Blog Post
A Little Thanksgiving, Right This Very Minute
by cecile
I recently heard about Get Human and thought I’d share it with you today because it is truly worthy of thanksgiving.
A database of over 1500 companies, it tells you exactly what to do to get out of automatic voice mail and reach an actual human being. No more #####9 for extreme frustration—Thank You!!!!!!!!!
Blog Post
The history of South University
by amy
This week the Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit will dedicate four new wall displays that tell the story of South University from the late 19th century through today. The displays cover area businesses and images include a wonderful 1898 panorama of the area, Miller's Ice Cream, C-Ted's Standard gas station, Tice's Men's Shop and a glimpse of the home where philosopher and educator John Dewey lived. The dedication will take place Thursday, November 6, at 5:00 p.m. on the corner of South and East University.
Blog Post
Sir John Templeton, Philanthropist and Investor, dies at 95
by cecile
Sir John Templeton was one of the most interesting people ever to amass an enormous fortune on Wall Street. He was in the forefront in the creation of mutual funds and early on led the way for U.S. investing in foreign markets. In the 1970’s and 80’s if you invested in a mutual fund, very likely it was a Templeton Fund.
He was twelve during the Scopes Trial and lived only 60 miles away from Dayton, TN. Many believe that it launched his lifelong fascination with religion and science and his attempts to reconcile the two.
He established philanthropic organizations and founded the Templeton Prize for “progress in religion” and “research or discoveries.” It is estimated that he gave away $70 million a year to people such as Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, the physicist Freeman Dyson and a host of others.
He authored numerous books on finance and spirituality including Thrift and Generosity: The Joy of Giving, Discovering the Laws of Life and Is Progress Speeding Up?
Blog Post
Basic Economics
by cecile
“Investment and speculation,” “government’s role in business,” “money and the banking system,” “inflation,” “capital,” “labor,” “productivity,” “government finance” and “international trade.”
Learn about what makes the world go ‘round!
Dip your toe into this fascinating topic with this lively and well-written book-- Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell.
A lively book about economics? It is possible!
Master basic economic principles such as how governments create monetary policy, inflation, interest rates, how governments regulate businesses and markets, how international trade works and how governments finance themselves.
I promise—it is not boring!!
Suddenly the news makes a lot more sense once the big picture concepts are understood. What is happening to your holdings and potential investments makes a lot more sense too.
Pretty soon you’ll know what CDOs, ETFs, put-call ratios and derivatives are all about.
It pays to know!
Blog Post
Local Car Historian Bob Elton Presents A Brief History of Chrysler Corporation
by Liberry Shortstack
Monday July 7, 2008: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
The story of Chrysler Corporation is an epic story of bold, ambitious men, horrible mismanagement, bad luck, gritty perseverance and the will to never say die.
Local car historian Bob Elton presents a fascinating introduction to this once great auto empire. This lecture holds particular relevance, considering the current economic outlook facing automakers today.
This event is held in conjunction with the Main Street Area Association’s July 11 Rolling Sculpture Car Show and cosponsored by the Main Street Area Association. Mr. Elton is one of the founders of the Rolling Sculpture Car Show. Check that out this Friday to see some amazing automobiles.
Blog Post
Guerrilla Marketing
by cecile
The summer doldrums are upon us, but not if you are a consultant, a salesperson or own a business. Now is the time to plan for year-end goals.
Jay Conrad Levinson has written a series of books devoted to Guerrilla Marketing, a term he coined to describe strategies for marketing, advertising and getting more business.
He has compiled many great ideas, some you’ve thought of and lots you probably haven’t.
Have you explored and exploited using inexpensive new technologies to generate new business leads? Want some ideas on generating more referrals? Tried any new prospecting techniques?
The Ann Arbor District Library has several of his books including Guerrilla Marketing, Guerrilla Marketing For The New Millennium and Guerrilla Marketing Weapons.
Pick one up, make someone else mow the lawn, get in a hammock, have some lemonade, then plan your work and work your plan to meet and exceed your year-end goals.
You’ll be glad you did in December!
Blog Post
In the News, Give Your View
by Debbie G.
Liquor licenses have been in the news of late in Ann Arbor and the City has recently been granted 807 "downtown development area" liquor licenses. The City Council Liquor Committee would like your input on how best to proceed with these new licenses and they're holding a Special Public Meeting, Wednesday, May, 21, 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Blog Post
The underlying rationality of your irrationality
by remnil
Irrationality is big these days. First came Tim Harford's The Logic of life: The rational economics of an irrational world. Next, at the top of Amazon's business bestseller list, comes Predictably irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions. Human foibles, apparently, keep a few writers gainfully employed.
Both books helps explain the funny things we do using a field that's been gaining some press lately: behavioral economics. Behavioral economists demonstrate an underlying method of our madness: sure we're irrational, but predictably so. From Harford's chapter on marriage as a " market-based transaction" to Ariely's discussion of why we pay $4.00 for a cup o'Joe, you may be surprised to find out just how logical - and common - your illogical actions can be.
Blog Post
Print is dead. Long live print!
by remnil
With all of the latest news about electronic books, one can be forgiven for thinking that print books are in their death throes. Free ebooks and Kindles and digital libraries, oh my! Nonetheless, the good money is that print books are not going extinct anytime soon. In fact, general skepticism of the ebook reading experience aside, good money is actually on ebooks boosting sales of "pbooks."
Allow me to offer some examples. Take Amazon's Search Inside the Book feature (an awesome tool, if you haven't tried it). According to Amazon, sales of books that could be searched increased by 9% when the feature was launched. And despite suing Google for scanning books from the great libraries of the world, publishers are jumping at the chance to make digital previews of their books available via Google Book Search. Now why, pray tell, would publishers partner with Google on scanning if they didn't experience some benefit like, oh, increased print sales?
All of this is to say that the printed word isn't going the way of the dinosaurs in the near future. Of course, we shouldn't be surprised given books' long and storied history.
Blog Post
Microsoft & Yahoo - Together at last?
by remnil
How can your friendly neighborhood business correspondent pass up a story like this? Microsoft has just made a $44.6 billion bid (yes that's a "b") to buy Yahoo. The move comes following search giant Google reporting pretty sad earnings for the final quarter of last year.
The bid is an aggressive move by Microsoft to gain dominance in an area where they're lagging: online advertising. Google's expertise is search, but they make their money in internet advertising. And they're really good at it. But with its tepid recent earnings and Microsoft's latest move, could the Google juggernaut be in danger of hitting a wall, or at least a bit of molasses? What do you think?