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Apple's iconic co-founder had an unmatched talent for zeroing on what's most important.

BY MINDA ZETLIN

Co-author, 'The Geek Gap'@MindaZetlin

There was only one Steve Jobs, and it's easy to see why we're so fascinated with him. A twin separated at birth; a visionary who made products that changed how we use technology; a college dropout who studied coding and calligraphy for fun; a wisdom seeker who spent months wandering India barefoot in a sarong. Oh, and after a long flirtation with sweater vests and bow ties, a man who wore a black turtleneck and blue jeans everywhere he went.

Here are some of the reasons more freelancers, startups, and other businesses are going the coworking route.

BY JEREMY GOLDMAN

Founder and CEO, Firebrand Group @jeremarketer

More and more Americans are turning to freelance employment; in fact, by some accounts, it's now reached 34% of the workforce. These workers are looking for productive spaces to conduct their businesses. When your home isn't conducive to concentrating and cafes are too loud and crowded, where is a freelance professional supposed to work? One major solution to this growing problem is coworking spaces--communal offices that are shared by new businesses, digital companies, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. When I started Firebrand Group, I turned to coworking spaces as a viable, future-oriented way to start our digital consulting agency. While coworking has been on the rise for a few years now, it looks like 2016 may be the year that coworking goes mainstream. Here are some of the many reasons why freelancers and others are turning to coworking spaces:

47 percent of people surveyed reported that the meetings they attend are not productive. Don't make it worse by saying these

words and phrases.

BY PETER ECONOMY

The Leadership Guy@bizzwriter

Few of us enjoy--really enjoy--the time we spend in meetings. Part of the reason for this is the fact that, for a variety of reasons, meetings can be particularly unproductive. In fact, in a survey of 1,000 people, intranet provider Igloo found that fully 47 percent reported that meetings were unproductive. That's pretty abysmal.

In the ever-elusive search for ways to get more work done faster, these ideas proved to be some of the most popular on our website.

BY ANNA HENSEL

Editorial assistant, Inc.@ahhensel

As an entrepreneur, it doesn't matter how successful and profitable your company is--there are still days when you can feel like a failure for not getting enough work done.

After having successfully launched several companies during my career, here are the 10 things that I look for in a new hire.

BY JOHN

Entrepreneur and investor@johnrampton

Hiring the right people for your small business isn't a nice little perk. It's an essential part of your business since your employees the heart and soul of your business. They're your biggest brand advocates and will responsible for the successful growth of your business. Furthermore, if you can retain great employees, you'll save a ton of time and money since you won't have to be concerned with a high turnover. 

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale-

The curtains close on yet another year with the magical show of Christmas! With jingle bells on silent nights, winter wonderlands, mistletoe and wine. While Santa makes his list and checks it twice, and Rudolf prepares for his sleigh ride, the entire world prepares to welcome the most wonderful time of the year. So as the sleigh bells ring, let’s deck the office halls with boughs of holly and rock around the Christmas tree. Let’s bring a little bit of Christmas magic to the office!

It’s all about the content! Check out this year’s top contenders.

For brand marketers using LinkedIn it’s imperative for them to be able to measure their content marketing efforts. At LinkedIn, content is king and engaging professional audiences with information that not only educates, but also inspires them is ultimately our goal.

From left: Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation Executive Director Ho Se Mun; MillenniumIT Project Director Vidumini Ranasinghe; LOLC Chief Risk Officer Shamini Wickremasekera; Department of Computer Science and Engineering Senior Lecturer Vishaka Nanayakkara from the University of Moratuwa; Microsoft Education Programs Manager Yashinka Jayasinghe Alles; FITIS Manager Administration and Operations Chadika Yahampath; Deputy Head and Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office of Sri Lanka Rosy Senanayake; ICTA Chairperson Chitranganee Mubarak; TechAdvisor.lk Editor Mihiri Wikramanayake and FITIS Chairperson Chinthaka Wijewickrama

What They Want

Shopping for the Millennial generation (those between the ages of 18 and 34) doesn't have to be hard. Here are 30 under $30 gifts that your young and tech-savvy employees will love.

The Microsoft founder is out with his annual list of his favorite books of the year.

As the billionaire founder of Microsoft and head of a world-changing philanthropic foundation, you'd imagine Bill Gates is a pretty busy guy. But he still makes time for books... a lot of books.

As a voracious reader and all around brilliant guy, Gates is in a great position to evaluate which books are worth the time of a busy entrepreneur. And happily, he's frequently up for providing public recommendations. At TED each year, he offers his fellow attendees a list of suggested reading, for instance, and he also has an annual tradition of listing his favorite reads of the year in December.
His 2015 list just came out and it contains some interesting suggestions for fellow bibliophiles looking for thought-provoking reads. Here are his six picks: