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☆ A 20-year-old college student brought in $125,000 in 7 months doing retail arbitrage on Amazon. He explains how he got started with $3,000 upfront.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Low-risk retail arbitrage is time-intensive, however. He had a few summer vacation months ahead: the perfect opportunity to scale a retail arbitrage operation. With FBA, he wouldn't have been able to list products until Amazon received them, which would have killed his strategy of listing products before purchasing inventory. Dhingra, now 20, is in his junior year at VCU and focused on other entrepreneurial projects since retail arbitrage requires so much time. He has reinvested 100% of his profits back into the arbitrage business, he said: "I haven't taken a single disbursement from my business checking.

Persons: Sahaj Dhingra, Dhingra, it's, Perrier, Nestlé, it'll, wouldn't, He'd Organizations: YouTube, Amazon, Costco, Walmart, Business, Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU, UPS, USPS Locations: Virginia, Dhingra

☆ A former burglar who was jailed for 10 years reveals how she used to target homes — and why alarm systems don't work
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In one video, she laid out the things she used to look for to determine if a mark was profitable. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . They're not going to come outside just to be nosy because they think something looks weird and get all wet." AdvertisementPeople don't tend to look outside when the weather is miserable, Gomez added, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't be able to see her very well.

Persons: Jennifer Gomez, —, Gomez, They're, it's Organizations: Service Locations: strollers, Florida

☆ The hidden expense that's sucking $74 billion out of the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Bartie Scott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

They said rising costs kept the board from expanding amenities residents wanted, such as a shared composting system. jhorrocks/Getty ImagesRising price for peace of mindIn the constellation of household costs, insurance is often one of the lesser-noticed line items. But recently the rising cost of repairs and the frequency of damaging weather events have made the deal go sour. Rising insurance costs could inflict more pain on another bruised area of the economy: housing affordability. For this reason, insurance companies could decline to cover them or require costly upgrades before agreeing to a policy.

Persons: that'd, Mark Pauly, Tim Quinlan, you'll, Quinlan, it's, Francesco D'Acunto, D'Acunto, Pauly, they've, Nature, John Coletti, That's, Bartie Scott Organizations: Insurance, Research, Bank of America, Global, American, Casualty Insurance Association, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, Insurance Information Institute, Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, Social Security, National Flood Insurance, Business Insider's Locations: Logan, Chicago, Florida, Wells Fargo, California

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas hotel union workers voted overwhelmingly Monday to approve their contract agreement with casino giant Caesars Entertainment, signaling an end to lengthy labor disputes that had brought the threat of a historic strike to the Strip. The Culinary Workers Union announced on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that 99% of the vote favored the new five-year deal. The breakthrough deals were tentatively reached earlier this month, just hours before the union had threatened a massive walkout at 18 hotel-casinos on the Strip, including Bellagio, Paris Las Vegas, MGM Grand and Caesars Palace. By the end of the contract, Pappageorge said, union workers will be earning on average $35 hourly, including benefits. Union workers currently make about $26 hourly with benefits.

Persons: Ted Pappageorge, Pappageorge, —, Long Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Caesars Entertainment, Culinary Workers Union, BEST, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts International, Paris Las Vegas, MGM Grand, Caesars, MGM Resorts, Union, ”, MGM Grand Detroit Locations: Las Vegas, Bellagio, Paris Las, Casino, Nevada, Hollywood

☆ A financially independent entrepreneur says there's an overlooked but 'incredible opportunity' for young investors to buy businesses right now — and they're not as expensive to acquire as you may thin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He started with an "index-first strategy," he told Insider, and invested up to 80% of his earnings into low-cost index funds in the early 2010s. While index funds are ultimately what catapulted him to financial independence in the first place, he wouldn't necessarily go that route if he had to start from scratch today. "I'm still very pro low-cost index funds for almost everyone," he said. Lower returns mean index funds won't grow as much, and investors potentially have to save and contribute more to hit their goals. "I think business ownership is really where it's going to be for the next 10 to 20 years."

