MultiBriefs - Your source for industry specific News Briefs

How to protect yourself from blood clots during business travel

Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied Healthcare

How much do you know about deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)? Both of these conditions can result if you develop a blood clot — a risk for business travelers who sit for long periods on a plane, train, or in a car. The CDC reports that as many as 900,000 Americans will suffer a blood clot this year. Also according to the CDC, DVT can form in your legs during travel because you are sitting still in a confined space for long periods of time — specifically, four hours or more. Life-threatening problems can occur when a part of the blood clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, becoming a PE, which can cause a fatal blockage. What other essential information do you need to know about protecting yourself from clots while you travel?

Decoupling and the customer experience

Catherine Iste Retail

It is a great time to be a consumer. On one hand, we can walk into a big-box store, find exactly the product we want, then find the least expensive option on our phone and have it delivered to our door. On the other hand, we do not have to leave the house to grocery shop, get a massage or visit the doctor. Technology has had an undeniable and, in many cases, unexpected impact on consumerism. This disruption of the traditional customer experience provides myriad threats and opportunities for all retail businesses.

5 reasons why you need to market better to millennials

Sam Radbil Marketing

The term "millennial" is probably driving you crazy by now, but this big population group should be an important part of your marketing plan. The consensus is that the millennial generation includes those born between 1981 and 1996, which makes them approximately 23-38 years old today. The important point here is that, while you need to market to all of the age ranges, there are five solid reasons not to neglect millennials.

Data visualization: 3 steps towards success

Josh Jones Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Data visualization means giving numbers a visual context and extends existing concepts, such as business intelligence and analytics. Someone (wisely) decided that the interesting bits (outliers, trends, etc.) are better seen not as black and white numbers on a spreadsheet but as graphics made of colors, lines, and shapes. Have you ever heard the adage, "You first eat with your eyes?" Beautiful food is more appetizing, which is why fancy restaurants spend so much time making their meals more visually appealing. Data is no different. Displaying it visually can do wonders for getting your point across. That’s what data visualization is all about.

Do you have a crisis management plan for the inevitable social media car…

Terri Williams Marketing

It took years to painstakingly build your company’s brand, but it can be destroyed in an instant. One bad online post or conversation is all that it takes. From employees forgetting to switch from company to personal accounts before they start a drunken rant, to having a Twitter account hacked, to laying off employees and forgetting to change passwords, to one irate customer who has not received the expected level of support from customer service, social media is a ticking time bomb for companies of every size and in every industry.

Airbnb acquires HotelTonight amid transition to a travel enterprise

Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Airbnb made headlines again last week. The company is set to acquire HotelTonight, an online travel agent (OTA) that focuses on last-minute bookings through its website or a mobile app for hotel stays. Even though Airbnb is commonly known for its dominant position in the room-sharing market, the company has been aiming to become a massive travel enterprise. Besides hotels, Airbnb also competes directly with OTAs. According to The Wall Street Journal, adding more hotels to Airbnb listings has become a key strategy to boost growth before the company's initial public offering (IPO).

6 tips for a successful telecommuting arrangement

D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Telecommuting takes many forms, including remote workers, virtual employees, multisite employees, or those who are just considered "working from home" — all terms used to describe an employee whose primary work is conducted away from your primary worksite. No matter the form, telecommuting has many benefits for both businesses and employees. Despite the positives, telecommuting creates unique management challenges. Launching your workers away from the home base takes thoughtful preparation, and you can take some simple steps to minimize the legal risks created by telecommuting employees.

How to determine if now is the right time to quit your job

Roberta Matuson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

I was speaking with an executive the other day who told me he was thinking about quitting his job. I asked him why he didn't just do that. He explained that occasionally he had a few good days where he enjoyed coming to work. Making a life-changing decision like quitting your job doesn't come easy, especially when you've reached the top of the organization. Take it from me. There will never be the perfect time to quit. But that doesn't mean you should remain in your current situation. Here are six questions to consider when evaluating if the job you have is worth continuing.

Largest US bank divests from private prisons

Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

JPMorgan Chase, the U.S.' largest bank with assets close to $3 trillion and a 2018 income of $41 billion, is no longer funding private prison companies. Last week, the financial heavyweight announced it will stop bankrolling GEO Group and CoreCivic, the largest builders of private prisons. This is a direct result of an activist campaign involving a coalition of organizations, all opposing immigrant detention in private facilities. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of all immigrant detention facilities are private. These facilities have long been criticized for being largely unregulated — unlike state-run facilities.

The link between feedback style and culture

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Which one is more like your workplace? Option 1: Annual review time is like Christmas: employees count down the days, HR plans a party to celebrate, and staff look forward to the meaningful feedback and rewarding exchanges that occur during the review meeting. Or, option 2: Annual reviews are dreaded as a lot of work for managers and a demotivating experience for staff that culminates with an awkward conversation and an inevitable disconnect in promotion and raise expectations. In either case, the one thing both situations underscore is the significant impact reviews can have on the work environment.

Industries