McKinsey & Company, the consulting powerhouse known for advising companies on efficiency and cost-cutting, is now planning to cut its own workforce, according to Bloomberg.
The firm wants to lay off about 10 percent of employees in non-client-facing roles, a move that could roll out over the next year and a half.
The planned cuts come after years of rapid hiring followed by stalled growth. Revenue has hovered around $15 billion to $16 billion, while clients grow more cautious about big consulting bills. Rivals like Accenture, EY and PwC have made similar moves.
McKinsey & Company, the consulting powerhouse known for advising companies on efficiency and cost-cutting, is now planning to cut its own workforce, according to Bloomberg.
The firm wants to lay off about 10 percent of employees in non-client-facing roles, a move that could roll out over the next year and a half.
The planned cuts come after years of rapid hiring followed by stalled growth. Revenue has hovered around $15 billion to $16 billion, while clients grow more cautious about big consulting bills. Rivals like Accenture, EY and PwC have made similar moves.
How This Underdog Toymaker Soared to $150M in Annual Sales: ‘Didn’t Know This Thing Existed’
Key Takeaways
Nex, a little-known Silicon Valley startup, has created a bestselling game console for kids called the Nex Playground.
The console has become one of the hottest toys of the holiday season, selling out on Black Friday on Amazon.
Parents are drawn to the Nex Playground because it encourages movement over sedentary play and includes popular games like “Bluey: Bust-a-Move” and “Fruit Ninja.”
The Nex Playground, a motion-tracking game console for kids, has unexpectedly become one of the hottest toys of the holiday season, despite being made by a little-known Silicon Valley startup called Nex instead of an established toy or gaming company.
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Nex sold 5,000 units of the Playground two years ago and 150,000 last year. It’s projected to sell 600,000 units in 2025 and is on track to do more than $150 million in sales this year.
The Nex Playground is a compact, cube-shaped console that connects to a TV and uses a camera and computer vision to track players’ body movements, turning full-body activity into game controls. Instead of using traditional controllers, users jump, duck and wave to interact with games, making the product an “active play” system that incorporates physical activity into screen time.
The Nex Playground is priced at $249, which is cheaper than flagship consoles like the $499 PlayStation 5 and $449 Nintendo Switch 2. On Black Friday, the Playground sold out and was temporarily out of stock on Amazon, soaring to No. 1 in the Toys & Games category. It is currently the No. 1 bestseller in plug-and-play video games on Amazon.
The Nex Playground. Credit: Nex
Mat Piscatella, an analyst at market research firm Circana, expressed disbelief that the Nex Playground could become a bestselling product so quickly. “To be completely honest, I didn’t know this thing existed a month ago,” he told the WSJ.
The WSJ report highlighted that parents are drawn to the Nex Playground because it encourages movement over sedentary play. It holds appeal as a family-friendly, living room activity, which makes it attractive to households that might otherwise avoid purchasing a traditional console. Its pastel, toy-like design visually differentiates it from mainstream consoles, making it easier for parents to see it as a family toy.
Playground sales grew due to word-of-mouth marketing, social media and parent group chats, per WSJ. The console already supported dozens of games like Bowling: Strike! and Fruit Ninja, but scored a major win by adding Bluey: Bust-a-Move this fall. Bluey was the most popular show on streaming television in 2024, with 55 billion minutes streamed, so adding the game significantly boosted awareness and demand for the console.
Nex began nearly a decade ago as a computer-vision startup that created HomeCourt, an iPhone app that tracked basketball shots and performance using AI. After briefly trying to create a gamified workout app called Active Arcade, the startup ultimately pivoted into home gaming.
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Key Takeaways
Nex, a little-known Silicon Valley startup, has created a bestselling game console for kids called the Nex Playground.
The console has become one of the hottest toys of the holiday season, selling out on Black Friday on Amazon.
Parents are drawn to the Nex Playground because it encourages movement over sedentary play and includes popular games like “Bluey: Bust-a-Move” and “Fruit Ninja.”
The Nex Playground, a motion-tracking game console for kids, has unexpectedly become one of the hottest toys of the holiday season, despite being made by a little-known Silicon Valley startup called Nex instead of an established toy or gaming company.
