Alexis Tryon, founder and CEO of art rental service Artsicle, spoke on a panel about fundraising at Business Insider's Startup 2012 conference:

"It took us a couple months [to raise capital] and I thought I could be working on the product and bringing in customers, but really I needed to be fundraising full-time," she says.

At the time, Artsicle was just a team of two. They both kept going to every meeting until they realized that they had to split up and start delegating more of their responsibilities to interns and others.

As a first-time entrepreneur, it was very tempting to take every meeting that was offered to her.

"I met with really late-stage funds. I met with some private equity funds. I met with all sorts of people who we were never going to raise funding from," says Tryon. "About halfway through that I got really strict and I only took meetings with people who I was very confident there was a chance I would take money from."

Tryon says that getting the very first person to commit and write that first check is particularly hard. Still, in  today's market, there's more money to be found than ever.

"I think it is an entrepreneur's market. You can get in front of people who maybe you couldn't have otherwise gotten in front of," she says. "But you've still got to have something to say and you have to be passionate about what you're working on."

NOW SEE: 9 More VCs And Founder Share Their Fundraising Secrets >

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Apple is the publicly-traded company with the highest market capitalization in the world as of 2012, and certainly one of the most idolized. With revenue and total assets each in excess of $100 billion for the 2011 fiscal year, it’s safe to say that things are going reasonably well for the folks at Cupertino.

However, the tech manufacturer has come under fire over the past few months by a wave of inquiries into labor practices as well as general ethical performance. In January, a NY Times exposé piece on human rights issues within Apple’s Chinese factories put the company under considerable scrutiny; on June 23rd, the Times tried again, this time focusing on Apple’s US retail compensation system. Based on the writer’s findings, Apple might want to take a closer look at how things are done at Japan’s premier retailer.

Uniqlo, a subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., is one of the fastest-growing apparel retailers in the world. Having started its own line in 1997 to compete with American giants like Gap, Uniqlo is currently aiming to become the world’s number one brand by 2020. Doing so will mean employing aggressive growth strategies and simultaneous expansion into multiple foreign markets. In terms of total revenue, Uniqlo will have to compete with H&M and Zara for shares of emerging markets. Still, the outlook is good, and the upper management remains optimistic with their sales projections. Uniqlo’s revenue per store has led the industry for the past two years.

Both Apple and Uniqlo are somewhat peculiar. Uniqlo is a self-proclaimed “technology company” competing within the fashion industry, and Apple is perhaps the tech firm that prioritizes style the most. Both companies have developed new approaches to retailing that set them apart; their respective products have become commonplace while retaining their desirability. Their corporate cultures, however, are decidedly different. There are a few areas where Apple could improve by studying Uniqlo.

Atmosphere: 

Apple stores are like playgrounds; customers are free to stroll around, trying out gadgets at will. Sales associates — or “specialists,” as they’re called at Apple — have portable credit card readers ready, constantly scanning the floor for people ready to check out. Merchandise flies out at an incredible rate, but the high ratio of customers to staff means that each customer is allotted only a few minutes before being turned away.

Let’s face it, it’s hard to beat Japanese customer service. Training at Japan’s Uniqlo stores goes into great depth on how to treat customers, and it’s no different for new employees at American stores. From role-playing exercises to lessons on how to properly return a customer’s credit card, the Uniqlo training program creates an etiquette-driven atmosphere. So far, Uniqlo’s Manhattan stores have received top marks on customer service from consumer reports. Apple stores got more of a mixed bag, with low ratings from customers requiring repairs. It might be as simple as hiring more people and pushing a more personal approach to customer service at Apple.

Compensation:

Apple store employees are responsible for enormous sales figures. In spite of this — and in spite of the huge stack of cash Apple is sitting on — Apple store employees are paid relatively poorly. Granted, $11 an hour isn’t bad by retail standards, but it’s dismal when you consider that some employees push nearly $3 million of merchandise annually and that most of them hold college degrees. What’s worse, raises are few and far between, and commission simply doesn’t exist.

By contrast, Uniqlo employees are paid rather well. Starting hourly wages for part-timers in Japan is around $15 by current exchange rates, and around $12 in the US. The real perk is that raises are much more frequent — high-performing employees can expect two to three raises a year. And Uniqlo’s steadily increasing number of paid vacation days looks pretty good next to Apple’s draconian absence policy.

Promotion:

This is potentially the most fundamental change that Apple could implement. Under its current system, Apple store employees often find themselves in limbo. Even those who receive modest pay raises are rarely promoted because there are very few management positions available. If an employee does become a store manager, that’s usually the end of the line because Apple doesn’t usually promote from retail to corporate. As a result, even the most enthusiastic “geniuses” may begin to feel the stagnation in their careers after a few years.

