While you’ve been busy updating your company’s Facebook page, keeping your customers up to date through Twitter and posting the latest corporate video on YouTube, we’ve been reporting on the latest in social media news for businesses large and small. In case you’ve missed any of it, here’s a recap of this week’s breaking stories. We’ve arranged them by category to help you quickly find the news you’re looking for. Facebook Facebook iOS Update Could Increase Mobile Shares and RSVPs Facebook Completes Timeline Rollout, Adds Star Ratings to Sections Consumers Can Now Add…
Business
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Most Topular Stories
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Social Media News: Google+, Facebook Ratings, Pinterest
Sprout Insights18 May 2013 | 6:00 am -
LinkedIn: Expensive And Unattractive?
Half Bridge Business Blog18 May 2013 | 8:17 amSince the beginning of 2012 till the end of April this year, the shares of the leading professional social networking site LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD soared rising by nearly 200% as its price-earnings ratio, or P/E, climbed to nearly 1,000. Then it released its results for the first quarter of 2013 which showed strong profit growth but gave lackluster guidance which caused a 13% drop in its stock on Friday, 3rd May. The business has delivered several strong quarters in the past; therefore the markets were expecting greater things from them in the future. Despite the fall, its… -
7 Ways to Generate More Revenues for Your Small Business This Week
Custom Toll Free® Blog17 May 2013 | 9:04 am -
Career in Singapore, Useful Guidelines
Career Secrets18 May 2013 | 10:59 amSingapore is a small state but its ability to give career opportunities is astonishing. Most of the careers in Singapore are in the industry and service areas. The strategic location, low bribery rate and expert work force make this country the top destination of more than 8,000 international companies from the United States, Europe and Japan. In addition, you can also find approximately 1,000 companies from China and 800 companies from India. Singapore has been victorious in a number of financial areas. Although a reduction of -0.9 percent happened in 2009, it was capable to make progress… -
Air Travel Takes On Environmental Challenges the Industry Faces
Justmeans17 May 2013 | 1:39 amScientists from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued a release saying the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached the feared milestone of 400 ppm (parts per million). The last time there was this level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was three million years ago when the Arctic region was 8C (46.4 F) warmer. The scientists say more needs to be done to prevent the release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which comes mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.In the United States, electricity is the biggest source of emissions because the generation of…
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blog.ebayclassifieds.com
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Mother’s Day – What Not to Buy Mom!
10 May 2013 | 4:00 pmMay 12th is Mother’s Day, when we celebrate the hard working women who raised us. For those of us who haven’t had a chance to buy something wonderful for Mom, time is running out! What to get her? A Spa Day? A luxury handbag? Jewelry? As it turns out, not all gifts are equal. To [...] -
Treating Your Pets to Treats: Dos and Don’ts
14 Feb 2012 | 1:26 pmMost pet owners love to spoil their furry friends, and an easy way to do it is with treats! Treats come in handy when trying to train the new puppy you just bought and when you are rewarding your pets for being good. There are many things pet owners should know about treats, so they [...] -
Protecting Fido From Natural Toxins
20 Jan 2012 | 12:58 pmIt is easy for us to know what makes us sick, or what could be dangerous for us to eat, but when it comes to pets it is a little harder to tell. We have put together this infographic to help pet owners protect their dogs and cats from toxins. There are many things out [...] -
Social Savvy Critters
16 Jan 2012 | 11:53 amPet lovers around the world are bringing social media into their pets lives, not just their own. While some are creating facebook pages for the pets, others are going to social media sites for pets only. So, if you already have a pet, or are getting ready to buy a dog, take a look at [...] -
DIY Organic Dog Treats
11 Jan 2012 | 1:46 pmWith recent pet-treat recalls frightening dog owners, it just makes sense to start making your own goodies for Fido. When you make your own organic dog treats, you know exactly what goes into them and can rest assured that your puppy is getting only the best. It’s easier than you might think. Cooking for your [...]
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Sprout Insights
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Social Media Resources: Recruiters, GM, and Damage Control
19 May 2013 | 6:00 amThis week on Sprout Social Insights we tackled guides for Facebook, Twitter, and to help you better reach your customers with the social media tools that make a difference. Check out our articles below to find out more about each one and how they can help you with your social media goals. And check in every day to Sprout Social Insights for more how to guides and breaking social media news. Three Recruiters Reveal Surprising Observations About Social Media Depending on the last time you looked for a job or changed careers, social media was either a completely non-existent or an absolutely… -
Social Media News: Google+, Facebook Ratings, Pinterest
18 May 2013 | 6:00 amWhile you’ve been busy updating your company’s Facebook page, keeping your customers up to date through Twitter and posting the latest corporate video on YouTube, we’ve been reporting on the latest in social media news for businesses large and small. In case you’ve missed any of it, here’s a recap of this week’s breaking stories. We’ve arranged them by category to help you quickly find the news you’re looking for. Facebook Facebook iOS Update Could Increase Mobile Shares and RSVPs Facebook Completes Timeline Rollout, Adds Star Ratings to Sections Consumers Can Now Add… -
YouTube’s ‘One Channel’ Design Becomes Permanent on June 5th
17 May 2013 | 12:39 pmIf you haven’t already opted in to YouTube’s ‘One Channel’ redesign, you’ll want to start getting familiar with the new look and features. While some have been experimenting with the new version, the transition is about to become mandatory. Launched in a limited trial in February, the redesign creates a consistent experience on browsers across all screens and devices. In March, Google made it available to everyone on an opt-in basis, but it will become the standard starting June 5th. The new design introduces two new marketing features: cover photos and trailers. -
Customers Can Discover, Save, and Share Offers on Google+
17 May 2013 | 9:35 amWhile almost every other Google product has integrated with Google+ in some way, shape, or form, it’s hard to believe that there’s anything left that hasn’t. Following a big week of announcements, the search giant revealed that Google Offers is next in line to receive the Google+ treatment. According to Google, millions of people follow brands on Google+ to get the latest news on products, join in on the conversation, and to get deals and discounts. Starting today, the company is making it easier for consumers to discover, save, and share Offers right from Google+. Customers… -
Latest Update Brings Easier Sharing and Duplicate Alerts to Pinterest
16 May 2013 | 1:59 pmPinterest released a number of updates this week aimed at improving your experience as well as that of your customers. The most recent addition, which is being rolled out over the next few weeks, makes it easier to send pins directly to friends from the web or mobile devices. There’s even some room to include a message for personalization or to add context. While certainly not a new functionality — the feature has been present on Pinterest for quite some time — it does work in favor of the creators of the content being shared. Not only could easier sharing help to drive more…
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Start My Consulting Business
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How many more Mondays? (plus another embarrassing thing about me)
22 Apr 2013 | 11:56 amStart My Consulting Business - Ditch your day job. Make things happen. Change your life.Yes, it’s Monday. Whether you have a day job or work for yourself, it’s the beginning of the week. If you have a day job though, it’s likely the beginning of a long slog through the week, waiting for the weekend, then only to start the cycle again next week. Week in, week out. Over and over. But through your Mondays, you keep wanting something to change. You keep dreaming of how you’d like your life to be different. Here’s where it gets embarrassing My daughter’s a big… -
What made you squirm
11 Apr 2013 | 1:07 pmStart My Consulting Business - Ditch your day job. Make things happen. Change your life.Judging from all the e-mails I received from my last post (19 Questions that will change you consulting business–and your life), I struck a nerve. Before I list the questions that many of you cited as being squirm-worthy, I want to point out that, yes, I wanted to make you squirm. See, unless you’re uncomfortable, you won’t change. Until you’re REALLY uncomfortable, you’ll stay stuck in the same rut–even if that rut happens to be truly awful. Why? Because what we know… -
19 questions that will change your consulting business (and your life)
5 Apr 2013 | 8:49 amStart My Consulting Business - Ditch your day job. Make things happen. Change your life.You’re here because you want to start and grow a profitable consulting business that will change your life. Maybe you want to: quit your crappy job earn more money have more freedom and flexibility spend more time with your kids work for yourself create a more consistent flow of consulting work have more financial security Whatever the case, you’ve been struggling, and aren’t quite where you want to be. Below, I’ve listed 19 questions to ask yourself. But, instead of just skimming… -
How to virtually guarantee you’ll do what you’ve been procrastinating: the Motivation Chaining Method
29 Mar 2013 | 6:06 amStart My Consulting Business - Ditch your day job. Make things happen. Change your life.When I first started my consulting business, I knew I needed to call prospective clients, but I kept putting it off. Each day, I’d put the same to-do on my list (“call prospective clients”), and each day, I wouldn’t do it. Instead, I’d feel stressed about it, overwhelmed about not knowing how to go about it, and anxiety over what to say when–if–I actually made the calls. At the end of each day, I’d feel guilty for not doing the task, and frustrated with… -
The experiment that boosted my consulting rate 70%, and what it means for you
11 Mar 2013 | 11:10 pmStart My Consulting Business - Ditch your day job. Make things happen. Change your life.One of the things I emphasize on this blog is the benefit of experimentation. Without experimenting, I wouldn’t have been able to do things like raise my consulting rates over the years, or tap into new marketing channels which have brought me some of my biggest clients. Experimentation is one of the best ways to learn and to grow your consulting business. Over the years, I’ve steadily increased my hourly rate so that I’m near the ceiling for what I can charge per hour in my niche. Not…
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Global Personal Branding 3E
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Follow Your Dreams-A True Story by Lipsa Mohanty
19 May 2013 | 7:12 amClick here to add this blog to your feed and you will not miss out on any story 3E Story Blogathon Post #19 by Lipsa Mohanty For Day 19 of the 3E Story Blogathon, Lipsa Mohanty shares her story of how she shifted from stressful Monday mornings to beautiful Monday mornings. She also shares, how she was finally able to follow her dreams. Follow Your Dreams or else be ready for the Monday morning The alarm rings … a stressful Monday Morning again! With my eyes still closed, I tried to stretch my hands and reach my phone to shut it off and buy more time to sleep. -
Laughter’s Life Lessons- Debbie Friend's True Story
18 May 2013 | 6:53 amClick here to add this blog to your feed and you will not miss out on any story 3E Story Blogathon Post #18 by Debbie Friend For Day 18 of the 3E Story Blogathon, Laughter Yoga expert shares her story about how she became a laughter yoga leader. So let us learn to live, LAUGH, love.... “I’m going to be trained to be a laughter yoga leader, “my friend enthusiastically declared during a phone conversation we were having. “That’s great,” I answered. Without missing a beat, she then asked, “Why don’t you do this with me?” My mouth must have been on auto-pilot,… -
A Soul’s True Journey- A Story by Dhara Kothari
17 May 2013 | 3:12 amClick here to add this blog to your feed and you will not miss out on any story 3E Story Blogathon Post #17 by Dhara Kothari For Day 17 of the 3E Story Blogathon, well known spiritualist and storyteller Dhara Kothari shares a story of a soul. Let me keep the details secret and not spoil the climax. Let me tell you a story...... There was once a soul that had made a long arduous journey through space and time, then finally rested to contemplate on finishing the final leg of its journey. Its home was high in the dimensional ladder where it rested. The final journey, the final climb, would… -
Know Your Life Purpose & Then Write An Inspiring Story
17 May 2013 | 2:52 amClick here to add this blog to your feed and you will not miss out on any story 3E Story Blogathon Post #16 by Tom Grimshaw For Day 16 of the 3E Story Blogathon, Tom Grimshaw shares how he helps his clients discover their passion and life purpose. He uses very simple yet practical approach which helps people become clear at what is the best contribution they can make to our world. At age 23, I became a commissioned salesman. In my sales tools there was a graphic that was reputed to be the result of a Harvard study of 100 young men leaving university… -
3E Story Blogathon; Week 3 Preview May 15-May 21
16 May 2013 | 5:59 amHello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates. Week 3 Preview May 15-May 21 Here is a preview of who to expect in Week 3. So dear readers, visit their sites, read their other stories, connect and get ready to be lost in the storytelling world. Sherry Nouraini, USA Sherry Nouraini is Founder/President of Captive Touch, a social media education, consulting and management agency. She is also the Founder and Host of Open Social Media Initiative, a weekly live broadcast where she and her colleagues provide free and open education on…
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Daily Biz Solutions
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Consider a Pay as You Go Visa
2 May 2013 | 3:02 pmIn order to help repair credit as well as give yourself the financial leverage that you need in order to participate in the modern world, a pay as you go prepaid Visa card is one of the best options on the market. Kaiku.com has many options for prepaid Visa credit cards no matter the credit [...] -
Ecommerce Tips for Business
30 Apr 2013 | 5:44 amIf you’re the owner or manager of a business that markets products or services via the Internet, then you definitely need to be knowledgeable about ecommerce. This is just as true for those who have bricks and mortar locations as well as those whose companies are online-only. Payment Processing Being able to accept credit cards [...] -
Building Your Online Presence
23 Apr 2013 | 2:09 pmHaving an effective website presence is an important key to success for just about every type of company. Whether you are operating a true e-commerce company or if you have a service business or a brick and mortar enterprise, your website will play a critical role in your company’s potential for success. While the design [...] -
ID Badges for Workplace Security
17 Apr 2013 | 5:21 amby M. G. White It’s important for every business to have a plan in place to keep their workplace as secure as possible. Requiring ID badges for employee and contractors is one of the most important security strategies that any company can use. Badges provide a great way to determine whether or not someone is [...] -
Reach New Potential Customer Groups
5 Mar 2013 | 9:43 amIf you want to grow your business, one of the best things you can do is take steps to expose potential new customers to the products and services that your business has to offer. A Few Ways to Reach New Prospects There are a number of ways you can going about getting your wares in [...]
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The Conversation - Business + Economy
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Strong rhetoric underpins Abbott's budget strategy
16 May 2013 | 10:59 pm -
Grattan on Friday: Suddenly, Tony can't stop saying yes
16 May 2013 | 1:10 pm -
Australia's choice: keep hiking taxes, or grapple with our spending on health and the aged
16 May 2013 | 1:05 pmMore than a decade ago the federal treasury produced the first Intergenerational Report (IGR), warning of the challenges facing the Australian economy due to demographic change. The IGR warned that the living standards of future generations would depend on the decisions made at that time. Unfortunately budgetary decisions made in the past decade have not begun to meet the challenges of an ageing population, and in most cases have taken us backwards. We are not, on the current trajectory, headed for a smart, productive workforce enjoying high living standards. Instead we are headed toward the… -
Reliance on 457 visas blunts the vision of the NDIS
15 May 2013 | 9:16 pmWith the legislation now through both houses of parliament, The National Disability Insurance Scheme, or DisabilityCare, is law, and will quickly become a defining feature of Australia’s social policy landscape. Gillard’s Medicare-style tax levy, now locked in through the federal budget, will ensure a reliable flow of funds to the Scheme, and with the prospect of sustainable federal funding on the table, most states and territories have signed up for the national roll-out, and agreed to foot a share of the bill. But with only weeks left before its launch, closer consideration of the… -
Swan's budget is a lame effort from a dying government
15 May 2013 | 1:05 pm
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Birds on the Blog
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Just because Grandma did it, doesn’t mean you have to
15 May 2013 | 6:00 amThere are very few things in our lives which are without pattern. Even the most random can be a pattern which hasn’t been spotted before! There are positive patterns and then there are less helpful ones. Or so we think, until we break them down into their component parts. Once in their component parts, you are then able to make changes which will affect the overall outcome. You see, if you look at your life as a series of patterns, what wasn’t obvious, will soon become startlingly so! Here’s a lovely story I heard years ago about a new wife who wants to cook her husband a roast dinner. -
Your life – Your choices – Your conditioning
15 May 2013 | 2:00 amphoto credit: giulia.forsythe via photopin ccIf you’re going through the AHA! Process I’ve described in my last two posts here, you’re becoming aware that you have many more Assets than you’d realised and you’re finding that Hurdles aren’t always the major obstacles they seem to be. For many this is just the start of an ongoing process to free up the imagination of what just might be possible. It may take several go-rounds before you allow yourself to give space to a thought that may be buried very deep. Three big influences that come into play here are: Your Conditioning… -
11 Marketing lessons from Candy Crush
14 May 2013 | 6:19 amYes I admit it I am a ‘fan’ of Candy Crush and yes I do play a lot of it in my spare time so to redeem myself I thought I’d look for the lessons I could learn from this absorbing game. After all with an estimated 45.6 million monthly players and 14.4 million daily players (AppData) there must be a lesson or two for us to learn. In case you have never heard of Candy Crush (after all they don’t advertise!) I recommend you go and check it out. I did attempt to describe it but couldn’t find a short way that I felt did it justice so here is the link Back to my redemption Candy Crush put… -
It’s all so serious…
14 May 2013 | 2:00 amphoto credit: *vlad* via photopin cc Do you remember how lovely last year seemed to be? We were in the grip of the spirit of the Olympics and the Jubilee. Madness were playing “Our House” on the roof of Buckingham Palace, which was emblazoned with the national flag, and we dancing away with them. Then we laughed and cried through the Olympics, at our amazing and eccentric opening ceremony, as we were bursting with pride. We certainly know how to put on a good party. And then the party finished, and this year, with everything that is being exposed through our entertainment industry… -
Tony Robbins and me
13 May 2013 | 11:20 amoh, and about 30 others plus support staff… Sarah, as owner of Birds on the Blog, gets invited to launches and things of business interest on a fairly regular basis so she’s understandably selective about the invitations she accepts. One such that she invited me to accompany her to was an event last week that included Tony Robbins as its main speaker. This was to be a far more intimate gathering than I have ever been aware of Tony Robbins addressing and, to be honest, I was really along because, having heard a lot about him in the personal and business development field I wanted…
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THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE - Douglas E Castle
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World's Banks Fuming At Fed!