Persons: Grant Sabatier's, Sabatier, Charlie Munger, you've, boomer Organizations: Business, Fidelity, Federal Reserve, FedEx, SBA, Chase, Bank of America Locations: Morningstar

☆ How a law firm built almost entirely on social-media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn has landed over 270 clients
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That's the case with SMB Law, a boutique law firm focused on small businesses founded by Eric Pacifici, Kevin Henderson, and Sam Rosati in 2022. The initiative to start SMB Law came from Pacifici. "There's a really robust small-business community on Twitter called SMB Twitter, or SMB X," Pacifici told Insider. "We have product-market fit because we have that community support in building this business," Pacifici said. "I think we've done a good job of using social media to get pretty ingrained in our space, well beyond Twitter," Pacifici said.

Persons: Elon, Eric Pacifici, Kevin Henderson, Sam Rosati, We've, Henderson, it's, Pacifici, Rosati, Eli Albrecht, They're Organizations: SMB Law, SMB, Big Law, Twitter Locations: Pacifici, Evelin Montenegro

☆ See how a couple transformed a $95,000 haunted Victorian mansion in Michigan into a colorful, maximalist wonderland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michelle Carder and Michael Ochs moved into a century-old Victorian home in Michigan in May 2016. AdvertisementAdvertisementVictorian homes are an alluring, lifelong love affair for Michelle Carder, who's fascinated with the era's grandeur and history. "The Victorian era was the first time in history that average people could afford to decorate their homes beautifully. The couple purchased the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for $95,000 from an investment group that was "desperate to get rid of this thing," Carder said. AdvertisementAdvertisementMuch of those funds — $250,000, to be exact — have been poured into transforming the ho-hum Victorian home into a maximalist wonderland.

Persons: Michelle Carder, Michael Ochs, Carder, —, who's, maximalism, hasn't, We've, Ochs, Alphonse Mucha, Mucha Organizations: Service, Facebook, Ebay Locations: Michigan, Carder, Cadillac , Michigan, Grand Rapids, Orange County , California, Florida

☆ In some states, it's 'nearly impossible' to buy a home that isn't part of a homeowners association, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Charlotte Morabito | In Charlottemorabito | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

These communities are usually overseen by homeowners associations. Homeowners associations, also known as HOAs, are self-governing organizations that implement rules for homeowners and renters within common-interest communities. The board may choose to hire a management company, many of which are for-profit, to help run day-to-day operations. Roughly 84% of newly built, single-family homes sold in 2022 belonged to homeowners associations, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. "But it seemed like [the deal] never got to the management [company] or homeowners association," Enrique Inostroza said.

Persons: Jewel Inostroza, Enrique, Gen Z, it's, Deborah Goonan, Inostroza, Enrique Inostroza, Mark Licea, HOA, Bradley, Tom Skiba, Skiba, Steve Horvath Organizations: Homeowners, Finance, . Census, Communities, CNBC, Management, HOA, Sentry Management, Community Associations Institute, Economics, Rocket Mortgage, HOA United Locations: Newnan , Georgia, HOA, U.S

Bryant West was halfway through high school in Pascagoula, Mississippi, when he dropped out in 2020. But in every state reporting high school graduation rates by gender, research shows female students graduate at higher rates. “I was lashing out because I wasn’t OK,” said Nichols, who ended up leaving high school after ninth grade. Still, the urban district posted a 10-point graduation gender gap in 2022 (84%-74%) and an 11-point gap (84%-73%) in 2021. The graduation gender gap “is harder to explain than some of the other disparities we see,” PRB’s Jarosz said.

Persons: —, Bryant West, ”, Beth Jarosz, Jarosz, Richard Reeves, Reeves, Edwin Quezada, Quezada, “, Benjamin Nichols ’, Nichols, Barack Obama, Jeffrey Hammond, Hammond, PRB’s Jarosz, it’s Organizations: Brookings Institution, American Institute for Boys, “, ”, American, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: BUFFALO, N.Y, Pascagoula , Mississippi, Popeye’s, “, U.S, Yonkers , New York, Buffalo, Yonkers, Carnegie Corporation of New York

Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesNow the agency is aiming to further reduce lead levels in drinking water and tighten a rule that failed to prevent recent drinking water crises in cities like Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey. Bernstein said he is hopeful “that as we remove lead pipes, we’re going to see the numbers continue to fall. “CDC’s work was used in other cities with elevated water lead levels to dampen citizen concerns,” the congressional report said. Joe Cotruvo, a former director of the Drinking Water Standards Division at EPA, said the existing regulations work and should be credited with significantly reducing lead in drinking water, they just aren’t properly enforced. Lead pipes in both cities were rapidly removed and lead levels dropped.

