Quarter

Each year, Frank Weishaupt, CEO of the AI-powered video conferencing solution provider Owl Labs, reviews last year’s calendar to see how he spent his time. The exercise can uncover areas that need improvement so you can be proactive with your priorities, he says. “Planning your weeks is incredibly important,” says Weishaupt. “Look at your activities and determine whether those activities match your goals. It’s a constant evaluation and optimization. If you’re not taking the time to do that, you know, you’re probably not using your time wisely.” Going into 2023, he decided to dramatically change how he schedules meetings. His first step was to make sure he was holding the right meetings. For example, some meetings had become routine, but they didn’t make sense anymore. If you’re not sure whether a meeting is worth holding or not, Weishaupt suggests flushing your calendar and starting over. “Then think about everything that’s coming your way,” he says. “I purged the … [Read more...] about It’s time to get intentional about what day of the week you hold meetings

When the pandemic hit and we all experienced a wave of uncertainty about how companies and jobs would fare in the fallout, workers buckled down and got things done. For many, that meant working longer hours. Remote employees worked an average of 2.5 hours longer per day in the U.S. and UK during the pandemic, according to a survey by cybersecurity platform NordLayer. And a 2021 study published in Nature Human Behavior found that remote workers are staying connected to work 10% longer than pre-pandemic. And the fallout can be serious. Research from Eagle Hill Consulting, LLC found that nearly half of employees are burned out from their work. A 2021 World Health Organization and International Labor Organization study found that long work hours (55 hours per week or more) contributed to more than three-quarters of a million deaths in 2016. Overwork is taking a toll mentally, physically, and creatively, says Sarah Deane, cofounder and CEO of MEvolution, a business … [Read more...] about How to talk to your boss about working too much

TAIPEI  -Taiwan’s central bank raised its policy rate on Thursday in a surprise move reflecting concerns about inflation despite recent market turmoil caused by U.S. and European bank failures, which could play into further rate decisions this year. The central bank, in a unanimous decision, raised the benchmark discount rate by 12.5 basis points (bps) to 1.875 percent – the fifth hike since it began the current round of tightening in March last year. Governor Yang Chin-long told a news conference after the meeting that the rate hike was mainly because of inflation concerns and that their monetary policy goal was to maintain the stability of domestic prices. Taiwan’s rate hikes are mild and gradual, and while this move was not what the market expected, the central bank cannot be called hawkish, he added. Asked if this would be the last rate rise this year, Yang said: “The uncertainty is very big, particularly the confidence and contagion effect on the public from the U.S. … [Read more...] about Taiwan central bank unexpectedly raises rates on inflation concerns

Tourists and guests swim in the water of the Szechenyi Spa in Budapest, Hungary, on February 6, 2023. AFP BUDAPEST — Hungary’s grand thermal baths are struggling to stay afloat, buffeted by rocketing energy bills. For many tourists a highlight of a trip to Budapest is a relaxing soak at one of its many ornate bathhouses. The capital boasts an array of spectacular venues, from neo-baroque pools where bathers can play chess to sumptuous art nouveau confections and exotic Ottoman-era hammams. But running the energy-guzzling baths “costs 170 percent more than last year,” said Edit Reffy of Budapest Spas, which operates the city’s bathhouses. While much of the water is naturally hot, the large historic buildings cost a fortune to run and heat. “It’s a daunting challenge,” she told AFP, saying they have had to up ticket prices, reduce opening hours and cover outdoor pools. Prices at historic Budapest baths like the Gellert have been hiked “by more than 30 percent”, said … [Read more...] about Cold shower for Hungary’s famed hot baths

A man watches stock quotations on an electronic board outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou SINGAPORE   – Asian shares spiked on Thursday and the dollar slid after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it could pause interest rate rises following turmoil in the banking sector, though it also reiterated its commitment to fighting sticky inflation. In a widely expected move, the Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points, but it recast its outlook to a more cautious stance as a result of the banking stress. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1 percent to touch a two-week high of 515.62. The index was on track for its best week in more than two months. Focus now shifts to the Bank of England, with investors expecting a quarter-percentage-point increase in its policy rate after a surprise jump in inflation squashed hopes of the central bank pausing its tightening campaign. Asia’s rally looked unlikely to … [Read more...] about Asian shares surge, dollar slips after Fed hints at rate pause

