tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42199233921786097632024-03-12T20:16:29.874-07:00idealicto be thinking of many good and bad ideasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-32609995245440897372020-03-06T06:24:00.001-08:002020-03-06T06:24:20.653-08:00Pure Salon & Spa Koramangla, BangalorePure Salon & Spa Koramangla, Bangalore
Led by veteran hair stylist Pure Salon & Spa offers various services from the simple hair cut and styling for women, men, kids, and brides, to vibrant hair colours, conditioning treatments, and Brazilian blowouts. Located at the heart of Koramangla, Bangalore, the salon has been around since 2015, providing professional hair treatments in a relaxed ambience. This is definitely one of our favourite hair salons in Bangalore.
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1nwAn0-QAsl9yw70VRXUUCiemE-Pl8Nz9&hl=en" width="640" height="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-12723772966303420252012-09-08T19:28:00.002-07:002012-09-08T19:28:35.946-07:005 survival tips for entrepreneurs
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Shazi Visram has experienced success in her start-up HAPPYFAMILY, but
the road to greatness was far from smooth even though she knew her idea
for baby and toddler meals was a good one.<br />
For others who are confident in the idea of their start-up but feel
stuck in the bumps on the road, she offers five tips for making it
through in one piece and maybe even enjoying the ride.<br />
<blockquote>
<strong>1. Raising capital is a sales process</strong><br />
When HAPPYFAMILY landed a large retail contract we needed to raise
money for raw materials and production right away. We were open and
frank with our investors but not desperate. Securing money is a sales
process and the key to sales is to present benefit. We positioned this
as good news—HAPPYFAMILY was growing faster than its projections. We
also let our investors see, and share, our passion. Your enthusiasm for
your brand is infectious.<br />
<strong>2. Find creative solutions</strong><br />
HAPPYFAMILY had almost raised several million dollars of expansion
cash when the recession hit. All our money walked and we got creative to
survive. HAPPYFAMILY relies heavily on HAPPYMAMAS, our network of real
moms who conduct grassroots marketing. With capitol in short supply,
HAPPYMAMAS, the mainstay of our branding, was on the chopping block.
Instead, we joined with Stonyfield Farm’s YoBaby brand, allowing them
access to our HAPPYMAMAS in exchange for their help subsidizing the
program. Finding a creative solution not only preserved our
community-based marketing, it brought us new customers through YoBaby
and a corporate partner with whom we share a common mission.<br />
</blockquote>
Full story at <a href="http://www.inc.com/shazi-visram/5-tips-to-surviving-a-start-up.html" target="_blank">Inc.</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-56138773004231531122010-11-10T05:55:00.001-08:002010-11-10T05:55:44.337-08:00Top 10 women entrepreneurs<img height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/CbEBzfpoogEfugFvHbqgGAwqhmGxGIgEfhBqqdmxlwADemkFDDAEGgnJHsid/media_httpuploadwikim_Blcou.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="420" /> <br />
Million-dollar ideas are few and far between. In fact, it's seldom so simple, coming up with the big idea or scoring the big break or simply deciding you've got what it takes. More often, it's a study in perseverance, creativity, self-confidence and, every now and then, putting a little frustration to good use.<br />
Here, 10 women who started small and made it big, creating media empires, international beauty conglomerates or companies that Harvard Business School now uses as efficiency case studies.<br />
<ul><li><strong>Anita Roddick -- The Body Shop:</strong> Roddick began with a tiny store in Brighton, England. Today, there are almost 2,000 Body Shops with 80 million customers speaking 25 different languages worldwide.</li>
<li><strong>Debbi Fields -- Mrs. Fields Cookies:</strong> In 1977, Mrs. Fields' Chocolate Chippery in Palo Alto, Calif., was about to go its first day without a sale when she started handing her product out for free on the sidewalk, and the rest is history.</li>
<li><strong>Oprah Winfrey -- Harpo Productions:</strong> Number one on our list for obvious reasons. Successful actress, activist, broadcaster, producer, media mogul and all-around star, Oprah takes the entrepreneurial Gold.</li>
</ul>Full list at <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Ftlc.howstuffworks.com%2Ffamily%2F10-women-entrepreneurs.htm%23mkcpgn%3Dkaw1&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vdGxjLmhvd3N0dWZmd29ya3MuY29tL2ZhbWlseS8xMC13b21lbi1lbnRyZXByZW5ldXJzLmh0bSNta2NwZ249a2F3MSIsICJ0b2tlbiI6ICI5YTMwMjUxMDMxMThkMGNmYjNmNzc4MzI4ZjE0MGNjYiIsICJkaXN0aW5jdF9pZCI6ICIzNDE5MCIsICJidWNrZXQiOiAiRW1haWw6IG15c3Vic19lbWFpbCJ9fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">HowStuffWorks.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-21922613936978104382010-10-28T05:39:00.001-07:002010-10-28T05:39:47.808-07:0011 winning female entrepreneurs<img height="266" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/FrDcbgDtAknengdpkdhGsGzJaJsdsujcBcDiADsItBdueAGFECrleBspraJm/media_httpdldropboxco_yHrxa.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> <br />
Rock on, ladies. Although 40 percent of women own US businesses, they receive only 5 percent of equity capital investments. In response to the mix-match, Ernst & Young LLP recognizes female entrepreneurs with its 2010 Entrepreneurial Winning Women competition, a leadership program aiming to grow businesses founded by women entrepreneur. Winners are chosen by a panel of independent judges.<br />
Who made the list this year?<br />
<blockquote> <ul><li>Lisa Bair| The Hobart Group</li>
<li>Ali Brown | Ali International LLC</li>
<li>Amy Gonzales and Kelly Caldwell | AK Environmental</li>
<li>CPT (Retired) Dawn Halfaker | Halfaker and Associates, LLC</li>
<li>Lili Hall | KNOCK inc.</li>
<li>Jessica Herrin | Stella & Dot</li>
<li>Barbara Levine | Exam Coordinators Network</li>
<li>Elisabete Miranda | Translation Plus</li>
<li>Darlene Panzitta | DSP Clinical Research</li>
<li>Susan P. Rice | Cavanagh Services Group, Inc.</li>
</ul></blockquote>Full story at <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ey.com%2FUS%2Fen%2FNewsroom%2FNews-releases%2FErnst-and-Young-LLP-announces-11-national-winners-of-2010-Entrepreneurial-Winning-Women-program&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmV5LmNvbS9VUy9lbi9OZXdzcm9vbS9OZXdzLXJlbGVhc2VzL0VybnN0LWFuZC1Zb3VuZy1MTFAtYW5ub3VuY2VzLTExLW5hdGlvbmFsLXdpbm5lcnMtb2YtMjAxMC1FbnRyZXByZW5ldXJpYWwtV2lubmluZy1Xb21lbi1wcm9ncmFtIiwgInRva2VuIjogIjlhMzAyNTEwMzExOGQwY2ZiM2Y3NzgzMjhmMTQwY2NiIiwgImRpc3RpbmN0X2lkIjogIjM0MTkwIiwgImJ1Y2tldCI6ICJFbWFpbDogbXlzdWJzX2VtYWlsIn19" target="_blank">ey.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-44395678876420468392010-10-25T21:48:00.003-07:002010-10-25T21:48:34.527-07:00Top 10 strategic technologies for 2011<img height="306" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/fnirbywFvnnzornGsxnjfmubqwCljkqdehivqAAGcIlfbFJuGgmjlzdpAwai/media_httpdldropboxco_CiFup.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="450" /> <br />
Gartner Technologies announced its top 10 strategic technologies for the coming year. The Connecticut-based IT research and advice company built its list by seeking technologies that could significantly impact enterprise within three years. This meant trends with “a high potential for disruption to IT or the business, the need for a major dollar investment, or the risk of being late to adopt,” according to a company press release. What made the top 10?<br />
<blockquote> <ul><li>Cloud computing</li>
<li>Mobile Applications and Media Tablets</li>
<li>Social Communications and Collaboration (social networking, social collaboration, social publishing, and social feedback)</li>
<li>Video</li>
<li>Next generation analytics</li>
<li>Social analytics</li>
<li>Context-aware computing</li>
<li>Storage class memory</li>
<li>Ubiquitous computing</li>
<li>Fabric-based infrastructure and computers</li>
</ul></blockquote>Full story at <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gartner.com%2Fit%2Fpage.jsp%3Fid%3D1454221&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmdhcnRuZXIuY29tL2l0L3BhZ2UuanNwIiwgInRva2VuIjogIjlhMzAyNTEwMzExOGQwY2ZiM2Y3NzgzMjhmMTQwY2NiIiwgImRpc3RpbmN0X2lkIjogIjM0MTkwIiwgImJ1Y2tldCI6ICJFbWFpbDogbXlzdWJzX2VtYWlsIn19" target="_blank">Gartner.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-43903182197212655082010-10-25T21:48:00.001-07:002010-10-25T21:48:18.146-07:008 effective mind mapping tools for brainstorming<img height="300" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/raFapCevlzdwJfqCcFzcEAAprFJhejJHIJDcavvbjiyczukqDqIdDjwdBIxm/media_httpdldropboxco_ysird.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> <br />
Just when you’re aching for a light-bulb moment, Dumb Little Man curates a list of the eight best mind mapping tools for brainstorming. The list includes:<br />
