<p><em>The<span> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insider Picks</a><span> </span>team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.</em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://amzn.to/2RakYeG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Lifeprint</span></p><p class="caption">Lifeprint's $150 portable photo printer can reproduce high-quality photos on special photo paper in a 3-by-4.5-inch size that's perfect for sharing.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Anyone who has an iPhone is spoiled for choice when it comes to accessories, but many of the best ones are luxury items that you don't really need no matter how badly you want them. Luckily, that's what holiday shopping is for - buying wonderful gifts for the people we love, knowing full well they wouldn't buy these splurge items for themselves.</p><p>No matter what kind of budget you have, you can get plenty of excellent iPhone accessories for a decent price. Although fancy wireless headphones and high-end Bluetooth speakers may cost more; stylish lightning cables, fun phone grips, and excellent wireless chargers can be had for as little as $10.</p><p>As Insider Picks' resident tech geek and iPhone lover, I've tested thousands of accessories over the years, and I've given many of these accessories as gifts myself over the years - all of which have been received with joy and requests for tech support.</p><p><em><strong>Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/gift-guide-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gift guides for 2018</a> here.  </strong></em><em><strong>Keep scrolling to see all our favorite gifts for iPhone lovers.</strong></em></p><p class="tagline">Find the best holiday deals on our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-deals-2018">Black Friday Deals</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cyber-monday-deals-2018">Cyber Monday Deals</a> page. <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.<br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.</br></br></p>

20 innovative and cool iPhone accessories that make perfect gifts

<p><strong></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Amie T. Keener</strong> is a registered interior designer and associate at Gensler.</li><li>Many people may have set up their home offices not expecting to be there for the long haul, but it's becoming increasingly clear we may be home for several more months.</li><li>Now you may be scrambling to create a better <keyword id="107407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home-Office">home office</keyword>.</li><li>But before you do so, pay attention to these possible pitfalls, especially when ordering furniture online.</li></ul><p>Like many others, I initially thought we would be working from home just a couple of weeks.</p><p>I set up a bar height bistro table in the corner of the living room as my desk space. But, as the weeks passed, I moved my desk to the other side of the room to face out the window to take in nature, and occasionally, I'll see a hummingbird quickly dashing around the yard.  </p><div type="image" title="Amie Keener" height="508" width="508" msid="77854061" hostid="261"></div><p>If you're looking — or needing — to improve your home office with some new furniture and accessories, it may be quick, easy, and inexpensive to order something online. Yes, there are many great resources out there. But a word of caution: look out for the following common pitfalls.    </p><h2><strong>Cost</strong></h2><p>Do you have a budget? Establish one up front. Include items like desks, chair, task light, ergonomic tools. Likely items are bookcase, file cabinet, and maybe rug or flooring material. Also consider accessories such as artwork and plants as they can enhance overall well-being in the space.   </p><h2><strong>Size </strong></h2><p>Grab a tape measure and test out what new furniture will look like in the space.  Consider taping it out on the floor with masking tape or cutting out newspaper or a cardboard box the size you are considering.  </p><h2><strong>Ergonomic factors</strong></h2><p>We are all spending more time in our home offices. Comfort is important, and good ergonomic solutions are even more essential. Do you need a desk and task chair? Or would you benefit from soft seating, like a lounge chair or sofa for some of your work?</p><p>Do you like to stand up and work? Maybe a bar height table and stools make more sense for you. </p><h2><strong>Location</strong> </h2><p>Does your home office space have enough light? Will you be on video calls? Natural light can always improve how we look over video. Seek out light sources from a variety of angles. Avoid all down lighting. You want to make sure to provide the best representation of yourself on video.</p><p>Consider the animals in your home: Do they find your workspace cozy too? I'm allergic to cats, but I get a kick out of seeing my co-worker's furry friends jump into the view of the camera. Having an animal join our calls has been a nice treat on occasion.</p><p>Take intp account the noise near your home office workspace; if you are on a morning conference call, will the sound of your toddler in the background alarm your coworkers?</p><p>Consider the temperature of your office space: Is it hot, will you need to add a fan or something to circulate the air? Will the noise of the fan get picked up on conference calls and sound like a jet?  </p><h2><strong>Connectivity</strong></h2><p>Do you need power/data cords? I miss my motorized sit-to-stand desk at the office. Consider cord lengths and distance from wall outlets. Will you need to connect to printer, screen, speakers, camera, etc.? You don't want to create deathly tripping hazards or risks of overloading electrical outlets/circuits.</p><p>I found my internet speed improved by connecting an ethernet cable directly into the router. If you can place your workspace as close to the router you may minimize future technology headaches.   </p><h2><strong>Product</strong></h2><p>Where is the product coming from? What is involved with shipping and handling? Most <keyword id="2191904" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="office-furniture">office furniture</keyword> today is blended with parts from around the globe. Does the company have customer support here in the US? </p><h2><strong>Freight</strong> </h2><p>Is the product insured as it goes from the factory to your home? What if there's freight damage? It's rare, but something to consider, with unknown shipping sources.</p><p>Stick to a reliable company that provides insurance, like the US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc. How much time will it take you to chase down the right part?  </p><h2><strong>Assembly</strong></h2><p>Does it require you putting it together? Do you have the right skill set, tools and patience to assemble the new furniture?  If not, it's critical to find someone who can help in an affordable and efficient manner.</p><h2><strong>Warranty</strong></h2><p>What happens if your new furniture is all set up and a few weeks pass, and something breaks? Read the fine print; what is the warranty on the product you are purchasing?   </p><h2><strong>Care and maintenance</strong></h2><p>You want your furniture to last and be germ free as much as possible. Wood is always a nice feature for desks, but are you willing to take care and responsibility for it?</p><p>Are you like me, who often eats lunch at my desk? Maybe plastic laminate or metal surfaces are more logical for your space.   </p><p>I suspect we will be working from home in some form or fashion in the coming months, so it's important to have a well thought out home office furniture solution. We love our families and roommates, but it's beneficial to have a quiet place to break away in your home.</p><p>Also, you may find yourself using your home office workspace for other uses (paying bills, making out grocery lists, meal planning, writing letters, etc.). Flexible and adaptable solutions are valuable in more ways in one.</p><p><strong><em>Amie T. Keener</em></strong><em>, RID, IIDA, LEED AP, CDT is a registered Interior Designer and Associate at Gensler. With more than 20 years of experience in the commercial building industry, Amie's professional career is a robust blend of commercial interiors projects for energy, automotive, financial services, technology, and professional services firms. Currently, her focus is on furniture services, where she helps develop and implement furniture standards for clients.</em></p>

10 ways to optimize your home office and the biggest mistakes to avoid, according to an interior designer

<p><div type="image" title="teacher classroom students school" height="600" width="800" msid="75579743" hostid="261"></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Due to the coronavirus pandemic, at least <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures.html">55 million US students</a> are out of school — and many parents have been tasked with <a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-school-closings-tools-for-parents-who-are-homeschooling-2020-3">homeschooling. </a></li><li>During <keyword id="9177365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="teacher-appreciation-week">Teacher Appreciation Week</keyword>, many parents have expressed overwhelming gratitude for educators, now that they know what's involved in the profession.</li><li>Emily James, a public school teacher in New York City, writes about how she's grateful for the accolades, but wants to see it evolve into more. </li><li>The English teacher advocates for <a href="https://www.insider.com/10-alarming-facts-about-teacher-pay-in-the-united-states-2019-10">higher pay</a>, improved conditions in buildings, and a return to school only when it's safe for staff and students.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>It's Teacher Appreciation Week. I've gotten my requisite thank you note from my administrator, a few heartwarming texts from former students, and my 15% discounts from LOFT and Michaels. But this year, the vibe is a little different. </p><p>I'm a ninth grade English teacher with 14 years of experience educating public school students in Brooklyn, New York. Now, of course, I'm giving lessons, doling out assignments, and grading papers remotely. I'm also homeschooling my 7-year-old. In case you were wondering, that doesn't mean I have much of a leg up over parents without a teaching degree. </p><p>I'm writing this after my daughter's fifth tantrum of the week. We have argued over line breaks in a poem, how to add two-digit numbers, and what reading for 30 minutes without distraction looks like. </p><p>She leaves the kitchen table in a huff, retreats to her room and slams the door. </p><p>I may be a pedagogue by training, but all the individual invisible work that <keyword id="6356089" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="teachers">teachers</keyword> do — routine building and fostering a conducive learning environment — I've only done with my own classes. I haven't done it with my daughter. She needs her own teacher now more than ever, just like my students need me.</p><h2>Parents are more appreciative of teachers now that they know what it entails</h2><p><div type="image" title="kids homeschool" height="3289" width="4385" msid="75579748" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In recent weeks, the internet seems to have exploded with appreciation for teachers, now that part of our jobs has been assigned to people who have never done it before. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, at least <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures.html">55 million students in the US</a> are out of school, and parents everywhere have suddenly had to take on the task of teaching and  overseeing their children's work. </p><p>A quick scroll through my social media feed and I find friends posting funny memes about how they don't know how we do it (and they've resorted to day drinking after one day of instruction). Celebrities are praising educators, while commiserating about having to do lessons with their kids. Companies like Draper James are offering free dresses for teachers. Late night host <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TrevorNoah/posts/update-ive-picked-5-teachers-and-will-post-the-winners-in-my-story-thank-you-to-/10158012046792453/">Trevor Noah is giving away laptops</a> to educators who are teaching remotely. </p><p>It feels nice to be seen in a new light, and thanked a bit more genuinely. </p><p>Yet still, I can't help but ask: Why did it take a global pandemic for people to appreciate teachers? And should the cries of  "Oh wow, I didn't realize how difficult your job was!" really suffice?</p><p><div type="image" title="remote teaching" height="3648" width="4864" msid="75579753" hostid="261"></div></p><p>They shouldn't. I hope that when this virus passes, and school resumes, we don't forget the lesson there is to learn.<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/04/28/teacher-appreciation-week-is-coming-this-educator-wishes-it-werent-ill-trade-appreciation-respect-any-day/"> Teachers deserve something more than appreciation, </a>they deserve to be valued.</p><p>For too long, we have undervalued teachers. We have been shoved into overcrowded rooms, been paid too little, have had our curriculums changed without our input. (Think of all the complaining we do as parents about "this new math stuff" and imagine being a teacher who is given a different way to teach every couple of years.) Up until<a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-paid-leave-teachers-huge-victory-20180620-story.html"> June of 2017</a>, educators in New York City didn't get any <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/brand-new-mothers-forced-back-class-article-1.3577399"></a><a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/brand-new-mothers-forced-back-class-article-1.3577399">paid parental leave at all.</a> </p><p>Valuing teachers means giving us better wages. The US consistently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-salaries-by-country-2017-5">ranks seventh in the world</a> for average <keyword id="3099385" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Teacher-pay">teacher pay</keyword>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/10-alarming-facts-about-teacher-pay-in-the-united-states-2019-10">average teacher in the US</a> makes about $60,000, and many first year teachers start at wages below $40,000.  <a href="http://neatoday.org/2019/07/25/teachers-second-jobs/">Almost one-third of teachers hold second jobs</a> in order to make ends meet. (Parents can now attest to how difficult it is to teach while having another job). While the average school day is about seven hours, the average teacher works about 12 to 16 hours a day. </p><h2>Teachers are notoriously underpaid, and still often use their own funds to stock a classroom</h2><p><div type="image" title="classroom supplies" height="3147" width="4196" msid="75579760" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Even still, teachers — on average — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/10-alarming-facts-about-teacher-pay-in-the-united-states-2019-10#teacher-salaries-have-decreased-by-45-over-the-last-10-years-8">spend about $480 a year</a> of their own funds on classroom supplies and necessities for students. Valuing teachers means ensuring there's money in the school budget for snacks for hungry students, cleaning sprays and Clorox wipes (especially in the coming months) and crayons and markers. </p><p>(But <a href="https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/16/21225539/nyc-school-budgets-take-a-hit-as-de-blasio-proposes-827-million-in-education-cuts">budget cuts</a> are already happening. Teachers can't help but fear that we are going to be required to do even more with even less).</p><p>Valuing teachers means giving us fewer tedious responsibilities. Instead of just focusing on our students, our days are filled to the brim with data reporting and curriculum re-design and long, intensely narrated lesson plans. </p><p>It also means taking a good hard look at class sizes, and asking if we can truly teach "the whole child" — 34 students at a time.</p><p>It means enabling us to do our jobs in clean, bug- and rodent-free buildings. We need access to working copiers and printers and other resources. </p><h2>Teachers can only do their jobs well if students have access to housing, food, and healthcare </h2><p><div type="image" title="school lunch" height="3280" width="4373" msid="75579768" hostid="261"></div></p><p>It also means giving our students access to basic human rights: housing, food, and healthcare. It's the only way children can come prepared to learn, and teachers will have a shot at educating them. Think about being home with your own kids now, and how hard it is for them to focus if they are exhausted, or are hungry for their lunch. </p><p>How can we expect students to learn when they are starving? When their clothes haven't been washed in a week? When their parents are sick and can't afford to get treatment?</p><p>So many of these issues are what <a href="https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2020/01/31/low_pay_isnt_why_teachers_are_fleeing_the_profession_335093.html">makes teachers burn out</a> — causing them to flee the profession during their best years. The last thing we want as a country is for someone who has finally become an expert in their field to leave. </p><p>Lastly, truly valuing our teachers means, as the pandemic winds down, not sending us back to the classroom until we can guarantee a safe environment for teaching and learning. Schools in New York City closed too late in March when the pandemic hit, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.sg/nyc-schools-should-have-closed-to-prevent-50-employees-deaths-2020-4">and many of our educators lost their lives </a>as a result. </p><p><div type="image" title="public school NYC" height="2195" width="2927" msid="75579773" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Before we reopen, we need to identify how to safely practice social distancing, provide personal protective equipment to students and educators, and conduct testing and tracing. </p><p>Back in the kitchen, to help my daughter recover from her despair, I organized a video chat with her teacher. They talked privately for 15 minutes and she emerged with a lifted mood, a pencil in her hand, ready to write an adorably creative poem about "A Warm Hug" from her little sister. </p><p>Seeing her little fingers scrawl across the page, I was reminded again about the power of our teachers, everything we do, and everything we mean to so many kids day after day after day. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-school-closings-tools-for-parents-who-are-homeschooling-2020-3">7 online education tools for parents who are homeschooling during the coronavirus outbreak</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/a-teacher-says-she-isnt-homeschooling-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-3">An award-winning teacher with 12 years of experience explains why she isn't homeschooling her kids during the coronavirus pandemic</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/jennifer-lopez-struggles-with-her-kids-math-homework-while-homeschooling-2020-4">Jennifer Lopez said she's been stumped by her kids' math homework while homeschooling them</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/books-to-help-children-cope-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">11 books to help children cope with school closings, not seeing friends, and feeling anxious</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/im-grateful-for-all-teacher-appreciation-but-want-see-more-2020-5">Insider</a>

