The Ultimate Guide to How to Open a Pizza Shop

 Major money can be made starting a pizza shop. Here are some tips on how to open a pizza shop and keep it running.

Everyone loves a good slice of pizza, and some people love it enough to make it their entire job and livelihood. If you're thinking about starting a small business, and are specifically wondering how to open a pizza shop, we're here to help.

In the U.S., pizza is wildly popular: 93% of Americans purchase pizza at least once a month. To put that percentage into perspective, that’s about 350 slices Americans are eating per second, or 100 acres of pizza eaten in a day.

Why do Americans love pizza so much? According to Rob Veltri, owner of Pizza in the Square in Yonkers, New York, loving pizza is a simple concept: “It’s one of the healthier bad foods you can have,” he says. Today, approximately 17% of the nation’s restaurants are pizzerias and the highest-grossing, single-unit independent pizzeria in America is Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria in Anchorage, Alaska, which brings in about $6 million in sales annually.

So if you're ready to take the leap to restaurateur, keep reading to find out how to open a pizza shop of your very own.

1. Create a business plan for your pizza shop

Usually, the first step for opening a business would be writing a business plan. When you're starting a pizza shop, the biggest part of that plan is coming up with the perfect product to keep your customers coming back for more.

Pizza in the Square has been around for nearly 30 years and Veltri was there from day one. As a result, he remembers a time when people were afraid to try a pizza that veered slightly from the traditional. This isn’t the case anymore.

“Right now, you can put anything on a pizza,” he says. “You really can. I think that’s one of the things that makes us successful. We’re always willing to change and make things different.”

Perhaps the Italian immigrants who introduced pizza to Americans in the late 19th century wouldn’t approve of Veltri’s Nutella pie or spaghetti and meatballs pizza, but modern, more experimental consumers are loving them. Just take a look at the pizzeria’s reviews for proof, says Veltri.

Once you have the perfect recipes and menu down to a science, it's time to create the rest of your business plan for your pizza shop. This includes creating a budget, a marketing and sales plan, a name for your shop and should also include ideas for a restaurant or business space.

Something else you'll need to decide at this stage is the legal structure of your business. Choosing a business entity will be necessary for creating your business plan and the steps that follow, including what taxes you'll pay and what legal responsibilities you'll assume. Whether you opt for a sole proprietorship, LLC, C corporation or another business structure, you'll need to provide this information as you follow the next steps in starting a pizza shop. And keep in mind, you may want to consult a business attorney when making this decision.

2. Register your pizza shop

Once you've crafted the business plan for your pizza shop and chosen a business entity, the next step in starting your pizza shop is registering your business. To do so, you'll need to get an employer identification number, also known as an EIN or business tax ID number. You can apply for an employer identification number with the IRS online and get one almost instantly, and this number will be used for tax, banking and credit purposes.

Registering your business also means claiming the name of your pizza shop, which is a different process in each state. Many states though, like Pennsylvania, have an online database where you can check and see if your desired business name is available.

Once you've established that the name you want for your pizza shop is available, you should register the business under that name by following the rules laid out by the state in which you'll be operating your pizza shop.

3. Get any required licenses or permits for your pizza shop

Any time you're serving food you're going to need additional permits and licenses to do so legally. After all, there's a certain level of responsibility that comes with serving customers a hot slice (or five).

The rules around these business licenses and permits can vary from state to state but you'll likely need a food service license, food handler's permit, a building health permit and more.

Having fresh ingredients isn't only good from a food safety perspective, customers want it too. “What I’ve seen in the last few years is that people have turned back to quality,” says Veltri. “If it’s a little more expensive, they understand. With the news, social media and everything, [consumers] have learned how things like the costs of goods have increased. They’ll accept the good quality if they have to pay more for it.”

He adds: “We grind our tomatoes by hand every day. That’s how we make our sauces. Everything is done from scratch. Every sauce is made from scratch. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but everything is done fresh. And that’s what we’ve focused on since day one.”

If you also plan to sell alcohol at your pizza shop, you'll need a liquor license — which can be a complicated process in its own right. Make sure you understand all of the licenses and permits you'll need when starting a pizza shop before you open your doors to customers.

4. Create a financial plan and get funding for your pizza shop

Just as important as crafting the perfect recipe, creating a financial plan is essential to starting a pizza shop. After all, starting any new business is usually not cheap. As a consumer, you might think, "How expensive could the ingredients be? I can get a slice for a dollar on the street, how much could it cost the shop to make the pizza in the first place?" The answer is actually, it could cost a lot to open a pizza shop and run it successfully.