30 Apr 2013 | 8:04 amGO AHEAD, CLICK IT. IT WILL EXPAND IN HIGH RESOLUTION. The U.S. is doing more of what it has become obsessed with doing - alienating other nations by a lack of genuine diplomacy regarding their sovereignty, and insulting their ability to govern themselves, or to even have their own laws. Now, we are telling international banks which have subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. that the parents have to conform to U.S. standards [chuckling from the audience] in order to allow their satellites (some of which are admittedly sizable) to continue to conduct business in the United States. This… -
U.S. and INDIA: A Tighter Alliance
15 Apr 2013 | 3:44 pmThere is an ever-increasing warmth between these two countries, which is economically and politically beneficial to both parties. While those of us who are readers of The Internationalist Page Blog or just categorically Internationalists, this is a bit ironic because India has been a substantial outsourcing destination for U.S. companies and is occasionally maligned for "taking jobs away from Americans." While in a sense this might be true, the savings (arbitraging the cost of Indian labor against the much higher cost of American labor) to certain U.S. companies has helped to keep them in… -
The FBI And China - USA Techno-Trade
2 Apr 2013 | 1:50 pmFor those familiar with the FBI, it is likely one of the fastest-growing and most powerful investigative and enforcement-driven government agencies in the entire world. The Federal Bureau Of Investigation works side-by-side with the United States Justice Department (the "DOJ") to help uphold the laws and regulations of the United States (at least in charter and theory) by investigating offenders, gathering evidence, and turning it over to the appropriate Government authority for either immediate prosecution or relating to ongoing surveillance of any purported criminal activity or potentially… -
How Countries Rank In Education - OECD Report And Commentary
30 Mar 2013 | 2:50 pmEducation was once believed to be the raw fuel needed to feed genius and success. Over the past decade, it has become an expendable line item on too many of the world's greatest countries' budgets. This says volumes about our priorities, and worse, about the future of our planet if this trend is not addressed. This article excerpt follows from the Huffington Post regarding a report from the Organization For Economic Development And Cooperation (the OEDC): The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's "2012 Education at a Glance" report released today is a trove of education… -
Chemical Weapons, The UN, Impotence And Irrelevance - Syria
22 Mar 2013 | 5:00 amTHE SAGA OF SYRIA'S HIGHLY TOXIC GASEOUS EMISSIONS Every civil, reasonable Human Being with a modicum of compassion and a sensitive conscience abhors the use of chemical weapons. Similarly. the countries comprised of these civil Human Beings generally raise a hue and cry over news about chemical weapons. When they were used under the Hussein administration by Iraq troops on innocent civilians, there was a outcry by 'less barbaric' nations. When they were first used during WWII in Europe, reasonable, sentient, peace-loving people's throughout the world were appalled. Chlorine, Mustard Gas,…
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Interpersonal Communication Blog
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8 Free Tools for Creating Infographics
18 May 2013 | 4:20 pm“For all the importance we place on text, it's an indisputable fact that images are processed in the brain faster than words… You must login or register before you view this content. Business Communication Headline News -
One Chart That Will Absolutely Convince You to Get More Sleep
17 May 2013 | 1:19 pmAccording to Max Nisen (photo, left), “America has a work culture that tends to glorify long hours… You must login or register before you view this content. Business Communication Headline News -
How to Tap the Hidden Job Market
15 May 2013 | 7:26 amAccording to Heather Huhmann (photo, left), “Job seekers are struggling to find positions because so many job openings are never even advertised online… You must login or register before you view this content. Business Communication Headline News -
Complaining Is Hard to Avoid, but Try to Do It with a Purpose
14 May 2013 | 4:19 am“Like many people, I have a love-hate relationship with complaining… You must login or register before you view this content. Business Communication Headline News -
Don’t Anesthetize Your Colleagues with Bad Writing
13 May 2013 | 1:24 amAccording to Bryan Garner (photo, left), “It seems obvious that you shouldn't put your audience to sleep, doesn't it?.. You must login or register before you view this content. Business Communication Headline News
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index
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Cedar Fair expands implementation of MICROS Simphony for Amusement Park Enterprise
17 May 2013 | 12:07 amImage (c) Cedar Point(News) MICROS Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCRS), a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, said it has expanded its partnership with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company selected MICROS' Simphony Enterprise Solution for implementation at Knott's Berry Farm , California's Great America, Worlds of Fun, and Valley Fair amusement parks. The installation across these four parks includes a total of 836 Simphony Clients loaded onto 522 easy-to-use MICROS Workstation 5A (WS5A) terminals and 290… -
Plopsa parks to bid on Air Force One
16 May 2013 | 3:10 amImage (c) GSA Auctions (News) Plopsa parks, which owns and operates theme parks in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany said it wants to The plane, a DC9-32 was used to transport Presidents, First Ladies and Vice Presidents to various destinations between 1975 and 2005. The plane is up for public action via the website of GSA auctions. A minimum bid for the plane currently stands at US$50,000.If Plopsa is successful in its bid for the plane it will place it at its German Holiday Park, potentially integrating it into its Expedition GeForce roller coaster ride. -
SeaWorld designs new conservation-minded Antarctica cup
16 May 2013 | 3:03 amImage (c) SeaWorld(News) In conjunction with SeaWorld Orlando's new attraction and ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, the park has created the Cup That Cares - a new reusable cup program with a twist of technology. The innovative, interactive cup was designed specifically to connect with Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage dispensers in the new realm.The new Cup That Cares engages guests in a personalized manner to reuse materials and reduce their carbon footprint. An RFID chip embedded in each Cup That Cares interacts with software at Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers to calculate and tell guests… -
Six Flags Fiesta Texas launches its Iron Rattler Coaster (Video)
16 May 2013 | 3:03 amImage (c) Six Flags(News) Coiled and ready to strike, Six Flags Fiesta Texas unveiled the Iron Rattler yesterday.The extreme, ultra-smooth coaster plummets guests down an 81 degree drop from a height of 180-feet, roars 70 miles per hour, snakes through four wild overbanked turns and then flips riders upside down on the first-ever zero-g barrel roll on a wooden hybrid coaster. Iron Rattler’s extreme features are enhanced by fog, water cannon blasts, dramatic and synchronized tunnel lighting and realistic rattlesnake sounds and vibrations.“We’re so excited to finally unveil this… -
Dollywood’s Splash Country opens RiverRush water coaster
16 May 2013 | 3:03 amImage (c) Dollywood(News) Dollywood’s Splash Country debuted Tennessee’s (USA) first and only water coaster, RiverRush, on Saturday, May 11. Highlighted by the US$6 million RiverRush addition, Dollywood’s Splash Country’s 2013 season stands as the most-anticipated since the waterpark’s 2001 opening, the park announced.Thanks to cutting-edge hydromagnetic technology and linear induction motors, RiverRush defies logic. After riding a four-person boat 237 feet in the air, guests race down an initial 25-foot, 45-degree drop. From there, moving water propels riders up hills, through…
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Andy Hayes
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How to get customers involved in your content marketing
14 May 2013 | 5:00 amThis is the fifth update in my Summer Lovin blog series! click here for previous articles in the series As you no doubt have noticed, there are entire online businesses that are built on getting their customers to do “stuff” for them – think of Angie’s List, for example, that wouldn’t be much of anything if the customers they have didn’t leave reviews. As you’re working on your content marketing plans, you’ll probably have a lot of cool ideas that involve getting your customers on board. I’m picturing some conversations like this: “Wow, it would be so much more… -
Content Marketing: Planning Ahead vs Spontaneity
13 May 2013 | 12:00 amThis is the fourth update in my Summer Lovin blog series! click here for previous articles in the series Today’s topic comes to us via a question from Sheila in Richmond, Virginia. Sheila asks: “I have a question about trying to achieve balance in my content plan (which consists of 5 platforms: Pinterest/Twitter/Facebook/Blog/Newsletter – no, I’m not overworked!). I totally agree with the advice that you gave me that planning ahead gives you breathing room + confidence to create better content, but I also want to incorporate some spontaneity in my plans. How do I balance… -
How to Know What to Write About on Your Blog
9 May 2013 | 9:56 amThis is the third update in my Summer Lovin blog series! click here for previous articles in the series Now that you are ready to plan your editorial calendar, you are now faced with your next major obstacle in content marketing: a blank page. Sometimes, deciding what to write about can feel like a descent down the seven circles of Dante’s Inferno. If you’re feeling that way, you’re overthinking it. As a content provider, you have only two roles to play: an educator, and/or an entertainer. Being an Educator One of the best, and primary, uses of your content… -
5 Things You Must Have to Prepare an Editorial Calendar
3 May 2013 | 11:50 amWoot! It’s the second update in my Summer Lovin blog series! click here for previous articles in the series Today we are talking about prep for creating an editorial calendars. If the idea of having an editorial calendar makes you want to jab pushpins into your eyes, please consider thinking of the phrase “content plan” or some other less-offensive terminology. Simply put, you need some kind of document to keep yourself organized. You’ve got a business plan, right? A marketing plan? So, if you are going to use content to market your business, you need a content plan… -
How to Hire a Writer
1 May 2013 | 9:14 amIt’s May 1st, and that means it’s time to kick off the Summer Lovin blog series! All this month I’ll be talking about HOT content ideas for your blog. So, you may be wondering, why do I start with a defeatist “just hire someone” post? Well, that’s because it’s a question I get almost every week. And, for some business owners, hiring it out is a good idea. If you plan on doing all of your own content, much of this advice still applies – so keep reading and pretend you are hiring yourself. You may know, but my first freelance work was contract…
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NBRI
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Three Issues Contributing to the Millennial Hiring Gap
13 May 2013 | 7:29 amThe Baby Boomers, a big part of America’s workforce, are retiring and companies are recruiting the newest generation, the Millennials, to keep business moving forward. Anyone who has been working long enough, or is involved in the hiring process, has undoubtedly noticed shifts in the recruiting process. Are the shifts caused by candidate quality issues, [...]The post Three Issues Contributing to the Millennial Hiring Gap appeared first on NBRI. -
Get Our New E-Book, How to Conduct a Survey, Free
2 May 2013 | 9:46 amWe’ve been conducting research for businesses for over 30 years. From employee engagement surveys to market research, NBRI has covered every inch of the survey data spectrum. As you can imagine, we’ve compiled a lot of benchmarking data and derived a lot of knowledge from it. Our motto is Research for Knowledge, Knowledge for Power, [...]The post Get Our New E-Book, How to Conduct a Survey, Free appeared first on NBRI. -
How to Identify a Slacker
30 Apr 2013 | 5:00 amHow to Identify a Slacker Slackers, there’s at least one in every office. If you’re having trouble thinking of who that might be in your office, then it could be you. You might actually be slacking instead of getting work done right now. Slackers come in all shapes and sizes, and popular TV shows even [...]The post How to Identify a Slacker appeared first on NBRI. -
4 Things that Kill Employee Productivity and What You Can Do to Stop Them
22 Apr 2013 | 4:30 amEmployees are not working 100% of the time they’re on the clock. It doesn’t take research to know this is true because managers in every industry witness this every day with their own eyes. Some are even enablers of unproductive behavior. Distractions are here to stay, but with a few changes to your corporate culture, [...]The post 4 Things that Kill Employee Productivity and What You Can Do to Stop Them appeared first on NBRI. -
How to React When Your Employees Ask For A Raise
15 Apr 2013 | 9:17 amTake It Seriously It takes some courage for an employee to ask for a raise. Most employees wouldn’t ask for more money if they didn’t believe they deserved it. Employees have done their homework and will know what value they bring to a business, and they want to receive some kind recognition of that from [...]The post How to React When Your Employees Ask For A Raise appeared first on NBRI.
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Simply stated business
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Posts in Friday Lite May Still Happen
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amWe’re plowing through May in hurricane fashion. Before you know it, June will arrive, and we’ll be halfway through the year. Unbelievable. Before you plow on, here is a recap of this week’s posts. I wouldn’t want you to miss out. Simply Stated Business A Goldilocks View of Business Marketing Advice A recent quiz of a so-called marketing whiz was the inspiration behind this post. I’m not sure how Goldilocks fits in. But, then I have a strange mind. Goldilocks weighs in on what’s just right in marketing advice. Let us know in Comments if you agree. 7… -
7 LinkedIn Rules You Still May Not Know Plus More
15 May 2013 | 4:28 amDid you see LinkedIn’s banner about a new User Agreement? If you read the agreement, you know you agreed that LinkedIn could use the banner. That and a few other details. In 2011, 7 LinkedIn Rules You May Not Know reviewed the agreement that was in place at the time. The post focused on rules that escaped the average member. Let’s revisit those 7 rules and see if they are still around. The Old is New Again #1 – You can maintain only one account at a time. That one is still there under C. Service Eligibility, number 4. I think members know this now, but in the past there were… -
A Goldilocks View of Business Marketing Advice
13 May 2013 | 3:00 amHave you ever thought Goldilocks was a tad self-centered? First, she breaks into the three bears’ home Then she complains about too hot or too cold porridge Next, she breaks the baby bear’s chair How rude. You’d like to think that your customers are not so self-centered. However, although most are pleasant, your clients typically base their decisions on a single question. What’s in it for me? Think about it. Imagine you are the customer and now decide if any of the following rings true. How will this solve my problem? Will this make me look good to my boss? Can I find… -
Mother-Loving Posts in Friday Lite
10 May 2013 | 3:00 amNo, this week’s posts are not about mothers, but I do know my mother would love these. Not because she read them. Because, hey, she’s my mother and she loves everything I do – right or wrong. So, you’ll have to make your own decision on whether or not you love this week’s posts. In case you missed any, here is a quick recap. Simply Stated Business How You Makes You a Better Business Writer Whether you are a professional business writer or a business owner who writes for your business, we all occasionally slip in our business writing. We sometimes forget to… -
Can the Business Writing Purist and Texist Get Along?
8 May 2013 | 3:00 amBusiness writing purists draw a line in the sand of words. Texists kick that sand in the face of purists. There is no doubt business writing has changed. Epic battles defending what has always been versus a give me a break attitude rage on in the written world. Channeling Rodney King ~ Can we all get along? Or are we hopelessly disconnected? Just Different Perhaps my middle child of seven status motivates me to balance opposing views. I often express that there is no right or wrong – just different. And in the world of business writing, we sure have different views. The Purist The…
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BCW
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Making The Case Against Litigation
17 May 2013 | 4:44 amThe need to reduce business risk has taken centre stage over the past few years. From financial losses to damaged reputation and corporate failure, there is a growing awareness that unforeseen market forces represent an escalating threat to business. Few organisations, however, recognise the financial implications of litigation until a court case – or threat … Continued -
Windows XP: Companies Need To Begin Preparing For The End
17 May 2013 | 3:09 amWith just under a year of Microsoft support for its still-popular and widely used operating system, companies need to ensure they have proper migration plans and contingency in place for when this is pulled. The next two months will be a tipping point for businesses that need to migrate applications. Those that fail to implement … Continued -
Cyber Threat Impacts Physical Security
17 May 2013 | 2:42 amAlthough recognised as important, the absolute criticality of the data centre is often underestimated and this is possibly due to its relative cost in comparison to other elements of the IT stack. While a rack footprint might cost £10K pa, the hardware might cost over £50K and the managed service £100K. However, if the data … Continued -
The Challenge Of Managing Professionals On The Move
17 May 2013 | 2:05 amAccording to Intel, there will be more than 15 billion devices connected to the internet by 2015 – many of which will be mobile devices as sales of laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Interestingly, British Airways reports that nine out of 10 flights carry more mobile devices than passengers. Mobile computing is literally taking off! … Continued -
Business Energy Consumption: Cut Costs And Improve Efficiency
17 May 2013 | 1:49 amAccording to the Carbon Trust large businesses in the UK are expending more than £1.6bn too much on their energy bills every year. Yet implementing simple energy efficiency measures can cut a business’ bill by around 15 per cent. Many companies are still wary of making changes and that is understandable – but the benefits … Continued
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Merchant Express
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Smart Move of the Day: The Small Business Credit Card
8 May 2013 | 1:10 amAs a successful small business owner, you already understand the value of being able to accept credit cards from your customers. Shoppers like the convenience payment cards offer, and they appreciate being able to manage their finances by using credit to their advantage. The same holds true for entrepreneurs like yourself, which is why small business credit cards are so popular and a necessary tool for running your operation. Small business credit cards differ from personal cards because they are issued to firms rather than individual consumers, and they are intended to be used for business… -
Small Business Owners’ Mistakes Can Lead to Lawsuits
7 May 2013 | 1:07 amThere is such a thing as being too nice – especially if it costs you excessive time, legal fees, stress and possibly the ruin of your business! Too many small business owners have learned the hard way that failing to learn and follow all labor laws can lead to employee lawsuits. Even if you were only trying to save money for the business or offer more flexibility to your workers – your good intentions can do you great harm if your actions break employment laws. A recent article in USA TODAY reports, “more workers across the nation have been suing employers under federal and state… -
Cyber Attacks Hit Small Businesses and Mobile Platforms Hardest in 2012
6 May 2013 | 1:05 amSymantec has released Volume 18 of their 2013 Internet Security Threat Report based on data from the Symantec Global Intelligence Network. The report, which provides an overview and analysis of the year in global threat activity, shows significant increases of online attacks against small businesses and mobile platforms in 2012. Small businesses may be more vulnerable to attacks since malware creators understand that such firms often have weaker security than larger organizations. According to the report, targeted attacks saw a 42 percent increase, with 31 percent of those attacks aimed at… -
Survey Reveals Consumers Expect Seamless Shopping Experience Across All Channels
3 May 2013 | 1:03 amWhether you are marketing to customers who shop in your store, on your website, or from a mobile device, you will do well to provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels. Accenture’s Seamless Retail Global Customer Survey found that 89 percent of consumers believe that better integration will win their loyalty if they can shop for products in the way that is most convenient for them, regardless which sales channel they choose. Chris Donnelly, global managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice, believes that although seamlessness can be challenging to achieve —… -
World Trade Promoted to Small Businesses Throughout May
2 May 2013 | 1:55 amThe potential benefits of engaging in world trade, especially at the small business level, will be promoted throughout the month of May in cities across the United States. The first World Trade Week was declared by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935, and today it has evolved to a time when entrepreneurs are encouraged to consider how recent technological innovations can help their small businesses expand into international trade by facilitating operations and bolstering their bottom lines. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) notes that nearly 96 percent of consumers live…
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Growth University - Small Business Tips and Resources
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5 Reports Every VP of Sales Should Master
10 May 2013 | 12:51 pmSales managers live and breathe reporting. But with the ability to pull so many different reports from your CRM how do pick which one is right for you? Sure you’d like to gain insight into your team and analyze your sales pipeline but there’s only so much time in the day. To help out, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 reports every VP of Sales should master. Pulling these 5 powerful reports will save you time but more importantly keep you focused on the most important goal; revenue. Download the free ebook here. -
Make Sure Your Customers and Prospects Are Really Getting Your Message
28 Apr 2013 | 8:35 amSegment your prospects with a sales pipeline and improve your marketing messages with the help of a CRM solution like Base. We spend a lot of time trying to understand our customers. But are you making sure your customers understand you? Text can be subjective. If you’ve ever gotten into an argument over email with someone you probably have a full understanding of just how easy it can be to get the wrong idea or to have someone not fully understand what you’re trying to convey. Misunderstandings can be costly in business. They may cost you a customer before you get a chance to… -
5 Important Online Metrics to Watch Closely
29 Mar 2013 | 3:00 amMeasuring online marketing metrics is important to gauge the success of your marketing efforts. Measurement is equally important in sales. Monitor your sales pipeline with the help of a simple CRM and sales tracking app like Base. Measurement is a vital aspect of success in online marketing. And one of the best things about marketing online is the ability to measure everything. Traditional 20th century marketing campaigns could take weeks or months to measure and as a result, a campaign could bleed money or an opportunity to truly capitalize on a successful campaign could be lost. -
How to Pivot to a New Industry
28 Mar 2013 | 4:00 amRegardless of how your small business’ focus changes over the years, it is still important to keep track of all your contacts and manage your sales. Stay organized with the help of a simple CRM like Base. The story goes like this: Years ago, Mark Zuckerberg brought a social media concept to life in the form of a website — The Facebook. The site was created specifically for Harvard University student interaction. As the years passed, the site grew exponentially, appearing on college campuses across the country. Now, the website is simply “Facebook,” and it not only… -
Beyond Google: Other Ways to Get Traffic to Your Website
25 Mar 2013 | 3:00 amWhen your online presence drives new prospects to your small business, how do you manage your potential deals? Close more sales and maintain strong customer relationships with the help of a simple CRM like Base. We love Google, we really do! But Google is a bit persnickety. One day they’ve got us on page 1 of the search engine results pages for great highly searched phrases and then, seemingly out of the blue, we’re nowhere to be found. Google will continually tweak its algorithms and refine its rules to try to stop people from gaining a firm foothold at the top of their organic…
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EpicLaunch
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Banks vs. Credit Unions: Opening a High Interest Savings Account
15 May 2013 | 1:44 pmAre you considering opening a new bank account? Whether it’s for personal or business, there are a lot of things to consider. Are you going to go with a traditional bank, or a credit union? What are the interest rates? There are many different options, and the details may vary depending on your area. However, there are some basics to consider. Credit Union Image via Flickr by kenteegardin Credit Unions are very localized. They are not national chains, and because of this, they may not be able to offer you the same incentives that larger banks can. Credit Unions, however, are known for… -
Pitfalls Start-Ups Need To Avoid
30 Apr 2013 | 8:00 amThe U.S economy is driven by start-ups. They play a vital role in the net job creation. However, INC. magazine reports 33 percent of all the new businesses face failure within the first 6 months of operation. 50 percent go on to fail after 2 years, while 75 percent see the wrath after three years. So what are the pitfalls that startups need to avoid in the first 6 months? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest mistakes that startups need to carter to, and the dangers of not avoiding these holes; 1. Poor management Even though Bachelors or Master degree in Business Administration… -
Boost your start-up creativity with yoga
26 Apr 2013 | 3:59 amAre you lacking creativity? Sluggish after lunch? Complaining of stiff necks or tight lower backs? If so, you might want to do yourself a favor—bring yoga into your life. Yoga will let you stretch and lengthen your muscles, brains included. Start or end the day, or maybe take a lunch break, with yoga. Plan a fun day and kick it off with yoga. Organize a day of learning with workshops with yoga at the center. Studies show that yoga in the workplace brings the following benefits: increases creativity and efficiency promotes team work, camaraderie and supportive employee interaction provides… -
5 Important Things Startups Must Do To Keep Business and Personal Finances Separate
22 Apr 2013 | 9:00 amWhen you own a startup or small business, it can be tempting to combine the money the business makes with your personal money. It is crucial that you not do this. Keeping business and personal finances separate is important for tax purposes, as well as for keeping the business financially secure. So, what are some things you can do to keep your personal and business finances separate? Have Multiple Bank Accounts Image via Flickr by kenteegardin Never, ever combine your household money and the money from your business in one bank account. You need to ensure that you keep separate accounts. -
The Still-Not-Forgotten Art of Complaining About Your Business
15 Apr 2013 | 9:00 amIf you’re like me then you probably don’t even feel like reading this post. I mean, I bet that 90% of people (myself included) see themselves as those who know better or those who don’t do silly things like complaining about their current situation. But on the contrary, we all have the tendency to do that. And when I give it a closer look, unfortunately, I do too. So before you stop reading simply because this is one of the more ridiculous introductions you’ve ever seen, let me tell you what I exactly mean by complaining. First of all, there’s not going to be any…
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Successwise
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Skyrocket Your Sales And Destroy Your Competitors With “The Risk Reversal Strategy”
14 May 2013 | 7:20 amIt’s natural to always try and present your business in the most favourable light possible when marketing yourself. However this often leads to one of the most common marketing blunders – discussing only the positive aspects of doing business with you. Avoiding the elephant in the room – the risks associated with buying from you, is a rookie mistake. The Fearful Amygdala The amygdala is the fear part of our brain. It governs our reactions to events that are important for our survival and it stimulates fear to warn us of imminent danger. If you’re being followed at… -
Target The Pain
14 Apr 2013 | 7:42 amYou’ve got a splitting headache. You open your medicine cabinet and start rifling through your museum of half used tablets, creams and vitamins only to realise you’re totally out of pain relief medication. So you rush down to your local pharmacy in the hope of getting the tablet that’s going to give you the relief you so desperately need. Do you worry about the price? Does it even enter your mind to shop around and see if you can buy the same product cheaper at another pharmacy? Unlikely. You’re in pain and you need immediate relief. In fact even if the tablets were… -
How To Name Your Product, Service or Business
7 Apr 2013 | 7:09 amI’ve had “the naming discussion” with entrepreneurs many times. It usually goes like this – I’ll be asked for my opinion on a new name or several variations thereof for a new product, service or business venture. Then often follows an explanation of the name or names which are being considered. Title Should Equal Content Here’s my take on naming – if you need to explain the name, to me that’s an automatic fail. Title should equal content. In other words if the name doesn’t make it automatically obvious what the product, service or business… -
How To Get More Customers To Buy From You, More Easily Than You Ever Thought Possible (With “The Visible Target Technique”)
24 Feb 2013 | 6:09 amI passed high school mathematics, not because I understood any of it, but because my uncle kindly tutored me long enough and often enough to help me pass the final exam. Uncle Abe had a frequently used catch phrase to indicate there was a better way of doing something, “You’re not wrong but that doesn’t mean you’re right”. That’s exactly the phrase I would use to describe what most small to medium businesses do with their marketing. Treating Your Advertising Like An Investment How you invest your money affects your financial success. At this point… -
Why Joint Ventures and Affiliate Marketing Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy
17 Feb 2013 | 6:52 amIf you’re like many savvy business owners, you’ve invested in various forms of marketing. Depending on your target market this could be print, direct mail, social media or search engine marketing. However it’s common for business owners to overlook less conventional strategies such as affiliate marketing and joint ventures. This can be a great strategy for broadening exposure to new audiences and boosting revenue with very low cost and risk. Affiliate Marketing At its core, affiliate marketing simply means paying another company for its promotional services and/or…
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Zylun Outsourcing
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Flash: Does Your Site Need It?
