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How to Build a Website Faster: Website Development Expert Adam Hommey Shows You How, in Upcoming Free Training Program

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Website development expert Adam Hommey will show small business owners, entrepreneurs, professional service providers and thought leaders how to build a website fastso they can start to grow their businesses quickly, when he conducts a free teleseminar training program.

This free training program will take place on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST. Small business owners and professional service providers can register for the event for free at: http://www.launchmywebsitefaster.com.

“I’ve heard of many projects that get held up for four to six months, or more, due to content issues. The clients lost opportunities that would likely have generated thousands of dollars had there been a faster way to build a website,” said Adam Hommey, Founder of Help My Website Sell™ (http://www.HelpMyWebsiteSell.com). “There is a better, faster way to build a website and I’ll show listeners how they can get their website up sooner so they can make money faster.”

Hommey guarantees that the quick website launch system will work whether the small business owner or professional service provider is starting out, re-branding their organizations or just figuring out how to build a website for a new product or service.

Hommey also will educate listeners on:

  • How large and small companies can use WordPress and leverage landing pages to grow their business, get more customers, and increase profits fast!
  • Nine reasons why your current website presence may, in the age of social media, be wrecking your business.
  • How to stop a new website launch from becoming a four to six month ordeal instead of a four to six week experience.
  • Three reasons to build a WordPress website (or convert your existing website to WordPress) that aren’t usually covered in WordPress training programs or other information on how to build a website.
  • Simple Internet marketing technologies that help you emancipate the POWER Of INFORMATION – and how to use them to build a website and strike up the website conversion conversation with your audience right now.
  • And much, much more.

More details on this free training program can be found at: http://www.launchmywebsitefaster.com

People who can attend can listen to a replay of the event. A Q&A session will be held. Small business owners and professional service providers can register for the event for free at: http://www.launchmywebsitefaster.com

Hommey offers this presentation to companies and associations.

To book Adam Hommey for a live presentation, webinar or training program, email adam@helpmywebsitesell.com or call 888-536-5596 ext 23.

To see how Adam can help you, visit his website and blog at http://www.HelpMyWebsiteSell.com and explore his LinkedIn® Discussion Group at http://www.HelpMyWebsiteSell.com/linkedin

 

[SOURCE Adam Hommey]
Filed Under: Business Resources, Need to Know, News Tagged With: , , ,

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning® Named Top Denver Business by Inc. Magazine

November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Oxi Fresh, the environmentally friendly carpet cleaning franchise, was listed as a Top 100 company for Consumer Products and Services in the September issue of Inc. Magazine’s Annual “Inc. 500/5000” list. The 2011 Inc. 500/5000 list is the first time the magazine has featured Oxi Fresh. The listing also included a second “Trophy Case” distinction of an equally impressive #33 ranking for all businesses in Denver.

“We are thrilled to receive this distinction by such a prominent national business magazine. We already knew Denver would embrace a green concept. It is heartening to see that the rest of the nation is following suit,” said Oxi Fresh founder and CEO, Jonathan Barnett.

Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 list profiles businesses that have proven their strategies to be successful in leading to increased growth, revenue, reputation and have become trendsetters in their respective industries. To qualify for the Inc. 500/5000 list, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, for profit, and independent – they cannot be subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

The 2011 Inc. 500/5000 list measures revenue growth from 2007 through 2010. Oxi Fresh has seen a 182 percent increase in revenue over the last three years, by increasing their annual revenue from $977,087 in 2007 to nearly $2.8 million in 2010.

Since 2006, Oxi Fresh has expanded their presence to more than 235 locations in 45 states with more than 50 locations in development. A leader in the environmentally-conscious cleaning industry, the Denver carpet cleaning company provides products with low volatile organic compounds that are safe for both children and pets.

Oxi Fresh has received numerous awards throughout their five years of business, including earning #126 in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 and ranked #3 in their Top New Franchises. They also were featured as one of “20 to Watch” in 2011 by Franchise Times.

For additional information, visit www.OxiFresh.com or www.oxifreshfranchise.com.

Filed Under: Business Resources, News Tagged With: , , , ,

Walmart Announces Launch of E-Commerce Empowerment Solution for Women Around the Globe

October 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Walmart announced plans to launch a dedicated page on Walmart.com that will feature an assortment of products created by women in nearly two dozen countries, including women  who work in cooperatives and own small businesses. Scheduled to be available in spring 2012, products will include jewelry from Guatemala, Thailand and Ethiopia; coffee from Central and South America; and dresses from Kenya.

