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The Housing Bubble Gets Ready To Burst: Homeowner Tips To Survive The Real Estate Burst
hfa Earns Silver ARF David Ogilvy Award
Akron-based hfa (Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc.), along with McCann Erickson New York, MPG, Millward Brown, Pieros Research Consultancy and Sensory Logic, was honored with a silver ARF David Ogilvy Award for its work on The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's Get there® campaign.
The goal of the distinctive campaign, which launched in 2007, was to define a unique position, convey tire industry leadership and engage consumers. This was accomplished through emphasizing Goodyear's relevant technologies which help consumers get to their destinations. After extensive research by Millward Brown and other agencies, hfa and McCann Erickson New York created marketing elements focusing heavily on the well-recognized Goodyear blimp.
Stratocash Extends Alternate Payment Processing Services
Strategic Payments, Inc. (Stratocash) and Internet Payment Solutions, Inc. (PayByCash) of Charlottesville, VA., announced today the launch of Stratocash.com (http://www.stratocash.com). Stratocash will leverage the proven PayByCash payment processing platform to enable Web merchants to extend an unmatched number of non-credit card payment options to their customers.
According to Kevin Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Payments, Inc., Stratocash is the easiest and most cost effective way for merchants to become more accessible to consumers who cant or wont use a credit card online, consumers seeking more privacy than credit card transactions provide, and consumers in countries where credit card usage is not ubiquitous.
The combination of our simple adoption, no merchant transaction fees, and protection from customer reversals makes Stratocash the 'free incremental revenue' company."
Tiny Prints Kicks Off a Season of Giving
Tiny Prints Inc. (www.tinyprints.com), a leading online retailer of premium, personalized stationery, recently came together to offer their time for causes that matter to their workforce through outreach programs that support both the global and local community. This year, Tiny Prints is kicking off a season of giving by partnering with the Mother Bear Project and the Stanford Ronald McDonald House.
Mother Bear photo
Mother Bear Project
Tiny Prints employees came together to support children suffering from HIV/AIDS by donating their time to create hand knit bears. The Mother Bear Project will send these bears to children throughout Africa to help them feel appreciated and cared for during the toughest times. Several employees taught themselves how to knit to participate in this project and Tiny Prints expects to participate in this program again next year. The Tiny Prints Foundation, an independent trust set up to by Tiny Prints, Inc., also made a financial contribution to the organization.
Ronald McDonald House at Stanford
This past week, Tiny Prints kicked off a campaign in support of the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford University. As a company that helps its consumers share holiday cards, Tiny Prints is inviting individuals to sign a group card located at http://groupcard.com/c/tinyprintsRMH/ol. For every signature received, Tiny Prints will donate 25 cents to the foundation (up to $5,000). The donation will support the organization's mission -- to create a supportive environment for families of children that are struggling with severe diseases in neighboring hospitals.
Consumers Go High-Tech and High-Def for the Holidays
Ultimate Electronics, the leader in home and car entertainment, is tuned in to which consumer electronics are making holiday wish lists this season. A survey of Ultimate Electronics' general managers and sales associates revealed an increase in High Definition (HD) adoption among customers, as well as high-tech products in greatest demand with consumers for the holidays. Falling HD prices and increased selection are key factors in making state-of-the-art home electronics more accessible to consumers than ever before.
Click here to read more…Goji Berries US Introduces Seaweed Fertilizer
Goji Berries Inc.(http://www.gojiberries.us) announced today that it now carries seaweed fertilizer, a valuable addition to an organic garden. Seaweed fertilizer imparts new life to the soil stripped of the natural minerals by commercial farming.
If you wish to plant and grow Goji berry plants, you must keep in mind that a plant cannot produce minerals unless these essential nutrients are derived from the soil, air, or water available to them. Linus Pauling, 2-time Nobel Prize laureate has said, "Virtually every sickness, illness, and disease can be traced to the lack of at least one or more important minerals in one's diet."
Birmingham Hippodrome Chooses WinPure for Data Cleansing
'Clean & Match' will match records from Birmingham Hippodrome's own database against records from other agencies that sell tickets, avoiding the sending of duplicate mail to customers and agencies. The software will also allow the Hippodrome to make overall improvements to the quality and appearance of its lists.
Stephen Ebanks, information and sales manager at Birmingham Hippodrome, said: "Using WinPure 'Clean & Match' to dedupe and clean our lists means the quality of our data is vastly improved before going to our mailing house, which helps reduce costs. Also, being able to validate email addresses means fewer returns via our bulk mailing system, while the ability to change the text to title or lower case saves time and ensures our mailings look professional."