I'm grateful for the sudden appreciation of teachers, but what I really want is higher pay and improved conditions

<div type="image" title="school teacher" height="3021" width="4028" msid="76988567" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>New York City's school system, the largest in the US, will <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/nyc-schools-reopening-plan.html">partially reopen </a>in the fall.</li><li>Devora Courtney, a New York City public high school teacher, is eager to return to her classroom, but feels like a "lab rat" as officials haven't outlined how they'll keep students and staff safe.</li><li>Courtney's school, like other underfunded ones, already lacked sufficient soap, toilet paper, and janitorial personnel before the pandemic, and will likely face budget cuts during the economic downturn. </li><li>While some countries that have reopened schools haven't seen an uptick in coronavirus cases, that's not true for all.</li></ul><p>I'm exhausted — utterly depleted even well into my summer vacation. I'm a New York City public school educator reeling from the most challenging period of my career.  </p><p>In my 14 years of teaching high school, I've grown accustomed to wearing multiple hats — from instructor to therapist to advocate. I have written letters to judges on behalf of students who have faced complex legal issues. I have calmed students during panic attacks. I have guided families through the special education evaluation process. I have helped my students reconcile their own identities with their parents' differing expectations.  </p><p>I am used to fundraising for desks and chairs and purchasing Lysol wipes for my classroom and boxes of granola bars for students with my own money. </p><p>I was not, however, prepared for what transpired during the height of the pandemic, or what we're in for when school resumes.</p><p>It started in March when my colleagues and I <a href="https://www.insider.com/nyc-schools-should-have-closed-to-prevent-50-employees-deaths-2020-4">fought for schools to close</a> to protect us from the coronavirus. Then, overnight, I developed remote learning structures, made myself available to students and families at all hours, worked through spring break (without pay) —  all while caring for my own two young children who were home from school. </p><h2>The coronavirus claimed 74 Department of Education employees in New York City</h2><p>I watched helplessly as the pandemic ravaged our city. My community was hit especially hard. The New York City Department of Education <a href="https://abc7ny.com/teacher-deaths-doe-department-of-education-schools/6173896/">lost 74 employees to COVID-19, </a>the disease caused by the coronavirus.</p><p>Even when the school year ended, I remained anxious, uncertain, and scared.</p><p>I'm a tenth grade global history teacher at a school that houses grades pre-K through 12, in Washington Heights, in upper Manhattan, where <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/opportunity/pdf/19_poverty_measure_report.pdf">nearly 20% of residents live in poverty —</a>higher than many other neighborhoods in the borough. Like many schools in underserved areas, mine lacks many basic resources. Classrooms are packed, there aren't enough special education supports, counselors or functioning copy machines. </p><div type="image" title="public school NYC" height="5184" width="6912" msid="76988572" hostid="261"></div><p>Just like many public school buildings in New York City, ours is old and dilapidated. Our water fountains are few and filthy. There isn't enough toilet paper in the bathrooms. Our printers' warranties have expired, so the DOE will not fix them. We don't have enough working computers. We need supplies.   </p><p>So, when I read the plans for reopening schools in the fall — which hinge on "social distancing," "staggered scheduling," and "providing personal protective equipment," I recoiled. How can this plan possibly be implemented properly? </p><h2>How will be able to supply masks if we didn't have the funds for toilet paper?</h2><p>Where will we get the funds for masks, when we didn't have the funds to sufficiently stock up on soap in the restrooms prior to the pandemic? How will we properly disinfect when we already didn't have enough personnel to keep our schools clean? How will we pour money into protective measures during the worst economic downturn the city has seen since the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/nyregion/nyc-unemployment.html">financial crisis of the 1970s</a> when schools will face inevitable and <a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/education/2020/04/16/education-budget-cuts-coronavirus">steep budget cuts?</a></p><p>Our hallways are narrow, barely six feet wide — where is the space to practice social distancing?  How will schools enforce these measures among teens who instinctively interact with high fives and hugs, and who typically share materials and equipment?</p><div type="image" title="school hallways" height="2973" width="3964" msid="76988577" hostid="261"></div><p>How will we stagger schedules for close to 1,000 students if teachers were already working overtime?</p><p>We keep hearing about how <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-case-children-infants-low-disease-expert-explain-why-2020-2">children are less susceptible</a> to the coronavirus, and therefore we should feel confident reopening schools. But we also know that children have been largely protected from the virus due to strict social distancing measures. There are still big question marks about how the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/can-children-spread-the-coronavirus-to-others-evidence-2020-5">disease affects young people.</a></p><p>Even if children are relatively safe, what about our teachers — especially those who are older or who have other <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> issues? How will schools accommodate educators whose own children attend schools that stagger their schedules differently?</p><p>How will this really work?</p><p>Remote learning was less than ideal. I will be the first to say it. </p><p>From home, we can't replicate the level and quality of academic support that students get in the classroom. We can't adequately meet the needs of the students who rely on school as a lifeline for such basics as meals and supplies. We can't as effectively screen for abuse. We know virtual learning has exacerbated problems for <a href="http://static4.insider.com/coronavirus-pandemic-children-with-disabilities-regression-2020-6">students with disabilities,</a> especially those who get therapy services at school. </p><p>We're seeing that being isolated from friends and classmates may <a href="https://www.insider.com/quarantining-may-lead-higher-levels-of-depression-in-kids-study-2020-4">increase risks for mental health issues</a> in children.</p><p>But because distance learning was crucial to saving lives, we made it work. </p><h2>No teacher wants to educate remotely, but we made it work because we had to</h2><div type="image" title="remote learning" height="2000" width="2667" msid="76988581" hostid="261"></div><p>Many of our students' parents continued working during the pandemic while their children juggled their academic and familial responsibilities. </p><p>Our high school students taught and fed their younger siblings or other relatives during the day and did their lessons and work at night. Some moved residences more than once to quarantine or to avoid ill family members. </p><p>Our teachers and administrators, the most exceptional and talented educators I know, tracked down students, mandated live instruction when live instruction was not required, supported struggling students, rummaged through closets at school for devices for children who couldn't afford them, and ensured that we gave every single student a fighting chance to earn course credit for the semester.  </p><p>In June, instead of winding down, we ramped up. We held office hours and live sessions at 5 a.m. and 11 p.m., whenever we could get a parent or student on the line. We did not rest until we were absolutely certain that every child's needs had been met to the best of our abilities.  </p><h2>I'm eager to return to my classroom, but only if it's safe for me, my colleagues, and students</h2><p>Come September, I would love nothing more than to return to my regular classroom post. I miss my students tremendously.</p><p>I would love to see my own children back in school too.</p><p>But more than that, I want my family — which includes my students and my colleagues — to be safe. </p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-13/l-a-unified-will-not-reopen-campuses-start-of-school-year">Los Angeles,</a> the nation's second largest school district, announced that schools will continue with online learning due to coronavirus risks. New York City, on the other hand, home to the nation's largest school system, has put forth plans for a partial reopening.</p><p>It's true that many countries that have reopened schools haven't seen a large uptick in cases. But that hasn't been the case for all.</p><h2>Some countries have reopened schools without seeing an uptick in cases, but not all</h2><div type="image" title="Denmark Schools" height="5504" width="7339" msid="76988588" hostid="261"></div><p>Schools in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/israelis-fear-schools-reopened-too-soon-as-covid-19-cases-climb-11594760001?mod=searchresults&amp;page=1&amp;pos=1mp;pos=1">Israel reopened without restrictions in May</a>. Days later, a Jerusalem high school experienced the country's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/middleeast/coronavirus-israel-schools-reopen.html">largest outbreak at a single school.</a> Across the country, hundreds of teachers and students contracted the disease, and hundreds of schools shut down.</p><p>In places like Denmark, where infection rates have been kept at bay, schools <a href="https://www.thelocal.com/20200528/how-denmark-got-its-children-back-to-school">invested in significant mechanisms</a> to protect against infection.</p><p>Schools there installed outdoor hand washing stations, converted sink taps to the automatic sensory kind, put bathrooms in each classroom, and hired additional janitorial staff. </p><p>I haven't heard of any such measures being considered here.</p><p>The fact that the Trump administration is threatening to cut funding to school districts that don't reopen, that <a href="https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1283153317095505920">Vice President Mike Pence</a> said "we don't want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don't reopen schools," and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/07/08/what-it-could-cost-reopen-schools-with-covid-19-safety-measures/">Education Secretary Betsy DeVos </a>said she wants school open full time, terrifies me. This mounting pressure comes at a time when we don't even have a firm reopening plan.  </p><p>Teachers and students are not lab rats. The city cannot adopt the same "wait and see" approach it took in March when its delay in closing schools likely contributed to scores of deaths of school employees. We are all at risk of contracting COVID-19. This virus does not discriminate.  </p><p>All levels of government need to put their money where their mouths are and truly invest in reopening safely and fairly if that is their genuine goal. It is certainly mine.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nyc-schools-should-have-closed-to-prevent-50-employees-deaths-2020-4">I'm a New York City public school teacher and 63 of my colleagues have died from the coronavirus. It didn't have to happen this way.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/pediatrician-reopen-schools-even-if-it-leads-coronavirus-outbreaks-2020-6">I'm a pediatrician and I think we should reopen schools, even with the risk of coronavirus outbreaks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/im-grateful-for-all-teacher-appreciation-but-want-see-more-2020-5">I'm grateful for the sudden appreciation of teachers, but what I really want is higher pay and improved conditions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-china-denmark-japan-reopening-schools-2020-4">How 6 countries are opening up schools again, with temperature checks, outdoor classes, and spaced out desks</a></li></ul>

