No amount of planning can make a bad, ill-timed idea for a business successful. However, a company that grows rapidly on the back of a great and badly needed product or service can be successful even with woeful planning. Yet a strategy written on the back of a napkin (as many are) will get those companies only so far before trouble sets in. …read more
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No one on board Australia’s True North is ever a “cruise person.” I certainly wasn’t when I set sail, and neither were the two dozen jolly Australians I was with. No one compared stories about past cruises, good or bad. We talked about climbing trips, diving, and other adventures; we were all low-to-the-ground, physically active, looking for freedom, and obsessed, like everyone these days, with the “authentic.” …read more
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By Kenneth Rapoza, Contributor
No one really knows what to make of Brazil anymore, but perhaps the good news in all of this is that the latest projections from the Central Bank’s Focus survey, released each Monday, show no deterioration in the numbers. …read more
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By EDF Energy Exchange, Contributor
No one likes being told “I told you so.” But since DOE released its report last week, I’ve been tempted. …read more
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By Travis H. Brown, Contributor
No one ever claimed that reform is easy. Real change – the type of improvement that betters the lives of families, small businesses, and communities – takes time and determination. When it comes to income tax reform, Maine Governor Paul LePage may not have an infinite amount of time (he is on record saying that he wants to completely eliminate the state income tax by the end of his second term), but he certainly has plenty of determination. …read more
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By Marianne Bickle, Contributor
No one can deny the importance or the impact the Internet has made on the retailing industry. During 2012, the percent of consumers who clicked, surfed or shopped online increased approximately 15% compared to the previous year. Many consumers surf the web not to purchase merchandise but to search information. Retailers have long known the importance of segmenting their consumers based on age. Consumers in different age brackets shop differently, react differently to advertising messages, and desire different products and services. It makes sense that different generations will react differently to how product information is presented on the Internet. At Prosper Insights & Analytics, an annual Media Behavior & Influence survey included a total of 19,774 consumers in December 2012. Three consumer groups were then segmented: Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 (N=6512), Generation X, born between 1965 and 1982 (N=6029) and Generation Y, born between 1983 and 1994 (N=4970). An additional 2263 Adult respondents represented the Traditionalist Generation, born prior to 1946. A map and directions will guide customers: We analyzed 13 categories that consumer would seek information online. 44.4% of Baby Boomers, 47.2% of Gen X and 44.9% of Gen Y accessed the Internet regularly to look at maps and directions. These figures lend support to the companies having a map and directions available on the Internet. Giving directions is comparable to giving customers your phone number. It is obvious; if customers don’t know how to get to your location, they will go somewhere else. The unfortunate part of this finding is that many companies on the Internet don’t include a map or directions. Why? It may be due to an additional cost or because they didn’t think about it. These findings demonstrate that customers think about it. Gen X and Y are passionate for clothing and shoes: Clothing and shoes retailers are always competing for consumer traffic, merchandise sales and consumer loyalty. When one day ends, the competition begins when the next day begins. Retailers try to capture consumers’ attention through branding, slogans, and sales. The Internet is a particularly good source for clothing and shoe retailers catering to Gen X and Gen Y. These two groups regularly surf the Internet for clothing and shoe information (35.8% and 44.1% respectively). 23.2% of Baby Boomers surf the Internet for information on clothing and shoes. In December, 2010, just three years prior, 39.1% of Gen Y said that they searched regularly for clothing and shoes on the net, while 31.4% of Gen X and only 19.4% of Boomers were searching regularly. This is a powerful trend that is going to continue to increase as consumers use the Internet to save time, money, gasoline, and capture new ideas more quickly, efficiently and effectively. The Internet is a valuable tool for explaining the benefits of the product. Retailers can insert statements to instill retailer loyal behavior. Retailers can highlight the store offering the products, discounts, and special offerings. Movie magic: The movies are big business; very big business. Prior to …read more
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No, I am not referred to the uber popular book that had many in various stages of quiver. I am referring to how the decisions we make based on what we read or hear. Our brain is very much in love with the single answer approach-something is right or it is wrong, period. The sense of assuredness allows us to live within the framework of comfort and security. With the exception of things like, a boiling pot of water being hot enough to blister your skin, there are more areas where “maybe’s” and “possibly’s” should supplant the absolutes of yes or no-right or wrong. …read more
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By Frank Sorrentino, Contributor
No one can argue that the past 24-36 months have tested the confidence of small business and its ability to regain footing in the current economic environment. The facts are the facts: our country experienced one of the worst financial crises in decades. We ended 2012 with news of the fiscal cliff dominating media outlets and jumped right into 2013 with concerns about the budget cuts of the sequester.
