Elaine Thompson

Questions You Should Ask Before Showing Your Cash Money
With the rise of companies like Venmo and Ellevest, it’s clear that companies don’t need a traditional business model to be lucrative.
If you’re looking to invest in new, innovative businesses, there’s the potential for huge returns– but that also means a fair amount of risk, which means considering an investment from as many angles as possible.
Beyond making sure a business checks certain boxes, such having a secure network, strong busi...

We get it—running a small business can be costly, so it’s important to save money whenever possible. But while that old tech might seem “good enough,” it can be an inconvenience and signal to your customers that you haven’t joined the 21st century. And sometimes that can be enough to turn them away before you even get the chance to earn their business.
Updating your business’s technology can save you time, cut down on the amount of physical supplies you use, and reduce the equipment you’ll ne...

There are many ways to create unique, engaging, SEO content—even if your writing is less than Hemingway-esque.

As if we needed any reminder of the devastating impact of natural disasters, the recent landfall of Hurricane Florence has displaced thousands in North and South Carolina. Experts have calculated it to be one of the top 10 costliest US hurricanes on record.
According to a Federal Reserve System report, wildfires, floods and volcanic eruptions caused over $306 billion in damages in 2017. Small businesses didn’t escape unharmed either: 61% of small businesses in disaster areas lost revenue up t...

It's something you've been told to do for years, as far back as your high school English classes: Define your voice. Voice is sometimes talked about as some ineffable je ne sais quoi. It's something that's felt more than defined.
But in reality, voice—the elements of personality that make a brand or person so distinctly themselves—can and should be defined. In fact, according to the Nielsen Norman Group, voice can have a huge impact on how much consumers trust or care about a brand. And that ...

Today’s children have the luxury of technology at their fingertips. In an instant, they can download a favorite song or catch up on a friend’s day. The digital world is a huge privilege for them—but it comes with some risks.
Internet bullying, identity theft, and online addiction are just a few of the dangers that our kids face as they navigate the online world. So how can you teach your child how to use technology safely? Follow these nine tips for ideas.
[1] Allow Age-Appropriate Screen Tim...

Household chores have been simplified by machines for years now — think dishwashers, washers and dryers, microwaves, etc. And many more jobs are becoming automated every day, even down to the ability to turn on the lights in your house or make dinner.
So much technology is now at our fingertips, and using the latest gadget is easier and more enticing than ever. However, that constant connectivity can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. A perpetual stream of dings from notifications can start to ...

Operating a business from home isn’t as easy as it sounds. For starters, a home business requires internet with different specifications than your basic residential internet. Network security becomes even more vital, as protecting customer and company data is paramount. Large amounts of website traffic mean greater security risks, and consistently backing up business and customer data to the cloud means you need a fast, reliable connection.
There’s a lot more to both speed and security than m...

What to know about keeping your business secure when hiring remote workers
Major data breaches have been in the news a lot over the past few years. According to recent evaluations, 2017 had more than 6.5 times as many significant breaches as 2005. And as tech becomes a bigger part of the corporate sphere, that risk is only going to increase.
Mirroring the rise in data breaches is another trend: remote work. A majority of companies leverage remote workforces, but just a fraction of those have ...

It seems like smart technology is all around us these days—it pops up in offices, restaurants, and even our homes. We use tablets to read books, phones to look up recipes, and smart speakers to turn off lights. While all these different devices have distinct purposes and uses, they all have one thing in common: they connect to Wi-Fi. And that means they can be hacked. That’s right—everything from your smart locks to Alexa to your smart refrigerator.
It’s estimated that more than 50 percent of...

In the 21st century, technology is a bigger part of our lives than ever before. While adults are finding that smart technology makes life easier, young children grow up with smart tech in every setting. Classrooms, in particular, are becoming increasingly connected, so it makes sense for them to have consistency in the tools they’re using at home and at school.

Using smart technology is also super fun. All kids have to do is give Alexa a command and—voila!—that word is spelled, that math prob...

Your family has a voice-controlled home assistant, but you’re tired of asking silly questions like “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” If you haven’t explored the technology’s ability to help with more useful things—like supporting your child’s education—it’s time you did.
Schools are now employing virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to support creative learning environments. Frontier Business reports that applying app-based technolog...

Thinking about retiring? Your first thought is probably about whether you’ll be able to afford it. A 2017 survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute showed that around 40% of workers don’t “feel very or somewhat confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement.”
Many people look for ways to turn their hobby or other interests into a money-making endeavor, or what’s often called a side hustle, that can be continued after stepping away from a traditional job. It’s a cleve...

Seasonal eating could give you that mental health boost you need.
While many people experience ups and downs throughout the year, even without seasonal affective disorder, studies show that symptoms from mental illness spike seasonally. Which means for many, winter is marked by increases in anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD, ADHD, and more. For most people, these symptoms drop in the summer.
The cause? As it turns out, there is a correlation to the nutrients your body is able to get ...

You’ve worked hard and honed your craft, and you’re ready to turn your hobby into a legitimate online business.

But how do you balance your full-time job and your side hustle while building something sustainable? Read on to find out.

Have a Sustainable Business Plan

If your goal is to create a sustainable online business so you can quit your full-time job, decide what’s most important to you and create a transition plan ahead of time. Do you want to have a certain amount of money in the bank ...