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Nex sold 5,000 units of the Playground two years ago and 150,000 last year. It’s projected to sell 600,000 units in 2025 and is on track to do more than $150 million in sales this year.
Roomba Files for Bankruptcy But Says Vacuums Won’t ‘Brick’
iRobot, the maker of Roomba robot vacuums, just hit a wall. The Massachusetts-based company filed for bankruptcy over the weekend after years of financial strain, but the company said customers should not worry about their devices suddenly shutting down or “bricking” during the restructuring.
The filing comes after stiff competition from cheaper rivals and a failed 2024 sale to Amazon that sent iRobot’s stock tumbling. Because many of Roomba’s features rely on the company’s app, customers feared that devices would stop in their tracks if operations ceased.
But iRobot says customer support and app access will continue. Under the plan, its main manufacturer will take ownership, allowing the business to keep humming along.
iRobot, the maker of Roomba robot vacuums, just hit a wall. The Massachusetts-based company filed for bankruptcy over the weekend after years of financial strain, but the company said customers should not worry about their devices suddenly shutting down or “bricking” during the restructuring.
The filing comes after stiff competition from cheaper rivals and a failed 2024 sale to Amazon that sent iRobot’s stock tumbling. Because many of Roomba’s features rely on the company’s app, customers feared that devices would stop in their tracks if operations ceased.
But iRobot says customer support and app access will continue. Under the plan, its main manufacturer will take ownership, allowing the business to keep humming along.
Save Big on AI Tools: 1min.AI’s Advanced Plan Drops to $59.99
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
If your team is stretched thin, a 3-year subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for $59.99 (reg. $299) offers a practical, budget-friendly way to automate repeatable work, speed up production, and reduce operational drag. With hundreds of AI tools consolidated into one platform—from writing and image generation to automations, chatbot creation, and training modules—you’re replacing a scattered toolset with a single, more predictable workflow.
A unified AI workspace that removes friction from content and operations
Instead of hopping between copy tools, design apps, slide builders, and automation dashboards, 1min.AI brings these capabilities under one roof. You get text generation, image tools, video assets, chatbot builders, template libraries, and micro-automation flows designed to reduce manual steps in everyday tasks. Having these components in one system is a measurable advantage for small teams that need to maintain quality while working faster.
At 80% off, the Advanced Business Plan includes multi-tool access, unlimited projects, and commercial usage rights for three full years. Even if you only use it for presentations, blog content, or automation scripts, the savings stack up quickly compared with juggling multiple SaaS tools billed monthly.
Reduce context switching and enable consistent output
If your goal is to scale production without scaling costs, this deal fits squarely into that mindset, especially for:
Creative and marketing teams producing high-volume content
Agencies looking to accelerate client deliverables
Solo operators who need quick, reliable assets without outsourcing
Businesses standardizing processes across departments.
A single platform that cuts operational drag, adds creative capacity, and keeps budgets predictable is hard to pass up, especially at $59.99 for three years. Secure 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan at 80% off (reg. $299).
If your team is stretched thin, a 3-year subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for $59.99 (reg. $299) offers a practical, budget-friendly way to automate repeatable work, speed up production, and reduce operational drag. With hundreds of AI tools consolidated into one platform—from writing and image generation to automations, chatbot creation, and training modules—you’re replacing a scattered toolset with a single, more predictable workflow.
A unified AI workspace that removes friction from content and operations
Instead of hopping between copy tools, design apps, slide builders, and automation dashboards, 1min.AI brings these capabilities under one roof. You get text generation, image tools, video assets, chatbot builders, template libraries, and micro-automation flows designed to reduce manual steps in everyday tasks. Having these components in one system is a measurable advantage for small teams that need to maintain quality while working faster.
At 80% off, the Advanced Business Plan includes multi-tool access, unlimited projects, and commercial usage rights for three full years. Even if you only use it for presentations, blog content, or automation scripts, the savings stack up quickly compared with juggling multiple SaaS tools billed monthly.
This Couple Ran a Holiday Side Hustle Out of a Camper Van. It Surpassed $1.5 Million in Revenue — And ChatGPT’s Helping It Grow.
Key Takeaways
The married co-founders teamed up with an engineer to launch White Elephant Online in November 2020.
Here’s how they grew the flexible, seasonal side hustle into a “quasi full-time business” eyeing its next growth chapter.