The Truth Behind the SBA's Record-breaking Numbers: One Lending Program Flourishes While the Other Flounders
The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 504 loan program has grown tremendously over the past five years, whereas its 7(a) loan program has been steadily decreasing in dollar volume. The 7(a) loan has played a large part in giving the SBA its problematic reputation, but the growth of the advantageous 504 loan is turning that reputation around.
Over the past three fiscal years, the number of SBA 504 loans has increased 15.44%, while the number of 7(a) loans has only gone up only 3.8%. In terms of dollar volume, the 504 loan has increased 23.6% in that same time period, while the 7(a) has actually decreased 6.2%. The 7(a) program is down over $900 million, whereas the 504 program is up nearly $1.3 billion according to statistics released late last year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
HomeForeclosureFighter.com Offers Free, Downloadable Guide to Mortgage Loan Modification
HomeForeclosureFighter.com, a leading foreclosure prevention website, today announced the launch of their comprehensive Guide to Loan Modification. The free guide, available as a PDF download, provides a step-by-step breakdown of the loan modification process.
"Our mission is to match struggling homeowners with a solution to their mortgage nightmare. Part of that involves educating them on their options," said Mark McKendry the CEO of The Wisdom Companies. "We offer tools for homeowners to do loan modification themselves, and also give them the opportunity to connect with experienced companies that can help renegotiate their mortgage."
Daily e-Newsletter Proves Valuable Resource to Subscribers
Toast & TIPS®, a daily electronic newsletter created by pressreleasesetc.com founder Ayana Glaze, is proving to be a valuable resource for its subscribers.
Toast & TIPS® offers tips in the areas of public relations, publicity, marketing and communications. Glaze says she created the newsletter, which debuted on October 3, to be an early morning mental wake-up for subscribers.
I wanted Toast & TIPS® to be one of the first emails subscribers read in the morning while having their coffee," says Glaze. I created it in hopes that it would give my subscribers points to ponder as they perform their day-to-day activities and encourage them to put the tips in action throughout the day."
C&N Footlockers Inc. Announces Spring Break in Cancun Sweepstakes
Steel footlocker manufacturer C&N Footlockers Inc., announces the Spring Break in Cancun Sweepstakes, including airfare and accommodations for two. Targeting the emerging college market, the sweepstakes will enable C&N to learn more about storage and buying trends amongst college students. To enter, visit www.collegefootlockers.com to fill out a survey.
"Our company has seen a dramatic rise in sales to incoming freshman, most likely because college dorm thefts are on the rise," explained C&N Sales and Marketing Director Ed Holand. "Our rugged footlockers are an excellent solution for college students who need to lock up valuables such as laptop computers, digital cameras, ipods, Palm pilots, CD and DVD players in their dorm rooms. It simply too easy to grab a $1700 laptop and walk away."
Carriage Park Associates Buyout; Local Couple at the Helm of Award-Winning Hendersonville, NC, Retirement Community
Carriage Park Associates, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been acquired by long-time General Manager Dale Hamlin and his wife, interior designer Lisa Hamlin. Established in 1989, Carriage Park is a standout gated mountain community located off Haywood Road three miles north of downtown Hendersonville.
"We have lived in western North Carolina for many years and consider this our home," said Mr. Hamlin, who has successfully developed more than 14 residential communities during his career. "We know what is important to residents in this beautiful area and we look forward to completing what we believe is the finest mountainside community in Western North Carolina."
AsiaTiv.com Launches Re-Designed Hotel Portal Website Offering New Features and Enhancements
AsiaTiv.com, a highly popular hotel reservations portal offering a lowest rates guarantee, has launched its re-designed customer-focused, interactive website this month.
A tremendous amount of content and design based on usability studies went into the new site, unveiled last week.
Dror Meytal, Managing Director said of the new site, "After all of the hard work that went into this re-design, we are very pleased with the results. AsiaTiv.com is committed to continually offering a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use online hotel reservation portal offering our clients a unique lowest rates guarantee."
InventHelp® Client Invents Board Game That Would Simulate a Trip to Heaven
InventHelp®, America's leading inventor service company, announces that one of its clients, an inventor from Seville, Ohio, has designed a religious-themed board game that would simulate a journey to heaven. This invention is patented and a prototype is available.
