Archive for January, 2008
Posted by: in Networking
(FranchisePick.com) Looks like the explosive growth of franchising has even reached the ATF, who will be lunching with Heidi and Sisters at their new HQ.
Source: Washington Business Journal
ATF secures 2 new restaurants for HQ
Two more restaurants have signed leases in the new headquarters of the U.S. Agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at Florida Avenue and Second Street NE.
Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli and Sister’s Pizza & Mussels are scheduled to open in April. Both are franchises. This will the first Sister’s location in D.C. and the second Heidi’s - the other is at 1710 H St. NW.
The restaurants were founded in Colorado by Steve Naples, a New Jersey native who enjoyed Brooklyn’s deli and pizza fares, as well as mussels dishes served at a Sicilian pizzeria in his neighborhood.
The Heidi’s franchise at the new federal building is owned by Shelter Asset Management-ATF LLC.
“Our group is planning on putting several Heidi’s restaurants in and around the D.C. metro area over the next couple of years,” stated Ian Swain, a partner.
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Posted by: admin in Today
PPR says aims to sell Surcouf, seeking investor - Reuters
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Posted by: in Networking
 (FranchisePick.com) McDonald’s has 14,000 restaurants in the U.S. and additional 17,000 in 117 other countries. The company will add 1,000 others in 2008, and 900 out of 1,000 will be located abroad. Its global success makes McDonald’s the corporation so many love to hate. The ultimate symbol of Massive Business. The unstoppable enemy of the little guy.
In a recent Washington Post article, George Will challenges that notion, pointing out the McDonald’s is, in fact, a bunch of tiny guys empowered by one of Earth’s strongest brands. Will points out that McDonald’s is largely a coalition of small businesses: 85 percent of its U.S. restaurants — average annual sales, $2.2 million — are owned by franchisees. McDonald’s franchise program creates millionaires, especially in the minority demographic. McDonald’s has created more black and Latino millionaires than any other economic entity ever, anywhere.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
Lovin’ It All Over
OAK BROOK, Ill. — To gauge this pell-mell nation’s velocity, visit here with Jim Skinner, chief executive of a company on pace to have net income for 2007 of $3.46 billion, up 12.7 percent, on revenue of nearly $23 billion. The evolution of McDonald’s mirrors that of the nation in which it serves 27 million customers a day.
Americans commonly state this or that distinction is “as clear as night and day.” Americans, ricocheting around the country around the clock, are erasing the distinction between night and day. Breakfast, the meal most likely to be eaten at home, now accounts for more than 25 percent of U.S. business for McDonald’s. More than 90 percent of its restaurants have extended hours — beyond the regular 6 a.m. through 10 p.m. — and almost 35 percent are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, up from less than 10 percent just five years ago.
America is in the third era since its meals began to mirror its mobility. First came the Steak ‘n Shake Era. That restaurant chain began downstate in 1934, in the perfectly named town of Normal, Ill., as Americans were getting used to eating out. They were leery of food that came from a kitchen they couldn’t see, so Steak ‘n Shake put its grills behind glass in full view of the dining area and adopted the slogan “In sight it must be right.”
In 1955, when Ray Kroc launched the McDonald’s Era, Americans were doing what Dinah Shore urged them to do, seeing the USA in their Chevrolets, seeking novel experiences — but not in food. When they got out of their cars for nourishment, they wanted no surprises. Hence the rise of franchising — the same food here, there and, eventually, everywhere.
Now we are in the Snack Wrap Era. Last year McDonald’s started selling chicken and other stuff wrapped in tortillas. This product was a response to consumer appetites for something to eat between meals and with one hand on the steering wheel. More and more Americans don’t want to get out of their cars: Most of America’s McDonald’s have drive-through windows, and most of these restaurants sell most of their food through those windows.