Uniqlo, on the other hand, promotes often. Teamwork is paramount, but exemplary employees are often given more responsibility, regardless of their length of experience. Most importantly, retail employees often “go corporate.” It’s common in Japanese companies for employees to cut their teeth at the bottom — in a store or in a factory — before working their way up the corporate ladder. This practice applies in Uniqlo’s stores around the world, and recruiters mean it when they say that you can start as a part-timer and be CEO one day.

If Apple truly wants to redefine its retail corporate image, these are the areas it should focus on. They cannot expect to float on the company’s cult status with fans forever, especially as competitors like Samsung and Google overtake Apple in emerging markets. At the core of a successful retail operation is an effective corporate culture and motivated employees — Uniqlo appears to have both. So while it may seem crazy for the world’s most valuable company to take pointers from a Japanese relative newcomer, it might be crazier for them not to.

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Many couples think that you have to spend a lot of time with your significant other in order to grow emotionally together. 

But according to a study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, that's not enough.

You also have to travel in the same direction to work together.

The study says:

"Couples' marital satisfaction can depend on whether they commute to work in the same or different directions. Two surveys, conducted in the United States and Hong Kong, showed that partners' satisfaction with their relationship was greater when they traveled to work in the same direction than when they traveled in different directions. This was true regardless of whether the partners left for work at the same or different times."

But it's not just about traveling to work in the same direction. 

Tom Jacobs at Pacific Standard writes that the experiment included a follow-up section that found randomly paired participants were also more "likely to be attracted to each other" if they entered a room "from the same direction."

Jacobs writes:

"The apparent reason for all the interpersonal bliss: on a symbolic level that resonates deep in our psyches, similar routes imply matching goals, and this convergence 'increases interpersonal attraction.'"

The study included surveys of 280 married Americans, and 139 married adults in Hong Kong.

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When it comes to confidence and social situations, absolutely. Appearing depressed can create a downward spiral. Avoiding eye contact can increase isolation:

Via Medical News Today:

...avoiding eye contact may actually increase depression amongst already unhappy individuals, as it can lead to isolation.

"Sad people avoiding eye contact will disrupt normal social fluency and may lead to them shunning certain social situations," said Dr Hills. "Although this may reduce anxiety caused by the situation itself, it may actually increase social isolation and deepen their already sad mood."

And when people perceive someone has low self-esteem they are less inclined to open up to them, preventing relationships from deepening:

Ample evidence suggests that the behavior of people with low self-esteem (LSEs) can lead to problems in close relationships. To the authors’ knowledge, however, no research has investigated the role that perceptions of close others’ self-esteem play in undermining beneficial relational processes. In this article, the authors propose that capitalization, a process associated with greater relationship quality, might be hindered by the friends, partners, or family members of LSEs. Across three experiments, the authors show that people are reluctant to disclose their positive experiences (i.e., capitalize) when they believe that the recipient has low self-esteem. 

Furthermore, the results suggest that people hold back from LSEs largely because they expect the interaction to go poorly for themselves, not because they are concerned about making LSEs feel inferior.

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So you just closed your first big deal and it's time to celebrate. Your boss invites you upstairs to the boardroom where the executives are lined up at the long oak conference table, premium cigars by their sides to mark the occasion. 

One by one they light up, oaky musks wafting, and finally it's your turn to spark your earthy blend. There's just one problem—you're totally clueless.

"The smoking is supposed to be the fun part," said Michael Herklots, world-class tobacconist and Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development at Nat Sherman, a cigar emporium in midtown Manhattan. "The last thing you want to do is fumble -- to light or cut the wrong end."

How does one avoid these fatal flubs? We sat down with Herklots to find out the best ways to prove your worth when it comes time to lighting up the celebratory Maduro. Puff away, novices.  

First of all, don't overthink your smoke

Beginning smokers can have three separate reactions to being handed a cigar. They can freeze and not know what to do with it, they can overreact and try to reinvent the wheel in cutting and lighting it, or they can calmly approach cigar smoking as a leisure activity capable of mastery.

The greatest risk, Herklots warns, is becoming over-involved with cigar nuances at the beginning. "Don't get caught up in the fanfare and be intimidated by it so you start feeling like you're doing something wrong," he says. 

Instead, Herklots advises novel smokers to stay away from a "right versus wrong" motto. He agrees that there are ideal ways to cut a cigar, but he also says there are plenty of other ways to do it correctly. 

Under pressure, just get the job done. Don't overdo it. 

Choose the right cigar: smaller isn't necessarily better for a beginner

While the head honchos in the boardroom will be smoking heavier blends, it's important for you not to overdo it and cough up a storm. There's nothing wrong with choosing a premium mild cigar. Your bosses will respect you more for knowing what you want and not guessing blindly. This is where things can get dicey, says Herklots. 

"The biggest mistake new cigar smoker make is in the format they pick," he says. "New smokers tend to smoke something shorter, thinner, and overall, smaller. The problem with this is that the shorter a cigar is, the closer the hot part is to your mouth. It gets hotter faster, which is not a pleasant experience if you're starting out."

