10 Stories From the Web to Know About This Week Jay Z bails on the Nets, parsing the weird productivity tips of historical figures, Twitter and GoDaddy get together, online merchants ditch credit-card processing, tips for delivering a knockout speech. This week's notable news and tantalizing tidbits for entrepreneurs.
Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*
Claim Offer*Offer only available to new subscribers
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Jay Z bails on the Nets, parsing the weird productivity tips of historical figures, San Francisco partners with Kiva.org, the CBO weighs in on a government shutdown, Twitter and GoDaddy get together, online merchants ditch credit-card processing, ethical fashion gets a bump, tips for delivering a knockout speech… This week's notable news and tantalizing tidbits for entrepreneurs.
1. Jay Z goes pro: The Jigga is liquidating his share in the Brooklyn Nets for $1.5 million after starting his own sports agency, Roc Nation Sports. The all-star roster already includes, Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees, Victor Cruz of the New York Giants and Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant. (Forbes)
2. Historic productivity tips: Benjamin Franklin used to read and write in the buff; Beethoven demanded 60 beans per cup of coffee. Some of the world's greatest thinkers had some borderline crazy methods for staying productive. Here are a few. (Fast Company)
3. Kiva partners with SF: San Francisco moved to partner with online lender Kiva.org to bring crowdfunded loans to local entrepreneurs at zero-percent interest. Loans, which will be accessible through the site KivaZip.org, are seen as critical for bridging the lending gap for startups in particular. (SFGate)
4. CBO talks shutdown: The Congressional Budget Office Chief Douglas Elmendorf says a government shutdown would damage the economy and "scale up" problems over time. He also added that only President Obama can "cushion" the effects. (CNNmoney)
5. The kibosh on credit: The results of a recent National Small Business Association survey shed light on the growing trend of online merchants refusing to accept credit-card payments. Only 69 percent of online merchants currently accept credit cards, down 22 percent in the last three-years. The culprit? Cyber insecurity. (Businessweek)
6. Ethical fashion falls short: After the recent tragedy at the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, the push to make the fashion industry more ethical has lost steam. Still, new online platforms are hoping to buck the trend. (The Guardian)
7. The golden minute: Nailing the first 60-seconds of a speech is critical to success. From dealing with public-speaking anxiety to preparing the room for your arrival, get insightful tips for delivering a knockout speech. (LinkedIn Today)
8. Boston's new Innovation Studio: T3 Advisors, a commercial real-estate consulting firm, has moved to a new space on the Boston waterfront. Included in the new office is an "Innovation Studio" meant to bring T3 closer to the local startup scene. (Boston.com)
9. GoDaddy and Twitter unite: As part of its Website Builder tool, GoDaddy is offering a Twitter functionality aimed at small businesses looking to quickly and easily set up a profile page. Russ Laraway, the director of small and medium businesses at Twitter says, "we're helping businesses get online faster to reach the followers most likely to purchase from them." The service ranges from $1 to $5 per month. (Mashable)
10. The land of engineering: The phrase "German engineering" has become synonymous with quality cars, but now the term is used more broadly, as people head to the country for a chance to win a key apprenticeship. The system has its perks, including partly subsidized earn-as-you-learn schemes. (BBC)