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Posted by: admin in Today
Recession fears chill Wall Street
BBC Business - On this cold, clear day on Wall Street, the sharp wind makes the massive American flag outside the stock exchange flutter. Shares have fallen for the sixth day in a row, and the sense of underlying anxiety over the say of the us economy is palpable
AP Top News at 2:25 p.m. EST
Newsday - NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street moved perilously closer to a bear market Wednesday, falling sharply yet again as dejected investors bet that a recession in the United Says is inevitable. Each of the major indexes at times were down more than 2 percent
Wall Street Resumes Selloff
Street.Com - Wall Street was once again seeing red Wednesday as a warning from Apple ( AAPL - Cramer’s Take - Stockpickr ), weakness in European markets and continuing concerns about a recession kept sellers in charge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was losing
UPDATE 1-Parametric 1st-qtr earnings beat Wall Street view
Reuters - Jan 23 (Reuters) - Business software maker Parametric Technology Corp (PMTC.O: Quote , Profile , Research ) reported first-quarter profit that beat analysts’ expectations. The company reported net income of $9.9 million, or 8 cents a share for the
Bond insurance crisis looms on Wall Street
Globe and Mail - NEW YORK — Ben Bernanke may have temporarily halted a crippling nosedive in global stock markets, but bankers aren’t convinced the U.S. Federal Reserve’s surprise rate cut yesterday will address what’s emerging as a growing threat to the economy
Amsterdam shares close sharply lower as Wall St falls - UPDATE
Forbes - AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Amsterdam shares closed sharply lower, as early losses on Wall Street caused nervous investors to exit the market. The AEX closed down 16.14 points or 3.73 pct at 417.13, after hitting an intra-day low of 413.48
UPDATE 1-Werner Enterprises Q4 profit meets Wall St view
Reuters - Jan 23 (Reuters) - Transportation company Werner Enterprises Inc (WERN.O: Quote , Profile , Research ) reported a quarterly profit in line with Wall Street estimate, despite higher fuel prices and softness in freight demand, sending its shares up as
Main Street, Job Site, Industrial Park and Stimuli
Forbes - Let’s act swiftly to send the message that Wall Street and the media don’t rule the say of the economy.” Satagaj continued, “First, this is a good time for us to invest in our nation’s infrastructure. We’ve long said there are lots of compelling
Wednesday’s Tech Winners & Losers
Street.Com - Tech stocks were mostly trading lower Wednesday as the sector reeled from a sell-off in Apple shares, even as Wall Street grappled with fears of a severe economic slowdown. Apple ( AAPL - Cramer’s Take - Stockpickr ) plunged $28.55, 18.2%, to $127.17
Parametric Technology 1st-quarter profit declines, but beats Wall
CNBC - NEEDHAM, Mass. - Product-development software maker Parametric Technology Corp. said Wednesday its fiscal first-quarter profit declined, injured by a restructuring charge and other items, but adjusted earnings surpassed Wall Street’s expectations. For
U.S. stocks swing back and forth
International Herald Tribune - Wall Street endured another volatile day Wednesday as stocks plunged at the opening bell, swiftly recovered lost ground, then fell again in the afternoon. Technology stocks felt the brunt of the damage. With Motorola and Apple forecasting lackluster
Energen 4Q profit tops Wall Street estimate; co. reaffirms 2008
Forbes - SAN FRANCISCO (Thomson Financial) - Energen Corp. stated Wednesday its fourth-quarter net earnings fell 16.5% to $79.4 million, or $1.10 a share, but topped the $1.02 mean estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial. In the same period last year
FTSE falls amid further losses on Wall St
Financial Times - The FTSE 100 shut more than 100 points lower on Wednesday amid continued weakness on Wall Street. The benchmark ended down 130.8 points, or 2.3 per cent, at 5,609.3 as US markets continued to slide despite Tuesday’s unprecedented 75 basis points
UPDATE 3-United Tech profit tops Street view, stock climbs
Reuters - Last: BOSTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Diversified manufacturer United Technologies Corp (UTX.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) said on Wednesday quarterly profit jumped 23 percent, topping Wall Street expectations, on strong demand from the aviation and
Wall Street turns higher as bargain hunters enter the market
International Herald Tribune - NEW YORK : Wall Street bounced around in extremely volatile trading Wednesday, as bargain hunters entered the market and lifted stocks up from their steep losses. The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 320 points in early trading, and rose more
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Apple Forecast Disappoints Wall Street - The Associated Press
Edmonton Journal |
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Posted by: in Networking
 (FranchisePick.com) According to the story on CBS4 in Miami, Pure Weight Loss Centers might have broken the law when they left Florida dieters stranded by abruptly closing their weight loss centers. Their investigation continues.
Source: CBS4.com
Defunct Weight Loss Centers Might Have Broken Law
MIAMI (CBS4) ― When one of the state’s biggest diet companies shut it’s doors after the beginning of the year, it left hundreds of South Florida customers not only wondering if they’d ever get their money back but also what happened to all the private medical information the centers kept on file.
Say prosecutors, wondering the same thing, have widened their investigation into LA Weight Loss Centers and Pure Weight Loss Centers to see if they broke any laws.
“All girls want to look nice and I got a couple of pounds extra,” said Yaumary Rodriguez who originally signed up with an LA Weight Loss Center several years ago. Rodriguez stated by staying on the plan she lost 24 pounds in the past year.
“My goal was 30 pounds but when I got down to 24,” stated Rodriguez, “I decided not to keep losing more”
At the beginning of the year, Rodriguez stated she decided she needed to go back on the LA Weight Loss Center plan to help her drop a couple of pounds she picked up over the holidays. When she went to her local LA Weight Loss Center in Cutler Bay on January 4th to pick up her next shipment of weight loss bars, she said she was stunned to find that it had changed it’s name to Pure Weight Loss.
She received her second shock when she was informed that the store, which was still filled with LA Weight Loss products, was closing down.
“The companies were closing,” Rodriguez said she was told, “it was the last date of work for the whole company. They just shut and they never sent a notice to the people they never state anything.”
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Posted by: in Uncategorized
 YouTube has been the predominant player in online videos for a while now, but Ice Cube thinks his status as a popular rapper will help his new user-generated content site - UVNTV (that’s U View Network Television). Ice Cube’s site will actually be different from YouTube in that UVNTV will provide network television quality programming with videos, music and shows being available in addition to user-generated content. The site operates using technology provided by Microsoft.