<blockquote> <ul><li><a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xmind.net%2F&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnhtaW5kLm5ldC8iLCAidG9rZW4iOiAiOWEzMDI1MTAzMTE4ZDBjZmIzZjc3ODMyOGYxNDBjY2IiLCAiZGlzdGluY3RfaWQiOiAiMzQxOTAiLCAiYnVja2V0IjogIkVtYWlsOiBteXN1YnNfZW1haWwifX0%3D" target="_blank">Xmind</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Ffreemind.sourceforge.net%2Fwiki%2Findex.php%2FMain_Page&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vZnJlZW1pbmQuc291cmNlZm9yZ2UubmV0L3dpa2kvaW5kZXgucGhwL01haW5fUGFnZSIsICJ0b2tlbiI6ICI5YTMwMjUxMDMxMThkMGNmYjNmNzc4MzI4ZjE0MGNjYiIsICJkaXN0aW5jdF9pZCI6ICIzNDE5MCIsICJidWNrZXQiOiAiRW1haWw6IG15c3Vic19lbWFpbCJ9fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">FreeMind</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mind42.com%2F&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm1pbmQ0Mi5jb20vIiwgInRva2VuIjogIjlhMzAyNTEwMzExOGQwY2ZiM2Y3NzgzMjhmMTQwY2NiIiwgImRpc3RpbmN0X2lkIjogIjM0MTkwIiwgImJ1Y2tldCI6ICJFbWFpbDogbXlzdWJzX2VtYWlsIn19" target="_blank">Mind42</a></li>
</ul></blockquote>Full list at <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dumblittleman.com%2F2010%2F10%2F8-great-mind-mapping-tools-for.html%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dfeed%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BDumbLittleMan%2B%2528Dumb%2BLittle%2BMan%2B-%2Btips%2Bfor%2Blife%2529&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmR1bWJsaXR0bGVtYW4uY29tLzIwMTAvMTAvOC1ncmVhdC1taW5kLW1hcHBpbmctdG9vbHMtZm9yLmh0bWwiLCAidG9rZW4iOiAiOWEzMDI1MTAzMTE4ZDBjZmIzZjc3ODMyOGYxNDBjY2IiLCAiZGlzdGluY3RfaWQiOiAiMzQxOTAiLCAiYnVja2V0IjogIkVtYWlsOiBteXN1YnNfZW1haWwifX0%3D" target="_blank">Dumb Little Man</a>.<br />
More tips on <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fgtd.alltop.com&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vZ3RkLmFsbHRvcC5jb20iLCAidG9rZW4iOiAiOWEzMDI1MTAzMTE4ZDBjZmIzZjc3ODMyOGYxNDBjY2IiLCAiZGlzdGluY3RfaWQiOiAiMzQxOTAiLCAiYnVja2V0IjogIkVtYWlsOiBteXN1YnNfZW1haWwifX0%3D" target="_blank">getting things done</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-39085888947516999022010-10-11T20:23:00.001-07:002010-10-11T20:23:25.947-07:00The startup business cycle [flowchart]<img height="1070" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/JDGfrFImBHlmlxHwEEtniDweCEJkydnHqbrCIfIkHauzvEwhGfmnteJGhIcA/media_httpflowingdata_JHsIj.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /> <br />
Via <a href="http://r.posterous.com/track/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fflowingdata.com%2F2010%2F07%2F08%2Fflowchart-shows-the-startup-business-cycle%2F&data=eyJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9jbGlja2VkIiwgInByb3BlcnRpZXMiOiB7Im1wX3BsdWdpbl90eXBlIjogImVtYWlsIiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwOi8vZmxvd2luZ2RhdGEuY29tLzIwMTAvMDcvMDgvZmxvd2NoYXJ0LXNob3dzLXRoZS1zdGFydHVwLWJ1c2luZXNzLWN5Y2xlLyIsICJ0b2tlbiI6ICI5YTMwMjUxMDMxMThkMGNmYjNmNzc4MzI4ZjE0MGNjYiIsICJkaXN0aW5jdF9pZCI6ICIzNDE5MCIsICJidWNrZXQiOiAiRW1haWw6IG15c3Vic19lbWFpbCJ9fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">Flowing Data</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-65633078955326183272010-09-12T06:16:00.001-07:002010-09-12T06:16:08.189-07:0010 ways data is changing our lives<img height="283" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/erbEatfegHHyFJyAdzqnbsibqEvptsHFFpmjqHavknjdnoaEEBcqBCpHojwy/media_httpdldropboxco_gicez.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="424" /> <br />
When you hear the word 'community' do you only think about your real-life neighbors in your sub-division? With social media and networking tools millions belong to virtual communities as well. These virtual communities are similar to those in real-life in that the focus is on building relationships. Often times these virtual relationships translate into real-life customers, consumers, and on occasion friendships.<br />
This example of community or society is only one way of how data has changed our lives. Here are a few other ways:<br />
<ul><li>For a handful of years we've been able to map out directions from one location to the next, however with the introduction of Bing's Sidestreet, destinations are now not only viewable, but clickable for additional research.</li>
<li>Shopping has gone the route of convenience. It's faster and much easier to point, click, enter data, and ship the order to the recipient.</li>
</ul>Get the entire list on <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/7963311/10-ways-data-is-changing-how-we-live.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-28080473447478865132010-09-10T04:28:00.001-07:002010-09-10T04:28:49.538-07:0030 creative minimalist print adsGraphic Design Blog has aggregated a stimulating collection of 30 advertisements that say more with less. Here are just a few:<br />
<strong>Alka Seltzer</strong><br />
<a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/FGaFzunidFGvaBjbAnFzlytzeDFAIcAAwDGBazoinhekHIDjIljBsgiouoAg/media_httpwwwgraphicd_arnle.jpg.scaled1000.jpg" target="_blank"><img height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/FGaFzunidFGvaBjbAnFzlytzeDFAIcAAwDGBazoinhekHIDjIljBsgiouoAg/media_httpwwwgraphicd_arnle.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<strong>Financial Times</strong><br />
<a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/EJlItkmJohpBwcyhkoryqlqxiDEataimkwaItwsvdpagebonzgwqnzkxFreG/media_httpwwwgraphicd_EvIzo.jpg.scaled1000.jpg" target="_blank"><img height="247" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/EJlItkmJohpBwcyhkoryqlqxiDEataimkwaItwsvdpagebonzgwqnzkxFreG/media_httpwwwgraphicd_EvIzo.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<strong>Jeep</strong><br />
<a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/vaGyvcCAIijtAzAHEcicvsHCDBvsIzqfqGwmczFamuadmGErCFpJdlaGskes/media_httpwwwgraphicd_iodvE.jpg.scaled1000.jpg" target="_blank"><img height="322" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/vaGyvcCAIijtAzAHEcicvsHCDBvsIzqfqGwmczFamuadmGErCFpJdlaGskes/media_httpwwwgraphicd_iodvE.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
Full story at <a href="http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/creative-minimalist-print-ads/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+graphicdesignblog+%28Graphic+Design+Blog%29" target="_blank">Graphic Design Blog</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-42531603960352771252010-09-08T06:11:00.001-07:002010-09-08T06:11:37.242-07:0020 Life Lessons A Wise Man Would Share<div style="text-align: left;"><em>Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism. – Abraham Lincoln</em> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aljanabi/" rel="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aljanabi/4773158867/" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4322" height="437" src="http://allswagga.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thewiseman.jpg" title="flickr: Al-janabi" width="500" /></a></div><strong>No One is Perfect. </strong>The quicker this is realized the faster you can get on with being excellent. Start every morning ready to fight harder than you did the day before and run further than you ever imagine.<br />
<strong>Avoid over explaining yourself</strong>. Be confident with who you are.<br />
<strong>Keep balance in your life</strong>. Write down what’s most important to you and show up. Sometimes we tend to do the things that are most important to us when it’s written down.<br />
<strong>Play the hand you were dealt</strong>. Have the courage to face challenges head on it builds character. Start looking for a way through instead of a way out.<br />
<strong>Be a student of life</strong>. Learn something new every day. The day you stop learning is the day you become obsolete so keep learning.<br />
<strong>No Excuses</strong>. Stop making excuses replace them with ways to do better. Excuses are a waste of time and energy.<br />
<strong>Let others know where you Stand</strong>. Be uncompromising and be up front when someone steps on your core values. <br />
<strong>Never be afraid of a challenge</strong>. You put on your shoes like every other man. Now it comes down to who wants it more.<br />
<strong>Service to others</strong>. Small, simple or important be a volunteer and give the very best of you. <br />
<strong>Work like hell</strong>. Everyone has a job to do so do it. Cross every “T” and dot every “I”. <br />
<strong>Discover You. </strong>Find your passion, life purpose, and take action.<br />
<strong>Don’t take it Personal</strong>. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself self confidence shows that you’re comfortable in your own skin.<br />
<strong>Manage your time</strong>. Our situation and environment is ever changing so be careful not to confuse the things that are urgent with the things that are important. Look for time wasters and eliminate them.<br />
<strong>Ask for help</strong>. Life can be tough remember you never have to do it alone.<br />
<strong>Do your homework</strong>. Know what you getting into before you start. Doing your homework reduces uncertainty and fear.<br />
<strong>Day Dream Often</strong>. On the weekend when you are relaxing embrace a day dream. During the week take action to preserve your dreams.<br />
<strong>Be A HERO</strong>. Cultivate a healthy dose of forgiveness and set someone free. Learn to forgive others and stop carrying those bags of hate, guilt or regret. <br />
