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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Top Ten Management on Business Models: An Overview of The Path Through Which a Company Plans to Make a Profit



This overview of the concept of business models was prepared by Yvette K. Schubert while a Finance major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.


David

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A Special Look At The Reverse Auction | World Today - Business



A good, basic overview of how reverse auctions work from a publication called the World Today. See:

A Special Look At The Reverse Auction | World Today - Business

Interesting insights on the role of the "middle man" or "market organizer." Yep, you have to make the markets to make the market work!

David
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What Performance Metrics Matter?: The Disparity - and True Lack of Agreement - Nationwide on How to Evaluate and Rank Colleges and Universities



OK, we may not like it, but the world in 2010 is one driven by metrics, performance measures, bar charts, etc. - all done to make good PowerPoint slides!

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost


This article - and I would encourage you to go read the Chronicle of Higher Ed's original piece on the matter as well (http://chronicle.com/article/30-Ways-to-Rate-a-College/124160/) - shows how little agreement there is out there nationwide on how to evaluate quality and performance when it comes to the world of higher education.

Still, this is the world we live in (and which students and their parents have to make informed choices as to where to spend (read invest) tens of thousands of dollars for their future). In order to succeed (and even exist) in the long-term, we've got to do a better job of yes determining which measures are important - both in terms of inputs AND outcomes - and work to get better at raising these standards. An informed marketplace demands nothing less.

David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/

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Death by PowerPoint: A Funny Video with Great Advice on How to Avoid the Most Common PowerPoint Mistakes

Microsoft PowerPointImage via Wikipedia
Great PowerPoint Tips from Don McMillan in a classic video called "Life After Death by Powerpoint." Keep these in mind EVERY TIME you make a PowerPoint presentation - no matter who it is for, where you deliver it, and how many people you are presenting to. Watch - and learn (and laugh, too):


Life After Death by PowerPoint
Uploaded by pietergc. - Click for more funny videos.

Do everyone a favor and forward this posting to your friends, colleagues, and even your boss!

David

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War is....PowerPoint?

Sgt. 1st Class Mack Davis, a South Carolina Ar...Image via Wikipedia

So, you think you've had your fill of endless PowerPoint presentations in your job? Be glad you're not in today's military!
Colonel Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. - a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts (thanks, man - doc!) - has "stepped out on the ledge" a bit to shine a light on how war is conducted today - largely by PowerPoint (at least where the top generals are!). As a reservist serving in the headquarters' staff for the the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan, Col. Sellin took out the driver and penned a column criticizing how the generals are conducting the war based on endless PowerPoint briefings to a bloated headquarters staff (Sellin said there was so much Army brass at the command center that: "Around here you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a colonel."). Col. Sellin further wrote that:

"For headquarters staff, war consists largely of the endless tinkering with PowerPoint slides to conform with the idiosyncrasies of cognitively challenged generals in order to spoon-feed them information."

You can read Col. Sellin's complete, original column that "stirred the pot" at the link below:
Outside View: PowerPoints 'R' Us

And coverage of it here, from Federal Computer Week:
'War consists largely of endless tinkering with PowerPoint slides'

and here, from Wired:
Colonel Kicked Out of Afghanistan for Anti-PowerPoint Rant Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/anti-powerpoint-rant-gets-colonel-kicked-out-of-afghanistan/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WiredDangerRoom+%28Blog+-+Danger+Room%29#ixzz0yBmCHD2L

Since the column appeared, Col. Sellin got an early ticket home from the Afghan front. A New Jersey native, he plans to return to work for an IT firm in Finland. However, his criticism of the military overreliance on PowerPoint is still spreading on the Web. Col. Sellin is not alone in recognizing the "War by PowerPoint Slides" mentality that pervades military leadership today. In April, General Stanley McChrystal, who at that point oversaw the military effort in Afghanistan, criticized his own organization's overuse of PowerPoint: “It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control. Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable.”

So, does your organization over-use PowerPoint? How can you avoid falling into this tech trap? Post your thoughts here.....

David

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Future of TV in an Age of "Free" Media

NEW YORK - MAY 5: President and Chief Executiv...Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Great interview with Jeff Zucker, the President and Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal on "Morning Joe" as he discusses the future of media as more and more, television, movies, and other content are being seen in new ways on new devices. Watch it below:


This should make for some interesting discussion here on the blog. So, how are you watching TV and movies today? On what devices and where? What do you see happening over the next few years?

Post your thoughts here....

David
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Mexico's Drug Wars: What Does It Mean for You?

vistaImage via Wikipedia

Depending on where you are located in the country, the rising tide of violence in Mexico is beginning to be felt in the United States and in our business/commerce south of the border. Here is a very good two-minute update on the deteriorating situation in the country:



This prompts an open-ended discussion? What do you think the future holds for Mexico? How much blame falls on Americans and our failed drug policies/enforcement efforts? What does it mean for foreign investment in the country - and for the very stability of the national government? Has the violence in Mexico affected your business and/or travel plans (I know that I recently turned down a quite lucrative consulting job that would have required me to travel multiple times to Mexico City - so put me in the "yes" category)?