I'm a public school teacher and I want to return to my classroom. But not like this.

<p class="source"><span>tbd</span></p><p class="caption">Kelly Burch, in front of her home in New Hampshire.</p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Last year I set some easy-to-achieve goals, like getting life insurance and a will, and some loftier goals, including buying a second home and becoming a landlord.</strong></li><li><strong>By the end of the year I've accomplished all four goals. That has given me peace-of-mind and also helped improve my family's financial situation.</strong></li><li><strong>Now, I'm working toward 2020 goals, including contributing regularly to retirement, eliminating credit card debt, and refinancing my mortgages.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yourmoney?utm_source=bullet">Read more personal finance coverage</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>Ah, New Year's resolutions. Logically I know that most of them are bound to fail, yet I love making them anyway.</p><p>Last year's set of resolutions might have been called Adulting 101. I turned 30 in 2019, so I was determined to hit a few financial goals I knew were important for getting my monetary house in order. Over the course of the year I actually accomplished all my financial resolutions, probably for the first time ever.</p><p>Now, I'm so inspired by that success that I'm determined to set and achieve more financial goals for 2020. Nothing groundbreaking, but small yet important decisions that will improve my overall financial picture.</p><p>Here are the four financial goals I accomplished in 2019, and how I did it.</p><h2>Goal 1: Purchase life insurance</h2><p>In 2018 I began to be the main breadwinner for my family, when my husband <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stay-at-home-dad-parent-female-breadwinner-worth-it">started staying home with our children</a>. When that happened I realized it was time to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-overcame-perfectionism-and-bought-life-insurance-policy">purchase life insurance</a>. If I dropped dead, I didn't want my husband to have to return to work right away. So, I set a goal of having life insurance by the time I turned 30.</p><p>I accomplished that in May, about a week after my birthday. I picked a $250,000 plan with a 20-year term, with a $29-a-month premium. Now, for the price of a lunch out, I know that my family is protected should the worst happen.</p><h2>Goal 2: Get a will</h2><p>While I was in the mindset of protecting my family, I realized I needed a will. I wanted to formally write down the informal decisions my husband and I had made about how to deal with our assets, debt, and children if either of us died.</p><p>I found the process of thinking about a will very emotionally draining. These are hard decisions to make, and even though we had done most of the talking ahead of time, there was something scary about formalizing them. Getting a third-party professional involved seemed overwhelming.</p><p>So, I was very happy when <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1404302&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=77846&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=" rel="nofollow">I found Fabric,</a> which made the process of creating a will incredibly easy. Honestly, I did it during a car ride, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/writing-my-will-for-free-with-fabric-was-easier-than-i-expected">getting my printer to work was the hardest part</a>. Now, I know my wishes are in writing, even if I'm not able to express them.</p><h2>Goal 3: Buy a bigger home</h2><p>This goal was a wildcard, the kind of goal that you'd love to achieve, but know would be a stretch. This time last year my family was living in a 900-square foot home that was getting a bit too small for us, with two kids and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/build-freelance-writing-business-smart-choices-helped">a full-time work-from-home parent</a>. I wanted to move by the time my older daughter started kindergarten in September, which would allow us to ditch private school tuition by relocating to a better school district.</p><p>Still, I wasn't sure this was possible. Since my husband was home with the kids, mine was the only income in our house. I had seen in the past <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-self-employment-is-more-secure-than-a-traditional-w2-job">how hard it is to get financing as a self-employed person</a>, so I was wary.</p><p>However, this time I was able to connect with a lender experienced in working with self-employed people. He made getting a loan much easier than anticipated. Then, after some shopping my husband and I <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/homeownership-costs-3-bedroom-house-rural-new-hampshire">found a foreclosure in our budget</a>, in the school district we wanted. It needed some major repairs (there was no running water when we moved in), but we were able to DIY most of them and have everything up and running by August, just before the start of the school year.</p><h2>Goal 4: Become a landlord</h2><p>This was the part B to my big goal. If we bought a bigger house, we wanted to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-used-home-equity-loan-to-buy-a-second-home">keep our first home as a rental</a>. Our financer was able to make this happen, and we found great tenants to move into our home. We're still <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-i-decided-to-rent-out-my-house-instead-of-selling">learning about being landlords</a>, but we're making a small profit and are happy with our decision.</p><h2>For 2020, I have 3 new financial goals</h2><p>Needless to say, 2019 was a fairly successful year financially. Still, there's a lot more work to be done to get my finances to where I want them. Here are the goals I'll be working toward in 2020:</p><ul><li><strong>Contribute regularly to retirement: </strong>Since I'm self-employed, I'm solely responsible for my retirement savings. Until now I've been making sporadic contributions to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-savings-accounts-traditional-roth-ira-401k-comparison">my Roth IRA</a>, but in 2020 I'm going to get serious about contributing a percentage to retirement every time I get paid.</li><li><strong>Refinance to save: </strong>Lending rates are super low right now, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-increase-your-credit-score-improve-credit">my credit had increased</a> a lot since I got my mortgages. In 2020, I want to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-to-refinance-your-mortgage-at-a-lower-interest-rate">refinance my mortgages</a> and a home equity loan in order to save money. Recently, refinancing my car loan saved me $50 a month, so I'm excited to see what refinancing the home loans can do.</li><li><strong>Nix credit card debt once and for all: </strong>I've been focused for years on paying down credit card debt. Now, I have about $5,000 left to pay off, and I'm determined to have it all gone by the end of 2020.</li></ul><p>There's definitely something cheesy about New Year's resolutions, but if you're able to stick with them they're a great tool for moving forward financially.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>More <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yourmoney">personal finance</a> coverage</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-open-high-yield-savings-account-now-interest-rates-down">4 reasons to open a high-yield savings account while interest rates are down </a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-open-wealthfront-cash-account-savings">It took less than 10 minutes to open a high-yield cash account with Wealthfront and earn more on my savings</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-buy-a-house-with-no-money-down-home-loans">How to buy a house with no money down </a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-save-money-in-high-yield-savings">When to save money in high-yield savings</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-rewards-credit-cards">Best rewards credit cards</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-to-get-life-insurance-you-havent-thought-of-yet">7 reasons you may need life insurance, even if you think you don't</a></li></ul><p style="font-size:14px;"><em>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. What you decide to do with your money is up to you. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.<em></em></em></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-green-became-christmas-colors-santa-coke-coca-cola-2017-12">Why red and green are the colors of Christmas</a></h3>

New Year's resolutions might be cheesy, but in 2019 they helped me write a will, get life insurance, buy a new home, and become a landlord

