Wars app on their phones and use it to discover clues about the new movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Participating retail stores will include posters or other artwork that include the “Find the Force” logo. Players can then scan the art with their phones to see a virtual Star Wars character and learn more information about the upcoming film.

This promotion is unique in a lot of different ways. Of course, there’s the use of new technology like augmented reality (AR). But it’s also a very interactive promotion that actually gets customers to participate in their own communities.

Adopt This Local Marketing Strategy

Your small business can emulate this sort of promotion even if you don’t have the resources to create a full AR app. You can simply create a local scavenger hunt or work with other local businesses to create an interactive promotion that gets customers to actually visit your business and others in exchange for some kind of incentive. It could be a prize for the customer who finds the most of a certain item hidden around local stores. It could be a promotion where the customer who shares the best Instagram photo taken at your store gets a major discount on their next purchase. The possibilities are endless. You just need to get a little creative.

Stormtrooper Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Star Wars Promotion Teaches Small Businesses Important Local Marketing Lesson" was first published on Small Business Trends