In 2000, Penny Bowers-Schebal was a 31-year-old “cash-strapped” single mother struggling to cover basic household bills. She wanted to “build financial security” beyond the 401(k) program at her employer, Progressive Insurance, she tells CNBC Make It. So, at the advice of Suze Orman, she started putting $25 per month into a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP). Under that plan, you invest in a single company — Bowers-Schebal picked Home Depot because Progressive didn’t offer DRIP accounts at the time — and all earnings are automatically used to buy more of that same company’s shares. It seemed like a small, realistic option…

Foreign airlines in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), have threatened to go on strike over unrepatriated funds in the country. The warning comes a week after Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the payment of $61.64 million to foreign airlines through various deposit money banks (DMBs). Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday, Kingsley Nwokoma, AFARN president, expressed disappointment at the amount paid by the government. Instead, he suggested a quarterly payment of the airlines’ blocked funds in the country. He said the association hopes the government would look into and…

The secret to productivity doesn’t lie in overhauling your schedule or becoming an expert multi-tasker. Instead, to get more work done in fewer hours — without burning out — try timeboxing. Setting clear guidelines for how you spend your time and energy is the easiest and most effective way to boost productivity, according to new research from Salesforce subsidiary Slack and research firm Qualtrics. Regardless of job tier, the survey of more than 10,000 desk workers and executives found an ideal balance of focus time, collaboration time, social connection and downtime to be productive while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.…

Build My Burgers founder Aly Lalani always knew that a typical desk job wasn't for him. He wanted something more challenging and unpredictable. The 38-year-old has worked in the restaurant industry for the last 16 years, spending most of that time employed by other people — until 2021, when he opened Build My Burgers in Orlando, Florida. The burger joint uses an open design concept to entice customers — roughly 400 per day, Lalani says — who watch their meals being made up close, a more personal experience than a typical fast food chain. That first year, Build My Burgers…