According to Veltri, it can cost anywhere between $75,000 to $100,000 for a pizza counter and maybe a few booths. If you want to open a sit-down pizzeria, that can run you at least half a million. Whatever your dream pizzeria looks like, be realistic and overestimate your startup costs — adding on an additional 15% to 25% to your budget — so that you don’t run into financial issues while starting your pizza shop.

Veltri’s reasoning for high costs: “Equipment is not cheap."

“I have two ovens in the front,” he explains. “The basic, old-fashioned oven with the stone and everything, then I also have a conveyor oven underneath that.”

While having fancy equipment, like a wood-burning oven, might have higher costs, as this New York Magazine report finds, the oh-so-satisfying taste it produces might be worth it. For instance, think about Brooklyn’s famous Roberta’s pizza joint, which has gained massive popularity and a loyal following for their wood-fired pies and home-grown ingredients.

Before you get discouraged, there are financing solutions that can provide the money you need to start your pizza shop. From restaurant equipment financing to a business term loan, or even a 0% intro APR credit card, there are several options to help get your pizza shop off the ground.

This is also where your business plan can really come in handy. Anyone considering giving you money will want to see that you have a solid plan for starting the business and eventually turning a profit. So whether you're hoping for a bank loan or to find an investor, having a solid business plan is key to starting a pizza shop.

5. Open a business bank account for your pizza shop

As soon as your pizza shop is officially registered and you're about to start spending money on it, you should open a business checking account. You'll want to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances, at the very least for tax purposes. Establishing your bank account early on is also an important element for building your business credit score. You can check your free business credit report in a few places online. Your business credit score is another reason the EIN is important and why you'll want it whether it's required for your business or not.

When starting a pizza shop, you'll want, at the minimum, a business checking account and a business credit card. Once you have your business account and credit card set up, be sure to use them for any expenses related to your pizza shop, including purchases, paying bills, etc.

Vivian Giang

How Much Does a Trip to Hawaii Cost?

 When and how you travel will play a big part in determining the cost of a trip to Hawaii.

Hawaii is always on the short list of dream destinations for a relaxing beach vacation. But a potential trip to paradise doesn’t happen without first asking the critical question: How much is a vacation to Hawaii? 

The answer can vary depending on where you stay and when you travel. What does that mean? Well, we have crunched the numbers to give you a better idea of how much you can expect to spend and get you better prepared for your next Hawaiian vacation. Let’s take a look. 

Estimated Hawaii trip cost

We crunched the numbers and made some estimates about the costs of a 10-night trip for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) during the peak summer travel season and a seven-night trip for that same family during the shoulder season. 

Here are the hypotheticals supporting these dollar figures:

    Travel to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, the most popular island for visitors to Hawaii. 

    Round-trip flights for four from Los Angeles.

    A peak trip assumes a June 25, 2023, departure. A shoulder-season trip assumes a May 8, 2023, departure.

    We used three different property types to assess price estimates. They are:

        The beachfront four-star resort: Hilton Hawaiian Village. 

        The three-star hotel: Holiday Inn Express Waikiki. 

        A condo: Various Waikiki units on Vrbo.com.

    Totals include resort fees. Those are:

        $50 per night at the four-star resort.

        $25 per night at the three-star hotel.

        All management and cleaning fees at the condo units.

    Totals include parking costs of:

        $65 per day at the four-star resort.

        $45 per day at the three-star hotel.

        Parking is not included in condo totals (varies by building/unit).

    Meals include nightly dinners of about $225, with drinks, taxes and tips. 

        At a four-star resort, meal estimates include breakfasts and lunches totaling about $100 per day. 

        Costs at a three-star hotel, which includes free breakfast, include only lunches totaling about $50 per day. 

        Tightly budgeted meals assume cutting meal costs by 60% with cheap eats and/or preparing meals. 

    Activities for the 10-night trip include a snorkeling excursion, surfing lessons, a Pearl Harbor visit and a day at a water park. For the seven-night trip: snorkeling, the Pearl Harbor visit and a day at a water park.

    Economy rental car reserved through DiscountHawaiiCarRental.com or Turo.com.

    $5-a-day tip for housekeepers.

With the information outlined above, here are our estimated budgets.

10-night trip, peak summer travel season

    $12,296: Four-star beachfront resort, with a 10-day rental car.

    $9,286: Three-star hotel, with a 10-minute walk to the beach, a five-day rental car.

    $6,261 Low-cost condo with walking distance to the beach, tightly budgeted meals and a five-day rental car. 

Seven-night trip, shoulder season

    $7,602: Four-star beachfront resort, with a seven-day rental car.