Chairman Thomas Jordan of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) attends a news conference in Zurich, Switzerland, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse ZURICH  -The Swiss National Bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points on Thursday and declared that measures to support Credit Suisse had “put a halt to the crisis”. The central bank said that additional rate rises could not be ruled out and that it was willing to be active in the foreign exchange market if necessary. “The measures announced at the weekend … have put a halt to the crisis,” it said in a statement. “The SNB is providing large amounts of liquidity assistance in Swiss francs and foreign currencies.” The rates increase was the SNB’s fourth hike in succession as the central bank maintained its fight against Swiss inflation, which remains stubbornly outside the SNB’s target band of 0 -2 percent. “The growth outlook for the global economy in the coming quarters remains subdued,” said the SNB in a … [Read more...] about Swiss National Bank raises rates, says bank crisis stopped

Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, attends the Bank of England Monetary Policy Report Press Conference, at the Bank of England, London, Britain, Feb 2, 2023. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS/File photo LONDON  -The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates for the 11th time in a row on Thursday after a surprise jump in inflation dashed speculation that it might have been about to take a pause. The BoE is trying to reconcile Britain’s weak economic outlook and recent worries about global banks with stubbornly high price growth, and is due to announce its latest decision on rates at 1200 GMT. Most economists had believed inflation was on course to fall steadily, after hitting a 41-year high above 11 percent in October. But Wednesday’s data showed inflation rose to 10.4 percent in February rather than continuing its descent and immediately turned Thursday’s announcement into an almost one-way bet on a quarter percentage-point increase in Bank Rate. UK inflation … [Read more...] about Inflation shock puts Bank of England on course to raise rates again

APR is largely buoyed by a wide range of brands. [APR] APR, a global beauty tech company, announced its plan to strengthen its business capabilities related to beauty devices while attracting pre-public offering worth 8 billion won ($6.1 million) in recognition of its enterprise value of 700 billion won. On March 13, APR posted its attraction to the Korea Financial Supervisory Services’ Data Analysis, Retrieval and Transfer System (DART). With its pre-IPO investment, NongHyup-Soo Investment Capital Innovation Growth M&A Investment Association, companies that have continued investment in innovative corporations including SJ Partners and Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), have participated. APR holds a number of brands including medicube, AGE-R, Forment, Aprilskin, Nerdy and Glam.D Bio. Among the brands, AGE-R is receiving spotlight for rapid growth since being introduced in 2021. Its beauty devices including AGE-R Derma EMS, AGE-R Ussera, AGE-R Air, and AGE-R Booster-H posted … [Read more...] about APR to use beauty devices to take business to the next level

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Yesterday’s announcement by Jerome Powell of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates was the Washington equivalent of a circus performer walking a “tightrope between inflation and bank turmoil”as the Wall Street Journal put it. Washington and the financial sector held their breath: one false step could have led to disaster. In the result, Powell got both the headline he wanted “Federal Reserve presses ahead with quarter-point rate rise despite banking turmoil” ( Financial Times ) and a stock market decline in the S&P500 by almost 2%. As usual, there were two parts to the session. Powell began with a carefully prepared statement which portrayed the confident policy maker who had consulted the data and reached seemingly clear conclusions, albeit expressed in subtle shifts in phraseology from “ongoing increases in interest rates” to “policy firming.” It was followed by a frank Q&A session, which Powell … [Read more...] about How The Federal Reserve Chair Got What He Wanted

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Ryan is a career marketer with operational excellence whose creative thinking solves business challenges. Football quarterbacks are the stars of the show for a good reason. But who would they be without the linemen? A hardly ever glorified position, their consistent performance in support of the quarterback is the difference between a good season and a Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs knows this well. In the lead up to the big game, he gifted complete sets of personalized TaylorMade golf clubs to his offensive linemen for Christmas. Star players like quarterbacks get a lot of attention for their exceptional skills, performance and game-changing moments. And they should. They often have a unique combination of athletic ability, mental toughness and the ability to perform consistently under pressure. But standing just outside that spotlight are the key players that make the difference between a … [Read more...] about Unsung Heroes: The Players That Uplift The Entire Team’s Performance