Reader question: 'What can I use instead of QuickBooks?'

If you’re a business owner, you don’t need us to tell you that running a business is tough. Don’t let QuickBooks and spreadsheets slow you down, making things more complicated than necessary. It’s time to upgrade to our sponsor NetSuite.

Stop paying for multiple systems that don’t give you the information you need when you need it. Ditch the spreadsheets and all the old software you’ve outgrown. Now is the time to upgrade to NetSuite by Oracle – the world’s No. 1 cloud business system. 

NetSuite gives you visibility and control over your financials, HR, inventory, e-commerce, and more — all in one place, instantaneously. Whether you’re doing a million or hundreds of millions in revenue, save time and money with NetSuite. 

Join the over 37,000 companies using NetSuite! Let NetSuite show you how they’ll benefit your business with a free product tour at NetSuite.com/kim. Schedule your free product tour while you’re thinking about it!

3 secrets to building a successful business

Chasing your passions can be scary because it comes with many risks. When I was 25, I left behind a job that paid $150,000 a year so I could help people understand media and technology. Since then, I’ve flourished — and I’d like to teach you three essential tips for starting a business.

Continue reading

Netflix testing a new revenue model

Open/download audio

Do you watch Netflix for free thanks to shared passwords? Listen to this one-minute podcast to find out how that’s about to change.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wyoming’s No. 1: It’s the first state with its own U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. The goal? Faster, cheaper transactions and more revenue for the state. Next year, public audits will show how many tokens are in circulation and the exact amount in the bank. Translation: There’s a real dollar in the bank for every crypto coin.

Trivia

The average startup founder’s age is 42. But for the most successful tech companies — we’re talking the top 0.1% of revenue — the average age is a little different. Are the most successful tech companies founded by someone older or younger than 42? (Hey, you have 50-50 odds today!)

Find the answer here

25% of Google’s code

Is now generated by AI — and it’s working. Just look at their cloud business stats: Third-quarter earnings totaled $11.4 billion, a 35% increase from the same stretch last year. I wonder how many developers making over $500,000 a year are getting the boot.

The lucrative world of gambling livestreams

Losing it all at the casino isn’t something to brag about … unless you do it for a living! 

Gambling guru Brian Christopher lost a staggering $300,000 on slot machines last year but somehow came out on top. How did he do it? Through building an empire out of livestreaming his gambling adventures. 

Continue reading

The real reason TVs are so cheap: No more privacy

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a big-screen TV, you couldn’t be around at a better time. That’s because TVs are much cheaper today than just 10 years ago. Sadly, the luxury comes at a steep cost — especially if you value privacy.

Continue reading

$300 more revenue

Per month, if you offer extras with your Airbnb. Owners are tacking on things like airport transfers and local tours to boost their Airbnb incomes with almost no overhead. Oh, and be smart with your pricing; folks expect to pay a little more during peak seasons.

$257 to $213

The average projected concert ticket price this summer compared to the summer of 2023. More major acts are canceling their tours as the post-pandemic live music boom cools down. Still, ticket-seller Live Nation hit $3.8 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2024. Bet they say a prayer for Taylor Swift every day.

75% of American shoppers have an Amazon Prime membership

That was 180 million Americans last month, up 8% over last year. Let’s do some math. At $15 per month, that’s $2.7 billion in subscription revenue in a month! Incredible.

500 subscribers to be a YouTube Partner

That’s the minimum to make money from your vids. If you want a cut of AdSense revenue, you need 1,000 subs. You’ll need to rack up watch hours, too — 3,000 for Partners and 4,000 for AdSense. Not to toot my own horn here, but I have 82,500 subscribers on YouTube. Toot-toot.

$90M in revenue

That’s what video game Baldur’s Gate 3 brought in for Hasbro last year. It’s based on Dungeons & Dragons. Old-school nerds, this one is for you!

Have an idea for an app? Here's why you should go for it

Have an idea for an app? Go for it. Seriously. Apple says 90% of its developers are small, with fewer than 1 million downloads and less than $1 million a year in revenue. And as a group, their revenue grew by 87% in the U.S. over the last couple of years.

Continue reading

Struggling with Excel? 3 tips and tutorials to help you out

Ah, Excel. It’s been around since the ’80s, yet it can still stump many of us. There’s a lot to learn, from creating complex formulas to navigating pivot tables.

So, where do you turn? You can buy a paid course, which will give you a lot of bang for your buck, but you can also start smaller — and free.

Continue reading

Sharing your Netflix account? You may have to pay up soon

Many people take to social media to complain about how a company has treated them. This can be cathartic for you but probably doesn’t do much harm to the business. But chip into their revenue, and the corporate cogs spring into motion.

Continue reading

Netflix knows you're sharing your account - Here's how much you'll be charged for it

Netflix is arguably the biggest streaming platform globally, with just over 220 million users. The U.S. and Canada make up a big slice of the userbase, collectively accounting for 75 million. At $15 per month for a standard subscription, that is a sizeable revenue.

Continue reading

Don't make the same mistake that cost me $90K

I’ve been a small business owner for 25 years. Along the way, I’ve had some great successes, along with my fair share of mistakes.

Sometimes those mistakes are easy to recover from. You recognize what went wrong, regroup and try something new. And sometimes you realize, “Uh oh. This is something I can never let happen again.”

Continue reading

Think your boss is spying? Check for these programs and apps

Working from home has become the norm for millions of people around the world during the pandemic. Most find that the familiarity of a home office increases productivity, which could result in more revenue for your company.

Continue reading

Apple's new product could be bigger than even the iPhone

Are you excited about the upcoming iPhone 12? The new phone set to debut this fall is anticipated to have an all-new design and cutting-edge features like a quad-lens camera. It may even include 5G, for all we know — but this has yet to be officially confirmed.

Continue reading