<strong>Stay One Step Ahead</strong>. Be proactive, Take the initiative, Brainstorm with the big picture in mind.<br />
<strong>Self Love</strong>. Become your own priority. Strive to be the you, you want to be. <br />
<strong>Finish what you started</strong>. Avoid the urge to stray.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-74461845993073776522010-08-22T23:41:00.000-07:002010-08-22T23:41:00.083-07:00How to duck ‘boredom’ attack<div><script>
var facebookktitle='How to duck ‘boredom’ attack';var facebooksyn='Do you find yourself staring inordinately into space or examining your finger nails, whenever you have some time off? ';
</script></div><span id="advenueINTEXT" name="advenueINTEXT"><!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="storydiv" id="storydiv"> <div style="float: left;"><div id="sshow"><div class="cnt" style="display: inline; float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 3px; width: 310px;"><div id="bellyad" style="padding-left: 3px;"><div class="mainimg1"><a href="javascript:showsld1();"><img ag="" alt="Bored worker.jpg" border="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" pg="StoryPic" src="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/thumb.cms?msid=6019558&width=300&resizemode=4" style="border: 4px solid rgb(225, 225, 225);" title="Bored worker.jpg" vspace="0" width="300" /></a><div class="zoomimg1" pg="StoryPic" style="width: 300px;"><div style="color: #757575; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; padding-right: 5px; text-align: left;">How to duck a ‘boredom’ attack (Getty Images)</div><div pg="StoryPic" style="float: left; padding-left: 3px; width: 100px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div id="ftredcmt" style="clear: both; display: block; float: left; margin-right: 15px;"> </div></div><div class="Normal"><span style="font-style: italic;"> Do you find yourself staring inordinately into space or examining your finger nails, whenever you have some time off? Boredom can creep in uninformed in the middle of a busy day, or worse still, on a laidback weekend. </span><br />
<br />
Lack of perspective, spontaneity are just some of the reasons why we feel bored, and that too, so frequently. And at the slightest provocation, we are ready with one-liners like “I am so bored” or “It’s so boring”. Experts say, it’s best to realise that ‘boredom’ is a state of mind, and by giving in you are only making life more mundane. <br />
<br />
Here are some tips to effectively ward off boredom and stay more active: <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Change your attitude </span><br />
Cribbers are the first ones to realise that they are bored. You need to change your outlook, the world is not a very sad place to live in. There is always much to do and enjoy. Says Dr. S.K Sharma, clinical psychologist and lifestyle advisor, “Getting bored is an attitude. The fact that you feel bored is because you have allowed it to creep into your life. Be ready to change gears. Tell yourself that I am not going to allow this to happen to me. Just stop thinking how bored you are, instead ask yourself – let’s do something.” <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Organise your life </span><br />
Stop mulling, instead put things into perspective. Chart a routine for yourself, and squeeze in some time for a recreational activity, exercising or a hobby. That’ll keep you happily busy. Dr. Sharma believes that by organising your time and resources well, you will be left with some time to try new activities. “When you are too caught up in a routine due to lack of organisation, you tend to feel suffocated.” <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Change - a constant </span><br />
Someone has rightly said, variety is the spice of life. It is imperative to introduce small changes to our daily lives, from the way we think, the way we dress, to changing the set up of the living room once in a while or picking up some off-beat book and reading it up. The idea is to not stick to a set order, and keep experimenting. He explains, “Your mind needs change to feel excited and happy. Always look for change. You can turn your routine life into an interesting one by making tiny little changes.” <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Cultivate a hobby </span><br />
Keep yourself enthused by learning something different. Try to hone a skill or develop a new one. Join a baking class, learn how to strum the guitar, become a fitness enthusiast, meditate, practice yoga, go swimming, learn a new dance form, or simply pick a sheet of paper and sketch your heart out. “Look for new activities. It could be a new hobby, some adventure sport, or learning a new language. Remember age is no bar. Again mix it well according to your preference and feasibility to keep your mind excited,” says he. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Be a social bunny </span><br />
Agreed, it may not be your forte, but at least give it a shot. We don’t mean you barge into others’ conversations or be over-friendly. Take interest in people outside your friend circle. You are sure to find a whole section of interesting ones out there! Give up all inhibitions, simply explore, talk it out, listen and absorb. And, you will never again be bored. Dr. Sharma suggests, “Make sure you mix with people across different age groups and from different walks of life. For instance, instead of spending all the time with friends or as a couch potato, sit with a group of kids from your colony and strike a conversation. People with different personalities and tastes add novelty into your life.” </div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-71194357637088571432010-08-11T00:17:00.001-07:002010-08-11T00:17:45.788-07:00Net profits: how to make an online fortune<div class="tagline">In the Nineties, the first web trailblazers turned their dotcom dreams into cold, hard cash. But is it still possible to earn millions online today? Alice-Azania Jarvis asks the ones who made it</div><div class="author"> </div><div class="photoCaption" style="padding-left: 10px; width: 300px;"> <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/net-profits-how-to-make-an-online-fortune-2048882.html?action=Popup"> <img alt="Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth an estimated $4bn" height="368" src="http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00429/pg-12-zuckerberg-ge_429448t.jpg" title="Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth an estimated $4bn" width="300" /> </a><br />
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Remember the dotcom boom? When all canny investors needed to do was add a ".com" to the name of their company to watch stock soar? And to think that all of this took place in a world where dial-up still dominated. Where a business's investors, customers, even founders, would have to clunk their way around the world wide web (as it was then known), waiting for pages to load, inch-by-inelegant-inch, all while keeping one eye on the clock (the internet was expensive, after all) and batting away those around them who wanted to make a call but couldn't because the only phone line in the house was being occupied. <br />
It was, in many ways, another world. Certainly, it was for those first explorative entrepreneurs who, in the murky early years of e-business, carved out their camp on the web's frontier – the Lastminute.coms, the GeoCities, the Boo.coms. <br />
<div class="related-articles"><br />
</div>For some, the experiment paid off. Sabeer Bhatia, an India-born entrepreneur who, after a stint at Apple and the start-up company Firepower Systems, co-founded Hotmail with a former colleague and then went on to sell his business – one of the first web-based email systems, distinguished by its groundbreaking decision not to charge users for the service – for $400m [£253.8m] on his 29th birthday. For others, it didn't. When Boo.com turned to bust it did so in now-notorious style: after eating through $135m of venture capital in the first 18 months, and amid tales of Gatsby-esque spending on the part of the fashion e-tailer's Swedish founders, the firm was declared bankrupt, leaving more than 400 contractors and staff redundant. <br />
It might have been dismissed as a one-off, the sudden dissolution of riches a kind of modern morality tale of excess. But it wasn't. The world of the web millionaire continued to grow and, a decade on, stories of bright ideas leading to great riches abound. YouTube received its unceremonious baptism in 2005 when three PayPal employees uploaded a video of a trip to the zoo. All pixelated footage and bumbling narration ("the cool thing about elephants is that they have really really, really, really long ... um ... trunks."), it was the video that launched countless others. Now more than two billion are watched every day and it was the promise of viewing figures like these that saw Google snap up the company for $1.65bn just 18 months after it first launched. Shortly before YouTube's birth, in what is now internet legend, a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg had launched thefacebook.com (later facebook.com), from his dorm room. These days he can be found conversing with Prime Ministers via video link, and is personally worth an estimated $4bn. <br />