13 May 2013 | 6:01 pmAnyone who surfs the Internet has an idea of what Flash is. Almost all websites nowadays use some sort of Flash animation in their web pages, whether minor (as seen in animated banners) or extensively (in splash pages and intro sequences). Over the years, other alternative multimedia platforms like HTML5 may have cropped up, but Flash remains popular among website owners. If you’re planning on building a website with Flash, or thinking of incorporating Flash for your already existing website, here are a few things you should know about Flash. Positives Animated Sequences. You can use Flash… -
WordPress Developers: Why Hire One?
6 May 2013 | 6:01 pmWordPress is an open source content management system (CMS) that is used for creating websites and blogs. First released in 2003, WordPress is now one of the most commonly used tools for designing web templates, and manipulating and updating web pages. Due to its open source nature, it is also very flexible — developers around the world can freely enhance it, and share new and better versions through the Internet. WordPress is relatively easy to use — small enterprises around the world have tried using it on their own in order to create websites for their business. But if you’re one of… -
Is Blogging Still Relevant?
29 Apr 2013 | 6:01 pmBlogging used to be the “in” thing to do. A decade ago, a lot of blogs were created and maintained by businesses (both large and small), news media, academic institutions, celebrities, high school kids, and even your next door neighbor. However, the explosion of social networking sites and the increasing online capabilities of mobile phones have dramatically diminished the popularity of blogging. Which now begs the question — is blogging still relevant nowadays? Despite the dominance of social media, there are still people maintaining blogs and even signing up to create new ones. The… -
Magento: 6 Things You Should Know
22 Apr 2013 | 6:01 pmEver since the Internet existed, all kinds of businesses worldwide have tried to use the web as a quick and easy venue where they can sell their products. This process of selling anything online is called e-commerce. Over the years, companies have utilized programmers and various e-commerce software applications in order to successfully build an e-commerce website. One of these recent software applications is Magento. If you’re not familiar with Magento, here are 7 things that you should know: Its popularity is growing. Although it’s relatively new (it was only launched in 2008), Magento… -
ASP.NET: An Introduction
15 Apr 2013 | 6:01 pmASP.NET is a web application framework wherein programmers can develop websites, web-based software applications, and other Internet or intranet services. Its name stands for Active Server Pages and it was first developed by Microsoft in the early 2000s. ASP.NET remains a very important tool especially in the field of web development because it allows programmers to build web applications with ease — the fact that developers can make use of various languages like VB, C#, J#, and others, in ASP.NET makes it a very convenient framework for web development. Regular Internet users might take it…
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Justmeans
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Air Travel Takes On Environmental Challenges the Industry Faces
17 May 2013 | 1:39 amScientists from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued a release saying the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached the feared milestone of 400 ppm (parts per million). The last time there was this level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was three million years ago when the Arctic region was 8C (46.4 F) warmer. The scientists say more needs to be done to prevent the release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which comes mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.In the United States, electricity is the biggest source of emissions because the generation of… -
Aeroplan Members Share A Milestone: 300 Million Aeroplan Miles To Charities
17 May 2013 | 1:00 amIt started quietly seven years ago, with one web page online inviting Aeroplan loyalty program members to share their Aeroplan Miles with seven Canadian charitable partners. Seven years on, Aeroplan Members have donated more than 300 million miles to NGO's in Canada and around the world to complete their missions.Currently, Aeroplan's Beyond Miles program has 10 partner organizations and more than 400 Charitable Pooling Accounts, but the range of causes supported is also impressive. To name a few examples: high-schoolers travelling to volunteer on an international project for Free the… -
National PTA and Discovery Education Hit the Road to Fight Bullying
14 May 2013 | 11:41 pmBullying is not a new problem but it's one that has escalated and gained visibility in the last decades. It can destroy lives and cause untold misery to people who find themselves targeted by bullies. School children are the biggest victims of bullying, which results in a complex challenge to parents and education professionals.National PTA and Discovery Education have joined the efforts to prevent bullying with a series of town halls that launched last week. Besides prevention, the halls will discuss mental health assistance with students, parents, educators and other community members… -
Canadians Respond to Bangladesh Factory Collapse
13 May 2013 | 11:23 pmAs the bad news from Bangladesh continues, with the death toll from the Rana Plaza building collapses surpassing a gut-wrenching 1,000, and additional deaths in a separate factory fire last week, Canadians, from corporations to NGOs, are responding to the tragic circumstances in a variety of ways.In Canada, the building collapse has been a major media story with a big focus on national grocery retailerLoblaw Companies Limited and their low-price fashion brand Joe Fresh1. A small portion of Joe Fresh clothing was produced in the collapsed factory (the Joe Fresh brand is produced in 47… -
Canadian Retailers to Ban Sow Gestation Crates
10 May 2013 | 11:02 amSow gestation crates are one of the cruelest components of intensive animal farming. An increasing number of retailers are dropping suppliers who use them. The latest announcement related to the topic was made by the Retail Council of Canada, who said that eight of the largest Canadian supermarket chains, including Walmart Canada, Costco Canada, Metro, Loblaw, Safeway Canada, Federated Co-operatives, Sobeys and Co-op Atlantic, will move away from this method of confinement in their supply systems over the next nine years. Humane Society International/Canada and The Humane Society of the…
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Joanne Dewberry
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Instagram – going beyond snap happy posting
8 May 2013 | 2:00 amSo, you’ve got an Instagram (IG) account and probably gone a little crazy taking images and admiring those of others. And now, you’re wondering how you can use IG for your business rather than it becoming another time drain – so easy to do with Social media. Focus on QUALITY not quantity. It’s ok not [...] -
Appy making money
3 May 2013 | 3:22 amSponsored post – we were asked to write this post however the views are our own based upon the experience we have encountered using the MusicMagpie app and service. Back in January I wrote about various ways to make money from your clutter – being a family if 5 we have a lot of clutter!! [...] -
Win a copy of A HouseBeautiful Home Business
30 Apr 2013 | 12:00 amI have been sent a lovely copy of A HouseBeautiful Home Business … ironically they obviously haven’t seen my home currently sporting some sort of doodle on a bedroom door plus some lovely black shoe polish stains! The joys …. kids and beautiful homes do not mix! I have been aware of this book for [...] -
5 ways drive traffic to your blog
23 Apr 2013 | 4:25 amI finally loaded Jetpack onto my blog and I have to say its been really useful to see what keywords people search for and what old posts keep cropping up. It can be easy to just keep blogging away and not really considering why or what you want to achieve and at the same time [...] -
Infographic – 10 ways to make the most of your Facebook business page
22 Apr 2013 | 2:41 amInfographics are really popular at the moment this is probably due to the rise of pictorial social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram. This one has been designed by our friends over at BT Marketing Solutions and is a really useful flow diagram showing “10 ways to make the most of your Facebook business [...]
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SunGard Availability Services UK / Blog
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Have we reached a turning point in how businesses manage resilience?
16 May 2013 | 12:00 amWe recently announced our annual analysis of major business disruptions in the UK, which aims to give an idea of the resilience landscape and how organisations are delivering this. This year’s results were significant, with overall disruptions dropping by over a quarter (26%) in the last twelve months. And the driving factor behind this? What we’ve seen over the last year is all the hype surrounding new ways of working become a reality. Organisations have increasingly built resilience into operations through investment in cloud computing and virtualisation technologies, as well as… -
Which Cloud Service is right for you?
15 May 2013 | 2:20 amPrivate on-premise, private hosted, public or shared and hybrid. These are just some of the varieties of cloud service on the market today, all very different. Choosing the right type of cloud model is critical but how can organisations ensure they choose the right one? SunGard has created a chart which gives you an at-a-glance view of the pros and cons of each service but the most important point is that when you choose SunGard Availability Services as your cloud partner, expert cloud consultancy comes as standard. We appreciate that with a multitude of potential IT configurations,… -
Cloud Concerns – do they hold water?
14 May 2013 | 7:00 amA new white paper from SunGard Availability Services argues that the nagging concerns and misconceptions that have dogged the adoption of cloud-based infrastructure so far are unnecessarily preventing firms benefiting from the flexibility and potential cost savings afforded by cloud technology. The paper, Cloud Workload Migration: Where the Cloud-Based Service Delivery Model Makes Sense, is based on research that shows the cloud services market remains relatively immature. It is forecast to grow significantly within the next five years in terms of both subscriber numbers and value. However,… -
What drives availability?
12 May 2013 | 4:00 pmWhen it comes to the technology we rely on to do our jobs or get on with our daily lives, we are much like toddlers in one respect: we want it and we want it now! If we can’t do our online banking or our mobile phone network is down temporarily, we feel aggrieved and short-changed. Who can be bothered to wait for a slow-loading website? After all, this is an age when we become impatient waiting for the kettle to boil. As we’ve become more and more reliant on the sophisticated technology that runs our work and personal lives, customers, suppliers and employees unquestioningly… -
Flood protection – how to make sure it doesn’t sink your business
9 May 2013 | 2:58 amA Soggy Outlook 2012 was one of the wettest years on record. Over 52 inches of rainfall splashed down on Britain, despite the country experiencing a drought over the first three months. Over 8,000 homes and businesses were battered by heavy rain, storms and flash floods. UK agriculture suffered as crops were hit, and the country’s transport infrastructure was severely disrupted. More worryingly, research from the Met Office has warned that we can expect more ‘extreme’ weather events in the future, with average rainfall levels rising across Britain. Clearly 2012 was not a one…
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InfluenceOlogy « Presentation Skills Training « Business Growth Strategies
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Becoming An Advocate
10 May 2013 | 10:02 am10X Business Letter May 10th, 2013 San Diego, Ca Clear Skys 65 Degrees ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear 10X Business Builder,What is the story that your prospective clients are telling about you and your company?Do they know your story?Is it a good one?Or is it a bad one?I believe that it is our job, as influencers and leaders, to communicate our message consistently to our clients and prospective clients if we want to maximize our efforts. In this quick video you will learn 3 questions that will inspire you to become an advocate for your industry so you can acquire more clients,… -
How to Create Persuasive Chunks
8 May 2013 | 2:44 am10X Business Letter May 8th, 2013 San Diego, Ca Cloudy 57 Degrees ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear 10X Business Builder,You are invited to speak about your business to a group of prospective clients…They gave you 45 minutes and you spend a lot of time preparing your talk.It is presentation day and you're fired up. You arrive early and you wait anxiously to 'get it over with'…However, 10 minutes before your talk, the person who invited you to speak tells you:“I am sorry, but our meeting ran a little over. You only have 15 minutes to present”What do… -
The One Decision Every Successful Person Makes.
