1. Have an adaptable business model
2. Diversify supply chain operations
3. Create an omnichannel customer experience

Arguably the most critical aspect of digital transformation, digital payments ensure that small merchants or kiranas can continue to accept or send money and preserve cash flow in an increasingly contactless world.

A business owner who spent nearly $46 million over the years on Facebook ads said he got booted from the platform without warning.

Jordan Nabigon, the CEO of the Ottawa, Ontario, content-curation site Shared, said Facebook deleted his companys main Facebook page without warning in October, and without providing an explanation. He shared a Medium post detailing his experience, which has received more than 400 claps from readers.

Nabigon spent $45,870,181 on Facebook advertising between 2006 and 2020 for Shared and his other company Freebies, according to expense reports reviewed by Business Insider. Shared employees three people full-time and 12 contract writers, Nabigon said.

Facebook increased its use of artificial intelligence to oversee advertising and other content during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Nabigon is among hundreds of business owners who said they suffered from Facebook's crackdown on ad policies.

The United States has seen an increase in new businesses formed this year. According to the United State Census Bureau, in week 50, there were over 86,000 new business applications nationwide — representing a 38% increase over filings during the same week in 2019. The challenges small businesses have experienced in 2020 have led to some core lessons that those in the business community need to apply — whether they own an established small business or a newly formed one.

Minimum wage is a complex issue for small businesses, says the Small Business Development Center in Binghamton.

The SBDC adds that, typically, small businesses have a close relationship with their employees and if they could pay them more originally, they would.

They add that they believe some business owners may have to pick up the slack in order to keep costs low.

Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?

1 — Google plans to scrap third-party cookies by 2022.

Google announced this past week that it plans to stop the use of tracking cookies on Chrome by next year and— instead— will replace cookies with a profiling system

2 —Recruiting startup SeekOut raised $65M to take on LinkedIn and other talent acquisition companies.

3 —Small business owners adopted new software in 2020 and increased tech budgets in 2021.

Title: Symptoms of 12 Serious Diseases and Health Problems
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 8/14/2006 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/16/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pap Smear
Category: Procedures and Tests
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/20/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Cancer-Fighting Foods: Resveratrol, Green Tea, and More
Category: Slideshows
Created: 5/19/2010 3:06:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: How Is Substance-Induced Psychosis Treated?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Heart Failure
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 1/31/2005 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/29/2022 12:00:00 AM

Compulsive purchases are so often wrong that I nearly put this one back on the shelf. I'm glad I didn't....

Visiting the lovely state of Colorado soon? I mean, really soon? Then don't forget to plan a visit with the...

Amazon will Freevee in den kommenden Wochen abschalten und in Prime Video integrieren.

Jeremy Lightsmith recently asked on twitter:

"Why are teams important? I'm looking for an inspired answer."

I don't know about inspired, but here's my thoughts on the topic:

First, I believe teams (true teams, mind you, not simply groups of individuals under single managers) are capable of delivering better results than individuals - this is the economic (and in a business sense the only) justification for teams. If they can't outperform, they probably shouldn't exist.

Much of my thinking on why they can outperform has been deeply influenced by the book: "The Wisdom of Teams" and I won't rehash it here except to say that I believe the key is in the notion of "complimentary skills" - teams are more efficient because rather than having to staff a group of super-humans (you know the kind that typical HR review material seems to want to turn us all into) you can look for how one person's personality and skills work to reinforce and amplify the others.

And that brings me to my most compelling belief of all: It's in our nature. We are social creatures, we need to connect with others, to bond with them, to feel we are working together. Rather than spend our time lamenting our "shortcomings" and worrying about our individual performance (and rewards), forming solid teams means using all of our actual skills as they are to compliment our peers and deliver more than any of us can alone.

People simply work better with a group of people who complete them, whom they feel a deep connection to, whom they trust whom they admire and feel respected by. When you have that, people stop thinking about what's wrong with them, and start thinking about how they can help each other to succeed. And when you have all of that, you have a force to be reckoned with.

Is this easy to accomplish? No - and you need to accomplish all of that (respect, complimentary skills, trust, common goals, acceptance of each other as we are, etc) to achieve a true team. But I am convinced that the payoff for everyone - from the employer to the individuals involved is so worth it, that I won't willingly work any other way - and I reject any "best practices" or conventional wisdom that interferes with achieving that sense of team in the groups I work with.

 It's a beautiful day in mid-Autumn on Skye and I'm not sure where the year went. This house came with an enormous walled meadow, which my neighbours use to keep their sheep in, and an ancient orchard. About seven years ago the orchard was flooded, and we lost all the redcurrants and gooseberries and rhubarb and such, but most of the trees survived, and there are apples and plums and pears still growing on them.