    $5,792: Three-star hotel, with a  10-minute walk to beach, and a rental car for two days.

    $3,892: Low-cost condo with walking distance to the beach, tightly budgeted meals and a two-day rental car. 

Can you beat these numbers? Definitely. Here are tips on how to save on your vacation to Hawaii.

How to cut your Hawaii vacation costs

Stay on the beach or rent a car every day, but don’t do both

Does your idea of a great vacation involve hitting the open road to explore every corner of the island? Then don’t pay premium Hawaii prices for a hotel on the beach. On the other hand, if your dream trip involves tons of time lounging on the sand and splashing in the pool, don’t pay $75 a day for a rental car plus $65 a day to park when it’s just going to sit there. 

Waikiki is home to about 85 hotels — all within walking distance of a car rental agency. 

So it’s easy to get a car for part of your trip. Select “Waikiki” instead of “Honolulu airport” as your pick-up and drop-off location for your rental car. If you pick the car up in the morning and then drop it off at the end of the day, you can save a night’s worth of parking costs, cutting down your trip cost.

The downside to this strategy is you may have to wait in a long line to get your car. So send one adult to pick up the vehicle in the morning while the rest of the crew gets ready for the day. And don’t forget to include airport transfers in your budget. Budget about $50 each way, including tip, for a taxi or rideshare between Waikiki and Honolulu airport. 

Eat cheaper

If your family of four has a nice dinner at the world-famous Duke’s Waikiki, including cocktails for the adults, an appetizer and a Hula Pie dessert to share, you’ll spend about $225, including taxes and tip. Of course, the beachfront views, tiki torches and aloha spirit are worth it. But you don’t have to spend that much every night. 

Step away from the beach and meals get much cheaper. For example, the outstanding burgers at Cheeseburger Waikiki are about $18, as opposed to the $36 fish at Duke’s. In addition, pizza joints, super-affordable ramen houses, authentic Hawaiian diners such as Rainbow Drive-In, chains such as Denny’s and IHOP, and fast-food restaurants including McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway can bring your meal costs way down. 

Or, swing into one of the many ABC Stores to pick up packaged salads, sandwiches, yogurt, snacks, drinks or some spam musubi (a slice of grilled Spam sandwiched between or on top of a block of rice, wrapped in nori) to fill up on the cheap. More affordable yet, you can buy cereal, coffee, milk, sandwich meats and bread to prepare breakfasts and lunches at your hotel or condo.

Consider a condo 

It’s not hard to find a vacation rental just a few minutes from the beach for much cheaper than you’d pay for a hotel.

For a seven-day rental during the shoulder season, you can cut your total accommodations cost down to about $1,000.

Many condos have kitchens, too, so you could save a ton by making eggs or pancakes for breakfast, spaghetti for dinner and even packing sandwiches for lunches while you’re out and about.

If you want to go to Hawaii …

So, how much does it cost to go to Hawaii? It can be very expensive. Hidden costs like resort fees and exorbitant parking prices can easily break the budget. But there are ways to save on the cost of a vacation to Hawaii. Traveling before or after the peak summer season can save considerably. In addition, don’t pay a premium to stay on the beach if you won’t take full advantage of that location. But don’t pay up to $65 a night to park a car because you’re splashing around the pool for several days. 

To save big, consider a condo where you can cook meals to save on dining. With these simple strategies, your answer to the question “How much is a vacation to Hawaii?” can get you an answer that fits your budget.

June Casagrande

A Pizza Your Business: 5 Tips For Side Hustle Success

 Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world. It’s delicious. It’s nutritious. It even has its own day (February 9th is National Pizza Day).

It also presents an apt metaphor for building a business.

Sure, you can learn a lot of entrepreneurial lessons by working in a pizza stand at one of the largest county fairs in the country. But you don’t have to put in those 16-hour days to learn from pizza. You just have to know what makes up a pizza.

A pizza is something that you can customize to your own liking, with different toppings and ingredients. You can also have a pizza delivered right to your doorstep. When you’re running a business, you want to be more like a pizza. You want to offer your customers something that they can customize to their own liking. And you want to deliver your product right to their doorstep. That’s what makes a business successful.

“Pizza is an experience,” says Iza Correll, CEO & Founder at OVI Healthcare in Somerset, Kentucky. “Something about the combination of dough, sauce, and cheese hits the spot. Just like a pizza, my business is greater than the sum of its parts.”

At its very basic core, a pizza contains five easy pieces to understand: the dough, the sauce, the cheese, the pepperoni, and other toppings. Each of these five components symbolizes an important element you’ll need to consider whether you’re aiming to start a side hustle or a full-time business.

