The two things most people are searching for in life are success and happiness. In a culture that values material wealth, position, honors, and fame, it's easy to think achieving these things can make you happy. And yet people who are successful by those standards aren't always happy as a result. Being successful might be better defined as being content with who you are, grateful for what you have, and the sense of fulfilment and satisfaction you get from what you're doing and why you're do...

Succeeding in a saturated market can be challenging. No matter how crowded the market is however, you can achieve success by differentiating your business from the competition. By spotting gaps in the market you can carve out a niche for yourself by offering a product or service that's distinctly different to what's already available or by taking a new approach to an existing business model. Despite an oversaturated market, Erik Huberman, founder and CEO of Hawke Media, decided to dive in anyway...

Advances in 3D printing are revolutionizing the construction industry as the Netherlands demonstrated this week with the opening of the world's first 3D-printed, reinforced concrete bridge. The eight-metre bridge, created by the Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT) and built by the BAM Infra construction company, is primarily intended for cyclists although it has been safety tested to bear loads of up to two tons. Compared with traditional construction methods, 3D printing is quicker, a...

As a startup CEO, being decisive is crucial to maintaining the forward momentum of the business. Balancing the importance of timely action with ensuring a thorough decision making process isn't easy. You not only have to consider the cost of a bad decision, compared with the value of a good one, you also need to consider the cost of postponing a decision while you gather more information. For a startup, the most damaging decisions are the delayed decisions that cause missed opportunities. To hel...

The latest advances in 3D printing are highlighted again this week with news of a 3D printed titanium and polymer sternum and rib cage implant for a patient with a rare form of bone cancer. Using Australian 3D printing technology, this is the world's second transplant of a 3D-printed composite sternum and ribcage and the first time the technique has been used in the US. The implant was created in partnership between CSIRO, Australia's federal government agency for scientific research, and A...

As an important component of employee development, performance reviews help you achieve your career goals while ensuring your performance is aligned with organizational objectives. Apart from your manager giving constructive feedback on your performance, you should also have an opportunity to share your views and discuss any opportunities to advance your career. While the process may make you feel uncomfortable, it's essential to communicate effectively to benefit from a performance review ...

Many of us have a natural tendency to react more intensely to negative experiences, comments, interactions, thoughts, and feelings, than to equally strong positive ones. This negativity bias served an evolutionary purpose in keeping our caveman ancestors acutely aware of threats to their survival. Although it's no longer needed to serve that purpose, our brains are still wired for negativity. The tendency to detect and dwell more on the negative can adversely impact your performance, relationshi...

While most companies follow the traditional hiring process of screening résumés and conducting interviews, a few have been adopting novel approaches such as auditions. The traditional approach means hiring decisions are often based on aspects of the interview that may have little bearing on how well a candidate will perform as an employee. Auditions, on the other hand, aim to give both the company and the candidate time to decide if they're good fit for each other before making a commitment...

  New research is shedding more light on the link between positive emotions and creativity. Although previous studies have shown that being creative is associated with a positive mood, they haven't been able to establish which one causes the other. The latest research however, provides strong evidence to suggest creativity boosts positive emotions rather than the other way round. The researchers also conclude that engaging in everyday creative activities may have a lasting effect on our ove...

There are numerous claims about the multiple benefits of mindfulness. Although many studies fall short of the standards required for medical research, there are rigorous studies that do provide solid evidence to support some of the claims, writes Daniel Goldman. Mindfulness improves your awareness of being in the present and helps you accept your thoughts and feelings by observing them without judgment. In this article, Goleman shares how regular practice of mindfulness can strengthen your focus...

A new report says boosting growth in the UK's artificial intelligence (AI) sector could add up to USD 814 billion (GBP 630bn) to the nation's economy. The independent report, commissioned by the UK government, recommends a number of measures for increasing AI expertise and broadening participation in the sector. It also highlights a variety of AI business opportunities, with the healthcare, automotive, and financial services sectors showing great potential. In this article, Shane Donnelly e...

Boosting female entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to reduce poverty, and yet women in developing countries face many challenges to setting up their own business. In some countries societal norms and laws create barriers to women owning property or being allowed to work. Often, however, the main challenges are the same as in the U.S. and any other country where women find it difficult to access the capital they need and the support of professional networks. World Bank Group president ...

Public speaking is a vital personal and professional skill. Delivering a presentation helps you get your message to a lot of people at once and gives you an opportunity to create a positive impression of you, your project, or your organisation. Although many of us feel nervous before addressing an audience, the biggest fear for some people is having their mind go blank mid-speech. To help you develop fluency and present your information with ease and confidence, expert Annett Grant shares here f...

Communication plays a fundamental role in every workplace and the way you communicate determines how you project yourself to your co-workers. Studies have revealed gender differences in how we interpret messages and how it affects the way we perceive others. While women tend to emphasize interpersonal understanding, men tend to emphasize the status implications of messages. Given this difference, women in particular need to choose their words carefully to project confidence and authority in the ...

  While artificial intelligence (AI) has tremendous potential to benefit society, experts are also concerned about the risks it poses and how to ensure its safety. With the launch of its new research unit, the UK artificial intelligence company DeepMind aims to ensure due consideration is given to the ethical and societal issues raised by the AI it is creating. In this article, James Temperton explores some of the challenges AI has already encountered and the key issues DeepMind Ethics &...