In the throes of the pandemic in August 2020, David Mancarella was working remotely as a director of product management at a property-tech firm based in New York City when he and his co-workers wondered what might happen to their holiday party tradition. The office played white elephant, the gamified and often humorous gift swap, every year.
“ I was like, Well, there must be a way to play white elephant virtually,” Mancarella tells Entrepreneur. “I’m sure that exists. But of course, after the call, I started Googling and realized it did not exist. Because it didn’t really need to exist up to that point. People would just play in person. It wasn’t really something people were trying to do virtually until the pandemic hit.”
Mancarella’s wife, Leliah Kishbaugh, recalls her husband announcing his new business idea at their home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where they’d moved just weeks before the pandemic struck. She notes that it wasn’t the first time he’d come up with an idea for a business — but it was the first time he’d come up with one that didn’t exist already.
A couple of days later, Mancarella reached out to Andrzej Brynczka, an engineer he’d worked with, to run the project by him. Brynczka was on board, and the side hustle came together fairly quickly after that. Mancarella and Kishbaugh wanted to launch the business ahead of Thanksgiving to make the most of the holiday season.
Image Credit: Courtesy of White Elephant Online. Leliah Kishbaugh and David Mancarella.
Kishbaugh, who worked in finance before starting her own real estate development company and co-founding the womenswear brand NILETA, admits that she gravitates toward business names that “are a little bit punchier,” but in this case, her husband’s preference for a “straightforward, optimized” name paid off.
“ There really weren’t any competitors,” Kishbaugh says, “so if anyone was looking to play white elephant virtually, we were there.”
White Elephant Online’s website went live in early November 2020, and the co-founders were excited when they’d collected about 400 email addresses, but that was just the beginning. “It kind of exploded,” Mancarella says. By the end of the year, their side hustle had racked up more than 165,000 users.
Initially, White Elephant Online was free for personal games with up to 25 people and $99 for corporate use. White Elephant Online’s pricing strategy has evolved since then, with a tiered system for businesses and organizations ranging from $69 to $299, depending on how many players participate. The service remains free for personal use for up to 10 players.
Naturally, getting the product up and running so quickly came with some challenges — like a glitch auto-filling customers’ first names in both the first and last name fields, which resulted in hundreds of customer service tickets — so the co-founders had to be proactive.
They created robust support materials and used Zendesk early on to keep the side hustle operating smoothly with their small team, which remains just the three of them to this day.
Mancarella quit his job in product management the spring following White Elephant Online’s launch; now, the co-founders consider the venture their “quasi full-time business.”
Since its founding, White Elephant Online has hosted tens of thousands of virtual gift swaps for over 350,000 users, with more than $1.5 million in lifetime revenue.
When the pandemic’s impact waned, and people began to return to the office, the co-founders saw a significant drop in the number of personal games played on the platform and considered how to keep growing the business.
That’s why they launched a secret Santa generator a couple of years back, hoping it would be “sort of like a lead funnel.”
It didn’t quite work out that way, Kishbaugh says, as the couple didn’t want to promote the free tool too widely to its business audience and risk cannibalizing White Elephant Online. The secret Santa space is also highly saturated.
The gift generator is a way for us to touch the people who just play white elephant, regardless of whether it’s in person or virtually.
Then, more recently, the couple landed on another concept: a gift idea generator that complements the white elephant offering.
“One thing that’s limiting our business is that obviously [we’re] virtual,” Mancarella says. “You don’t really need a tool to play in person. You need a hat or a bucket to throw some numbers in, and you’re good to go. The gift generator is a way for us to touch the people who just play white elephant, regardless of whether it’s in person or virtually.”
The gift generator tool launched last month and is monetized through affiliate links.
What’s more, as White Elephant Online celebrated its fifth anniversary this past November, the business has compiled a significant amount of data on some of the most popular white elephant gifts.
White Elephant Online’s platform doesn’t use AI, but on the back end, the co-founders have used ChatGPT to sift through some of that gift data and gain insights that would have been too time-consuming to drill down on in the past.
Although white elephant exchanges have a reputation for silly gifts — Snoop Dogg’s From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchenhas been in the platform’s top 10 every year — the co-founders say that tech gadgets like Apple Air Tags and Bluetooth speakers enjoy consistent popularity too.