Crucially, these were a different breed of dotcoms, distinguished from the ill-fated experiments of the Nineties by their durability. Founders got rich quick and stayed it. The relative security of these operations – not to mention the sums they have earned their creators – has revived the idea that the internet is paved with gold. Nowadays, every Tom, Dick, and Harry can (or thinks they can) have a go. Enter the words "internet millionaire" into Google, and you are directed to endless ranks of advice-peddling websites claiming to have the answer, whether it assumes the form of five secrets of successful e-trepreneurs or 50 (are all of these sites run by millionaires? Is setting one up the answer?). The same is true in the bookstore: shelves heave under the weight of advice manuals. But to what avail? <br />
As founder of the online auction site QXL, Tim Jackson rode the first wave of dotcoms with mixed success (the business had the dubious honour of admittance to the so-called "99 per cent club" of businesses that lost 99 per cent of their value when the dotcom bubble burst, though it eventually recovered) and is now involved in competitions site Miss Win It. <br />
"The internet changes the business game," he argues. "It offers the chance to access people without much material machinery, so that start up costs are lower. It also makes it easier for people to access you. You have scale, reach and speed as well as reduced costs." It's no wonder the net is an attractive prospect for entrepreneurs, particularly those of the ordinary "civilian" variety, who might not have much capital behind them. <br />
What's more, despite the explosion of ideas that we have already seen, the market is unlikely to saturate. Far from it: one of the defining characteristics of online entrepreneurship is the role of market creation. Some successful start-ups meet needs. Far more, though, create them, carving out their own market in the process. Jackson's Miss Win It colleague is Ramsey Khoury, a seasoned web developer and founder of the digital consultancy Head London. Along with his business partner Kate Amarnani, he came up with the concept of the "competition creation and information" site when talking about promotion space. "It's almost a non-existent market," he said. "You find a new market driven by the experiences you can offer." <br />
For the present, then, the future of the online goldmine looks secure. Indeed, technologies have so improved that establishing your brand is easier than ever. Malcolm Graham is chief executive of the web development firm LimeTree Online. Having watched the changing conditions over the last 15 years, he is confident there has never been a better time for investment. "It's a great time. A lot of ideas have been explored but there's still plenty of opportunity. The technology is stable now, which was a major problem with the 1990s. The skills are out there and readily available, which makes staffing your business easier." <br />
Naturally, not every online chancer is guaranteed a hit. As Khoury puts it: "There is a lot of noise on the web." Success depends upon the ability to retain relevance, be that by smoothing the path to your company's door, boosting your company's online profile, or maintaining an active relationship with your customers. <br />
"User experience is key," says Khoury. "You need to make things simple for people." That might be by ensuring people know where to find your web page, or designing the page to be as straightforward and clear as possible. Certainly, the latter is crucial. The clean layout of Facebook is credited for luring users away from MySpace and allowing the younger upstart to overtake its more established rival, a cycle that has continued with the runaway success of the even more simple Twitter. "You need to get an understanding for your audience and you need to build a dialogue allowing for feedback," he adds. "Social networking is great. For Miss Win It, much of our audience is on Facebook for instance." <br />
Much of this, of course, is basic business sense. If customer relations is a key component of success, well, 'twas ever thus. Since the series began five years ago, Dragon's Den has welcomed a steady stream of would-be web sensations. But, the criteria on which they are judged differs little from the standards set for other, more traditional offerings. "When I look to invest I don't just invest in the product," says James Caan. "I invest in the people. If the individual or team have the motivation and passion for what they are doing, then ultimately the business is more likely to be successful – regardless of whether it's online or offline." <br />
The same could be said of growth management. In the same way that a shopkeeper or restaurant owner who tries to take over the high street before their first outlet has made a profit could be setting themselves up for failure, web developers who aim immediately for world domination are liable – just like Boo.com – to collapse in on themselves. No one was more wary of this than Nathalie Massenet who, just a month after the infamous clothing store liquidated, turned an almost identical concept into realty – and, in turn, into one of the most significant, seminal, successes of the digital age. She launched Net-a-Porter in June 2000, the wreckage of the bust still scattered around her. Founded in a tiny flat in Chelsea, the online department store employed only 15 people and kept borrowing costs at a minimum. "Initially we were really held back by how much we could buy," Massenet has said. "Because we had no money to buy product." <br />
Web success, then, is part technological savvy, part old-fashioned nous. The pioneers of the early Noughties may have nabbed their spot in the history books, but the trail that they blazed is a long way from being worn down. The web remains an accessible arena for entrepreneurship, and things look likely to stay that way. Indeed, the advent of the smart phone has opened up a new gap in the development market – in the form phone applications – and has opened up a new audience in the form of the phone-carrying populations of Asia and Africa. For the time being, the second dotcom bubble appears a long way from bursting. <br />
<b>Applications pending</b> <br />
Are smartphone applications a goldmine in the making? It's not yet clear. Certainly, apps have become a phenomenon in their own right. Before they existed, it was near-impossible for independent software programmers to gain wide exposure and the profits that come with it; now Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia boast app stores that provide a platform for freelance developers. In June, the five-billionth app download was made on Apple's store and more than 225,000 apps are available there. There are also dotcom-style tales of great wealth being won. Last year, engineer Ethan Nicholas developed the tank artillery game iShoot, leaving his day job shortly after. When the game was at number one in the sales chart, he made $37,000 [£23,400] a day. Still, some are sceptical of their potential. "In general terms, I think talk of get-rich-quick is a bit sensational," says Tim Jackson, founder of the online auction site, QXL. "Developers get a lot of coverage but if you look at many of them, the potential for money-making is limited." Strict rules about pricing, content and revenues also make the app market a restrictive place to make a fortune. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-12938019160018631192010-08-05T22:45:00.001-07:002010-08-05T22:45:48.670-07:00Social media rivals email, new study suggestsAccording to a new Neilsen study, social media (and close runner-up, online gaming) suck up the majority of the average American’s time. In fact, the research suggests that people are spending forty-three percent more time on social networks than they did at this time last year. That's quite the leap to sites like Facebook and Twitter. What’s more is that the numbers show a fifteen percent decline in email and instant messaging. Could social media really evetually give email the axe?<br />
<img height="599" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/gqhsaGmruEBiaFIdGwudhDnJrAErAAsvwtDrbxdHqBDzHmbyCzCkivqplFEt/media_httpdldropboxco_kAaAm.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> <br />
Full fascinating story at <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=133055" target="_blank">Media Post</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-78605138086963809052010-07-29T00:21:00.000-07:002010-07-29T00:21:06.865-07:00Richest Americans You've Never Heard Of<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/richest-americans-youve-never-heard-of/19560107/&body=http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/richest-americans-youve-never-heard-of/19560107" name="aol-addthis" rel="nofollow"></a> <br />
<div class="postBody" id="articleBody"> <!-- surphace start --> <div class="imagedetail"><a href="" rel="bookmark"><span class="defaultImage"><img alt="Subway Founder Fred DeLuca" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/BLOG/resize/186x/quality/90/http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-intro-fred-deluca-240cs072210.jpg" vspace="4" /></span></a></div><div class="enhancement alignment-right size-small clear"> <div class="blogArtAd"> <script>