Post your comments and thoughts here on the blog site.

David
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Tequila: Where Does It Come From, Daddy?



OK, for those of you who might have a margarita every now and then - come'on, admit it! Here's a business story for you - where tequila comes from, what makes it tequila, how the spirits are made, and how you can make a whole vacation out of touring and tasting at tequila farms in Mexico. Watch this CBS News story below, entitled "Take A Ride on the Tequila Express":


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Hey, now you know more about international business - and have some "bar knowledge" to display, too! Comment here on the blog with what you've learned - and do share this link with your friends!

David

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Speedboarding: Does Having Yutes Going 60 mph on City Streets Seem Like a Good Idea to You?



OK, we all know that most trends still - even in 2010 - start in California.

So, whadya think about having kids going 60 miles per hour on city streets - on a souped-up skateboard? Cities across California are scrambling to deal with this, and drivers - and parents - are apoplectic and up in arms over this.

Watch the CBS News story below:



Now, sound-off here on the blog with your opinions on this. And if you've got friends, family, coworkers whose kids skateboard, send this blog posting to them - as you know, many teenagers who don't think twice about trips to the emergency room (and posting videos of their skateboard fails to YouTube) are likely gonna be have speedboards on their Christmas list!

David

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Top Ten Management on Sustainable Competitive Advantage: An Overview of How to Increase The Longevity of Customer Relationships




This overview of sustainable competitive advantage was prepared by Candace Hampton while a Finance major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Read the complete article at:
Top Ten Management on Sustainable Competitive Advantage: An Overview of How to Increase The Longevity of Customer Relationships

David

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Friday, August 27, 2010

An eBay for Energy?: California Moves to Establish a Reverse Auction-based Market for Solar Energy Projects

PS20 and PS10Image via Wikipedia

As the author of this piece, Todd Woody, put it: "It's been a big week for Big Solar." Lots of alternative, renewable energy talk in government at all levels and in the media, and as we've commented here in pieces for The Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), as federal and state energy policies are taking shape, reverse auctions will be a big part of making decisions on how to allocate potentially tens of billions for green energy funding in the coming years.

In the link below, you can read about the latest news from California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has set-up a reverse auction system for determining who will receive funding for solar energy projects in the state. Woody proclaims that this will create, in essence, an "eBay for green energy" that will promote the growth of solar energy in the state. The entire article from Grist can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

California moves to set up auction market for green energy | Grist

Here at The Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), we'll continue following developments in the fast-developing area of using reverse auctions to allocate funding for alternative energy to get the most bang (or kilowatts) for the taxpayer buck! If you'd like to learn more on how your state or even local government could use competitive bidding to make your area greener - both from an energy and an economic development perspective - contact us today!

David

From The Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/)
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Sourcing Innovation on How to Counter "Unscrupulous" Supplier-Bidder Tactics in Reverse Auctions

Cropped portion of Abraham Lincoln Photograph,...Image via Wikipedia

“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax."

------ Abraham Lincoln

Here's an interesting perspective that was recently shared by our friend Michael Lamoureux, aka "The Doctor," who runs Sourcing Innovation (http://blog.sourcinginnovation.com/). This is a very good website that anyone involved in e-procurement and/or reverse auctions should bookmark and check on a regular basis.

Lamoureux posted an brief article entitled "Unscrupulous Supplier Reverse Auction Tactics." You can read it in its entirety - and it won't take more than a very well spent minute - below:
http://blog.sourcinginnovation.com/2010/08/19/unscrupulous-supplier-reverse-auction-tactics.aspx?ref=rss

As can be seen, he pulled this "nugget" from what was actually a sidebar in a much-larger report released by ChainLink Research piece on Contract Management: Negotiating, Creating, and Monitoring Compliance (available at http://www.clresearch.com/research/detail.cfm?guid=BD7600C3-3048-79ED-9990-45FDA8E773D8). Lamoureux's advice is clear - and proper preparation can save both the purchaser and all competing suppliers from a whole host of problems in making reverse auction procurements work better - both in the buying process and down the line as the goods and services bought through them come through the door! His article also makes the case for using an experienced third-party auction service provider, as trying to do things "in-house" may well lead to poorly structured events with rules that suppliers can take advantage of - both in the auction event itself AND down the line in delivery of goods and services that don't live-up to the specifications desired by the buyer.

So, when it comes to reverse auctions, do your work upfront (or use a third-party expert to make sure things are done right!). And remember the famous British military adage of "the 7 P's, which holds that "Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance." And pass this article on to all in your company - and even to your supplier-base - to enhance the effectiveness of your own reverse auction efforts!