2 May 2013 | 9:13 am10X Business Letter May 2nd, 2013 San Diego, Ca Clear Sky 57 Degrees ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear 10X Business Builder,Speaking in front of people you know can be scary.Speaking in front of complete STRANGERS can be even scarier.And if you are an introvert by nature, well it can be down right paralyzing.That's how life was for Rafael Perez.Raf is a very soft spoken, shy person by nature. When he speaks you almost have to lean in to hear him. Even though he was a very reserved person, he had a big vision of what he wanted to create and knew he was going to have to step…
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Naomi Simson's Blog
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Pride & Purpose
15 May 2013 | 6:33 pmRedBallooners It’s all about the ‘Good Times’ Planning for the new financial year is upon us again. The leadership team at RedBalloon is in the midst of brainstorms and planning sessions with their teams, exploring how they each can help deliver our purpose: creating happiness by giving people more good times. Its times like this I’m so grateful for the wonderful contribution we make to peoples’ everyday lives. Be that ticking an item off their bucket list, celebrating a 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th, or simply providing an experience that gives the recipient a happy memory… -
Getting ready for Bullying Legislation
6 May 2013 | 7:46 pmAny where Any time Last week Cara Waters headed her column “Massive influx of Bullying Claims expected” Now I know her job is to get people reading with sensational headlines – however I think a more apt headline is “Be Alert Not Alarmed”. Megan [RedBalloon Employee Experience Manager] – arranged for a presentation from our workplace lawyers prior to the last RedBalloon board meeting. This is very much a part of our responsibilities as directors – and we don’t need to wait for legislation to ensure that we are doing the right thing. Like all business risks… -
Two lessons on not ‘fitting in’
29 Apr 2013 | 3:50 pmI’m always open to constructive criticism. I have had many people take it upon themselves to ‘fix me’. I have been accused of being loud, bossy, self centered, egotistical as well as many other things. The people who say these things either to me or others are most welcome to their opinions…. but really life is not perfect – and I never claimed to be perfect either. However, I know who I am, what I do and what I stand for – and in so doing I do not take it personally when people ‘have a crack at me’. In fact debate is good. If we were all the same – how dull life… -
Seven things people desire at work
15 Apr 2013 | 11:29 pmWhat makes us tick? 'Good Times' with family and friends is way up there. I started a business more than a decade ago based on ‘giving people good-times.’ Since then I have researched and read many books about happiness, well-being and what it is to be human. In essence I have been seeking the answer to the question ‘What is it that drives us?’ And I first wrote about this on LinkedIn I have learned the definitions of pleasure, contentment and joy and in so doing I have discovered that the word pleasure and desire are often hijacked by a seedier… -
Clouds level the business playing field
8 Apr 2013 | 6:36 pmI was invited a few weeks ago to attend the V8 Supercars in Launceston… in the 12 years I have now worked at RedBalloon I have seen many a car (and been in side many a V8) as they raced around the circuit…. and given that the event was in Tasmania – and my close colleague Lauren is from there…. I thought she would have an interest. I was unaware the degree to which she is a rev-head. As a guest of Microsoft Office 365 she observed how cloud-based technology has transformed the V8 business into a well-oiled machine (pardon the pun). She sent me these musings directly…
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Negotiation and the News
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The Best Way to Manage Mistakes at the Business Negotiation Table
17 May 2013 | 5:30 pmImagine that you are in a sales negotiation. As part of your services, you will create a solution for an inventory problem that your customer is having. In the middle of the negotiation, a member of your team tells you that this solution can only be implemented manually, which will drive up the cost $250,000. What do you do? Omit the solution in the next agreement draft and hope the other side forgets the whole thing. Tell the other side that you’ve made a mistake, but you will absorb the cost of the additional $250,000 since it was your mistake. Immediately notify the other side, apologize… -
Defining Value in Negotiations: K&R’s ViO™
21 Mar 2013 | 11:41 am“We’re giving you $100K of value for only $60K. This is a good deal!” How often have you heard that sales pitch? Of course, this has nothing to do with business value. Value is derived from outcomes, and a statement like the one above derives from price. Yet defining value is one of the most critical negotiation steps. The strength of your value argument is what ultimately decides your ability to establish a uniquely defensible position and command your own price. Our negotiator training stresses that without a compelling value argument, you’re vulnerable to continued… -
International Negotiation: Using the MID™ to Cut Confusion
6 Feb 2013 | 4:32 am“We must have a 10-day shipment guarantee.” “This functionality is a must.” “A price reduction is mandatory.” How often have you heard conditions like these during a negotiation? Sometimes negotiators make every request sound as if it were mandatory. But what are the real deal-breakers? K&R’s MID™ is designed to help you identify and prioritize the issues in any negotiation. Using the MID, you can separate and deal with the truly mandatory goals (or ends) while reducing conflict over issues that may not be mandatory. The MID approach makes deals easier to close. Means are… -
Negotiation in Sales: Presenting the Value Argument that Wins in Highly Competitive Conditions
25 Jan 2013 | 4:42 amWith pressure to meet earnings and revenue targets, expand new markets and make the most of every resource, today’s global sales force is the difference between success and failure. Communication and online information are leveling the playing field, creating an extremely competitive environment and shrinking margins. Even the best products are one development cycle away from being leapfrogged in the marketplace. Competing on price is the path to becoming commoditized and to being robbed of the ability to present a unique value proposition. Ultimately, it’s your sales people—and their… -
Negotiation Examples: Managing Internal Conflict
4 Jan 2013 | 4:15 amNot all books on negotiation skills cover how to handle internal dissension or conflict during important negotiations. There’s a reason we included it as the third of K&R’s Six Principles™ of Negotiation: A team divided is a costly team. Here is an example of how one of our seasoned negotiation consultants, “Hank,” handled a very difficult situation with a member of his own team before joining us at K&R. Hank’s client had put together a strong team to negotiate a deal with an Israeli company. This was one of his client’s biggest deals ever in the country; huge…
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Everyone's Blog Posts - Ms. Boss Network
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Entrepreneurship-Warren Buffet Offers Support To Women Entrepreneurs
14 May 2013 | 4:21 pmWarren Buffett Tells Men To 'Get Onboard,' Boost Women In Business - Huffington Post It's great to see that Mr. Buffett sees the importance of supporting women business owners. Entrepreneurship amongst women continues to grow and because most of the time being an entrepreneur can be tough any support given is richly appreciated. Business Insider AustraliaWarren Buffett Tells Men To 'Get Onboard,' Boost Women In BusinessHuffington PostBuffett - whose conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway was recently described as the least diverse big company in America - took to the pages of Fortu ... Watch… -
Meet Teresa Proctor The Soul Reader
13 May 2013 | 10:30 amI am happy to announce that The Ms. Boss Diaries now includes two more women besides myself. In the video below you will get a brief introduction from Teresa Proctor who is a woman owned business. She is a life coach and a soul reader. She will be sharing you journey as an entrepreneur with you and what it takes to grow her business and her brand. The is the founder and the CEO of The Radiant Key. http://feeds.feedburner.com/msboss -
Hey Are You Stuck? Well I Found A Slide Show That Could Help You
9 May 2013 | 9:20 amI am such an information junkie and I love it when I find something that I know will help someone on this network. This one is a good one because it talks about being stuck and how to get unstuck. Check out and if it helps you drop me a note in the comment section. The Plateau Effect: Why People Get Stuck...and How to Break Through from ThePlateauEffect Get unstuck today and continue to move your business forward. Until Next Time Make It A Great Day! Audrey -
Working My Plan A & My Plan B Over At Ms. Boss Headquarters
22 Apr 2013 | 5:45 pmIn this video I talk about what I have going on with Ms. Boss Media and also my run for SVP in 5Linx. I am also still working on producing the film Self-Made, so I am a little busy right now, but I know in the end all of my hard work will pay off. Check out the video. Please share your thoughts with me. Until Next Time Make It A Great Day! Audrey -
My Weekend At SVP In A Year Boot Camp
15 Apr 2013 | 9:34 pmMan I had an amazing time this past weekend. I'm a partner with 5Linx and one of my goals is to hit the position of SVP (Senior Vice President). This past weekend Double Platinum SVP Lisa Nicole Cloud along with DSVP Steve Carter and DSVP Tupac Derenoncort hosted the SVP In A Year Boot Camp and it was powerful. 5Linx is one of the best home-based businesses around. I taps into 3 major markets; Telecom, Energy and Technology. Anyone looking to earn substantial income can definitely do this with 5Linx. The video below just talks about my run for SVP. I will be sharing this…
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Midas Touch
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A positive approach to assisting the growth of business
9 May 2013 | 8:12 amIn the last few years, Budget Day has lost some of its excitement. The British public used to expect the unexpected and this feeling has largely been lost, with tax rates and changes generally being announced at the end of the previous year or even, in some cases, several years in advance. That was the case for the majority of the announcements in George Osborne’s 2013 Budget statement. There are certainly some positives to take from this Budget outside of the headlined reduction in the rate of Corporation Tax to 20% for large companies (from April 2015) and the increase in personal… -
What were the tax options for Nick D’Aloisio?
7 May 2013 | 6:07 amAn area of the technology sector that has continued to expand throughout the last few years is applications for smart phones and the related software development skills for mobile data and applications. People now leaving school will have grown up with email and mobile phones and probably barely remember what life was like before smart phones. Growing up using these gadgets means that the current school leavers have a better ability to understand what can be achieved with these technologies and are often looking to exploit their ideas by starting their own business. When people under the… -
UK INCOME TAX RATES – THE CASE FOR REDUCING THEM?
16 Apr 2013 | 9:00 amA recent survey in Accountancy Age indicated that more than half of those who participated believed that more tax would be collected if the top rate of income tax was reduced. This brings into focus the long-standing debate as to whether high rates of tax for the highest earners actually generate more revenue. Many from the political sphere would argue that they do, but that is not a unanimous view. Going back to the 1980s during the period when Geoffrey Howe and his successor, Nigel Lawson, were Chancellors, they reduced the top rate of income tax from 83% to 40%. HMRC figures show that the… -
Peer-to-peer lending an alternative funding solution
11 Apr 2013 | 1:27 amPeer-to-peer (P2P) lending has flourished as the need for alternative financial solutions has grown, particularly in the SME sector, post the 2008 financial crisis. The world’s first internet based P2P lender is the UK company ZOPA which launched in 2005 and to date has lent c £290m. ZOPA is aimed at loans for individuals, and has been followed into this space by Rate Setter and many international sites such as Prosper in the US. ThinCats, Funding Circle and Assetz are three UK sites aimed solely at business loans for amounts up to £1m+. ThinCats specialises in secured lending,… -
The problem with funding
8 Apr 2013 | 6:26 amI recently gave an interview for a research project on the problems facing SMEs looking for traditional forms of funding in the UK. In my experience, funding is more difficult the smaller you are; a fast growing company with a turnover in excess of £10M and profits of over £1M would normally have access to a variety of forms of funding. It may not be at an acceptable price in terms of equity or cash, but the funding opportunities are readily available. Smaller companies aspiring to achieve this growth face a much more daunting prospect. There is a steep change as you hit the seven…
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Latest blog entries
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25 Funny Questions to Get to Know Your Team
18 May 2013 | 7:23 amIf you want to get to know your team better, the first thing you need to do is ask them about their past, their passions, and their purpose for being there. But while that conversation will help you understand why they are on the team and what they plan to contribute, it will likely not provide details about their personality or about their unique preferences and perspectives. For deeper connections, and to paint a more accurate picture of the people you are working with and what makes them laugh, what makes them cry, and what rings their bell, you need to have a list of funny questions to… -
The Leadership Book Your Team Hopes You Will Read
2 May 2013 | 3:06 pmIt was my pleasure to read and share with you my review of Bill Treasurer’s most recent book, Leaders Open Doors. This is a radically simple read with profoundly practical ideas. From his initial story that shares how a five-year-old helped to clarify the main lesson of the book (and its title), to the many ideas that each chapter provided for reflection and suggested applications, I thoroughly enjoyed the well-organized stories and tips that he packed into less than 100 pages of text. Leaders Open Doors provides a number of powerful and real-life examples of how you, as a leader, can… -
5 Reasons You Should Subscribe to Sean’s Team Building Newsletter
24 Apr 2013 | 4:08 pmEveryone is part of a team. Whether you are in a family, attend a church, work in an office environment, are part of a project group, or participate in athletics, you are likely always looking for ideas and tips on how your team can become more productive. Sean’s Great Results Teambuilding Newsletter is a FREE bi-weekly report delivered straight to your inbox full of fun and useful content. As a leader or as a teammate, you will benefit from the tips and resources that it provides. But just in case you were curious about why you should sign up and subscribe to receive one more email –… -
35 Fun and Easy Team Appreciation Ideas
27 Mar 2013 | 2:24 pmEffective leaders are likely always seeking fun anr easy ideas that can show appreciation for their team. Everyone craves recognition, and perhaps the most impactful way to motivate your team to perform better is to reward the behaviors that you want to see repeated. This article was shared as a guest post on The Linked2Leadership Blog. Thanks to @tomschulte for sharing it with the L2L audience... You can read the entire list of 35 ideas to show appreciation for your team by clicking here to visit his blog site! I encourage you try try a few of the ideas with your team - you can never… -
In April, Ask Your Team to Reach Even Higher
9 Mar 2013 | 1:08 pmTake a few moments to humor me. Hold your right hand up in the air, and then reach as high as you can. Now notice where your right hand is. I bet you can reach higher. Don’t believe me – just try it. Extend just a little further. Stretch yourself. See? According to Hallmark, April 14th is national “Reach as High as You Can” day. But “reach as high as you can” day is only one of dozens of little known official national “days” that have gained a spot on the calendar for various reasons. And April has a number of those days that are particularly interesting…
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Hiring Tips
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Do You Have a Hiring Eye to the Future?
15 May 2013 | 11:04 amLet’s say you’ve got just the right people working for you. Every key position is filled with someone that you trust and competence abounds! Even the less key positions are filled. Now you can put all of your attention on the other areas of your business. If something comes up, if someone wants to move [...] -
Group Interviews?
5 May 2013 | 1:44 pmGroup interviews could have distinct positives and distinct negatives. -
Attitude Versus Skills, Revisited!
30 Apr 2013 | 1:10 pmWhy do so many interviews fail to assess whether a candidate will be a good fit?” -
“Your Company Needs To Be A Bit Spiky!”
25 Apr 2013 | 3:45 pmDo you need spiky people in your company? Could you use an outlier or two? Someone who is not necessarily going to toe the company line and do only what he is told to do? -
Don’t Oversell!
7 Apr 2013 | 10:02 amThere is a certain ebb and flow to the hiring process. You are selling the business to the prospective employee and she is selling herself to you. If that equation gets too one-sided, and you are spending most of the time doing the selling, then two things can happen:
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Red Fish Marketing Promotional Products Blog
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Gator Magnetic Clip
19 May 2013 | 4:53 amNote Clips are great to hold memos, photos, receipts, reminders and more. These convenient memo holders make it easy to have your notes visible as you type. A custom printed note holder or promotional memo holder is a low cost way to keep your message in prime desktop space. Gator Magnetic Clip -
Vienna Coffee Mug
16 May 2013 | 2:42 pmReach your clients and employees with the most visible desktop item in the office - promotional coffee mugs! Everyone can use a promotional mug, so with your company logo or message printed on our personalized mugs you’ll be sure to get (and keep) your brand in the public eye. Vienna Coffee Mug -
Pacific Promotional Car Mug
14 May 2013 | 3:43 pmReach your clients and employees with the most visible desktop item in the office - promotional coffee mugs! Everyone can use a promotional mug, so with your company logo or message printed on our personalized mugs you’ll be sure to get (and keep) your brand in the public eye. Pacific Promotional Car Mug -
Stainless Steel Coffee Mug
9 May 2013 | 6:14 amReach your clients and employees with the most visible desktop item in the office - promotional coffee mugs! Everyone can use a promotional mug, so with your company logo or message printed on our personalized mugs you’ll be sure to get (and keep) your brand in the public eye. Stainless Steel Coffee Mug -
Curlz Mug
8 May 2013 | 3:35 amReach your clients and employees with the most visible desktop item in the office – promotional coffee mugs! Everyone can use a promotional mug, so with your company logo or message printed on our personalized mugs you’ll be sure to get (and keep) your brand in the public eye. Curlz Mug
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EMA Blog
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What is an Underwater Mortgage?
29 Apr 2013 | 6:31 amAnytime that the amount of the mortgage is more than the current home value, it’s considered an “underwater mortgage”. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including home prices falling or repairs and necessary upgrades to the house which make it too expensive for the homeowner to fix it and sell it at a costs that exceeds the remaining mortgage. The term is developed from the concept that the homeowners might feel as though they are drowning in debt. An underwater mortgage can be a big challenge for homeowners to face, limiting their options as to what they can do with… -
Types of Mortgages and Home Loans
22 Apr 2013 | 5:49 amThere are many different types of mortgages, and it’s to your benefit to educate yourself about the various types before moving forward in the mortgage process. This article will help you to obtain a ground-level of understanding with regards to the differences. Fixed-Rate Mortgage In a fixed-rate mortgage, the interest will remain the same for a period of time (generally between 10 and 30 years). After that period, the principal is fully paid. This appeals to people who want to know exactly what their rates will be, but it only really works for those planning to keep their home for the… -
Types of Mortgage Lenders and their Advantages
19 Apr 2013 | 7:11 amThere are numerous options for mortgage lenders out there, and those new to the mortgage game might feel overwhelmed by all of the options as well as the jargon. This article will help you understand the different kinds of mortgage lenders and the benefits of working with each particular type. Direct Lenders A direct lender is an entity that creates its own loans (and there is not a distinction between lenders that use their own funds for this process and those that use borrowed funds). Mortgage bankers and portfolio lenders can fall into this category. The distinction with these direct… -
What are Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities
11 Apr 2013 | 11:52 pmWhat’s an Asset-Backed Security? These securities are generated through the process of buying and bundling loans. The different loans involved in this can include residential mortgage loans, student loans, and even commercial loans. These bonds are created from different sorts of consumer debt. The income payments coming from an asset-backed security are a pool of assets that cannot be sold on their own, and instead they are bundled. When this happens, those assets are backed by securities, and they are sold to investors. Since these are bundled, many times the different loans inside… -
Difference between a Mortgage Banker/Lender and a Mortgage Broker
25 Mar 2013 | 3:20 amGoing through the process of purchasing a home and obtaining a mortgage can introduce one to a whole new series of acronyms and terms special to the real estate industry. Without some background knowledge about these terms, it’s difficult to determine exactly who you’re working with and what you’re considering. Some of the terms that are frequently confused are mortgage banker and mortgage broker. They perform some of the same functions, and they sound similar, so some people believe the titles are interchangeable. Understanding the difference helps to contextualize the…
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Half Bridge Business Blog
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LinkedIn: Expensive And Unattractive?
18 May 2013 | 8:17 amSince the beginning of 2012 till the end of April this year, the shares of the leading professional social networking site LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD soared rising by nearly 200% as its price-earnings ratio, or P/E, climbed to nearly 1,000. Then it released its results for the first quarter of 2013 which showed strong profit growth but gave lackluster guidance which caused a 13% drop in its stock on Friday, 3rd May. The business has delivered several strong quarters in the past; therefore the markets were expecting greater things from them in the future. Despite the fall, its… -
Chesapeake's Asset Sale: A Look Inside FTS International
11 Apr 2013 | 12:04 amFrom Seeking Alpha The U.S natural gas giant Chesapeake Energy (CHK has been offloading its assets to pump up its balance sheet. The company has been struggling due to the weak natural gas pricing environment, a mounting pile of debt -- which stood at $12 billion by the end of last year -- and some serious management problems, coming largely from the former CEO Aubrey McClendon. The business's current goals are to sell assets, cut spending, reduce debt and focus on increasing production of higher margin liquids. However, the WSJ has recently reported that Chesapeake has no… -
Earnings Review: The Rise And Rise Of 3D Printing Industry
6 Apr 2013 | 12:52 pmFrom Seeking Alpha The 3D printing industry is expected to become a $6.5 billion industry by 2019, rising from just a $1.7 billion market in 2011. Research firm Gartner believes that enterprise-class printers priced below $2,000 will be available in the market from as early as 2016. The firms operating in the industry today, particularly market leaders 3D Systems Corp (DDD) and Stratasys (SSYS), will have the first mover's advantage and will reap maximum returns in the long run as the niche starts becoming more mainstream. Although there are going to be some short-term hiccups, which has now… -
Renren's Massive Loss: Investors Shouldn't Panic
12 Mar 2013 | 8:29 amFrom Seeking Alpha China's social networking giant Renren (NYSE:RENN) has recently released its quarterly results, in which its sales increased from last year due to a boost from online games. The company swung to a quarterly loss from a profit in 2011 as it increased its spending on core products but earnings topped analysts' estimates. The near term remains challenging but the company is investing heavily in its future, which will make it more competitive in the long term. The company's total net revenues have increased by 48.81% from the same quarter last year and dropped by 3.08% from the… -
Apple And Brazil's Growing Smartphone Market
7 Mar 2013 | 9:07 pmFrom Seeking Alpha Things do not seem to be working well for Apple (AAPL) in Brazil. The country's National Institute for Industrial Property has recently rejected Apple's claim to take up the iPhone name and register it. The country is looking to become the third-biggest smartphone market in the near future while Apple is one of the biggest players there. In this article, I examine Apple's case, the growing importance of Brazil's smartphone market and discuss the company's current stock, which has recently touched its 52-week lows. Apple Vs. Gradiente Apple lost the law suit to a Brazilian…
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High Street Partners' Blog
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International Operations Update: Global HR, Tax and Local In-Country News
10 May 2013 | 12:39 pmBy Lynne Harding, Senior Director, Knowledge Management International Operations Update offers at look at some key developments that are likely to affect your business and international assignees. The May edition features selected articles from HSP OverseasConnect® on a range of tax, human resources, and regulatory matters. Items of global interest this month include a discussion of the growing use of performance based incentive plans and an article on the OECD’s recent report on the average tax and social security burdens imposed on employment income in a host of locations. On the… -
Is Your University Engaging in Activities Abroad? Don’t Let These Regulatory Issues Catch You by Surprise
6 May 2013 | 2:23 pmBy Bob Lammey, HSP Senior Director Higher Education and Non-Profits In higher education, just maintaining your position in the U.S. increasingly requires the ambitious offering of research and academic opportunities for your students and faculty abroad. In the past, international activities might mean setting up a modest study abroad program for your university’s undergraduates or increasing recruitment efforts through alumni networks abroad. Now, institutions like Duke and Yale are setting up dual and joint degree programs, designed for foreign students, in places like China and Singapore. -
Business Expansion in APAC: What’s in a Name?
