March
26, 2021

5 min read

Remote work is a reality that has reached labor markets around the world and has quickly become one of the main career trends. This thanks to advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), social, educational, economic and business development in recent decades.

However, remote work is not new. The concept is over 40 years old and is due to scientist Jack Nilles, who worked remotely (from home) on a communication system for NASA. Nilles proposed “telecommunication” as a beneficial tool to free up roads, take advantage of renewable resources and save time. Thus was born the concept that we know today as remote work and, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), it will become the usual way of organizing the labor market.

This new paradigm has led multiple companies to offer remote work as an option for their employers and collaborators, even governments have created reforms in their labor laws to regulate it and give some guidelines of good practices of this work modality. The ILO indicates in a recent report that the United States, Colombia, Japan, Sweden and Finland are the countries where remote work is most practiced, and places Latin America and the Caribbean as a region where it is beginning to be on the rise.

Remote work has already shown its advantages and the benefits it can bring, both for the employer and for the employee. Different studies have shown that, if technological resources are used appropriately, productivity and quality of life increase, there are economic savings for companies, and the quality of work increases.

On the latter, Alexander Torrenegra, investor, Colombian businessman and founder of the Torre platform, agrees: “ Working remotely can be an experience as powerful as it is transformative . Talent should not be wasted ”.

This platform focuses on increasing the productivity of workers, reducing the cost of operating companies and gathering talent in the same space. Organize the professional profiles of thousands of Latino people so that they can be located by those companies, both American and Latin American, who are looking for their talent.

^{Depositphotos.com}

This allows the experience, skills and strengths of each applicant to be accessible to companies, making talent “travel” to other parts of the world. In addition, through Torre , talent has access to job offers in other countries, which encourages entry in international currency and the expansion of the labor market.

“I have been creating companies with remote teams for just over 18 years, and although I have also had office-based companies, I love remote work, it has given me a lot of knowledge, there is a lot to learn,” explains Torrenegra.

Other benefits of remote work

• Enriches the work horizon: Companies can work remotely with talent from different parts of the world, which enriches execution processes and allows knowing the know-how of each region.

• Provides diversity: Studies have shown that the more diverse the background of a work team, the more likely it is that innovative ideas will be born.

• Better integration of life and work: It is possible to find professions that you are really passionate about, so that work is part of your life. In addition, you can share important time with the family, and save money by not having to move to an office, which also reduces physical effort and stress, positively impacting the quality of life.

• Better wages: There is a favorable conversion in wages for Latin America if you live in a country in the region and work remotely for a company based in the United States, which is an important motivation.

Without a doubt, remote work is shaping up to be the future of the world of work, transforming talent and the local workforce into a global workforce that favors the socio-economic development of the world. Now it is the task of workers and companies to join forces to make the most of this labor paradigm that is here to stay.

March
24, 2021

3 min read

Elon Musk delivered on what he promised a few weeks ago. In the early hours of this Wednesday, the tycoon reported on Twitter that you can already buy a Tesla vehicle with Bitcoin . The announcement appears to have sparked a rally in the cryptocurrency , reaching $ 57,000 .

The CEO of Tesla explained that the company has internal software to save the cryptocurrency without converting it into fiat currency (dollars, for example).

Tesla is using only internal & open source software & operates Bitcoin nodes directly.

Bitcoin paid to Tesla will be retained as Bitcoin, not converted to fiat currency.

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2021

For now this type of payment is only available in the United States , but Elon Musk announced that by the end of the year it will be extended to other countries.

Pay by Bitcoin capability available outside US later this year

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2021

Interestingly, two minutes after the 49-year-old billionaire posted his tweet, the price of Bitcoin increased by 1.3% . The cryptocurrency rose $ 736 to reach a value of $ 55,545 per unit. But there it did not stop, since in the following hours it reached around $ 57,000 .

Which Tesla can I get a Bitcoin for?

If you have a single Bitcoin in your digital wallet, you can easily buy the most accessible electric vehicle in the range.

If we take the current price of Bitcoin reported by Coinbase , one of these cryptocurrencies is equivalent to about 1,168,000 Mexican pesos .

