Ideal Business Consultants

AMR: CEO’s $2.7M stock, options likely worthless

Christian Reynolds — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:46:38 +0000

By DAVID KOENIGAP Airlines Writer By DAVID KOENIG Published Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Updated Wednesday, February 15, 2012 | | | | tool goes here Links

DALLAS — The CEO of American Airlines got stock and option awards that were valued at nearly $2.7 million when they were granted last year, but the company says are virtually worthless since American filed for bankruptcy protection.

CEO Thomas W. Horton’s compensa

How to register with iUpdate DNB

Anthony Isabel — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:25:14 +0000

When was the last time you reviewed your D&B business credit report?

Did you know you can review your profile at anytime at no cost whatsoever?

iUpdate DNB is a simple tool you can use to ensure the Dun and Bradstreet database contains the most up-to-date information on your business.

iUpdate provides you with the ability to review and update your company profile online, free of charge, 24 hours a day.

In order to take advantage of this free tool you will need to register with iUpdate DNB. This also goes for previously registered users of eUpdate DNB.

Here is how to register step-by-step:

Step 1: Lookup Your Business

Go to iUpdate DNB and enter your business information to find out if you’re listed. I

Lexus tops as survey finds more auto dependability

Jorja McKinney — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:54:05 +0000

DETROIT — Expect fewer breakdowns, squeaks, rattles or other problems with your car.

A nationwide survey of owners by consulting firm J.D. Power and Associates shows that cars and trucks are more dependable than ever.

Lexus was the top performer in the survey released Wednesday, but most other brands also showed improvement.

J.D. Power polled 31,000 owners of 2009 model-year vehicles and rated brands by the number of problems owners have experienced in the last 12 months. Problems can range from stalling engines and transmission issues to peeling paint and electronics glitches.

The top complaint in this year’s survey was excessive wind noise, followed by noisy brakes.

Lexus owners reported 86 problems per 100 vehicles. P

Direct Sales Versus Network Marketing (MLM)

Anthony Isabel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:50:57 +0000

Many of our entrepreneur marketing coaching clients are involved in Direct Sales or MLMs. Because I was not sure I actually knew the difference (okay, I admit, I didn’t know there WAS a difference!), I thought I should get some help from an expert in the industry!

Guest post by Direct Sales Expert – Tina Kraft

Most Network Marketing Companies have an auto ship for both the customers and the distributors, and to receive your royalties as a distributor it is a minimum monthly autoship to receive your products for “wholesale” – every company is different. N

Hecker moved to a higher security prison in Wisconsin

Jorja McKinney — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:33:01 +0000

Failed auto dealer Denny Hecker has been relocated from the minimum-security prison in Duluth to a medium-security prison in Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Hecker, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence in the federal prison camp in Duluth, was perceived as a possible flight risk or a person who wasn’t obeying phone rules, according to his former defense attorney Brian Toder.

Hecker was moved to a prison in Oxford, Wis., an hour north of Madison.

The Duluth and Oxford prisons both have more than 930 inmates, but the similarities end there.

Victoria Joseph, a spokeswoman for the U.S.

RBS chief bows over bonus

Christian Reynolds — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:13:25 +0000

(Financial Times) — There was a whiff of inevitability about the decision by Stephen Hester, the Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive, to waive his £1M ($1.57M) bonus late last night, as the political and media furor mounted.

People familiar with Hester’s thinking said Labour leader Ed Miliband’s move to force a Commons vote on the controversial award was the final straw in an escalating drama that was jeopardizing his credibility to lead an institution still in the midst of a difficult restructuring.

McDonald’s to create 60 jobs

Christian Reynolds — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:27:17 +0000

Sixty new jobs are set to be created in McDonald’s restaurants across Greater Manchester this year, the fast food chain said today.

The group is creating at least 2,500 new jobs across the UK in 2012, taking McDonald’s total UK workforce to 90,000.

More than half of the new jobs are expected to go to those under the age of 25 as the group aims to tackle rising unemployment figures amongst young people.

The new jobs build on the 13,500 McDonald’s has created over the last three years as a result of continued growth driven by restaurant investment, extended opening hours, constant menu improvements and new menu options the firm said.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, “It is fantastic news that McDonald’s is creating 2,500 new jobs in the UK – and that over half of these posts will go to young people.

“McDonald’s has an excellent reputation for developing its staff with training and apprenticeship programmes.

“This invests valuable time and resources to help young people, with little or no experience in the world of work, to develop their skills and confidence.

“In the end, that gives young people a terrific opportunity to move up within the company, or use their experience and training to move into other jobs. It’s a te

How Will the Health Care Bill Affect Your Business?

Anthony Isabel — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:57:08 +0000

Many small business owners have been asking exactly how the health care bill will affect them. We don’t have a crystal ball but we will do our best to try to answer some of your most important questions.

What is the Timetable for Employers?

In 2011, the law will require individual and small group market plans to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services. Large group plans have to spend at least 85%.

By 2014, employers who have more than 50 employees must offer health insurance benefits or pay penalties. Companies with 25 or fewer employees who meet certain wage requirements will also be able to get credits toward health insurance purchases. <

Mining – Regional – Pan American to take over Minefinders in US$1.49bn deal

Jorja McKinney — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:40:20 +0000

Vancouver-based Pan American Silver (TSX: PAA, Nasdaq: PAAS) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire compatriot Minefinders (TSX: MFL, Amex: MFN) via a plan of arrangement in a deal that implies a total transaction value of approximately Cdn$1.5bn (US$1.49bn), the firms said Monday in a joint statement.