<p><em>Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new edition of Insider Today. Please </em><a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-today"><em>sign up here</em></a><em>.</em></p><h2><strong>QUOTE OF THE DAY</strong></h2><p><strong>"I would put on my old uniform and go to war all over again to protect the right of Tucker Carlson and <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> to say offensive things on TV and Twitter." — </strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/opinion/tammy-duckworth-tucker-carlson.html">Sen. Tammy Duckworth</a>, responding in The New York Times to Carlson and Trump's attacks on her patriotism.</p><h2><strong>WHAT'S HAPPENING</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-rising-cases-hospitalizations-herald-surge-in-us-deaths-2020-7"><strong>Death tolls are rising in key states.</strong></a> Caseloads continue to rise at alarming rates especially in the South and West, and now <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/us/daily-virus-death-toll-rises-in-some-states.html">deaths are also climbing</a> in Texas, Arizona, and Florida, among other states. Nearly 60% of Americans say <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nearly-60-of-americans-believe-us-is-reopening-too-quickly-abc-poll-2020-7">we've opened too quickly.</a> </p><p><strong>Goya Foods is facing boycott threats after </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goya-faces-boycott-threats-over-ceos-praise-for-trump-2020-7"><strong>Robert Unanue says US is "truly blessed" to have Trump as president.</strong></a> Unanue's grandparents founded Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the US. Julian Castro and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are among those condemning his statement. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-economic-plan-billion-buy-american-trump-nationalism-election-tax-2020-7"><strong>Biden unveils $700 billion "Buy American" economic plan.</strong></a> It focuses on increasing demand for US-made goods and investing in breakthrough technologies. </p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkish-court-clears-path-for-hagia-sophia-museum-to-become-a-mosque-again/2020/07/10/d1d7a06a-c215-11ea-8908-68a2b9eae9e0_story.html"><strong>The Hagia Sophia will become a mosque again.</strong></a> The glorious, 1,500-year-old building was a cathedral for 1,000 years, then a mosque for 500 years before it became a museum in 1935. Turkish President Erdogan, a devout Muslim, pushed to end its secular status. Meanwhile, Notre Dame Cathedral will be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/notre-dame-to-be-rebuilt-as-it-was-before-the-fire-french-government-says/2020/07/09/f28eafba-c215-11ea-8908-68a2b9eae9e0_story.html">rebuilt exactly as it was</a> before the fire — no modern spire!</p><h2><strong>VIEWS OF THE DAY</strong></h2><h2><strong><div type="image" title="FILE - In this June 25, 2020, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, center, speaks to Stacie Ritter, right, and her son, Jan, during a meeting with families who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act in Lancaster, Pa. Biden is hoping to capture Florida and other pivotal states by pushing Latino turnout rates higher than when Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)" height="1866" width="3732" msid="76900727" hostid="261"></div></strong></h2><p><strong>Trump needs to find a better nickname for Biden</strong></p><p>According to news reports, <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> is a elderly man who lives in a Delaware basement. We've heard that Biden was once Vice President of the United States and a US senator. Apparently, he is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. </p><p>The Trump campaign confronts a huge problem: Americans don't have strong opinions about Joe Biden, don't seem to want to have strong opinions about him, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/us/biden-trump-campaign.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=HomepageHomepage">aren't paying much attention to what Republicans are saying about him</a>. The greatest taunter in American <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>, Trump swept to power by naming and degrading his opponents. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nicknames_used_by_Donald_Trump">This list of Trump-coined nicknames</a> may be his greatest accomplishment.) Americans don't like Trump, but he made us dislike his rivals more, especially Low-energy Jeb Bush and Crooked Hillary Clinton. </p><p>Biden has so far eluded Trump's dagger, partly by hibernating as Trump flounders through the pandemic, and partly by being a nondescript old guy. Only 28% of Americans have a strongly unfavorable view of Biden, an amazingly tiny number in this environment. And he's way, way less unpopular than Hillary Clinton was this time four years ago. She had a minus-22 net favorability rating, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-far-less-unpopular-hillary-clinton-was-four-years-ago-n1231055">while Biden is just minus-1</a>. (Trump is minus-31!) </p><p>Trump just can't figure out how to smear Biden because, as a boring white man, he just doesn't set off Trump or Trump's supporters the way Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton did. Trump has tried depicting Biden as "creepy," but that's not working, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-host-trump-campaign-latest-attack-biden-sandra-smith-2020-7">even with his own people</a>. He's tried harder to make "Sleepy Joe" stick, but that also isn't grabbing voters. If anything, Sleepy Joe sounds like a relief. If only we had a president who was sleeping, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-schedule-daily-routine-2018-1#trumps-daily-routine-didnt-work-for-me-6">who didn't wake up at 5:30 am to tweet and watch Fox</a>. </p><p>The economy is sinking. The pandemic is raging. Trash-talking represents Trump's best opportunity to win in November, which means he needs to figure out how to demonize Biden and fast. </p><p>As Republican consultant Nelson Warfield told The New York Times: "I made my first negative ad starring Hillary Clinton in 1992 and I kept doing ads criticizing her across the next 24 years. And I was by no means alone. Republicans have months to do to Biden what Republicans had over two decades to do to Hillary." — <em>DP</em></p><p><strong>But Trump and his allies have already landed on a line of attack against Biden</strong></p><p>His alleged "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-increasingly-preoccupied-with-defending-his-physical-and-mental-health/2020/06/22/c7e0a95c-b3ed-11ea-9b0f-c797548c1154_story.html">cognitive decline</a>."</p><p>Now, it's no secret that the former vice president has never been the most eloquent speaker, and he is 77 years old. But Biden has also spoken of a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/01/joe-biden-stutter-profile/602401/">lifelong struggle with stuttering</a>, and his campaign released a summary of his most recent medical exam in December which described him as "healthy" and vigorous."  </p><p>The president, for his part, was roundly mocked last month for being <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/politics/donald-trump-second-term/index.html">unable to articulate a single ambition he wants to pursue in a second term</a> during a Fox News town hall hosted by Sean Hannity, arguably Trump's most prominent media sycophant.</p><p>Once again on Fox News last night, following a 70-second supercut of Biden verbal gaffes, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7b1NMMoqR4">Hannity asked Trump</a> if he thought the Biden campaign was trying to get the candidate to back out of a debate for fear that he'd be embarrassed. </p><p>"He hasn't taken any cognitive test, because he couldn't pass one," Trump said. "I actually took one when I, very recently, when I was, you know, the radical left was saying 'is he all there, is he all there,' and I proved I was all there because I aced it. I aced the test. And he should take the same exact test." — <em>Anthony Fisher</em></p><p><strong><div type="image" title="Donald Trump Stephen Miller immigration visa executive order" height="1299" width="1732" msid="76900730" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><strong>Another perverse attack on legal immigrants</strong></p><p>This administration, so incompetent in controlling the pandemic, is proving diabolically capable at restricting <keyword id="50403" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Immigration">immigration</keyword>. The Washington Post reports that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-trump-administration-is-turning-legal-immigrants-into-undocumented-ones/2020/07/09/15c1cbf6-c203-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html">USCIS has massively scaled back printing </a>of essential papers that legal immigrants need, notably green cards. Citing budget constraints, USCIS has canceled work at one of its two contract printers and reduced production at the other, leaving legal residents in a state of undocumented limbo. </p><p>Also this week, the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/09/889301025/u-s-broadcasting-agency-will-not-extend-visas-for-its-foreign-journalists">Voice of America, under a new Trump-allied CEO</a>, decided not to renew visas for foreign nationals who work there. And the administration continues its efforts to expel international students who attend colleges that have adopted online classes to get through the pandemic. </p><p>These policies and many other Trump anti-immigrant efforts betray the administration's fundamental lack of confidence in America. The Stephen Millerized White House believes that immigrants are coming to steal from us, and take our money and ideas back to their home countries. International students are here to exploit our system and heist our intellectual property for China. Foreign reporters are here to subvert VOA. The White House sees immigrants as spies and fifth columnists fundamentally loyal to a foreign nation, rather than dreamers galvanized by the American promise. Historically, international students often stay here and become the most productive, creative workers in the economy. Foreign reporters become inspired here, and become evangelists for American values. </p><p>For all its America Firstism, the Trump White House doesn't trust America enough to believe that it can inspire this generation of students and green card holders. — <em>DP</em></p><p><strong>Biden's 'Buy American' plan is good, but it needs teeth</strong></p><p>On Thursday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made a speech outlining a plan to revive the middle class in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In it, he promised to invest in manufacturing and tech (outside Silicon Valley); reverse the Trump tax cuts; support shareholder capitalism; and get corporations to pay their fair share of taxes.</p><p>This is all very good, but it's going to need teeth, and the biggest tooth is antitrust enforcement.</p><p>In part, a renewed focus on antitrust will be necessary to preserve the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that survived the pandemic. When it's over the SMEs that survived will likely need more help than their corporate counterparts, putting them at risk for consolidation. That means the government will have to keep a watchful eye on <keyword id="31671" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="markets">markets</keyword> to ensure that little guys aren't swallowed by the big ones.</p><p>Then there's the task of cleaning up consolidation in our current markets. Even before the pandemic (and increasingly after the financial crisis), the US was becoming a country of bigger and bigger companies using their power to destroy competition and limit consumer choice. We see that in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/break-up-facebook-and-other-big-american-companies-2019-5">tech</a>, <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/88057/eib-189.pdf">agriculture</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/12/03/784553287/what-does-it-mean-when-2-giant-newspaper-companies-merge">media</a>, telecommunications, and healthcare.</p><p>We need to update and enforce antitrust regulations that were left to wither after their relevance was questioned starting in the 1970s. Back then, legal scholars started to argue that antitrust should be defined by how corporate consolidation impacts price and only price, not competition in general. Four decades later and we now have an economy of companies too powerful to regulate and too big to compete with. Just ask any company that's tried to go head to head with Facebook.</p><p>It's time to change the game by going back to basics. Back in 1890, Sen. John Sherman — for whom our Sherman Antitrust legislation is named — famously declared: "If we will not endure a king as a political power, we should not endure a king over the production, transportation, and sale of any of the necessaries of life." He's still right 130 years later. — <em>Linette Lopez</em></p><h2><strong>BUSINESS &amp; ECONOMY</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="fudge brownie m&amp;m" height="821" width="1094" msid="76900732" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/launching-a-new-mms-flavor-amid-pandemic-mars-brilliant-strategy-2020-7"><strong>Mars Wrigley launched a new M&amp;M flavor, fudge brownie, during the pandemic</strong></a>. The company's president explains how they pulled it off.</p><h2><strong>LIFE</strong></h2><p><div type="image" title="Marisa Scheinfeld GRossinger's" height="600" width="800" msid="76900734" hostid="261"></div></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/abandoned-places-us-then-and-now-2019-4"><strong>What 10 iconic abandoned places looked like before they became ruins</strong></a>. The Houston Astrodome, Grossinger's Resort, NY's first subway station...</p><p>"<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-f1rwUAciU/?igshid=17byreghbo6rr"><strong>Everything in this world is shut down ... The only thing that is open is NOTHING</strong></a>." Making the rounds on Instagram: an extremely darling four-year-old ranting about the pandemic.</p><h2><strong>THE BIG 3*</strong></h2><p><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/california-police-robert-fuller-death-deemed-suicide-2020-7">California police conclude Robert Fuller died by suicide</a></strong>. The Black man was found hanging from a tree on June 10, prompting protests and demand for an investigation.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-stimulus-checks-income-cutoff-trump-economy-payments-second-round-2020-7"><strong>McConnell floated $40,000 cutoff for next wave of stimulus checks.</strong></a> Republicans want to narrow the number of people receiving the government aid. The McConnell cutoff would exclude 20 million households covered by the first round of checks, which went to individuals with incomes up to $75,000. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-host-trump-campaign-latest-attack-biden-sandra-smith-2020-7"><strong>Fox host refuses to listen to Trump spokesperson's latest, strange attack on Biden.</strong></a> Hogan Gidley started talking about Biden's leg hair. It was weird. Fox's Sandra Smith wouldn't listen. </p><p><em>*The most popular stories on Insider today.</em></p>

Trump needs to find a better nickname for Biden, and fast.