Persons: Ronnie Levin, ” Levin, Joe Biden, ”, Levin, Flint, Aaron Bernstein, Bernstein, Mark Powell, Yanna Lambrinidou, “, Mary Jean Brown, Marc Edwards, wouldn't, Joe Cotruvo, Michael Schock, Schock, we’ve Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Harvard, Centers for Disease Control, Washington , D.C, D.C, Virginia Tech, CDC, Agency, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Flint , Michigan, Newark , New Jersey, U.S, Boston, WASHINGTON, Washington ,, Washington, The Washington, Flint, Benton Harbor , Michigan, Newark, Benton, Benton Harbor

I'm the last renter among my friends, so I decided to ask them about all the costs of homeownership. But when I saw the long list of hidden fees and expenses they have to pay for, I was in shock. Here are five of the fees I didn't know homeowners owe that made me realize just how much I want to rent forever. However, your property taxes can keep going up (a soaring housing market or city improvements can make this amount increase). However, the big and frequent costs they paid to keep up the appearances of their homes really did add up.

Persons: —, dishwashers, doesn't, it's Organizations: Service

However, as a financial professional and homeowner myself, I still see renting as a more conducive and efficient option to invest and build wealth. In this situation, the renter would have a higher return on investment, with $1.8 million compared to the homeowner with just $617,000. Even though the homeowner's payment stops once the mortgage is paid, the return on investment from just the down payment and maintenance expense favors the renter. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Also, the homeowner still pays property taxes, which may increase over time, and still has to contend with annual maintenance.

Persons: it's, —, Joel Ohman, Jeffrey Zhou, doesn't, Get, Steven Gilbert, Gilbert, Says Ohman Organizations: Service, Gilbert Wealth, & $

The best Prime Day leaf blower and lawn care deals do just that and more, making fall leaf cleanup a little more bearable. During Amazon's last sales event in July, lawn care deals were few and far between. Here are the best leaf blower and lawn care deals this Prime Day. Be sure to check out all the best Prime Day deals; we're tracking them in our liveblog. Great leaf blower deals for Prime DayThe best lawn care deals this Prime DaySee more lawn care deals at Amazon.

☆ Insuring your home in Colorado can cost $40,000 as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on the market, one insurance CEO said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Oscar Seikaly, CEO at NSI Insurance Group, which is based in Florida but underwrites policies nationally, about skyrocketing insurance premiums and how unpredictable disasters around the country raise prices for everyone. Over the past 10 years, insurance premiums have changed dramatically. AdvertisementAdvertisementTake the average house in Aspen: You have $5 million for the house, $3 million for the contents, another $2 million for loss of rents. All these insurance companies have to buy from reinsurance companies and there's only three or four main ones in the world. When you buy a $5 million house or a $10 million house, paying $30,000 or $20,000 a year is not going to make a difference.

Persons: Oscar Seikaly, Seikaly, —, that's Organizations: Service, NSI Insurance Locations: Aspen, Florida, California, Colorado, Northern California

☆ 5 critical steps entrepreneurs can't afford to skip when starting a business
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Spectrum Business With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Social media is a great tool for promotion, but it's also handy for collecting insights about what customers want. Build a social media presence for the new business and use it as a way to gather feedback. Social media is a great tool for promotion, but it's also handy for collecting insights about what customers want. Build a social media presence for the new business and use it as a way to gather feedback. Attract the first customers to your business with smart, small-business marketing strategiesAttracting and retaining the right customers is critical to small business success.

Persons: it's Organizations: Products, Management, Spectrum Business, SCORE, Service Corps, Insider Studios

Here are the key takeaways of an Associated Press investigation into the probe:WHAT DO THEY THINK HAPPENED? Investigators led by the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Maui County have declined to comment on specifics of the probe. They included a heavily charred, hollowed 4-foot-tall stump of a utility pole, two heavily burned trees and the remains of an old car tire. Photos taken after the blaze show charred foliage in the utility’s right-of-way still more than 10 feet high. The utility instead sought to shift the blame to Maui County fire officials for what it believes was their premature, false claim that they had extinguished the first fire.

