Enter the AngelPay Foundation, a nonprofit payment processing company. The AngelPay team originally invented the first secure, scalable, and reliable Internet payment processing platform called Authorize.Net back in 1996.

Today, they provide the same tools and service, but they believe operating as a nonprofit helps to restore trust and integrity to the industry. It also gives the team an opportunity to give back to the merchant community that has been good to them over the years.

"Over the past couple decades, we've seen a lot of companies resort to shady tactics to satisfy shareholder demands. If you're operating as an aggressive for-profit company in this industry, there are just too many temptations to exploit your customers," says Ferris Eanfar, AngelPay's CEO.

"The credit card payment processing industry has not always treated merchants fairly, and we realized we could do something about that," says Jeff Knowles, AngelPay's CTO.

Payment processing can be a challenge for businesses large and small, nonprofits, and artists who need to accept credit cards. AngelPay recognizes that many merchants feel exploited by their existing payment processors, but they don't know where to go.

To this end, AngelPay believes that merchants can benefit from its payment processing program for the following reasons:

A Solution for Merchant Pain. AngelPay developed their "Pay-What-You-Can" pricing structure and "Emergency Contract Triage" program. "The Triage program started out as a way to add a little levity to the lives of our merchants, but we've been surprised at how many merchants have taken it seriously," says Eanfar. The programs help merchants manage their costs more effectively, in addition to revealing how they're being exploited by other payment processors.

Simplicity. One of the things that differentiates AngelPay from other payment processors is the simplicity of its fees and nonprofit cost structure. Anybody who has ever implemented credit card processing for their company knows that the complex fees of most processors can be frustrating.

Proven Experience. AngelPay was launched several years ago after the team sold Authorize.Net, but AngelPay has grown quickly and its mission - "Return wealth and power to the creators of value" - seems to be resonating with the merchant community. Given the cost advantages, it makes sense that merchants would choose a veteran team operating as a nonprofit provider over more aggressive financial companies that may not have their customers' best interests at heart.

To learn more about AngelPay, visit: https://AngelPayHQ.org

Many people are confused about what is appropriate and how much to spend. According to Laura Jennings, the CEO of bespoke gifting company knackshops.com, $50 is the average price point for a gift and it's important to treat everyone equally.

"Salaries, titles, bonuses and office locations already build hierarchies," she says. "Gifts are the perfect opportunity to say thank you to everyone."

The best way to make your team members feel appreciated is to take the time to really think about the message you want your gift to convey. Jennings has three tips to help harness Administrative Professionals Day effectively:

1. Give items that stress the "professional" in Administrative Professional.

The workplace has thankfully evolved from the gender stereotyped world in which the original National Secretary's Day was launched in 1952. It's important to recognize all levels of professionalism in the office with appropriate gifts that express professional integrity. Leather journals, fine pens, and professional organization memberships are appropriate examples.

2. Think about giving gifts that add luxury, convenience or fun to a workday.

Your administrative professional may know almost everything about you; this is your opportunity to pay them the same compliment, while keeping it completely professional. Items such as desk accessories, water bottles, travel mugs, and other tools that add luxury, convenience or fun to anyone's work day are a good place to start. But stay away from flowers: nothing ranked lower than flowers in terms of employees' most requested employer gifts in the 2018 Business Gifting Satisfaction Report. You may want to consider gifts such as the The Sweet Life to beauty up their desk, Thanks-Olate Gift Set to say thanks, or Black Tie as a token of your appreciation, all available at knackshops.com.

3. Remember that food and wine are always appreciated.

Gifts of food (and wine, if you know they are fond of the grape) are universally acceptable in the business-gifting world and are something that employees tend to use and love.

"Make it memorable, by adding something useful like a tea towel, cheese knife, serving bowl, corkscrew or cheeseboard to your food gifts," Jennings advises. Knackshops.com's Carnivore's Delight, Caffe Autentico and The Cheese Course are examples of decadent gifts that they'll remember long after the food has been consumed.

Gift cards are appreciated by employees of all ages and genders, although particularly so for women over 40. The only downside is that research shows they may be quickly forgotten - less than 40 percent of employees say that gift cards are "very memorable."

Lastly, data shows that a personally-addressed message is actually the most important element of your gift.

"It's really about the story. A personally-addressed gift message can increase the memorability of a gift and turn it into a special moment," Jennings says. "There is also nothing easier to do - and quicker - than dropping in a meaningful note."

