If you are the founder or CEO of a tech startup or a business represented by a digital product, then, as an entrepreneur, first and foremost, you know that any business must be profitable. Otherwise, it simply won’t survive.

I have observed how many stakeholders believe attracting a massive user base should come before asking users to pay for the software they offer. How do I know? I thought the same way when I launched my first product, and after numerous examples from the customers’ projects, I began to reflect on this pattern.

Related: 9 Side Hustles to Make Money Fast

Counting users vs. counting profits

Product analytics is the foundation, and the metric of active users over a period of time is indeed essential for your digital solution. Users are the lifeblood: they bring in money through their actions (or inaction, sometimes). However, the main question is: do they bring it in?

Having many users doesn’t automatically mean high profits. The unit economics of your product has to be based on the fact that the profit from a single user should be higher than the costs of acquiring that user. This is exactly the path that leads to a sustainable business model.

If we exclude revenue from direct sales of goods (services) through digital channels, then monetization becomes the only way to achieve this goal. There are no valid reasons to postpone it.

Four benefits of prioritizing monetization at the very start

Instead of focusing solely on the number of users and quantitative ways to attract them, consider how you are specifically going to convert them qualitatively into paying customers.

For this purpose, depending on many variables, I suggest expanding the budget for your technical project from the start so that it’s sufficient for implementing monetization from day one. And here are four reasons why.

1. You focus only on what brings value to users

Once, our team worked with a wellness startup that introduced their minimum viable product (MVP) platform with a subscription model right from the start. Instead of chasing user numbers, they concentrated on providing premium features that addressed genuine user needs. It took a lot of effort, but together, we managed to deliver an experience that drove purchases.

This approach left us no choice but to provide it and do it in a way that competitors were not doing, or perhaps no one was doing yet. In just six months, they validated their product and achieved consistent revenue, enabling them to reinvest in development and grow rapidly.

In other words, you will inherently focus on delivering the real value. If you want to charge for your product, you have to make it worthwhile for users. Conversely, if you want to make it worthwhile for users, you have to charge for your product.

2. You get operational funds for the project

Running out of cash can cost everything literally. The case above illustrates this: the customer could save one-fifth of their budget initially and risk losing 50% later, remaining stuck in a perpetual MVP phase. Instead, the profit generated in the early stages was used for operational needs, allowing for progress.

Add no obvious bonus here: you not only win in the moment but also avoid subsequent costs. You need to clearly understand what and how you will implement it, where in the architecture of your technical product’s monetization will take place, and take care of the UX/UI design.

Even if you address this issue later, any changes during the post-release will require even greater financial investment. A well-thought-out monetization strategy during the discovery phase will help you address this in advance.

3. You validate the idea through users’ willingness to pay

When developing and launching any software project, it is, of course, impossible to skip the idea validation stage. This product approach itself is based on releasing less in a short time and immediately gathering feedback. But what if the users’ willingness to pay is another way to validate a specific feature?

I touched on the topic of expanding the budget, however, the smart use of current resources is also essential, especially when designing an MVP. Integrating monetization into the budget from the beginning, rather than investing the same dollar amount in numerous features with uncertain returns, can establish a more dependable growth strategy.

Depending on the results, you will be able to make data-driven decisions and prioritize the project’s scope — turning vague ideas into actionable strategies supported by concrete numbers.

Related: 3 Secrets to Starting a Small Business Side Hustle That Gives Your Day Job a Run for Its Money, According to People Who Did Just That — and Made Millions

4. You educate users for future loyalty to the product

Current trends show that so-called “premium” users truly seek exclusivity: they literally demand an environment for a valuable online experience (Gen Z has grown up!). Communities built around web and mobile products are the reality today. It’s essential to understand that selectivity and belonging when paired with a well-structured monetization strategy, are your trump cards.

