Archive for September, 2009
Making money
by admin on Sep.27, 2009, under Uncategorized
Smart Business Atlanta, Jul 2008 by O’Hara, Kristy J
Quantity, quality and frequency are critical factors at Network Communications Inc., says Daniel R. McCarthy.
As chairman and CEO of the $203 million publisher of printed and online magazines for the real estate market, McCarthy has to make sure that all of his 45,000 monthly advertisers are getting the right amount of traffic from the ads they place and that it’s high-quality traffic. It’s a lot to manage, especially when he also has to ensure that his sales force is happy and can effectively continue bringing in advertising customers. Despite the challenges of this balancing act, McCarthy knows it’s his job to create alignment and direction and to ensure everyone is moving steadily forward.
Smart Business spoke with McCarthy about how he creates alignment and about the business lesson he learned from packing his kids’ lunches.
Follow through. When I’m making lunch in the morning for my kids to take to school, and I put it in their lunchbox and internet marketing hand it to them to put it in their school-bag, they trust the sandwich is in there. They don’t open it up.
If I give them the lunchbox once without the sandwich, they may laugh at me and then ask me for a couple days, ‘Hey Dad, is the sandwich in there?’ but they’re going to trust me when I say, ‘Yeah, I did it this time.’
But if they get a lunchbox three or four days in the space of two weeks where there’s no sandwich, they’re going to start opening that lunchbox, and they won’t trust me.
That’s why delivering on a product-promise is absolutely critical. You can make one mistake, and as long as you correct and acknowledge it, the people you’re delivering the service to will trust you, but if you make a handful, they’re going to doubt you.
Business is no different than any part of life – it’s structure with a set of rules, but at the core of (those) rules are accountability, trust, credibility and consistency.
Trust your salespeople. If your salespeople aren’t doing anything, then more often than not it’s because you’ve put the wrong incentive in front of them.
The sales organization is a lot like water. When you pour water, it seeks the easiest path – it doesn’t try to go through a rock – it goes around a rock. A sales organization will do the same thing. They want it to be as simple and as quick to make money off of it.
Engage the sales organization in conversations constantly because you can’t let the sales organization feel they don’t have accountability
TravelCenters of America LLC Amends its Lease to Permit the Early Sale of Certain Capital Improvements to Leased Properties
by admin on Sep.26, 2009, under Uncategorized
Business Wire, May 12, 2008
WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America LLC (AMEX: TA) today announced that it has agreed to amend one of its leases with Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE: HPT) to permit TA to sell to HPT certain capital improvements to properties leased from HPT earlier than previously permitted.
TA became a publicly owned company as a result of a spin off from HPT on January 31, 2007. Simultaneously with its spin off, TA leased travel centers from HPT. The original lease for these travel centers permitted TA to sell to HPT certain qualified improvements to the leased travel centers; specifically, HPT agreed to purchase up to $25 million of improvements per year during the first five years of the lease term (a total of $125 million). The contractual rent due from TA to HPT under this lease is not affected by these sales.
After the spin off, TA determined to accelerate its capital improvements at these travel centers TA leased from HPT. As a result of this accelerated improvement program, TA has spent and expects to spend more than $25 million for improvements to these leased properties in each of 2007 and 2008.
The lease amendment announced today will permit TA to sell to HPT qualified improvements which TA has made or may make to these leased travel centers on an expedited basis. In the event that TA elects to sell to HPT qualified capital improvements before the time contractually required by the original lease terms, HPT’s purchase commitment amount will be discounted to reflect the accelerated receipt of funds by TA according to a present value formula established in the amended lease.
Conference Call:
TA is currently scheduled to host a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2008 results on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. During this conference call, Tom O’Brien, CEO and Managing Director, and Andrew Rebholz, Chief Financial Officer, will also be available to discuss and answer questions regarding the lease amendment discussed in this press release.
The conference call telephone number is 800-270-6751. Participants calling from outside the United States and Canada should dial 913-312-6674. No pass code is necessary to access the call from either number. Participants should dial in about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. A replay of the conference call will be available through Monday, May 19, 2008. To hear the replay, dial 719-457-0820. The replay pass code is 4577916.
A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available in a listen only mode on TA’s web site, which is located at www.tatravelcenters.com. Participants wanting to access the webcast should visit the company’s web site about five minutes before the call. The archived webcast will be available for replay on TA’s web site for about one week after the call.
About TravelCenters of America LLC: TA travel centers are operated under the “TravelCenters of America”, “TA” and “Petro Stopping Centers” brand names and offer diesel and gasoline fueling services, restaurants, heavy truck repair facilities, stores and other services. Our nationwide business includes travel centers located in 41 U.S. states and in Canada.