This builds on the five goals Walmart announced last week around global women’s economic empowerment. By 2016, the dedicated e-commerce site will feature approximately 500 items – from apparel and jewelry, to stationery and accessories – by more than 20,000 women in nearly two dozen countries.

“The challenge for small women-owned businesses – and particularly women artisans – is that they have a fantastic product, but they may not have the size or scale to sell in our brick-and-mortar stores,” Leslie Dach, Walmart’s executive vice president of Corporate Affairs, said at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. “This commitment today gives these women access to an established set of customers on Walmart.com, as well as the benefit of the company’s knowledge about customers, packaging and promotions.”

Walmart’s partners for the initial line include Full Circle Exchange and Ethical Fashion Africa, a program within the International Trade Centre.

“Walmart’s effort to empower women through e-commerce will truly create ‘scale for good’ and transform the lives of countless women, allowing them to work their way out of poverty in ways that are both sustainable and dignified,” said Mark Priddy, co-founder, Full Circle Exchange. “This initiative coincides with Full Circle’s mission to empower women through commerce and exponentially increases the reach of entrepreneurs who have the skills, capacities and imagination to create more just economies.”

For more information on Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, launched by Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke, visit www.walmartstores.com/women.

Filed Under: Business Resources, Featured, Women in Business Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

BlogWorld & New Media Expo Unveils New Features for Upcoming Mega Social Media Event in Los Angeles

October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the world’s first, largest and only industry-wide social media event, is making its Los Angeles debut November 3-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to expanding to two shows this year, and moving its Western U.S. event from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, BlogWorld has unveiled several new event features.

“BlogWorld experienced a tremendous 40% growth in 2010 and this year expanded to two shows per year; with that we’ve made several new additions to our event’s lineup,” said Rick Calvert, CEO and co-founder of BlogWorld & New Media Expo. “BlogWorld is the type of conference that grows with its community, and many of the new things we’ve added are in direct response to our community’s requests and we’re looking forward to bringing them something new in Los Angeles.”

For the first time in the event’s five-year history, BlogWorld & New Media Expo will include:

PodCamp L.A. – BlogWorld welcomes PodCamp L.A. to its New Media Expo trade show floor. PodCamp is a community-run and user-generated event for podcasters and listeners, where participants are both the experts and the speakers. PodCamp L.A. will feature knowledgeable podcasting practitioners that have come together at BlogWorld to teach and learn form each other. First held in Boston, Mass., PodCamp has spread across the United States and the world.
Track Keynotes – In addition to daily Keynotes, BlogWorld will open the conference each day with three concurrent Track Keynotes showcasing its most sought-after presenters and niche-focused content. Track Keynote topics will be announced soon.
Featured Track Keynoters include:
  • David Armano, EVP, Global Innovation & Integration, Edelman Digital
  • Chris Brogan, Blogger, Author, Consultant and President of Human Business Works
  • Kelby Carr, Founder and CEO of Type-A Parent
  • C.C. Chapman, Blogger, Podcaster, Social Strategist and Co-Author of Content Rules
  • Jason Falls, Blogger, Social Media Strategist and Co-Author of No B.S. Social Media
  • Chris Garrett, Online Business Coach and Co-Author of ProBlogger
  • Ann Handley, Blogger, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs
  • Sonia Simone, CMO of Copyblogger
  • Liz Strauss, Brand Strategist,  CEO & Founder of SOBCon
  • Tom Webster, VP, Strategy, Edison Research
#BlogChat – #BlogChat is one of the most popular chats on Twitter, led by Mack Collier every Sunday night at 6 p.m. PDT. Collier is bringing #BlogChat to BlogWorld in a LIVE format instead of online.
Networking Breakfasts – BlogWorld kicks off each morning with a networking breakfast where attendees can connect with each other and mingle with speakers, exhibitors and sponsors.
Hands-On Workshops – BlogWorld introduces hands-on workshops where attendees will do more than just listen, they will put the practices they are learning into play on location. Planned workshop topics include: SEO, webinars, public speaking, corporate blogging, photography, video, humor writing, successful Facebook pages, real-time content creation, content marketing and more.
Revamped Virtual Ticket – The Virtual Ticket has been improved so users feel as close to being at BlogWorld as possible. It includes more than 100 hours of session recordings and will feature Johnny B. Truant, a big-personality blogger and creator of the new Virtual Ticket, as the Virtual Emcee. In addition to the session recordings and streaming coverage of keynotes and evening networking parties, Truant will host exclusive interviews with speakers not even available to live attendees, as well as provide behind-the-scenes footage and backstage access to BlogWorld.
The Virtual Ticket is a great substitute for people unable to attend BlogWorld. It is also a valuable add-on for conference badge holders, because is allows them to experience sessions they may have missed and revisit those they found particularly engaging.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo 2011 in Los Angeles is sponsored by premium brands such as: Ford Motor Company, Southwest Airlines, .ME, Verisign/.TV, Century 21 Real Estate, Technorati, Blogger, WordPress.com, Vanilla Forums and more. Featured speaker interviews and news reports from the Expo will be presented by TechZulu and WebProNews.