Some tips to make technology work for you at tax time:

- Digitize: Making the transition to digital documents can be a big step for a small business, but converting documents to digital is becoming increasingly simple and popular.

Advantages of scan-to-digital at tax time include less paper to sort through and easy access to a variety of records.

- Go mobile: Try using a mobile device or laptop and a portable scanner to digitize tax documents while on the road.

Portable scanners can save space in the office setting as well, by reducing the amount of space needed to store paper records and documents.

Printing from a mobile device or laptop to a wireless-enabled printer also helps save time, especially during tax season. And many printers have security features for output management and ease of use.

When choosing the right office products, key points to consider include:

- Convenience. Equipment that is easy to set up and use saves valuable time for small businesses. For those on the go, portable products such as the Canon imageFORMULA P-215II Scan-tini handle document scanning for individuals on the road or working remotely. A lightweight design allows for easy document digitization from a range of locations, such as a hotel, airport, offsite meeting venue, or a home office.

- Confidence. Investing in technology with a trusted reputation means less worry that an office solution - hardware or software - might fail at a crucial time. The technology of scanners designed for small businesses has improved in recent years.

"Small businesses with limited resources demand reliability and dependability in their document management technology," says Nobuhiko Kitajima, VP and general manager of Canon USA Inc.'s Business Imaging Solutions Group.

One example, the Canon imageFORMULA DR-M260 Office Document Scanner, provides small businesses with reliable and efficient performance, and comes with an industry-leading, five-year warranty.

- Protection. Data security is essential, especially for businesses that work in the cloud. Be sure to choose products with security features, such as password protection, multi-factor log-in and output file encryption.

For more information about optimizing technology for an easier tax season, visit https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/high-speed-document-scanners

In his recent book, "Broken Capitalism: This is How We Fix it," Ferris Eanfar explains the state of the global economy and its key problems in a straightforward, accessible style.

"When the 10 largest corporations on Earth have more combined economic power than 92 percent of all countries on Earth combined, the 50 largest financial corporations control wealth equal to 90 percent of Earth's GDP [gross domestic product], the richest 1 percent of humans have more wealth than 99 percent of the world combined, and the eight richest humans have more wealth than the bottom 50 percent of Earth's entire population combined . . . it's safe to say humanity is in trouble," Mr. Eanfar says.

Mr. Eanfar's work is based on over 20 years of unique experience in economics, financial technologies ("FinTech"), blockchain/cryptocurrency development, artificial intelligence, and military and government affairs.

Three key points in the book deal with issues of defining value, following a vision, and managing innovation.

Value: Mr. Eanfar notes that money is not value itself; it represents value. Rather than focusing on money alone, he advises organizations to focus on theway value flows through their stakeholder ecosystems, which benefits all parties in the long run.

Vision: "In business and in life, having 'vision' is about accurately assessing current reality, defining steps to achieve specific goals, and building a bridge between vision and reality based on discipline and effective execution," says Eanfar.

Innovation: Artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and other technological innovations can be used for good or ill. Mr. Eanfar dedicates a chapter of the book to the impact of artificial intelligence [AI] on government and the economy.

"When lightning-fast A.I. controls the political and economic apparatus of countries through their automated manipulation of social media and web-based information channels, humans won't be able to easily differentiate between policy outcomes that serve their interests and policy outcomes that serve those who control the A.I. and their political patrons in the government," he says.

For more information about the book, visit: https://Eanfar.org

Mr. Eanfar is also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FerrisEanfar (@FerrisEanfar)

All book sales proceeds support the nonprofit AngelPay Foundation: https://AngelPayHQ.org

In fact, if you asked the average consumer to recall a banner ad from the last website they visited, don't expect much. Why? Banner ads are notoriously tuned out by consumers because they don't engage their attention and emotions.

In addition, it's much easier now for consumers to avoid these ads with blockers and DVRs.

What does capture consumers' attention? A good story.

And savvy marketers are exploring new ways to use storytelling to attract and hold consumers' interest and influence their behavior.

This is more than a hunch. Science supports the power of emotions and stories to engage an audience.

With this in mind, Pressboard, an online content marketing platform, believes that stories are the most powerful way for brands to communicate with consumers.

When an individual hears, reads, or views a story, for example, it prompts an emotional connection. The brain releases oxytocin, the "feel-good" hormone associated with, among other things, sex and childbirth, that promotes a feeling of bonding and connection. Psychological research suggests that stories can influence an individual's actions and inspire them to make choices and change a behavior in response to a story.