25 Apr 2013 | 6:55 amBy Dafydd Williams, Director of Advisory Services, APAC If your firm is eyeing global expansion, then chances are you’ve heard a lot about APAC, the Asia-Pacific region. Since the 1980s, the term has become commonplace in discussions of global business, finance, and geopolitics — and with good reason. The region encompasses much of the planet. Generally, the term refers to most of East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Oceania. And, as if that weren’t big enough, countries as far-flung as Russia, Pakistan, Chile, and Canada fall under its banner in various contexts. Why… -
Why the USA-Brazil TIEA Could be Great News for Your Plans to Expand in Brazil
12 Apr 2013 | 12:45 pmBy Christina Caamano, HSP Director of Advisory Services, Americas Last month, after stalling for six years in the Brazilian senate, the United States-Brazil Tax Information Exchange Agreement went into effect. If you’re doing business in Brazil or looking to expand there, this, on its face, is not especially exciting news. Basically, the agreement allows the two countries’ governments to share information regarding tax collection. In the short run, this will mean more government scrutiny and could cause some headaches in adjusting to the new regime. But in the long run, the agreement… -
Looking to Brazil to Expand Your Business? Keep These 5 Things in Mind
10 Apr 2013 | 12:43 pmBy Rich de la Rosa, Director, Advisory Services, Americas Brazil as an expansion target isn’t as hot as it was a little over a year ago, but it’s still a market of interest for many companies. As the country readies itself for its dual coming out to the world — hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics — many American businesses have discovered that Brazil is fertile ground in a time of stagnant growth at home: One-third of Fortune 500 companies invest directly here already. According to World Bank estimates from January, the country’s economy is expected to grow 3 percent…
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ion interactive blog
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Iron Mountain: Fueling Big Testing with Big Data
17 May 2013 | 11:40 amIn 2012, the idea of “big data” was number one on almost every marketers mind. Everyone wanted to know how much data they needed, where they could get it, and where they could put it. For this year, (and even beyond), ion is proposing a new idea, “big testing."Data is phenomenally useful to marketers, but only if they know what to do with it and how to truly learn from it- turning mere hypothesis into marketing gold. This is what testing allows for, proving out your hypothesis into actionable marketing insights. And what’s the payoff? Big experiences. These are experiences that not… -
7 Landing Page Lessons Learned (Over 7 Years)
17 May 2013 | 5:59 amThis week at Interactivity Digital Conference in Miami, Scott presented "Seven Years in Landing Pages." Seven years ago, ion launched its first prototype of a landing page management software. Back then, many asked "what is a landing page?" Today, everyone (should be) creating, testing and optimizing landing page agilely and at a rapid pace. During his talk, Scott shared seven lessons learned from his past seven years in landing pages (or post-click experiences as we like to call them). Brilliant post-click marketing is far more a function of the people wielding the tools then the… -
Targeting Low Funnel Keywords for Increased Conversion and Decreased CPC
16 May 2013 | 9:00 amIn my previous two posts, I discussed the best types of page layouts to send both high and low funnel keywords to. These were the type of layouts that provided your site visitors with the information they wanted in a format that would resonate with their state of mind. In this post, I’m going to dig deeper into targeting your low funnel keywords. Now that you know the type of page layout to utilize, it’s time to take it step further and start looking at ways to better create your content and messaging. If done properly, this is the most cost effective way to increase your conversions and… -
eHealthInsurance: Better User Experiences Through Post-click Marketing
15 May 2013 | 7:16 amAttention to big data is a breakthrough moment for marketing. Sure, data has always been present in marketing, but typically marketing has been about big ideas and big budgets. But big data? That's something new. Being data-driven means allowing data to drive marketing decisions, valuing a culture of testing (from PPC to post-click marketing) and broadly embracing experimentation. Recently, Ian Lopuch, Vice President, Search Marketing at eHealthInsurance, shared his thoughts on big testing at MediaPost's Search Insider Summit. He provided some inspirational examples of how he has… -
25 Ways to Evaluate Conversion Elements for New Testing Ideas
7 May 2013 | 12:00 pmTomorrow I will be headed out to Austin, Texas (keep weird!) where I will be giving one-on-one landing page consultations at WhichTestWon The Live Event. We are WTW award-winners and huge fans of Which Test Won here at ion, so we are super excited to spend some quality time with #awesome brand marketers at the event.During my consultations I will be walking through 25 ways to evaluate conversion elements within any landing experience — homepage, product page, landing page or mobile-optimized experience — to drive new testing ideas, hypotheses and actionable next steps for…
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The NFPT Blog
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Cross-Training to Improve Fitness and Decrease Injury
15 May 2013 | 12:49 pmAll too often people want to do only one type of exercise. Runners increase their running mileage. Cyclists bike outside and in spin class. Yoga enthusiasts practice different types of yoga. Body builders focus on strength training. And group exercise fans are loyal to their favorite instructor. While we know that the principle of specificity states that to improve at a sport we need to do more of that specific sport, there are three major benefits to changing up an exercise routine with cross-training. Decreased risk of injury from repetitive motions done over and over, day after day, week… -
Marketing with a Long-Term Strategy
13 May 2013 | 1:49 pmIn order to have your fitness business succeed for any length of time, you need some good planning. One thing that I cannot stress enough is looking at your marketings’ long-term strategy. If you plan on sticking around a long time, have your plans reflect that. One of the biggest ways to do this is to define your business goals early and thoroughly. Your business plan should reflect the goals of your business. You should have these things set up before you even start any other process of starting your fitness business. Your business plan is usually made up of business goals, which are… -
25 Reasons to Choose NFPT
10 May 2013 | 8:00 amWe’ve compiled our “25 Reasons to Choose NFPT” Facebook posts into one convenient blog for you! Hope you enjoy and make sure to leave a comment with your favorite Reason to Choose NFPT Personal Trainer Certification or even post one we don’t have on our list! National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Accredited. Its kind of a big deal Internationally Recognized. NFPT’s certification is widely accepted by the majority of fitness facilities worldwide. Make sure to thank your employers for accepting our cert! Fundamental Certification. You can’t go… -
Is Niche Training Worthwhile?
8 May 2013 | 8:46 amIn our society there are many diverse groups of people ranging in age, sex and fitness level. As fitness professionals, we learn to train each group differently based on their needs in order to increase their fitness level and to improve their function. Over the past few years, many health professionals have made a decision to solely train one specific population and develop a training niche. Specialization categories include, but are not limited to, elite athletes, seniors, pregnant women, new moms, children, sedentary first time individuals and marathon/event training. When choosing a… -
Marketing Your Personal Training Business for 25 Years
6 May 2013 | 1:22 pmIt is an entrepreneurial feat when a business survives for 25 years! NFPT has come a long way from when I first had a vision for a practical PT certification. One of the biggest things that has gotten us this far has been our marketing. Marketing is a number of different things nowadays. I wanted to give you a bunch of ways to market your personal training business so it can stick around for 25 years and beyond! Have a long term strategy Always stay with the times Need to be available online in a number of ways Become an Expert Excellent Customer Service Love what you do! In the following…
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Custom Toll Free® Blog
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7 Ways to Generate More Revenues for Your Small Business This Week
17 May 2013 | 9:04 am -
Vanity Toll Free Numbers: An Advertisement In and of Itself
16 May 2013 | 7:57 am -
Better Business, Better Branding: How Google Voice and Toll Free Numbers Connect.
14 May 2013 | 7:47 am -
The Power of Toll Free Numbers for Customer Service
10 May 2013 | 8:03 am -
The (Dangerously) High Cost of Giving Up Toll Free Services
9 May 2013 | 8:36 am
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Interviewing.com
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Editor’s Blog: Why Recruiters Have Competition as the Ultimate Stalkers
17 May 2013 | 5:00 amIn Today’s Job Market Stalking is a Two-Way Street I often joke with my friends that recruiters, sourcers, and headhunters are the ultimate stalkers. For years we have developed expert ways of uncovering information on passive and active candidates, some we were looking for and some we just happen to stumble upon unwittingly. From old [...] -
The ” What Do You Find Motivating? ” Interview Question
16 May 2013 | 5:00 amAs more and more companies begin to shift their focus on identifying the right attitude and cultural fit for the job alongside appropriate skill sets, a common interview question is being brought up more frequently during job interviews: What do you find motivating on the job? As with most interview questions, there can be many [...] -
Product Review: Wowzer
15 May 2013 | 5:00 amWith many video interviewing platforms on the market today, Wowzer is a company that stands out by trying to stay true to its name and give users something to say ‘wow’ about during their experience with the platform. Wowzer comes to the market with two main offerings: Wowzer Live video interviews and recorded video interviews. [...] -
The Complete Guide to Interviewing for a Home Office Job
14 May 2013 | 7:11 amTo be able to ace an interview for a remote a.k.a. work from home position, as a job seeker it’s recommended that you take a different approach to the interviewing process when compared with applying for an in-office position. The reason for the change is strategy is primarily due to the thought processes, concerns and [...] -
Editor’s Blog: Adjusting our Attitudes and Thanking Mom
10 May 2013 | 11:23 amThis week I’ve had more than the average number of people reaching out to me for advice. I attribute this to a number of things: warmer weather and people coming out of hibernation, May grads looking to enter the workforce, and the inevitable frustration of job seekers with the job search that leads people to my inbox [...]
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Career Secrets
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Career in Singapore, Useful Guidelines
18 May 2013 | 10:59 amSingapore is a small state but its ability to give career opportunities is astonishing. Most of the careers in Singapore are in the industry and service areas. The strategic location, low bribery rate and expert work force make this country the top destination of more than 8,000 international companies from the United States, Europe and Japan. In addition, you can also find approximately 1,000 companies from China and 800 companies from India. Singapore has been victorious in a number of financial areas. Although a reduction of -0.9 percent happened in 2009, it was capable to make progress… -
Photography-Make Money from Your Photographs
7 May 2013 | 12:06 amPhotography is an art and a profitable way of making money from your photographs as well. As a blogger, I’m asked one question over and over again. How do we make money online and specially from photography? I would say almost everyone I know owns a camera in one shape or another, but only a small number of them have found a method to turn an income from their expertise in photography. I have shared a post that how can you Make Money by Selling Your Photographs. Today we are going to discuss some more sites and ideas to make handsome amount from photography. Shoot and Sell Stock… -
Career Secrets-Best Careers in Today’s World
1 May 2013 | 10:00 amCareer choice is an important step and if you are familiar about what types of careers will be sticking around in the future and those that are losing momentum is something important to keep up with. This will not only let persons know which companies are employing, but it will help those also who are going to start their career after their college education. Here we will discuss some best careers you can adopt in your future. Career as Physician Assistant Physician assistants are the important members for a physician. In a survey it was highlighted that the need of physician assistants is… -
Job Interview–How to Answer the Tricky Question
28 Apr 2013 | 7:00 pmJob Interview is the key factor when you are trying to find career after your college education. One may come across a lot of questions when going to a job interview that can actually serve as traps. There are many things to think about while going to job interviews. The manners by which you answer the questions as well as the contents of your answer are points which may be used for or against you, depending on how you do. One of the trickiest questions to be encountered, however, is the question which asks you about what your greatest flaw is. Job Interview-Never use word weakness You have… -
Career Secrets-6 Ways to Pinpoint the Perfect Career
26 Apr 2013 | 11:08 pmCareer decision making is difficult sometime and there are many stages come in your career when you get embarrassed because of so many reasons. At that time you are unable to make the correct decision about your career. If you’re feeling stuck yourself, then here are 6 ways to pinpoint the ideal career for yourself. Follow these career building guidelines to learn how to avoid mistakes in your career and make you life comfortable. Career Assessment Test You can find a number of sites online where you can take a test for career assessment for a small fee. I have taken this type of…
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Half Bridge Business Blog
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LinkedIn: Expensive And Unattractive?
18 May 2013 | 8:17 amSince the beginning of 2012 till the end of April this year, the shares of the leading professional social networking site LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD soared rising by nearly 200% as its price-earnings ratio, or P/E, climbed to nearly 1,000. Then it released its results for the first quarter of 2013 which showed strong profit growth but gave lackluster guidance which caused a 13% drop in its stock on Friday, 3rd May. The business has delivered several strong quarters in the past; therefore the markets were expecting greater things from them in the future. Despite the fall, its… -
Chesapeake's Asset Sale: A Look Inside FTS International
11 Apr 2013 | 12:04 amFrom Seeking Alpha The U.S natural gas giant Chesapeake Energy (CHK has been offloading its assets to pump up its balance sheet. The company has been struggling due to the weak natural gas pricing environment, a mounting pile of debt -- which stood at $12 billion by the end of last year -- and some serious management problems, coming largely from the former CEO Aubrey McClendon. The business's current goals are to sell assets, cut spending, reduce debt and focus on increasing production of higher margin liquids. However, the WSJ has recently reported that Chesapeake has no… -
Earnings Review: The Rise And Rise Of 3D Printing Industry
6 Apr 2013 | 12:52 pmFrom Seeking Alpha The 3D printing industry is expected to become a $6.5 billion industry by 2019, rising from just a $1.7 billion market in 2011. Research firm Gartner believes that enterprise-class printers priced below $2,000 will be available in the market from as early as 2016. The firms operating in the industry today, particularly market leaders 3D Systems Corp (DDD) and Stratasys (SSYS), will have the first mover's advantage and will reap maximum returns in the long run as the niche starts becoming more mainstream. Although there are going to be some short-term hiccups, which has now… -
Renren's Massive Loss: Investors Shouldn't Panic
12 Mar 2013 | 8:29 amFrom Seeking Alpha China's social networking giant Renren (NYSE:RENN) has recently released its quarterly results, in which its sales increased from last year due to a boost from online games. The company swung to a quarterly loss from a profit in 2011 as it increased its spending on core products but earnings topped analysts' estimates. The near term remains challenging but the company is investing heavily in its future, which will make it more competitive in the long term. The company's total net revenues have increased by 48.81% from the same quarter last year and dropped by 3.08% from the… -
Apple And Brazil's Growing Smartphone Market
7 Mar 2013 | 9:07 pmFrom Seeking Alpha Things do not seem to be working well for Apple (AAPL) in Brazil. The country's National Institute for Industrial Property has recently rejected Apple's claim to take up the iPhone name and register it. The country is looking to become the third-biggest smartphone market in the near future while Apple is one of the biggest players there. In this article, I examine Apple's case, the growing importance of Brazil's smartphone market and discuss the company's current stock, which has recently touched its 52-week lows. Apple Vs. Gradiente Apple lost the law suit to a Brazilian…
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Gulf Business
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UAE Economic Growth Accelerates To 4.4% In 2012
19 May 2013 | 5:52 amGood and stable oil prices over the last year were one of the most important factors, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.The post UAE Economic Growth Accelerates To 4.4% In 2012 appeared first on Gulf Business. -
Saudi Maaden Reopens Phosphate, Ammonia Plants
19 May 2013 | 3:40 amThe company's financial impact of the shut-down is initially estimated at SAR119 million.The post Saudi Maaden Reopens Phosphate, Ammonia Plants appeared first on Gulf Business. -
Review: Samsung Galaxy S4
19 May 2013 | 3:10 amDoes the latest feature-rich smartphone from Samsung live upto its hype? The post Review: Samsung Galaxy S4 appeared first on Gulf Business. -
Etihad Buys Three AD Airport Service Companies
19 May 2013 | 2:30 amThe trio, covering in-flight catering, ground handling and cargo, now fall under Etihad Airport Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of EtihadThe post Etihad Buys Three AD Airport Service Companies appeared first on Gulf Business. -
Hertz Gears Up For On Demand Services
19 May 2013 | 1:55 amFocus is currently on the US and Europe but it will come to the Middle East.The post Hertz Gears Up For On Demand Services appeared first on Gulf Business.
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entreQuest
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Did You Miss Joe’s Interview on Forbes?
26 Apr 2013 | 2:01 pmIf you didn’t see it live, you can still see Joe’s interview with Forbes contributor, Devin Thorpe. Devin and Joe discuss how Joe’s background has influenced his current business philosophies, as well as the importance he places on community involvement. Click here to watch the interview and join in the discussion by commenting below, on Twitter at @joemechlinski and @devindthorpe. To learn more about Devin, visit his website at yourmarkontheworld.com. The post Did You Miss Joe’s Interview on Forbes? appeared first on entreQuest. -
Washington: Think like an entrepreneur and go regardless
12 Apr 2013 | 9:51 amIt’s official: Our elected representatives have lost our trust—they’ve thrown up their hands and proclaimed they couldn’t find a way to prevent the sequestration. It strikes me that if our government were an entrepreneur, it would be out of business. Congress would be just another statistic among the many businesses that fail to gain the market’s trust, fail to survive. In some ways, the dysfunction and brokenness we see in our nation’s capital mirror the problems that plague companies; by the same token, we can find lessons in Washington on how to do better. For reasons more… -
Go Regardless!
29 Mar 2013 | 7:02 am“Finally, a book that brings it all together. Not just ‘what to do’ but ‘how to do it’. Practical applications that became VERY useful when motivating a stagnant workforce.” – Davidn05. “…I didn’t expect to be able to get all that much out of 160 pages – but I was pleasantly surprised how many ideas I scribbled down as I ripped through this thing. Chapter 5 alone was worth the price – the “25 Reasons Why” exercise is something every business owner and every employee should go through to realign the internal compass.” … -
Grow Regardless interview with Kathleen Hays and Vonnie Quinn on Bloomberg Radio
25 Mar 2013 | 5:13 amDid you miss my interview on Bloomberg Radio’s The Hays Advantage with Kathleen Hays and Vonnie Quinn? Listen to it here: Joe Mechlinski is the bestselling author of Grow Regardless, CEO of entreQuest, and has partnered with countless leaders to effectively improve their team’s performance, their clients’ experience, and their company’s profits. The post Grow Regardless interview with Kathleen Hays and Vonnie Quinn on Bloomberg Radio appeared first on entreQuest. -
Baltimore’s entreQuest Promotes Partner Misti Aaronson to EVP
22 Mar 2013 | 9:13 amentreQuest, a consulting firm focused on business transformation and development, announces the promotion of Senior Vice President of Operations & Partner Misti Aaronson to Executive Vice President. Aaronson will take on an expanded role and responsibilities, with more emphasis on business development and strategic partnership opportunities. “Misti’s value, impact, and contribution to our organization have been immense,” Chief Executive Officer Joe Mechlinski said. “We are really excited and confident that Misti will excel in her new role.” A recent honors graduate of the…
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Smart Business Revolution - Your Resource for Savvy Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
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New Free Ebook: “10 Ways You Can Use Political Strategies and Tactics In Your Business”
6 May 2013 | 4:52 pmIn The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell made a very unorthodox comparison – drawing the connection between the spread of sexually transmitted disease in inner city Baltimore and the dramatic resurgence of the Hush Puppies shoe brand. It sounds rather odd. What do the spread of venereal disease and an unexpected and sudden business turnaround have to do with one another? It turns out they have a lot in common. New Yorker writer Gladwell produced a wonderful, practical and engaging read which leaves you engrossed, or at least not questioning the wisdom of making such an unusual… -
SBR021: How Ken Canion Created a Professional Speaking Business and Got on Reality TV
5 May 2013 | 11:13 pmKen Canion had it all before he lost it all. As one of the co-founders of 1980s-era business Black Art Gear, a business that featured African American art on watches, clocks, and other products, he achieved stunning early success. His company was profiled in national media publications and he appeared on TV frequently. After the company took off, the partners started having friction. Disputes between the partners ultimately led to the company’s failure. Ken was left with nothing and had to reinvent his career, which ultimately led to him becoming a professional speaker and appearing on… -
Reader Q&A: Should I Form a LLC or the Business First?