Tip #1: You knead the dough.

The dough is the foundation of the pizza, and it represents the foundation of your business. You can build a sustainable start-up by first focusing on the nuts and bolts of your business model.

“The dough represents the operations,” says Dwayne Vera, Founder of DwayneVera.com in Tampa Bay. “This is the underlying factor that allows everything else to fall into place. If your operation has holes, then everything else will fall through the cracks. Operations means policies, technology, customer journey, HR, accounting, and all things that have an impact on all aspects of the business. Good pizza places know that quality crust makes or breaks your pizza (despite what sauce people say).”

Speaking of sauce…

Tip #2: Get saucy because it sets you apart.

Yes, you need a firm crust, but it’s the sauce that most flavors the pizza. This taste makes it unique. Similarly, in order to achieve ongoing success, your business needs to have a differentiator that sets it apart from the competition.

“The sauce of a pizza delivers a lot of the taste and flavor,” says Yoni Mazor Co-Founder & CGO of GETIDA in Teaneck, New Jersey. “Therefore, much like a business, the knowledge of the people in the organization, the intelligence and elegance of how the organization takes action to perform its mission is much like a pizza sauce, in my opinion. The culture and chemistry of the people of an organization and having a good atmosphere between an organization and the rest of its stakeholders can be very hard to replicate. If done well, it creates a great experience and good flavor at every point.”

Tip #3: Understand the big cheese.

The cheese holds the pizza together. It bridges the foundation and the unique differentiator with the product and benefits. In this way, it represents the substance of your business. This can include company goodwill, that immeasurable part of your business that might be likened to “reputation” or “credibility.”

“The cheese represents the company’s culture,” says Scott Winstead, Founder of MyElearningWorld.com in Houston. “A company’s culture is like cheese in that it binds everything together and gives the business its flavor.”

Human resources signify a vital part of this culture. This includes you, any employees you might have, as well as any third-party vendors your customers may interact with. This isn’t a “feel good” tip. This is a financial reality.

“Cheese is the most expensive ingredient of a pizza, just like labor is the greatest expense in your business,” says Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert in Atlanta. “High-quality cheese can make or break a pizza just like talented employees bring your business to the next level. Be careful, though. Over-cheese a pizza, and you’re spending unnecessarily without giving your pizza much added flavor. In fact, a lot of the cheese might just fall off uneaten if you put on too much. Same goes for your employees—you need to make sure you’re hiring the right amount and not overhiring. And you can always add parmesan (freelancers) if you need a little extra flavor boost.”

Tip #4: Pep up your publicity campaign.

When most people think of pizza, they see spicy pepperoni topping it. Yes, there are other toppings (more on that next), but pepperoni has become the standard.

Have you ever been to a pizza party and been the last in line? Were you disappointed to discover the people ahead of you took all the pepperoni slices?

Then you know the importance of pepperoni.

It’s the same with businesses of all sizes, from Fortune 100 to your $100-a-month senior side hustle. You need the sizzle of pepperoni to sell the steak of your business.

“Pepperoni and all the other toppings are marketing and your unique selling point,” says Plummer. “They get mixed together, but they all serve the same function—bringing in new business and keeping existing customers.”

About those other toppings…

Tip #5: Take Requests.

The other toppings represent the complete array of products and services you offer. Your business needs a variety of products and services to appeal to the complete spectrum of customers in your market. Think of this as continuous improvement through effortless market research. Rather than actively seeking input, you are passively gaining information from existing and prospective customers.

“The other toppings are what make a company versatile, its point of difference,” says Amit Gupta, CEO of Aeroseal in Miamisburg, Ohio. “In our case, we are always adding new toppings to the menu—our product development pipeline is very active this year with multiple new product introductions. These new products, along with our global network of contractors who use our technology are what help set us apart.”

For ages, the classic lemonade stand stood as the archetypical symbol of operating a business. Perhaps there’s a tastier comparison.

“A better metaphor for business is a pizza because you can get as creative with it as you want, yet all pizza starts with the same basic elements which are a dough-type base, a sauce, and toppings,” says Fadi Swaida, a Dentist at Bond Street Dental in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. “A business is the same way. It has a foundation of a business plan, basic financial business setups with some limited choices, and then all the products and services. Those products and services can be anything and as creative as you desire.”

So, the next time you take that slice of pizza from the pie, look at it closely. It may contain a winning idea for your full-time business or side hustle.