Underscoring this concept, Pressboard launched an experimental website, titled iwantmorecats.com, that offered users the chance to see pictures and videos of cats instead of banner ads. Not surprisingly, it proved popular, according to Pressboard CEO and co-founder Jerrid Grimm.

"Our not-so-secret goal is to help all companies market themselves through stories and in doing so, slowly rid the world of banner ads," says Grimm in an interview with Adweek.

"People just don't like ads, not advertisers, not publishers and definitely not consumers," he notes.

Meaningful content beats banner ads for communicating with consumers, according to Pressboard.

To this end, companies such as Pressboard provide a platform to link brands with media publishers and track what stories resonate.

Some tips for smart storytelling include:

* Engaging emotions with a personal story, such as a triumph over adversity;

* Developing a relationship with your audience by highlighting real people in your content, whether that's employees or customers;

* Using visuals that support the story and catch the reader's eye;

* Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open with your audience, making your brand more relatable;

* Influencing public opinion of your brand by sharing the story on social media where discussion can happen.

In the end, changing behavior is the Holy Grail for marketers; but equally important is the ability to forge emotional connections with readers.

In this way, marketing companies can create a connection with their audience and turn them from interested parties to lifelong customers, in a way that no banner ad can match.

For more information about harnessing the power of stories to make a brand memorable, visit pressboardmedia.com.

Unfortunately, many low-income households in this country aren't connected and they're missing out on the life-changing resources the Internet has to offer.

According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, 81 percent of U.S. households have broadband Internet access, but only 63 percent of those with annual incomes of less than $35,000 do.

For the past seven years, Comcast has been on a mission to do something about this so-called "digital divide" through its acclaimed Internet Essentials program, which has become the largest broadband adoption program for low-income families across the U.S.

The program has had an enormous impact on families and their children and, since its inception, more than six million low-income Americans have been connected.

To put that in perspective, six million people is larger than the populations of each city in America except New York City. While the numbers can be numbing, the individuals who have benefitted all have their own stories to tell.

"Low-income people face problems when it comes to accessing technology and a lot of people are left behind," says Pam Ogglesby, an Internet Essentials customer.

"I signed up for the program and I now see what I was missing. I feel connected now and it's all because of Internet Essentials. I think this is going to change my life drastically. I intend to use the Internet to learn new things."

In the beginning, Internet Essentials was offered to low-income families with children eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program. Eligibility has also been extended to low-income seniors in more than a dozen markets, as well as to those households receiving HUD-housing assistance, which includes HUD's Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, and Multifamily programs.

This year, the company is expanding eligibility again to low-income veterans living within the Comcast service area. About a third of the veterans in the U.S. do not have Internet access at home, and only about 60 percent even own a computer, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, creating a need for better options for the veteran community. As a result, more than one million veterans across Comcast's footprint are estimated to be eligible.

Comcast's Internet Essentials program works with community partners to break down the main barriers to Internet access - lack of affordable service; lack of a computer or other device; and lack of digital training by providing high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax, the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for less than $150, and free digital literacy training in print, in person, and online.

To apply, visit www.internetessentials.com/apply, or call 1-855-846-8376. For Spanish-only speakers: call 1-855-765-6995.

Which is why pop-up and banner ads are now akin to the dinosaur age.

In fact, if you asked the average consumer to recall a banner ad from the last website they visited, don't expect much. Why? Banner ads are notoriously tuned out by consumers because they don't engage their attention and emotions.

In addition, it's much easier now for consumers to avoid these ads with blockers and DVRs.

What does capture consumers' attention? A good story.

And savvy marketers are exploring new ways to use storytelling to attract and hold consumers' interest and influence their behavior.

This is more than a hunch. Science supports the power of emotions and stories to engage an audience.

With this in mind, Pressboard, an online content marketing platform, believes that stories are the most powerful way for brands to communicate with consumers.

When an individual hears, reads, or views a story, for example, it prompts an emotional connection. The brain releases oxytocin, the "feel-good" hormone associated with, among other things, sex and childbirth, that promotes a feeling of bonding and connection. Psychological research suggests that stories can influence an individual's actions and inspire them to make choices and change a behavior in response to a story.

Underscoring this concept, Pressboard launched an experimental website, titled iwantmorecats.com, that offered users the chance to see pictures and videos of cats instead of banner ads. Not surprisingly, it proved popular, according to Pressboard CEO and co-founder Jerrid Grimm.