Persons: ”, Balagso, couldn’t, Munro Tulloch Organizations: Associated Press, Co, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Press, AP, Electric Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Maui County

☆ SMS marketing may cost more to set up than email, but 2 small-business founders say it's worth it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Data indicates that people check their phones every 10 to 12 minutes and spend most of that time reading and responding to text messages. Since 2014, SMS marketing has helped GreenPal stay in direct contact with its 300,000 customers nationwide, increasing sales and engagement, Clayton said. Here's why SMS marketing can be a successful way to reach your customers. Understanding these rules is the biggest hurdle small businesses face in getting started in SMS marketing, she added. Often, businesses need to hire a company to build a custom program or use application-programming-interface services that offer SMS marketing, such as Mailchimp or Twilio.

Persons: SBOs, —, Bryan Clayton, GreenPal, Clayton, they've, Barbara Casey, Casey Organizations: Small, Service, Mobile, Consumer, SMS Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, SimpleTexting

☆ You can book Shrek's Swamp on Airbnb. See inside the fictional ogre's residence — complete with an outhouse.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The swamp from DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek" has come to life, and it will be listed on Airbnb on October 13. The exterior of Shrek's Swamp looks just like the movie. DreamWorks/AirbnbOn the listing, Shrek's best friend and sidekick Donkey is listed as the host of the studio with two beds and one bathroom. DreamWorks/AirbnbAround the swamp, in Highland Council, Scotland, there are trails to explore and endless nature for picnics, according to the listing. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you miss out on booking Shrek's Swamp, there are also unique stays like a seashell house, treehouses, and converted grain silos on the booking platform.

Persons: Airbnb, —, isn't, Shrek's, Donkey Organizations: DreamWorks, Service, Scottish Highlands Locations: Scotland, Airbnb, Highland Council

☆ Maui's 150-year-old banyan tree showing green after being charred by the wildfires is just the beginning of a long recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Kara Nelson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A huge banyan tree charred by the wildfires in Maui is sprouting new green leaves, giving hope all was not completely lost in the flames. Maui's historical Banyan tree is growing new leaves after being charred in wildfires. “The tree is like your only compass in town.”A Kumu 'ulu tree charred by Maui's wildfires. Chris ImontiThe banyan tree isn’t the only tree local volunteers are working to save. One of them is the Kumu ‘ulu tree, which is connected to the legend of Ku, the Hawaiian god of farming and fishing, who transformed into a Kumu ulu tree to feed his family during a famine.

Persons: Chris Imonti, ” Imonti, Steve Nimz, Chris Imonti “, we’re, ”, “ We’re, Imonti, Ku, “ Organizations: CNN, . Volunteers Locations: Maui, Lahaina, ’, “, ”, ‘ ulu, Lahaina .

But expediting work permits isn’t so easy, either legally or bureaucratically, experts in the process say. It would take an act of Congress to shorten a mandatory, six-month waiting period before asylum-seekers can apply for work permits. Maura Healey, who declared a state of emergency over the migrant influx, wrote Mayorkas that work permits represent “an opportunity to meet employer needs, support our economy, and reduce dependency among new arrivals.” And 19 Democratic state attorneys general wrote Mayorkas that work permits would reduce the strain on government to provide social services. Custom and Border Protection online app have applied for work permits, according to the White House. After he got his temporary work authorization, his boss gave him an extra dollar per hour.

Persons: Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul, Joe Biden, Biden, Hochul, Gilberto Pozo Ortiz, ” Ortiz, “, Brandon Johnson, J.B, Pritzker, Alejandro Mayorkas, Maura Healey, Andre Vasquez, Adams, ” Adams, “ We’re, Muzaffar Chishti, noncitizens, Elden Roja, honked, Roja, Jose Vacca, Elliot Spagat Organizations: Gov, Democratic, Homeland Security Department, Illinois Gov, Homeland, Massachusetts Gov, City Council’s, Refugee Rights, New, Republicans, Migration Policy Institute, Nationwide, Custom, Protection, Federal, U.S, CBP, Associated Press Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, New York City, Mexico, Cuba, New York, Chicago, City, U.S, Venezuelan, Colombia, Texas

☆ Affordable Housing Crisis in US West: Why It's Hard to Build New Homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kyle Paoletta | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The solution to keep prices under control seems fairly simple: Just build more housing. For a time, sprawl boosted housing supply and accommodated newcomers to the West: Nearly 60 million more people live in the region now compared with the 1950s. Running out of landWhen the economy crashed in 2008, housing construction screeched to a halt. All this red tape has caused a serious slowdown in much-needed housing construction. Build, build, buildDespite the unique challenges of building in the paradoxically wide-open West, some cities have been able to break through.