For its part, the Tesla Model 3 has a maximum price in Mexico of 1,138,300 pesos . That is, you can exchange a Bitcoin for a Tesla, and you even have change left over!

^{Tesla Model 3 prices in Mexico as of March 24, 2021. Source: Tesla.com}

Elon Musk is a true crypto enthusiast. In early 2021, Tesla invested 1,500 in Bitcoin . In addition, the CEO of SpaceX has promoted the Dogecoin until taking it to all-time highs .

March
23, 2021

4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

^{By: Dafne Navarro Miranda / Leader of the Communication Ecosystem, PR and Contents / Great Place to Work® Mexico}

Geez, time went by so fast. We have exceeded twelve months since all this began and we are already on our way to the year of confinement in Mexico.

And I don’t know about you, but faced with this situation, sometimes I feel as if I was returning to a place where I had already been, but with experience under my arm. I remembered watching the movie ” Groundhog Day ” (1993).

So why would I act the same if I know that I recognize myself differently in the situation? You and I now have knowledge that we can use to our advantage and not lose focus on what really matters.

It seems crazy, but many times despite seeing the same situation in a different way, out of habit, comfort, to maintain a position, we continue to act the same. Has it happened to you?

It is hard to accept the mistake or leave behind what happened, instead of assuming a humble, open, learning behavior. It also happens that in this stagnation with the past, the opportunity to be in tune with the present is neglected, which is the only real moment to make a change. The one you want.

And change does not need you to understand it, it requires you to embrace it, integrate it and live it. The change, the one you seek or choose, allows you to connect with the truth of your possibilities, update yourself and stay focused.

So if you already recognized the situation, conceived the experience and embraced the change, it is time to move from understanding to action.

^{Image: Tikhonova | Getty Images}

It is the action present in the situation!

Focus on:

1. Be objective when assessing reality. There is still no certainty, but you already have experiences that guide you
2. Take care of your mental health and that of your collaborators
3. Be flexible with the fulfillment of the goals that you did not reach in 2020
4. Determine if your motivations for those goals are still valid or if there are new ones
5. Develop critical skills in areas of your work that underwent significant changes
6. The future of work, understand the permanent changes that are going to take place in your workplace
7. Collaborate and learn from your team members, today you have the opportunity to work with up to 5 different teams
8. Finding support at the personal, team and organizational level
9. Value the process and not just the final goal. With the experience I have gained, what little thing can I do today to help me reach my goal?
10. Recognize the things you can control and manage, focus on them.

Keep hope and keep fighting for your dreams, stay present, accept reality, remember that it is something transitory that is demanding an additional effort to adapt and survive.

Behave in a positive way, trust your resilience. Remember those difficulties that you have already overcome, put creativity into it when you have to solve a challenge, motivate those things that help you improve your current quality of life (for example, I like to dance or bake bread on weekends).

It is usual to start the first months with expectations, enthusiasm and the commitment to fulfill the proposed purposes, without a doubt this year was different. However, it is important to take into account that as in any crisis, what you are experiencing is transitory, at some point it will pass.

March
22, 2021

3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A startup has the advantage of being able to raise capital at any stage of its life cycle, because the venture capital ecosystem is highly evolved and allows people or institutions to support companies at any stage of maturation.

One of the most recurrent figures in this process is that of the investor angel for the first stages of the project, since the amounts that can be bet on these entrepreneurs are small tickets that can be covered by the famous FF&F ( Friends, Family & Fools ) .

Consider that an angel investor can be your rich uncle who has available capital that he can lend you, a friend who believes in your project or a much more professional angel investor, that is, who is dedicated to the business, who understands how the startups, you probably have an investment thesis and can contribute smart capital and relationships to push you to the next stage of maturity.

It is a great source of financing that comes from angel investors, however, before making a decision, you should make an analysis of your needs, objectives, risks, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of having an investor of this professional type or not:

^{Image: Isaac Alcalá / Entrepreneur en Español}

Advantage:

• The first advantage is that angel investors do not depend on an investment vehicle or other investors to make a decision, that is, it is a much faster process than a venture capital (VC), whether professionalized or not.