From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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Top 10 Excuses For Getting Out of Work

NYC - Times Square: Times Square Tower and Ern...Image by wallyg via Flickr
Top 10 Excuses For Getting Out of Work by Ben Welch
We've all been there: it's a beautiful day and you can't bear the thought of going into work. So you call in with the lame-old excuse about feeling ill even though you know your boss doesn't buy it. Besides, "feeling ill" is at best only a short-term solution that won't win you any fans at the office. That's why if you're going to play hooky, you need an excuse that will help you save face as well as your sanity. Here are some ideas.
1. (For women) "I have really bad cramps." Now before you dismiss this one, think about it: Who can argue? It's such an embarrassing topic that nobody will ever challenge you. It's one of those things that men honestly have no clue about and women can sympathize with.
2. (For men) "I have horrible diarrhea." Again, before you dismiss this one, remember that it's such an embarrassing topic - especially for a man - nobody will doubt your sincerity. Plus, it's simple. You don't need an elaborate back story because no one wants to hear the details. If anything, your boss and co-workers will admire you for your honesty.
3. "I'm having an allergic reaction to _______, and I need a day to recover." This excuse requires a few details about when and where it happened as well as the details of your food allergy, but Google should give you everything you need. The upside of this excuse is that you can use it more than once. The downside is that it requires a good memory and some vigilance: for instance, you can't claim a peanut allergy and then gorge yourself on Thai food at the next company junket.
4. "My grandmother's/grandfather's memorial service is today." This excuse works for two reasons: first, because elderly people die everyday no one is going to think your excuse is unlikely; second, no one is going to question (or resent) a death in your family for fear of offending you. If you play your cards right, this excuse is good for four free days - one for each grandparent - with each new job.
5. "My wife/husband is extremely ill and I need to stay home and take care of them." The excuse is a gem not only because you get a day off, but also because it makes you seem sensitive. The only drawback is that it requires an accomplice - namely, your spouse. As such, you may want to save this excuse for a special occasion when the two of you can organize a special three-day weekend.
6. "One of my children locked themselves in the basement. I couldn't get them out myself so we had to call the fire department." This is only one of a multitude of excuses you can use with mischievous children. Just recycle the same formula - child gets in trouble, child needs help, parent to the rescue. This works with children of all ages, from children traumatized by irresponsible day-care workers to playground fights to errant teenagers. (Hey, this is one of the perks of having kids - they torment us 364 days of the year and we get 1 day off. Fair trade.)
7. "I took some work home last night and will be going through it today from home." Whoever invented telecommuting should be sainted. Just remember that in order to sell the "working from home" excuse you need to email or call the office a couple times throughout the day to maintain the ruse that you're working. The best time to do this is at lunch - that way you get credit for the call but you don't have to answer too many questions.
8. "My next door neighbor's house caught on fire last night and damaged a small part of our roof. So I'll have to spend the day with the insurance company and the assessors." Again, this is a formula: something happened to a neighbor (fire, flood, nuclear fallout), and you are involved through no fault of your own. The important thing is to keep it small. Make it more of an annoyance than a disaster. The idea is to convince your boss and co-workers that you are the unlucky one. "Trust me," you say, "I would much rather be at work."
9. "I got pulled over for speeding on my way to work the other day and I have to go to traffic school." The idea here is that you had minor trouble with the law (emphasis on minor) and you have to pay your dues. A variation on this would be letting your license expire - or at least claiming it did - which means you had to go to the DMV and take a written test as well as a driving test, which could easily take a full day. After all, the DMV has its reputation for a reason.
And finally...
10. "My accountant made some clerical errors on my taxes and I'm being audited." In the wake of the Enron scandal and the demise of Arthur Andersen, this excuse is a sure-thing. The important thing is to make the accountant look like the bad guy - you just need to be there to make sure he doesn't do anything shady. Once again, the key to this excuse is to make everyone feel sorry for you, not envy you.
Benjamin Welch has been a college instructor in writing and composition for nearly six years. When he's not teaching or playing golf, he offers advice for students seeking information about online education and adult education.
Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory
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Monday, August 23, 2010

Are You a Cell Phone Artist?: Southeastern's Contemporary Art Gallery Will Let You Show the World What's on Your Phone...and It Just May be Art!

