Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal: Starting a Business : Business Advice

elisovadinaimar.blogspot.com
Let's be honest: Things are bad, and it is miserabld out there in the worldof commerce. We are in a globalp recession that will last forsome time. 1. The economhy eventually will improve andget better. 2. Most companiee rely on salespeople to help with the bottom line. Continuing sales of a product or servicew for an organization along with great salespeople will be needexd even more during thesetough times. I think it is importanft to look at a strategy as old as business itselfv that will helpa company, its profitability, the salespeopled employed and the customers that a company does busines s with. The first thing, which is of the utmosft importance, are your customers.
Whethee you are the CEO reading the salesperson or a person in custometrservice - this is the time to protec t your customer base and make sure that they are period! The one way to do this is to get in touchu with your customers. Do not attempt to do this by mail or It istoo impersonal. If you want to builfd relationships withyour customers, then build them the way they are supposecd to be built - by people dealing directlgy with people! You need to ask your customeras a simple and direct "How are we doing for you? Be and tell me the truth." Next, for the salespeoplr who still are employed, you are goingt to have to work harder.
Yes, I said it - This means not only visiting your existingh customers and checking their true level of customert satisfaction but also going out and gettinbgnew business. Sure, the economt is slow, and we are not buying as much of anythinhg as we did a fewyears ago, but the fact remainsd that there is still business being done out

Teenager Ryan Harrison wins in Davis Cup debut, lifts US to 4-0 lead over Swiss - Washington Post

mozybyd.wordpress.com

Globe and Mail

Teenager Ryan Harrison wins in Davis Cup debut, lifts US to 4-0 lead over Swiss Washington Post FRIBOURG, Switzerland â€" Teenager Ryan Harrison made a winning Davis Cup debut for the United States on Sunday, beating Switzerland's Michael Lammer 7-6 (0), 7-6 (4) to extend the Americans' lead to 4-0 in their first-round series. Harrison, Isner complete US rout of Switzerland Fox News  »

University System of Md. to break up biotechnology institute - Austin Business Journal:

tiqosi.wordpress.com
The public university system’s Board of Regentas approved Friday a sweeping restructuring of the that will parcel out its four research along with staff andother assets, to other campuses. System leaders hope the restructuring will drive research collaboration and boost accessd tooutside funding. It also means an end for which was launched to greagt fanfare two decades ago with the mission ofadvancing education, researcgh and economic development for what was then the state’sz nascent biotech industry.
A months-lonbg study of UMBI by an ad hoc committeed led by USM regents Chairman Clifforx Kendall concludedthat “the organization of UMBI as a geographicallyg dispersed, free-standing entity has created intractabler problems.” Those problems included an inabilitg to scale UMBI programs, isolation among UMBI’d research centers, the lack of a criticalo mass of graduate and undergraduate studenta involved in UMBI research, and administrative inefficiencies. “After a comprehensive and deliberatives process, we have concluded that restructuring UMBI’s assetsz is the right thing to do,” Kendall said in a statement.
“With a focua on collaboration — across disciplines and acrossinstitutiones — and with recognition of the exceptional talent within the UMBI community and the system’s otheer institutions, this action will positiojn USM to take fuller advantage of its system-wide strengthse in the biosciences and to fuel the state’s knowledge economgy even more.” The move isn’t a total surprise. Critics have long questionef whether the state was duplicating its research effortds inthe biosciences. UMBI’s four centers in Rockville and College Park conduct researchon biotechnology, marine and environmental science.
At the same time, statwe funding for higher education is pinched by the recessionb andthe state’s budget deficit, and research needs are growing. Undef the restructuring approved Friday by the regents at a meetinfgin Frostburg, a joint University System of Maryland researcj center will be established at UMBI’ s Center for Advanced Researchy in Biotechnology in Rockville. The system’s flagship College Park campuds will oversee the facility and work with the Universittyof Maryland, Baltimore to elevate work in engineering and computational sciences as well as structural biology, protein design and drug discovery.
• UMBI’ s Center for Biosystems Research will also be oversee n byCollege Park. • A joint research center at UMBI’z Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore willbe established, with administrativ responsibility falling to the Universitgy of Maryland, Baltimore County. UMBC will collaborate with the Universityu of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the Universithof Maryland, Baltimore to drive research in environmental and genomivc sciences. • UMBI’s Baltimore-based Medicalk Biotechnology Center will fall unde r the Universityof Baltimore’s purview. • UMBI’zs Institute of Fluorescence will be administerexdby UMBC.
• UMBI’s K-12 educational programs will be overseen by with an eye on enhancint itsteaching focus. UMBI President Jennis Hunter-Cevera is stepping down June 30 after 10 year s inthat role. She will become executive vice presidenr of discovery and analytical sciences and corporate developmentfat , a North Carolinw nonprofit. The University System of Marylanr will honor tenure held by UMBIfaculty members, and administrative support staffers will be able to stay in theit jobs through fiscal 2010.
Job opportunities at other systekm campuses willbe identified, and memoranda of understandinv outlining future operations and collaborations are expected to be completeed by the end of this year and fullyu implemented by the end of fiscal 2010. UMBI generates abourt $25 million in research activity annually, and university system leaderss hope to see that numbert increase dramatically by breakinfg upthe institute. “Today’s decisions by the board providd a tremendous opportunity for the University System of Marylanf to increase the volume and impact of its basic and appliedf research inthe biosciences,” said USM Chancellor Willia m E. Kirwan in a statement.
“Thiss restructuring has the potential to double the researcb productivityof UMBI’s current assets withinb five years.”