When you start monetizing early, even with an MVP, you can lay the groundwork for building a loyal user base. While the product may still be in development, offering a well-defined value proposition can attract users who appreciate its potential. These early adopters are willing to invest and have some expectations, enabling you to get higher-quality feedback.

Payment, in some way, is the entry threshold that ensures results — recall Grindr, Headspace, and Spotify. And regarding ‘I will start monetization when…’: if your app, service or tool is completely free and suddenly requires payment, what do you think will happen to the retention rates the day after?

Final words

You can rely on the number of users to measure success; however, users vote with their dollars, and what matters is revenue and a solid, potentially beneficial profit and loss (P&L) statement.

Whether you are building and launching a digital product with your own team, as an indie hacker, or partnering with an external development vendor, ensure you don’t make the mistake of overlooking monetization from the very beginning.

Google announced on Tuesday that it is acquiring cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion, marking the biggest purchase in the company’s 26-year history. It’s also a lesson in not accepting the first offer — the company turned down Google’s offer of $23 billion last summer.

Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport wrote in a blog post that joining Google Cloud will “enable us to execute and innovate even faster” as both businesses “are fueled by the belief that cloud security needs to be easier, more accessible, more intelligent, and democratized, so more organizations can adopt and use cloud and AI securely.”

Rappaport noted that “attackers aren’t slowing down” and are now “using the most innovative technologies.”

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Scammers are certainly getting more sophisticated, from toll text schemes to AI impersonations. The FBI recently warned Gmail users to enable two-factor authentication after a series of ransomware attacks began locking people out of their accounts and demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Businesses and governments that run in the cloud are looking for even stronger security solutions, and greater choice in cloud computing providers,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in a statement. “Together, Google Cloud and Wiz will turbocharge improved cloud security and the ability to use multiple clouds.”

What Is Wiz?

Wiz is a cloud security platform that connects to all major clouds and code environments. It’s used by about 50% of Fortune 100 companies, according to the company. Wiz scans about 230 billion files daily.

In the post, Rappaport wrote that the change will help the company “execute and innovate even faster.”

Related: ‘Passive Income’ Amazon AI ‘Scheme’ Allegedly Scammed Customers Out of at Least $14 Million, According to the FTC

“Becoming part of Google Cloud is effectively strapping a rocket to our backs: it will accelerate our rate of innovation faster than what we could achieve as a standalone company,” Rappaport wrote.

In a statement, Google said that Wiz is an “easy-to-use security platform” and that “organizations of all sizes” use it to “protect everything they build and run in the cloud.”

Wiz is backed by a bevy of notable investors, including LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Blackstone, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz.

The company has raised more than $1.9 billion, per Bloomberg.

Related: 80% of Banks Admitted They Can’t Keep Up With AI Scams Aimed at Draining Personal Accounts

Federal Reserve officials kept interest rates at a target range of 4.25% to 4.5% following the conclusion of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday.

The range has stayed the same since December when the Fed cut rates by 25 basis points or 0.25%, but the Fed indicated that reductions to the rate could occur later in the year.

“We’ll be adapting as we go,” Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said in a Wednesday press conference following the decision. He noted that the Fed does not need to rush to make policy adjustments and “is well positioned to wait for clarity” on President Donald Trump’s economic plans, including tariffs.

“Everybody is forecasting some inflation effect from tariffs,” Powell stated at the press conference. “We’re going to have to wait and see all of that.”

The move to hold rates steady was expected. Elyse Ausenbaugh, head of investment strategy at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, told Entrepreneur in an emailed statement that the lack of change to the rate was “unsurprising.”

“I continue to admire the Fed’s patience as we all await further clarity on the feed-through effects of trade policy right now, but I think investors will be craving clearer direction out of the FOMC meetings ahead,” Ausenbaugh stated.

Related: 3 Predictions for the U.S. Economy in 2025, According to a Chief Economist

Meanwhile, Melissa Cohn, regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage and a 43-year mortgage industry veteran, told Entrepreneur in a separate emailed statement that if tariffs and higher inflation occurred, future rate cuts would be unlikely.