About BlogWorld & New Media Expo

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media.  Thousands of attendees learn about Content Creation, Distribution, Monetization and Social Media Marketing strategies, including step-by-step techniques and leading-edge tools from the most successful and influential Bloggers, Podcasters, Vloggers, Web TV & Radio Broadcasters, Social Influencers, New Media Pros and Online Journalists.

For upcoming event info and announcements, subscribe to e-news at www.blogworldexpo.com and get the latest new media industry news at www.blogworld.com.

Follow BlogWorld on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blogworld and www.twitter.com/blogworldexpo.

Filed Under: blogging, Business Resources, Featured, News, social media Tagged With: , , , , ,

E-Commerce Leader Zoovy Adds Kount’s Enterprise Fraud Protection Services

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Kount Inc., a leading operational provider of fraud prevention technology today announced it has integrated with Zoovy, the leader in success driven e-commerce software for online businesses.  Zoovy‘s more than 5,000 websites and online businesses have already begun to benefit from Kount’s enterprise-level fraud and risk assessment solution.  The addition of Kount with the Zoovy platform allows merchants an easy-to-use and scalable fraud solution for businesses operating in credit card-not-present environments.

For each transaction, Kount’s “decisioning” engine analyzes hundreds of relevant variables and activity across the globe in real-time. Kount applies a multitude of technologies based on the specific needs of each merchant, including Multi-layered Device Fingerprinting®, Proxy Piercer ® geolocation tools, statistical scoring, rules-based fraud detection, cross-merchant linking, and Persona™ behavioral modeling.  The result is a highly predictive risk assessment delivered in an average of just 350 milliseconds. The platform gives greater visibility into fraudulent activities, allowing companies to control risk associated with fraud while maximizing sales and dramatically reducing the need for costly and time-consuming manual review.

“Anybody who has really taken the time to evaluate a fully functional Kount deployment quickly realizes it’s hands down without a doubt the most sophisticated fraud screen available – period. When it comes to being able to identify, and respond to threats – if there is something better, I haven’t seen it – in fact nothing else I’ve seen even comes close,” said Brian Horakh, CEO, Zoovy Inc.

“Merchants of all sizes serious about confidently expanding sales into new markets and new payment methods are looking for maximum protection from fraud and other associated risks,” said Kount COO Steve Rouse.  ”Zoovy’s integration of Kount speaks to the demand for online businesses to protect themselves from fraud.  For many businesses, fraud has a crippling effect that impacts revenue, growth, as well as credibility with customers.  Kount’s enterprise solution is focused on providing company’s a turnkey solution that safeguards Fortune 100 companies and smaller merchants alike looking to securely sell more products, to more people in more places.”

Merchants are increasingly falling victim to sophisticated and global fraudsters. Zoovy customer, Zephyr Sports has already benefited from the Kount integration.  An expanding sports retailer with both online and retail properties, Zephyr relies on Zoovy’s ecommerce platform for a variety of services, ranging from automated processing, inventory, customer service, marketplace management and now fraud. “Kount is a great tool with unlimited possibilities. The integration is already allowing me to ship an increased amount of valid orders, while still maintaining a high level of fraud detection. This will definitely impact my bottom line in a positive way,” said Bob Mullaney, CEO, Zephyr Sports.

About Zoovy

Zoovy, Inc., a complete  e-commerce solution, provides tools and services for online businesses looking  to increase sales and efficiency. With a multi-channel sales strategy, businesses reach more customers and drive more sales by integrating with online marketplaces such as Amazon.com, eBay, Sears, Buy.com and many other top comparison shopping services. Zoovy automates product management, listing, sales, inventory, shipping and accounting processes, offering complete online storefronts and auction management tools for both small merchants and large wholesaler/retailers. For more information about Zoovy, please visit www.zoovy.com.