2 May 2013 | 11:17 amTime for another edition of Reader Q&A! If you have a question for me, feel free to send in your questions. I love hearing from you. I recently received a question from Kevin C. in Oregon, who wanted to know: “Would it be better to begin with an LLC when starting your business rather than starting your business and trying to form an LLC later?” Answer: This is a real “chicken or the egg” question – which should come first? The LLC? Or the business? First let me tell you what most stuffy lawyers would say. They’d say you should absolutely form the LLC first. -
How to Use the Best Political Strategies and Tactics in Business
26 Apr 2013 | 5:30 pmNOTE: This post outlines the ideas behind a book I am beginning to write on how political strategies and tactics can and are being used by the business world. The book would be like The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, except instead of using the spread of venereal disease as a metaphor for business, it would use politics (draw your own conclusions about similarities between the two). I would love to hear your feedback, thoughts & suggestions in the comments at the bottom. In the fall of 1979, Jimmy Carter was in trouble. Inflation was in the double digits. Interest rates were through… -
SBR020: How Pete Sveen Created 6+ Businesses Before Age 30
18 Apr 2013 | 4:15 amI usually bristle when someone calls him or herself a “serial entrepreneur.” More often than not, it’s really just someone who has jumped around from one unprofitable product to another, trying to find a win. That’s not “serial entrepreneurship.” Being a serial entrepreneur means starting different companies, not different products or services. Someone who has started multiple companies which exist wholly on their own and would survive without its owner can call him or herself a serial entrepreneur. I would put Pete Sveen in the latter category. Even…
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Project Exponential
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The anti-resume
16 May 2013 | 4:05 amI hope one day you realize you don’t need a resume. The kind of people you want to work with don’t want to see your list of interests and accolades. They don’t care about your work history, what schools you’ve attended, what awards you’ve won. They want to know what work you’ve put into the world, what you’ve left behind, where you’re going. The best work stands for itself. Your resume is the communities that miss you after you’ve left, the imprint you leave behind. The relationships you’ve forged, the lives you’ve touched, and… -
Do you have enough time — or are you afraid?
14 May 2013 | 3:55 amI don’t have enough time is a complaint heard in corporate settings, co-working spaces, home offices, and everything in-between. Since you won’t be getting more hours in your day, make sure you’re making the most out of what you have. 1. Cut out nonessentials. Track your activities throughout the day. Are you spending hours dawdling at the local coffee shop? Could you check Facebook less? Do you say “yes” when you could be saying “no”? Are you accepting tasks that could easily be delegated? 2. Streamline. Become more efficient in your day-to-day… -
What do you want?
9 May 2013 | 4:00 amMy manual for daily adventure is one of the more popular posts I’ve written on this blog. People are looking for excitement. They’re looking to add spice and variety to their lives. Sometimes it’s so easy to get stuck in a holding pattern that it feels like it’s too late to get out. Today, I want to encourage you to carve out time for yourself. Set aside the “shoulds” and “musts” and deadlines and pressing calendar invites. Give yourself the space to ask the following question: “What do I want?” I’m serious. Get honest with… -
12 questions to turn small talk into real talk
7 May 2013 | 3:55 amSo much of getting to know someone is about asking the right questions (and really listening to the answer). If you’re feeling stumped on how to get beyond weather, kids, and menu options, use these prompts to guide you towards stuff that really matters. I’ve separated them into three categories to help you identify which questions to ask depending on situation and individual: Passion - For individuals you admire and want to model your own life after; figure out what gets someone going, what moves them, brightens their day, fuels their dreams, inspires their work. Personal – For… -
5 steps to great team dynamics
2 May 2013 | 3:55 amSet up a ping pong table and buy as many board games as you like — positive rapport doesn’t happen overnight. Employees naturally travel through phases of exploration, challenge, acceptance, and performance. Recognize that all teams move through stages of development, and some individuals require more time to assert their skills and integrate into preexisting units. 1. Encourage interdepartmental collaboration. The opportunity to work together can significantly contribute to an employee’s ability to relate to others and feel a sense of loyalty to their team. Introduce…
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Crisis Insights Blog
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An Apple a Day Keeps the Spin Doctor Away
13 May 2013 | 11:00 pmIt’s difficult for many to understand that the way that you communicate during a crisis is just as, if not more, important than what you’re actually saying. When you speak like a genuine person, then your audience will typically be receptive to your messaging, whereas if your communication sounds shady, even a full admission of fault will be viewed with suspicion. In a recent blog post, crisis and reputation management pro Chris Syme discussed three messaging styles that should be avoided at all costs in a crisis, including one that epitomizes the cringe-inducing term,… -
Strengthening Airport Operational Effectiveness
6 May 2013 | 11:00 pmAn excellent article in the International Airport Review details how Birmingham Airport’s new control facility is strengthening the airport’s operational effectiveness. The 3 million dollar Airport Control Centre (ACC) merges the facility’s previous five control centers into one state-of-the-art facility. It plays a multi-functional role to manage the apron, terminal, engineering and security control functions at the airport and to create better communication and processes using the latest technology. The ACC is a 24-hour operation, overseen daily by an Airport Manager and a… -
Build a Shield against Cyber Threats
29 Apr 2013 | 11:01 pmIf you've been watching the headlines for the past several months, you've had a series of major reminders about the importance of cyber security. From the Twitter hackings of Burger King and Jeep, to the NY Times' announcement that hackers gained and held access to its systems for several months, to the big one—a report from computer security firm Mandiant. The report details the actions of an aggressive group of hackers that appear to be connected to a foreign government that's been stealing data and infiltrating systems across the U.S. for years. Besides obvious steps like running… -
Domestic Terrorism and Your Business
22 Apr 2013 | 11:00 pmPhoto credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder The Boston Marathon bombing last week was a grim reminder for many that terrorism can strike within our borders. Should we live in fear? Certainly not. Should we be prepared? Absolutely. "Any public event of that magnitude is very difficult to secure," said Lou Marciani, director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. "There's no perimeter control, there's no access control, there's nothing." You simply can't guarantee that you'll spot every attack before it happens. -
When Share Price Puts a Value on Brand Reputation
15 Apr 2013 | 11:00 pmShare price might not be everything – but for many organizations, it's far ahead of whatever is coming in second. Yet research across American companies shows many decision-makers don't seem to be focused on branding issues and threats and the impact those threats can have on reputation and share value. Polling conducted with more than 1,100 executives around the USA by Deloitte revealed that a bare 24% of the companies formally measure and report on brand value. Moreover, fewer than 22% thought it was likely that negative information about their brand would…
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strategy+business - All Updates
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The Dollar Payoff from Social Media
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amConsumers who engage with company sites visit stores more often and spend more. -
The Digital Commerce Revolution
12 May 2013 | 10:00 pmHow will the new digital commerce affect your investment priorities as a marketer, technology player, e-tailer, retailer, or media company now, and in the long term? How will the leading players, faced with an imperative to build and sustain winning digital commerce capabilities, stay relevant? Will second- or third-tier players build similar capabilities to stay competitive? Answering these and other looming questions is the focus of a new survey from Booz & Company and the Interactive Advertising Bureau. -
Can Best Buy Thwart the Grim Reaper?
12 May 2013 | 10:00 pmAs Best Buy takes a pounding in the financial markets, its leaders need to look beyond conventional solutions and reach for true strategic innovation. But is the once-dominant big box retailer up to the challenge of seeking solutions from outside its comfort zone and, indeed, from outside its own industry? Doing so may be its last hope for survival. -
Boosting Marketing's Role in New Product Development
10 May 2013 | 3:00 amApplying specialized skills tied to consumer trends is key to innovation success. -
The Gorilla of Agile Business Innovation
5 May 2013 | 10:00 pmCorning Glass Chief Technology Officer David Morse explains how the company, through speed and customer-driven research, development, and engineering, has built an $8 billion enterprise in an industry that many regard as moribund. Morse is responsible for shepherding Corning's innovative R&D practice through an era of change.
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Currency News: UK daily forex news
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GBP USD Exchange Rate Lower, GBP EUR Rate Steady
17 May 2013 | 6:00 amA light schedule of data releases in the global economy have made for limited price action in the currency markets so far today. Perhaps the major driver amongst the investment community at the moment is the ongoing situation in Syria, where evidence has emerged within the past few days that the ruling Assad regimes has apparently used chemical weapons against civilians. Although the international community is yet to confirm this as fact, the empirical evidence appears overwhelming. If the Western world does come to the conclusion that Syria’s government has used chemical weapons, then it… -
GBP CAD Exchange Rate Forecast To Rise, Outlook For GBP USD Rate Positive
17 May 2013 | 1:00 amThe fortunes of the US Dollar and conditions in America’s vast labour market have been intertwined since the Federal Reserve stated last month that it would not be calling a halt to its controversial Quantitative Easing programme until the jobs situation in the States had improved considerably. This set up means that any employment data in the US is almost guaranteed to be market-moving. Yesterday afternoon’s European session provided a prime illustration of this when the latest edition of the weekly US Initial Jobless Claims data showed at a lower than anticipated level. The publication… -
Foreign Currency Forecasts For GBP EUR Exchange Rate & Outlook For AUD, NZD & USD
16 May 2013 | 7:00 amA significantly weaker than anticipated set of US Initial Jobless Claims data, released a short time ago in the States, has triggered a renewed bout of selling pressure on the US DOLLAR, sending the Pound to US Dollar exchange rate (currency : GBP USD) up from its intraday low of 1.5193 back up to close to the 1.5300 level as New York braces itself for the opening bell. <br> <br>The US labour market figure came as a double blow to the Greenback, revealing that the number of new unemployment benefit claimants hit a higher than anticipated 360,000 last week versus analysts’… -
GBP EUR Rate Dips, GBP USD Rate Forecast To Follow Suit
16 May 2013 | 1:00 amYesterday afternoon’s session in the currency markets provided one of the most surprising headlines of the year – leading credit ratings agency Fitch announced that it had UPgraded the credit rating of long-term debt struggler Greece from CCC to B-. The development was not just good news for the Hellenic state, but also for the eurozone as a whole. The Pound euro exchange rate (currency : GBP EUR) dipped as a consequence, making a brief visit down into the 1.1700s during the latter part of yesterday’s afternoon session. <br> <br>Elsewhere, yesterday brought more bad news… -
GBP EUR Outlook Unclear As BoE Increases UK GDP Forecast
15 May 2013 | 6:00 amIt was a good news / bad news morning in the currency markets for the Pound Sterling. On the credit side, the Bank of England’s Inflation Report saw the UK’s central bank upwardly amend its growth prediction for Britain’s economy, with overall activity expected to expand by 0.5% during the three months to the end of June 2013. <br> <br>The positive forecast, which if it comes to pass, will mean that the British economy has pulled further away from recession helped the Pound. However, this encouraging headline prediction was tempered by Governor Mervyn King’s assertion that…
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The Portfolio Partnership
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Scaling – Boston Breakfast Workshop – By Ian Smith – June 5th
16 May 2013 | 7:09 pmYou are cordially invited to attend a fun breakfast briefing with me your favorite award-winning author, blogger and entrepreneur at Choate and Hall and Stewart, LLP Two International Place, 35th Floor Boston, Massachusetts Wednesday June 5, 2013 – 8.00 am to 9.30 am I will discuss the key playbooks you need to execute to scale your business. I will landscape the world of private companies and demonstrate the secret to building value for your business. Using relevant case studies, I’ll provide measured actions to help you transform your vision into a remarkable business. I… -
My Daughter’s Graduation – Two thoughts
14 May 2013 | 6:59 pmLast weekend sitting watching my daughter Emily graduate from St Joseph’s University in Philadelphia I had many thoughts going through my head but two stayed with me. One came from Dr Elizabeth A. Hagen Under Secretary for Food Safety in the current Obama administration, the Commencement speaker and the other a more general observation. Both thoughts have relevance to the entrepreneurial community. As Dr. Hagen discussed her journey after graduating from SJU in 1991 she stated something quite profound I believe. She said that one of her early mentors taught her one thing that has helped… -
When the CEO Burns Out – (or how to fix it before it happens)
9 May 2013 | 7:17 pmSir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement yesterday. At the same time the WSJ published a great article – When the CEO Burns Out. Reading about Sir Alex’s retirement and the WSJ article reminded me of the pressure and expectations placed on today’s leaders. And the pressure mounts. The article noted an uncertain economy, shareholder discontent and mounting expectations to deliver results have made the lives of chief executives more stressful. Research done by Harvard medical School claims 96% of senior leaders reported feeling burned out to some degree, with one third describing their… -
Why Scaling a Business Fails
7 May 2013 | 6:18 pmScaling a business is not the same as growing a business because there’s more to it than that. Otherwise everyone would scale! Scaling implies alignment, control, predictability, fast growth but with safety. Reasons why owners/management fail to scale Black Elk Energy grew revenue from $13m in 2008 to $340m in 2011 but in their own words: staff were doing their jobs but they weren’t measuring what they were doing, managers lacked the metrics they needed to boost the company’s efficiency and productivity. (source Inc Magazine) FM Facilities Maintenance grew revenue from… -
Presentation Tips
5 May 2013 | 7:00 pmIt’s not everyone’s cup of tea but presenting in public is an acquired skill and an essential one if you hope to influence people. So many great authors are average public speakers. So it’s not about the words, it’s about how you make the audience feel. Here are 16 quick tips worth considering: Quick Tips If you need to use a slide deck, prepare your presentation and cut the number of slides in half. Never repeat a bullet point already on the slide. Your commentary should add to the slide not repeat it. Use powerful images to change how people feel (like the one…
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OES - Organizational Effectiveness Solutions
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Does the MBA Brand Represent the Values of the MBA Student?
3 May 2013 | 11:04 amThere is a school of thought that is quickly gaining steam, which says the MBA is useless. I really enjoyed reading this particular article on the topic. Technology has enabled people all across the world, particularly with the ability to start up their own business. Apps, social media, blogs, online marketplaces and various other technologies have made it incredibly easy to create a business. Business is fast, sexy and accessible. The MBA brand seems to defy that. When people think MBA, they think corporate, they think suits, they think Finance, HR and Marketing. Traditional. -
My Guest Blog on Delivering Happiness's Site - Trading Time for Money isn't Good Enough
26 Apr 2013 | 2:17 pmMy Guest Blog on Delivering Happiness's Site - Trading Time for Money isn't Good Enough: Delivering Happiness - Everyday Happiness: Trading Time for Money isn’t Good Enough delivering happiness, book, happiness, delivering, at work, zappos, Tony Hsieh, business, corporate culture, entrepreneur Very happy to be featured! Please check it out and give me feedback. -
Improving Organizational Effectiveness with Goal Alignment
31 Mar 2013 | 10:14 amGuest blog by Sean Conrad. Goal management is about more than just annually assigning goals and reviewing employee performance. It’s about getting every employee to use and develop their talents, skills and experience to help your organization meet its overarching goals. An effective goal management program can improve organizational effective in the following ways: A systemic, organization-wide program can drive alignment across divisions, departments and geographies to circumvent silos and get the entire organization pulling in the same direction. Encourages and engages employees… -
"We juggle 5-different balls: a health ball, a family ball, a friends ball, a work ball and a..."
19 Mar 2013 | 7:18 am“We juggle 5-different balls: a health ball, a family ball, a friends ball, a work ball and a spirituality ball. Four of the five are made out of crystal. If we drop them, they will shatter. Only one ball is made out of rubber and bounces back, the work ball” - Bryan Dyson, former CEO of Coa-Cola -
Tell me about your past year, was it successful?
14 Mar 2013 | 2:17 pmI was recently having coffee with a former colleague of my mine, one that I hadn’t spoken to in about a year.I always love those meetings because suddenly you are re-capping your past year and as you listen to yourself speak you begin to realize either, A) I just wasted a year, or B) what a great year, this sounds really cool! Luckily for me, it was B and as I spoke my energy got higher and I could see her eyes lighting up at the turns of my life. It got me thinking though, why was it a successful year and how did I make it so? The fundamental ingredients were hard work,…
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Kathryn Welds | Curated Research and Commentary
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Is Optimistic View of the Future associated with Disabilities, Shorter Life Expectancy?
15 May 2013 | 9:24 amFrieder Lang Frieder Lang of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and German Institute for Economic Research and his colleagues challenged the robust, replicated finding that optimism is associated with positive health outcomes. David Weiss Lang with University of Zurich’s David Weiss and Denis Gerstorf of Humboldt-University of Berlin and German Institute for Economic Research examined data from 1993 to 2003 German Socio-Economic Panel household surveys. Denis Gerstorf The team collaborated with Gert Wagner of German Institute for Economic Research and Max Planck Institute for Human… -
Interrogative Self-Talk Trumps Self-Bolstering Pep Talks to Enhance Performance
12 May 2013 | 4:41 pmDo affirmative self-statements actually help people perform better? Joanne Wood Joanne Wood and John W. Lee of University of Waterloo with University of New Brunswick’s Wei Qi “Elaine” (Xun) Perunovic confirmed that people often use positive self-statements and believe them to be effective. However, two experiments demonstrate that the value of positive self-statements depends on the individual’s level of self-esteem. Participants with low self-esteem who repeated a positive self-statement (“I’m a lovable person”) felt worse than people who used no positive… -
What Do (Executive) Women (and Men) Want? Accenture Uncovers Priorities
8 May 2013 | 8:50 amMartha Bernays Freud-Sigmund Freud Accenture’s online survey of 4,100 business executive women and men born between 1946 and 1994 from medium to large organizations across 33 countries sought to answer the updated version of Sigmund Freud’s question: “What do women want?” Conducted in November 2012, the survey’s margin of error is +/-2 percent, with at least 100 respondents from each country, except Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden where the combined number totaled 200. It provides some answers: Women’s – and men’s top priorities in defining career success are:… -
Women’s Likeability – Competence Dilemma: Overcoming the Backlash Effect
5 May 2013 | 2:27 pmMadeline Heilman Aaron Wallen Almost a decade ago, New York University’s Madeline Heilman and colleagues Aaron Wallen, Daniella Fuchs and Melinda Tamkins, demonstrated the challenge women face when they are seen as successful in traditionally-male roles. Melinda Tamkins The team conducted three experimental studies with 242 volunteers to investigate reactions to a woman’s success in a male gender-typed job and found that when women are recognized as successful in roles dominated by men, they are less liked than equally successful men in the same fields. Tyler Okimoto Heilman extended… -
ROI of Effective Managers
1 May 2013 | 1:45 pmDilbert and Pointy-Haired Boss Inept managers cause stress, cynical posting of Dilbert cartoons, and foment incredulous recounting of unparalleled cluelessness. However, the all-too-rare effective manager delivers a creditable Return on Investment. Edward Lazear Stanford’s Edward Lazear and Kathryn Shaw collaborated with Christopher Stanton, now of of University of Utah to study the impact of nearly 2000 supervisors on more than 23,000 employees’ output productivity in a large services firm. Kathryn Shaw They found that although there is substantial variation in managerial quality, as…
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Jeremiah Stanghini's Blog
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Tying Up Loose Ends: Food for Thought and Brief Hiatus
25 Apr 2013 | 2:04 pmSince moving to the new domain (www.JeremiahStanghini.com), this has been the longest time between posts. The last post I wrote was on April 5th. The hiatus from posting will continue for a little while after this post because I’m working on the last requirements for finishing my MBA. There are about 3 weeks left until the end of exam period, so I’ve got a few papers/presentations to finish and a lot of grading of papers/exams. Whenever I open my computer I see the list of posts that I’ve been meaning to write. In an effort to “clear out some mental space,” I… -
Cutting Salary to Show Solidarity: This Isn’t Empathy
5 Apr 2013 | 10:00 amA couple of days ago, there was news indicating that President Obama was going to return 5% of his salary, which amounts to about $17,000, as a sign of solidarity with those federal workers who’ve been furloughed. In case you’re not familiar with this situation, I’ll explain a little first. In 2011, there was the debt-ceiling debacle. One of the things that came of that was the sequester. The sequester was supposed to be such drastic cuts to the federal budget meant as an incentive to make some sort of deal before the deadline. It wasn’t ever meant to happen, (at… -
Protection from Nuclear War: Look to the Cockroaches
4 Apr 2013 | 6:12 amYesterday, I saw a post from Mental Floss about whether or not cockroaches would be able to survive a nuclear war. That is, not whether or not the cockroaches would put up a fight in a nuclear war, but whether or not they would survive the radiation from a nuclear war that happened where they existed. The post cited research done by MythBusters that concluded cockroaches have a much higher tolerance for radiation. Does anyone else see an opportunity for innovation here? If I were a scientist, (aside from ethical conundrum), I might be interested in seeing how much radiation cockroaches could… -
Do Percentages Matter in a One-Time Decision?