"Our not-so-secret goal is to help all companies market themselves through stories and in doing so, slowly rid the world of banner ads," says Grimm in an interview with Adweek.

"People just don't like ads, not advertisers, not publishers and definitely not consumers," he notes.

Meaningful content beats banner ads for communicating with consumers, according to Pressboard.

To this end, companies such as Pressboard provide a platform to link brands with media publishers and track what stories resonate.

Some tips for smart storytelling include:

* Engaging emotions with a personal story, such as a triumph over adversity;

* Developing a relationship with your audience by highlighting real people in your content, whether that's employees or customers;

* Using visuals that support the story and catch the reader's eye;

* Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open with your audience, making your brand more relatable;

* Influencing public opinion of your brand by sharing the story on social media where discussion can happen.

In the end, changing behavior is the Holy Grail for marketers; but equally important is the ability to forge emotional connections with readers.

In this way, marketing companies can create a connection with their audience and turn them from interested parties to lifelong customers, in a way that no banner ad can match.

For more information about harnessing the power of stories to make a brand memorable, visit pressboardmedia.com.

Eighty-one percent of Americans believe their "most valuable asset" is their family, according to a new survey by Edward Jones and the nonprofit consumer-education organization Life Happens. And one quarter of respondents in the national sampling of adults confessed that their biggest fear was saddling their nearest and dearest with unexpected financial burdens if they're unable to work or die prematurely.

Which begs the question: If we're so worried about protecting what we treasure most, why don't more people have life insurance?

Ask most experts, and they'll tell you that such policies can help provide crucial resources for anyone with loved ones to support. And yet the latest figures show only 41 percent of U.S. households have individual life insurance.

"Most Americans have little or no safeguards for their financial goals," says Ken Cella, principal of the Client Strategies Group at the financial services firm Edward Jones. "They may understand the value of having emergency funds to cover unexpected financial expenses in the short term, but they're less protected for the long-term financial implications."

Faisa Stafford, president of Life Happens, puts it even more bluntly: "Emergency savings aren't a long-term financial solution, especially if a family's primary breadwinner were to die."

Much of the disconnect between what we'll call "the urge to protect" and the reality on the ground can be blamed on one or both of the following misconceptions:

* It's too expensive. Think of this as the equivalent of the alligators-in-New-York-City-sewers myth. When Life Happens and LIMRA, a global life insurance research and consulting group, asked participants in their 2017 Insurance Barometer Study how much a $250,000 term life policy for a healthy 30-year-old would cost, NerdWallet reports, the median estimate was $500 a year - more than three times the actual annual amount of $160.

But let's say that would-be policy holder wanted even more protection for his dependents. Forbes magazine recently calculated that that same incorrect median estimate - $500 - would buy a healthy, non-smoking, 30-something male a 20-year term policy with a million-dollar death benefit. Some people spend more than that in a year on caffe lattes.

That said, prices do vary based on factors like age, health, amount of coverage, and whether you opt for term or permanent insurance. The former - the most affordable - covers a specific time frame (usually 20 years or less), while the latter stays in force for life (as long as you continue to pay the premiums). Online aids like Edward Jones' complementary Life Insurance Needs calculator can help with factors to consider when determining how much life insurance may be appropriate for you.

* The policy I have through work is good enough. And if you're no longer employed there? Not only is group life insurance generally not portable, it typically only provides benefits equal to one or two times your annual salary.

"Growing families usually need greater protection than that," says Scott Thoma, an investment strategist at Edward Jones, "and they need coverage that's not contingent on work status."

Know that life insurance doesn't simply assign a monetary value to someone's life. Which brings us to another revealing finding of the Edward Jones-Life Happens "Protect What Matters" survey.

Twenty-three percent of participants didn't know it can even cover expenses like college tuition for a surviving child.

Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. and in California, New Mexico, and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.

"The largest transfer of wealth in history is now underway, and it is in the form of established operating businesses owned by Baby Boomers," according to a white paper by C2C Business Strategies, LLC, a business management and consulting organization specializing in business transitions.

Baby boomers and their transition advisors will face several challenges over the next several decades.

Some tips to make the most of the transition include:

- Prep work: Many baby boomer business owners have given little or no thought to the transition process, and they may find themselves unable to sell the business when they want to. Most financial consultants recommend a lead time of three to five years to prepare a business. Meanwhile, as more baby boomers seek retirement, the surplus of businesses available for sale may reduce business values.

- True value: Survey findings of business owners suggest that many overestimate the value of a business because they are basing estimates on projections or future orders rather than the current cash the business is generating.