Herklots makes an analogy here to using a regular straw versus a cocktail straw. With a regular straw, you have a wide cylinder with a long body that allows you to draw substance out over a longer period of time. If you use a cocktail straw, on the other hand, the experience is more aggressive and concentrated. The same goes for cigars. A long, fat cigar is a milder, cooler, and longer-lasting cigar. A shorter one is an intense experience better enjoyed by veteran smokers. 

A simple tip for cutting your cigar

All hand-rolled cigars are closed off with a cap to ensure that they don't unravel and dry out. Removing this cap is essential to a good smoke, and there are a few ways to do so, none of which are wrong. Herklots, though, recommends the straight cut made by a guillotine cutter.

A tip he shared with us involves laying the cutter flat down on a surface and then bringing the two blades in and clipping the head. By placing the guillotine on its belly, smokers can ensure they don't over-cut the cigar.

Trying to smoke an uncut cigar is a sure-fire way to make a fool of yourself. You want to make sure you get your cigar cut, whatever the method may be. 

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You only get one chance to persuade someone to be interested in what you're saying, so first impressions really are everything. 

Not only should you strive to make a good one, but you need it to be a lasting impression as well. 

Whether other people see you as meek and ill-mannered or confident and curious is up to you, says Vicky Oliver, author of the book "The Millionaire's Handbook: How to Look and Act like a Millionaire, Even if You're Not." 

Oliver shares 12 of her tips with us about making good, lasting impressions:

1. Find your power color.

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What is Instant MBA? It's top-notch business advice and inspiration, delivered straight to your inbox M-F.

Sign up now, and you'll get valuable advice from industry leaders like Josh Linkner (see right) to fellow Business Insider readers and contributors, covering a myriad of topics including (but not limited to) leadership, customers, finance and strategy.

Signing up is quick and easy.  Use the form below to enter your information then click the "Sign Up" button.

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It sounds like something out of a Hollywood script, but an unemployed Brooklyn man might as well add "Consummate Hero" to his resume.

Delroy Simmonds missed a job interview Tuesday after jumping in front of a subway car to save a nine-month-old child that had fallen onto the tracks, the New York Daily News reports.

Simmonds, who was laid off last year from his job as a vocational trainer, was en route to interview for a maintenance position when he saw a gust of wind knock the infant's stroller onto the tracks.

The mother, toting three other kids at the time, reportedly looked on as Simmonds shimmied down the platform and hoisted the child to safety.

An oncoming J train had just rounded the corner, but both Simmonds and the child made it out relatively unscathed (witnesses said the infant suffered gash to its forehead).

“Everybody is making me out to be some sort of superhero,” he told the Daily News. “I’m just a normal person. Anybody in that situation should have done what I did.”

Luckily, his act was enough to wrangle another interview for Wednesday. In response to all the public recognition, Simmonds kept his eye on the prize: "What I really need now is a job," said.

***Update: Today, the Daily News reports that Simmonds has been hired as a maintenance man at JFK airport and "will earn $9.50 an hour, about $2 more than new hires are paid at the company.

Read the full story here. 

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Today’s advice comes from Richard Grefé, executive director at AIGA, via Fast Company: 

"Today, the power resides in those who have a sense of the way that knowledge flows. And that becomes critical because knowledge is growing at an exponential rate."

Grefé believes that, in a world where knowledge is at the fingertips of anyone who has access to the Internet, people are forgetting a huge source of knowledge: other people.

Beyond asking others for advice on company matters, conversation is a major source of acquiring ideas. Through loose conversation on any business-related matter, you'll find yourself coming up with ideas and finding inspiration. Before you hire someone to help your business, attempt to find solutions through word-of-mouth exchanges.

"For any individual to succeed, it has got to go beyond just knowing things. They have to be curious, they have to be thoughtful. And that doesn't come from social media and that doesn't come form deep-diving in data. That comes from thoughtful conversations."

Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.  

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Imagine working a full-time job while running your own business on the side. Sound impossible?

These seven entrepreneurs did it, and as a result, built greater financial security and freedom for themselves. Here are their stories, and their lessons:

1. Expand on your favorite hobby. Sydney Owen, 27, was working for a public relations agency in Chicago when she took up skydiving on the weekends. "Then I said to myself, 'I want this to be a bigger part of my life,'" she recalls. Owen left her agency to start doing the marketing for her local skydiving spot, while also building her income by offering marketing consulting services to other small business. She also helps recent college graduates market themselves by editing their resumes.

She's since relocated to California, which has a longer skydiving season than the Midwest, and she now works full-time as an events coordinator for a skydiving company while working up to 25 hours a week for her own marketing business, 3Ring Media. "I love it—I can combine my passion for marketing and for jumping out of airplanes," she says.

2. Start charging for what you're already doing for free. Douglas Lee Miller, 38, works full-time as a new media manager for DePaul University in Chicago. An expert in social media, Miller frequently got requests for help from other people. He quickly realized he had to be more protective of his time, so he set up his company, The dbMill, to get compensated for his work.

