Growth
Passion for community is an asset
A
recent report, the "Soul of the Community", issued by the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation, reflects a three-year survey conducted by Gallup World Poll in the
foundation's 26 partner communities. The report quantifies the real relationship between
attachment and growth: "Over five years, GDP growth was highest in communities with the
greatest percentage of attached residents." Full article.
Food production a bright spot in gloomy economy
While
the recession took a toll on manufacturing and other industries, one part of the economy
remained a bright spot over the past few years: food production. Across the nation, food
producers are seeing enough growth that many are expanding and investing in new equipment.
Food makers have also benefited from having products that consumers still buy in hard
times and from ongoing efforts to open up new markets overseas. Full article.
The race to erase debt
Lesson
number nine of ten lessons the late Charles Kindleberger summarized from the early years
of the Great Depression was that transitions are dangerous. Kindleberger was an economic
historian with a vast knowledge of financial manias, panics and crashes. Today, America is
turning away from debt and embracing thrift, and the epicenter of change is the household.
History suggests that the transition toward a high-saving, less-debt balance sheet will be
long and painful before vibrant growth resumes. Full article.
Set policy to avoid HR disaster
Human
resource planning is often overlooked by small businesses until they face a problem. As
your business grows, you will need to add resources to manage employees and contractors.
Laying ground rules for employees from the start can eliminate many common issues before
they become problems-i.e. documented HR policies, allow you to act swiftly, rather than
make up policies to solve issues on the fly. Full article.
Get more women to lead businesses
Small
businesses that make diversity part of their hiring practices are the most likely to
succeed and grow. In the technology industry, in particular, success depends on hiring the
best talent. Simply making sure recruiting efforts include a diverse slate of candidates
can substantially impact team composition, and including qualified female candidates in
the talent pool will make a difference. Full article.
State budget shortfalls will impact job growth
Economist
Loren Scott recently indicated that LA’s budget shortfall will impact jobs in state
government and higher education. Alexandria will add 400 new jobs in both 2011 and 2012.
The weak national economy will hinder this growth, but it will get a boost from planned
construction of a new Children's Adolescent Psychiatric hospital and VA hospital, from
construction spending at Fort Polk, and $203 million in planned state road projects. Other
metro areas in the state have mixed economic forecasts. Full article.
$350K grant for Tech's Enterprise Center
LA
Tech University's Enterprise Center will receive a $350,000 federal grant to promote
growth throughout northern Louisiana. The grant, from the U.S. Commerce Department's
Economic Development Administration, follows $2 million from the same agency to help build
a research park. Full
Article.
Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising
As
the US weathers the current economic downturn, the mobile advertising and marketing sector
has proved the one bright spot for marketing growth, albeit on a smaller base than most
channels. Mobile Marketer's Classic Guide to Mobile Advertising is a one-stop source for
everything related to the workings of mobile advertising. Full Article.
Workers of the world, innovate
When
Pitney Bowes needed to find a way to field customer inquiries without passing callers, it
chose to put the problem to employees rather than managers. Within days, employees
proffered a solution that the company then implemented. Today, under pressure to add
growth while keeping research costs in check, many companies are striving to get better at
tapping in-house expertise. Full
Article.
Facebook introduces 'Places' location-sharing program
As
expected, Facebook finally introduced "Places," its own location-sharing program on August
18th. Mobile location-sharing programs, which tell friends where you are when you're out,
saw huge growth in the past year. The addition of "Places," first for Apple's iPhone, may
have a huge impact on Foursquare, but the bigger may be on Google. Full article.
