8 HACKS TO BECOME A BETTER ENTREPRENEUR

Entrepreneurs have a lot of responsibility on their hands. While trying to launch a startup, they also must manage a team and maybe figure out how make the perfect pitch to investors. Unfortunately, there are only so many pots of coffee to consume before the eager new business owner hits a wall.

But what if there were ways to make a person a better entrepreneur? A small tip or a fresh approach might boost your creativity, enhance productivity and help make you the lean, mean entrepreneur that you've always wanted to be.

Read on to discover some awesome hacks from my personal and company life and learn how to become better entrepreneur: 

1. Eat some brain food.

You’ve probably heard that saying “you are what you eat” thousands of times. But there’s a lot of truth to it. According to research, proper nutrition can raise productivity.

What should a balanced diet consist of? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles discovered that the brain fires on all cylinders with foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (in salmon, kiwi and walnuts ) and folic acid (in spinach and orange juice).

2. Work by a window.

Separate research from Northwestern University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have found the natural light enhances both creativity and energy. 

3. Shed distractions.

While a smartphone and computer are essential tools, they can also be major distractions. To avoid this, consider putting your iPhone or Android device on "do not disturb" or "airplane" mode while working. Use an app like SelfControl to block distracting websites.

If a smartphone is left on, let calls go to voicemail and return calls at the end of the day. This technique helps me save almost an hour a day in productivity.  

4. Know that silence isn’t golden.

While noise is most certainly a distraction, so may be complete silence. According to research conducted by Ravi Mehta, Rui Zhu and Amar Cheema, a moderate amount of ambient noise (about 70 decibels) can enhance productivity and performance. Besides the free Wi-Fi and endless supply of caffeinated beverages, working at a coffee shop provides this perk..

According to other research, classical music can actually increase speed, creativity, improve your mood and prevent mistakes. And, it doesn’t always have to be classical music. Rock works, too.   

5. Don’t multitask.

You may think that by multitasking you’re being more productive and getting more things accomplished. Here’s the thing: Your brain can’t handle it. The human mind is only capable of working on no more than two tasks. If you try to do more than two-tasks, you’re taking the chance of making more errors.  

6. Promote "no meetings Wednesdays."

Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder and CEO of Asana, got this idea from Facebook, according to replies to a Quora thread that were compiled by Business Insider. Clear everyone’s schedule one day a week.  “This is an invaluable tool for ensuring you have some contiguous space to do project work,” Moskovitz said.

I have implemented this with members of my team. This has caused us over the past month to set up and enforce the rule that all meetings have to be on Tuesday or Thursday and none on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. 

7. Gaze at adorable animals.

Based on 2012 research by Hiroshi Nittono, Michiko Fukushima, Akihiro Yano and Hiroki Moriya, looking at photos of puppies or kittens can improve your mood and increase  productivity in certain ways. "Participants performed tasks requiring focused attention more carefully after viewing cute images," their study found.

8. Accept that you're not perfect.

If you’re a perfectionist, I’m going to be brutally honest you. Get over it. You aren’t perfect. And neither is your startup. The sooner you realize that the sooner you can get your product or service out to market -- instead of wasting valuable timing tinkering with something that will never live up to your unrealistic standards.

Though that might sounds a bit harsh, some research backs it up. Studies have found that professors who are perfectionists actually get less work done and aren’t as likely to get published.     

Whatever you do, becoming a better entrepreneur should always be the goal. So go to it, but do get some sleep: Research has found that "sleep deprivation costs American companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity,” The New York Times reported. Furthermore, studies have found that missing out on a good night’s rest can impair innovative and flexible decision thinking. In other words: How productive can you be if you lack of sleep?  

But don't sleep too late: A study of 367 students discovered that early risers do achieve more. Remember if you wake up before everyone else, you can limit your distractions and can be more productive.  

What additional tips have worked for you to become a better entrepreneur? SHARE ….

5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE BED THAT WILL JUMP START TOMORROW

Being effective as an entrepreneur is often about hard work, but even more importantly it’s about smart work. Great entrepreneurs know that time is limited and valuable, so they need to make the most of each waking hour.

There are many factors that contribute to working smart -- but planning and proper sleep are among the top performance increasers.

To maximize your time and efficiency, here are five essential and easy things you should do before bed that will make help transform your waking hours into super productivity.

1. Take a look at your calendar. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. By reviewing your calendar the night before, you’ll know what’s ahead for the day so you can be prepared and plan for the best method to tackle your objectives. You’ll sleep better knowing that you’ve already planned for the day ahead and you’ll rise in the morning knowing that you’ve already taken care of the leg work to get a jump start on the day.