<p><em>The<span> </span></em><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks"><em>Insider Picks<span> </span></em></a><em>team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.</em></p><figure id="img-563711" contenteditable="false" data-type="img" data-e2e-name="image-figure-image" data-media-container="image"><a href="http://uncommongoods.sjv.io/c/196318/483884/8444?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uncommongoods.com%2Fproduct%2Fgreen-herbal-tea-kit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></figure><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Best Buy</span></p><p class="caption">HP told me that they want the computer back when I'm done testing it. And, I'm going to be sad to see it go.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p> </p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-all-in-one-pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-in-one computers</a> are great for people who want a device for enjoying media, doing work, and browsing the web.</strong></li><li>For decades, HP has been one of the top names in the desktop-computing world thanks to their commitment to balancing detail with affordability.</li><li>This commitment showed with the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HP Envy 34</a>, which features an attractive 34" curved LED screen, Bang &amp; Olufsen audio, and enough storage and memory to tackle almost any task.</li><li>Though the HP Envy Curved 34" All-In-One is pricier than your average PC (<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently $1,999.99 at Best Buy</a>), I found it did an excellent job of boosting my productivity when working and streaming HD movies relaxing.</li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm a simple man. When it comes to computers, I don't want to have to shop for the best monitor, tower, and components separately. I want a single unit that has all of the best in one package, and I don't mind paying a little bit more for this convenience. I've used all-in-one (AIO) computers throughout my work-from-home career. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When my AIO was starting to slow down after five years of service and reinstalling the operating system didn't fix things, I reached out to HP to see if they would let me test their <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HP Envy 34" Curved AIO</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are my experiences with it.</span></p><h2><strong>My first experiences with the HP Envy 34" Curved</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most impressive features of the HP Envy Curved is the 34" UWQHD LED screen. Since screens are always measured on the diagonal, it's worth noting that the dimensions are 13-1/8" tall by 31-1/2" wide. The resolution is 3440 x 1440 (21:9 aspect ratio).</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are a few of the other important specifications you should know:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The operating system is Windows 10</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The graphics are AMD Radeon RX 460 driven by 4GB GDDR5 SDRAM</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 1TB of hard drive storage</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">16GB RAM</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">7</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> generation Intel Core i7-7700T quad-core processor</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">4 USB 3.0 ports</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HDMI in and out ports</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SD card slot</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Headphone jack</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ethernet port</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If I didn't list a spec you were looking for, you can find more info on </span><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the Best Buy product page</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If none of the above makes much sense to you, just know that this machine has all of the makings of a workhorse. The graphics are enough for most tasks, save heavy gaming. You will have a hard time filling up all of that storage, and if you do, you probably know about the cloud or external hard drives. And, the 16GB RAM and quad-core processor are ideal for chronic multitaskers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Setup time was relatively fast. After 18 minutes of unboxing, logging in, installing updates, saying I didn't want to sign up for any newsletters or special offers, and choosing other preferences, I was ready to put that massive screen and computing power to work.</span></p><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-all-in-one-pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The best all-in-one PCs you can buy</a></span></em></p><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Best Buy</span></p><p class="caption">Essentially, the big curved screen is like having two monitors.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></a></p><h2><strong>How the HP Envy Curved performed</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>The hardest feature to get used to was the size of the screen.</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It tilts and has an attractive curve, but it was a bit much to take in. Once I realized that I didn't need to sit so close to it, the display became a bit more manageable. Essentially, it is like having two monitors. As a writer, I like to be able to see what I am working on while also viewing a few windows of research materials. The 34" screen helped immensely with this and saved me from jumping from one tab to another, which could potentially lure me into a social media wormhole.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The camera can be pushed down into the monitor if you are concerned about hackers gaining access and seeing what you are up to. However, you still need to pop the camera back up if you want to log in using face recognition. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of the face recognition, initially, I had it analyze my face when I had a substantial beard. After I shaved, it no longer recognized me. To be fair, my friends have the same problem. If the PC doesn't recognize your face, you can still log in with a PIN.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sound is delivered from front-firing quad speakers in the soundbar at the front of the computer's base. The Danish high-end electronics firm Bang &amp; Olufsen is the brains behind the audio. The base is outfitted with touch controls that allow you to play, pause, and adjust the volume of your media without touching the keyboard or mouse. As a sloppy person with a cluttered desk, I accidentally hit the controls on several occasions so I disabled it. However, it did function flawlessly up until I gave it the ax.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Overall, the audio quality is impressive.</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bass isn't earth-shattering due to the size of the speakers, but the sound on all levels is incredibly clear. I got a reading of 99 decibels approximately 12" from the speakers when blasting some tunes. So, it should be sufficient for rocking out or getting wrapped up in action movies.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One morning, I tried to play some background music while working, but the HP Envy told me that I didn't have speakers. It didn't recognize their existence. So, I clicked on the little blue and white question mark icon in the lower right to launch HP Support Assistant. I was instantly messaging with Prachi, a support representative, who let me know that the root of the problem was a Windows 10 update that had some configuration and compatibility issues with the Realtek sound card. I gave him control of my computer, and after reinstalling the sound driver, I was able to play Brian Eno.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was my only experience with the HP customer support, and I was impressed that they were able to fix my problem in under 10 minutes with minimal effort on my part.</span></p><p><strong>Lastly, I tested the HP Envy 34 using the UL PCMark 10 test, which is considered the industry standard for PC performance for Windows 10 machines.</strong></p><p><a href="https://benchmarks.ul.com/pcmark10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>James Brains/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></a></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overall, it scored 4,631, which is better than most PCs, very good for AIOs, but not as good as the high-octane gaming consoles or graphics-editing computers. However, it did score quite high for productivity (7,145) and essentials (8,374), such as app start-up, video conferencing, and web browsing. Visit </span><a href="https://benchmarks.ul.com/pcmark10"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the PCMark website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to learn more about this benchmark test.</span></p><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/simplisafe-home-security-system-review-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This $250 home security system has made living in a high-crime area less stressful for my family</a></span></em></p><h2><strong>Some concerns about the computer</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I really didn't like the wireless keyboard and mouse that came with the HP Envy Curved. There seemed to be some disconnect between how the keyboard communicated with the computer because it would occasionally register several keystrokes when I only pressed the key once. This was endlessly frustrating so I ditched the keyboard pretty early on in the testing. I used the mouse throughout the testing, but quite often, it would register right clicks as left clicks, even when I clicked as far to the right as possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I was annoyed by the number of emails and offers that followed the onboarding process. Also, there are a lot of unnecessary programs that come on the computer, which are easy enough to remove but annoying. If you spend $2,000 on a computer, you shouldn't have to deal with having additional sales pitches or items thrust upon you. Then again, maybe some buyers look for these "perks."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of the USB 3.0 ports are located in the back of the computer's base. This can be a pain to access at times, especially if you have your PC against a wall. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My last concern is that there is no CD/DVD drive. Many of us still have these discs and would like to listen/watch them on our fancy computer. A disc drive would also have saved me a couple of minutes </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canon-laser-printer-review-imageclass-mf426dw-2018-10"><span style="font-weight: 400;">setting up my printer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Instead, I had to download the drivers online.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Best Buy</span></p><p class="caption">The hardest feature to get used to was the size of the screen.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></a></span></p><h2><strong>Bottom line</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">HP told me that they want the computer back when I'm done testing it. And, I'm going to be sad to see it go. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is an awesome machine. A good test of whether I would recommend a product is if I would replace it if it were to disappear tomorrow. Since I don't have the income to spend more than $1,000 on an AIO, I probably would not. But, if I came into a little extra money, this would be at the top of my list of items to buy. It is worth the price tag, and I'd be hard-pressed to find a PC that more closely meets my needs.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That said, I strongly recommend the HP Envy 34" Curved All-In-One if you are looking for a computer that can handle excessive multitasking, stream crystal clear video, perform actions faster than you can click a mouse, and you have a generous budget. </span></p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38606&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fhp-envy-curved-34-all-in-one-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black%2F5759904.p%3FskuId%3D5759904" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Buy the HP Envy 34" Curved All-in-One at Best Buy for $2,000</strong></a></h3><h3><a href="http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinaffid=257137&amp;awinmid=7168&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fstore.hp.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Fmdp%2Fall-in-ones-349502--1%2Fenvy-34-curved-all-in-one-349516--1%23!%26tab%3Dvao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out more HP Envy 34" Curved All-in-One computers at HP from $1,650</a></h3><p class="tagline">Find the best holiday deals on our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-deals-2018">Black Friday Deals</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cyber-monday-deals-2018">Cyber Monday Deals</a> page. <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a>.<br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.<br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.</br></br></p>

I tried the HP Envy 34" Curved All-In-One for 90 days - and getting work done and streaming video has never been easier

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;ALID=2C0BF1OUMB7TS#/SearchResult&amp;ALID=2C0BF1OUMB7TS&amp;VBID=2C0BX47UUVV8&amp;POPUPPN=13&amp;POPUPIID=2C0BF1OU5JAUB">Reuters/Bruno Kelly</a></span></p><p class="caption">A boat lies on the bottom of Amazonas river, in the city of Manaus, Brazil.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Here is what you need to know.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/white-house-congressional-leaders-near-possible-budget-deal-n451786">A tentative budget deal has been reached</a>.</strong> The White House and Congressional leaders have agreed to a tentative budget deal that would set government spending levels for the next two years and raise the debt ceiling until March 2017. NBC News says, some specifics of the bill include providing $80 billion of sequester relief and making sure Medicare Part B premiums don't increase for millions of Americans.<span> "I think that we could move forward with this, it averts a shutdown, it puts any of these problems into two years from now, so I think it's the best deal we can get," <span>Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), told reporters. </span></span>According to NBC, The deal could be voted on as soon as Wednesday in the House of Representatives, and will likely need Democratic support to pass.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-industrial-profits-in-september-2015-10">China's industrial profits weren't as bad as last month</a>.</strong> Industrial profits for large firms in China slipped 0.1% versus last year, far better than the 8.8% year-over-year drop registered in August. <span>"Even though the rate of industrial losses narrowed in September, given that downward pressure on the industrial economy continues, the industrial profit outlook is still not optimistic," China's National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement on its website. </span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uk-q3-gdp-preliminary-estimate-2015-10">UK GDP missed</a>. </strong>The British economy expanded at a 0.5% clip in the third quarter, missing the 0.6% estimate. Manufacturing and construction were drags, falling 0.3% and 2.2%, respectively. On the other hand, the services sector remained the driving force, expanding 0.7%. The British pound is down 0.1% at 1.5342.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marvell-technology-auditor-resigns-2015-10">Marvell's auditor resigned and the stock is getting crushed</a>. </strong>In a filing with the SEC, Marvell acknowledged its auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers resigned on October 20. PwC resigned on its own accord, and suggested Marvell expand the scope of its audits in 2016. The stock was down as much as 16% in after-hours trade.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-canon-cuts-full-year-profit-outlook-on-sluggish-china-southeast-asia-demand-2015-10">Cannon trimmed its forecast because of weakness in China</a>.</strong> The camera and printer maker sees full-year operating profit ending in December of ¥365 billion ($3.02 billion), down from its previous estimate of ¥380 billion as a result of slowing demand in China and Southeast Asia, according to a statement released by the company. Cannon also revised its full-year revenue forecast down to ¥3.8 trillion from ¥3.9 trillion. In addition, sluggish sales caused the company to revise its compact camera sales forecast down to 6.5 million units from 7 million units and its interchanged lens cameras sales down to 5.5 million units from 5.8 million units. The stock lost 2.9% in Tokyo trade.</p><p align="left"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 16px; color: #585656;">SPONSORED BY Fidelity Investments<strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.5px; line-height: 25px; color: #000000;"> Get Fidelity's take on the markets - perspectives on everything from trading strategies to market reports. <strong><a href="https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/overview">Learn more here.</a></strong></span></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/volkswagen-sold-fewer-cars-than-toyota-in-last-nine-months-2015-10?r=UK&amp;IR=T">Volkswagen is no longer the world's largest automaker</a>. </strong>The German automaker sold a whopping 7.43 million cars through the nine months ended September, but it wasn't enough to remain the world's top automaker as Toyota sold 7.49 million. Volkswagen has seen soft sales in emerging markets such as Brazil, where sales are down more than 30% so far this year. Sales in the US and UK are up 7.3% and 3.8%, respectively, but the emissions scandal was just two weeks old before the end of September. Shares of Volkswagen are down 1.3% in German trade.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-jpmorgan-chase-says-it-is-building-a-rival-to-apple-pay-2015-10?r=UK&amp;IR=T">JPMorgan Chase is going to compete with Apple Pay</a>.</strong> Reuters reports, JPMorgan is entering the mobile payment business to compete with Apple Pay. The bank's mobile app, "Chase Pay" has already received a commitment from the Merchant Customer Exchange, which includes retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. According to the report, the app will be available on both Apple and Android operating systems.</p><p><strong>Stock markets around the globe are lower. </strong>Japan's Nikkei (-0.9%) lagged in Asia and Spain's IBEX (-0.8%) paces the decline in Europe. S&amp;P 500 futures are down 1 point at 2061.25. </p><p><strong>Economic data is moderate. </strong>Durable orders will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET before the Case-Schiller 20-City Index crosses the wires at 9 a.m. ET and consumer confidence is announced at 10 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is lower by 1 basis point at 2.05%. </p><p><strong>Earnings reporting is heavy.</strong> BP, Coach, Comcast, Cummins, DuPont, Ford Motor, Merck, Pfizer, T-Mobile US and UPS highlight the names set to report ahead of the opening bell. Apple, CH Robinson, Gilead Sciences, Panera Bread and Twitter are among the companies scheduled to report after the market closes.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-traffic-jam-madness-2015-10">This 50-lane traffic jam in China will make you regret ever complaining about your commute</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F4bXEzeDr24ZRN_VgUIyHndWl7OTMNzm" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