Chris Carosa

The Top 5 Tips For Maximizing Profit

 As a business owner, you know that the bottom line is key. No matter what industry your business is in, optimizing profit should be at the top of your priorities. Profit is essential to the success of any business. With it, a company can sustain itself and pay its expenses or employees. This is why it is so vital to understand the sources and levels of your business profit.

Tracking changes in profits over time is essential to evaluate whether your current strategies are working to adapt and improve them as needed. Ultimately, keeping an eye on both long-term trends and short-term fluctuations will play a critical role in boosting profits and helping ensure your business stays profitable for many years to come.

If you’re looking for ways to maximize the profitability of your business, here are five simple tips that can help:

Know your numbers

The most important thing you can do as a business owner is to understand your numbers. You should know how much money it costs to keep your business running and how much revenue you bring each month. This will give you an understanding of how much profit you're making - or not making - each month. It's also important to track key metrics such as customer satisfaction and employee retention so that you can make more informed decisions about how to increase profits. An accurate understanding of your finances will help you make better decisions in the future.

Develop an effective pricing strategy

Having a competitive pricing strategy is essential for any business. Your prices should be aligned with the value of your products or services and should be competitive compared to your competitors. Being too expensive will turn away potential customers while being too cheap could leave money on the table. It can also help to offer discounts and promotions from time to time to encourage customers to buy more, which translates into more profits for you.

Take advantage of digital marketing

Digital marketing has become increasingly crucial for businesses looking to reach new customers and maximize their online presence. There are many different digital marketing methods available today, such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and pay-per-click advertising. All have their advantages when it comes maximizing profit potential from online sources. These digital marketing tactics can help attract new customers while engaging existing ones with targeted messaging explicitly tailored for them – leading directly to increased revenue potential over time.

Focus on increasing efficiency and automation

Investing in technology that automates specific processes within the company can save significant amounts of time and money in the long run. For example, automation tools can streamline customer service inquiries by providing automated responses based on customer inquiries or provide mechanical inventory tracking systems, so manual inventory checks aren't necessary. Automating more processes within your business frees up more time for employees so they can focus on tasks that require their expertise instead of mundane paperwork or data entry tasks.

Focus on customer retention rather than acquisition

Retaining existing customers is often easier than acquiring new ones; therefore, it makes sense to focus most of your energy on keeping current customers happy rather than acquiring new ones at all costs. Suppose a customer has already made multiple purchases from you in the past. In that case, they are likely to make additional purchases down the road if they remain satisfied with their experience with you and trust their relationship with your brand enough to keep coming back for more.

The bottom line is that staying focused on maximizing profit for your company's success over time is essential, and these five tips will help get you there. From developing an effective pricing strategy and cutting costs wherever possible, all the way through increasing efficiency and focusing on customer retention rather than acquisition—implementing even just one or two of these strategies could mean big things for both short-term profits and long-term success.

Melissa Houston

26 Virtual Date Ideas That Aren’t Boring

 If the words “virtual date” are enough to give you traumatizing 2020 flashbacks, same. But while we may finally be past the era of pandemic Zoom dates (fingers crossed, anyway), there are still some (less depressing!) occasions that call for internet-based dating. Maybe you’re in a long-distance relationship, maybe you’re one of those highly efficient daters who prefers to screen your matches with a FaceTime date before committing to an actual date-date (smart, TBH), or maybe it’s just winter and you and your partner would rather not have to leave the house for date night. Whatever the case may be, it’s key to have a few virtual date ideas at your disposal that aren’t just staring at each other on your respective screens.

That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with simply catching up with your person over FaceTime. But if that’s your idea of date night, it may be time to get just a little more creative. Yes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say, but even long-distance couples may find that they’ve settled into a bit of a rut. If that sounds familiar, then it may be time to spruce up your long-distance dating game.

As for those of you who prefer a virtual first date (aka one that doesn’t require you to put on pants and leave the house for some Tinder rando who may very well turn out to be a total dud), I see you. But let’s be real with ourselves for a moment: sitting on your couch talking to a stranger over video and trying to make sure you look good can be freaking awkward! But! If you have an activity ready to go—like, say, cooking together or playing a game (spoiler)—it gives you something else to focus on, which can make your date more comfortable.

Hi, that’s where we come in. Here are 26 (count ’em) virtual date ideas perfect for your next FaceTime hang. Are they better than IRL dates? I mean, probably not. But there’s a time and place for virtual dating, and here’s how to make the most of that time and place.

1. Have a wine and paint night.

All you need is wine, some art supplies, and some creativity. You can follow along with one of the many painting tutorial videos on YouTube or get creative and do your own thing. You could even take a picture or memory that's special to you (like your favorite vacation spot or the place you first met) and each do your own painting of it. After, you can mail your paintings to each other to hang up to make this activity an even cuter idea. If painting isn't your thing, you could also try making pottery with air-dry clay, or just vibe while you fill in some adult coloring books.