About Kount

Kount delivers an all-in-one fraud and risk management solution for companies operating in card-not-present environments looking to simplify their fraud/risk operations and dramatically improve bottom line profitability.  For each transaction, Kount’s fraud/risk assessment engine analyzes hundreds of relevant variables and activity across the globe in real-time, then delivers a highly predictive risk assessment in less than one second. Kount provides a single, turnkey fraud solution that is easy-to-implement and easy-to-use. Kount’s proprietary technology has reviewed hundreds of millions of transactions and provides maximum protection for some of the world’s best-known brands. For more information about Kount, please visit www.kount.com.

 

[SOURCE Kount Inc.]

Filed Under: Business Resources, Marketplace Changes, News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Yelp Launches in Switzerland

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yelp (http://www.yelp.com), the community-led local search site, today announced the availability of Yelp Switzerland (http://www.yelp.ch). Beginning today, locals are able to create accounts on Yelp.ch to share their opinions about great local businesses and services. Yelp’s free iPhone and Android applications will also be made available in Switzerland, as will its free suite of business owner tools: Yelp for Business Owners (http://biz.yelp.ch).

“Situated in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is a world class nation characterized by a desire for the finer things in life,” said Miriam Warren, Vice President of European Marketing, Yelp. “Our hope is that Yelp can deliver a platform for this discerning population to share their opinions on everything from fashion boutiques and chocolate purveyors to everyday services like dentists and cleaners.”

The site supports German, French, Italian, English, Dutch and Spanish to reflect the culturally diverse make up of the resident population. The launch of Yelp Switzerland follows hot on the heels of the company’s launch in Italy last week, and represents an important move in Yelp’s European growth strategy, bringing the total country number to nine.

September 2011, Yelp Italy (http://yelp.it)
May 2011, Yelp Spain (http://www.yelp.es)
December 2010, Yelp Netherlands (http://www.yelp.nl)
October 2010, Yelp Austria (http://www.yelp.at)
July 2010, Yelp Germany (http://www.yelp.de)
May 2010, Yelp France (http://www.yelp.fr)
June 2009, Yelp Ireland (http://www.yelp.ie)
January 2009, Yelp UK (http://www.yelp.co.uk)

While available throughout Switzerland, Yelp will focus its initial community building efforts in Zurich — a city by city approach that has served the company and its other markets well in the past. Yelp now has thriving communities in 17 major cities across Western Europe.

To learn more and see pictures of Yelp.ch and our iPhone and Android applications, visit our Yelp Official Blog (http://officialblog.yelp.com/)

Filed Under: Business Resources, News Tagged With: , ,

Walmart Launches Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative

September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke today launched a major initiative that will use the company’s global size and scale to help empower women across its supply chain. Working over the past year with leaders from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropic groups and academia, Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative has established five goals. By the end of 2016, we aim to:

  1. Increase sourcing from women-owned businesses. Over the next five years, the company will source $20 billion from women-owned businesses in the U.S. and double sourcing from women suppliers internationally.
  2. Empower women on farms and in factories through training, market access and career opportunities.  New programs will help 60,000 women working in factories that supply products to Walmart and other retailers develop the skills they need to become more active decision-makers in their jobs and for their families. The initiative will also help women farm workers participate more fully in the agriculture supply chain.
  3. Empower women through job training and education. Successful retail training programs will be scaled to help 200,000 women internationally. In the U.S., Walmart will help 200,000 women from low-income households gain job skills and access higher education.
  4. Increase gender diversity among major suppliers. The company will work with major professional service firms and merchandise suppliers with over $1 billion in sales to increase women and minority representation on Walmart accounts.
  5. Make significant philanthropic giving toward women’s economic empowerment.  The company will support these programs with more than $100 million in grants that drive progress against key goals. Funding will come from the Walmart Foundation and donations directly from Walmart’s international businesses.

 

“Helping more women live better is a defining issue for our business and our world,” said Duke. “We’re stepping up our efforts to help educate, source from and open markets for women around the world. We want women to view us as a retailer that is relevant to them and cares about them. We want them to be leading suppliers, managers and loyal customers.”

Walmart is putting to work the same model for making a difference that it has used to take on big issues like hunger, healthy foods and sustainability. In doing so, it will partner with an array of leaders in this area, including CARE, Vital Voices, CountMeIn, WBENC and WeConnect International.

“Walmart’s global women’s initiative has the potential to be a game-changer for women and for economic growth,” said Melanne Verveer, U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues. “By tapping its core competencies as a global retailer, Walmart will empower more women to access markets and develop careers in the global supply chain, transforming their lives and the lives of their families.”