Persons: Mike Segrest, Megan Lawson, Kyle Stevens, Carrier Johnson, “, Lawson, Land Management . Nevada Sen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kyle Roerink, Hillary Schieve, Schieve, Howard Blackson, Kyle Paoletta's Organizations: Forest Service, Southern Ute, Marin Headlands, Bureau, Land Management ., Water Network, Biggest, Biggest Little City, Housing Administration, Harper's Magazine, New York Magazine, Oasis Locations: Colorado, Durango ., it's, Animas, San Juan Mountains, Durango, Las Vegas, Montana, Houston, Minneapolis, Rocky, Phoenix, Denver, Mississippi, San Diego, San Jose , California, Marin County, San Francisco, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Jackson , Wyoming, California, Land Management . Nevada, Vegas, Reno , Nevada, Reno, Cumulatively, Biggest Little, Summit, Washington

☆ Paid Late, or Never: Painters, Builders and Realtors Hit by China’s Property Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Alexandra Stevenson | More About Alexandra Stevenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But a drop in sales over the past six months has pushed it to the edge and in August, it threw up its hands. Country Garden skipped two small interest payments on bonds, something that has pushed it to the edge of default. If it fails to make those payments by early September, when a grace period for the interest payments ends, it will join a long list of private companies that have defaulted. “Such apartments have run out; we can’t get them,” said Han Tao, a manager at a landscaping company that is owed $1.4 million from property developers. For Mr. Han, apartments wouldn’t have been that useful anyway; no one is buying them right now.

Persons: China Evergrande, ”, Han Tao, Han Organizations: Garden, behemoth Locations: China

☆ Opinion | Let’s Plant Wildflowers in the National Mall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Fill the National Mall With Wildflowers,” by Alexander Nazaryan (Opinion guest essay, Aug. 11):What a timely and terrific idea Mr. Nazaryan proposes. Let’s replace the clipped, monotonous lawns of our National Mall with gardens of wildflowers, he writes. Create meadows! What an opportunity to show visitors our national heritage of wildflowers. We can model our future on the National Mall.

Persons: Alexander Nazaryan, Nazaryan, Let’s

☆ I left my life in DC to live in a 400-square-foot tiny home near Tampa. I feel like I have more space and I'm saving money so I don't regret it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stefanie Mortenson, a 53-year-old HR director, moved from Virginia to a tiny home near Tampa, Florida in May. Her 396-square-foot dwelling at Escape Tampa Bay Village's tiny home community cost her $159,000. Mortenson says she's saving money and feels like she has more space compared to her previous Virginia apartment. In 1998, I moved to Alexandria, Virginia about 10 miles from Washington, DC for a better career opportunity. The walls started coming in on meIn May, 53-year-old Stefanie Mortenson moved from her apartment in Virginia to 396-square-foot tiny home in Escape Tampa Bay Village's The Oaks neighborhood.

Persons: Stefanie Mortenson, Mortenson, I'm, Roy Hawkes, presales, I've, hasn't, haven't, they're Organizations: Service, Oaks, US, Federal Credit Union Locations: Virginia, Tampa , Florida, Tampa, Wall, Silicon, Alexandria , Virginia, Washington

☆ Homes for Sale in New York and New Jersey
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jill P. Capuzzo | Claudia Gryvatz Copquin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Maria Hayes, Diane Turton Realtors, 718-702-2048, dianeturton.comCostsTaxes: $16,464 a yearProsThe unfinished basement includes a temperature-controlled wine cellar that can hold 2,000 bottles. The house is just up the street from the Manasquan River Golf Club. Despite the name of the road it is on, this house is well inland from the ocean and has no water views. Given the fast pace of the current market, some properties may no longer be available at the time of publication. For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here.

Persons: Maria Hayes, Diane Turton Organizations: Diane Turton Realtors, Golf Locations: Monmouth, Brielle, N.J

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