There’s another old saying, “If you don’t use your head, you’ll end up using your feet,” and that proverb goes a long way for productivity! Come up with a strategy the night before on how to tackle tomorrow.

I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE OF ADVERTISING: DESKTOPS WILL BE FOUND ONLY IN MUSEUMS

Reflect on the last 12 months of your life. Does it feel like time passed by much faster than in reality? And there is always more to do, right?

Information overload is driving many of us to seek new ways of distinguishing what matters from what doesn’t in an effort to create a truly personalized world. One innovation already addressing our overly taxed attention spans is what’s called discovery technology.

Platforms such as Amazon, Spotify, Netflix, Yelp and Facebook use intelligent, predictive algorithms to match people with things they want, from articles, movies and products to food, services and even other human beings.

Think of discovery as the connective tissue of the future Web. It helps people navigate options by cutting through the clutter. This service is hugely important to humanity, because our biggest asset in life is time, and we will never have enough time to read all the books on our shelves or listen to all the music we want to listen to. So in what order should we engage with things we never knew existed?

6 ELEMENTS EVERY BUSINESS WEBSITE NEEDS

With today’s tech-savvy consumer, a website is a given for any successful business -- regardless of size or industry.

Without a website, businesses won’t be taken seriously and likely will decrease their chances of being found by new customers. A well-designed website can also allow a small-business owner to compete with the big boys, leveling the playing field in an increasingly competitive consumer market.

Here are the six essential elements business owners need to think about when building or revamping a website:

1. Let everyone know what people think about the business. According to a study by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers read online reviews for local businesses -- up from 76 percent in 2012. As consumers continue to get more comfortable and familiar with reviews, they will become one of the leading generators, or losses, of new business.

Reserve a space on the website for reviews that highlight positive things customers are saying. Adding a plugin that allows visitors to add reviews directly on the site is great, but it is also fine to add a plugin from a third-party review service such as Yelp or Facebook.

It’s also important to have new and updated reviews, so train employees who directly interact with customers on ways to approach customers for reviews without being too abrasive.

2. Get social and connect. Customers like to have options to connect with businesses. Social-media channels not only give them those options, but different social-media channels also enable businesses to connect with different consumer groups as well. Including all active social channels a business is on is critical for a website.

3 BENEFITS IN PERSONALIZING A WEBSITE FOR VISITORS

Start discussing new website design trends, and most small business owners break out into a cold sweat. Indeed many design innovations have done little to increase revenue, and business websites have traditionally been difficult to manage and maintain.

But small business owners should not ignore the new options for personalized web content.  Large enterprises have been doing this for quite some time: Offering a different promotion based on the number of times a user has visited the website, targeting deals to a customer’s physical location or changing content based on an ad campaign URL parameter.

Until recently these types of personalization strategies required large budgets and substantial development time and resources, making it largely out of reach for most small businesses. 

Should small business owners add dynamic web content to their websites? Or is this just another passing fad like turning the mouse cursor into a kitten, blink text or elaborate Flash intros? Here are three reasons why every small business owner should consider adding dynamic content:

1. Increase sales and conversions.   

Presenting a customer with the right content, in the right way at the right time is critical for increasing sales. You wouldn’t try to sell customers in Los Angeles a snow shovel or those in Minneapolis beach balls for Christmas and expect a high sales volume. The bulk of small business websites remain painfully static, putting the obligation to navigate to a relevant product or service on the customer.      

Ensure that site visitors from Los Angeles see the webpages with beach balls and the buyers from Minneapolis see the sale on snow shovels and chances are you’re going to sell more of each. Research from My Buys and the e-tailing group has shown that 40 percent of consumers buy more from retailers who personalize their shopping experience across channels. People buy more from companies that tailor their messages and offerings to suit shoppers' specific needs.

POWERFUL WAYS TO OVERCOME CREATIVE BLOCK

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
- Maya Angelou

It’s 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night. You’ve been digging away for the past six hours and this might be your best work yet. You’re so close to breaking through -- then you hit a wall.

There’s not a single drop of creative juice left in your brain.

Does this sound like something you've experienced? If so, don’t worry. You’re not alone.

Whether we’re designing, writing or brainstorming the next big idea, we’ve all experienced creative block. The predicament of the creative process is something all of us face, yet few take the necessary actions to overcome it.