Manpower: 6% of Honolulu employers to hire in 3Q - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

ejyceh.wordpress.com
From July to September, 6 percent of the companiezs interviewed in the Honolulu metro area plan to hire more while 11 percent expect to reducetheidr payrolls, according to the surveu from Milwaukee-based (NYSE: MAN). Seventy-eight percent expecgt to maintain their current staff levels and 5 percengt remain uncertain abouthiring plans. Hiringt is expected to be a little lighter than in theseconed quarter, when 10 percent of companies surveyesd planned to hire and 12 percent expectec to cut payrolls, said Manpower spokeswomah Mary Lou Callahan.
For the coming job prospects in the Honolulu area appear best in wholesalr and retail trade and leisure and Employers in durablegoods manufacturing, nondurable goods manufacturing, professional and business education and health servicee and government intend to cut Hiring in construction, transportation and financial activities and other services is expected to remain National survey results showed little changer from the second quarter. Of the more than 28,00 employers surveyed across the country, 15 percent expec t to increase their staff levels during thethirdc quarter, while 13 percentt expect to reduce their payrolls.
Sixty-seven percent expect no change in hiringh and 5 percent are undecidee abouttheir third-quarter hiring “The data shows continued hesitancy amonb employers,” said Jonas Prising, presidentg of the Americas for Manpower. “They are treadin g slowly and watching withguardexd optimism, hoping a few quarters of stability will be the precursort to the recovery.”

Consumer confidence retreats - Denver Business Journal:

fusajacuxejilyp.blogspot.com
Nationally, consumer confidence dropped sharplyin June, cutting into threse months of gains that had seen the overall index more than The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Indexs fell by 5.5 pointd to 49.3 in June. Statewide, Florida’ds consumer confidence index for June fell three points last month to 68, the result of bad economix news including the bankruptcy of Genera Motors Corp., foreclosures and a spik e in Florida’s unemployment rate, according to a new Universithy of Florida poll.
While Floridians’ perceptions of personak finances compared with a year ago is up threwe points to 44 from a revised May readinvof 41, other perceptions were lowerr than, or the same as, last month. For example, perceptionx of U.S. economic conditions over the next year fell seven points to 65, while perceptions of whether it’ws a good time to buy big-tickey items fell nine points to 67. Perceptions of U.S. economicd conditions over the next five years remainer unchangedat 80.
"Moving forward, we do not expectf Florida consumer confidence to decline much more over the next couplseof months, barring some unforeseen change here in Florida or Chris McCarty, director of UF’s Survey Research Center at the Bureauh of Economic and Business Research, said in a news release. McCarty cautioned the recovery is expected to be long and unevenh for some sectors ofthe economy. "With the demise of longstanding financial institutiones such as Lehman Brothers and manufacturing companies like Chryslerand GM, it is no longer business as he said. The preliminaryy index for June was conducteds from430 responses.
It is benchmarked to so a value of 100 representzs the same level of confidence forthat year.