WARNING REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 AND THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS. THESE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED UPON TA’S PRESENT BELIEFS AND EXPECTATIONS BUT THEY ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO OCCUR AND THEY MAY NOT OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS. FOR EXAMPLE:
* THIS PRESS RELEASE STATES THAT TA MAY SELL MORE THAN $25 MILLION PER YEAR OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS TO HPT
Seeking his inner Adonis: more beauty and personal care marketers are targeting the growing vanity of men.(Beauty & Personal Care Market)
by admin on Sep.25, 2009, under Uncategorized
Response, April, 2007 by Pugatch, Courtney Beth
From professional wrestling and comic books to movies and magazines, it seems everywhere we look there are images of muscular, fit men. As the media continues to be drawn towards this image, millions of men are feeling pressured to achieve this impossible goal of physical perfection.
Older men have been spending hours at the gym sculpting their muscles. Young men and boys have been taking dangerous anabolic steroids and other, less troubling supplements to help reach what our current society deems as perfection.
More and more, these men are even suffering from eating disorders. Others are more nervous about their physical appearance
One light, two light, red light, blue light
by admin on Sep.25, 2009, under Uncategorized
0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 19, 2009 | by Anonymous
Commuter: I noticed blue lights on the back end of traffic signals in Pleasanton and Livermore. Can you find out what these are? They are approximately 1 inch around. They seem to be pointed at oncoming traffic.
Zach Thompson, Stockton
Queen: Zach, these blue lights help police catch folks who run red lights. They’re called “tattle boxes,” or “rat boxes.”
Here’s how it works: When the red light goes on, the blue light on the “tattle box” located on the back of the traffic signal also goes on. This means that a police officer watching from the other side of the intersection will be able to tell that the light has turned red.
If the officer sees a car drive through the intersection after the light turns blue, the officer knows the motorist has run the light and can go into action.
Commuter: I take the offramp from eastbound Highway 24 to Ygnacio Valley Road. At the end of the ramp the choices are to turn left, go straight into the BART station or turn right from the two right- hand lanes.
Lane markers suggest that the far right exit lane should turn into the far right lane on Ygnacio. But drivers don’t always do this.
Several times a week someone from the far right lane will just about sideswipe the car turning into the middle lane. How do I suggest to the Walnut Creek traffic people that perhaps arrows would make the situation safer?
Dana Weld, Bethel Island-to-Berkeley commuter
Queen: Dana, the Queen contacted Walnut Creek Traffic Engineer Rafat Raie, who said his division will consider adding a guideline to keep people in the curb lane on the offramp from merging into the center lane on Ygnacio when turning right. A guideline is a dotted line that marks the curvature of the turn, indicating that motorists should stay in the same lane.
Queen: Thanks to the readers who responded to Her Majesty’s call for locations where exit lane cheaters do their evil deeds. (Exit lane cheaters circumvent traffic backups by jumping into empty exit lanes, then cutting back in at the last minute.) Here are some good ones:
Commuter: On eastbound Interstate Highway 580 near the Hacienda exit, I see a sheriff’s deputy there every day, and I see at least one person pulled over and as many as three.
Zach Thompson, Stockton
Queen: Ah, that’s what we like to hear.
Commuter: Highway 4 eastbound leading up to the Pacheco Boulevard exit. Three lanes merge down to two about a half-mile before the exit. The maroons (my word for morons) continue driving on the shoulder after the curb lane ends and keep going until they run out of road, even though people slow down to let them merge in. Then other motorists have to come to a complete stop so the cheaters can merge in.
Sharyn Owens, Concord
Queen: This is the worst yet. Get out of the gene pool, and the exit lane, you guys.
Commuter: On Highway 24 westbound in Lafayette at the Pleasant Hill Road exit, people use the exit as a cut-through to avoid traffic during the morning commute, making it hard for everyone who is actually using the exit. It always makes me late to class.
Scott, Walnut Creek
Queen: Scott, your note gives another reason why exit lane cheaters are in the wrong. They’re slowing down motorists legitimately using the exit lane.