Keeping our creative juices flowing isn’t about picking the perfect color on Photoshop or writing the wittiest line for your article. It’s an essential component to innovation -- professionally and personally.

Throughout our lives, we have been told to “think outside of the box.” But thinking outside of the box implies that our inner creativity doesn’t exist within us already. Finding inspiration isn’t about stepping outside of our box, it’s about stretching our limits.

At Sketchfab, we’re always itching to find new and unique ways to stay ahead of the creative curve. We’ve dug deep on how the most creative minds around the world keep their creative juices flowing.

Here are powerful ways you can begin to keep your creative juices flowing:

Stop, Drop & Roll: No, there’s no fire. Except the one we’re burning inside our head. What we mean is: Stop what you’re doing, Drop your pen, and Roll out of the building.

EAST AFRICA TOPS AFRICA FOR INTERNET ACCESS & CONNECTIVITY

Kenya currently leads in African connectivity with the highest bandwidth per person on the continent, the fastest speeds, and some of the lowest internet costs, according to a presentation held by Liquid Telecom Kenya CEO Ben Roberts, at the EastAfrica.com conference in Nairobi.

“Investment in the continent’s connectivity is creating multiple benefits that Kenya demonstrates as a clear example of a virtuous circle, where each investment accelerates the next, with an ever increasing footprint of beneficiaries,” said Roberts.

Following on from the connection of the continent’s most concentrated cluster of undersea cables; the galloping development of the Kenyan Internet Exchange Point; the creation of thousands of Points of Presence by international and national service and content providers – delivering speedier content; and the achievement of the second cheapest internet costs on the continent, Kenya has now emerged in the top position in Africa for internet access.

“Kenya has achieved a confluence of infrastructure and provision that has positioned it with the highest growth in internet take-up compared to income per capita in Africa,” said Mr Roberts. “It has effectively become an outlier in its internet take-up, and seen Nairobi join Johannesburg as one of Africa’s two regional internet hubs.”

Research commissioned by the Internet Society and published in May last year further found that East Africa offers the lowest internet costs on the continent, with Kenya the cheapest in the region.

In its report on ‘Lifting Barriers to Internet Development in Africa”, the Internet Society found that Kenya had outperformed in surmounting a series of infrastructure barriers to arrive at its now emerging internet leadership.

The country has more undersea cables than any other nation on the East African coast, with government support having been directed at increasing access and participation by more carriers. The landing of the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), The East African Marine System (TEAMS), SEACOM and LION high-capacity submarine cables brought a 20-fold increase in international bandwidth in the country to 20Gbit per second.

APPLE WATCH - SQUARE SAPPHIRE DISPLAY, GOLD OPTION

One more thing! The Apple Watch is real – with a square screen and comes in 38mm and 42mm cases. There will be an 18 karat gold version but more affordable stainless steel and aluminum versions will be available too. The steel version will be called Watch Sport, the gold one will be Watch Edition.

All will have changeable wristbands, ceramic backs and sapphire screens. Six different bands will be available at launch.

The screen will not be always-on, it activates when you lift your wrist. The Glances feature lets you can swipe through pages of information on the touchscreen (hello, Android Wear).

The touch-screen is force-sensitive and you can add custom gestures (with swipes and presses).

Alternatively, you can use the digital crown to interact with the watch, including zooming in on the maps application.

Siri will of course work with the Apple Watch. The watch won't have you typing in answers, it will recognize questions from incoming messages and offer appropriate responses. Or you could use Siri for voice dictation.

Yet another way to communicate is with emoji or quick sketches on the touchscreen.

APPLE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES THE IPHONE 6 PLUS WITH A 5.5" DISPLAY

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is now official. It's built around a 5.5" IPS LCD display with an Retina HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels or, in other words 1080p). The pixel density is 400 ppi and iOS 8 has been tweaked to take full advantage of the larger display.

The back of the iPhone 6 Plus is made of anodized aluminum and the stainless steel frame of the phone ensures its rigidity.

The user interface has been optimized to take advantage of the larger screen and offers split-screen mode in several apps like earlierleaks suggested.

The new 64-bit A8 chip that powers the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is built using the 20nm manufacturing process. Thanks to this it's more power efficient, while still offering 25% more CPU power and 50% GPU boost.

The iPhone 6 Plus supports 20 LTE bands, but only 150Mbps cat4 LTE, rather than the latest 300Mbps Cat 6. On the positive side the phablet comes with VoLTE and Wi-Fi 802.11ac, which promises 3x faster Wi-Fi compared to the iPhone 5s. Wi-Fi calling is also a new feature, which will work on T-Mobile in the US and EE in the UK.

