Google Caffeine – A Taste Test

On August 23, 2009

You & I Need Our Friends! Lean on Me!

One of the BIG MISTAKES in life today is that most people never reach out for help, never lean on their “Who” in times of need. Not sure if you saw this YouTube w/ Bill Withers & USC Trojan Football Team last week. Love Bill's advice to the te...
On August 23, 2009

It’s Time to Take a Closer Look at Insurance Exchanges

Aside from the public option, the Democrats' effort to control insurance costs for individuals and small businesses focuses on insurance exchanges that would offer them a wide range of health plans (possibly including a public plan) and would pool participants to get group insurance rates. These exchanges, featured in the House and Senate reform bills, superficially resemble the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program. However, because federal employees—as well as members of Congress—must use the FEHBP if they want the government to help pay for their coverage, the federal employee program is actually quite different from what is proposed in the reform measures. Those proposals contemplate something that's more like the small business health insurance purchasing cooperatives of the 1990s—most of...
On August 23, 2009

Towards an Asia Pacific Economic Community | BTalk Australia

[caption id="attachment_1872" align="alignright" width="170" caption="Prof Fariborz Moshirian"][/caption] (Episode 314; 19 minutes 45) Is the time right for the formation of an Asia Pacific economic community, similar in style to the EC? Professor Fariborz Moshirian from the Australian School of Business recently wrote on the subject for the Journal of Banking and Finance. He says the formation would be a process rather than an event, but would it work in such a diverse region dominated by two key players (China and Japan)? What would such a market mean for Australia if it provided a free flow of capital and labour? Would it challenge our export position or provide new opportunities? Professor Moshirian believes it can happen and in the long run...
On August 23, 2009

Target Challenged on Consumer Perception

Sometimes you can go through a whole conference call and never hear an analyst pose a really challenging question to executives, but in Target’s second quarter earnings conference call last week someone did, and the answer, coupled with a later inquiry and response, provides some insight into the retailer’s immediate prospects. Target has been making a lot lately of its move to offer more lower prices and to improve its price perception among consumers even as it adds more food to bring customers into its stores more often. Neil Currie, an analyst for UBS, challenged Target executives on the point. In the conference call, as transcribed by SeekingAlpha, he asked: Your sales performance particularly when comparing to some other value...
On August 23, 2009

Common Linking Methods of Affiliate Programs Explained

If you’re a small business owner, an affiliate marketing program is a fantastic opportunity to make a lot of money without having to have a lot of capital or overhead costs.  And if you have a web page, affiliate marketing is a great way to make quick cash without adding a lot of extra work. But [...]
On August 23, 2009

Is the Show Over for Newspaper Movie Listings?

Filmgoers who have long turned to the local newspaper to find theaters and show times for movies may have to start looking elsewhere as theater chains rethink the value of paper and ink in a digital age. The top two U.S. chains, Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment, have begun in recent months to reduce or eliminate the small-type listings showing the start times for movies at individual theaters.
On August 23, 2009

There Is No Word-of-Mouth “Marketing.”

Apologies to WOMMA aside, I'm not convinced that Word-of-Mouth marketing exists. Why? Because adding the word "marketing" assumes that it's something the business causes to happen. Word-of-Mouth may be influenced by business, but by it's very nature it can never be controlled.


On August 23, 2009

Apparel Sales Will Take Biggest Back to School Beating

In a tough back to school selling environment, it looks like apparel is going to take the biggest hit among major seasonal product categories, according to a study by IBISWorld. In a way, George Van Horn, senior analyst at IBISWorld, echoed recent comments by Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke when he commented on the study, saying, “Parents will inevitably put more thought and less dollars into their back-to-school shopping strategies.” Van Horn added that discount-oriented retailers, including dollar stores, “can expect to see a greater wave of traffic since parents are doing everything they can to save an extra buck.” In fact, according to the IBISWorld study, the average spend per child spend in apparel will slide from $144.54 last year...


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