“This effort recognizes the untapped power of women around the world and CARE is honored to partner with Walmart on this groundbreaking initiative,” said Helene Gayle, president and CEO, CARE.  ”Together we can sustainably and dramatically improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of women – factory workers and farmers among them. Together we will see these women change the lives of their families and communities for the better. We congratulate Walmart for taking this bold step forward.”

The company has also established country-specific goals and commitments in markets where it operates. For example, over the next five years:

  • Walmart China is helping women farmers make their agricultural operations more sustainable and productive through its direct farm program.
  • Walmart India is providing retail skills training and career development to women through its Bharti Walmart Training Center.
  • Walmart Brazil is hiring women construction workers to help build its new stores and provide job opportunities for women in Sao Paulo.
  • Walmart Global Sourcing is launching a program to improve the lives of women factory workers in Bangladesh, India and other key sourcing markets.
  • Walmart in Central America is helping female suppliers grow their business through programs like Una Mano para Crecer (A Hand to Grow).

 

Leslie Dach, Walmart’s executive vice president of Corporate Affairs, discussed the company’s approach to women’s economic empowerment.

“We do not believe that a company has to choose between being a successful business and a responsible one,” he said. “We have a model for making a difference that works.  When we combine the Walmart model with women’s empowerment, we have an incredible opportunity to make a difference on the big challenges facing our world.”

For additional details on Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, visit www.walmartstores.com/women

 

[ SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.]
Filed Under: Business Resources, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Latino Professionals in Southern California Compete for Grants to Launch and Grow Their Small Businesses

September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The entry period for the Third Annual Latino Small Business Awards presented by Verizon Wireless will continue through September 30, 2011. Established entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and working professionals can nominate themselves or others for cash and technology grants valued at over $70,000.  More information, including how to enter, is available at www.verizoninsider.com/negociosand at local networking events held throughout Southern California.

There are three entry categories: Outstanding Entrepreneur for established entrepreneurs whose businesses have been in business for over one year, Outstanding Aspiring Entrepreneur for professionals planning to start their own businesses within the next five years and Outstanding Business Professional for professionals who work for a small or large corporation and do not own their own businesses. The winners of the Outstanding Entrepreneur and Outstanding Aspiring Entrepreneur awards will each receive one Motorola Xoom, one 4G LTE Mobile HotSpot, three 4G LTE Samsung Charge devices and voice and data service one year or up to $7,000– and $10,000 in cash! The winner of the Outstanding Business Professional award will be awarded a $2,500 donation to a non-profit of his/her choice, one Motorola Xoom, one 4G LTE Mobile HotSpot, three 4G LTE Samsung Charge devices and voice and data service one year or up to $7,000.

Applicants must explain how a Verizon Wireless grant will help change and expand their businesses. Verizon Wireless will then choose contest winners on October 10, 2011 and announce grant recipients on October 14, 2011 during an intimate awards ceremony.

As part of the Latino Small Business Awards contest, Verizon Wireless will partner with several Latino business events throughout Southern California.  Updated times and addresses will be posted on www.verizoninsider.com/negocios

Mobile Technology Workshop, in partnership with El Clasificado Newspaper
September 28, 2011
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
11205 Imperial Hwy., Norwalk, CA 90650
2011 NAHREP Real Estate & Marketing Conference
September 17-20, 2011
JW Marriott LA Live Los Angeles, CA
Diversity Business Expo and Mixer
September 29, 2011
12:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The Double Tree Hotel – Airport
201 E. MacArthur Blvd. Santa Ana, CA 92707
Latino Business Expo
September 29, 2011
4: 00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Four Points Sheraton
1050 Schooner Dr., Ventura, CA 93001
Last year’s grand prize winner, Araceli Padilla of Araceli Padilla Insurance Agency was awarded $2,500 in cash, ten Motorola Droid 2 smartphones and service for one year on these devices. “When my name was announced as the winner of Verizon’s Latino Small Business Award, I was in disbelief because I knew that my hard work and sacrifice was being acknowledged by someone else. Today, that award continues to help me move forward and motivates me to inspire others,” said Padilla.

Filed Under: Business Growth, Business Resources, Featured, News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pre-Paid Legal Services Launches Recruitment Program on Fox News Network

December 30, 2010 By 9 Comments

On Saturday, January 1, 2011, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. will launch a special promotional and recruitment program, “Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.: A Business for Today,” on the Fox Business Network (FBN), a part of the Fox News Network (FNN). The 30 minute program will premiere at 12:00 noon (EST) and be re-broadcast at 4:00 p.m. (EST) in all FBN markets. Additional segments in the ongoing program are now being developed and will feature a variety of PPD leaders.