“What happens in the economy in the next three months will be the driver of future rate movement from the Fed,” she stated.

^{Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images}

Fed policymakers on Wednesday also predicted higher unemployment and less economic growth this year than they did in December. According to Fox Business, policymakers projected that real gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 1.7% by the end of the year, down from a 2.1% prediction in December. They also forecasted an unemployment rate of 4.4% in December, up from a previous prediction of 4.3%.

The unemployment rate was 4.1% and inflation was at 2.8% in February, per the latest federal data. The Fed’s goal is to maintain low prices and drive full employment.

The Fed also held rates steady in January, following three preceding cuts in September, November, and December.

Whenever I speak with a new candidate, I frequently find myself answering a few repeat questions. Primarily, these questions are centered around a myth or misconception that has given them pause in considering franchise ownership.

Asking an abundance of questions is a vital part of the due diligence process, so I welcome these questions. But sometimes, people allow these myths to stop their entrepreneurial dreams in their tracks. Below is a list of five common myths I hear about franchising and what I’ve learned after eight years in the business:

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

1. “I’m buying myself a job”

“Self-employment” can have a negative connotation about it, whether it’s outside sources casting doubt on the viability of a particular opportunity or your own internal resistance. But in my experience, there is a lifestyle improvement that comes from business ownership.

And let’s be clear, self-employment is not the path of least resistance — you’ll have to put in a great deal of effort to make your dreams a reality. However, when the responsibility of success lies squarely on your shoulders, there is a sense of pride and purpose that comes with the territory.

Related: 64 Million U.S. Households Have a Pet. Here’s How This Top-Ranked Franchise Is Making Busy Owners’ Lives Easier.

2. “Isn’t franchising all fast food?”

Simply put, NO. There are indeed plenty of excellent restaurant franchises, however these in no way represent an exhaustive list of franchising opportunities. Especially in recent years, franchises have expanded into many different industries. In fact, whenever there is a consumer need that is not being met, franchises frequently become the solution.

Salon services? There’s a franchise for that. Boutique fitness? Child and senior care? Mental health services? Home care services? There are franchises for that. If you can imagine a customer need, then there is likely a franchise out there to answer the call.

Related: Explore the full 2025 Franchise 500 list, complete with category rankings.

3. “Franchising isn’t scalable”

This is a myth that initially kept me from considering franchising. I didn’t have any reservations about the brands or concepts, but I had always considered a franchise owner to be someone who ran their small shop or business, but didn’t scale beyond. However, when a friend grew his multi-unit operation and sold out in a multimillion-dollar deal, I had to walk back my assumptions. Between territory expansion and multi-unit franchise growth opportunities, franchising can be highly scalable.

Related: Greg Flynn Owns 1,245 Restaurants and Makes $2 Billion A Year. Here’s How He Did It.

4. “Franchising is low-brow”

In the world of business ownership, franchising is sometimes considered to be more “low-brow” than other businesses. Why? Maybe it’s the fact that the idea is not yours. Maybe the connotation of “buying a job” comes with a perceived lack of effort. Maybe it’s that many franchise brands don’t represent a certain desired social status.

Sure the concept may not be your brainchild, but that also means it has a proof of concept. You’ll have to put in as much time and effort as you would in a corporate role, if not more. And look, I won’t sit here and tell you that home repair services like plumbing and gutter cleaning are sexy. But what I will tell you is that franchises often perform some of the most reliable and ongoing essential services and the vital nature of the services they provide keeps business going in economically volatile times making these businesses recession-resistant.

Related: After Decades of Hard Work, This Couple Is Living the Entrepreneurial Dream. Here’s How They Achieved Generational Wealth

5. “Franchises are a source of passive income”

Whenever I speak with a new candidate who is interested in franchise ownership, one of the most important conversations we have is regarding the future role they will have within their franchise. There are models for various owner roles, including self-employment, owner-operator, executive and semi-absentee. However, more semi-absentee models typically require you to have more startup capital to preclude you from day-to-day operations.