• In the case of going to an informal angel investor, that is (FF&F), there are usually no guarantees or personal assets that are committed for that investment.

• You can have access to knowledge in case the angel investor you approach is an expert in the industry and in startups.

• If the angel investor is close to the industry in which you operate, you will surely have access to industry contacts.

• If you are part of the FF&F, they probably won’t charge you interest.

Disadvantages:

• An angel investor who is not an expert in the topic of investing in startups, may not be the one for your company, investment is not only capital, but the value that accompanies it.

• In any case, as in the VC’s, the angel investors ask you to be partners in your business. The problem is that if you are an angel investor of the FF&F who does not have knowledge of how the exchange of capital for equity works and you do not make it clear, you will surely have a serious problem for the company in the future.

March
20, 2021

3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Do you have a business idea, but don’t know how to start? Create the business plan of your company, from the proposal that makes you different to the financial plan and creation of your product or service.

iLab in alliance with Citibanamex support you to become part of the new generation of entrepreneurs. How? Through a six-week 100% online incubation program.

This is more than just online training. It is your step-by-step guide to starting a successful business from scratch.

If you already have an idea you just have to share it in a video and you could be the next winner of a place in the last generation of the online program Incubate your idea to make it come true .

The Citibanamex & iLab alliance created a scholarship fund to support young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs so that they can start their own company through a business incubation. In this way you can save up to 15,000 pesos and you will only pay a registration of 800 pesos.

You will learn to:

• Design your business model.
• Create creative solutions.
• Understand your customer.
• Build your product or service.
• Say why you are different.
• Add clients and followers.
• Make your business profitable: financial statements and plans

^{Photo: Envatoelements}

Admission process

1. Record a video pitch of maximum 3 minutes in which you tell us your story: what do you do? What are your plans in six months? What business idea would you like to develop and why? How Did the idea come up? Have you tried to develop it before? What are the challenges you have faced to carry it out?
2. Fill out the online admission form. Apply here .
3. Once the form is filled out, the selection committee will review it and they will contact you to give you your result.
4. If you are selected to be part of the program, you must make a one-time registration payment of 800 pesos.
5. After making the payment, they will send you the accesses to start the program on March 22, 2021 at 5:00 pm.

March
20, 2021

3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Under the slogan “Let’s be unstoppable” UPS launched its campaign to support SMEs. Its objective is to support this sector in its economic recovery process through logistics solutions that allow them to simplify their administrative processes and support them to grow their business through exports.

And it is that for small and medium-sized companies, logistics can be a difficult issue when it comes to foreign trade, despite the fact that today a greater number of consumers can reach, especially through electronic commerce.

Only 5% of the micro, small and medium-sized companies that exist in Mexico export, UPS points out. Those who do so face customs and tariff procedures, among others, which are not always easy to deal with.

According to the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), 54% of SMEs seek to export through electronic commerce, but so far, only 3 out of 10 have achieved it. Therefore, it is necessary to facilitate and simplify the development of this sector.

“MSMEs customers need an easy rate structure, as well as technology that helps them have better control of their shipments and costs,” acknowledges UPS.

It is for this reason that the logistics company maintains its support program for SMEs that began last year. For those looking to expand internationally, UPS includes a discount of up to 55% for export shipments, registering on the program page.

There is also a simplified flat rate for domestic shipments, which includes the most common UPS accessories such as: pickup scheduling, extended area delivery charge, and residential delivery charge. This will simplify the decision process and cost selection for all those who want to undertake shipping their products within the country.

^{Photo: EnvatoElements}

The domestic rate also includes the UPS carbon neutral accessory, so that customers can help offset the carbon emissions associated with the transportation of their shipments and thus protect the environment.

Small businesses usually lack the resources and time necessary to venture into new technologies, so leveraging the value-added technology provided by their strategic allies is essential.

To help simplify business logistics processes, UPS also launched the new UPS My Choice® for Business technology tool, with which customers, through a personalized control panel, have access to monitoring and control functionalities, All in the same place; giving MSMEs a competitive advantage in electronic commerce and access to the international market.