10 things you need to know before the opening bell

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Ana Gavia</span></p><p class="caption">Ana Gavia is the founder and CEO of Pinkcolada, an over $1 million profit business.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Ana Gavia is 26 years old, and the founder of the ecommerce startup Pinkcolada.</li><li>She started Pinkcolada, which sells stylish, affordable, and high-quality swimsuits, when she was 25 and a student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia getting a master's degree in podiatric medicine.</li><li>Since launch, the company has brought in $1.7 million in revenue.</li><li>Gavia shared with Business Insider how she got her start in her college apartment, how she grew the business through reinvesting her profits into production and marketing (and capitalizing on Instagram), and her advice for startup founders looking to gain similar results as her.</li><li>She said that "I sacrificed everything in my life - relationships, friendships, social life, parties, my studies, and my sleep" to create Pinkcolada, and doesn't believe entrepreneurship and ecommerce is for everyone.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul><p>A year ago, Ana Gavia was a 25-year-old college student with an idea: Why not launch an online swimwear business? </p><p>Today, the 26-year-old has become a full-fledged entrepreneur as the founder and CEO of the ecommerce startup <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pinkcolada_/">Pinkcolada</a>. Launched from her house while attending university, the new venture generated a seven-figure turnover in just over a year of the company being established, after Gavia started the business with only $200. </p><p>With sales driven primarily by social media and advertising, Pinkcolada has rapidly grown, already tapping into the international market. According to Gavia, as of August 2019, Pinkcolada had reached a sales growth of 216% since January 2018 and hit the $1.7 million mark in revenue.</p><p>"I have been entirely involved in my business every step of the way, from designing the bikinis from a sketch, building the website, taking photos of the products, editing the product images, integrating payment pathways, marketing [the products], managing finances, setting up shipping carriers, implementing software, picking and packing, [handling] customer service [and] admin - I've done it all myself and learned a lot along the way," she said.</p><p>How did Gavia scale a business to over $1 million so quickly, and while still a university student, no less? Gavia gave Business Insider the inside scoop on her successful ascent.</p><h1>A business is born - at home</h1><p>Ana's idea for Pinkcolada was born of necessity, or at least of personal fashion preference. She had been searching for swimwear that was "stylish, high quality, and affordable" but came up empty handed. Her inspiration to have the type of swimsuit she wanted led to her noodling around with digital designs. </p><p>"I used to spend a lot of time on the computer just playing around in the Myspace days with HTML coding layouts, using Photoshop, editing and creating cool images, and making them look good," said Gavia. "It was something I always enjoyed during school when I was younger; I loved fashion design and art."</p><p>Yet what began as a small-scale hobby quickly grew legs. Gavia recognized that she could parlay her digital skills and her passion for design into a perfect ecommerce opportunity - one she could even execute on her own from home. "It was an introvert's dream!" said Gavia. </p><p>Gavia initially wanted to focus on a wider fashion arena with her designs, including dresses and shoes, but because of her limited budget she decided to hone in on bikinis. "[C]lothing costs a lot to manufacture, [so] I decided to choose bikinis because they require little fabric, are lighter, and cheaper to ship," she said. "I also love the summer and all things tropical, so I thought, what a better way to express my creativity and love for summer than in swimwear!"</p><p>So, she said, "I went home and started doing research and drawing designs in my study. The initial research stage and development of my very first [swimsuit] designs started from my home, literally with just a few boxes."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Ana Gavia</span></p><p class="caption">Ana Gavia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Gavia came up with the Pinkcolada concept while attending a master's degree program in podiatric medicine at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. To get the job done while balancing her course load, she would spend time working on her designs every day after she got home from the university. "I did a lot of research just by searching in Google Images and looking at photos for inspiration for designs, and learned what kind of bikinis were already out there," she said. "I saw a void in the designs that were [available] and realized that there weren't many fun, vibrant bikinis out there!" </p><p>Soon after, Gavia expanded her efforts from sketching swimsuit designs to researching for distributors. "A lot of the distributors I found denied my small order and eventually I found one who accepted," she explained. Once she received her first batch of swimsuits, her next step was to take very basic photos of them in her study, three of which she showcased on a very simple website that she built. </p><p>"I had very little knowledge of marketing at the time, and decided to stick with a basic plan of posting the swimsuits on Instagram and Facebook," she said. A few days later, she received her first order, and Pinkcolda was off and running. </p><p>In the beginning, Gavia did everything manually, which resulted in inefficiencies. "I had no idea how to optimize the processes," she said. "It was very time-consuming and I didn't know anything about business or operating one." She recalled printing out shipping labels, cutting out each one, and taping each edge four times, one by one, for each parcel. "I didn't know what a label printer was and I couldn't afford one at that time either," she said.  </p><p>She may have been waylaid by processes, but she wasn't deterred.</p><p>"Once my first batch of bathing suits sold out, I reinvested my profits and purchases [for] a larger order. Once they sold out, I repeated and my business began to grow," she explained. "I ordered more swimsuits and improved my website." Gavia also prioritized researching the demand for her products. "I think that was kind of common sense to me, but I now realize that a lot of business owners don't ask their customer what they want before starting a business," she said. </p><p>Gavia explained that from the start, she has funneled most of the money that the business generates into marketing, advertising, and production and design. Instagram is currently Pinkcolada's strongest and most engaging platform for driving customer engagement. </p><h1>The student becomes the entrepreneur</h1><p>As a graduate student, she lived off campus, which gave her time and space to focus on her new enterprise from home. </p><p>"I only had to be at university for clinical lessons, and most lectures were recorded and delivered online," she said. "I worked a lot of hours [from home] after and before university to manage and grow Pinkcolada." </p><p>While her apartment study was her initial go-to place to conduct all of her business operations and sort and prep orders for shipping, she soon maxed out that space as her business rapidly expanded. So, in the style of Apple and Amazon, she moved the business's operations to her garage. When Pinkcolada's orders outgrew even her garage's capacity, Gavia relocated to a warehouse, out of which it operates today. </p><p>In these early stages of the startup, Gavia was a solopreneur in the truest sense of the word. No one helped her with launching her company, and although she was still an enrolled student, she kept the news about the startup to herself while in school. "I didn't think anything big of it at the time and didn't anticipate its rapid growth, so no one knew about it," she said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Instagram</span></p><p class="caption">Pinkcolada has over 100,000 followers on Instagram.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Even after Gavia extended her hours to include working on Pinkcolada on weekends as well as evenings, she soon reached a point "where it was obviously not sustainable." She had to decide between continuing her master's program or pursuing her startup full time. The startup won.</p><p>"It was a tough choice to make because I thought about if Pinkcolada failed, was temporary, or didn't work out," Gavia said. "I had already studied for my anticipated career for a long hard five years, so it was difficult to let go and risk it all with uncertainty." </p><p>But, she added, "I...reminded myself that I was still young, and if I'm ever going to take the risk in my life to try something like this, the best time is now," she said. "I thought [if] worse comes to worst, I can go back to uni later on to finish my studies." (Gavia's student debts are on <a href="https://www.studyassist.gov.au/paying-back-your-loan/loan-repayment">HECS</a>, a loan payment program by the Australian government in which her debt is deducted from her income over time.)</p><p>Despite this challenging decision, Gavia hopes to keep a door open to the possibility of one day transferring the skills she has developed through her site to something medical related. (Gavia's undergraduate degree from Deakin University is in medical biotechnology and nutrition.)</p><p>"I love science and would love to go back and do some cancer research in my field," said Gavia.</p><h1>Learning to make sacrifices and take a methodical approach led to financial success</h1><p>When asked how she beat the odds and managed to launch a wildly successful startup so quickly when so many others fail at this task, Gavia first pointed to her dedication. </p><p>"I sacrificed everything in my life - relationships, friendships, social life, parties, my studies, and my sleep," said Gavia. "I worked 120-hour weeks for an extended period of time, seven days a week, and slept in my office because it was simply 'time inefficient' to go home because I'd lose one hour of 'work time' commuting to and from work." </p><p>She added that this type of work-life imbalance is "not something [she] would ever recommend to anyone," noting that she ran the business on her own until earlier this year. She now has three team members in Pinkcolada's warehouse and three working remote.</p><p>The second thing that Gavia pointed to was taking a methodical approach to her business.</p><p>"I tested what worked and what didn't," said Gavia. "I then made my decisions based on the results. I continued to do this across all aspects. I learn, I test, I evaluate the results, then I keep testing other variables and reiterating until it's refined as close as possible to perfect."</p><p>Based on her own experience, Gavia suggested that people in their twenties who aspire to a similar path should first figure out what their long-term goals and priorities are - and what sacrifices they are willing to make.</p><p>"Entrepreneurship is a very tough journey to embark on, and I think the term is used very lightly across my generation, particularly with social media glamorizing entrepreneurship," said Gavia. "A lot of people think starting a business is going to give them the flexibility to work their own 'hours' and open up a lifestyle full of opportunity and work-life balance," said Gavia. "Anyone who's run a real startup knows that this is far from reality!"</p><p>Gavia offered the following advice: "You have to be prepared for the sacrifices, be completely fixated on your vision, and unbalanced in every way for a period of your life to get ahead and reach success," she said. "I would never 'recommend' anyone embark on that type of lifestyle, because the reality is that it's not for everyone. It's tough and pushes you as a person in ways you would have never thought possible."  </p><h1>Passion is a must-have for any entrepreneur - but it's not always enough</h1><p>While it would be easy to conclude from Gavia's story that ecommerce is the way to go if you want financial success, she expressed her view that it's best to take a career path that you're truly passionate about, rather than try to pick a lucrative field. </p><p>"If you do something with the intent of just 'earning big money' and that's your motivating factor, then you are going to burn out pretty quickly," said Gavia. "You need to be passionate to be able to sustain your motivation over the long term to succeed." </p><p>While Pinkcolada started as a small business fueled by passion, Gavia emphasized that she "never anticipated it to be[come] a million-dollar business," noting that swimwear and fashion in general is a very competitive niche.</p><p>"Passion alone is not enough," she summarized. "It's about finding a way to apply your passion in business to be able to make a living out of it. Follow your passion, put the pieces together, create the demand, and the money will come."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-organ-transplants-so-expensive-united-states-2019-9">Why organ transplants are so expensive in the US</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

