This can mean different things to different people. As a business owner, you can do a lot to ensure success by planning in advance. That’s why it’s so important to create a business plan as the first step. It’s also wise to know your customers and how to reach them. In the end, successful businesses are determined by metrics and measurements, of course, as well as their reputation and their ethical manner.

From loyal customers to brand awareness, check out these ways in which a business defines its success:

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/defines-successful-business-19029.html

Who’s going to catch the latest installment of Halloween? This one is special because it brings back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, who engages in her final confrontation with Michael Myers. He first went on his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago. Today, she’s back to settle the core.

I love Halloween. The movies are iconic, the decorations fun and it’s a great way to close out fall. The original came out in 1978 and I watch it on TV every year. Pretty excited to see the new one. Let me know what you guys think!

It would appear so. LeBron James of the LA Lakers says he feels like “just one of the guys” among all the new young players on the team this year. So..is age really just a number? I think as long as you take care of yourself and feel young inside, that’s all that counts.

LeBron says he prides himself on being a leader among all those young players, who just signed a four-year contract this off-season. Unlike in previous years, though, James isn’t surrounded by multiple other All-Stars. In fact, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart grew up watching LeBron in the league!

At first glance, personal finance looks to be primarily about money: getting rich and optimizing your investments. While it is about that in some ways, more importantly it may have nothing to do with money at all and everything to do with optimizing your values and priorities.

When you’ve finally emerged from college in your early 20s, you’re just ready to start making a living. And with that influx of money from (hopefully) a full-time job, you understandably want to start buying things — lots of things. These range from the large (house, cars, trips) to small (clothing, purses, shoes, furniture).

While these are all noble pursuits, it may be in your best interests to hold off on the spending and invest that money instead — while you’re young.

Unlike previous generations, this one has much more freedom to job-hop, going through four different jobs by the age of 32. This gig economy comes at a price. You’ll need to start a retirement fund from scratch.

There are many more insights into this at:

https://thenextweb.com/investing-2-0/2018/10/15/invest-in-your-20s-financial-security/

In business, you can’t survive unless you know how to negotiate fiercely. There are some great tips in the attached article. Here are some key takeaways:

• Keep the negotiations professional and courteous.
• Be prepared.
• Listen and understand the other party’s issues and point of view. 
• Avoid “negotiating by continually conceding.”
• Time is the enemy of many deals.
• Ask the right questions.
• Never accept the first offer. 

Check out the full article. Getting better at negotiations means you can walk away with what you want, most of the time!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2016/09/16/15-tactics-for-successful-business-negotiations/#1c7e049d2528

In more LeBron James news, Lakers Nation announced that the NBA will partner with Beats by Dre (the official headphone, wireless speaker and audio partner of the NBA) starting in October. As part of the partnership, Beats will provide its products to players during events including NBA All-Star, NBA Draft, and international NBA games in China and Europe.

Beats will also collaborate with NBA teams to launch a line of its audio products, including team-branded headphones. This multi-year deal will celebrate Beats’ 10-year anniversary. Read more about it here:

https://www.lakersnation.com/nba-beats-by-dre-partnership-feature-lakers-lebron-james-marketing/2018/09/19/

Well, it’s finally happening — the much anticipated Space Jam 2, a collaboration of LeBron James and SpringHill Entertainment, is in the works. The 14-time All-Star is set to star in the movie, and Ryan Coogler of the “Black Panter” will be producer. The word is that it’s not to be considered a sequel to the hugely popular 1996 live-action/animated sports comedy film, although Michael Jordan may have a cameo. We can only hope!

Check out these details here:

https://www.lakersnation.com/springhill-entertainment-lebron-james-space-jam-details-ryan-coogler-black-panther-producer/2018/09/19/

As you’ve probably gathered from my previous posts, I am fascinated by cryptocurrency. The most popular one, of course, is Bitcoin, which was actually founded in 2008. But Bitcoin isn’t the only player in the world of cryptocurrency. There are many others, from Litecoin and Ethereum to Dash and Ripple. They have some pretty funny sounding names but they’re all legit and all unique.

Check out the 10 most important cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin:

https://cointelegraph.com/category/top-10-cryptocurrencies

If you’re a small business, you probably don’t offer a 401(k) plan for your employees. However, it could be very beneficial to look into it. If you’re not saving for retirement, chances are your employees aren’t either.

About 60% of small business owners don’t save the money they need for retirement. But a small business 401(k) provides desirable employee benefits as well as special tax incentives that you can take advantage of when offering retirement plans to your employees. The days when a 401(k) were outrageously expensive are gone. Check out this article to find out why.

https://humaninterest.com/blog/why-small-business-owners-dont-offer-a-401k-why-they-should/