Because he'd been doing so much pro bono work, he had already earned a solid reputation, which led to referrals, and he had a portfolio to show potential clients. "The pro bono work was hard at first, to spend time and not get financially reimbursed, but it ended up being a pathway to more work," he says. That experience also made it easier for Miller to estimate how long projects would take and how best to work with clients and manage their expectations.

3. Do something that feels meaningful to you. Prakash Dheeriya, 51, professor of finance at California State University-Dominguez Hills, came up with the concept for his series of personal finance books for kids after he realized that his own children, then five and six, could benefit from simple explanations of financial concepts. "If something were to happen to me, I wouldn't have taught them any valuable life lessons, so I came up with these stories," he says.

Now, his series, Finance 4 Kidz, contains 20 books that explain concepts such as scarcity, opportunity cost, and risk and return in terms that children can understand. "Especially nowadays, because of so much fraud, concepts such as risk and reward should be taught in elementary schools. Then they'll realize if something sounds too good to be true," he says. Dheeriya is currently working on new books on hedge funds and finance for teens.

4. Create the community that you wish already existed. Six months after she graduated, Emily Miethner, 24, started NY Creative Interns, which includes hosting events and blogging about career tips. "I wanted a group that connected awesome creative professionals with awesome interns and entry-level people," she says. She and her partner soon found sponsors and built their network, all while Miethner held down her full-time job as a community manager for another website in New York City.

"We started charging [for events] when we realized, 'This is really adding value to people's lives.' I decided, 'I think I can make this into a real business,'" says Miethner. She continues to plan events and build the blog and network while maintaining her full-time job.

5. Leverage the skills and connections you already have. Megan Moynihan, 27, was working for a big public relations firm when she decided that she wanted to pursue a more mobile lifestyle, and build a career that would let her work in Wyoming during ski season and New York the rest of the year. "I had taken entrepreneurship classes in college, but I knew I needed experience first," she says of her decision to first work for a firm before launching her own agency.

While still employed at her firm, Moynihan started taking one day off a week to work for outside clients as well as pitch new ones. She started meeting potential clients through friends, and now has left her firm to pursue full-time self-employment.

6. Get help from friends. Erica Sara, 34, was working full-time as a consultant for Coach when she started designing her own jewelry and spreading the word through friends. As a runner herself, she created "race bling," jewelry to commemorate races such as marathons or inspire the wearer to run harder. She also created "mantra jewelry," featuring inspiring words or phrases, as well as jewelry for mothers, including the popular "generation necklace," which features the names of multiple generations of family members.

"I had friends hold trunk shows," says Sara, of her early days, before she turned her creations into a full-time business. She also built up her customer base through her own running blog, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. "Being able to sell my own designs felt more gratifying and more real," she says, even though she continues to work 12-hour days (or longer).

7. Seek help online. James Mundia, 27, had been reading Ramit Sethi's blog, IWillTeachYoutobeRich.com, since he graduated from college, and decided he wanted to follow Sethi's advice and figure out a way to earn money on top of his job as an information technology coordinator for a small association in the Washington, D.C., area. So he signed up for Sethi's Earn1k.com class, which teaches people how to start earning $1,000 on the side.

Now, Mundia offers private soccer lessons for young players in the Arlington, Va., area, which has helped him pay down his credit card debt and save up for travel. The Earn1k program, Mundia says, helped him realize that he could earn extra money on the side by making use of the skills he already had. One day, Mundia hopes, his soccer-training program will become his main source of income.

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Juliette Brindak started a social networking site for tweens when she was 16, and it's doing better than ever.

Miss O And Friends generates 10 million monthly visits, a twenty-fold increase from its inception in 2005. It's also worth around $15 million, according to early investor Procter & Gamble.

When she was ten, Brindak drew characters for a set of five friends she called “Cool Girls," who were all inspired by real-life girls.The main cool girl, Miss O, represents her younger sister Olivia. The set of "Cool Girls" would eventually become "Miss O And Friends."

In the beginning — like many startups — Brindak reached out to family members and friends for investment money. Her mother, a graphic designer, brought her drawings to life while her father, who has a background in business, aided in the fundamentals of creating the company.

What started out as a few sketches on the way home from a family vacation quickly ballooned into a haven for millions of adolescents. The site was ranked the third largest girls-only Web site in 2011, according to Inc. Magazine.

Now, at 23, Brindak isn't as in tune with what tween girls are looking for, so she uses the site as an avenue to understand their needs. Through polls, quizzes, and the "Girl2Girl" wall, members are able to keep Brindak updated.

"In November 2011, girls were writing on the Girl2Girl wall asking if we could get them tickets to a One Direction concert. This was the first time we ever heard about One Direction and we were able to create a concert/sponsorship with Simon & Schuster's 'Dork Diaries' books and winning tickets."