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</script></div></div>Microsoft's (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/microsoft-corporation/msft/nas">MSFT</a>) Bill Gates, Berkshire Hathaway's (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/berkshire-hathaway-inc-cl-a/brk.a/nys"><span>BRK.A</span></a>) Warren Buffett and Apple's (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/apple-inc/aapl/nas">AAPL</a>) Steve Jobs are all household names in addition to being among the wealthiest people in the country. There are, however, other billionaires, whose companies or products are also among the best-known in the country, yet they live in relative obscurity, unknown to most -- including their best customers.<br />
<br />
Take <a href="http://www.subway.com/">Subway</a>, which serves 2,800 sandwiches and salads every 60 seconds in the U.S. How many of its customers have ever heard of its founder, Fred DeLuca, who was 17 when he opened the first store? Or Peter Buck, the family friend who loaned DeLuca the $1,000 that got the company off the ground back in 1965? <br />
<br />
Likewise, <a href="http://www.enterpriseholdings.com/">Enterprise Rent-a-Car</a> is the largest rental-car company in the U.S., but how many of its customers are familiar with Jack Crawford Taylor, the man who started the business back in 1957 and owns it to this day? <br />
<br />
Every day, countless shoppers buy products made by <a href="http://www.dole.com/">Dole Food Company</a>, the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers as well as packaged and frozen foods. Most people probably assume that Dole is owned by a large conglomerate, but in reality, a relatively unknown entrepreneur named David Murdock is Dole's sole owner. All net worth estimates mentioned below are credited to Forbes' <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/10/worlds-richest-people-slim-gates-buffett-billionaires-2010_land.html?boxes=listschannelinsidelists">World's Billionaire List</a> for 2010.<br />
<br />
<strong>Jack Crawford Taylor</strong><a href="http://www.enterpriseholdings.com/"><img alt="Jack Taylor, founder of Enterprise Rent-a-Car" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-jack-taylor-rent-a-car-186cs072010-1279813259.jpg" vspace="4" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.enterpriseholdings.com/">Enterprise Rent-a-Car</a><br />
Net Worth: $7 billion<br />
<br />
Jack Taylor founded <a href="http://www.enterpriseholdings.com/">Enterprise Rent-A-Car</a>, the largest rental-car company in the U.S. He started the St. Louis, Mo.-based company, originally named Executive Leasing Company, in 1957 with seven cars "and a hunch that customers will embrace the novel concept of leasing automobiles." In 2007 the Taylor family acquired <a href="https://www.nationalcar.com/">National Car Rental</a> and <a href="https://www.alamo.com/">Alamo Rent A Car</a> businesses. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1 million cars and trucks, the largest fleet of passenger vehicles in the world. Today, Taylor's son, Andrew C. "Andy" Taylor, is the company's chairman and chief executive officer. Enterprise's annual revenue was $12.1 billion in 2009.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Min Kao, co-founder of Garmin" border="1" class="photoLeft" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-min-kao-garmin-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" /><strong>Min Kao</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us">Garmin</a><br />
GPS Equipment<br />
Net Worth: $1.6 billion<br />
<img alt="Gary Burrell, co-founder of Garmin" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-gary-burrel-garmin-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" /><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Gary Burrell</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us">Garmin</a><br />
Net Worth: $1 billion</div><br />
Dr. Min Kao and Gary Burrell co-founded <a href="http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us">Garmin Corp.</a> (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/garmin-ltd/grmn/nas">GRMN</a>) in 1989 to integrate GPS -- or Global Positioning System technology into navigation devices for multiple markets. The idea began as a brainstorming session of a handful of engineers around a card table. Today, the company's innovative products span various areas, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation and wireless applications. In 2009, Garmin's total revenues were $2.95 billion.<br />
<br />
<strong><img alt="Clayton Mathile" border="1" class="photoLeft" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-mathile-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" />Clayton L. Mathile</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DHP">Iams </a><br />
Net Worth: $1.7 billion<br />
<br />
Clayton Mathile joined <a href="http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DHP">Iams</a> in the 1970s and eventually become chief executive and chairman of the board. In 1974, Mathile bought half of the pet food company from its founder, Paul Iams, and then purchased the rest in the early 1980s. Under Mathile's direction, Iams became a world leader in premium dog and cat nutrition. In 1999, the Mathile family sold Iams to Procter & Gamble for $2.3 billion. Today, Mathile is a major investor in <a href="http://www.oovoo.com/">ooVoo</a>, a Web-based company that allows up to six users to video chat in real time via smartphones, TVs, netbooks, PCs and <a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/the-macerich-company/mac/nys">MAC</a>s. Mathile uses his wealth to help change the world. He founded <a href="http://www.mathileinstitute.org/">The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition</a>, a nonprofit committed to improving the nutritional health of children around the world. He also created <a href="http://www.aileron.org/index.jsp?navId=1">Aileron</a>, a campus for entrepreneurs that promotes professional management practices as the keys to business success.<br />
<br />
<strong>Donald Hall</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home%7c10001%7c10051%7c-1">Hallmark</a>, <a href="http://www.crayola.com/">Crayola</a>, <a href="http://www.sillyputty.com/">Silly Putty</a><img alt="Hallmark" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-hallmark-186cs072010-2.jpg" vspace="4" /><br />
Net Worth: $1 billion<br />
<br />
Donald J. Hall is chairman of the board of <a href="http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home%7c10001%7c10051%7c-1">Hallmark</a>, which was founded by his father, Joyce C. Hall. He's is only the second board chairman in the company's history. Hall oversaw innovation in greeting cards, including launch of the Shoebox humor line and introduction of product lines for African-American, Hispanic and Jewish consumers; directed focus on Hallmark's network of independent Hallmark Gold Crown retailers; expanded the company's reach into international markets; and envisioned the potential to move into such product lines as Keepsake Ornaments. Today, Hallmark is the parent company of <a href="http://www.crayola.com/">Crayola</a> art products and <a href="http://www.sillyputty.com/">Silly Putty</a>. In 2009, Hallmark's consolidated annual revenues were $4 billion. Hall's son, Donald Hall Jr., is the company's chief executive officer.<br />
<br />
<strong><img alt="Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca" border="1" class="photoLeft" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-fred-subway-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" />Fred DeLuca</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.subway.com/">Subway</a><br />
Net Worth: $1.8 billion<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Peter Buck</strong><img alt="Subway co-founder Peter Buck" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-peter-subway-186cs072010-1279820434.jpg" vspace="4" /><br />
<a href="http://www.subway.com/">Subway</a><br />
Net Worth: $1.8 billion</div><br />
In 1965, Fred DeLuca, a 17-year-old high school graduate wanted to open a sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Conn., as a way to earn money to pay for college. The young man was given a $1,000 loan by Peter Buck, a family friend. DeLuca initially called his fledgling business Pete's Super Submarines, and the name was changed to Subway in 1968. In 1974, the partners sold their first franchise. The <a href="http://www.subway.com/">Subway</a> chain is now the world's largest submarine sandwich chain with more than 33,107 restaurants in 91 countries. Subway operates more units in the U.S., Canada and Australia than McDonald's. The company's global system-wide sales were $11.3 billion in 2009.<br />
<br />
<strong>S. Truett Cathy</strong><img alt="Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A" border="1" class="photoLeft" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-truett-cathy-chic-fil-a-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" /><br />