It’s not like a lot of companies where you’re iterating every week or two.
Naturally, White Elephant Online is a highly seasonal business; Mancarella and Kishbaugh work on it from September through December, which comes with both benefits and challenges.
“It is great because it gives us a lot of flexibility,” Kishbaugh explains. “Before we had a child, we would travel in our camper van and [visited] a lot of national parks. Now we just get to spend a lot of time with our daughter, which is amazing.”
However, the seasonality also means the business has a very small window in which to test and implement the tools it needs to capitalize on the holiday rush.
“It’s not like a lot of companies where you’re iterating every week or two and kind of adjusting the numbers compared to last month,” Mancarella says. “It’s like, ‘All right. It’s a whole new season. Let’s see what we can do.’”
We love being entrepreneurs…you learn so much.
White Elephant Online has kept up a strong revenue rhythm year over year, but the co-founders look forward to the business’s next chapter of growth and expansion.
The co-founders found success by putting their business idea into action early on, and they caution aspiring entrepreneurs against staying in the planning phase too long: It’s critical to get a product out into the world and see how people respond.
That goes hand-in-hand with knowing where to focus your valuable energy.
“ We love being entrepreneurs and doing all of the things by ourselves,” Kishbaugh says. “You learn so much. It’s fascinating. But you have to know where to spend your time in order to actually be successful.”
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Key Takeaways
The married co-founders teamed up with an engineer to launch White Elephant Online in November 2020.
Here’s how they grew the flexible, seasonal side hustle into a “quasi full-time business” eyeing its next growth chapter.
In the throes of the pandemic in August 2020, David Mancarella was working remotely as a director of product management at a property-tech firm based in New York City when he and his co-workers wondered what might happen to their holiday party tradition. The office played white elephant, the gamified and often humorous gift swap, every year.
“ I was like, Well, there must be a way to play white elephant virtually,” Mancarella tells Entrepreneur. “I’m sure that exists. But of course, after the call, I started Googling and realized it did not exist. Because it didn’t really need to exist up to that point. People would just play in person. It wasn’t really something people were trying to do virtually until the pandemic hit.”
GenAI Feels Familiar — Because It’s the Internet Boom All Over Again
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways
The GenAI moment mirrors the early internet’s uncertainty and transformative potential.
AI is reshaping how people define trust, authenticity and digital relevance.
In 1998, if you would have asked where people went to find information, you’d probably hear the library, encyclopedias or the Yellow Pages. If they were particularly tech-savvy, they might have mentioned the quirky new site AltaVista. The idea that the internet could completely upend how we access information and build businesses was, for most, inconceivable.
Today, we’re in a moment much like the early web. Generative AI (GenAI) brings the same mix of promise and uncertainty, reshaping the digital economy and how marketers define trust, authenticity and relevance.
The difference? Back then, we were learning how to get online; now, we’re figuring out what’s real online. And once again, the answers are far from clear.
The new digital land rush
The early 2000s saw the web explode into a land grab. Startups, investors and corporations scrambled to stake their claim. The dot-com bubble eventually burst, but the chaos that followed reshaped modern business. That same sense of frenetic experimentation is happening again with AI. Everyone from Fortune 500s to solo entrepreneurs is testing, iterating and hoping to discover the next big breakthrough.
Despite these parallels, there are also major differences. This time, the evolution is happening at breakneck speed, and it’s profoundly personal. While the early internet connected machines, today’s AI connects minds. It’s conversational, adaptive and capable of mimicking humans in ways that blur the line between what’s real and what’s manufactured. For brands and creators, this has made authenticity essential.
The authenticity crisis
In an age when AI can fabricate influencers, videos and entire personas, authenticity is a true differentiator for brands. Creators are now competing not just with each other but with synthetic content, forcing brands to walk a fine line between efficiency and ethics.
Theoretically, any CMO could manufacture perfect AI content that is not only less expensive and faster, but perfectly on-brand. However, if customers discover that content isn’t from a real human, trust would likely evaporate overnight. The efficiency gains aren’t worth the loss of customer loyalty.
That’s why brands must use AI as a tool to enhance creativity and productivity, not replace the humanity that underpins trust. To succeed, they should leverage AI responsibly, using it to amplify, not fabricate, their message.