She's made it possible — through contests — for her users to see celebrities, such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, in concert. Currently, she's offering an all-expense paid trip to Canada for four lucky fans to see Taylor Swift's show.

Through high school and college, the site has continued to improve. When it was originally launched, there was little more than a few catchy graphics. "There was a homepage, which had the five Miss O characters and simple flash animations," Brindak says. "There was hardly anything to it, but it was definitely a start." Now the site boasts message boards, quizzes, games, music, and more.

But managing the site as a college student at Washington University in St. Louis was no easy task. 

“One teacher, who ironically was an entrepreneur and taught my class on social entrepreneurship, was the only one who wouldn’t budge about dates. I had a final on the same day I had to fly out to California for a really important meeting and he said that if I missed it, I would get an entire letter grade taken off my final grade. Luckily, the meeting got moved, but I was so shocked about his reaction.”

Instead of the typical business majors most entrepreneurs study, Brindak decided to focus on Anthropology and Public Health because her site revolves around women health issues. 

“I was able to learn so much about cultures around the world and also become informed and aware about different ways that I can reach out to women,” Brindak says. “The goal for the site was, and still is, to help young girls build confidence and self-esteem."

To share her users' stories with the world, Brindak published the book Miss O & Friends: Write On! The Miss O & Friends Collection of Rockin' Fiction, a compilation of user-submitted stories. Brindak tells us she plans on publishing more books in the near future.

"We started off with a business plan that we have used as our guide, but that business plan is always changing. We continue to find new ways to engage girls, to generate revenue, and new outlets that are appropriate for Miss O and our community."

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One of the toughest things to do when getting to know people professionally is remembering their names. And it's also an extremely useful skill to have when you're networking. Showing a stranger that you remembered her name can portray you as someone who pays attention and even someone who cares. Here are some tricks to remembering any name:

• Ask for their business card: When you meet someone in a networking situation, ask for their business card. Jot down a few notes about the person and his appearance so you can differentiate him from the other people you've met. You can always refer back to the card if you forget someone's name.
• Repeat it in your mind: After you've met someone, repeat her name in your mind a few times until you feel like you got a hang of the name.
• Write it down: Some people write down people's names in a private place like a bathroom on a scrap of paper or a notebook.
• Ask again: At the end of your conversation, ask the person you're speaking with to repeat his name just to make sure you have it right. Hearing it again will help you memorize it as well.
• Visualize an image: Attach an image to the name. For example, if you meet a Catherine, then try to connect the image of a cat with the woman. That way, when you meet the woman again, the image of a cat will pop up, and it will be easy to work out what her name is.
• Identity associations: If you picked up an interesting or distinguishing fact about the person you're talking to, then repeat the associations in your head. For example, Matt resells rare shoes on eBay or Kelly participates in triathlons.
• Inject it into conversation: Say the other person's name as often as you can during the conversation without it getting awkward. For example, inserting the name casually in sentences like "I really agree with you, John" or "John, how are you liking living in the city?" will do wonders for memorizing names.
• Rhyme it: We're more apt to remember rhymes, so try to rhyme a name with a characteristic in your head. For example, Gary who loves Dairy. Play around with the words and come up with a phrase that will stick.

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Now that President Obama's health care overhaul has won the last stamp of approval from the U.S. Supreme court, the question you're probably asking is, Who's going to pay for it? 

The Affordable Care Act will extend health care coverage to some 30 million uninsured consumers along with an expansion of Medicaid services. It also promises a slew of tax credits for small business and middle-income families to help offset the costs of mandatory coverage.

Much of the cost burden will be shouldered by the health care industry and employers that provide workers with insurance. On an individual consumer level, however, it'll be the wealthiest Americans who feel the sting of Obamacare––and, strangely enough, people who hit the tanning bed. 

You can find a pretty thorough list of tax credits and provisions included in the Affordable Care Act at www.irs.gov and in a detailed list from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Here are a few that stand out: 

The Tan Tax: Since July 2010, tanning bed users have been burned by a 10 percent tax hike that will stay put now that Obamacare's been upheld. While it doesn't apply to doctor-prescribed phototherapy services, some gym tanning services, or spray tans, the tax does apply to typical tanning salons. (See this fact sheet on Indoor Tanning Services Tax Center for more information). 

Medicare surtaxes: Here's where wealthier Americans will feel the effects of Obamacare. As of Jan. 1, 2013, a 3.8 percent surtax will be levied against surplus investments reported by the following groups: single filers reporting $200,000; married couples reporting $250,000; and married couples filing separately reporting $125,000.

In addition to the investment surtax, high-earning households will see their Medicare tax spike by 0.9 percent on their earned income, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The tax will apply to individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples filing jointly who make more than $250,000. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013.

Consumer penalties: Part of the controversy surrounding health care reform was that the law would mandate coverage for all Americans on pain of penalties. Those penalties will be tiered and rise over a three-year period that kicks off in 2014, according to the National Association of Consumer Protection:

2014: Families––$285 or 1 percent of total household income, whichever is greater. Individual adults––$95.
2015: Families––$975 or 2 percent of income, whichever is greater. Individual adults––$325.
2016: Families––$2,085 or 2.5 percent of income, whichever is greater. Individual adults––$695. 

