Nap Time, Government Shutdown, and Turning Passion to Business

What Do Employees Want? Nap Pods And Me Time

According to a study done by Linkedin, employees are being driven by things that center around their own lives. The measurements of success have drastically change. Here are a few things that modern professionals are looking for:

1.     Freedom - Millennials are not looking for their own big office, instead they want dedicated time to relax and focus on their own well being. Work spaces of the future age have meditation rooms, nap pods and even spas where workers can focus on themselves.

2.     New skills - 90 percent of professionals feel skills are more important than a job title. They want to learn skills that they can potentially use to further their career. Companies are creating spaces for career development and training sessions. There are companies like Audacity and Coursera out there to help you teach your employees lots of new skills.

3.     Autonomy - They want to be able to create their own schedules and even work from home. In fact, people are willing to take a 10% pay reduction in order to have this sort of flexibility. The desire to travel and family time are also fueling people to demand more flexibility in their schedules.

4.     Creativity - Many millennials also want to be able to foster their own creativity and engage in their own hustle or side projects. 87% of professionals feel that success isn't about what you accomplish in life but what you inspire others to do. 

Government Shutdown…Again?

The House barely passed a bill to avoid government shutdown last night.  The bill, which is called a continuing resolution (CR), would provide the government with short-term monetary relief while granting lawmakers more time to agree on the annual budget. With major issues such as DACA, the wall, healthcare for millions of children, and military readiness on the table, it is unlikely the senate will pass the CR because of its narrow scope.

Turn Culinary Passion Into A Gourmet Business

One couple, Lynn Louise Larson and Brian Atwood had a culinary hobby that they turned into a small business. They moved to Auburn, NY from Athens Georgia a few years back and started Back Door Gourmet and sold chocolates, jarred fruits syrups and honey. This past fall they got a call from Dickman farms who asked them if they wanted to sell some of their items at their open house. They jumped at the opportunity and got all the permits and licensing sorted out. They sold their gourmet products from $10-$35 used local products to create their delicious items. Atwood said "I've always worked for other people as a chef, basically reproducing other people's food, but with this, I can put some of my own creativity and my vision of what I want (into the products)."

This was a great start for the couple they plan on expanding into a custom cocktail business.  Check them out on Instagram. Everything looks delicious @backdoorgourmet