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...Image via CrunchBaseOk, we've all used our cell phone cameras - but do you have a work of art on your phone? Well, here's the news you've been waiting for, as Southeastern's Contemporary Art Gallery is now taking entries for the "National Cell Phone Photography Exhibition." The exhibition, open to both professional and amateur photographers will be held from September 9-25.
You can read about it in the news release below:




     HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Contemporary Art Gallery is now accepting entries for the National Cell Phone Photography Exhibition scheduled Sept. 9-25. The exhibition is open to amateur and professional artists nationally and there is no fee to enter.
     All images must be taken with a cell phone camera and may only be manipulated by use of a cell phone application, said Dale Newkirk, gallery director. No Photoshop or any other photo manipulation software is permitted.
     “Images can be submitted via email or regular mail. All images submitted will be included in the exhibition,” Newkirk said. “In order to be included in the exhibition, entries must be received no later than Aug. 30.”
     Entries are limited to three per person and should be sent via email to dnewkirk@selu.eduwith the subject line “National Cell Phone Show” or to Dale Newkirk, Southeastern Contemporary Art Gallery, Southeastern Louisiana University, SLU 10765, Hammond, LA  70402.
     For a complete list of entry guidelines, contact Newkirk at dnewkirk@selu.edu or at 985-549- 5080.
     The cell phone photography exhibition will be displayed in Southeastern’s Contemporary Art Gallery, 100 East Stadium, next to Clark Hall. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 pm, with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Source: http://www.selu.edu/news_media/news_releases/2010/aug/cellphoto_exhibit.html

So, what's on your iPhone?

David

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Is This The World's Worst Driver? Or The World's GREATEST Driver? (VIDEO)



OK, this goes to show that bad driving is universal! Gotta watch and forward this video!



David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Who's Buying Now: The Feds Never Stop....and That Means Opportunity for You!

How can you grow your small business in the middle of the Great Recession? Why not turn to a prospective client who buys a lot of everything and always pays on time – Uncle Sam! Through participating in the federal government’s reverse auction buys through FedBid, WBEs (Woman Business Enterprises) – and all small businesses – can quickly tap into billions of dollars in goods and services buys each month.

OK, we hear doom and gloom on the news that we watch and read on a 24/7 basis everyday. And in many ways, it is a vicious cycle – as each trickle of bad news seems to add-up to a flood of ill-tidings that makes it seem that when it comes to opportunities to make it in this world, well, one might as well grab a pillow, pull the covers up, and just spend your days watching Law & Order reruns and keeping up with those wacky, yet curvy, Kardashian sisters!


Well, some observers have really good tips for those who still believe that America is indeed the “Land of Opportunity” – and why did we ever doubt it! That’s because no matter how the economy is doing and how reluctant businesses of all sizes – and individuals – may be to spend, one entity is buying billions of dollars of “stuff” every hour of every day – yes, the federal government! And as Denise Gosnell and Jynell Berkshire of Working Moms Only (http://workingmomsonly.com/) recently pointed out, you don’t need a lot of money or friends in Washington – or millions of dollars in lobbying – to make an opportunity for yourself and for the small business you have – or one that you could create, today!.

Gosnell and Berkshire recently authored an article with the eye-catching headline, “How Women Business Owners Can Obtain Billionaire Clients Who Always Pay On Time” (http://workingmomsonly.com/issues/how-women-business-owners-can-obtain-billionaire-clients-who-always-pay-on-time/). They pointed-out the advantages that WBEs (Woman Business Enterprises) have in the world of federal contracting – and give step-by-step directions on how to build a business – quickly – through getting involved as a supplier of “something” or some service to the federal government. Specifically, these authors highlighted how easy it is for ANY small business to get involved in federal procurement through the opportunities provided to WBEs by FedBid, Inc. of Vienna, Virginia (http://www.fedbid.com/), observing that:

Here is a golden nugget that most certified businesses aren’t even aware of. There is also a third way that the U.S. federal government uses to buy goods and services. That method is called FedBid (www.fedbid.com) and is a reverse auction (kind of like eBay) where you can bid on what you are willing to provide the product or service for. The government then awards the project to the bidder who best met the requirements. The winning bidder will usually be the bidder who offered the lowest price. If you wanted to, you could have an entire business that just focuses on supplying the federal government with what it is looking for on FedBid.com.

Wow! Think of it, you can build your business from the ground-up, based on a single, always reliable client who always wants – and needs – to buy more, and who always pays on time. Even better, you can follow the steps outlined in FedBid’s Getting Started Guide (http://www.fedbid.com/sellers/getting_started/) to begin building your business through participating in reverse auction buys being conducted every day by numerous federal agencies. And if you run into any difficulties, you can contact FedBid’s helpful staff for assistance on the web (mailto:clientservices@fedbid.com) or via a toll-free number (877-933-3243).

So, even if you’re not a small business that fits the WBE categorization, you should really explore how you can grow and expand your business opportunities through tapping into the hundreds of billions of dollars of federal procurement dollars. Experience has shown that reverse auctions create new opportunities for small businesses that participate in these buying events, and FedBid’s staff can help guide you through the process. All in all, it’s a no-risk proposition for any business to expand their horizons and explore new possibilities by becoming involved in the world of federal procurement.


BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He is the director of the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).

From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

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