2. Break out the long-distance sex toys.

Okay, so is this one first-date material? Probably not (unless, of course, you want it to be, in which case knock yourself out, babe). But long-distance sex toys exist for a reason, and this is literally the reason. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, there’s a brave new world of sex toys out there that a trusted partner can control from literally anywhere. (Here are just a few of our faves, BTW.) If it’s been a minute since you and your partner got it on (or if you’re feeling frisky with a new boo), giving each other remote orgasms is a great way to keep in touch sexually without, you know, actually touching each other.

3. Do a virtual wine tasting.

Hi, yes, virtual wine tastings are a thing, and they’re a thing you should definitely be doing. Here’s how it works: you and your partner sign up, you both get sent a few bottles of wine, and then you follow along together on Zoom as an expert guides you through a tasting. Try some great wines, brush up on your vino knowledge, and bond with your person, all without leaving the house? Believe it.

4. Watch porn together.

As I like to say, the couple that watches porn together stays together. And while I usually suggest doing it in the same bed, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy some X-rated viewing together from the comfort of your own respective homes. Pick out a flick that titillates you both and get ready to indulge in a little long-distance mutual masturbation.

5. Break out a deck of conversation cards.

Whether you've been together 5ever or you're just getting to know each other, a deck of conversation cards can help you deepen your connection. You and your partner can respond to prompts that are funny, deep, and/or H-O-T, depending on the deck.

6. Plan a trip together.

If you're in an LDR, planning a future visit is one way to feel connected. Talking about the types of vacations you like can help you get to know your person better. Looking at Airbnbs or hotels together and planning what you want to do on vacation is actually so fun. Plus, you'll have something to look forward to when you're done.

7. Take a walk together.

Okay, so you might have to get out of your pajamas for this one. (Or not, you do you). You and your partner can both take a walk or a hike while you chat, stopping to point out things of interest or nice views. It's a good way to get your blood pumping and have something to do that isn't just staring at a screen.

8. Do some Mad-Libs. (No, really, this is a serious suggestion.)

If you’ve never done a Mad-Lib, all I can tell you is you are missing out. Yes, they’re for children, but I can promise you they are just as fun (and, yes, absurd) now as they were as a kid at camp. Grab a few on Amazon (or just look up some free knock-off versions online) and settle in for a silly evening of laughter and probably a lot of fart jokes. What? It’s called romance.

9. Play a game of sexy truth or dare.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a game that’s a little on the steamier side, might we suggest an arousing round of sexy truth or dare? Oh, and what’s that? A master list of sexy truth or dare questions for your inspiration? Damn, we are good. (Oh, and you’re welcome.)

10. Get to know each other ~deeper~ via Spotify.

Using Spotify’s Group Sessions feature, you can 1) Share your fave songs with your date as you’re listening to them or 2) Take your conversations way, way, way deeper by sending each other prompts like “Play a song that reminds you of me” or “Play a song that describes the type of love you’re seeking.”

I promise, this is the easiest, most efficient way to get deep with the person you’re talking to without being super intrusive and creepy about it. One Cosmopolitan writer said here that it "single-handedly saved her dating life during quarantine."

11. Hire a virtual private chef or attend a virtual cooking class together.

The idea here is that you're doing things you'd normally do together IRL...just virtually. So since food = the way to everyone’s hearts, there are lots of virtual options to get you and your date cooking. You can try a virtual cooking class with a personal chef from a website like 100 Pleats, or sign-up for a local virtual cooking class near you.

Just keep in mind that this isn’t the best date idea for ~first dates~ since you won’t really be able to talk to each other until afterward.

12. Assess your compatibility.

Hi, yes, use this time to figure out your person's sun, rising, and moon signs (because, yup, this is literally what we all want). Then look up your compatibility online and discuss whether you agree or disagree on everything said.

Another option if you really want to test the waters: You can do a virtual couple’s tarot card reading, which can offer up love insights and help you discover ways to better connect with your partner. Just do a quick Google search through virtual tarot card readers and find someone you enjoy.

13. Take the love language test together.

I promise, this is The Thing to do on dates. (And I speak from experience.) Take the quiz online and then share your answers with each other as you move from question to question. Not only do you find out their love language—which is super important in relationships—but you can also see how they answer each question in super specific scenarios.

Trust me, I’m 99 percent positive that mismatched love languages are the reason why people do not work out. Oh, and when you're done with that, take the apology languages test next.

