When you go on a hike, the trail might seem like something organic — like it’s always been there and no one person planned how it would look. The reality is that creating hiking trails takes an entire team of planners and builders. And if they do their jobs right, it will feel like they were never there.
5 small biz freebies to save you some cash, from shipping materials to logos
Owning or working for a small business is full of joys: Seeing your business take off, working closely with a small team and watching your ideas flourish.
It’s not all a walk in the park, though. Small teams, limited budgets and not enough time in the day can make things challenging.
When every dollar counts, you have to take advantage of all the freebies you can get. Here’s a list you should take advantage of now.
Shipping materials
Need to ship something out? The United States Postal Service offers free shipping materials. Get free boxes, forms, stickers, envelopes and cardboard tubes. The USPS also provides templates for creating your mailing pieces.
If you want to save on shipping costs, you can do that, too. You’ll find information on bulk mailings, shipping rates and classes of mail.
Office software
Microsoft Office is pricey. You don’t need to pay for it if you know about this free alternative: LibreOffice. It’s a free, open-source office suite compatible with Microsoft Office files. Since it’s open-source software, the program is continually updated at no charge. Tap or click for details.
LibreOffice offers six programs that will feel instantly familiar to you if you’ve used Office before. Writer, Calc and Impress are equivalent to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They have most of the same features. You just might need to poke around to find some of them.
Even better, LibreOffice can open and edit the documents you made in Office and save new files in Office formats. Download Libre Office here.
Custom logo
If your branding could use a makeover, check out logobee. Its free web-based platform, Logo-Maker, has hundreds of templates that you can customize with your brand name, colors and slogans.
Ready to hire? Find great candidates the way Kim does
Every small business has its own unique needs. And, despite the uncertainty of the world right now, one thing that remains unchanged is the importance of having the right people on your team.
Some business owners turn to free job boards or sites like Craigslist. That’s a big mistake. You never know what you’re getting from sites like that. They simply don’t have the tools or screening systems in place to find quality employees, and you’ll never get back the time you waste doing that work yourself.
📄 Talk data to me: OpenAI paid users can upload a mountain of PDFs, data files and images. It will spit out a full analysis in moments — something that might take a human team months. It’ll even answer questions and generate charts, too.
How to earn $25 million a year on eBay
Linda Lightman started by selling her kids’ video games on eBay in the ’90s. Today, she operates a 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse with a dedicated team, all thanks to her eBay success. Plus, updates on Apple’s AI developments and tax credits for EVs.
🏈 No more Mr. Dice guy: Online betting is legal in 30 states, and athletes know that better than anyone. Auburn Tigers QB Payton Thorne says he’s been getting random payment requests from people who lost money on bets after his team loses. He’s not the only one. Never gamble more than you’re willing to lose.
20,000 car parts to build one Formula 1 car
Another mind-blowing stat? Each F1 car costs nearly $16 million to build. And get this: One team was still tracking all their parts in an Excel spreadsheet until a new boss introduced a modern tracking system. Sounds like they needed to be reading this free newsletter.
Remembering a beloved member of the Komando team
I just looked at my email, chat and phone. I normally would have had at least four email exchanges, a few chat sessions, and two or three phone calls this morning with Manny. Never again. I have sad news that Manny Garcia, our DIY Guy and Show Producer, died after sustaining injuries in a car accident. He was 26.
Laptop catches fire on plane
It started smoking inside a passenger’s bag. Plus, the RiteAid hack, and AT&T data breach. We also talk to Elliston Berry and Anna McAdams, a mother-daughter team fighting deepfake revenge porn.
Apple and Google team up to fix their stalking problem
Stalkers are using AirTags and other Bluetooth trackers to follow people. When two major tech rivals work together, you know it’s serious.
Hackers’ new target: They’re tricking retail employees to get into their work accounts. Why? To make gift cards to use in stores and online. Stay safe, employers: Tell your team to avoid clicking random links, and make sure your antivirus software is up to date.
YouTube’s getting more ads: The Google video ad whiz team has figured out how to show us ads when a video is paused. There will be a “dismiss” button to kill the ads. No official launch date, but when you see it, remember you heard it here first.