Queen: Last Sunday, a reader asked why some traffic signals have louvers that look like metal bars. The Queen said they prevent sunlight from washing out the colors of older lights. Turns out the answer is a bit more complex. The louvers were used on older signals for reasons including programming so the color could be seen only from some oncoming lanes
Emergency Road Service (ERS) Call Volumes Above Normal, Says AAA
by admin on Sep.25, 2009, under Uncategorized
U.S. Newswire, December, 2007
To: STATE EDITORS
Contact: Jim Rink, 1-313-336-1513, or Nancy Cain, 1-313-336-
1514, both of AAA Michigan
DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Preparing now for
freezing rain will help keep your vehicle on the road, advises AAA
Michigan. Since midnight, the Auto Club has received nearly 2,000
calls for emergency road service, a 10-percent increase over normal
levels for this time of year
The Natural Dentist
by admin on Sep.23, 2009, under Uncategorized
MMR, June 23, 2008
The Natural Dentist
Prevents gilbert orthodontics tooth decay by strengthening and protecting tooth enamel. The all-natural formula kills germs and soothes the mouth and gums, leaving you with a healthy feeling of clean. Contains no alcohol and does not stain teeth or burn.
Fresh mint flavor tastes great and provides long-lasting fresh breath.
Key Sales Contact: Harvey Sosin
Tel: (781) 333-6325
www.thenaturaldentist.com
Booth #4051
Trina Solar Signs Sales Agreement with PROINSO
by admin on Sep.21, 2009, under Uncategorized
PR Newswire, July 23, 2009
CHANGZHOU, China, July 23 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ — Trina Solar Limited (“Trina Solar” or the “Company”), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, today announced that it has commenced shipment under a long-term supplier agreement with PROINSO (”Proyectos Integrales Solares S.L.”), a leading distributor for solar photovoltaic equipments and a specialist in engineering services in Spain.
Trina Solar is one of two suppliers to provide PROINSO with PV modules. Shipments for the second quarter of 2009 through 2010 are covered in the supplier agreement. The modules are expected to be used for solar projects in the United States and major European markets including Italy, Greece and Spain. Trina Solar expects to supply PROINSO with up to 25 MW and 50 MW of PV modules in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Prices and quarterly purchase volumes under this agreement are pre-determined through March of 2010. The Company made its first shipment in late June 2009.
”Trina Solar is excited to enter into this agreement with PROINSO, whose renewable energy activities span across several key PV markets,” said Mr. Arturo Herrero, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Trina Solar. ”This agreement will further strengthen our relationship with PROINSO and allow Trina Solar to provide high quality modules made from our vertically integrated manufacturing platform.”
“This agreement enforces and confirms the strategic alliance between both companies,” declared Mr. Gustavo Carrero, Marketing Director of PROINSO. “This relationship assures a high quality technical solution that will enable us to successfully approach diverse PV markets worldwide, always fulfilling the needed requirements in terms of reliability, competitiveness and excellence, proven by Trina Solar in the recent years of our partnership.”
About Trina Solar Limited
Trina Solar Limited is a well recognized manufacturer of high quality modules and has a long history as a solar PV pioneer since it was founded in 1997 as a system installation company. Trina Solar is one of the few PV manufacturers that has developed a vertically integrated business model from the production of monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of high quality modules. Trina Solar’s products provide reliable and environmentally-friendly electric power for a growing variety of end-user applications worldwide. For further information, please visit Trina Solar’s website at http://www.trinasolar.com/ .
About PROINSO
PROINSO is part of the OPDE Group business group, which is comprised of the following companies: MECASOLAR, PROINSO, and OPDE. The group offers a complete solution that includes dual-axis solar tracker manufacturing, materials engineering and supply, installation and global development and construction of photovoltaic solar plants
GBP5 million to improve child and adolescent mental health in-patient services.
by admin on Sep.21, 2009, under Uncategorized
M2 Presswire, August, 2000
M2 PRESSWIRE-14 August 2000-UK Government: GBP5 million to improve child and adolescent mental health in-patient services (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:14082000 Services for children and adolescents with serious mental health problems will benefit from GBP5 million of targeted funding this year, Health Minister John Hutton announced today.
The funds will be used to increase the numbers of in-patient beds and other specialised services for children and young people suffering from serious mental health problems. This is part of a GBP90 million boost for child and adolescent mental health services spread over three years, originally announced in February last year. Mr Hutton said: “This investment will help to ensure that this…
Emergency Medical Services Announces Public Stock Offering by Existing Equity Holders
by admin on Sep.21, 2009, under Uncategorized
Business Wire, August 03, 2009
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Emergency Medical Services Corporation (NYSE: EMS) (EMSC or the Company)
today announced that it intends to commence a public secondary offering
of 7.0 million shares of class A common stock.
EMSC will not receive any proceeds from the offering. The shares are
being offered by affiliates of Onex Corporation (the âOnex Entitiesâ)
and represent approximately 22% of the Onex Entitiesâ equity interests
in EMSC. After giving effect to this offering, the Onex Entities will
own approximately 59% of the equity interests in EMSC and approximately
93% of the combined voting power. The shares are being offered pursuant
to an existing shelf registration statement filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (âSECâ) on Form S-3, which was
declared effective on November 14, 2008.