- Good advice: Baby boomers looking to sell their business can benefit from a skilled transition advisor to guide and direct the process. Advisors can help business owners decide on a realistic price and determine a sale structure that works for both buyers and sellers.

As in the case of a real estate agent negotiating a home sale, a business advisor will find the right buyer for a business and will work with the buyer and seller until the transaction is complete.

Tips for business owners to help ensure a smooth sale include:

- Good housekeeping: Make sure all financial information is current and in order. Time is essential once a business-sale transaction is underway, so don't slow down the process by scrambling for information.

- Flexible financing: Data show that sellers who accept financing terms receive, on average, 86 percent of their asking price, compared with 70 percent for those who will only accept cash. An advisor can help sellers evaluate financing terms to maximize sale prices.

For more information about transitioning out of a business, visit rysgp.com.

My prediction is that China will not drop its equity caps and intellectual property theft, and will not stop subsidizing all of its state-owned enterprises. As a result; we will see acceleration of the decoupling of China from the United States, in other words, a reversal of the economic integration and interpenetration that has taken place between these two economies over the past 20 years. So let us examine the implications of the decoupling of China from the United States.

The first area to consider is trade. The IMF has estimated that if the United States were to impose 25 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports, and China were to retaliate, the trade volume between China and the United States would drop by 70 percent. So there would clearly be an initial "trade shock."

The question here is whether the U.S. can find other low-cost suppliers. The answer is yes. We have seen that suppliers such as Vietnam have stepped up their exports to the United States, and other Asian countries and Mexico will also try to fill the role of low-cost supplier to the U.S. market. Vietnam has gained an estimated 7.9 percent of its gross domestic product from new business created by the U.S.-China trade war.

The next largest gainer is Taiwan, with 2.1 percent of its GDP added as a result of the U.S.-China trade war needed from other countries supplied by China.

In summary, if the Trump tariffs were to remain in place, there would undoubtedly be an initial "trade shock," and some dislocations. Over time, however, the United States would gradually shift its import sources to lower- cost suppliers, and would substitute rare earth minerals from other countries. So, with regard to trade, China is replaceable.

The second area is investment. Chinese direct investment in the United States dropped 84 percent from 2017 to 2018, from $29.4 billion to $4.8 billion. The U.S. government, will further limit Chinese investors through national security reviews. Meanwhile, U.S. direct investment in China has stagnated at $26.9 billion, with the annual growth rate dropping from 11 percent to 1.5 percent in 2018. U.S. investment will increasingly take place in other low-wage Asian countries such as Vietnam and Taiwan, and Mexico. Moreover, the lowering of U.S. corporate tax rates on January 1, 2018, from 35 percent to 21 percent will discourage direct foreign investment by U.S. enterprises, and make the United States a more promising place to invest than China. Therefore, if the Trump tariffs remain in place, China can be largely replaced over time by other countries as an investment target.

Last month, the Trump Administration restricted sales by U.S. companies to Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications champion. This measure will force Huawei to develop its own versions of chips and operating systems to replace those that it now obtains from the West. And last week the Commerce Department imposed new export controls that will effectively bar five major Chinese supercomputer developers of next-generation, high-performance computing from obtaining U.S. technology. The Commerce ban on exports to the major Chinese supercomputer companies, along with the Huawei ban, will promote the decoupling of the two countries' tech supply chains. Therefore, it is likely that separate operating systems will be set up for telecommunications, supercomputers, and the Internet.

China holds an estimated $1.1 trillion of U.S. government bonds. Some have warned that if China decided to dump U.S. dollars, U.S. interest rates would soar and the U.S. economy would implode. China's holdings, however, are not a particularly large proportion of the roughly $22 trillion total of U.S. government debt. Furthermore, China has already sold $221 billion in long-term Treasuries since early 2015, with no harm done to the U.S. capital market.

We are entering a new phase of increased Chinese assertiveness. China is now challenging the United States for global supremacy, while the U.S. Government distrusts Chinese intentions and sees China as a predatory competitor and an adversary. The global consensus based on liberalization is likely to be replaced by rival trading blocs. This may not be a desirable development from the standpoint of the United States and the global economy, but it is the most important geopolitical event of our era. Decoupling from China, while painful for both countries, would be preferable to a real war with China, the likely alternative.

*Bart S. Fisher is an attorney in Washington, D.C., and co-author of International Trade and Investment: Regulating International Business.