For example, I owned a fitness franchise that typically required 2-5 hours per week of my time, but the first 90 days of getting it launched required me to work nearly full-time in addition to my corporate job. It is important to validate the owner’s role with current franchise owners in any system. Therefore, while it can be highly profitable and successful, your investment in a franchise is unlikely to be passive — at least not at first. Eventually, franchise owners may move into a more semi-passive role once they have scaled enough to hire managers to run the daily operations.

I’ve heard each of these myths many, many times since becoming a franchise consultant. The candidates who have gone on to be successful franchise owners were able to reposition their relationship with franchising and see the vast opportunities available rather than lean into partially informed myths about the industry. While franchising isn’t for everyone, you must make business decisions with clear information rather than myths or misconceptions.

Related: Here’s how we determined the annual Franchise 500 ranking — and what we learned from the data.

In a move that marks one of the most significant AI collaborations in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, Yum! Brands — the parent company of Habit Burger, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and other QSR brands — is integrating products from Nvidia to streamline operations, improve customer experiences and drive efficiency.

“At Yum!, we have a bold vision to deliver leading-edge, AI-powered technology capabilities to our customers and team members globally,” Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer at Yum! Brands, said in a statement. “This partnership with Nvidia will enable us to harness our rich consumer and operational data sets to build smarter AI engines.”

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

AI-Powered drive-thrus

With more than 61,000 restaurants under its umbrella — including Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger — the Yum! Brands partnership with Nvidia focuses on drive-thru automation, order processing and real-time analytics. The company has already begun testing Nvidia-powered AI in select Taco Bell and Pizza Hut locations across the U.S. According to a statement, the technology rollout includes:

• AI-powered voice ordering: The company is deploying Nvidia’s tech to improve voice order-taking at drive-thrus and call centers. The system adapts to human speech patterns, understands complex menus and “enables a more natural, seamless ordering experience.”

• Computer vision for restaurant management: AI-driven computer vision technology will help optimize drive-thru efficiency and back-of-house operations and improve labor management through real-time analytics.

• AI-driven restaurant performance insights: Yum! Brands will use AI analytics to generate performance reports, offering managers personalized action plans based on best practices from top-performing locations.

Related: Taco Bell Is More Than 60 Years Old — Here’s the Brand’s Secret to Staying Relevant, According to Its CEO

Scaling AI

Following the initial pilot phase, Yum! Brands plan to expand the AI-powered solutions to 500 Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger locations in the second quarter of 2025. The integration will enhance Byte by Yum!, the company’s proprietary AI-driven restaurant technology platform, allowing franchisees to optimize operations more efficiently.

“Nvidia’s software makes it affordable for even the largest restaurant company to improve operations and customer experiences, proving AI can pay off at every location,” Andrew Sun, Nvidia’s global director of retail, said in a statement. “Working with Yum! Brands’ best-in-class digital and technology team and proprietary Byte by Yum! platform to integrate Nvidia AI software breaks barriers to AI innovation in the restaurant industry.”

Related: ‘A Lot More Innovation in Store’ — Taco Bell’s CMO Says 2025 Will Bring Another Live Más Live and a Return to the Super Bowl. Here’s the Details.

Every day, there seems to be AI news: a new model, a promising startup, an NVIDIA chip reveal.

Now, a new report by Writer, a generative AI platform, and independent research firm Workplace Intelligence, examines how the AI race is affecting companies — and apparently, it’s creating a big rift between IT teams, executives, and employees.

The 2025 AI Survey: Generative AI Adoption in the Enterprise report surveyed 1,600 workers (800 C-suite executives and 800 employees) in various sectors (technology, financial services, retail and consumer goods, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences) across the U.S. and found that almost 72% of the companies are investing at least $1 million each year in generative AI technology.