In the digital realm, that credibility has long begun with search.
Just as Google redefined the internet economy in 2004 with its IPO, it now stands at the center of AI’s next evolution. But its dominance is not guaranteed.
With the shift to AI Overviews, traditional “blue link” search results are being pushed further down the page, replaced by AI-generated summaries. This is a large change for a company that still draws around 75% of its revenue from ads.
If Google can deliver best-in-class AI search experiences that are trusted, useful and monetizable for users, this remains its game to lose. If it doesn’t, we may soon see entirely new ecosystems of AI-first search and commerce emerge. Either way, the rules of brand visibility are changing fast, and those that want to be found need to adapt just as quickly.
Staying visible when the rules change
Now more than ever, relevance wins for brands. Whether your content appears in traditional search results, AI-generated summaries, or AI chatbot results, visibility depends on being the source that AI models trust and cite. As “blue links” move down the page, citations become increasingly vital.
To stay visible, create clear, authoritative content that answers audience questions. When you do, AI systems are more likely to reference and attribute your domain in their responses, strengthening your presence. Use natural language that mirrors how someone would pose a question to ChatGPT or Gemini. Maintain backlinks and ensure your domain name reinforces your authority and authenticity.
A strategic domain name is still one of the most powerful signals of authenticity to both consumers and search algorithms. They help search engines and audiences quickly understand your website’s purpose, improving AI-powered search results and consumer click-through rates. Amid deepfakes, algorithmic feeds and disappearing authenticity, a verified domain is proof of digital existence and credibility.
Every digital revolution has rewritten how brands reach people. GenAI is simply the next evolution, though this one is faster, smarter and far more personal.
We’ve seen this before. We’ve adapted before. And we’ll do it again. Because no matter how advanced technology becomes, the brands that thrive will be the ones that stay grounded in what’s real: trust, relevance and the simple human truth that authenticity never gets old.
Key Takeaways
The GenAI moment mirrors the early internet’s uncertainty and transformative potential.
AI is reshaping how people define trust, authenticity and digital relevance.
In 1998, if you would have asked where people went to find information, you’d probably hear the library, encyclopedias or the Yellow Pages. If they were particularly tech-savvy, they might have mentioned the quirky new site AltaVista. The idea that the internet could completely upend how we access information and build businesses was, for most, inconceivable.
Today, we’re in a moment much like the early web. Generative AI (GenAI) brings the same mix of promise and uncertainty, reshaping the digital economy and how marketers define trust, authenticity and relevance.
This $9.97 Windows 11 Pro Deal Lets Small Teams Standardize Without Overspending
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Modern businesses run on consistency—consistent security, consistent performance, and consistent tools across every workstation. If your team is still juggling mixed operating system (OS) versions or delaying upgrades because licenses are pricey, this deal shifts that equation fast. Right now, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 (reg. $199).
A streamlined OS that reduces friction for busy teams
Windows 11 Pro gives teams the administrative control, device security, and workflow stability that small businesses need without adding enterprise-software overhead. Features like BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop access, Hyper-V virtualization, and flexible group policy controls support both hybrid and on-prem environments while keeping onboarding simple.
And the security reasoning is hard to ignore: according to the 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average U.S. data breach cost climbed to $9.48 million, with vulnerabilities in software and systems remaining a top attack vector. Upgrading operating systems is one of the most direct ways to reduce that category of exposure.
Deals this steep rarely apply to full Windows Pro licenses—let alone one that normally retails for $199. At 93% off, or just $9.97, the math is straightforward: upgrading even a handful of machines costs less than a single month of most SaaS productivity tools. And for buyers who value ownership, this is a pay-once license, not a recurring subscription.
The upgrade designed for small businesses
Windows 11 Pro supports the tools knowledge workers rely on most—from cloud suites and virtualization apps to local productivity workflows—with faster startup times and more stable resource allocation than older versions. It can truly help teams who need:
A consistent, secure OS across laptops and desktops
Lightweight security and device-management tools without investing in enterprise suites
Better multitasking and display ergonomics for hybrid or remote workflows
A straightforward path to modern hardware compatibility
If your team’s upgrade cycle has been delayed by budget constraints, this pricing removes the obstacle. Standardize, secure, and modernize key devices now while a rarely-seen sub-$15 deal is still available.