I'm very aware that on Skye, beautiful weather can be replaced by weeks of rain and gale-force winds, so I went down to the orchard and clambered up a ladder, and picked all the pears I could reach, disturbing a tawny owl, who flapped off somewhere it wouldn't bothered by people randomly climbing its trees.

And now I'm sitting and writing this outside. It's too chilly really to write outside, but it's possible, and it won't be possible soon, and that means a lot.

There are two new books out -- one came out last week, one comes out this week.

PIRATE STEW was published first, illustrated by the genius Chris Riddell. Here's me reading the opening and talking about how the book came into existence...

It's 2021 in some places already, creeping around the planet. Pretty soon it will have reached Hawaii, and it'll be 2021 everywhere, and 2020 will be done.

Well, that was a year. Kind of a year, anyway.

When my Cousin Helen and her two sisters reached a displaced persons camp at the end of WW2, having survived the Holocaust by luck and bravery and the skin of their teeth, they had no documents, and the people who gave them their papers suggested to them that they put down their ages as five years younger than they were, because the Nazis had stolen five years from them, and this was their only chance to take it back. They didn't count the war years as part of their life.

I could almost do that with 2020. Just not count it as one of the years of my life. But I'd hate to throw the magic out with the bathwater: there were good things, some of them amazing, in with the awful.

The hardest moments, in retrospect, were the deaths, of friends or of family, because they simply happened. I'd hear about them, by text or by phone, and then they'd be in the past. Funerals I would have flown a long way to be at didn't happen and nobody went anywhere: the goodbyes and the mutual support,  the hugs and the tears and the trading stories about the deceased, none of that occurred.

The hardest moments personally were walking further into the darkness than I'd ever walked before, and knowing that I was alone, and that I had no option but to get through it all, a day at a time, or an hour at a time, or a minute at a time.

The best moments were moments of friendship, most of them from very far away, and a slow appreciation of land and sky and space and time. In February 2020 I'd been regretting that I knew where I would be and what I would be doing every day for the next three years. Now I'd been forced to embrace chaos and unpredictability, while at the same time, learning to appreciate the slow day to day transition that happens when you stay in the same place as the seasons change. I was seeing a different sunset every night.  I hadn't managed to be in the same place, or even the same country, for nine months since... well, probably when I was writing American Gods in 2000. And now I was, most definitely, in one place.

I had conversations with people I treasure. Some of them were over Zoom and were recorded. Here are the two conversations that I felt I learned the most from, and I put them up here because they may also teach you something or give you comfort. The first is a conversation with Nuclear Physicist and author Carlo Rovelli, moderated by Erica Wagner, about art and science, literature and life and death:

Many, many years ago (it was Hallowe'en 1989, for the curious, the year before Good Omens was published) Terry Pratchett and I were sharing a room at the World Fantasy Convention in Seattle, to keep the costs down, because we were both young authors, and taking ourselves to America and conventions were expensive. It was a wonderful convention. I remember a huge Seattle second-hand bookstore in which I found a dozen or so green-bound Storisende Edition James Branch Cabell books, each signed so neatly by the author that the bookshop people assured me that the signatures were printed, and really ten dollars a book was the correct price. 

I could afford books. Good Omens had just been sold to UK publishers and then to US publishers for more money than Terry or I had ever received for anything. (Terry had been incredibly worried about this, certain that receiving a healthy advance would mean the end of his career. When his career didn't end, Terry suggested to his agent that perhaps he ought to be getting that kind of advance for every book from now on, and his life changed, and he stopped having to share a hotel room to save money. But I digress.) Advance reading copies of Good Omens had not yet gone out, but a few editors had read it (ones who had bid for it but failed to buy it) and they all seemed very excited about it, and thrilled for us.

On the Saturday evening Terry left the bar quite early and headed off to bed. I stayed up talking to people and having a marvelous time, hung in there until the small hours of the morning when they closed the hotel bar and all the people went away, and then headed up to the hotel room room. 

I opened the door as quietly as I could and tiptoed in the dark across the room to where my bed was located.

I'd just reached the bed when, from the far side of the room, a voice said, “What time of the night do you call this then? Your mother and I have been worried sick about you.”

Terry was wide awake. Jet lag had taken its toll.

And I was wide awake too. So we lay in our respective beds and having nothing else to do, we plotted the sequel to Good Omens. It was a good one, too. We fully intended to write it, whenever we next had three or four months free. Only I went to live in America and Terry stayed in the UK, and after Good Omens was published Sandman became SANDMAN and Discworld became DISCWORLD™ and there wasn't ever a good time.