If you're not covered by your employer, you'll have to pick from a list of government-mandated health insurance packages (they'll be called "exchanges", with options for individuals and businesses provided at the state level). Some exceptions do apply, including low-income families who can prove financial hardship. 

Flex spending account limits: In addition to capping Flexible spending accounts at $2,500 in 2013, new rules limiting what you can buy with flex accounts will remain. They've been effective since Jan. 2011 and apply to OTC medications unless you have a prescription, excluding the following: "Insulin, even if purchased without a prescription, or other health care expenses such as medical devices, eye glasses, contact lenses, co-pays and deductibles," per the IRS.

Employee health coverage: Part of the Affordable Care Act's intent is to ensure that businesses choose low-cost plans, which it hopes to accomplish by levying an excise tax on plans that cost more than $10,200 per individual or $27,500 per family. That provision isn't in effect until Jan. 1, 2018.

"The threshold amounts may be adjusted upwards if health care costs rise more than expected prior to implementation of the tax in 2018," Kaiser notes. "The threshold amounts will be increased for firms that may have higher health care costs because of the age or gender of their workers."

Pharmaceutical industry: Pharmaceutical manufacturers will see a spike in annual government fees. Much like penalties against consumers, these fees will be levied on a tiered schedule beginning in 2012, according to Kaiser. 

– $2.8 billion in 2012-2013;
– $3.0 billion in 2014-2016;
– $4.0 billion in 2017;
– $4.1 billion in 2018; and
– $2.8 billion in 2019 and later.

And insurers won't be off the hook either: 

– $8 billion in 2014;
– $11.3 billion in 2015-2016;
– $13.9 billion in 2017;
– $14.3 billion in 2018

Subsidies for small business owners: For businesses with fewer than 25 workers and an annual payroll of less than $50,000, the ACA provides a tax credit to help subsidize the cost of health plan enrollment. Through 2013, the credit will be worth 35 percent of the employer's insurance costs and supply full credit to employers with less than 10 employers with annual wages of less than $25,000, according to Kaiser. Beyond 2014, the tax credit will extend to 50 percent if the businesses choose a plan under the government's health care options. 

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Job interviews can be awkward.

Someone's asking you a bunch of questions about yourself and you're forced to appear adept, calm and better than any other candidate. You should definitely try to be yourself, but there are always a couple of rules to abide by.

In the book "Crazy Good Interviewing: How Acting A Little Crazy Can Get You The Job," John B. Molidor and Barbara Parus offer some tips on things you shouldn't do when interviewing because they make you look "bad crazy" instead of "good crazy," which is too much of a chance for any employer to be willing to take. 

Here are some "bad crazy" things you shouldn't do:

1. "While waiting in the reception area before the interview, do not exhibit unprofessional behavior, such as humming or singing aloud to your iPod, applying make-up, or flossing your teeth."

2. "Don’t play with yourself; for example, tugging at your blouse or shirt collar or pulling at your pant crotch to create more ball room is very distracting. Keep your hands on the arms of the chair."

3. "Do not bad-mouth former employers. This will backfire on you and alert the interviewer that you could be a chronic complainer." 

4. "Do not answer your phone or glance down to read incoming texts during the interview. Silence your phone or, better yet, turn it off!"

5. "Do not inquire about employee benefits, bonuses, vacation time, flex time or on-site daycare before you receive a job offer. Show what you can bring to the table first!"

Now see 12 facts about body language you should know before your next job interview >

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Today everyone is getting their news and information from Twitter. At Business Insider, it's how we get a lot of our story ideas.

But figuring out exactly who to follow is a tough task. So we've put together a guide of some of the most influential thought leaders in the world who tweet.

Our criteria was simply this: that these people are respected voices in their fields — whether it be neuroscience, economics, business or journalism — and that they have developed a following for their insightful commentary on Twitter.

Jad Abumrad, host and creator, Radiolab

Handle: @Jadabumrad

Abumrad has 2 million follows on air, and fewer on Twitter, but he's worth listening to. He'll give you quirky musings on science, technology and the world around us.

Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief, Wired

Handle: @chr1sa

If you are a fan of Wired, you've got to follow Anderson. The guy is brimming with intel about the hottest gadgets and weirdest science research. 

Dan Ariely, professor, Duke University

Handle: @danariely

One of the most popular behavioral economists tweets about far-ranging issues like why we lie, and what psychological factors led to corruption on Wall Street.

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There's a lot of hype out there about the best tech places to work for — Google, Apple and Facebook are well-known dream work places.

But what about the lesser-known companies with smart, driven colleagues, sweet perks and endless room for growth and mentorship?

To find out, we turned to Glassdoor.com for a list of the 25 best companies to work for right now.