March
18, 2021

3 min read

There’s nothing fun about Tax Day. It’s stressful. It’s annoying. It’s enraging. It sucks. 

Leave it to a beer company to try to turn your tax frown upside down. Stella Artois wants us all to stop investing our time and energy in being miserable this time of year and start investing in enjoying our friends, coworkers, family members and passions. They invented Stella Mutual, a fake mutual fund that will deliver real awards to people who sign up at @StellaArtois. Some of the prizes you can win include an “Instant Tax Refund” (a $2,500 cash prize), a virtual meeting with “Fun-ancial Advisor” Alexis Ohanian and “Stock Options” — a year of your beer fridge being stocked with Stella Artois.

Fun-ancial adviser Alexis Ohanian, who is also the co-founder of Reddit and husband to one of the greatest athletes of all-time, Serena Williams, spent some time telling us why he got involved with this project on an upcoming episode of the Get a Real Job podcast. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation (which have been edited and condensed for clarity):

On the fallacy that non-stop hustling is a good thing

“I know I made mistakes in the early years of my career by glorifying hard work and long hours to the extent that it was just not healthy for me. There are some serious diminishing returns as you put in those extra hours of overwork. After a certain number of hours, if you’re not reinvesting in yourself, invigorating yourself, you’re doing worse and worse quality work. You lose touch with the things and people who really matter.”

Related: Serena Williams Keeps Showing Us How to Rise Above the Noise

On Serena’s advice

“Pretty early in the relationship, Serena said that I worked harder than her. And at the time, I immediately was like, ‘Thank you very much!’ And she looks at me and says, ‘That’s not a compliment.’ Athletes know better than anyone because their work is as mental as it is physical, that recovery time is just as important as the time you’re putting in practicing and or working.”

On aspiring to wow his daughter

“I know our daughter is going to have total strangers coming up to her for the rest of her life telling her what an impact her mother made on them and on the world. And that’s amazing, and rightly so. However, I’m very competitive and I want just as many people coming up to Olympia and having the same conversation about how great her dad is and what her dad did. I know I will never match just Serena’s impact on the world, but I’m still going to give it a good try. And that’s what fueled my decisions last year to step down in protest from the board of Reddit and start this new venture Seven Seven Six, which aims to bring great and positive innovations to the world.”

March
17, 2021

2 min read

This story originally appeared on PCMag

The Florida teenager who hacked Twitter last year has been sentenced to three years in jail. 

On Tuesday, state prosecutors in Florida announced Graham Ivan Clark, now 18, entered a plea agreement to serve time in a juvenile facility, along with three years of probation. 

Last July, Clark was arrested for successfully hijacking Twitter accounts belonging to celebrities including Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, and Barack Obama in order to instigate a Bitcoin scam. 

Graham Ivan Clark (Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)

To pull off the hack, Clark managed to phish several Twitter employees into giving up access to the company’s internal tools, which can be used to reset and change a password for an account. 

Related: 7 Surprising Places Hackers Hide

The incident showed the glaring holes in Twitter’s IT security. Fortunately, Clark and his co-conspirators merely used the access to the celebrity accounts to encourage people into donating Bitcoin to a cryptocurrency address. In total, Clark raked in $117,440. 

Credit: Twitter

After his arrest, Clark originally planned on fighting for his innocence in court. However, he has since pleaded guilty to all 30 charges. Part of the reason may be due to how Clark is only going to face a short time in jail. He’s being sentenced under Florida’s Youthful Offender Act, which limits the penalties on convicted felons under the age of 21. 

“Youthful Offender status is available only once in a person’s life,” the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office said. “It means Clark’s incarceration will be served in a juvenile facility, and he will receive education and transition services to prepare him for a productive life after he serves his time. If Clark violates his probation, he will face a minimum ten-year sentence in adult prison.”

Clark has already been behind bars for over seven months, which will be applied to his three years of jail time. Still, state prosecutors are hopeful Clark will reform. 

“In this case, we’ve been able to deliver those consequences while recognizing that our goal with any child, whenever possible, is to have them learn their lesson without destroying their future,” said Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren in a statement.