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However, despite the spending, only one-third of executives reported seeing a significant return on investment.

Meanwhile, two out of three executives surveyed said generative AI adoption has led to division between teams, while almost half (42%) reported that adopting AI “is tearing their company apart.”

“Generative AI holds transformative potential for the enterprise, but it can also create deep rifts within organizations that rely on a patchwork of point solutions or IT-built applications developed in a silo,” said May Habib, CEO and co-founder at Writer, in a statement.

Still, the survey also found that a majority of employees (at least 9 out of 10) were optimistic about their company’s approach to generative AI — and they’re even paying for it on their own. More than one-third of employees (35%) said they pay out-of-pocket for AI tools.

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The majority of employees surveyed (81%) and almost all of the C-suite (97%) said if they were looking for a new position, finding a company that uses generative AI is important.

“The companies who will lead in the next era of AI adoption are the ones putting the right processes and systems in place today,” said Dan Schawbel, managing partner, at Workplace Intelligence. “They’re prioritizing their change management efforts, cultivating support for AI among their people, and ensuring they’re making the right investment in AI tools.”

To combat the divisions, Habib suggests adopting a clear, organization-wide approach to AI in the workplace and also choosing a vendor that can provide training to show the best use cases (and embolden employees to use it).

View the full report, here.

Related: The CEO of $61 Billion Anthropic Says AI Will Take Over a Crucial Part of Software Engineers’ Jobs Within a Year

Click Profit promised investors that it would build e-commerce stores on Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok and help them earn tens of thousands of dollars in passive income. All the client had to do was pay between $45,000 and $75,000 initially as a management fee, and then $10,000 more for inventory.

Now the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing the company, alleging that consumers collectively lost at least $14 million by participating in the so-called investment opportunity.

On Tuesday, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Click Profit and its owners, Craig Emslie and Patrick McGeoghean, alleging that the company promised customers $150,000 in “guaranteed” sales by helping them sell brand-name products selected by its AI supercomputer. Click Profit said it would also handle all the logistics, product selection, shipping, and customer service. Investors would make money if products were sold, but Click Profit would receive a 25% to 35% cut.

However, the majority of investors found that the promised money never materialized. The agency requested that a federal court stop Click Profit from operating, and the request was granted earlier this month.

“Click Profit misled consumers by falsely promising them guaranteed passive income using cutting-edge AI technology and exclusive brand partnerships,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Their deception caused individual consumers to lose tens of thousands of dollars while the Click Profit’s operators enriched themselves.”

The case is the latest in the FTC’s crusade against “automation” companies that claim to launch and manage online businesses for clients in exchange for a hefty investment. The FTC sued Ascend Ecom in September 2024, and Empire in August 2023, over similar claims.

Related: The FTC Says a Major Ratings Website Published ‘Fake’ Reviews — Here’s How to Avoid It Happening to Your Business

What Are the Allegations Against Click Profit?

Per the complaint, Click Profit has been operating as a business since at least 2021 under different names like Automation Industries and PortfolioLaunch. The company marketed its “scheme” as a “passive income” generator powered by AI with profits that “will outperform returns on traditional investments, like stocks and real estate.”

Click Profit built credibility in advertisements, marketing materials, and sales pitches by claiming to have forged partnerships with companies like Disney, Colgate, and Nike that enabled the company to purchase prime merchandise in bulk at a discounted price. According to the FTC complaint, Click Profit does not have any affiliation with these companies, and the products the company sold on its e-commerce storefronts consisted of generic and off-brand goods like paper clips, food storage bags, and drying racks.

In advertisements, Click Profit also told customers that it spent $5 million on a supercomputer that used AI to find the “most profitable products.” The FTC wrote in its complaint that “the highly touted AI technology and brand partnerships do not exist, and the promised earnings never materialize.”