APPLE UNVEILS THE 4.7-INCH IPHONE 6 WITH RETINA HD SCREEN

Tim Cook took the stage at the start of today's event and almost immediately announced the new iPhone 6. The Apple iPhone 6 is based on iPod touch looks and has a 4.7" screen.

The screen is protected by "Ion-strengthened glass", which is curved around the edges for a more seamless experience when swiping. The screen itself is an LCD with "Retina HD," which translates to 750 x 1,334 pixels. This pushes the pixel density to 326ppi.

Despite the new resolution, apps will "just work" thanks to a desktop-class scaler. This will only be needed until devs update their apps to support the new resolution.

The 8MP iSight camera is back for a fourth year in a row. Apple claims the camera has been improved now - it still has 1.5µ pixels, but features phase detection autofocus and sits behind an f/2.2 aperture. There's no OIS though, it relies on digital stabilization. The camera can shoot panoramas up to 43MP.

The video resolution is kept at 1080p but the 60fps has now been promoted to the max FullHD resolution (up from 720p @ 60fps). Slo-mo video can shoot at 120fps and 240fps, but at a lower resolution.

The chassis is made of anodized aluminum with a stainless steel Apple logo. The body is just 6.9mm thick.

The Apple iPhone 6 is powered by a second-generation chipset, the Apple A8. It offers 25% more CPU power and 50% extra GPU oomph. The chipset is built on a power-efficient 20nm process, which also makes it 13% smaller physically than its A7 predecessor.

   
Three color options: Silver, Space Grey and Gold

The Apple iPhone 6 will cost $199 for the base 16GB model (with two-year contract). There's no 32GB model this year, $299 buys you 64GB instead and there's a $399 128GB version. Pre-orders start on September 12, the phones will ship on the 19th.

GSM ARENA 

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN NIGERIA TO SOAR BY YEAR-END

Economist at Renaissance Capital, Yvonne Mhango, has predicted that for the first time since 1H11, Nigerian consumer sentiment will be turning positive in 4Q14.

In a report made available to THISDAY, Mhango noted that lower interest rates, stronger economic growth, moderately looser spending as the 2015 elections draw nearer, and moderately higher oil output are positive for consumer sentiment.

Expressing concerns about the lack of trickle-down effect, Renaissance Capital stated that the Nigerian consumer will not reach its full potential while strong gross domestic product (GDP) growth does not translate into increased wealth at the bottom of the pyramid.

“We believe this is due to slow progress on infrastructure development, particularly with regard to power, and alleged corruption at some levels of government. Nigerian consumer companies reported disappointing 1H14 results across the board in terms of revenue growth and profitability.”

Mhango added that consumer confidence was eroded by the start of the rate-hike cycle in mid-2011; a 50 per cent petrol price hike in 1Q12 combined with the imposition of an effective 110 per cent import duty on processed rice, and increased electricity and other grain tariffs later in the year.

NIGERIA: EXPERT HIGHLIGHTS LOOMING RISK IN BANKING SECTOR

The Managing Director, Afrinvest Securities Limited, Mr. Ike Chioke has expressed concern about the possibility of banks not being able to recoup their investment in the power sector and its likely consequence on the financial system.

Chioke noted that with the current revenue profile of the power companies, if they are not able to service their debts, the indebtedness would have severe consequence on the banking system.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘2014 Nigerian Banking Sector’ report by Afrinvest, Chioke said: “Our view, as you think about the issues in the industry, with the lending that the industry has done, particularly to the power sector, if there is a problem in the problem in the power sector and they are not able to service all these loans they have taken, we are definitely going to see a problem in the balance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

The CBN balance sheet, he added, “may not be able to accommodate another bailout because we just gone through one.”

LAFARGE SELLS 58.6% STAKE IN ASHAKACEM TO LAFARGE AFRICA

Following the merger with its sister company in South Africa, Lafarge Group yesterday traded its 58.61 per cent shareholding in Ashaka Cement Plc to Lafarge Africa Plc.

The transaction gives effect to part of the resolutions that were passed by the shareholders of Lafarge Africa Plc at the company’s annual general meeting held in Lagos recently.

The deal also marks another critical step in the Lafarge Africa consolidation transaction. Further announcements are expected to be made when milestones in respect of other key elements of the shareholder resolutions are reached.