The videotaped program will offer Fox Business News viewers an informative, fast-paced perspective on the business opportunity available to motivated individuals who want to work for themselves in a position with strong self-determined earning potential.

The initial segment will feature two former Attorneys General (AG), Mike Moore, a four-term AG from the State of Mississippi and Mike Turpen, a former AG from the State of Oklahoma. Moore, now head of the Mike Moore Law Firm, LLC, is on the Advisory Council for PPD and Mike Turpen is a partner with Oklahoma-based Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis, Inc., a provider law firm for PPD since 1987. Both Moore and Turpen will discuss their personal experience with PPD and the value of affordable legal services for everyday legal problems.

The January 1 segment will also feature PPD’s Co-CEO and Chief Marketing Officer Mark Brown and a group of leading independent associates for the company who will discuss the PPD business opportunity. Independent associates who will offer their personal success stories include: Dave Savula of Dawsonville, Georgia; Darnell Self, Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Brian Carruthers, Davidsonville, Maryland; and Mark Smith of Mission Viejo, California.

PPD utilizes a direct selling business model to market its legal service plans to individuals, employee groups and small business owners throughout the PPD service market. In preparation for the January 1 premiere, PPD has prepared an advance promotional video that is being used by the independent associates to generate interest in the broadcast and the use of this program for business development purposes. The company anticipates that thousands of business meetings and direct selling opportunities will be held in conjunction with the program.

PPD Co-CEO Brown believes the “Business for Today” program will help to bring the Pre-Paid Legal message, “Making a Living, While Making a Difference” to new audiences who are looking for either a part-time or a full-time business opportunity.

“Pre-Paid Legal Services is a one-of-a-kind company in the direct selling industry. We offer a product that everyone needs – access to affordable legal services – and the product is marketed by independent associates who have the opportunity to develop a successful business while helping others find answers to their personal legal service needs,” Brown said.

Fox Business News is a part of Fox News Network, LLC. Headquartered in News Corporation’s studios in midtown Manhattan, FBN also has established bureaus in such key markets as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco (Silicon Valley), Washington, D.C. and London. Fox Business News is carried by multiple cable operators, including Time Warner, Comcast, Charter and Direct TV, as well as FOXBusiness.com.

Filed Under: Business Resources, News Tagged With: , , , ,

JOC Sailings Refines Website for Customer Ease of Use

December 19, 2010 By 5 Comments

JOC Sailings, a division of United Business Media Global Trade (UBM GT) and a leader in providing point-to-point sailing schedules and business news for the maritime industry, implemented search and architectural improvements as part of an ongoing plan to improve users’ experience on www.jocsailings.com – an online resource for worldwide sailing schedules, carrier and vessel directories and timely maritime news.

JOC Sailings’ business executives and web development team earlier this year devoted several months to the launch of a revised website, which took place in July 2010. Since then, they have continued to invest in analyzing and improving the site’s value for its visitors. One result of these efforts has been a dramatic decrease in page load times. The team will continue to test and monitor progress for further development.

Perfecting the schedule search module that is the crown jewel of JOC Sailings is a top priority. Ocean transportation professionals, including port officials, freight forwarders and manufacturers, rely upon this tool daily to obtain port-to-port sailings schedules. Direct feedback from customers regarding their experiences with the newly redesigned website have led to some notable enhancements:

  • Allowing “All Origin Points” or “All Destination Points” as search criteria. These options allow users to run a single search for all vessels coming into or leaving a specific port—something that required multiple “Region” searches in the past.
  • Adding “Container” as a separate Vessel Type search filter. Previously included in the default “All” category, this new filter gives users greater ability to define their searches and receive more relevant results.

“Our continuous dedication to building upon the success of the JOC Sailings global sailing schedule module and the delivery of informative maritime industry news is based on our priority to keep customers happy and gain repeat business from our clients. We will do what we have to keep this positive relationship flourishing.” said Ray Venturino, VP Global Seaports of JOC Sailings.

JOC Sailings provides NVOCC’s, 3PL’s, BCO’s and other major players in the ocean shipping industry with a global sailing schedule module that accurately displays sailing schedules. Searches may be performed by region, country and ports, and refined by carriers, vessel types, departure dates and date ranges. Results include arrival dates, vessel names and voyage numbers, which can be sorted by column.