A 26-year-old college student took $200 and launched a $1.7 million swimwear business in a year out of her apartment. This is how she did it.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Jeneration PR" title_caption="Jennifer Berson." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b7c7c8eab8ea3534cec646-960/jenerationprbts-36.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Jeneration PR</span></p><p class="caption">Jennifer Berson.</p></div><p></p></div>In 2005, Jennifer Berson was earning six figures as a civil litigation attorney in Los Angeles.</p><p>"I was making really good money," she says. "I had this great house, but I wasn't ever there. I felt like, 'What is this all for?' I felt like I was on this track that wasn't going to be my definition of success for the long run."</p><p>So she picked up an unpaid passion project in her limited free time: publicity and marketing for a fragrance company. "I had this clear vision of where the company should be, and how to get it in the media, and what it might do for the brand," she remembers.</p><p>When her now-husband, who was working as an investment banker and getting his MBA on the side, mentioned that he was taking a marketing class and felt like she might have a natural affinity for the field, she realized she might be able to turn her passion project into a new career. "I didn't even know that was a service brands paid for!" Berson says.</p><p>"I've always wanted to work for myself," she explains. "I didn't feel like the partnership track in a law firm is right for me. I would look around and think there were really no women here who have the kind of career I want and the family life I hope to have. I knew I wanted a family, and I knew I wanted to spend time with that family."</p><p>In 2005, when she walked away from her job in a strong economy, she remembers it didn't seem like a huge risk. "I could always go back to law," she says. "No one will take away my bar admission."</p><p>However, it was a difficult choice to present to her parents, who covered the cost of law school and were upset about her career change. "My father was furious," Berson remembers. "He said, 'Why did I pay for law school?' He said it seemed flaky and unprofessional, and I had financial responsibilities, and made it clear I didn't have a way out with them - but I never expected to. I had a moral obligation to my family and I didn't take that decision lightly."</p><p>A habitual saver, she had about a year's worth of living expenses set aside, and knew that to start her own business, she would have to keep her overhead costs low. She forewent an office, bought a secondhand printer on eBay, and started taking on work for free and at reduced rates. When she could, she traded her services for things she needed, like building a brand identity and printing materials. She put off building a full website until she had the cash - and the experience - to make it a good one. "I did it all as inexpensively as possible," she says.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Jeneration PR" title_caption="Berson in her home office." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b7e2ac6da811a57f63866e-960/jenerationprbts-72-1.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Jeneration PR</span></p><p class="caption">Berson in her home office.</p></div><p></p></div>Today, ten years later, <a href="http://www.jenerationpr.com/">Jeneration PR</a> employs six other people, all of whom work remotely. Although its revenue fluctuates, it earns up to $30,000 a month, and Berson has now surpassed the salary she was earning at her law job. She and her husband, who was recently able to strike out on his own as a business broker, have two young sons.</p><p>That's not to say the transition has been without challenges: For instance, as a self-employed household, they pay a lot for health insurance and out of pocket costs, especially since their 5-year-old son has experienced some developmental delays and needs additional support.</p><p>Aside from the opportunity her job affords her to spend time with her kids - she's a room mom in their classrooms - "I love being able to work with any client that I think is interesting, and to be able to find a way to work with clients on a wide range of budgets," she says.</p><p>Berson advises people considering leaving a secure job to start planning well before they take the leap. "You're gonna have to do a lot of nights and weekends and long hours, especially if you're looking to do something entrepreneurial," she says. "Definitely don't violate any kind of employment contract, but your best time to prepare is when you have the security of a job. Try to do some work in that field on the side so you can decide if you like it, and ask around as much as you can: how people in that field charge for their services, what resources are available, how they find clients and work."</p><p>She also recommends getting a clear idea of  how much you need to earn to cover your expenses, and to leave your employer on good terms. "Your reputation is everything," she says. "I've never burned a bridge." Even her parents got on board with her choice to leave the law, toasting her smart choice at her 2007 wedding.</p><p>"It's a great realization that I can be with my kids and be the kind of mom I want to be and start a business I'm proud of," Berson says, "and set a great example for them of dedication, working hard, being your own boss, and growing something for yourself."</p><p><em>Have you walked away from a steady, high-paying job to create your own path? Email yourmoney[at]businessinsider[dot]com.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clear-out-iphone-storage-space-2015-6">How to clear out a ton of space on your iPhone superfast</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5qcmxndToofREk2JFghn1wjMFTZOXP_E" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A former lawyer who left a steady 6-figure job explains what it's like to take the leap

The first woman entrepreneur I knew was my neighbour who started a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papadum">papad</a> manufacturing business in the early 90s. I remember my mother being in awe of her and did her best to help out the budding entrepreneur.<br />
<br />
But that was the 90s and these entrepreneurs were never glorified or talked about in the media. Even the choices for women in India were limited – most enterprising women built home-based businesses.<br />
<br />
Over the turn of the millennium, a lot of businesses based on the distribution model were popularized, and empowered women too. Every other person you met was either an Amway or Oriflame distributor.<br />
<br />
Fast forward a few years and we have women rocking the proverbial boat by trying their hands on so-called “male-dominated” businesses.<br />
<br />
Let me introduce here six phenomenal ladies who rule the Indian startup scene with their disruptive ideas. From software developer to recruiter, from a woman who travelled alone for days on end surveying small city hotels to one whose mission is to pamper other Indian women, they have been there, done that and aren’t slowing down anytime soon.<br />
<br />
Of course, we’ll talk about their work (and companies), which speaks for itself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.posist.com/"><strong>POSist</strong></a><br />
POSist is a Cloud-based restaurant management software that automates almost all restaurant operations, including online reservation, inventory management, and billing. It covers every single need of all types and sizes of food outlets.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The idea for POSist came to Sakshi Tulsian when she and her husband couldn’t find good software for their own restaurant venture. As most good business ideas are designed to fill a void, POSist too was conceived to fill the demand-supply gap for decent hotel management software.<br />
Thanking her family for supporting her in realizing her dreams, Tulsian says that women in our society are expected to be all-rounders and create a balance between social and professional life, unlike men. This is the toughest part of being a woman entrepreneur.<br />
Our next entrepreneur too struggled with work-life balance after her first child was born.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.designnbuy.com/"><strong>Design ‘N’ Buy</strong></a><br />
Design ‘N’ Buy provides high-end ecommerce software solutions for B2B and B2C companies such as print service providers, trade printers, and distributors. Remember the time you got cool personalized messages on a t-shirt or mug? Design ‘N’ Buy builds web-to-print software to empower corporate websites to automate that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You can get a tailored web-to-print solution to design caps, t-shirts, banners, posters, greetings, mobile covers, and much more. Phew! You just need to plug in this printing and designing software to your website and you’re set.<br />
<br />
The idea behind Design ‘N’ Buy came to Nidhi Agarwal, a quintessential small town girl who overcame all obstacles, from learning English to mastering open source technologies, to actualize her dream. Today she is heading a 30+ team with over 500 projects to her credit.<br />
Design ‘N’ Buy is already ruling the personalized merchandise scene in the US with 80% of their clientele coming from California, Texas, Florida and New York. Nidhi has built a woman-centric team, because early in the game she understood the women’s potential and ability to multi-task with ease.<br />
<br />
This is an important lesson for all startups, not only in India, but across the world. Keep your workforce talent as diverse as possible by hiring people across ages, genders, races and backgrounds.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://vtestcorp.com/">VTest</a><br />
VTest provides software testing services accompanied by detailed test reports and a digital certificate. Their business is restricted only to testing, a niche software development pain point.<br />
<br />
Director and COO Almas Khan started out in the recruitment field, but grew increasingly interested in tech. In the middle of a few life changing scenarios and a break from work, she found herself sitting at home, doing nothing. Initially, she did testing pro-bono for a friend. Soon, she realized this was what she wanted to do, and VTest was born. With her USP of focusing on “what not to do” VTest has made major inroads towards becoming a major player in the app testing business.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vistarooms.com/">Vista Rooms</a><br />
Vista Rooms is a niche business that offers low-cost luxury accommodation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India. Launched in April 2015, their website now offers stays in more than 70 cities and over 500 hotels.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Theirs is a budget business model; so, they are leveraging existing platforms instead of making heavy investments unlike competitors. For instance, instead of creating a standalone app, they created a complete app experience on Instagram that allows everything from browsing to booking, to sharing reviews.<br />
<br />
Co-founder Ankita Sheth travelled for one and a half month to various small cities and experienced the true horrors of bad hospitability. Slowly but surely, she and her partners put together a plan for offering standardized hospitality and making pleasant budget travel a reality in India.<br />
<br />
Entrepreneurs can take two lessons from this startup. First, instead of hiring people to do research and listening to second-hand reports, devote time to check the ground reality on your own. Secondly, in the initial years, try to make your startup as lean as possible by cashing in on existing platforms as opposed to building new ones.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sugarbox.in/">Sugarbox</a><br />
Sugarbox is a gift subscription service, a first of its kind service in India that allows women to indulge themselves (hint, hint, husbands). All you need to do is subscribe, and you’ll get gifts – which could be fashion, beauty, lifestyle and gourmet products – handpicked by in-house stylists every month. That’s not all, you don’t know what your box contains is until it is delivered. Every month, Sugarbox has a new theme for the goodies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It’s been barely over a year since Niharika Jhunjhunwala started Sugarbox, but the business is doing pretty well with 30-40% month-on-month subscription growth.<br />
<br />
Niharika feels extremely happy about being able to spoil women, and now that she has cornered the market in metro cities, she is looking forward to capture a slice of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.alwayswithyou.co.in/">With You</a><br />
Although the idea of this startup is a little morbid, it is beyond doubt one of the most disruptive ideas in a very long time. A website to leave a message for your loved ones after your death, in a country like India, seems as strange to us as the idea of snake charmers to the west.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, Vedika Goel went on and gave shape to this thoughtful idea, and created With You. So many things happen today – heart attacks, accidents, etc. – that snatch away lives and worlds in a fleeting moment. With You allows you to leave messages for your loved ones – it might be a secret that you don’t want to take to your grave, a financial will, or just that “I love you” that you never got around to saying.<br />
<br />
Vedika calls it the <em>insurance of emotions</em>; saying that her venture takes care of the emotions of people that are left behind when someone passes away.<br />
<br />
The most important lesson to learn from the last two startups is to pursue your dream, no matter how disruptive, small or whacky it may seem at the outset.<br />
<br />
All In All,<br />
If you’re a male entrepreneur, look to your female counterparts to inspiration and how to walk the tightrope of work-life balance. Further,<br />
·         Keep your workforce as diverse as possible<br />
·         Make a “not-to-do list”<br />
·         Keep your startup lean<br />
·         Think different, think disruptive<br />
If you’re a female entrepreneur, Kudos to you!<br />
 <br />
(This article is written by Rohan Ayyar, who is a startup-focused marketer involved in creative content strategy, web analytics, and conversion optimization at E2M, a premium digital marketing firm. He’s also an avid writer in the business and tech space, with articles featured on Fast Company, Entrepreneur Mag and The Next Web. Follow him on Twitter @searchrook)<br />
<br />
(Image: Thinkstock)<br />