Upgrade your setup and get Windows 11 Pro for $9.97 (reg. $199) while this steep discount lasts.
Modern businesses run on consistency—consistent security, consistent performance, and consistent tools across every workstation. If your team is still juggling mixed operating system (OS) versions or delaying upgrades because licenses are pricey, this deal shifts that equation fast. Right now, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 (reg. $199).
A streamlined OS that reduces friction for busy teams
Windows 11 Pro gives teams the administrative control, device security, and workflow stability that small businesses need without adding enterprise-software overhead. Features like BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop access, Hyper-V virtualization, and flexible group policy controls support both hybrid and on-prem environments while keeping onboarding simple.
And the security reasoning is hard to ignore: according to the 2023 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average U.S. data breach cost climbed to $9.48 million, with vulnerabilities in software and systems remaining a top attack vector. Upgrading operating systems is one of the most direct ways to reduce that category of exposure.
Master AI Automation Skills for $20 and Become Invaluable
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Did you know that Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index found that 40% of employees now use artificial intelligence (AI) tools weekly to speed up routine work? For professionals who are looking to add automation fluency without the time or cost of a full certification, this ChatGPT Automation E-Degree delivers focused, business-ready training. It’s just $19.97 (reg. $790) and covers eight AI models and reflects how rapidly adoption is accelerating. Deal ends Dec. 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Training built around repeatable, workflow-ready methods
This curriculum prioritizes skills that translate directly to daily business operations. From prompt sequencing and error-reduction frameworks to automation mapping and results verification, the lessons are structured to help professionals build dependable processes—not just experiment casually with AI. The emphasis on predictable, documented workflows is especially useful for teams that need to scale output without sacrificing quality.
Because modern organizations rely on more than one AI engine, the course’s eight-model structure offers broader practical value. You learn how different models behave, how to select the right one for a given task, and how to design workflows that remain stable even as tools evolve. That range of exposure makes the program more future-proof than single-model tutorials.
The price drop from $790 to just $19.97 positions this digital degree as a near-risk-free professional development upgrade. It enables individual contributors, small teams, and founders to build automation capability without formal budget cycles. For anyone mapping 2025 efficiency goals, the savings make it easier to experiment with new skillsets and apply them immediately.
Designed for roles that benefit from structured automation
This program is especially relevant for:
Project managers creating summaries, reports, or recurring communication.
Analysts and operations teams handling large volumes of repeatable tasks.
Entrepreneurs who need to scale output without adding headcount.
Marketing and content teams that gain from standardized, AI-assisted production.
Across scenarios, the shared benefit is operational efficiency—turning AI from a novelty into a dependable workflow engine.
If your 2025 roadmap includes reducing manual lift, this training offers guided structure, multi-model depth, and meaningful savings. Upgrade your workflow strategy and put automation to work.
Did you know that Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index found that 40% of employees now use artificial intelligence (AI) tools weekly to speed up routine work? For professionals who are looking to add automation fluency without the time or cost of a full certification, this ChatGPT Automation E-Degree delivers focused, business-ready training. It’s just $19.97 (reg. $790) and covers eight AI models and reflects how rapidly adoption is accelerating. Deal ends Dec. 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Training built around repeatable, workflow-ready methods
This curriculum prioritizes skills that translate directly to daily business operations. From prompt sequencing and error-reduction frameworks to automation mapping and results verification, the lessons are structured to help professionals build dependable processes—not just experiment casually with AI. The emphasis on predictable, documented workflows is especially useful for teams that need to scale output without sacrificing quality.
Because modern organizations rely on more than one AI engine, the course’s eight-model structure offers broader practical value. You learn how different models behave, how to select the right one for a given task, and how to design workflows that remain stable even as tools evolve. That range of exposure makes the program more future-proof than single-model tutorials.
Get a Lifetime of Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for Just $40
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Complete business software without recurring costs
You get lifetime licenses for the top eight Microsoft Office Professional 2021 programs in this bundle: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher and Access. These provide everything you need for handling data, documents and presentations. The ribbon-based interface gives you quick access to all features and customization options, letting you adjust fonts, layouts and formatting details to create professional documents.