3 Apr 2013 | 9:59 amI write a lot about decision-making. It’s clearly something that interests me. As a result, I often find myself thinking about how to make better decisions or how to help people make better decisions. That’s why I’m already up to Part 10 of that series on decision-making (and I’ve got at least 4 more to go). I’m not including today’s post as part of that series, but it serves as an interesting addendum. Meaning, it should at least give you something to think about. So, here we go! As I said, I often find myself thinking about how to optimize decisions. -
It is Important to Speak, but not More Important than it is to Listen
2 Apr 2013 | 8:55 amA couple of days ago I wrote a post about leadership and followership, the overwhelming majority of literature dedicated to leadership, and the dearth of literature dedicated to followership. When writing that post, it reminded me of the same relationship between speaking and listening. That is, how much literature do we see dedicated to speaking or communicating and how much do we see dedicated to listening? Don’t get me wrong, I think that communication is an essential part of the human experience, but dont we think that learning to listen should be equally (if not more?) important…
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Education-Navigation's Blog
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What Exactly Are We Measuring?
17 May 2013 | 12:01 pmLast week, I came upon the Wired Business Conference during some late-night channel surfing. I likely would have kept surfing yet there sat Marissa Mayer (a la Yahoo) speaking with a journalist during a sit-down interview. While I clearly tuned in midway through the conversation, it was time enough to hear at least part of a discussion about her decision to end telecommuting for employees. Yes, I know this issue has been discussed ad nauseum, but bear with me for a minute. Stating yet again that it was the right decision for Yahoo and that the response from employees has been positive… -
Snap Out Of It…
5 May 2013 | 11:38 amI love this line from the film “Moonstruck,” when Cher tells Nicholas Cage to snap out of it after he says he loves her (she is planning to marry his brother). It’s a favorite that I often use when a particular topic arises. The topic is labels and let me first say this…no one likes to be labeled anything. Labels are restrictive and create barriers. They convey things to others that are often incorrect and can be discriminatory. But…they can also open doors and create avenues that may otherwise not be available to pursue. And they also help to bring… -
Before She Knows It…
30 Apr 2013 | 11:57 amI was at Trader Joe’s yesterday picking up a few items when this woman speaking loudly came walking toward me. She was likely in her mid-60s with one of those Bluetooth contraptions in her ear … you know, the thing that often leaves people (including me) thinking that the person is talking to you when they’re actually talking to someone miles away. At first I thought this was the case when I realized she was talking to an older man walking right behind her. It took 30 seconds to size-up the situation – she was the grown daughter who had taken her father to the… -
When One Small Step Is Anything But Small
26 Apr 2013 | 3:43 pmPeople tend to believe that it’s the big things in life that have the most significance, but I don’t necessarily agree. Small things often make the greatest impact, and one group of people know exactly what I mean. If you’re the parent of a typical child, there are so many “firsts” and accomplishments that the small steps often get lost in the shuffle. Not so for parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. For these parents, life is all about watching for the smallest possible step. About knowing the minutes, days, and months of effort that went… -
And It Gets Harder As *They* Get Older
14 Apr 2013 | 5:46 pmI’m a major Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fan and their song “See The Changes” tops my list of favorites. So I hope they won’t mind that I’ve changed the word “we” to “they” because I’m talking about children. It does get harder as they get older…much harder. Ask any parent and they’ll tell you in vivid detail the age and stage that was the hardest for and with their child. Every parent knows well when the bags under their eyes deepened because of lack of sleep, worry, or worse. And for parents of children…
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Zintro Blog
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Seeking Experts To Work On FDA Projects
17 May 2013 | 11:26 amInstitutional Review Board Chairman We require an IRB Chairman expert to provide a written report (and perhaps court testimony) that specifies the obligations of a IRB Chairman when confronted with FDA clinical trial regulatory violations. This is a whistle-blower case in which the IRB Chair was wrongly fired after reporting to his Sponsor that FDA regulations were violated because a published clinical trial was conducted without an IRB-approved protocol or informed consent. The study used varying doses of testosterone in women with migraines. Those doses were adjusted by a Ukrainian doctor… -
Future In Mobile Device Technology: Mind-Control
16 May 2013 | 9:59 amSamsung formed a partnership with the University of Texas to discover a wide range of applications for the brain-computer interface technology, which will offer several new ways to communicate with our mobile devices using our brain. With the help of electroencephalography, mobile devices will have the ability to monitor brainwaves and once the signal processing quality is upgraded, users will have the option to turn on their smartphones or tablets, open applications, select songs from a chosen playlist, all by using mind-control. Zintro experts discuss how this new technology will facilitate… -
“The Zintro process is so smooth and easy”- Trish Messiter
15 May 2013 | 1:18 pmTrish Messiter, an expert in engineering management, has extensive experience in embedded software design and development, primarily focused on wireless networks and technologies. Over the years, she gained expertise in a wide range of applications including full-embedded Bluetooth stack qualification and wireless electronic asset management based upon RFID, GPS, GPRS and 3G technology. A potential client was working on the development of a complex radio frequency application and Messiter had the right knowledge of digital signal processing to help the client. “I drew on experience from… -
Medical Lasers And Their Surgical And Therapeutic Applications
14 May 2013 | 10:08 amLasers are now widely used in surgical and therapeutic clinical specialties. Although lasers were invented in the 1960s and gained some level of acceptance among ophthalmologists in the 1970s, they did not gain widespread acceptance in a broader range of clinical specialties until the late 1990s. Today, lasers are widely used in ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, oral surgery, podiatry, cancer treatment, urology and to some degree in virtually all surgical specialties. The clinical acceptance of lasers has been driven mainly by technology advances, resulting in a wider range of laser… -
How Far The Wireless Technology Can Go
13 May 2013 | 9:47 amSilicon Valley technology company, AOptix will soon be implementing its wireless fiber technology, which is capable of beaming multiple gigabits of voice and data capacity over mobile carriers’ existing networks and long distances through radio transmitters. The wireless design will be able to keep mobile phone networks running during a catastrophe such as the recent Boston Marathon bombing. Zintro experts discuss how fast corporations will adopt the high-speed wireless technology. Telecommunications professional, Mohammad Toossi points out several factors we need to take into account…
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Franchwire
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Burger King and McDonald’s Duke it Out: A Franchise News Roundup
16 May 2013 | 6:04 amA collection of franchise news from around the nation and around the world, courtesy of FranchWire. We hope you enjoy it. Breakfast Means Big Business A report from Technomic Inc’s Menu Monitor service found that breakfast sandwiches appeared 8.1 percent more often on the menus of their Top 500 limited service restaurants in the first few months of 2013. A separate study found that one-third of respondents eat a breakfast sandwich at least once per week. This popularity could be why Popeyes is opting to venture into the breakfast game – at a single location to start. … -
Why You MUST Regularly Remodel Your Franchise
15 May 2013 | 6:00 amEvery small business must occasionally make changes in order to stay relevant with their consumer, but this is especially true for franchises. At a time when consumers are still cutting back and seeking the best value, it is more important than ever for franchises to upgrade and reinvent themselves to appeal to this discriminating customer base. Unlike the average small business, as I’m sure you know, most franchise concepts will operate on a fairly strict remodel schedule. So, it’s likely your franchisor will require you to do at least a minor remodel every couple of years. Though… -
A Quick Guide to ‘The Franchise Rule’
13 May 2013 | 6:00 amThis article was written by Martina Simon, a blogging enthusiast sharing business savvy on behalf of business consulting specialists The Gap Partnership. What is it? The Franchise Rule is published by the Federal Trade Commission and outlines activities that are fraudulent or misleading within the American franchise industry. The main aim of the rule is to prevent the misselling of franchises. This is achieved by making all franchisors provide their potential franchisees with detailed information before any agreement is made. What is a franchise agreement? A franchise agreement typically… -
The Middle East Move Is On: A Franchise News Roundup
9 May 2013 | 5:24 amA collection of franchise news from around the nation and around the world, courtesy of FranchWire. We hope you enjoy it. U.S. Franchisees Finding Lucrative Market In Middle East The Middle East has not traditionally been seen as a huge growth market for franchisees, but over the last decade or so, that has changed. Dramatically. Now, U.S. franchises are striking eastward, finding that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have a seemingly boundless appetite for quick service food with an American taste. That’s thanks to growing wealth in the region and the fact that American… -
How Franchisors Can Protect Their Trademark During Negotiation for Renewal
8 May 2013 | 6:00 amThis is a FranchWire guest post from John Staro of Insuranceforfranchises.com. John does his best to help educate franchise owners on the many ways insurance can mitigate business risk. Franchise agreements have expiration dates written into the paperwork. When the agreement ends, it’s not uncommon for a franchisee to continue to operate using the registered trademark and dress of the franchiser while the two parties negotiate the terms of the new agreement. This decision making period can last for weeks, and the longer that the franchisee operates without an agreement in place, the…
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Articles from Inc.com by Gene Marks
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7 Ways Washington May Affect Small Business This Year
15 May 2013 | 10:41 amNever mind about the IRS shenanigans. Here's what you should be watching in Washington.Did you hear? The IRS targeted conservative groups that were seeking tax exempt status. Oh, puh-lease. If you're running a small business then you're used to the government being involved in your life. This is really nothing new at all.IRS shenanigans aside, there are plenty of things being done right now in D.C. that will likely affect your business and mine over the next few years. The smart business owners I know are keeping a close eye on these activities.Here's what you should be watching, too:An… -
4 Reasons Business Owners Are Not Confident About the Economy
8 May 2013 | 10:07 amTake a closer look at some of the fundamentals underlying the recent positive economic news.In its monthly "beige book" report, the Federal Reserve recently reported moderate economic growth across the country. This was backed up by gross domestic product numbers, which showed a 2.5 percent annualized growth in the first quarter--a significant improvement from the 0.4 percent annualized growth from the fourth quarter of 2012. The unemployment rate continues to tick down. Personal income and spending both increased, pending home sales reached a three-year high, new residential home sales… -
Why I Like the Sequester (Despite Flight Delays)
1 May 2013 | 3:07 pmBelieve it or not, American politicians are starting to think like business people. And that's a good thing.It's 1893. My great grandparents, after years of suffering persecution and hardships at the hands of the Cossacks in central Russia, gather all their belongings and, with no knowledge of English and fear for their lives, journey thousands of miles from their homeland to the United States. In 1933, my grandfather, suffering from the Great Depression, destitute in New York, resorts to theft in order to feed his family. By 1943, that same grandfather is drafted into the army, forced to… -
3 Leadership Tips for a Particular Kind of Entrepreneur: the Successor
24 Apr 2013 | 11:49 amNorth Korea's Kim Jong-un may be a despot, but his succession problems probably look a lot like yours.Kim Jong-un? I know how he feels. Really, I do.The young ruler of North Korea has been getting a lot of bad press. Within the last few months, Jong-un has launched test missiles, re-positioned other missiles for a potential attack on his neighbors, threatened a nuclear war with the U.S., strained ties with his chief ally China, cozied up to Iran, announced he will restart a nuclear reactor to add to the country's arsenal, made sexist taunts at South Korea's leader, and talked about more… -
What You Can Do, in the Face of the Boston Bombings
16 Apr 2013 | 7:26 amWhat happened at the Boston marathon yesterday should only remind you that violence is a fact of American life. Prepare--and be more determined than ever.Another bomb goes off in America, this time in Boston, killing three and injuring 130. So what's new? Not much. At least, not in this country. The Boston Marathon bombing is yet another in a long series of criminal incidents here. Of course, September 11th was the worst. But before that, in 1996, a bomb at the Atlanta Olympics killed two people and injured 111. In 1993, a nitrate-hydrogen gas enhanced device at the World Trade Center in New…
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Sensei Marketing
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Delta Airline’s Disposable Customers
19 May 2013 | 3:00 amSo you’ve been a loyal Delta Airlines customer for 10 years, travelling almost 300,000 miles. You’ve chosen it over other airlines even when Delta’s flight options require one- or two-stop layovers. When a competitive airline’s price was lower, you remained loyal to Delta and paid the extra fees. You’re a loyal customer. Your loyalty earned you Silver, Gold and ultimately, Platinum status. You were ushered into the airport via priority check-in lines, checked your bags for free, received free upgrades, and boarded the airplane ahead of others. You were given a… -
Has Your Distinction Gone Stale?
15 May 2013 | 2:00 amWe all nod our heads when someone talks about the need to deliver distinct, compelling value to our buyers. We just assume that our value is as distinct and compelling as it was last month, or six months ago or…. But is our value really distinct? And if it is distinct, is it compelling to our markets? All too often our distinction becomes stale. We get comfortable, resting in the laurels of our past. That’s human nature because sticking to the known is what we’re wired to do. We also tend to get stuck in the follower mode thanks to herd behaviors. We watch what our competition… -
Customer Journeys Are More Jungle Gym Than Funnel
13 May 2013 | 5:29 amHumans like things that make sense. Math. Logic. GPS Directions. Customer journeys are often represented in the same way. The sales funnel is so simple, in theory. We put the many prospects in the top, they travel willingly and orderly through the funnel, and POP! They exit into a converting customer. Bravo! But customer experience travels on, past the prospecting and sales phase and well into the relationship with the customer. And while there are many ways to map out the journey – awareness through advocacy – many still rely on thinking the experience itself is linear. It is… -
Are You A Company Or An Online Clique?
6 May 2013 | 7:19 amWhen we interact online with people that we work with and hence talk to on a regular basis, we run into a few potential pitfalls that can negatively impact customer acquisition. This is an easy problem to experience. It is natural for us to gravitate towards people we know, especially if we can share experiences and conversations from the offline, “real” world. The problem begins when our co-workers begin to dominate our online presence to the point where we begin to seem inaccessible to other people. There are few greater obstacles in the way of customer acquisition via the online… -
Are You Ignoring Your Real Customer’s Buying Behavior?
1 May 2013 | 4:47 amMy sister remembers when the “fancy” mall opened in our hometown. She and my mom would dress up to go. By the time I was ready to hang out at the mall, I trudged from one store to the next in jeans or even (oh goodness) sweat pants. After the novelty wore off, customers came as they were – on their own terms. No amount of well-polished marble could compensate for the need to rush into the mall to grab something on the way home from a babysitting gig. My “customer buying behavior” was far from fancy, even though the mall wanted me to believe otherwise. These…
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Procurement Bulletin
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What You Need to Know About Procurement and the Transportation Industry
16 May 2013 | 9:01 amImage via Flickr by LandscapeReport.com Truckers have a saying, “If you’ve got it, a trucker brought it.” To a large extent, this is true. Many finished products take several truck rides, beginning when the raw materials are brought to the supplier, then when the supplier sends parts to the manufacturer, again when the manufacturer ships the product to a distribution center, and finally when the distribution center sends the product to the retailer. So, if you’re in procurement, you need to understand how changes in the trucking industry will affect your supply lines. -
Financial Industry Falling to Meet Needs of New Graduates
15 May 2013 | 9:01 amImage via Flickr by epicharmus According to a new survey released by international research firm PwC, the financial industry needs to change its policies regarding upcoming talent or face a serious talent shortage in the years to come. The survey indicated that 55 percent of recent graduates (workers born since 1980) made compromises when they accepted jobs during the height of the recent economic recession, and many are seeking new employers or are willing to accept offers from other employers. As the job market opens back up, top financial talent will be looking for employers willing to… -
Electronics Industry Prepares Contingency Plans for Possible Korean Conflict
14 May 2013 | 9:01 amImage via Flickr by Dick Thomas Johnson As tensions build on the Korean peninsula, the electronics industry is making preparations for possible shutdowns of large-scale electronics suppliers in South Korea. In our current supply chain, halting production of parts and components in any one region of the world seriously hinders the whole industry’s ability to meet consumer demands for products. While war is not imminent, South Korea is increasingly concerned about continued nuclear testing by North Korea, and is conducting military exercises with allies in the region as a show of military… -
Fashion Retailers Step Up to Help Victims of Factory Collapse
13 May 2013 | 9:01 amImage via Flickr by constant progression On April 24, an 8-story factory just outside Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 380 workers and injuring many more. Suppliers for several fashion retailers were leasing space in the building, including Primark (a subsidiary of Associated British Foods), Loblaws, Matalan, and Bonmarche. The building was known as the Rana Plaza complex. One of Primark’s suppliers, Simple Approach, had contracted New Wave to produce garments for the fashion retailer. New Wave workers were located on the second floor of the building when it… -
U.S. Trucking Industry Experiencing Promising Growth
12 May 2013 | 9:01 amImage via Flickr by Rennett Stowe The trucking industry is always a good indicator of economic growth because home building and consumer purchasing directly affect how many tons of goods are shipped each quarter. The American Trucking Association (ATA) publishes a seasonally adjusted (SA) and non-seasonally adjusted report illustrating the amount of freight the trucking industry is shipping. According to the most recent SA report, the tonnage of freight shipped by the trucking industry has increased for four of the past five months. However, chief economist for ATA, Bob Costillo, expects this…
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Steelhenge Crisis Thinking
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Twitter – ‘The bold & the bullet dodgers’
17 May 2013 | 8:37 amBy Rosanna Moseley The first in a two-part series examining the contrasting fortunes of those who embrace Twitter in a crisis, vs those who hold it at arms length – Part 1: Organisations with an existing Twitter presence A couple of years ago, discourse surrounding corporate engagement with social media was of the opinion that, if you had made the decision to interact there was not necessarily the expectation for you to respond using Twitter during a crisis. Whilst in theory this may still be true, there have been a multitude of examples that have proved that this argument is becoming… -
Talking of Crisis Management
8 May 2013 | 4:15 amThe 2013 Crisis Management Conference takes place next week in London. There has been a very strong uptake for this inaugural event which shows that there is certainly a desire “out there” to talk more about strategic crisis management, the issues organisations face and to exchange views on managing crises better. The Conference will kick off with Dr Robert MacFarlane outlining the UK Cabinet Office view on Crisis Management and setting the wider context of why it is a key factor in any organisation’s resilience strategy. This will be followed by speakers from the BBC,… -
The need for crisis preparedness training – thoughts from the Counter Terror Expo
3 May 2013 | 11:30 amBy Claudia van den Heuvel Having just returned from the Counter-Terror Expo in Olympia at the end of April, the theme that struck a chord with me repeatedly was, no matter how technologically advanced our surveillance and security systems are, true resilience and crisis preparedness will always lie within the skill-set of the crisis management team. In a very interesting talk on human factors, Sally Turner and Julia Wilde of “User Perspective” illustrated the effect that human biases can have on the effectiveness of security surveillance. While technological ability is constantly being… -
Apple – will it prove to be a resilient company?