The shares of class A common stock in the offering have not yet been
issued. The selling stockholders currently hold LP exchangeable units in
Emergency Medical Services L.P., which they will exchange for shares of
class B common stock. Upon transfer, the shares of class B common stock
will convert automatically into the shares of class A common stock being
sold in the offering. Purchasers will receive shares of class A common
stock from EMSCâs authorized capital.
BofA Merrill Lynch, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Credit Suisse are acting as
joint bookrunners for the offering. The underwriters will have a 30-day
option to purchase up to an additional 15 percent of the offered amount
of the class A common stock sold.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these
securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale
would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities law of any such jurisdiction. The offering will be made only
by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus,
copies of which may be obtained from BofA Merrill Lynch, 4 World
Financial Center, New York, NY 10080, Attn: Prospectus Department, or
from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prospectus Department, 85 Broad Street, New
York, NY 10004, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by
emailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com
and from the SECâs website at www.sec.gov,
when available.
About Emergency Medical Services Corporation
Emergency Medical Services Corporation (EMSC) is a leading provider of
emergency medical services in the United States. EMSC operates two
business segments: American Medical Response, Inc. (AMR), the Companyâs
healthcare transportation services segment, and EmCare Holdings Inc.
(EmCare), the Companyâs outsourced hospital-based physician services
segment. AMR is the leading provider of ambulance services in the United
States. EmCare is a leading provider of outsourced emergency department
and hospital-based physician services. In 2008, EMSC provided services
to 11.4 million patients in nearly 2,100 communities nationwide. EMSC is
headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information herein may be deemed to be
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Federal Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject
to risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, general market
conditions, the market for the company’s securities, the performance of
the company’s business and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the
company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
Lights, cameras, but little action in local film industry
by admin on Sep.21, 2009, under Uncategorized
San Diego Business Journal, Jan 26, 2009 by Connie Lewis
As Hollywood goes, so goes San Diego’s fledgling film industry.
At least that’s how it’s been in the past, since the big studios opted for San Diego as an alternative offering a variety of location sites and hassle-free permitting compared to the red tape they have to go through in Los Angeles, says Cathy Anderson, CEO of Cathy Anderson the San Diego Film Commission.
However, since the Screen Actors Guild, the union that represents actors, may strike, the trickledown effect of Hollywood production work has all but dried up.
As of press time, board members and executives of the SAG were divided over whether to call a strike vote. But the studios are reluctant to fund pilots and production only to lose that money in the event a strike does occur, Anderson explained.
“Even though there is no strike, there might as well be because everything is frozen,” she said. “Nothing is on the docket as everyone holds their breath and waits.”
For the year ending June 30, direct spending from television, feature films, commercials and other productions, such as corporate videos, was $42.3 million locally.
Biggest Slice
TV series made up the biggest slice of the pie–$28.6 million–and fiscal 2009 was shaping up to be about the same before CBS pulled the plug on a romantic drama in production here, “The Ex-List,” in late October and the possibility of the SAG strike loomed.
Direct spending includes salaries for local talent and crews, money spent on goods and supplies, dining and hotel accommodations. During fiscal 2008, the film commission tabulated 2,677 production days and 16,622 nightly hotel room stays for out-of-town crews.
Work at local studios, such as Stu Segall Productions in Kearny Mesa, is counted in the tally.
Aside from marketing to film studios, production houses and TV stations, the film commission helps scout locations, obtain permits for filming and secure lodging and supplies once here.
Anderson says a new marketing strategy is to lure more independent filmmakers and advertisers filming commercials.
San Diego is popular in the wintertime with fashion retailers in need of a summer-like backdrop for their spring and summer catalog shoots.
“We get a lot of print,” Anderson said. “We do fashion catalog shoots, including Draper’s & Damon’s, Lands’ End, Eddie Bauer and Macy’s. Macy’s is here now.”
Meanwhile, reality TV shows, which don’t use actors, continue in abundance.
“Addicted to Beauty,” a new series focusing on plastic surgery, is in production in La Jolla, and Style Network is filming a segment of “Clean House,” devoted to housecleaning tips, in Lakeside, Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook.
Budget Sources
The film commission’s budget for 2009 is $816,000, of which $660,000 comes from the Tourism Marketing District that assesses hotels to raise money to increase tourism.
The San Diego Unified Port District and the county provided $70,000 and $40,000, respectively, and the TMD recently added $46,000 to help with marketing.
Yet as John DeBello, who heads Loma Media points out, the problem San Diego and other California cities, including Los Angeles, face is that other cities and other nations all “want a piece of the motion picture business.”
“They offer significant financial incentives,” DeBello said
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