Although many start-ups initially rely on their goal-oriented, collaborative culture to support their people management needs, such a relaxed attitude isn't an effective plan for growth. Instead, by investing in human resources (HR) software you'll spend less time dealing with HR admin and free up more time to focus on achieving your business goals. Crucially, you'll be able to ensure compliance with regulations and policies to avoid any problems in the future. John Crowley shares here five ways...

Many highly successful people attribute their success to being early risers—with some top CEOs starting their day as early as 4 a.m. Nevertheless, the advice to wake early every day if you want to be successful could do you more harm than good. Apart from getting enough sleep, you also need to make sure you're working with your internal body clock rather than against it. This article explores the Nobel Prize winning research that reveals the role of genetics in determining your biological clock ...

Hard skills are the technical skills specific to a particular profession or occupation. They're easy to define, teachable, and measurable. Soft skills on the other hand apply to any workplace. They're more challenging to define, measure, and learn. And despite the high value placed on them by potential employers, soft skills can be difficult to demonstrate. While definitions of soft skills vary, they can include aspects of your personality, interpersonal skills, social skills, and emot...

Although it's possible to be a manager and a leader at the same time, not all managers make good leaders. Employees follow a manager's directions because they have to whereas they follow a leader because of his or her ability to build trust, inspire, influence, and motivate others to achieve goals. Effective leaders lead by example, creating a culture of ownership and empowerment. Above all a good leader has strong communication skills. A boss who says the things Jeff Haden discusses here has ye...

Mistakes are an inevitable part of the entrepreneurial journey. Anyone can be blindsided by unexpected challenges and even the most seasoned entrepreneurs experience setbacks. It's how you recover from them that matters. Not only can you learn from your own mistakes, you can also learn from the successes and failures of others. There are many entrepreneurs and business experts willing to share their knowledge and expertise and whatever your level of experience there are podcasts that can benefit...

It's the smaller successes that keep you moving in the right direction and propel you to bigger success. When you're being highly productive, each task you complete is a small win. And each of those small wins motivates you to stay focussed to achieve your next goal. Consistent focus and productivity is the most effective way to reach your business or career goals, in the same way that frequent, consistent exercise is the most effective way to reach your health and fitness goals. Neverthele...

The introduction of Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in the latest version of Apple's Safari web browser is adding fuel to the debate between privacy advocates and the online advertising sector. ITP uses machine learning to limit the cross-site tracking that allows your browsing history to display ads from a site you've already visited on other sites you subsequently visit. Although it's a lucrative practice for advertisers, it can seem intrusive to users. With the European Union'...

  A successful business starts with a great idea. Often it's such a simple idea you may wonder why no one thought of it before, while another may be so revolutionary you wonder how anyone thought of it at all. Most entrepreneurs start out by recognizing an existing problem and identifying a solution that could make life easier for themselves or others. Ideas for solving a problem can come from a variety of sources and inspiration often strikes when you're busy working on something else...

 While adopting the latest technology can give your small business a competitive advantage, it can also mean having to juggle multiple ways of interacting with your customers and handling transactions. While it's important to adapt to new technology, it's also "important to keep the customer-facing technology of your business in tune with what your customers want," says writes Rieva Lesonsky. In this article, Lesonsky shares a real-life story to illustrate why it's crucial to offer you...

Women in senior positions can positively impact company culture, performance, and profitability. And yet many women lack the confidence to seek promotion, speak up in meetings, and rise into leadership positions. Although the odds have been stacked against women in terms of both genetic differences and being socialised differently, we can train our brains to overcome these obstacles, says neuroscience and physiology expert Dr Stacie Grossman Bloom. She explores here how our experiences, and the ...

As an entrepreneur, you have to believe in yourself if you're going to convince others to believe in you. No one is immune from self-doubt, however. Even the most self confident among us occasionally feel uncertain about our ability to accomplish something. It's important to recognize and deal with self-doubt otherwise it can lead to hesitation and indecision, and stop you achieving your goals. "Self-doubt is like a paralysis of the mind, that will keep you from realizing what you're truly capab...

Tech startups in the UK can now raise finance through an equity crowdfunding platform aimed specifically at robotics development. Through Britbots CROWD, private investors can invest a minimum of £200 and they may qualify for tax incentives under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) or Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Britbots, the company behind Britbots CROWD, specialises in funding start-ups through the British Robotics Seed Fund, while helping them with their marketing a...

 Every founder who's tried to raise capital for their startup knows how challenging it can be, especially when it comes to first time investment from angel investors or venture capitalists (VCs). While it's important to embrace every networking and pitching opportunity that comes your way, you need to optimize each opportunity by being well prepared. To get the attention of investors, a well-crafted pitch and well-rehearsed presentation are crucial for demonstrating your knowledge and confi...

If today feels like the worst day of the week to you, you're not alone. A lot of people don't like Mondays. If you work a traditional nine-to-five, it means the start of your working week and the Monday blues often begin on Sunday night with the dread of having to get up in the morning. Starting the day in a negative frame of mind can impact your productivity for the rest of the day. To help you set a more positive tone for the day—and the rest of the week—Nicolas Cole shares here some top tips ...