Related: Don’t Copy Big Brands to Increase Your Sales on Amazon — Do This Instead

Amazon suspended or blocked about 95% of the stores Click Profit set up for violating its seller policies, per the complaint. After taking Amazon’s fees into account, more than 20% of Click Profit’s stores on Amazon earned no money at all while about 33% earned less than $2,500 in lifetime sales — not enough to recoup the at least $55,000 investment.

Customers were left with “burdensome credit card debt and unsold products,” per the FTC.

Now the agency is asking for monetary relief for Click Profit’s clients as well as a permanent barring of the company from doing business.

Tesla CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk sat down with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) on the “Verdict” podcast to discuss a spate of issues, from DOGE to AI.

In the episode, which aired on Monday, Musk predicted that artificial intelligence will outshine the human brain within a decade.

Related: The Luxury Boats Owned By Some of the Wealthiest People in Tech, from a Yacht So Big It Has Its Own Support Boat to Superyachts with Swimming Pools and Basketball Courts

Wealth management is no longer confined to traditional investment strategies. For ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), global mobility, financial privacy and asset security have become key priorities.

As financial strategies evolve, golden visas and second passports have emerged as essential tools for safeguarding wealth, optimizing tax exposure and ensuring personal freedom.

Related: Revealed: How Entrepreneurs Can Get a UAE Golden Visa

Golden visas: A pathway to financial agility

If you have been left out of the memo, you need to know that there has been growing reliance on second citizenships as part of a broader wealth management plan.

Today’s UHNWIs prioritize safeguarding their wealth against economic fluctuations, political instability and increasing tax burdens. Golden visas and second passports are no longer luxury assets; they are strategic instruments that provide financial resilience and flexibility.

The benefits of golden visas

Golden visas, which grant residency — and, in some cases, citizenship — through financial investment, are gaining traction among those seeking economic stability, privacy and tax efficiency. Countries such as Portugal, Greece and Malta offer competitive golden visa programs, each catering to different investor needs. No longer merely residency permits, these visas have evolved into essential tools for managing cross-border financial interests.

These programs offer more than just residency; they provide access to advantageous tax structures and business opportunities. Residency in a low-tax jurisdiction enables investors to mitigate tax liabilities — a crucial advantage in a time of increasing global tax regulations. This concept of geo-arbitrage allows individuals to benefit from lower tax obligations while maintaining business operations across multiple markets.

Second passports: Enhancing freedom and security

Much like golden visas, second passports offer substantial advantages, enabling individuals to travel freely, access better healthcare and education systems and invest in regions with more favorable economic conditions. Nations such as Switzerland, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda have become prominent providers of citizenship-by-investment programs.

I’m sure you’re wondering how this information can empower you. If you have a global investment strategy, you need to understand that second passports and golden visas grant people the freedom to diversify their portfolios, engage in global investment opportunities and shield their assets from economic pressures such as currency devaluation.

Beyond financial considerations, second citizenships provide a sense of security in an unpredictable world. They offer individuals the flexibility to relocate quickly in response to political or economic instability — an increasingly valuable safeguard in today’s volatile global landscape.

Related: 7 Best Second Passports and Citizenships Made Possible by Investment Programs

Multi-passport strategies in wealth management

One of the greatest benefits of holding a second passport is the ability to establish residency in economically robust countries with favorable tax policies. The UAE, for example, remains a popular choice among UHNWIs due to its tax-free status. Similarly, Monaco and Hong Kong provide access to elite business networks and attractive tax conditions, making them ideal locations for wealth preservation and expansion.

Additionally, multiple citizenships enable investors to explore global real estate markets with more advantageous regulations and investment opportunities, unlocking a stable avenue for capital growth.

Leveraging assets for sustainable growth

Wealth strategies today extend beyond conventional banking and investment methods. Lending against physical assets, such as gold — offered in financial hubs like Singapore — has gained popularity as a tax-efficient, low-risk approach to liquidity management. Similarly, crypto banking solutions in jurisdictions like Panama provide innovative methods for wealth preservation through digital assets, expanding financial possibilities for globally-minded investors.