The company had on July 9, 2014, received overwhelming shareholders’ approval to consolidate its cement businesses in Nigeria with Lafarge South African operations to create a leading sub-Saharan building materials giant to be known as Lafarge Africa Plc.

Under the transaction, Lafarge Group will transfer its direct and indirect shareholdings in Lafarge South Africa Holding Limited of 72.4 per cent and its equity stakes in three other cement companies in Nigeria-United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited 35 per cent, Ashaka Cement Plc, 58.61 per cent and Atlas Cement Company Limited 100 per cent to Lafarge Wapco for a cash consideration of $200 million and the issuance of some 1.4 billion Lafarge Africa shares to the Lafarge Group.

DIAMOND BANK OPENS RETAIL BANKING BRANCH

Diamond Bank Plc has opened a flagship centre to cater for the needs of its retail customers.

The branch, which is located at Ajose Adeogun, Victoria Island, Lagos, was inaugurated by the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Alex Otti yesterday

Otti while speaking at the event said: “This is a new generation Diamond Bank and this is what customers should expect in the future.

“This is a flagship branch and there a couple of branches we have opened and we decided to showcase this today.”
He explained that the branch has a well-equipped electronic branch, which comprises an ATM gallery, telephone banking as well as internet banking.

The Diamond Bank boss added: “This is banking of the future. This is a four floor building which has private banking, corporate banking and retail banking.
“We are leading in terms of digital banking but you cannot rule out brick and mortar.”

Otti said, presently, Diamond Bank is among the industry leaders in terms of electronic banking. He noted that the recently launched MTN Yellow Account by the bank, has received a lot of accolades from the market would provide banking services to both the banked and unbanked population in Nigeria, thereby supporting financial inclusion.

On his part, the Deputy Managing Director, (Retail Banking), Diamond Bank, Mr. Uzoma Dozie said: “This branch is not like the traditional bank, it is actually to make customers feel more comfortable and we are removing the theatrical branch layout and making it your home outside your home.”

He also disclosed that the bank is planning to roll out more branches, e-branches nationwide

Also commenting on the recent introduction on the MTN diamond yellow account, Dozie added: “We already have over 200,000 people who have subscribe in one week.”

THISDAY

NIGERIA: CBN MAY RAISE PRIVATE SECTOR CRR TO 18%

As inflation rate rose in the fifth consecutive month in July thereby posing a threat to price stability, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) may increase the cash reserve requirement (CRR) from 15 per cent to 18 per cent.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), Mr. Bismarck Rewane predicted this in his latest monthly economic news and views presented at the Lagos Business School’s executive breakfast meeting, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY at the weekend.

Headline inflation increased marginally to 8.3 per cent in July. Inflation has been on an upward trend since March this year.

Data gathered from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which stood at 7.80 per cent in March 2014, climbed to 7.90 per cent in April, eight per cent in May, 8.20 per cent in June and 8.30 per cent in July.

Therefore, Rewane argued that following the trend, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) MPC which meets next week “could take another look at the CRR and increase private sector CRR from 15 per cent to 18 per cent.”

The CRR on private sector funds was increased to 15 per cent, from 12 per cent in the first quarter of the year. On the other hand, the CRR on public sector funds is presently at 75 per cent.

5 SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR LIFE, STARTING THIS MORNING

Many of us have heard the adage, “How you spend your day, is how you spend your life.”  I believe it’s even more micro than that. How you spend the first two hours of your day will determine how you live your life and how productive that life will be.

Giving yourself time in the morning to put yourself in an optimal physical and mental state is equivalent to putting your oxygen mask on first. You can’t help others or thrive until your needs are met first. Here are five easy-but-can't-fail steps for the best start to the rest of your life, every day.

1. Choose not to “snooze.” Anytime you snooze, it’s a negative reaction. You’re losing out on your first commitment to yourself and that sets a bad tone for the rest of your day.

Place your alarm on the other side of the room and start your day off with a victory lap by waking-up when you promised yourself you would. While this may seem small, beginning your day with a victory rather than a loss will have a profound impact on the following 16 hours.

2. Read your affirmations. Affirmations are positive, powerful statements you make to put yourself in the right frame of mind. An example of an affirmation to you can use is: “I am reborn today – yesterday does not matter. I am as good as what I learn, what I create, who I influence and what I inspire today.”

6 SECRETS TO SURVIVING ON LITTLE OR NO SLEEP

HEY GUYS, SAW THIS EARLIER AND THOUGHT I SHOULD SHARE ... READ ON, YOU'LL FIND IT VERY HELPFUL. I DID!