The list is based on an annual ranking determined by anonymous inputs from employees. For any tie breakers, we used the CEO approval rating — and sometimes previous ranking — to find the winner.

25. Procter & Gamble

Company rating: 3.7

CEO approval: Bob McDonald, 91%

2011 ranking: #25

PRO: "Highly talented and dedicated coworkers. Everyone is willing and able to take on huge responsibilities/workloads and work long hours. Great company values...respectful and fair to everyone. Great job security and stability through good economies and bad. Excellent training and development not only for your career, but for you life, too. Excellent healthcare and retirement benefits. P&G believes 'the interests of the company and employee are inseparable' and it shows."

CON: "Not a place for people who want an easy 9-5 job. Must be willing to take personal sacrifices for the good of the team. Requires patience with a time-consuming process for agreeing on decisions, and tolerance of difficult Corporate requirements. Tough competition for promotions."

For any tie breakers, we used the CEO approval rating to find the winner.

Source: Glassdoor

24. Wayfair (formerly CSN Stores)

Company rating: 3.8

CEO approval rating: Niraj Shah, 76%

2011 ranking: #18

PRO: "Wayfair has a fast-paced, ever changing environment that thrives on the 'go-get-em' mentality. People who work hard, are motivated, and want to learn are definitely rewarded. There are so many opportunities here to grow & develop yourself and your career here, but like anything else it’s totally up to the individual to take advantage of these opportunities."

CON: "Salary comes up a frequently as a con. And while I agree that we may be on the lower end of market value, I think it's important to realize that we work amazing hours (9-6), have great benefits, and entry level employees have 16 paid vacation days. This is basically unheard of anywhere else. I would, however, agree that the bonus structure should be more rewarding/inciting."

For any tie breakers, we used the CEO approval rating to find the winner.

Source: Glassdoor

23. Costco Wholesale

Company rating: 3.8

CEO approval rating: Craig Jelinek, 86%

2011 ranking: #19

PRO: "Amazing pay. The company is formed well with a lot of care towards their employees and customers. Since the system is developed well, you fall in love with Costco and the Mission and you inevitably work your best because your heart actually in it!"

CON: Because Costco tries to promote people from within the company, "many incompetent people get selected to be a leader. Many people are not fit to lead a busy store such as this. Some of the management is really corrupt too. They can act fake etc. But as long as you do your job and get paid well, nothing else really matters."

For any tie breakers, we used the CEO approval rating to find the winner.

Source: Glassdoor

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On paper, Richard and Heather Garza are just regular Americans struggling to get by on disability. Heather is nearly blind while Richard's confined to a wheelchair. They also have 12-year-old Daemon to support. 

But rather than let their tight budget constrict their lives, the couple's used their disability to whip up something sweet: Garza's Goodies Chocolates & Confections. 

In the early 90s, Richard and Heather were living on $900/month in disability and whatever they could scrounge up from part-time, infrequent work. Heather, 40, worked two jobs, while Richard, 43, floated from one sales job to another. When they married in 1996, they vowed to turn their lives around and get off disability for good. 

"A good portion of our income went toward rent, while another portion would go to utilities," Richard told Business Insider. "It didn't exactly leave a whole lot left over for Christmas presents. Whatever was left went to gas and groceries." 

As the oldest of six children, Heather knew her way around the kitchen and loved to bake. Working with her hands calmed her, and the quickbreads, cakes and cookies she made for friends and family were a hit around holidays. 

In 2006, the couple moved to Lake City, Florida for the warmer climate. By this point, they were earning enough to have cable TV and Heather had gotten hooked on Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats." Her obsession turned to truffles, though they looked a lot more "like puddles of chocolate," joked Richard. No matter, they made great ganache fillings. 

"Heather started toying with what to add to it," which improved the candy, said Richard. "She added alcohol like brandy and amaretto, and we continued making these truffles, bon bons and peanut butter balls." 

At a friend's urging, the couple sold their cellophane-wrapped goodies at a church bake sale. They earned a little more than $600 in one weekend, an easy feat considering they'd baked everything at home.

When the couple made another $1,000 selling gift baskets, they added two more goals to their list: Open a candy shop and create more jobs. 

Setting up shop  

In August 2007, the couple returned to Kansas City to be closer to Heather's ailing mother. They continued baking their candies in their 100-year-old house downtown, earning as much as $2,000 in a couple of weeks.

"We'd heard that certain state agencies that work with the disabled were making inroads into sponsoring entrepreneurship so we looked at the agencies for the blind and physically handicapped and started there to open the store," said Richard. 

Through Missouri's Vocational Rehabilitation program, Heather was able to get a laptop with vision enhancement and a TV that hooked up to a small camera so she could view her confections up close. Richard received an electronic wheelchair, a moving table, and a cash register. Cookware and a tempering machine followed. 

To raise even more money, the couple turned to the crowdfunding site Kickstarter and managed to bankroll 142 percent of their $5,500 goal, taking home $7,800. Local news also featured the candies, inspiring viewers to send in checks. 