While these programs are all at the top of their categories, two are worth noting because they are invaluable to any business, but may not be quite as familiar. Publisher helps you create marketing materials, brochures and newsletters in-house. Access provides database management capabilities for tracking customers, inventory or project data without paying for separate software solutions.
The other half of this bundle, Windows 11 Pro, has advanced features that protect your business data. Biometrics login, TPM 2.0 and BitLocker device encryption prevent unauthorized access and secure your files even if your computer is lost or stolen.
Windows 11 Pro also includes Copilot, the AI-powered assistant that answers questions and helps you take action even directly within Windows. Change settings, summarize web pages or generate code suggestions without switching between multiple tools, which saves a lot of time on your routine business tasks.
Other professional features include Azure AD for managing user access, Hyper-V for running virtual machines and seamless integration with Microsoft Teams. Snap layouts, improved voice typing and enhanced search functionality help you work more efficiently on multiple projects simultaneously.
Both licenses install on one Windows PC for use at home or work. You receive instant delivery with download links and software license keys that are immediately available. With lifetime licenses, you own the software with no subscription or renewal fees.
Complete business software without recurring costs
You get lifetime licenses for the top eight Microsoft Office Professional 2021 programs in this bundle: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher and Access. These provide everything you need for handling data, documents and presentations. The ribbon-based interface gives you quick access to all features and customization options, letting you adjust fonts, layouts and formatting details to create professional documents.
While these programs are all at the top of their categories, two are worth noting because they are invaluable to any business, but may not be quite as familiar. Publisher helps you create marketing materials, brochures and newsletters in-house. Access provides database management capabilities for tracking customers, inventory or project data without paying for separate software solutions.
Streamline Team Planning with Smart Calendars AI for Just $30
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Smart scheduling is quickly becoming a competitive edge, and Smart Calendars—an AI-powered calendar platform—is now just $29.99 (reg. $59.97) for a three-year subscription.
Recent data from Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index show that 69% of business leaders say inefficient processes drain focus from meaningful work, which helps explain why automated planning tools are shifting from “nice to have” to mission-critical.
AI-assisted scheduling isn’t just faster—it’s structurally more accurate. Smart Calendars AI analyzes availability, priorities, deadlines, and meeting history to offer calendar suggestions that reduce friction across teams. You get cleaner schedules with fewer conflicts, and teams reclaim hours that typically vanish into back-and-forth coordination.
AI that simplifies the workday instead of redesigning it
Smart Calendars AI uses machine-learning logic to automatically categorize events, highlight dependencies, and map out upcoming workload pressure. Instead of acting as a new system to learn, it builds on familiar calendar workflows—Google, Outlook, and other standard setups—helping organizations adopt AI assistance without disruptive onboarding.
Right now it’s available on iPhone, iPad and Mac devices and is designed for clarity as much as automation: color-coded entries, priority flags, deadline reminders, and adaptive scheduling all work in tandem so teams can move faster with fewer errors.
The pricing is simple: $29.99 for three full years. That’s half off the standard $59.97 rate, and significantly less than many AI productivity tools that charge monthly per user. For leaders tracking budget efficiency, this straightforward structure makes scaling easier and keeps operating costs stable.
Ideal for managers, fast-growing teams, and project leads
Smart Calendars AI is built for:
Managers delegating across shifting priorities
Cross-functional teams that depend on precise sync
Anyone who wants scheduling automation without adopting a complex enterprise platform
If your work relies on accurate planning, predictable timelines, and fewer coordination headaches, this tool checks every box.
A streamlined schedule is often the difference between reactive work and calm, controlled progress. Get Smart Calendars AI for $29.99 (reg. $59.97) and give your team three years of better and smoother workflows.
Smart scheduling is quickly becoming a competitive edge, and Smart Calendars—an AI-powered calendar platform—is now just $29.99 (reg. $59.97) for a three-year subscription.
Recent data from Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index show that 69% of business leaders say inefficient processes drain focus from meaningful work, which helps explain why automated planning tools are shifting from “nice to have” to mission-critical.
AI-assisted scheduling isn’t just faster—it’s structurally more accurate. Smart Calendars AI analyzes availability, priorities, deadlines, and meeting history to offer calendar suggestions that reduce friction across teams. You get cleaner schedules with fewer conflicts, and teams reclaim hours that typically vanish into back-and-forth coordination.