Regardless of the industry or size of the company, every entrepreneur will face a fight against a tired mind and body.

Founders often justify burning the midnight oil, as this is their time to create something meaningful and sleep is something that can come later in life – after these valuable years of innovation are behind them. But this thought process isn't necessarily beneficial to the company, as lack of sleep can cause people not to think (or function) properly. I should know.

I started OrigAudio, a portable audio products company, with co-founder Mike Szymczak while working a 9-to-5 job as a marketing coordinator for JanSport. As soon as the "workday" was over, I began plugging away on OrigAudio until about 4 in the morning, only to wake up at 7 to get ready for work. I often caught myself emailing the wrong people, ordering too much inventory and passing out while working on the couch more frequently than sleeping in my bed. This continued for nearly a year before I was able to put the "safe job" behind me to focus on OrigAudio around the clock.    

During my journey, I’ve learned several lessons to help battle through the long hours and endless days that are part of the life of an entrepreneur.

1. Get your catnaps in. A catnap, or a quick 20 to 30 minute nap, can be an entrepreneur's best friend. I wouldn’t recommend revolving your sleep schedule around this sort of Polyphasic sleep pattern but occasional 15-minute power naps can give you a boost in energy and help you to power through another few hours.

ALLEGED APPLE IPHONE 6 SPECS REVEALED BY CHINA MOBILE

Less than a day before the official announcement, the alleged specs of the Apple iPhone 6 leaked out. The information was posted online by China Mobile – the largest wireless carrier in the world.

Curiously, the leaked specs of the hotly anticipated smartphone differ from past leaks. Purportedly, iPhone 6 will feature an Apple A8 chipset with quad-core CPU and 4.7” display with the rather unimpressive resolution of 1134 x 750 pixels, covered by sapphire glass.

According to China Mobile’s sign-up page, the iPhone 6 will pack an 8MP main camera and a 2.1MP front-facing unit. The device will be available in versions with 16, 32, 64, and 128GB of built-in memory.

Physical measures of the iPhone 6 are listed to be 138mm x 67mm x 7mm. Curiously, the Chinese carrier lists the device as being water and dust resistant.

China Mobile has listed only the specs of the 4.7” iPhone 6 model. Information on the 5.5” model is not displayed.

Overall, should the above specs turn out to be the real deal, iPhone 6 will have its work cut out against the competition. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to find out all about the device. In the meantime, you can check out a roundup of all past leaks over here.

GSM ARENA

5 WAYS TO HOST BETTER MEETINGS

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes. There are board meetings, stakeholder meetings, staff meetings, sales meetings — the list is endless. But no matter the purpose, every meeting has one thing in common: how clients, customers and stakeholders perceive you can directly determine the outcome.

Months of hard work and tireless effort could all go to waste if you aren’t able to pitch an audience your company’s latest idea, project or venture. Here are five ways to run a successful business meeting and ensure you always leave a positive impression.

1. Measure the mood. If you want your meeting attendees to leave impressed, make sure you exceed their expectations. One way of going above and beyond — without anyone even realizing it — is to take a mental note of the mood of each person as they arrive and sit down. Use a basic scale of 1–10; the lower the number, the more unhappy or irritated the person appears. Then use that information to tailor your actions throughout the meeting. If someone was caught in traffic on the way over or appears to be agitated, give them some space or treat them with extra compassion. Know your audience. When you go out of your way to lighten the mood and make everyone feel comfortable, attendees begin to relax and focus on the topic at hand.

2. Remove distractions. Try to limit or remove those items that can cause distraction. Whenever possible, ask your attendees to silence their cell phones, put them aside, or step outside to take a call. An agenda can also be a distraction. Why? It’s easy for someone to review the agenda and skip ahead in their mind. When a person anticipates a topic of discussion, he may be more focused on his response or input than what you have to say. If it’s important to deliver specific details or facts and figures to those who attend your meeting, hand out a report or packet when you get to that topic.

3. Build rapport. The first few minutes of a meeting usually involve some level of chitchat. As people arrive and sit down, it’s typical to talk about the weather, traffic or current events. If most of the people in the room know each other, personal questions about family, vacation and hobbies are also common. Small talk helps build camaraderie, however, not everyone enjoys idle chit-chat. If everyone agrees to start on a positive note, go around the room and ask if anyone has some good news to share or something they want to celebrate. Limit the social time and then focus on the business at hand. The last thing you want to do is waste everyone's time.