Filed Under: Business Resources, shipping Tagged With: , , ,

SAP Introduces ‘Business Analytics at SAP® EcoHub’

December 7, 2010 By 9 Comments

SAP AG today announced the availability of “Business Analytics at SAP® EcoHub,” a site offering the most comprehensive set of business analytics solutions — from SAP and partners — available in the market. Housed within the trusted network of SAP EcoHub, the site is an intuitive starting point for customers looking to address analytic questions and quickly find analytic solutions. Customers can search through more than 100 offerings and evaluate product demos and trials to help them quickly assess the appropriateness of solutions to their business needs. Additionally, the community environment of SAP EcoHub allows customers to rate product and service offerings and help each other understand each offering’s key benefits. For thousands of partners, this represents an exceptional opportunity to expand awareness of their offerings and differentiation in a community of more than 2 million members among more than 105,000 SAP customers that is well-trafficked and trusted. The announcement was made at SAP Influencer Summit 2010, being held in Santa Clara, California, December 7-9.

In 2010, SAP introduced 26 new industry-specific and line-of-business analytic applications, which SAP plans to double by the end of 2011. These will be among the growing number of offerings from SAP and partners such as Column5 and Deloitte Consulting on “Business Analytics at SAP EcoHub.” In addition, it will go beyond analytic applications and offer dashboards, reports and other content that can be deployed on premise or on demand, with some starter content available free of charge.

“This will be a premier analytics site for thousands of partners and millions of subscribers, acting as a resource for customers and prospects to test our solutions via free trial, consume our solutions via a subscription model, download mobile analytic solutions and share information such as a reports by line of business via SAP EcoHub,” said Sanjay Poonen, executive vice president and general manager, Analytics, Line-of-Business and Industry Solutions, SAP. “By leveraging our analytic products, the strength of our ecosystem and the extensiveness of our subscriber network, we are creating a great resource with easy access to all the solutions, guidance and expertise companies need to understand and choose from the best business analytic solutions on the market. This is a game-changing approach to delivering analytics to everybody.”

Partners Gain Unique Opportunity to Showcase Offerings for Rapidly Growing Analytics Market

Partners new to SAP EcoHub will find it is the premier online marketplace in which customers discover, evaluate and buy partner solutions to complement their SAP installations. In 2009, service partner offerings were introduced in a limited format (see ”SAP EcoHub Expands to Include Service Partner Offerings“). With the recent expansion of the online solution marketplace in October 2010, partners gained more functionality to introduce their broad service portfolios to the SAP ecosystem, allowing them to showcase their offerings and solutions in a way that best matches their terminology, data model and sales concept. Now, SAP is organizing business analytic offerings under one umbrella within SAP EcoHub to give partners a dynamic site to make their business analytic products and services available to the SAP ecosystem. In return, customers gain access to a broad and rich set of solutions, a “one stop” shop of business analytics offerings to match and address their specific business needs.

“The business analytics site from SAP will clearly benefit customers as well as partners like Column5,” said David Den Boer, CEO, Column5 Consulting. “The site makes it easy for customers to learn more about and access our solutions, which in turn help customers accelerate and expand the value of their SAP enterprise performance management implementations.”

The SAP EcoHub environment offers partners an easy-to-use self-service environment to quickly establish a market presence and increase their exposure and awareness among customers. The environment also allows them to share how their offerings differ from others and provides qualified leads to help reduce their sales cycles and lower total cost of sale.

“As the importance of business analytics grows, Deloitte Consulting and SAP are well positioned to help organizations maximize the value of their data,” said Jane Griffin, principal, Deloitte Analytics Americas Leader, Deloitte Consulting.  “By participating in the new business analytics site, Deloitte benefits from the collaborative nature of the forum and can accelerate innovation and reach leaders in the analytics market.”

Today’s news follows the recent launch of SAP® High-Performance Analytic Appliance (SAP HANA) software as part of SAP’s larger vision and strategy to redefine business analytics, breaking new ground in what analytic solutions can do for customers and offering innovative consumption models.

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Black Friday 2010: PriceGrabber.com® Announces Most Popular Products, Deepest Discounts, and Shopping Times

November 28, 2010 By 10 Comments

PriceGrabber.com®, a part of Experian, revealed today that retailers gave deep Black Friday discounts in popular product categories, such as Combo TVs, Power Tools, and Computer Flat Panel/ LCD Screens.  Popular products for Black Friday 2010 included the Lenovo® Notebook, Apple® iPhone™ 4 Smartphone, and the HP® Mini 110-1144NR Netbook. PriceGrabber also found on Black Friday big-ticket items such as electronics, computers and cameras were particularly popular on its iPhone app.