But we never forgot it.

It's been thirty-one years since Good Omens was published, which means it's thirty-two years since Terry Pratchett and I lay in our respective beds in a Seattle hotel room at a World Fantasy Convention, and plotted the sequel. (I got to use bits of the sequel in the TV series version of Good Omens -- that's where our angels came from.)

Terry was clear on what he wanted from Good Omens on the telly. He wanted the story told, and if that worked, he wanted the rest of the story told.

So in September 2017 I sat down in St James' Park, beside the director, Douglas Mackinnon, on a chair with my name on it, as Showrunner of Good Omens. The chair slowly and elegantly lowered itself to the ground underneath me and fell apart, and I thought, that's not really a good omen. Fortunately, under Douglas's leadership, that chair was the only thing that collapsed. 

So, once Good Omens the TV series had been released by Amazon and the BBC, to global acclaim, many awards and joy,  Rob Wilkins (Terry's representative on Earth) and I had the conversation with the BBC and Amazon about doing some more. And they got very excited. We talked to Michael Sheen and David Tennant about doing some more. They also got very excited. We told them a little about the plot. They got even more excited.

I'd been a fan of John Finnemore's for years, and had had the joy of working with him on a radio show called With Great Pleasure, where I picked passages I loved, had amazing readers read them aloud and talked about them.

(Here's a clip from that show of me talking about working with Terry Pratchett, and reading a poem by Terry: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06x3syv. Here's the whole show from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OsS_JWbzQ with John Finnemore's bits too.)

I asked John if he'd be willing to work with me on writing the next round of Good Omens, and was overjoyed when he said yes. We have some surprise guest collaborators too. And Douglas Mackinnon is returning to oversee the whole thing with me.

So that's the plan. We've been keeping it secret for a long time (mostly because otherwise my mail and Twitter feeds would have turned into gushing torrents of What Can You Tell Us About It? long ago) but we are now at the point where sets are being built in Scotland (which is where we're shooting, and more about filming things in Scotland soon), and we can't really keep it secret any longer.

There are so many questions people have asked about what happened next (and also, what happened before) to our favourite Angel and Demon. Here are, perhaps, some of the answers you've been hoping for. 

As Good Omens continues, we will be back in Soho, and all through time and space, solving a mystery which starts with one of the angels wandering through a Soho street market with no memory of who they might be, on their way to Aziraphale's bookshop. 

(Although our story actually begins about five minutes before anyone had got around to saying “Let there be Light”.)

April 25th. DEAD BOY DETECTIVES. It's really good -- it's funny, it's smart, it's scary, and it even has a few familiar faces...

Title: Oral Health: 19 Habits That Cause Bad Teeth
Category: Slideshows
Created: 1/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/8/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Gum Disease (Gingivitis)
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/18/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/27/2022 12:00:00 AM

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 25, 2024 ) The global polysilicon market is projected to expand significantly, fueled by the rising demand for solar panels and electronic devices. With the photovoltaic segment dominating the market, polysilicon plays a vital role in solar energy production. Asia-Pacific...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 25, 2024 ) The global rock drilling equipment market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the expansion of infrastructure projects worldwide. Major developments in emerging economies like India, China, and Brazil are fueling demand for advanced rock drilling machinery....

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 25, 2024 ) The global phenolic antioxidant market is poised to experience robust growth, projected to reach $2.78 billion by 2030. Phenolic antioxidants, which inhibit free radicals, are essential in industries like plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The synthetic...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 25, 2024 ) The global wheat protein market is expected to expand from $2.5 billion in 2023 to $3.2 billion by 2028, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%. This growth is driven by the rising popularity of meat-free diets, increasing obesity rates leading to...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 26, 2024 ) Gallium Nitride, also known as GaN, is a semiconductor material that optimizes power density. Utilizing GaN components in an RF amplifier enables the attainment of high-output power without the need for size and weight expansion. High frequency, high power, and...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 26, 2024 ) The increased demand for healthy foods, followed by the properties in red rice such as, anthocyanins, which offer potential benefits like blood pressure control, diabetes prevention, and anti-inflammatory properties are important driving factors in the red rice...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 26, 2024 ) There is anticipation for a steady growth in the Shea Butter Market because of its rising popularity in both food and cosmetics industries. Consumers who prefer natural products often choose Raw & Unrefined Shea Butter. The Personal Care & Cosmetics sector consumes...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 26, 2024 ) The industrial cybersecurity market was USD 84.54 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach up to USD 135.11 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.8 %. Rising government and private investments to create safe and secure industrial environment, deployment of AI/Gen...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 27, 2024 ) PET Bottle Market overview PET bottles are plastic containers crafted from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a form of polyester resin. PET plastic is clear, durable, lightweight, and can be recycled. It is resistant to shattering, stable in extreme...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 27, 2024 ) Orthodontic Market drivers Increased emphasis on aesthetics and maintaining healthy teeth is causing a rise in demand for orthodontic treatments. A large number of people worldwide are afflicted with crooked teeth and misaligned jaws, requiring orthodontic treatment....