14. Arrange a fancy virtual date night.

Make it an all-out black tie date night at home—because sometimes, being all dressed up with nowhere to go is a fun way to remind each other how good you look. If you’ve been staying home, use it as an excuse to put on some makeup, slip into your fave dress, and get your S.O. on video chat in their finest outfit.

Don’t forget to set the mood with a jazzy playlist, lots of lit candles, and a bottle of champagne. Then, order each other a surprise food delivery you can both eat together in front of the camera.

15. Start a recipe exchange.

Create a shared Google Doc and continuously compile it with both of your favorite recipes. As a date night, choose a recipe to try making “together” in your respective kitchens, and the partner whose recipe it is can offer tips as you go. Food is love—even if you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor at the same table right now.

16. Play online games together.

If you like a little friendly competition, there are tons of two-player online games that you can play with your partner wherever you’re located. Cardzmania is a platform that offers tons of online card games, from gin rummy to Klondike. Or you can do a puzzle together virtually, chatting over Zoom as you choose what piece goes where. If your LDR is happening across two different time zones, Words With Friends lets you play your turn whenever you want and keep the game going on your own time.

17. Mail a care package.

Send your person a customized care package to show you’re thinking of them from wayoverhere. Ideas: Surprise them with a boozy delivery from Winc or Drizly, then order the same bottles for yourself and “meet” for a drink at 7 p.m. over Skype.

Or get really creative and curate a themed vacation-in-a-box. For instance, if you’ve been dying to go to Hawaii together, mail a package containing a lei, sunglasses, a drink umbrella, and a recipe for Mai Tais—then hop on FaceTime decked out in the same themed garb, enjoy your virtual “vacay” together, and use it as a springboard to start planning your next real couples getaway.

18. Start a two-person book club.

Choose a book that you’ll both enjoy and read it at the same time. Then pick a date to finish it by, and schedule a virtual book club discussion (cheese and wine optional, but highly encouraged). It’s similar to watching a show together but requires more dedication and provokes in-depth conversations throughout.

19. Create a shared photo album.

Set up a collaborative photo album on your phone or Dropbox, then go through the pics while you’re on the phone together. You can curate old snapshots from fun times you’ve had together, or walk down memory lane by including old photos from both of your childhoods and high school glory days.

20. Send a coupon book.

To really up the ante on your next reunion, create a personalized coupon book for your partner that’s filled with favors and activities they can “cash in” on next time you’re together in person. (If you’re not super crafty, use a website like LoveCoups.) The coupons can be a mix of sexy (“Good for one full body massage”) and simple (“Good for one home cooked meal, doing the dishes included”).

21. Exchange scents.

The olfactory sense is strongly connected to memory. Exchange mini bottles of your perfume and cologne through the mail so you can remember what each other smells like. (Then go ahead, spray it all over everything in your house until you’re together again.) The scents will trigger memories, which you can sweetly share with each other.

22. Motivate each other to sweat.

If you can’t be IRL gym buddies, holding each other accountable for your fitness goals is the next best thing, so sign up for the same virtual yoga or barre class. Or download an app like Runkeeper or My Fitness Pal to track and share your respective running routes with photos.

23. Binge-watch the same TV show.

It’s Netflix and chill, but from afar. First, download Netflix Party, a new Chrome extension that allows two parties to synchronize their Netflix accounts to watch something simultaneously. Pick a show neither of you have seen and watch each episode so you can send text commentary in real time. Then afterward, decide whether you collectively think Carole Baskin really did feed her husband to the tigers.

24. Go house hunting.

If you’re planning for a future together, now is a great time to start looking for your dream home. Amid COVID-19, real estate businesses and sellers are offering safe alternatives to open houses with virtual tours of their homes—which you can do with your partner from literally anywhere.

If you’re still in the beginning stages of your search (or maybe you just want to imagine what it would be like to live in a $1.6 million dollar mansion on the beach!), send each other links to homes you love on Zillow and discuss because why not?

25. Learn something new.

Being away from your person is a great excuse to pick up some skills and become experts in something new together. Sign up for an online class together like: learning French, cross-stitching, baking, you name it.

26. Stargaze “together.”

We’re all under the same sky and seeing the same stars, which is high-key pretty romantic when you think about it. Sit out on your deck, get your partner on the phone, and see if you can point out the constellations together. Looking at the same stars from afar will make you feel closer.

