Thursday Buzz: What Cashless Looks Like

Augmented reality aside, is cash on the wane? The case is certainly being made by the fast-growing Sweetgreen restaurant chain.

The company’s 64 stores, reports Fast Company  (opens in a new tab), are dispensing with cash starting next year, for a number of purely practical reasons: It removes the potential of robbery, keeping employees safe; it removes the need for cash-counting and armored cars, resulting in cost savings; and it speeds up transactions.

The shift is somewhat stunning for the fast-food sector, which is traditionally cash-based, but Sweetgreen—which has done its homework on the concept—says that its customers are a bit more ahead of the curve than other stores.

“Cash has become such a smaller piece of our tender,” Cofounder Nicolas Jammet told the publication. “When we opened nine years ago, it was 40%. Now, all stores are between 10% and 15%.”

It’s possible that a cashless society becomes reality if more businesses like Sweetgreen take the plunge.

Fundamental Collaboration

http://twitter.com/arianna_rehak/status/811761967350349826

Debra BenAvram, the CEO of the American Society for Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition, says that collaboration isn’t just important at her organization—it’s fundamental. In a blog post at Association Success  (opens in a new tab), BenAvram explains that the organization has reached new heights in recent years by functioning at a high level internally—even if it doesn’t look like what other organizations might do.

“And one of the ways we function is by not only encouraging, but really requiring, constant communication and collaboration between departments,” she writes.

Check out her full blog post  (opens in a new tab) for more insights.

Other Links of Note

Instagram accounts to watch: CauseVox highlights nonprofits that are flying high on Instagram  (opens in a new tab).

Viral campaigns to borrow from: At Meeting Professionals International’s Plan Your Meetings blog, Anne Thornley-Brown highlights a few campaigns  (opens in a new tab) that could inspire your event’s marketing.

A useful app for travelers: TechCrunch highlights Pana  (opens in a new tab), a travel companion app so smart that it can check into your flight for you. The iOs app is now available for free  (opens in a new tab) as an alternative to TripIt and similar services.

(Tony Webster/Flickr)