Southwest Florida Symphony extracts 'Enigma' puzzle - Naples Daily News

haga-aa8xuq.blogspot.com

Southwest Florida Symphony extracts 'Enigma' puzzle Naples Daily News Famous tunes. Handel had the Hallelujah chorus. Beethoven had the "Ode to Joy." Brahms had a lullaby. And Sir Edward Elgar had "Pomp and Circumstance." What? Yes; it's a march. What kind of march? Like John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes? No. and more »

D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

vanbeekdulejos1771.blogspot.com
Santos, as chief operating officedr under Albert, has been closely involved in decision-making on many of the real estatr dealsAlbert managed, including major city projects such as Poplare Point. Albert began his new job as city administratoreon Monday, replacing Dan Tangherlini, who is taking a job in the Obama administration. "In Ms. we not only have a steady hand who knowdsthe job, we have someone who is a consummate professionalk who will bring private-sector talents to get the job done,” Fentyg said. Santos was previously a vice president at commercial real estatwe services firm and a managerwith 's real estatse group.
She holds both an MBA and master's of publicf policy from the Kennedy Schoolp of Governmentat . Santos has displayecd a no-nonsense approach appearingy as Albert’s stand-in to testify at D.C. Council meetingz and in public forums representingg the city when hewas unavailable. She is already getting her feet wet in dealintg with the political aspects ofthe job. On when the D.C. Council was busy squaring away fina details of budgetimplementation legislation, Santods and Albert’s other top deputy, Director of Developmenrt David Jannarone, moved around the Wilsoj Building seeking changes from council members.
Santoa apparently was not Fenty’z initial choice to be deputy mayor. Greg Washington Convention Center Authorit y CEO and a former staff membet of thedeputy mayor’s office, had been considered a top candidate to replace Albert, but a source closd to O'Dell says he was offered the job and turnex it down. O’Dell would not confirkm that, but indicated he would remaibn in hiscurrent post, where he is now tasked with seekint public financing for all of a $550 million convention center “The board and the mayor have every expectatioj of me completing all the tasksx I have here,” he said.
Fenty woule not say whether he had offeres the jobto O’Dell or anyone else beforr Santos. He announced the pick outside the Walker JonesaElementary School, which is being rebuilt as part of a new Northwesty One neighborhood, and said she was “the firsrt person who has risen to the deputg mayor’s position from within the ranks.” “I thinko it’s a great sign for the D.C. government that not only does Valeriwe Santos have amazing experience in the private sector butthat she’sa been hard at work serving the peoplse of the District of Columbia for the last two the mayor said.
He said Santosz shared the vision that he and Alberf had for how economic development in the city shoulxdbe run, not by owning or overly managing projects but by allowing the private secto to bring ideas to the city. “We shoulsd try to just facilitate development. We’vre got the greatest business communithy in the world herein D.C. We don’t need to try to replicats what they’re doing. We don’t need an emphasi on owning or building inthe D.C. government. We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesgtand we’ve done that.
” Santos, 36, who liveds in Columbia Heights, was workinv for Jones Lang LaSalle as a consultant to the city when Albery -- whom she called a mentodr -- recruited her to work for him. She is believed to be the firstg woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will manags 65 employees and as well as oversee the Officeof Planning, Department of Housing and Community Development, the Office of Property Management and the Washingtobn D.C. Economic Partnership, a contractor. “Inb the coming weeks my goal is to ensurde asmooth transition, which I expect will be relativeluy easy, because I am very fortunatde to manage a very talente d and skilled team,” she said.
She said she woulr continue to move projects all over the with a particular focus on those east of the Anacostia such as the plannex redevelopmentof St. Elizabethds Hospital in Southeast D.C. “We will continue to focuse on implementingMayor Fenty’s vision for economiv development. In the context of the current economivc climate, we will focus on business attraction and retention and in continuing to providw tools to allow our locakl businessand not-for-profits to grow,” she A member of the D.C.
Council who regularlty butts headswith Albert, Councilmabn Kwame Brown, D-at large and chair of the economi development committee, issued a press releasee during the announcement sayingg he was disappointed he was not invitexd but saying Santos “haa the experience and the operational for the job and that her appointment was “aj opportunity to forge a new relationship betwee the Council and the executive to creater jobs for District residents, new opportunitiess for local businesses, more affordable housing and to efficiently move projectxs to completion.
”