I tell business stories. My beats include travel, trade, finance, real estate, technology, retail, international policy and commerce.
3 Lessons from Some of 2020's Largest Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks continued to be a major threat in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated cybersecurity concerns, with many companies transitioning to remote work. As a result, their digital infrastructures have become more complex and difficult to manage, leaving them more vulnerable to attacks. Preventing these ransomware threats will remain a top security priority for businesses of all sizes in 2021 and beyond.
Still, fending off ransomware attacks, which can come from anywhere...
How to Track Business Expenses
Knowing how to track business expenses is an essential skill for success, particularly when first starting your business. Even if you're outsourcing your accounting and bookkeeping needs, having a grasp on the numbers can help you better understand where your funds are going each day, week and month.
The basics of tracking business expenses
A business expense is any cost incurred as a necessary part of conducting business. It could be a lunch meeting with a client, taxi cab rides to visit a s...
Top Electronic Payment Methods Your Business Should Know About
As a business owner, you only get paid if your customers pay regularly and on time. Providing them with convenient electronic payment methods gives you the ability to conduct transactions quickly and safely. It improves the customer experience and, at the same time, makes it easier for your business to make money.
But which electronic payment method is right for you? Should you offer more than one option? Luckily, there are more digital payment systems available than ever before, and business...
Creating a Bring-Your-Own-Device Policy That's Smart and Secure
From personal laptops to tablets to smartphones, consumer-facing technologies are increasingly integrated into the workplace. In response, many companies have implemented a bring-your-own-device policy. Also known as BYOD, this approach allows employees to use personal electronic devices at work to connect to business resources instead of company-issued devices.
While a BYOD policy can lower costs, increase productivity and boost employee morale, it can also raise some security and privacy co...
You Had Me Before ‘Hello’: Visual Storytelling For Word People
From the association logo on conference badges to member magazine and website design, visual storytelling is a major part of how associations tell their story
In our world of seemingly endless content, you only have seconds to grab a reader’s attention.
Actually, you have 8 seconds, according to a 2015 study by Microsoft. That’s shorter than the attention span of the average goldfish.
To break through the noise and get their messa...
What To Do If You Can’t Sleep In Your New Apartment
There are few things more exciting than moving into a new apartment. Unpacking boxes, decorating your apartment, buying new (or used) furniture, getting to know your neighbors—it’s a whirlwind. But with that buzz can come an unwelcome side effect: you can’t sleep in your new home.
There’s even a scientific term for when you can’t sleep in your new home: it’s known as the “first-night effect,” according to a study published in Current Biology. Basically, humans don’t sleep well in unfamiliar s...
Is It Smart To Buy Furniture From An Online Marketplace?
Decorating and furnishing your apartment is a fun way to give your apartment your own personal design flair. But it can also cost a lot of money—an especially daunting expenditure if you’re a young adult or college student renting an apartment for the first time. Fortunately, there are many online resources for purchasing used furniture, and buying from a furniture online marketplace like Craigslist, eBay, Etsy, or Facebook can save you a ton of money.
While you can be sure you’ll find some a...
How to Use Renter-Friendly Removable Wallpaper in Your Apartment
Once favored by fussy grandmas everywhere, wallpaper is back and more popular than ever. And why not? Few design elements can transform and customize a room the way that wallpaper can. Whether it’s a bold palm print in the bathroom or a subtle geometric pattern behind your bed, wallpaper can turn a blank wall into a work of art worthy of a Zoom or Instagram backdrop.
But if you’re renting an apartment, gluing and plastering traditional wallpaper is one design decision that could cost you your...
How to Split Rent With Roommates
If you’ve ever shared an apartment, you may be familiar with the potential awkwardness of deciding how to split rent with roommates. Even if you’ve asked all the right questions ahead of time, the initial conversation with a roommate over how to split apartment rent can be difficult.
Unlike a utility bill that can be evenly split, dividing rent fairly can be tricky. After all, everyone has different priorities. For example, one roommate may prefer getting the largest room, while another might...
Five Design Tips To Make Your Apartment Cozy For Fall
The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and pumpkin spice is everywhere. It’s fall, the coziest time of the year. In fact, the Danish have a name for the concept of cozy comfort that becomes more popular as the days grow shorter – hygge.
With more of us working from home and social distancing to prevent the community spread of COVID-19 this season, having a warm, comfortable, festive space is more important than ever for our well-being. “Now more than ever we are finding the true meaning of...
You Had Me Before "Hello:" Visual Storytelling for Word People
From the association logo on conference badges to member magazine and website design, visual storytelling is a major part of how associations tell their story.
The Ultimate Guide to Trick-or-Treating in an Apartment Building
It’s time to pull out the glow-in-the-dark skeletons, bust out the pumpkins, and start playing “Monster Mash.” It’s officially spooky season, which means Halloween is right around the corner. And while a lot of us are spooked by COVID-19 this Halloween, it really is a time when people can come together and celebrate getting into the ghoulish spirit – so long as everyone does it safely and responsibly.
Surprisingly, there is actually a lot of Halloween candy up for grabs this year. According t...
What To Expect During A Virtual Apartment Tour
Just like everything else these days (hello, Zoom meetings and FaceTime happy hours), apartment tours have gone virtual.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of daily life, and apartment hunting is no exception. When searching for a new place, it’s natural that you would want to inspect every square inch of a prospective apartment. The good news is that in-person viewings aren’t the only route apartment-seekers can use to find a new home.
What is a Virtual Apartment Tour?
Virtual a...
4 Common Roommate Issues & Ways To Resolve Them
There are lots of great things about having a roommate – a built in Netflix buddy, someone to split household chores with, less spent on rent and utility bills. That’s probably why nearly 79 million U.S. adults are living with a roommate.
The Best Places to Live Near Joint Base Andrews
Known as America’s Airfield, Joint Base Andrews is the home base of the two Boeing aircraft known as Air Force One. Located just 10 miles southeast of Capitol Hill, JBA (as it’s known) serves as the secure aerial gateway for senior leadership – both domestic and international – into and out of Washington, D.C.