KACHARAGADLA

Kikkerland's annual design competition results in an unexpected bestseller. Dutch design firm  Kikkerland  is known for bringing whimsy to utilitarian products -- say, a cocktail shaker in the shape of a maraca, or a portable barbecue in the shape of a suitcase. So it was surprised when one of its most successful products of the past year was a… cord organizer.  The product, the Cable Loft, was born out of Kikkerland’s annual Design Challenge, in which the brand partners with a retail company and a team of student designers, who submit problem-solving ideas for one particular challenge. For 2016, the challenge brought together The Container Store and students from the Rhode Island School of Design, who were asked to create a product for the digitally connected home. Students went through multiple rounds of presentations and  critiques  before final prototypes were submitted to buyers for consideration. Cable Loft -- an organizational home for a power strip and the

Reach your audience effectively without compromising quality. If you're an entrepreneur just getting started, you know the meaning of a budget. You also probably know that in order to get your business idea off the ground, you have to reach your chosen audience at the right time. To help you do this cheaply, without compromising the quality of your marketing efforts, I've put together a list of the top 10 free marketing tools every entrepreneur should know. 1. Chattypeople Chatbots  have made their mark in the marketing world this year. Despite many still believing that the chatbot is just a customer care tool, others are seeing it as a must-have in their marketing strategies. Chatbot technology has improved significantly in the past decade, allowing marketers to create bots without any coding knowledge.  Chattypeople  is the perfect tool for those wanting to quickly create a Messenger chatbot. The platform allows entrepreneurs to create a bot that not only works s

  It may be a bit of a generalization, but I don’t think that I’m out of line when I say that entrepreneurs, on balance, are an impatient bunch. In order to build a successful business, you have to hustle and be somewhat of a hard-charger. Impatience, unsurprisingly, is a common byproduct of the entrepreneurial mindset. I know that I certainly used to fall into this category. It was only after several years of running  BodeTree  that I came to realize that in business, patience truly is a virtue. Avoid “ready, fire, aim” syndrome I have a tendency to rapidly evaluate situations as I encounter them, which is both a blessing and a curse. In the best cases, this rapid assessment enables me to quickly grasp a situation and plot a path forward. In the worst cases, however, this rapid-fire though process creates a chasm between me and the people I’m working with. When this happens, I find myself jumping forward to a conclusion while others are still processing the informa

Social media is playing an increasing role in the way companies run their business, including how they hire. According to CareerBuilder,  60% of hiring managers  check out applicants’ social media presence as part of their screening process and over 25% of employers report terminating or reprimanding an employee due to social media faux pas. You can argue about whether it’s right or fair for hiring managers to snoop around on your social media accounts. Clearly, they are doing it anyway. This means that you have to be vigilant. I  asked my readers over at Twitter  what career killing mistakes applicants and employees should avoid on social media and got dozens of replies. Here are the best responses. 1. Being dramatic, combative or insulting “We all have those moments. You post something and some rude person tries to call you out, or you see a post denigrating a friend. In those moments, you might want to give somebody a very public piece of your mind. Resist the urge. Li

Social media is in virtually everyone's hands at this point. And that pun was intended. Social media is in virtually everyone's hands at this point: With a phone or tablet, you're connected. In fact,   there are 2.3 billion active users   on social media presently and those numbers are on the rise. This is great news for any business owner who is social media savvy. It means that as the number of people logging into social media increases, so does your potential client base. But, there's a problem: How can you convert these social media users to become your clients? The answer is simple: With an effective social media marketing strategy, you can increase your conversions and boost your sales or signups. But, first you must acquaint yourself with the tips, tricks and tactics to make high conversion rates a reality. Here's how you can get started. Boost engagement. It's called "social media": You're expected to   socialize . Tha