From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/franksorrentino/2013/04/17/is-small-business-ready-for-the-recovery/
No one likes to do it but let’s assume in this case it needs to be done. Let’s assume that for reasons of talent, or effort, or behavior, or cultural fit, or whatever, you as the manager have determined that a certain employee has to go. No one enjoys this. So how do you go about it in the best possible way?
No matter the fate of Obamacare exchanges for the uninsured, private employers and insurers are flocking to the concept of offering their workers benefits via online marketplaces.
By Margie Warrell, Contributor
No one likes a pushy person. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push back from time to time. In fact, if you don’t, your career will suffer and you’ll fail to build the trust you want from others – both in your work and outside of it. …read more
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No matter how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the Defense of Marriage Act, more companies are offering same sex domestic partner benefits to their workers, and in increasing numbers, according to the latest data from two of the nation’s largest health benefits firms. …read more
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No, it wasn’t a conspiracy plotted by Big Oil or Republican operatives using mercenary hackers after all. And unless you happen to get all your news from the mainstream media, you will undoubtedly recognize that by “Climategate”, I’m referring here to the thousands of leaked email communications between prominent international researchers within the U.K.’s University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit (CRU) network. That person (yes, single individual) has come forth to shed light on a real conspiracy…one to spread false alarm about a concocted global warming crisis. …read more
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“No does not mean no. No means no for now,” quips Jenn Hyman, co-founder and CEO of the breakthrough fashion start-up Rent the Runway. While designers thought Hyman was crazy to try to build a business renting fashionable duds, the proof is in the pudding, three million users and 35,000 dresses of pudding that is. Three years since the e-doors opened, Rent the Runway is democratizing fashion one dress at a time, enabling millions of women to have Cinderella moments everyday. …read more
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No one thinks home security is cool or interesting, but when you’ve raised almost $180,000 with a custom made kickstarter-esque website, home security becomes pretty interesting. Dave Shapiro and the team at Scout realized that home security is a commodity and most of the 17% of the country that has security is dissatisfied with their provider. They thought they could bring security up to date, and to do so they went about building their own organic fundraising campaign to get them off the ground. Dave was able to share some insights on how they pulled this off. …read more
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No magazine is as well known for stunning photography as National Geographic. Celebrating its 125th birthday, the magazine has long been cataloging world culture, science and natural beauty with some of the best images ever taken. Now its 50 greatest photos of all time are on display – including some never seen before. …read more
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No doubt there will be all sorts of earnest celebrations of International Women’s Day on March 8. That’s all very admirable, but as a great 20th-century prophet said (or sang), sometimes girls just wanna have fun. To that end, the Dorchester Collection of posh hotels (the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel, among them) has put together an appealingly indulgent spin on the landmark day. …read more
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No retailer does a better job of cross-selling to its customers than Amazon.com ($AMZN). Amazon is quite effective at exposing customers to complementary—and competitive—goods along with the products a customer initially considers. Many of us have had the experience of going to Amazon to buy one thing but checking out with a huge shopping cart of items that we didn’t initially seek—or even know were available. Amazon’s merchandising often benefits Amazon’s customers, but trademark owners who lose sales to their competition due to it aren’t as thrilled. Fortunately for Amazon, a California federal court recently upheld Amazon’s merchandising practices in its internal search results. …read more
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By Forrester Research, Contributor
No, not cars that move quickly — cars that move data quickly via fast built-in connections. Today GM announced that most of its US …read more
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