<a href="http://www.chick-fil-a.com/">Chick-fil-A</a><br />
Net Worth: $1.5 billion<br />
<br />
S. Truett Cathy is founder and chairman of <a href="http://www.chick-fil-a.com/">Chick-fil-A</a>. Cathy entered the restaurant business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House). Through the years, that restaurant prospered and led Cathy to further expand his business. In 1967, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the U.S. with more than $3.2 billion in sales in 2009. As of February 2010, there are more than 1,480 Chick-fil-A restaurants in 38 states and Washington, <a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/dundee-corp/dc%40/tor">D.C.</a> Cathy has led Chick-fil-A on an amazing record of 42 consecutive years of annual sales increases. Today, Cathy devotes much of his time to philanthropy.<br />
<br />
<strong><img alt="Slim-Fast" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-slim-fast-186cs072010-1.jpg" vspace="4" />S. Daniel Abraham</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.slim-fast.com/">Slim-Fast</a><br />
Net worth: $1.6 billion<br />
<br />
In 1945, entrerpreneur Daniel Abraham founded Thomas Medical Co. Its first diet product, Slim-Mint gum, was brought to market in 1956. Twenty years later, the company launched the Dexatrim diet pill. <a href="http://www.slim-fast.com/">Slim-Fast</a> meal replacement shakes were introduced the following year, in 1977. Slim-Fast was spun off in 1990 as a separate company and sold for $2.3 billion to Unilever in 2000. Today, Abraham is well-known for his philanthropy. He supports a variety of causes including improving health care and nutrition, encouraging Middle East peace and broadening educational opportunities.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Kohl's" border="1" class="photoLeft" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-kohls-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" /><strong>William Kellogg</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.kohlscorporation.com/AboutKohls/AboutKohls01.htm">Kohl's</a><br />
Net Worth: $1 billion<br />
<br />
William Kellogg got his start in the retail business as a buyer for Federated Department Stores. In 1967, he was hired by Kohl's (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/kohl-s-corporation/kss/nys">KSS</a>) founder, Max Kohl, as a store manager. Working his way up the corporate ladder, he was named chief executive of the family-focused, value-oriented retailer in the late 1970s. In 1986, he led a management buyout of the company and retired as chairman in 2000. Kohl's is now one of the nation's largest retailers with 1,067 stores in 49 states. In 2009, annual sales were $17.1 billion.<br />
<strong><br />
David Murdock</strong><img alt="Dole's David Murdock" border="1" class="photoRight" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/07/billionaires-david-murdock-dole-186cs072010.jpg" vspace="4" /><br />
<a href="http://www.dole.com/">Dole Food Company</a><br />
Net Worth: $2.5 billion<br />
<br />
David Murdock is the chairman of <a href="http://www.dole.com/">Dole Food </a> (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/dole-food-company-inc/dole/nys">DOLE</a>), the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers as well as a line of packaged and frozen foods. The high school dropout is also the sole owner of <a href="http://www.castlecooke.net/default.aspx">Castle & Cooke</a>, which develops and owns real estate, including golf clubs and resorts, in addition to the leasing of transportation equipment and the manufacturing of brick. Murdock's combined companies employ more than 68,000 people in over 90 countries and consistently ranks as one of the largest privately held entities in America. In 2009, Dole's net revenues were $6.8 billion. Today, Murdock devotes much of his time and attention to the <a href="http://www.dhmri.org/about.html">David H. Murdock Research Institute</a>, a provider of advance research technologies to academic, government and industry scientists in their pursuit of improved human health through advancements in nutrition, agricultural products and pharmaceuticals.</div><div class="postBody" id="articleBody"> </div><div class="postBody" id="articleBody">via http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/richest-americans-youve-never-heard-of/19560107/ </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-25370983686967735222010-07-21T05:19:00.001-07:002010-07-21T05:19:59.989-07:00Global ad spending on the rebound<img height="266" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/DJeydlnxsIrJCHftkDIEcIHFhykFkvlDnlmtvciwcBjlhvazeEjgduGjlcHp/media_httpdldropboxco_tIIzH.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> <br />
More good news for the ad industury: Looks like ad spending is on the upswing, according to a new ZenithOptimedia forecast. Global ads spending is expected to grow by 3.5 percent this year, a better forecast than the 2.2 percent growth in April. Though the projections are positive, the growth still lags when compared to previous recessions. “A strong downturn in global ad expenditure has historically been followed by a sharp rebound three years later,” ZenithOptimedia said. By 2012, the study predicts that ad spending will have grown by 5.3 percent, a smaller rate of recovery than has followed previous recessions.<br />
Read more about the report at <a href="http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=144992" target="_blank">AdAge.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-28459621292949457722010-07-20T05:23:00.001-07:002010-07-20T05:23:56.682-07:00TED launching TEDWomen<div style="margin-bottom: 40px;"> <img height="309" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/troedjpchAbCdCAvxkbycdHyxEoEjJihfkurCcylIjpByqmbljEfznnxBCkG/media_httpfarm5static_lCDEm.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="449" /> <br />
Washington D.C. will play host to some of the world’s most innovative and brilliant women when TED presents its first TEDWomen conference in the nation’s capital December 7 and 8.<br />
“The cross-disciplinary, cross-generational program will focus on how women think and work, communicate and collaborate, learn and lead—what this means and why it matters to all of us,” TEDWomen shares on its website. “Speakers from around the globe—from anthropologists to artists, scientists to soldiers, bankers to builders, farmers to futurists—will share their ideas in the classic TED format, creating a program that surprises and inspires. The event will convene an international audience of men and women.”<br />
Full story at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/15/tedwomen-launches-new-con_n_647659.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-35574855244157586742010-07-20T05:21:00.001-07:002010-07-20T05:21:46.306-07:005 things web startups taught us about business<img height="300" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/fcbhFhhyeBdcbzuItxDBqfIGykamlloelEoJjyvgBbyjcposDDHynbuHCdpg/media_httpfarm5static_nInID.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="450" /> <br />
Web startups boast a reputation as the coolest kids on the business block, and with good reason. Between the VC cash, high-profile products, and techie love-fests, these hot companies make business look sexy. The tech startup scene’s unique approach to business also provides useful lessons for any fledgling company, no matter the industry.<br />
Mashable’s Jolie O’Dell outlined five lessons to learn from web startups for Open Forum:<br />
<ul><li>Work hard, play hard—don’t banish fun from the office.</li>
<li>Working in PJs at 3am still counts as working.</li>
<li>Embrace frugality.</li>
<li>Reevaluate, readjust, and shift.</li>
<li>Small risks can reap huge rewards.</li>
</ul>Full story at <a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/5-lessons-to-learn-from-web-startups-jolie-odell" target="_blank">Open Forum</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-48021147183494974562010-07-14T02:57:00.001-07:002010-07-14T02:57:58.056-07:00H1N1 and lost opportunities: Expanding the scope of business continuity planningThe H1N1 virus (aka swine flu) epidemic had much less business impact than many had predicted. The mass exodus of employees due to a co-worker confirmed to be sick from the virus didn't happen at my place of business, or at any of our 500 locations. This was good news for the business, the employees, and the patients in our facilities. However, it was bad news for business continuity planning teams, even those who "do it right". They realized there were gaps in their plans. However, the significantly scaled back H1N1 impact on business, and the limited scope of related remediation projects, helped to put any remediation plans on hold. Our company was no exception.<br />
<!--text blurb--> When the media initially began reporting the possibility of a near-term pandemic, senior management began asking questions about our readiness. Most managers responsible for risk quickly assured them that our disaster recovery (DR) plan was tested and ready. This, of course, is the standard answer when asked about business continuity event readiness. However, there was a big gap in our plan. The threat of absences of key personnel across the enterprise was something we hadn't considered.<br />
