The 1,000th Sales Machine Post

On October 1, 2009

The 1,000th Sales Machine Post

Yes, this the 1,000th Sales Machine post.  To celebrate, I'm taking the morning off. Just for fun, though, here's the first Sales Machine post, in all its over-enthusiastic glory: Everybody sells. I don’t care what business you’re in; you’re selling something. Have an idea? You’ve got to sell it to your boss. Are you a big shot CEO? You’re selling your credibility to investors. You work in rocket science? You’re selling your expertise. Are you a great artiste, beret and all? You’re selling the value of your art – even if money never changes hands. It’s ironic, though. Despite the fact your success in any field is entirely dependent on your ability to sell, Western culture considers selling tawdry. “Selling...
On October 1, 2009

Light Your Office Properly to Avoid Fatigue, Improve Productivity

How much time and effort have you spent on the lighting in your office -- at work or at home? If you're a cubicle drone, there might not be much you can do about your canned lighting, but if you work from home at least some of the time, then investing in a smart lighting solution can make you more productive, more comfortable, happier, and reduce headaches and eye strain. Want to ensure that you have a well-lit office? Web Worker Daily recently published some office lighting tips you should consider. Here are the, err, highlights: Maximize natural lighting. If you have any choice, organize or position the office to get the most natural light, since it's both free and...
On October 1, 2009

China Touts Gas Hydrate Find in Tibet

Beneath the glaciers and permafrost of Tibet, a vast untapped resource exists, just waiting to be dug out, according to China's Ministry of Land and Resources. A number of Chinese websites are reporting that the country has discovered buried gas hydrates in the region at 130 meters and deeper. Gas hydrates are a form of frozen methane, bonded with water, that might be a huge source of energy today if only they were easier to reach -- most reserves are deep in the ocean, where they remain frozen more easily. The Chinese discovery appears to be one of the few significant terrestrial finds to date. Even on land, it will take new technological innovation to efficiently mine hydrates. That seems...
On October 1, 2009

As Lewis Departs, Bank of America Faces Toughest Quarter Yet In 2009

In mid-September, I pointed out that after a calm year, Bank of America faces storms ahead (see story here). At the time, equity prices were booming and not many seemed to pay much attention to these words of caution. Some of that process is already starting to unravel, however. After only just managing to retain his position as chief executive officer earlier in 2009, Ken Lewis announced this week that he's stepping down to leave a successor to build on or dispose of the more than $130 billion of acquisitions he oversaw since 2001. Among those, Merrill Lynch and scandal-plagued Countrywide will no doubt be the more challenging acquisitions to handle for the new chief executive. Of the internal nominees...
On October 1, 2009

A Global Web Site Localization Primer

When an Indian company tried to sell its Swastika brand of clothing in the West, it was not quite prepared for the backlash. In Hindu culture the swastika is a highly revered religious symbol of peace and well being. The trouble is, no one had done the necessary homework to find out about how that word and symbol were perceived in the West.
On October 1, 2009

Think, Then Measure: BI in the SMB

Suppliers and consumers have tightened their belts under current economic conditions, sending businesses scrambling for cost-cutting methods. Small and medium businesses have turned to business intelligence tools in response to these pressures.
On October 1, 2009

CIT Group Failure Threatens Halt To This Year’s Financial Sector Recovery

Just as the financial services industry seems to have made it past the worst of the economic meltdown, one small lender now threatens to reverse that trend. CIT Group, a lender to small and medium sized businesses, appears to be on the brink of collapse for the second time this year. CIT Group averted bankruptcy over the summer, when it secured a $3 billion loan with its bondholders, and managed to tweak a giant tender offer for debt maturing shortly thereafter. The move served as a mere stopgap however, since the lender had a $2.9 billion negative cashflow position at the end of June this year. With the moment of truth at hand once again, insiders say that CIT is...
On October 1, 2009

Could Wynn Macau’s IPO Raise $1.63B?

Wynn Macau's initial public offering of 1.5 billion Hong Kong shares is priced to raise $1.63 billion for Wynn Resorts, the cash-strapped Las Vegas-based casino operator owned by Steve Wynn. Wynn Resorts planned to sell a 25 percent stake in the Macao casino project. So far, Las Vegas Sands Corp. chief executive Sheldon Adelson also plans a similar IPO of its Macao project to raise cash. Supposedly confidence is high that gaming will continue to rise in Asia and the demand for Wynn Macau stock is rumored to be strong. (Of course, it is probably Wynn spreading those rumors . . . ) But even so, if the Macao IPO works and can provide quick cash to the company, both Wynn and Adelson would be fools not...
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