Under the terms of the agreement, Minefinders shareholders can elect to receive 0.55 of a Pan American share and Cdn$1.84 in cash, or 0.6235 of a Pan American share or Cdn$15.60 in cash, subject to pro-ration under total aggregate cash and share pools of approximately Cdn$176mn and 53mn shares, respectively, on a fully diluted basis for each Minefinders share held, the statement said.

Protect family from debt!

Christian Reynolds — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:01:27 +0000

There is no place like home. It is a secure haven that everyone loves to retire to after a hard days work! However, in todays scenario, a home without a loan is unthinkable for an average Indian citizen. Getting a loan means repayment starts straightaway and a good portion of the income has to be set aside for this on a monthly basis. The home does not really become your own until the loan repayment is complete.

Has the thought crossed your mind that one day you might find yourself in a situation where you may not be able to repay the loan? If something happens to you before the loan is fully repaid, the liability will naturally be transferred to your family.

Step Outside Your Social Media Echo Chamber

Anthony Isabel — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:49:01 +0000

I was struck recently by a tweet from a social media guru, commenting on how staid and outdated he found the presentations at a healthcare conference because social media was so undervalued and unappreciated as a marketing vehicle. That tweet really got under my skin. It seemed pretentious to me, calling healthcare marketing outdated because they aren’t using the latest social media tactics. But then I realized this ‘guru’ probably spends much of his time on social media blogs, following other social media gurus on Facebook, Twitter & Google+, and using all the latest ideas himself. I’m sure he talks with hundreds of clients, helping them make the best use of social media for their businesses. Of course he would think that healthcare professionals ‘just don’t get it.’ He, after all, lives in the social media echo chamber.

For many of us, the echo chamber also frames our business and personal discussions. Do you find yourself bored from reading ever- similar story themes in your daily Facebook stream? Do the tweets from people you follow all start to sound the same after a while? Do you find the sources you read tend to cluster around certain repetitive themes? If so, you’re in an echo chamber that was most likely crafted for you by Google or Facebook. It’s a dangerous place to live for very long, because you’ll find after a time that your opinions become hardened, you start to think your views are ‘the truth’, and you gradually lose your ability to see other points of view. Or, if you’re naturally more open-minded, you’ll find yourself becoming bored by the lack of diversity and new ideas you find online.

Remember those long-ago days when most people got their news from mass media, when we had to trust news editors to decide what was newsworthy and fit to print? In those days, editors had to print a diversity of topics in order to satisfy their diverse readership. Today, Google serves up a smorgasboard of information, making us feel like we’re exposed to endless diversity. But it’s deceiving because Google tailors the delivery of that information in search results based on what it knows of our interests and previous behavior. Facebook does the same, by favoring posts from people we interact with most. And Twitter has the same effect, as we follow people we find interesting and then get drawn further into their circles of similar people. Google+ alleviates the echo chamber somewhat by allowing you to deliberately create separate – and ever-widening — Circles of connections. But it doesn’t do away entirely with the echo chamber.

In the world of social media, it takes work to keep an open mind and a broad perspective. We’ve offloaded that job from the mass media news editor to the online individual. It’s a heavy burden but an important responsibility – to yourself and others. If you leave it to Google and Facebook, they will, over time, cocoon you in a well-padded chamber of echoes of your own voice. If that is scary to you (it is to me!), you’ll need to keep a vigilant hand in the management of your social media circles. Prune the list of who you’re following, what blogs you’re subscribed to, and what perspectives you’re reading. If you feel the chamber walls narrowing, go out and find opposing viewpoints and subscribe to those. Get active in their comments. Engage with other perspectives. The old adage “don’t judge a man till you’ve walked a mile in his boots” could

Gillette announces international Olympic team of its own

Christian Reynolds — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:11:09 +0000

Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer and U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte are among 24 male athletes that will represent Gillette at this years Olympic Games in London.

The Gillette team is a first for the Boston grooming brand and the first initiative launched under parent company Procter s 10-year partnership with the Olympic Movement.

The athletes, who represent 18 countries, will take part in activities designed to inspire and encourage future generations to achieve greatness through great starts in athletics and in life, according to Gillette.

Other team members include badminton player Lin Dan of China, basketball player Emmanuel Ginobili of Argentina and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy of Great Britain.

We think Gillettes program is the perfect start to Ps Olympic Games Program, Marc Pritchard, Ps global marketing and brand-building officer, said in a statement.

3M spending $550 million for Avery Dennison unit

Jorja McKinney — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:59:46 +0000

3M Co. ended 2011 with roughly $4 billion in cash on its books. On Tuesday, the company announced how it will spend a chunk of it.

The Maplewood-based giant has agreed to pay $550 million for the office and consumer products division of California-based Avery Dennison Corp. The purchase, expected to close in the second half of this year, marries Avery Dennison’s Hi-Liters, Marks-A-Lot pens, labels and other office products with some of 3M’s best-known brands, including Scotch tape and Post-it notes.

The deal is the latest in a series for 3M, which has spent about $3 billion on about two dozen acquisitions in the last two years.

Watchdog: Ties between UK press, police too cozy

Christian Reynolds — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:47:29 +0000

The Associated Press Published Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Updated Wednesday, January 4, 2012 | | | | tool goes here

LONDON — Cozy ties between Britain’s police and press have compromised both sides and urgent action is needed to overhaul a culture of leaks at Scotland Yard police headquarters, a U.K. watchdog reported