Our tested and up-to-date DR plan allowed us to recover critical systems within the constraints of maximum allowable downtime. Further, our secondary office space allowed corporate personnel to actually access the temporary data center. Finally, we could stand up any server in the data center with current build documentation. But what if critical personnel were unable to get to the office or to the secondary office space?<br />
H1N1 doesn't attack servers and other infrastructure. Rather, it comes at business continuity from a completely different vector, attacking the human component of critical business processes. It would seem an easy fix. Just give everyone remote access and get on with the important stuff. But it wasn't that easy. (Is it ever...?)<br />
We had an SSL VPN solution in place for a limited number of users. Our infrastructure could handle over 2000 concurrent connections. However, company and security policy limited access to only those employees requiring remote access to perform their job functions (i.e., mobile workers). The problems began when, as the director of IS security, I proposed we plan for expanding remote access to a larger user population.<br />
Our SSL solution was designed to allow access to email, home folders, and our intranet. Although there was limited access to a very small number of applications, access to core processes like financial and payroll systems was not implemented. So we began looking for a way to implement reasonably secure—and inexpensive–remote access for key personnel who either stayed home to care for a family member or because the corporate office was closed due to the spread of H1N1.<br />
It took months to come up with a technical plan. The delay was not caused by skill set shortcomings in our network engineering team. Instead, it happened because H1N1 didn't seem as important to project planners as other activities. So work related to expanded remote access was given a low priority. Eventually, our engineers came up with a tested method of allowing access. It was elegant in its simplicity.<br />
<b>Figure A</b> is a simple concept diagram of our solution. In Step 1, a home user enters the URL for our SSL appliance and uses his or her network login for authentication. In Step 2, the SSL appliance uses a script to determine the machine name of the authenticated employee. And in Step 3, the employee is connected to his or her office desktop. The desktop connection provides remote control, giving the user access to all authorized applications just as if he or she was sitting in the office.<br />
<a href="http://www.zdnetasia.com/i/techguide/2010/SSL%20VPN%20appliance%20Fig%20A.jpg"><img alt="Figure A" class="size-full wp-image-3883" height="548" original="http://www.zdnetasia.com/i/techguide/2010/SSL%20VPN%20appliance%20Fig%20A.jpg" src="http://www.zdnetasia.com/i/techguide/2010/SSL%20VPN%20appliance%20Fig%20A.jpg" style="display: inline;" title="bcp-remote-access" width="500" /></a><br />
<b>Figure A</b><br />
This is not a good permanent solution for allowing remote access. For one thing, allowing users to access desktops requires strong physical security controls at the office. Although our floors are accessed via locked doors, and although you have to pass a security desk to get to an elevator, physical access controls for a healthcare company are not the same as those implemented for a national defense facility. Consequently, enhanced security guard and employee awareness regarding their roles in preventing unauthorized physical access to office spaces had to be part of the modified business continuity plan.<br />
Everything was moving forward until we needed application development to build the production database that would contain the table cross referencing user IDs with desktop machine names. The director of application development and his boss decided that there wasn't enough need. So they tabled the entire project.<br />
Yes, we had enough documentation to turn on access within 24 to 48 hours. However, none of the users were trained and no documentation was available to provide assistance. The Help Desk would be very, very busy if the proposed plan was implemented.<br />
The problem I have with this scenario is the loss of an opportunity. We lost the opportunity to implement a solution that goes beyond H1N1. Focused only on a potential pandemic, a very narrow project scope, management lost interest. But what if the value of the project was increased by expanding the scope? Is the problem of absences related only to pandemics? Hardly.<br />
This company, like many others, had one person and a backup trained to perform each business critical task. But what if both individuals were out? The process we designed for H1N1 also provided a solution for this scenario. And what about a case in which the data center is still operational, but users are unable to make it to the office? Again, this solution meets the challenge.<br />
The missed opportunities arose because we began this project as H1N1 planning, not key employee absence planning. Although we tried to recover when we eventually saw our mistake, management had already moved on. They saw this only as an H1N1 issue. The scope was too narrow to provide sufficient business value to keep it moving forward.<br />
The takeaway from this story is simple. Increasing the scope of business continuity planning activities to include a wider range of possibilities helps management see the risk mitigation value of the effort. This is important if you don't want to see your project slide into hold status, or worse.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-7451580122951944512010-07-11T23:42:00.000-07:002010-07-11T23:42:06.888-07:00End Of The Cheap 'Made-In-China' Era Sends Companies Scrambling For Options<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/181750/thumbs/s-CHINA-FOXCONN-DEATHS-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/181750/thumbs/s-CHINA-FOXCONN-DEATHS-large.jpg" border="0" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/181750/thumbs/s-CHINA-FOXCONN-DEATHS-large.jpg" /></a><b>SHANGHAI </b>— Factory workers demanding better wages and working conditions are hastening the eventual end of an era of cheap costs that helped make southern coastal China the world's factory floor.<br />
A series of strikes over the past two months have been a rude wakeup call for the many foreign companies that depend on China's low costs to compete overseas, from makers of Christmas trees to manufacturers of gadgets like the iPad.<br />
Where once low-tech factories and scant wages were welcomed in a China eager to escape isolation and poverty, workers are now demanding a bigger share of the profits. The government, meanwhile, is pushing foreign companies to make investments in areas it believes will create greater wealth for China, like high technology.<br />
Many companies are striving to stay profitable by shifting factories to cheaper areas farther inland or to other developing countries, and a few are even resuming production in the West.<br />
"China is going to go through a very dramatic period. The big companies are starting to exit. We all see the writing on the wall," said Rick Goodwin, a China trade veteran of 22 years, whose company links foreign buyers with Chinese suppliers.<br />
"I have 15 major clients. My job is to give the best advice I can give. I tell it like it is. I tell them, put your helmet on, it's going to get ugly," said Goodwin, who says dissatisfied workers and hard-to-predict exchange rates are his top worries.<br />
Beijing's decision to stop tethering the Chinese currency to the U.S. dollar, allowing it to appreciate and thus boosting costs in yuan, has multiplied the uncertainty for companies already struggling with meager profit margins.<br />
In an about-face mocked on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Wham-O, the company that created the Hula-Hoop and Slip 'n Slide, decided to bring half of its Frisbee production and some production of its other products back to the U.S.<br />
At the other end of the scale, some in research-intensive sectors such as pharmaceutical, biotech and other life sciences companies are also reconsidering China for a range of reasons, including costs and incentives being offered in other countries.<br />
<div class="contin_below"> <div class="content margin_auto"> <div class="arial_11 bold float_left color_a1a1a1"><br />
</div></div></div>"Life sciences companies have shifted some production back to the U.S. from China. In some cases, the U.S. was becoming cheaper," said Sean Correll, director of consulting services for Burlington, Mass.-based Emptoris.<br />
That may soon become true for publishers, too. Printing a 9-by-9-inch, 334-page hardcover book in China costs about 44 to 45 cents now, with another 3 cents for shipping, says Goodwin. The same book costs 65 to 68 cents to make in the U.S.<br />
"If costs go up by half, it's about the same price as in the U.S. And you don't have 30 days on the water in shipping," he says.<br />
Even with recent increases, wages for Chinese workers are still a fraction of those for Americans. But studies do show China's overall cost advantage is shrinking.<br />