While private banking and trusts remain integral to wealth management, newer strategies are providing additional layers of protection and access to exclusive business circles. Emerging investment trends, such as land banking in Georgia, are gaining traction as stable, long-term opportunities for diversification and capital appreciation. With geopolitical uncertainties on the rise, these strategies allow investors to distribute their wealth across multiple regions, reducing reliance on any single economy or political framework.

Protecting wealth in an uncertain future

For UHNWIs seeking to optimize their portfolios, the combination of golden visas, second passports and innovative wealth management strategies offers unparalleled opportunities for securing financial stability. By leveraging these tools, individuals can ensure their assets remain protected and adaptable to an ever-changing global economy.

But they are not the only ones; middle-income earners are also in the fray. According to Bloomberg, the number of U.S. residents relocating to countries like France, Spain and Portugal has surged in recent years. With the dollar holding strong against the euro, skyrocketing housing costs and ongoing political uncertainty, many Americans are looking overseas for better opportunities.

Stephanie Synclair is one such individual. Unable to find an affordable home in Atlanta — even with $300,000 in cash — she instead purchased one house and a storefront in Italy for just 60,000 euros in April. “I wouldn’t have even considered buying property in Italy if the U.S. market hadn’t been so out of control,” Synclair had said.

Market trends support this shift. Sotheby’s International Realty reported a 40% rise in inquiries from Americans about moving to Greece compared to the same period in 2023. Social media is fueling this movement, too. Topics such as gun violence and healthcare accessibility are frequently discussed under hashtags like #expat, which has amassed billions of views on TikTok.

Related: The 10 Cheapest Countries Where You Can Buy Citizenship or Residency For as Low as $19,000

For many, the move is about more than just finances. Jamie Dixon, a remote worker and mother, relocated to Portugal last year due in part to concerns about crime and political instability in the U.S. “The rise in violence in America was a huge factor,” Dixon told Bloomberg. “I wanted my child to experience a normal, safe childhood.”

As more Americans look beyond domestic borders for a better quality of life, Europe and Asia are increasingly becoming attractive alternatives for those seeking affordability, security and stability.

If you’re still young and, as they say, want to experience life in a new environment, I suggest you read about the countries that are perfect for American Expats. People who seek permanent homes away from their current homes, however, need to know more about the best countries and travel programs for retirement.

In 2025, the traditional “9 to 5” is looking a little more like an “8 to 4.”

ActivTrak’s newly released 2025 State of the Workplace report found that the average American workday is ending at around 4:39 p.m. and starting at around 8 a.m. Meanwhile, the report notes that two years ago, people weren’t leaving their desks (or home offices) until around 5:21 p.m.

“These are healthy numbers,” said Gabriela Mauch, the head of ActivTrak’s Productivity Lab, per Bloomberg. “We’ve adapted to a traditional workday on average while offering flexibility and fluidity in a way that meets employees where they are.”

Related: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says Only One Group Is Complaining About Returning to the Office

ActivTrak looked at data on nearly 200,000 employees working at 777 companies, tracking workplace behaviors from productivity bursts to clock-out times. The data revealed that productivity has gone up by about 2%, and employees tend to work in productive 24-minute bursts.

The months with the most hours worked (around nine a day on average) were August and December. Mauch noted to Bloomberg that August was due to a post-vacation work rush and December because of the end-of-year push. February and October, meanwhile, had the shortest workday lengths (8 hours and 35 minutes), according to the report.

And despite the major return-to-office push, the report found a big win for fully remote employees: They are the most productive workers.

“Remote-only workers have the highest daily productivity (+29 mins) vs. other worker types,” the report notes.

Related: What Is ‘Task Masking’? Young Workers Retaliate Against Return-to-Office Mandates With a Viral Strategy.