6 successful women entrepreneurs
who rock the Indian startup scene

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Flickr/cybershotking" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/52278f856bb3f70439316148-960/329184504b58ce169f4b.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybershotking/">Flickr/cybershotking</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Earlier this month <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-investigates-rigging-of-contracts-in-advertising-industry-1481046420">The Wall Street Journal revealed</a> the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has opened up into an investigation into whether <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> agencies are intentionally rigging the bidding process for TV and video commercial production contracts to favor their own in-house companies, rather than independent production outfits.</p><p><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/interpublic-group-contacted-by-justice-department-in-ad-probe-1481124283">IPG confirmed</a> one of its "standalone domestic [agencies]" is cooperating with the investigation and has been asked to hand over documents. <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omnicom-press-statement-300379669.html">Omnicom said two of its subsidiaries have received subpoenas</a> from the DoJ concerning its investigation into video production and post production practices and that it too is cooperating with the authorities. All of the other "big six" advertising holding companies - WPP, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, and Havas - have declined to comment about whether any of their agencies are involved.</p><p>It sounds complicated. And it is. But the investigation could have huge repercussions on the entire advertising industry, that stretch beyond the estimated $5 billion production sector.</p><p>People could go to prison. </p><p>Here's why.</p><h2>What is bid rigging and why is the DoJ probing ad agencies and production companies over it?</h2><p>This is what should generally happen when a brand appoints an ad agency to work on a commercial. The agency is responsible for the big, strategic, creative idea. But a production company is responsible for filming the commercial, directing the shoot, and a post-production company provides services such as visual effects and editing.</p><p>The ad agency agrees with their client that they will put the production work out for competitive pitches among a number of production companies. Interested companies bid for the work by naming their price. The ad agency recommends which production companies they think the client should choose. The client picks what seems like the most suitable company, with the most reasonable price to take on the work.</p><p>But here's where it gets a bit muddy.</p><p>Many agency holding companies have bought or built out their own production and post production companies, often under different names to the ad agencies they sit within. They want to get the work themselves, rather than seeing it lost to the independent production company sector. Good players want to win this work fairly, by having the most talented employees - directors, colorists, sound engineers, visual effects artists, and so on - and the best body of work.</p><p>But the DoJ is looking at whether some ad agencies are using dubious illegal methods to make sure they win those production budgets. We spoke to a number of advertising industry sources and it appears this is the kind of scenario the DoJ is looking at.</p><p>An ongoing joke in the industry is: You give away the ideas for free, you make the money on production. As brand procurement departments have squeezed the prices down on services such as strategic insight, planning, and account handling, agencies have looked for new revenue streams as they attempt to keep their margins healthy.</p><p>Ad agencies work with independent production agencies all the time. But there is also an industry term often thrown about called "make weights."</p><p>Here's the kind of hypothetical situation the DoJ is looking for: Ad agencies ask two of their independent production company pals to submit a bid for the work - usually something fairly high so the client is never likely to consider it. The creative agency offers the production companies the promise of work in the future, or threatens they may get no work from them in the future, or maybe even offers some sort of payout in return for playing along with the game.</p><p>Two "competing" bids of, say, $310,000 may justify the in-house ad agency's seemingly high production fee of $250,000 to the client (even though the work could have probably been completed for far cheaper than that).</p><p>What was just described is bid-rigging and price-fixing - both of which are illegal in the United States under federal antitrust <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Law">law</keyword>.</p><h2>The prosecutor looking into this investigation has sent ad executives to prison before</h2><p>Rebecca Meiklejohn, the DoJ attorney leading this investigation, has trodden this ground before.</p><p>In the early 2000s, <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising/taken-ride-75814">Meiklejohn led an investigation into bid-rigging among printers who work ad agencies</a>. She used informants wearing hidden microphones to collect evidence, in addition to flipping low-level offenders to testify against bigger fish on Madison Avenue. </p><p>She indicted 22 ad execs and got convictions in 21 of those cases. Most famously, Grey Global Group executive vice president for print Mitch Mosallem was sentenced to a term in federal prison for 70 months. Haluk Ergulec, the former owner of Color Wheel, a New York print shop, was imprisoned for 37 months. The others paid millions in fines and restitution, collectively. </p><p>Since the mid-1990s, Meiklejohn's office has prosecuted about 60 different ad execs in various anti-competition cases, going all the way back to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/23/business/the-media-business-advertising-addenda-executive-resigns-at-wells-rich-greene.html">Harold Singer, the notorious print boss of Wells Rich Greene</a>. Back in the Mad Men era, Singer spent so much money on steak and vodka with his co-conspirators at the Palm Too restaurant in Manhattan that the restaurant owner <a href="https://business.highbeam.com/436953/article-1G1-16948791/color-money">painted his face into a mural on its wall</a>. He pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and got three years' probation.</p><p>Print production and TV commercial production are completely different businesses, but they both have one thing in common: The companies' clients are ad agencies, and those agencies' clients generally insist on seeing multiple competitive bids on their work before they choose a vendor.</p><p>Rigging the bids - colluding to fix bid prices so that you know which one will win before the client sees them - is a straightforward violation of federal anti-competition law. Those cases fall squarely onto Meikeljohn's beat inside the DoJ. So she is likely to be very, very curious about allegations that bidding for TV and video production contracts is fixed. </p><p>It's difficult to predict what the result of the investigation could be this time around.</p><p>Richard Robinson, managing partner of London-based marketing consultancy firm Oystercatchers, said: "In my experience, legal people think in a very binary context: Did the agency do a rigorous job of finding their client the best value for money or did they have a predetermined objective of doing the job themselves? Has anyone involved broken the law and, if so, was it pre-meditated or was it by accident, unintentional or just unknown when they did it? Can [the DoJ] prosecute? That's up to how angry they decide they're going to get and how much ball the agencies play with the prosecutor."</p><p>Robinson points out that clients should also take some of the responsibility here. Did they ask the right questions of their agencies when they briefed or approved the work, and did they even know what the right questions were that they needed to ask? If the investigation does find evidence of bid-rigging, then clients need to ask themselves why it was allowed to happen on their watch.</p><h2>This could be just the beginning of the DoJ's probe into the ad sector</h2><p>Sources told Business Insider that this probe could throw the door open for the DoJ to investigate other alleged non-transparent practices in the advertising business.</p><p>It is significant that Meiklejohn has subpoenaed K2 as part of her investigation, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by Business Insider with sources with knowledge of the matter.</p><p>K2 is an investigations firm that was founded by father-son detective duo Jules and Jeremy Kroll and is staffed by former FBI agents and DoJ attorneys.</p><p>The firm also authored the <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ana-report-alleges-widespread-ad-agency-kickback-schemes-2016-6">bombshell media transparency report</a> commissioned by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA, which represents brand marketers in the US) and published in June this year.</p><p>K2 interviewed 150 sources, of which 117 were directly involved in the <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> buying business. The resulting report, which did not reveal names of advertising agencies or sources, claimed <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ana-report-alleges-widespread-ad-agency-kickback-schemes-2016-6">rebates and other non-transparent business practices were "pervasive" in the US media ad buying ecosystem.</a></p><p>K2 alleged it had uncovered "substantial evidence" of non-transparent activity including agencies taking rebates from media owners and not disclosing them to clients, agencies buying media space ahead of time and selling it back to clients at a higher cost with no added value, and agencies feeling pressure to direct client spend toward media owners in which their holding company has an investment.</p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/ana-report-alleges-widespread-ad-agency-kickback-schemes-2016-6?r=US&amp;IR=T">The ANA report was condemned by all of the big advertising agency holding groups</a>, which questioned the motives of the report's authors (the suggestion being that K2 stood to win more business the more incendiary the report). Agency groups denied wrongdoing and criticized the methodology, arguing that the anonymous nature of the report caused damage to the reputation of the entire industry by tarring everyone with the same brush.</p><p>The Wall Street Journal suggests that K2's subpoena refers to a section of the report about bid rigging related to production agency contracts, which was in the first draft of the report but was removed from the final edit as the ANA wanted it to focus just on the media-buying side of the business.</p><p>But sources have suggested to Business Insider that the subpoenas could lead the DoJ to extend its probe into the media-buying landscape too. It's likely some of the people K2 interviewed about production contracts also offered information about how the US media market works. Those interviews could work their way into the hands of Meiklejohn, who can offer whistleblowers protection from prosecution if they agree to cooperate with her.</p><p>A spokesman for the DoJ told Business Insider: "As a matter of policy, the U.S. Department of Justice does not confirm or deny whether a matter is under investigation."</p><p>K2 declined to comment. The ANA told Business Insider nobody from the trade organization had been contacted or interviewed by the DoJ and it has no connection to the investigation.</p><p>Nancy Hill, chief executive of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, said in a statement: "It goes without saying that we require our member agencies and their staffs to follow the letter of the law."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nutritionist-carbs-bad-lose-fat-2016-11">A nutritionist reveals the best time to eat carbohydrates -&#xa0;so that your body uses them up instead of storing them as fat</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="xnNDc0NTE6fpUmPEgUnIMRLj8g5Smawq" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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