Labor costs have been climbing about 15 percent a year since a 2008 labor contract law that made workers more aware of their rights. Tax preferences for foreign companies ended in 2007. Land, water, energy and shipping costs are on the rise.<br />
In its most recent survey, issued in February, restructuring firm Alix Partners found that overall China was more expensive than Mexico, India, Vietnam, Russia and Romania.<br />
Mexico, in particular, has gained an edge thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement and fast, inexpensive trucking, says Mike Romeri, an executive with Emptoris, the consulting firm.<br />
Makers of toys and trinkets, Christmas trees and cheap shoes already have folded by the thousands or moved away, some to Vietnam, Indonesia or Cambodia. But those countries lack the huge work force, infrastructure and markets China can offer, and most face the same labor issues as China.<br />
So far, the biggest impact appears to be in and around Shenzhen, a former fishing village in Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong, that is home to thousands of export manufacturers.<br />
That includes Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology, a supplier of iPhones and iPads to Apple Inc. Foxconn responded to a spate of suicides at its 400,000-worker Shenzhen complex with pay hikes that more than doubled basic monthly worker salaries to $290. Strike-stricken suppliers to Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., among many others, also have hiked wages.<br />
Foxconn refused repeated requests for comment on plans to move much of its manufacturing capacity to central China's impoverished Henan province, where a local government website has advertised for tens of thousands of workers on its behalf.<br />
But among other projects farther inland, Foxconn is teaming up with some of the biggest global computer makers to build what may be the world's largest laptop production hub in Chongqing, a western China city of 32 million where labor costs are estimated to be 20 to 40 percent lower than in coastal cities.<br />
Given the intricate supply chains and logistics systems that have helped make southern China an export manufacturing powerhouse, such changes won't be easy.<br />
But for manufacturers looking to boost sales inside fast-growing China, shifting production to the inland areas where many migrant workers come from, and costs are lower, offers the most realistic alternative.<br />
"The new game is to find a way to do the domestic market," says Goodwin.<br />
Many factories in Foshan, another city in Guangdong that saw strikes at auto parts plants supplying Japan's Honda, have left in the past few months, mostly moving inland to Henan, Hunan and Jiangxi, said Lin Liyuan, dean at the privately run Institute of Territorial Economics in Guangzhou.<br />
Massive investments in roads, railways and other infrastructure are reducing the isolation of the inland cities, part of a decade-old "Develop the West" strategy aimed at shrinking the huge, politically volatile gap in wealth between city dwellers and the country's 600 million farmers.<br />
Gambling that the unrest will not spill over from foreign-owned factories, China's leaders are using the chance to push investment in regions that have lagged the country's industrial boom.<br />
They have little choice. Many of today's factory workers have higher ambitions than their parents, who generally saved their earnings from assembling toys and television sets for retirement in their rural hometowns. They are also choosier about wages and working conditions. "The conflicts are challenging the current set-up of low-wage, low-tech manufacturing, and may catalyze the transformation of China's industrial sector," said Yu Hai, a sociology professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-11673635224558124662010-07-11T05:59:00.001-07:002010-07-11T05:59:07.913-07:00Underpaid football players?<div style="margin-bottom: 40px;"> <a href="http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/MNT-SOCCER-SALARIES-R3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/MNT-SOCCER-SALARIES-R3.jpg" title="MNT-Vuvuzela" width="450" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-1130164514656619082010-07-11T05:58:00.001-07:002010-07-11T05:58:51.172-07:00Vuvuzela economics<a href="http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mint-vuvuzela.png" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.mint.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mint-vuvuzela.png" title="MNT-Vuvuzela" width="450" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-24769661505396798612010-06-30T21:16:00.003-07:002010-06-30T21:16:20.801-07:0040 creative ambigram designsAn ambigram is, according to Wikipedia, “a typographical design or artform that may be read as one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation.” Cool, right? Check out VectorTuts+’s neat collection of forty inspiring ambigrams. See a few below:<br />
<img height="260" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/JIdjbecimobyvyBCFyBFDIahfkjGgCzjsmyJwdeCyzawtHbwjoJiaEdFiFlb/media_httpvectortutss_bgFwc.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="325" /> <br />
<img height="260" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/ivBFIIvjmshjfgaoEspuvxzDAvFsvAwwvCkneoJneEjneHHnwFtacpqHmxkB/media_httpvectortutss_fnesl.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="325" /> <br />
<img height="260" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/oyehjdtmksxfrxbCrbmAcvuGftDftnxesylmalsltAeFJGejCjogBIkhazJk/media_httpvectortutss_Efhza.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="325" /> <br />
See all forty at <a href="http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/a-clever-collection-of-40-inspiring-ambigrams/" target="_blank">VectorTuts+</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-28926866368947017192010-06-30T21:16:00.001-07:002010-06-30T21:16:00.948-07:00It's the best job in the world, and women are the best at it<img height="273" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/ahuuHoCeIFtmtdtmAneeEzpejiHbaayxDkljDopdvqGceAsilCjEplzxBmDs/media_httpdldropboxco_wfBoj.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="410" /> <br />
Beer isn’t generally geared toward women - think overtly sexualized ad campaigns. But, according to this interesting article by the <em>WSJ</em>, women are far better beer tasters than men. The article explores womens’ new role in the beer industry, and how their exceptional palates can detect the finer details their male counterparts cannot.<br />
Full story at <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575324503844478326.html?" target="_blank"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-48115162137967064982010-06-28T08:46:00.001-07:002010-06-28T08:46:17.291-07:00Fast Company's 2010 Idea gold winners listIf you’re in the mood to stir up your creative juices (or simply to marvel at the brilliance of others), take a minute to explore the list of Gold Winners from Fast Company’s 2010 Idea contest. Among this prestigious list you’ll find amazing products like this one:<br />
<strong>The Electrosurgery Unit Tester (ESU Tester) for developing countries</strong><br />
<img height="305" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/knegfnGIrtrsgEexsdDqjGCtvbsGoupmpksgAptosiyxrtJdDywHHIFqFGbe/media_httpwwwfastcode_CzvAx.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="480" /> <br />
<blockquote> Electrosurgery is a way to perform medical operations, with the ability to cut tissue or coagulate it to prevent blood during surgery. Discarded electrosurgery units (ESUs) can make it to the developing world through the work of charities, non-governmental organizations and other groups. Unfortunately, much of it is not fully functional. This ESU tester costs roughly 1/100 the price of an ESU analyzer used in developed countries, but the tester still provides the essential function: measuring the power output of the ESU. This information is useful to hospital technicians as they diagnose medical equipment so they know what repairs or preventative maintenance need to be performed.<br />
</blockquote>Full list of winners at <a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/idearesults?medal=Gold" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219923392178609763.post-39660850194359730722010-06-28T01:38:00.001-07:002010-06-28T01:38:47.674-07:00Are web marketers training their customers to whine online?<img height="297" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/guykawasaki/GuHGxfIhjadfwFeHIaDJFjvgaajqFygFmssrIdfncBBkAiqvfiuhvqmfkzye/media_httpdldropboxco_FaDfB.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="404" /> <br />
<em>Advertising Age</em> recently posted this insightful article exploring how social media is influencing the habits of angry consumers. This day in age, an angry tweet gets a far faster response from corporate than a quiet phone call will yield—and every day more unsatisfied customers are learning the art of whining on the web.<br />
Read the full story at <em><a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=144560" target="_blank">AdAge</a></em>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com