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 27, 2024 ) Near Field Communication (NFC) India Market overview NFC technology is integrated with IoT devices for seamless interactions. Mobile payments are advancing with NFC for convenience. Security enhancements are prioritized for trust in NFC solutions. Near Field...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 28, 2024 ) The global IoT security market size is projected to grow from USD 24.2 billion in 2024 to USD 56.2 billion by 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.4% during the forecast period. Organizations face significant financial losses and reputational damage...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 28, 2024 ) Grain Analysis Market overview Grain Analysis Market refers to the process of evaluating grain for impurities like mycotoxins and pesticide residue, as well as quality and safety, during distribution, storage to minimize waste. Grain Analysis Market drivers Increased...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 28, 2024 ) Lamp Market Drivers Growing competition among lamp manufacturers as the demand for in various applications (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) increases are important driving factors in Lamp Market. The government regulations are promoting energy efficient...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 28, 2024 ) Women’s Activewear Market overview Women's activewear is clothing designed specifically for women to wear while engaging in physical activity and working out. It typically includes sports bras, leggings, shorts, tops, and jackets made from breathable, moisture-wicking...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 28, 2024 ) The neuromorphic computing market size is expected to reach USD 1,325.2 million by 2030 growing at a compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 89.7%, from USD 28.5 million in 2024. The globalization of neuromorphic computing would further gain its momentum based on...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 29, 2024 ) Shower Gel Market was valued at US$ 16.52 Bn. in 2023. Global Shower Gel Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. Shower Gel Market overview Shower gel, also known as body wash, is a liquid product created specifically...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 29, 2024 ) Global Synthetic Aggregates Market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% throughout the forecast period, reaching nearly US$ 56.19 Bn. by 2030 Synthetic Aggregates Market overview Synthetic aggregates, also referred to as artificial aggregates or lightweight...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 29, 2024 ) Vanilla Market size was valued at US$ 27.66 Bn in 2023 and the total revenue is expected to grow at 5.6% through 27.66 to 2030, reaching nearly US$ 40.51 Bn. What is Vanilla Market Vanilla is the taste found in dishes like ice cream, derived from the vanilla...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 29, 2024 ) The European Smart Home Market was USD 22.11 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach up to USD 29.24 billion by 2029 growing at a CAGR of 5.7 %. Owing to high internet usage and common accessibility to smartphones, the consumers have been easily able to connect...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) Integration of renewable energy sources requires modernizing the grid, including the use of reclosers and sectionalizers. Utilities are investing more in distribution automation to enhance reliability and efficiency by automating grid management. Increasing need...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) Growing vehicle manufacturing is driving the need for enhanced lighting systems worldwide. Increased visibility during nighttime decreases accidents, prompting more stringent regulations and greater consumer demand for these safety systems. Adaptive headlights are...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) Due to growing water scarcity and environmental worries, the rainwater harvesting market offers a substantial potential for expansion. The increasing importance of alternative water sources is expected to lead to a rise in the use of rainwater harvesting systems...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) The 3D-printed drones market is projected to grow from USD 707 million in 2024 to USD 1,891 million by 2029, at a CAGR of 21.8% from 2024 to 2029. The market growth can be attributed to the growing utilization of 3D printing technology for rapid prototyping and...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2024 ) The Healthcare BPO market is projected to grow from USD 395.3 billion in 2024 to USD 626.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 9.7%. Healthcare Business Process Outsourcing involves delegating business operations to third-party providers to reduce costs and enhance patient...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 31, 2024 ) The Butadiene market is expected to reach US$ 50.93 Bn. in 2030, with a CAGR of 4.4% for the period 2024-2030, because of growing demand in the tire industry. The butadiene market, a key component in synthetic rubber and automotive parts, is navigating a complex...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 31, 2024 ) Automotive Adaptive Front Lighting Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.8% throughout the forecast period, to reach US$ 6.55 Bn. by 2030 The global automotive adaptive front lighting market is on the rise, driven by increasing safety concerns and consumer...