CVS Retail Operations Power Forward

On November 12, 2009

CVS Retail Operations Power Forward

People are getting older, they’re getting the flu, they’re worried about money, and that all spelled better results for CVS in the third quarter. One of the ironies of being in the drug store business is that providing the kind of services shoppers require means making money from their problems. Sometimes it’s just a matter of not having time to get to the supermarket, but, often, the problem is more serious. And folks have problems these days. CVS (CVS) has a few, too, as its Caremark subsidiary, which works with insurers as a pharmacy benefits manager, hasn’t been doing well. Yet the general merchandise side has been stronger even if much of retailing -- led by Walmart (WMT) and Kroger...


On November 12, 2009

A Few of My Favorite Things

I bought my home on ISoldMyHouse.com, I met my husband on eHarmony.com, I found my last teaching position on Monster.com and now I am a Power Seller on eBay. So why do I sometimes still feel like a newbie in the face of online trends and new applications? I notice that the items on my to [...]


On November 12, 2009

What Makes You So Different?

In this short video interview from Flying Solo LIVE! I catch up with Angela Raspass who helps small businesses with their marketing. Angela discusses the need to stand out and explains how your personality is so key, particularly if you're an independent professional and the business is YOU. So if you're searching for you point of difference and looking to get noticed in a crowded marketplace, take a couple of minutes out of your day and watch the interview.


On November 12, 2009

AOL, the $200 Million Coming Disaster

Time Warner (TWX) filed an 8-K with the SEC today and gave a preview of the AOL spin-off. It's coming quick and it's going to be expensive -- and messy.


On November 12, 2009

State Farm Backed by Federal Court in Wind Versus Water Case

As ex-Tropical Storm Ida chugs up the East Coast with flood water surging in on the Atlantic states, insurers like State Farm, Allstate and Travelers bask in the warm glow of a federal court decision this week backing their version of what happens when a major storm hits the U.S. Property insurers such as State Farm pay claims based on wind damage. Water damage payout comes from the federal flood insurance program, which offers only limited coverage. Not surprisingly, when a hurricane hits homeowners like to put in a claim with their private insurer because they pay more. Also not surprising, these insurers try to duck and dodge whenever possible, claiming that water was responsible rather than wind. That's exactly...


On November 12, 2009

This Miracle Whip Thing Is Getting Out of Hand

Miracle Whip took out ads in newspapers today promising to buy every single commercial slot in tonight's The Colbert Report on Comedy Central after Stephen Colbert mocked the alt-mayo in a October segment.


On November 12, 2009

Late Links: Small Business Reading

I'm trying to get in the habit of pointing to some of the best small business reading from around the Web. I don't promise to post it daily, but I hope to do it regularly. So for today, here are some late links to check out:

The "informal economy" -- that's off-the-books business but not outright criminal industries -- could be $1 trillion or 8% of GDP, Taylor Barnes reports in the Christian Science Monitor.

Entrepreneurs want their VC board members to be other entrepreneurs, not just bankers, Scott Austin finds at the WSJ's VC Dispatch.

Simple is harder than complicated, but businesses like Chipotle and Nintendo are build on doing fewer things than the competition, writes Matt Linderman at Signal vs. Noise.

Strategies for targeting frugal shoppers this season from Janet Meiners Thaeler at Small Business Trends.

Learn how to bootstrap your marketing from novelist J.C. Hutchins in Becky McCray's post at Small Biz Survival.

And retirees are launching startups for second or third careers, BW's Lauren Young reports in this week's magazine.

Did I miss something? Let us know on Twitter.


On November 12, 2009

FDA seeks Advice From Blogger; Google Solves Pharma’s Ad Problems

The FDA sought the advice of John Mack, a blogger with 20,000 monthly readers who runs the Pharma Marketing Blog, on how drug companies should use the web to advertise their products. The agency usually likes to hear from lawyers, drug company executives and academics when it seeks regulatory advice.


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