Since the store officially opened on Father's Day, Richard said it's been an uphill battle to make it profitable. They're currently participating in Chase's Mission: Small Business program for their shot at $25,000 in grants. 

"Most of our money goes toward household expenses or investing in the business," he said. "We give employees their paychecks, pay for utiltiies, ingredients and so on. Whatever the sales don't cover, we do. That's what being a store owner is all about." 

But the Garzas have crossed two goals off their list: They created five jobs and opened the store. 

"Beyond the three up front goals was the base goal of being a good example for our son," Garza said. "We wanted to show him that if you're going to get anywhere in life, you have to go out and create your life." 

The candy shop's website is being revamped, but you can get your fix by calling 816-569-0278 or dropping by the store at 322 West 85th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 

SEE ALSO: Poor carpenter builds an incredible treehouse in the wilds of Canada > 

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If companies didn't get the hint that they should up the ante on security when LinkedIn announced that 6.5 million user passwords were stolen, they should be convinced now.

What's been dubbed as the "Operation High Roller" attack is said to have transferred as much as $2.5 billion from American, European and Colombian bank accounts.

Instead of prosecuting these criminals, top companies are trying a different tactic: getting them to switch sides and play for the "good team."

Joseph Walker at The WSJ FINS reports that "government and company representatives are going to unusual lengths to hire white hat hackers — facile programmers who delight in breaking into networks to expose security weaknesses — to help defend their data."

Recruiters are spending their time visiting 11-hour hackathons to find "long-haired men in their early 20s" with the ability to "skip reading the manual when they get their hands on a new gadget," Olivier Franchi of Sysdream told Marie Mawad and Jonathan Browning at Bloomberg News. 

Mawad and Browning say:

"Employers from Facebook Inc. (FB) to the U.K. government have put up “wanted” signs looking for so-called white-hat hackers — computer geeks who probe networks and pry into private data for recognition or just plain fun, not for money or criminal purposes. The U.K. Ministry of Defence said last year it planned to hire hundreds of security specialists."

Not only can gifted hackers do what they're good at, but they can now do it without repercussion. And the best part is that they don't need any kind of diploma or certificate to have recruiters knocking down their doors. 

The only requirement is that they can hack away into all hours of the night.  

Now see 11 ex-criminals who completely turned their lives around >

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Clarizen is hot startup with a fantastic survival story.

Today it's growing like mad and on an IPO track. But there was a time when it was hanging on for life, co-founder and CEO Avinoam Nowogrodski told Business Insider.

Founded in 2006, Clarizen has 2,000 enterprise customers worldwide and is growing like crazy.

It offers a project management tool that marries social (e-mail, chat) with task management. It competes with tools like Asana and Microsoft Project.

But about three years ago, the company almost didn't make it, Nowogrodski says.

"In 2008 when the big crises started, we were really out of money and customers were not yet convinced about the solution.  And at that time it was very hard for us to raise funds," he recounts.

This was his second startup. His first was SmarTeam sold in 1999 to a French corporate giant Dassault Systemes. Nowogrodski had stayed with Dassault for a six-year gig as a bigwig executive. He left that great job to found Clarizen.

With four kids, Nowogrodski wasn't about to give up when Clarizen hit the rocks. "I cut about 50% of company. We reduced salaries by 20% of all employees. Management worked for six months without any salary."

But survive it did and Nowogrodski says that Clarizen came out "much stronger from that point."

Today Clarizen is rocking it.

• It's got 2,000 customers and it doesn't use the freemium model. They get 30 days to try it.
• 250 companies are starting new trials every day, he says.
• 150 companies are signing on as paying customers per month.
•  60% of these customers are in the U.S. but others are spread across in 67 other countries.
• The company has grown by 300% from last year.

Clarizen isn't having cash flow problems any more. In addition to revenues from operations,  Clarizen landed a $12 million series E round earlier this month, lead by Vintage Partners. Total investment to date is $48 million. Other investors include Benchmark Capital, Carmel Ventures, DAG Ventures and Opus Capital.

Nowogrodski wouldn't say when he would take his company public, but he's determined to get there.

Don't miss: This CEO Has A Plan To Save Us From Email Hell

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Today’s advice comes from Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, via Fast Company: 

"When you get your first hundred users, treat them well, because these first hundred will make or break your product."

Ohanian describes how a $500 investment of stickers featuring the Reddit logo contributed to their company's overall success.

People took those stickers, passed them around, and spread the word. This is essentially what you want other people to do, whether you're an online startup or brick-and-mortar small business.

The first hundred matter most, because it is their opinions of your services and product that will spread to the masses. For this reason, you need to give them special attention.

"Somewhere in this first hundred, there will be a handful of people who are actually going to drive your product, and you can't afford to alienate any of them. You need to treat these people like gold, because that is exactly what they are. And you need to make sure they know it, too."

Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.

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