An earlier survey by PriceGrabber revealed that more than one in three holiday shoppers (36 percent) are using their mobile device for shopping-related activities this holiday season. Of these mobile shoppers, 32 percent were planning to shop from their mobile phone on Black Friday.

PriceGrabber’s iPhone Shopping App Data:

Top 10 most popular Black Friday products visited on PriceGrabber’s iPhone shopping app (PriceGrabber iPhone app data)

  1. Apple® – iPad™ WiFi 64GB Tablet
  2. Samsung™ – LN32C350 32″ LCD TV
  3. Samsung™ – UN55C8000 55″ LCD TV
  4. Apple® – iPad WiFi 16GB Tablet
  5. Sony® – Bravia KDL-46EX700 46″ Widescreen LCD TV
  6. Canon® EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Camera (18MP & 15.1)
  7. Sony® – Bravia KDL-40EX400 40″ Widescreen LCD TV
  8. Apple® iPod™ touch 4th Generation – 32GB Media Player
  9. Acer® – Aspire One 531h-1729 Black Netbook
  10. Canon® – Powershot SD1400 IS Point and Shoot Digital Camera

Top 5 most popular Black Friday categories visited on PriceGrabber’s iPhone shopping app (PriceGrabber iPhone app data)

  1. Electronics
  2. Computers
  3. Cameras
  4. Appliances
  5. Toys

“Over the past year, PriceGrabber has been dedicated to driving innovation based on the needs of its shoppers. One of our proudest new developments has been the creation of the PriceGrabber mobile platform which includes apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android,” said Laura Conrad, president of PriceGrabber. “One might think that shoppers could be slightly intimidated when it comes to shopping for big-ticket products such as computers and appliances, from a mobile phone.  Saving money was clearly a great motivator on Black Friday when it came to consumer adoption of innovative technology.”

PriceGrabber.com Website Data:

Most popular Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping times on PriceGrabber.com

  • On Thanksgiving, there was a massive surge in online traffic between the hours of 6am and 11am PT, then again at 7pm PT in preparation for Black Friday shopping
  • The most popular shopping time on Black Friday was 8:00am PT

Black Friday deep discounts: Popular categories showing the highest price drops compared to Black Friday 2009 (PriceGrabber analytics data)

  • Combo TVs –  87 percent decrease in average price
  • Power Tools – 43 percent decrease in average price
  • Computer Flat Panel/ LCD Screens – 36 percent decrease in average price
  • Projection TVs – 27 percent decrease in average price
  • Laptop Cases – 19 percent decrease in average price
  • Cell phones – 17 percent decrease in average price

Most popular tech categories compared with Black Friday 2009 (PriceGrabber analytics data)

  • Cell Phones – 178 percent increase
  • Wii Video Games – 120 percent increase
  • Internet TV Devices – 82 percent increase
  • Plasma & LCD TVs – 40 percent increase
  • Laptops/Netbooks – 15 percent increase
  • Digital SLR Cameras – 15 percent increase

Most popular non-tech categories compared with Black Friday 2009 (PriceGrabber analytics data)

  • Refrigerators – 168 percent increase
  • Watches – 152 percent increase
  • Women’s Boots – 106 percent increase
  • Coffee Makers – 100 percent increase
  • Vacuums – 100 percent increase
  • Washers – 60 percent increase

Top 10 most popular products for Black Friday 2010 (PriceGrabber website data)

  1. Lenovo® G550 Notebook
  2. Apple® iPhone 4 16GB Black Smartphone – AT&T
  3. Husky® 68-Piece Ultimate Screwdriver Tool Set
  4. Ultimate Ears® Triple.fi Pro 10 Stereo Earphone Headphones
  5. HP® Mini 110-1144NR Netbook
  6. Blip Toys® Squinkies Bubble Pack
  7. Canon® EOS Rebel T2i Black SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens
  8. Apple® iPad™ Wi-Fi 32GB Tablet
  9. Microsoft Xbox 360® 4GB Console with Kinect
  10. Samsung® UN55C8000 55″ 3D LCD TV Direct LED

PriceGrabber.com will continue to track online shopping trends and pull product information by the hour for Cyber Monday. PriceGrabber.com executives are available during Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday for interviews.

To see PriceGrabber‘s holiday shopping consumer behavior reports, please visit http://www.pricegrabber.com/about.php?about=press&sub_opt=15.

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