24 Apr 2013 | 9:03 amBy Dominic Cockram Shares in Apple have fallen 44% since their high in September last year, recording one of the most spectacular collapses in Wall Street history. Their decline has not been marked by any crisis or scandal. Rather their success has simply begun to wane and their competitors have woken up, fired up and now overtaken them some may say. Apple historically have shown many of the characteristics of a resilient company, adapting and moving with the times, leading by innovation and establishing new markets. They were a stand out success in their ability to develop the… -
The Crisis Press Conference: How? – planning and execution
18 Apr 2013 | 2:56 amBy Andy Cuerel Last month we considered the ‘why and when’ of crisis press conferences – this week we consider the ‘how’. Assuming your organisation has met the criteria for holding a crisis press conference what happens next? You will often only have a short timeframe to plan and execute the conference and there are a number of things to consider, whether logistically – physical environment, equipment etc, and delivery i.e. rules of engagement for speakers and facilitators. First let’s consider the physical environment, the requirements of which are: A…
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The Merchant Services & Business Insider
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Retail Merchant Solutions in an Improving Economy
17 May 2013 | 10:08 amRetail is finally starting to heat up thanks to our economy which if slowly eating its way back from recession. Things are on the upswing now and its time to capitalize on this by having the lowest-cost fastest check out time retail merchant services solution. Here are some of the leading solutions: PCCharge - a versatile PC based point of sale system that will allow you to have all transactions tracked in a computer and then synced with your accounting systems. Verfione VX510 - a quick processing hardware solution to accept retail payments that dramatically reduces transaction time to just… -
M&T Bank Launches Mobile for Merchants & Portfolio Manager
17 May 2013 | 9:59 amM&T Bank’s merchant services division has introduced two new merchant services solutions: 1. Mobile for Merchants 2. Portfolio Manager These solutions allow small businesses and middle market customers to better manage daily cash flow. Mobile for Merchants is nothing new to the industry: It offers a small card reader that has been designed to process credit card payments. This card reader can be plugged into any Smart Phone or Tablet. This product is very similar to Square or Choice Merchant Services PhoneSwipe – yet it is more expensive than PhoneSwipe, which is the lowest… -
Total Merchant Services Cutting 140 Jobs
22 Apr 2013 | 5:15 amZZHFTZT57D7R Sad news is hitting the merchant services industry as Total Merchant Services is cutting 140 jobs: BASALT — Four months after a top executive at Total Merchant Services said the business had no intention of leaving Basalt, the town’s largest free-market employer announced Tuesday it will pull out by May 28. The privately held company said it is consolidating its operations at its Woodland Hills, Calif., location. The firm employs 140 workers in Basalt. You can read the full Denver Post article here. -
Top 5 Tips for eCommerce Website Credit Card Sales
22 Apr 2013 | 5:10 amIf you want to maximize the amount of sales on your eCommerce website here are 5 tips to help you do that. #1. One Click Check Out – Your customers like to shop on-line for two reasons, #1 its faster than going to the store and #2 your products are so unique you can only get them online. If your products are not unique, if you want t maximize your profits and not be the low-cost provider, you want to maximize your sales by making the check out process as easy as one click. Simple allow the customer to add the product to their shopping card and then be brought directly to the final… -
Buy Retail: Retail Merchant Services
19 Apr 2013 | 2:27 pmFor years the only solutions for retail merchant services were more traditional merchant equipment solutions and PC-based systems such as: PCCharge - a PC based point of sale system t Verfione VX510 - a quick processing hardware solution Verifone VX570 - a flexible merchant services solution that includes a thermal printer Nurit 8020 - a small and most versatile payment terminal and debit card pin pad with a thermal printer Omni VX570 - a fast solution with a built-in thermal printer and ethernet connectivity Hypercom T7P - merchant equipment that delivers fast processing times and…
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Project Management Resources
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Would You Like to Make a Statement?
15 May 2013 | 7:15 amOur actions speak volumes whether we know it or not. Team members management and clients are watching us all the time and making judgments based upon our actions and speech. What kind of statements do your speech and actions make about you as a project manager? A colleague of mine made a statement that almost backfired on him; from his experience we can learn what to do as project managers to make the right statement.I had lunch a few weeks ago with a former coworker. We'll call him John. John and I haven't worked together for over 10 years but have kept in touch through email the occasional… -
Tips on People Management
14 May 2013 | 7:15 amWatch this project management training video to learn people management skills. Advice from a PM expert to help you be a better leader and project manager.2 comment(s) -
The Necessity of Early Adopters
13 May 2013 | 7:15 amThe cutting edge of technology is usually a pretty dangerous place to spend your time. It's sharp uncertain and many times results in some blood-letting. But it's also a very important place for certain members of your project team to spend their time. Find out why early adopters are important and how your next technology project can benefit from their involvement.Brett was a cool guy. His office was a treasure trove of electronic knick-knacks. Partially assembled hard drives were stacked on top of each other in the corner. Countless smooth metal objects identifiable only to the technology… -
Breaking a Control Addiction
10 May 2013 | 7:15 amI had a terrible addiction to control. It became more insidious and obvious to me as each year passed but I didn't know what to do about it. The following article sheds some light on how far I went and what I did to break free from the clutches of what was a debilitating habit.I have a confession to make. I'm a recovering control-aholic. There I finally said it. Now everybody knows! For years I hid this terrible addiction to control and I was pretty good at it too. I would blend in with everyone else in the office and smile and laugh right along with them. But deep down inside I wanted to… -
The Anatomy of a Great Client Presentation
9 May 2013 | 7:15 amProject managers are called on to do presentations all the time. Some are routine and don't require a great deal of preparation. Others are vitally important to the success of your project and need a lot of extra attention to make them wildly successful. The following are some ideas on how you can spend that extra time making sure your next important presentation hits the mark.Does your audience just hear blah blah blah when you are standing in front of them and delivering your presentation? Hopefully that's not the case. You're audience should be engaged intrigued and walk away with an…
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Frederick J. Goodall
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The challenges of working at home
16 May 2013 | 11:48 amI was working in my office one night when my 12-year-old daughter came in and sat on the floor beside my desk. I continued to work until I could no longer ignore her stare. “Hey, sweetheart,” I said. “What do you want?” “Can you play a game with me?” she asked. “Sure,” I said as I turned back to my computer. “But not now. Later.” My daughter sighed and got up to leave. As she walked away, I turned around to ask her what was wrong. “You always say later,” she said. “But later never happens.” Her words cut me to the core. At that moment, I realized that I needed to… -
Winning on Mother’s Day
6 May 2013 | 3:23 pmChoosing the right Mother’s Day gift isn’t always easy. One misstep could ruin the day for everyone. As a man who has had a mother for over 40 years and a wife for over 15 years, I’ve learned a few things about making Mother’s Day special. I shared some of my insight in a Google+ Hangout with my friends at Ask Men. The post Winning on Mother’s Day appeared first on Frederick J. Goodall. -
Revenge of the Mommy Bloggers on HuffPost Live
30 Apr 2013 | 5:33 pmIn my former career at a Fortune 500 company, I attended many professional development conferences. Because of the nature of the business, most of the attendees were men. We networked, learned, had fun, and nobody cared. At some of the more popular conferences, vendors would hold elaborate parties that would draw hundreds of attendees. The booze was free, the food was plentiful, and the entertainment was top-notch. It was a nice way to blow-off some steam and enjoy some downtime with my colleagues. In addition to the sanctioned parties, there were several unsanctioned parties. It was quite… -
Papa Knows Best: The Proud and Often Misunderstood Multicultural Dad Bloggers
29 Apr 2013 | 9:33 amEarlier this month, I spoke on a panel at Hispanicize titled, “Papa Knows Best: The Proud and Often Misunderstood Multicultural Dad Bloggers.” My fellow panelists were Lamar Tyler from Black and Married with Kids and Juan Alanis from Juan of Words. During the panel we discussed parenting, media images of fathers, and marketing to dads and dad bloggers. I’d like to thank my friend Sandra Fernandez for compiling these comments and photos from my talk: [View the story "#Hispz13 Dad Bloggers" on Storify] Hispanicize was a great event. I learned new things, enjoyed awesome… -
I’m Speaking at Hispancize in Miami
9 Apr 2013 | 6:04 pmMom bloggers get all the press, but dad bloggers are making their voices heard in the industry. With events such as Dad2.0 Summit and the National At-Home Dads Convention, dad bloggers are using their influence to shape the conversation on parenting and purchasing. I’ve written my fatherhood blog, Mocha Dad, since 2008, and I’m glad that our community is finally attracting notice. On Thursday April 11, 2013, I will speak on a panel at Hispanicize. Our topic will be: Papa Knows Best: The Proud and Often Misunderstood Multicultural Dad Bloggers. The event will be held at Eden Roc…
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Business.com Blog
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Are You Winning or Losing at Customer Experience Management?
17 May 2013 | 5:00 amHow does your business manage customer experience? Is customer experience even a priority? According to Forrester’s report, “The State of Customer Experience Management, 2013,” most businesses are failing at tracking, assessing, and managing their customers’ experience – despite knowing how important it is for their future success. Related: Track your customers with the help of our CRM and sales software providers Winning Businesses In order to win at CX, you need to put your money where your mouth is. 92% of businesses claim that customer experience is a “top strategic… -
5 Rules for the First-Time Business Traveler
16 May 2013 | 5:00 amThere usually comes a point when you need attend a convention, conference or some type of out of town meeting for the first time as a new business owner. While this is a great moment for your business, you need to be careful. Don’t make the common mistakes novice business professionals are faced with when attending their first overnight event. One wrong step can hurt your business prospects and alienate potential clients, customers, and business partners. Related: Get travel rewards with a small business credit card provider Pack Light, Pack Smart It’s important to know your schedule… -
Business Liability Insurance: Why Are Your Rates So High?
15 May 2013 | 5:00 amEvery business is different. Even businesses operating in the same industry and using the same business model can vary depending on its leadership and staff. Thanks to the infinite diversity of human beings and the unique ways in which we all go about things, there is always something to set one company apart from another. Because of this, premiums for business insurance are rarely going to take a one-size-fits-all approach – and can be just as varied as the businesses themselves. With public liability insurance, however, there are a few factors that, in general, will always affect a… -
The 10 Golden Rules For Hiring All-Star Employees
14 May 2013 | 5:00 amThe recruitment and hiring process is one of the most crucial aspects of running a successful business. Bad hiring decisions lead to poor performance and excessive employee turnover, costing you money – a lot of money – with each lost employee. The US Department of Labor estimates that the expense of losing and replacing the average employee is one-third their annual salary. For higher-level employees like managers, that number can be twice their annual salary. Meanwhile, the upside of hiring a superior employee is immeasurable. Why would you want Joe Schmoe when you could have… -
Marketing Monday: Heard it Through the Grapevine: Five Ways to Use Twitter Vine
13 May 2013 | 5:00 amReally, how much can one say in a six-second video? A lot. Twitter Vine is growing rapidly and landing its role as a staple of online marketing efforts. Numerous large brands have adopted the easy-to-use interface as a way to create mobile friendly content and are on a mission to incorporate video into their marketing strategies. While six seconds may not seem like much time, it is enough to show your fans about your brands communication and showcase your business effectively. And with the 500 million registered users on Twitter, your business can use Vine to create a genuine buzz…
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Repossession HQ
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Law changes involving car repossessions
19 May 2013 | 4:28 amMay 16, 2013: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION S5448-2013 Memo BILL NUMBER:S5448 TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to repossession of motor vehicle or motorcycle PURPOSE: To remove a bureaucratic obstacle and simplify the ability of a motor vehicle owner to redeem a motor vehicle or motorcycle which has been repossessed. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This bill amends Section 425(1) of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to change the time frame in which the repossessor of a motor vehicle must submit the license plates to DMV. It also provides an additional option for… -
Some decent news for repossession companies looking forward
15 May 2013 | 11:03 pmIt has been a while since repossessions have truly flourished like they did in the early 2000′s. I can remember the days of repossessing 2 to 3 boats a day or perhaps a large aircraft once or twice a week and getting around 30 high end skip trace jobs per week along with those. Thing is those days haven’t came around in a while and most likely will not return in this lifetime. Things are bad and anyone with any kind of true sense just knows things aren’t getting better. With that being said just as I called it last year with the influx of people to the United States, the… -
Lucky to be a repoman in the USA
7 Apr 2013 | 9:58 amI read an article this morning that in Malaysia repomen can only repossess during a certain small window of hours. A repoman cannot use a spot checker unless he is also licensed. Someone with no repo license cannot even get close to the asset. Even with all the regulations that we have due to some of the unfortunate people in this industry. We still have little in comparison to some of these heavy regulation countries. The following is the article from the Borneo Post SIBU: Repossessors resorting to strong-arm tactics or carrying out repossession outside permitted hours will have their permit… -
False reasons for decline in repossession
25 Mar 2013 | 6:00 pmI just read an article that non other then CNN wrote stating the repo business is in decline due to the growing economy. This is what they write People say, ‘Oh you guys must be doing amazing!’” Lennon said. “It’s the total opposite.” Repossession specialists, better known as “repo men,” are suffering a nationwide decline in business. There were about 1.3 million auto repossessions in 2012, down from 1.9 million at the height of the recession in 2009, according to Tom Webb, chief economist forManheim Auctions. Data from Experian… -
Local Bank Parking Lots
20 Mar 2013 | 11:36 amWhile it has always been common for people to drop of their un paid vehicles in local bank parking lots where the loans were originated. They think that because they did the loan at that particular branch that is where the car should be dropped off. Strange thing is that sometimes those cars will sit in bank parking lots for weeks at a time. Why is that? Isn’t the bank expecting the car? Several things happen in this scenario beginning with sometimes the owner will call the local branch or advise the collectors calling him that he is dropping it off at the bank. However more…
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The Economy with Albert K Lu
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Podcast: Is Bitcoin Money?
12 May 2013 | 5:30 pmTopics Robert Murphy and Rothbard’s Law Team Brittany interviews Robert Murphy Bitcoin: What is it? [...] -
Podcast: Consumers not to Blame for Bangladesh Tragedy
2 May 2013 | 10:45 pmTopics Americas Restaurant Seminar on Money, Banking & Inflation Gold underpricing results in coin shortage [...] -
Podcast: Dr. Krugman Goes to Spain – And Receives Austrian Welcome (repeat)
22 Apr 2013 | 6:37 pmTopics Dr. Krugman visits Spain, receives “Austrian” welcome Reception in NJ was not much better [...] -
Podcast: IP Showdown Disappoints
10 Apr 2013 | 7:58 pmTopics Kinsella vs. Wenzel: IP showdown turns into circus Ron Johnson’s downfall – the consumer [...] -
Podcast: Good Keynesians don’t recycle
31 Mar 2013 | 10:07 pmTopics Whole Foods brings Easter joy to Houston kids FDIC placebo effect Be a good [...]
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CPA Accountants | CPA Outsourcing | Outsource CPA Accounting - CPA Tax Accountants
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Advantages of Outsourcing bookkeeping and Accounting Services
10 May 2013 | 10:05 pmAre you currently wondering just how much profit you will get by outsourcing your accounting tasks to some company overseas and concerned about growing your benefits? Then you should preserve reading through this short article. You will find a lot of reasons for outsourcing your tasks. You might not possess the proper team of executives to complete that project or... Read more » -
How To Find Best CPA Company For Handling The Financial Aspects Of Your Business
3 May 2013 | 3:52 amA CPA Company is indeed very crucial for your business because apart from maintaining your yearly taxes, they will also help in managing the task of bookkeeping and accounting in your firm. The company not only comprises of an individual, but there are lots of professionals that are efficient in different aspects of accounting system, as well as financial planning.... Read more » -
Availing The Tax Return Preparation Services Can Be Highly Beneficial
3 May 2013 | 3:47 amTax returns are important things that you need to handle carefully and efficiently. A slight error in the preparation can further complicate the problem, and make you experience great hassles. Whether you are a business owner or an individual, tax is something that you will have to file within the specified deadlines. Therefore, tax preparation and reporting is something that... Read more » -
Importance Of CPA Accounting For Every Business
2 May 2013 | 10:27 pmIt is very important to understand that effective CPA Accounting is the key to success for any business. The business owner needs to keep a track of all the transactions and other financial activities of his business throughout the year. Without proper accounting, it will not be possible for him to understand the overall profits or losses incurred in the... Read more » -
Hire Professionals For The Accuracy Of CPA Bookkeeping
2 May 2013 | 10:11 pmMost business owners are aware of the tremendous importance of CPA Bookkeeping for their business, but they hardly realize that this is a very difficult job that cannot be managed alone. In addition to that, there are also lots of hassles in carrying out the task, and a little error can result in great problems. This is the reason why... Read more »
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ThrivingBusiness.com Inc.
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Top 10 Things You MUST Know May 19 – May 25
17 May 2013 | 3:10 pmHere are the top 10 things you MUST know the week of May 19 – May 25, 2013: 1. Sticker Can Track Things Up To A 100-Feet Away Do you ever get tired of looking for your car keys, pets, luggage, or children? Luckily for you, there is a location sticker you can get that can help you keep track of all these things. The location sticker is called the StickNFind. It is a sticker that is the size of a quarter you can track with a smartphone with Bluetooth. It also uses a CR2016 battery that lasts up to a year and is user replaceable. If you’d like to find out more about the SticknFind, click… -
Cop Tells 10-Year-Old Girl Her Chalk Is Criminal Damage
13 May 2013 | 11:02 amOh man, I’m so PISSED about this story I just read! Just the other day (On Mother’s Day no less) a cop warned a 10-year-old girl that her sidewalk hopscotch game was illegal and criminal damage. WTF!!!!???? I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to. Here’s a link to the original article. Lilly Allen, 10, was playing hopscotch outside her home in Kent, England, when she was approached by police officers that her chalk drawings on the public pavement was criminal: Lilly’s father Allen told the newspaper: “Two policemen in a car drove up to her and said it was… -
Hippies Need Not Apply
13 May 2013 | 10:41 amNot trying to offend any hippies. OK, maybe a little. But I know I’ll never be a vegetarian. I mean, really. How can you NOT love bacon???!!! There’s really only one thing better than bacon… And that’s bacon, wrapped in bacon. MMMMMMM!!! So what the hell does this have to do with anything? I don’t really know, actually. It’s early here and I haven’t had my breakfast yet. My stomach is growling and all I can think about is bacon! I’m a HUGE foodie. I just love food and it’s always gotta be the BEST. I am pretty opposed to factory… -
Eating Brains For Fun And Profit
13 May 2013 | 9:53 amOne of my old marketing friends, Matt Trainer, wrote a really great post the other day. It had an impact on me and I wanted to share it. He’s agreed to let me share it in full here. But first… —–COMMERCIAL BREAK—— We are still holding our online “yard sale”. Get all of our best-selling stuff here: How To Sell eBooks On Kindle That You Don’t Have To Write Make Money Selling iPhone Apps With No Programming Experience How To Make Money Selling Information Products How To Sell Used Books Through The World’s Largest Bookstore: Amazon.com How… -
Come To Our Yard Sale
13 May 2013 | 8:49 amHave you ever had a yard sale or at least gone to a yard sale? Every summer when I was growing up, we would spent countless hours preparing for our huge yard sale. My mother would organize this not only for our family, but also for other neighbors who lived close by to us. I would sit with her on the floor for hours and hours sifting through clothes, folding them, and unfolding them and writing our price tags. This was a critical job. I learned very early in life that pricing something too high wouldn’t make the sale. It was crucial that we sell enough clothes, toys, and other household…
