The concept of working remotely is slowly growing in the U.S. workforce. Here are a number of companies that have been looking for remote employees recently, compiled by FlexJobs. (image credit: Shutterstock) Though they still make up only a small percentage of the overall U.S. workforce (about 2.8%), remote workers – and flex-time employees – are more and more becoming a reality for employers.

The entrepreneurs who have pitched on ABC’s hit business reality show Shark Tank represent some of the brightest minds in small business. After all, these pros were handpicked from tens of thousands of applicants each season. Many of them have no formal education in business and were self-taught by delving into books and getting experience on the job. I asked dozens of them to recommend some goodreads about business and the key takeaways.

There’s a Robotic Apocalypse coming – everyone seems quite certain about this. I’m not talking about a Matrix or Terminator scenario where the human race is enslaved by AI, although some very smart people are concerned that this could happen. The real and present danger appears to be about jobs. At first it seemed that it was mainly manual jobs which were under threat, when production lines workers were expected to be replaced wholesale with robots and machines.

Shutterstock A professional development or business book makes a great gift for the new graduate embarking on his/her first career. Here are five recently released advice books that make excellent gifts and additions to your own coaching library: To build a career in today’s market: The Artist’s Compass by Rachel S.

Bea Arthur was deemed the “Comeback Kid” in 2011  by Danielle Jenene Powell in Fast Company, when she picked herself back up to launch an online therapy site – In Your Corner (originally known as Pretty Padded Room) – after her first business – MeTime (a community that provided on-site childcare and events for stay at home moms) – failed. Timing is everything.

Shutterstock Think back to six months ago, at the beginning of January. You were probably setting your sights on some ambitious goals, making a list of to-do’s and to-don’ts, and gearing up to make 2016 your best year at work yet.

Employee wellness can be incredibly beneficial for your company. Not only can a wellness program help you save on insurance costs, but it can help improve employee morale, boost productivity and build a resilient workforce. Pixabay With all of those benefits on the line, it’s a shame that many managers really aren’t getting the most of their wellness programs. Common, avoidable pitfalls can stand in the way of developing a truly effective wellness program.

Shutterstock Back in 2009, George Clooney starred in Up In The Air, a movie about his life as a “corporate downsizer.” “I work for a company that lends me out to cowards who don’t have the courage to sack their own employees, and with good reason,” his character says. Delivering bad news, or even negative feedback, is something that few managers cherish, yet its importance cannot be overstated. Nowhere is this more important than when we have to let someone go.

When I get frustrated with the boneheaded things I see happening in the business world — which is to say, about three times a day — I remind myself that one of the biggest problems in business is that we treat the business world like a separate planet from planet earth. We forget how humans operate and how nature works. We forget about the Law of Unintended Consequences.

If you’ve heard of crowdfunding, you’ve no doubt seen the heroic campaigns that manage to raise millions in just 30 days, exceed their goal by five thousand percent, and ascend to celebrity stardom on social media. If you ask me, saying “yes” to humble, transparent companies with homestyle videos has some serious appeal. No doubt that’s why over $16.2 billion was raised through crowdfunding in 2014.