Taylor Andrews, Jamie Ballard and Kayla Kibbe

Starting A Business: Tips And Strategies To Get You Going

 Starting a business can provide you with incredible experiences and opportunities, but with these come unique challenges, unlike those faced in any other profession. Running a business requires risk-taking, a willingness to learn from mistakes, the ability to adapt quickly, and the capacity to lead and motivate others. Entrepreneurs must make tough decisions, persevere when times get tough and stay focused on their objectives despite many distractions.

While there can be plenty of uncertainty in starting a business, the potential rewards are worth it. Whether it be increased financial resources or meaningful work that drives success for yourself, colleagues, and customers - if you're ready to take on the challenge of entrepreneurship, you could have an incredibly rewarding journey ahead of you.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking for ways to improve what’s already established, these tips will help you get started on your journey toward success:

1. Business plan development

Writing a comprehensive business plan is one of the best things you can do for your business. A thorough business plan should include an executive summary, company description, market analysis, management team overview, organizational structure, product/service descriptions, operational details, financial projections, and statements.

Your business plan should clearly outline the goals and objectives of your organization as well as how you intend to achieve those objectives. It should also provide insight into the market trends that could affect your industry. Having a strong business plan will not only help you secure financing but will also guide you as you move forward with launching or expanding your business.

2. Marketing strategy

An effective marketing strategy is key to getting people interested in your product or service. Marketing aims to reach potential customers by delivering value-based messages about what makes your product different from others on the market. Many elements go into creating an effective marketing strategy, such as developing buyer personas, understanding customer behavior and segmentation, building relationships with influencers, and optimizing content for search engines through SEO tactics. Understanding these principles can help you create a strategy that resonates with potential customers while driving sales growth for your company.

3. Financial planning

Having reliable financial reporting systems is essential when running a successful business. Financial planning involves assessing current finances and projecting future cash flows so that owners have an accurate picture of their financial health at any given time. It includes budgeting expenses and setting revenue goals to maximize profits while minimizing costs as much as possible.

Knowing exactly where funds are coming from and going to allows owners to make informed decisions about investments in new products or services, which could contribute significantly towards the overall growth of their organization in the long run.

The bottom line is that starting a business requires dedication and hard work, but having the right strategies in place can make all the difference between success and failure down the line. From crafting compelling marketing campaigns to creating comprehensive financial plans, having knowledge of best practices across multiple disciplines is vital to ensuring longevity for any kind of venture—big or small! With these tips on starting a business under your belt, now's the time for actionable steps that lead you closer to achieving success.

Melissa Houston

The Top Resume Tip To Overcome Employment Gaps

 Looking for a new job in the new year? After a career break — whether voluntary or not, short-term or long-term — explaining resume gaps to hiring managers and recruiters is a common concern. It's also a valid concern. Many workers face employment discrimination when re-entering the workforce, largely because career breaks deviate from the "ideal worker" pattern of continuous employment.

But a recent study in Nature Human Behavior found one resume writing technique that increases the chances of securing an interview for those with resume gaps by 15%. The secret is simple: don't call attention to any gaps by displaying work experience in a different format. Instead of providing the traditional start and stop date of the job (for example, May 2020 — May 2022), researchers listed the number of years the applicant worked in each job. This technique effectively obscured the work gap.

Women are particularly impacted by resume gaps due to caring responsibilities, and the prevailing advice is to "explain the gap." While the skills it takes to be a parent undoubtedly translate to the workplace, researchers found no evidence that this strategy works any better than having an unexplained gap. In the eyes of employers, a gap is still a gap.

It's time to throw out negative stereotypes regarding employment gaps

There's clearly larger work to be done in the diversity & inclusion space to help reduce discriminative hiring practices. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs hosted a roundtable last year to discuss the challenges workers face when re-entering the workforce after unemployment. SHRM published a session round-up highlighting several groups in particular that face discrimination. It's not just women returning from maternity leave. Older workers, those who experience mental health conditions, and ex-prisoners are more likely to face employment discrimination — lengthening their employment gaps.

That said, LinkedIn states that job gaps will become increasingly normalized due to a variety of well-founded reasons. Priorities have changed post-pandemic. Many resigned from their roles to focus on more purpose-driven work. Some realized that they wanted to change careers and took time to re-train. And more and more people are taking mental health breaks.

Rethinking outdated assumptions

Overcoming outdated biases around ideal candidates and the linear career path isn't easy — but businesses can make strides forward. One tip is to take blind resumes one step further. Blind resumes are those that have been stripped of any identifying information so that recruiters are less likely to succumb to any unconscious bias. Recruiters can request that all resumes be submitted with years worked instead of dates. And we would all do well to remember that an employment gap does not necessarily equate to an unskilled candidate.

Lindsay Kohler