So far, Snoop Dog and Diddy (Sean Combs) have launched their own channels on UNTV, but anyone can launch their own channel as long as they share the ad revenue they earn from their channels. Target has already come on board as an advertiser.
Ice Cube calls the site a mix of TV, MySpace and YouTube. What do you think? It seems like new social media sites and user-generated content sites launch each day. Will UVNTV survive and thrive with a celebrity brand behind it? Can it knock the pioneer brand out of first place?
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Posted by: in General News
 I can’t help but keep up with Wal-Mart’s green moves, it seems every time I turn around they’ve captured another headline. And these days the headlines are quite positive.
I’ve covered them a couple times here at Greener Assets but if I wrote about each green biz move they made this blog would have to have a different name, like Greener Wal-Mart. Which I don’t want so everything in moderation.
However, near the end of last year, Wal-Mart released a progress report on the company’s sustainability goals which kicked off in 2005. Building experimental stores (some with educational highlights), slicing waste, conserving resources and using renewable energy are all part of the mega-retailer’s “Sustainability 360″ plan which is flexing some massive corporate muscles, making a positive impact on the environment and, of course, saving the company lots and lots o’ money.
Environmental News Network recently published an article with highlights on Wal-Mart’s progress to go green in a massive way. If you want to know what Wal-Mart is up to, check out Wal-Mart Outlines Environmental Efforts Progress.
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Posted by: in General News
 Life’s most persistent and important question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in the United States, a national holiday commemorating Dr. King’s birthday (Jan 15) and his leadership as a civil rights activist.
What you might not be aware of is that more than a holiday, this day is also a day of service. The King Holiday and Service Act federal legislation honors MLK, Jr. and “challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action through volunteer service in honor of Dr. King.”
While this blog is dedicated to green business, it’s not just about the environment. Green means sustainable and without social equality our economy, our environment and our world are unsustainable.
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., here are some links to sustainable endeavors that are working for social and environmental justice.
Green For All: working to bring “green collar” jobs to urban areas, launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York on September 26, 2007. The group, created by Van Jones, co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, seeks to capitalize on the exploding green economy while ensuring that the coming green economic wave lifts all boats.
Louisiana Bucket Brigade: empowering fenceline communities along Louisiana’s Chemical Corridor in their fight to reduce industrial pollution and protect public health. LBB works with communities that border the oil refineries and chemical plants along the Mississippi River. With the tools and support of LBB, citizens monitor air pollution and have the data to fight corporations which have ignored, overlooked and disrespected their neighbors for generations.
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice: is a collaboration between community, environmental groups and universities to address issues of environmental justice. The DSCEJ provides opportunities for communities, scientific researchers, and decision makers to collaborate on programs and projects that promote the rights of all people to be free from environmental harm as it impacts health, jobs, housing, education, and general quality of life.
 Check out Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to see how communities and individuals are honoring Dr. King this year. In Washington, to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a collaborative funding, design, and construction is in progress for the creation of “a memorial to honor his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change.” Take a virtual tour of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial here and find out how you can help build the dream.
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Posted by: in General News
 I’ve been following along with the Burt’s Bees saga because it holds so many key issues about business and environment, not to mention love and money. The New York Times ran a piece recently piece that goes pretty in-depth into how the company was created, how it grew and where it’s at today - which is in the hands of Clorox.
In Can Burt’s Turn Clorox Green?, the NYT’s Louise Story looks at the love story behind Burt’s Bees, the quirks of being both life and business partners and how Clorox’s future might just prove to be a more sustainable endeavor than its past. There are two huge questions at stake: how green can Clorox get? and how will Burt’s fare in the process?
Already, many loyal Burt’s fans have felt betrayed by the buyout - or sellout depending on your perspective - last year to Clorox. Burt’s Bees was built on principles of environmental stewardship using local materials and emulating a down-to-earth, aw, shucks persona that struck a chord with health conscious, eco-driven consumers.
While Burt Shavitz’s image still appears on the line of health and beauty products, the reality of Burt’s Bees is far from Maine, far from local beekeepers and far from the hands of those who created the company. The last buyout, when founder Roxanne Quimby sold an 80% share to private equity firm AEA Investors, brought Burt’s Bees to the aisles of massive stores like CVS, Walgreens and Target.
Now Clorox wants
to turn Burt’s Bees into a mainstream American brand sold in big-box stores like Wal-Mart. Along the way, Clorox executives state, they plan to learn from uncommon business practices at Burt’s Bees — many centered on environmental sustainability. Clorox, the company promises, is going green. - NYT
One way Clorox is trying to get greener is through the launch of a new line of all natural cleaners, Green Works. Green Works products are made from plant-based ingredients like coconut and lemon oil, biodegradable, non-allergenic, are not tested on animals, and are packaged in recyclable containers.
Can Burt’s turn Clorox green? So far, the influential gradient seems to be from Burt’s to its parent company which in these eco-conscious times is the natural path of least resistance. What do you consider Burt’s and Clorox?
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