The "Stairway to Heaven Game" would be designed to be fun and educational, and would be suitable for all ages. The game presents players with "good" and "bad" moral issues and other challenges that help or hinder their progress toward "heaven's gate." The game could be played by two or more individuals at a time.
Exercise Good Nutrition for Women this Holiday Season by Avoiding Bad Eating Habits
Lady of America, the leader in women's health and fitness facilities across the nation, is helping women exercise good nutrition habits this holiday season by creating a list of foods to avoid during the holidays. This time of year people's schedules become very hectic and eating healthy isn't always an option.
"It helps to view foods not strictly as 'good' or 'bad' but rather as a spectrum of options, with the goal being to make smart choices," said Jillian Sanchez, Director of Operations for Lady of America. "If your restrictions are too rigid, you increase the likelihood of getting frustrated and giving up control."
DigiDirect Sales Up as Canon EOS 500D Details Released
Online digital camera retailer, DigiDirect Australia has announced record third quarter sales, showing the recession has not affected the Sydney-based company at all. This is welcome news; especially considering a hot product - the Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR Camera - will be released in the coming month with pre-orders already under way.
DigiDirect Australia's third quarter result is especially strong, considering it is on the back of a record second quarter after solid festive season purchasing.
Dramatic End to Historic Glass Jugs for Two of America's Best Loved Brands Almaden and Inglenook Wines
In a move consistent with the consumer's desire for both value and environmentally-friendly packaging, the historic Almaden and Inglenook brands will no longer be packaged in large, carbon-inefficient 3L and 4L glass jugs and will immediately move to Bag-in-Box (BIB) packaging. BIB packages weigh significantly less than glass and require far less carbon-based energy to transport.
The Wine Group, Inc
The announcement was made today by The Wine Group, Inc. Both wine brands, purchased in February 2008 from Constellation Wines U.S., are moving to BIB packaging which will save 11 million pounds in packaging waste and reduce the brands' carbon footprint by 60%.
"Consumers and the industry should applaud this move," said Jon Fredrikson, wine industry analyst and industry consultant. "Almaden and Inglenook are two classic brands that were part of many people's first wine experience. Recent research has shown that consumers have great interest in environmentally friendly packaging. They now actively seek ways to cut their carbon footprint in the products they purchase. The fact that these two popular American brands are now taking this step is significant because of the volume they represent."
The Concrete Network’s Find-A-Contractor Service Connects Buyers with Local Contractors
Yucaipa, CA (PRWEB) March 31, 2006 –- The Concrete Network, the largest and most comprehensive source for concrete information online, offers a Find-A-Contractor service to consumers searching for decorative concrete contractors in the U.S. and Canada. Visitors to www.concretenetwork.com, can research and learn about decorative concrete techniques and applications, including stamped concrete, stained concrete, concrete countertops, polished concrete and many more, and then find a contractor in their local area to get the work done.
Click here to read more…USC Consulting Group Reorganizes Top Management
In a move designed to accelerate growth and development, as well as improve its offerings to a growing number of clients, USC Consulting Group, LLC (USCCG) has announced key management changes involving four of its top executives. Ronald K. Walker, 60, who has been president and CEO of the Tampa, Florida-based management consulting firm since 2000, has been named chairman and CEO.
George W. Coffey, 53, and James A. Ostrosky, 54, have been promoted to co-presidents of the company and will share responsibility for managing the firm's day-to-day operations and for expanding the scope and quality of services the company provides its clients. Mr. Coffey had been senior vice president for business development for the past six years. Mr. Ostrosky had been senior vice president for product development and technology, a position to which he was appointed in 2001. Each will continue to focus on his area of strength: Mr. Coffey in business development and Mr. Ostrosky in technology and delivery. Mr. Walker stressed that, in addition, Mr. Coffey will work more closely with the investment community, including private equity and investment banking, as well as seeking and negotiating possible acquisitions to enhance USCCG's offerings and fuel its growth.
Human Capital Institute Learning and Development Innovation Conference Attracts Top-Level Presenters from Leading International Organizations
Learning and development's top thinkers, including leaders from Sun Microsystems, Defense Intelligence, Intuit, Oracle, IBM Global Business Services and other major organizations will present their game-changing ideas and solutions at the Human Capital Institute's 2009 Learning and Development Innovation Conference, a knowledge- and skill-building event for human capital and personnel leaders and teams, in San Francisco, California, October 27 to 28, 2009.
The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a professional association and think tank defining and advancing the business science of strategic talent management and new economy leadership, created the Learning and Development Innovation Conference to help learning and organizational development leaders acquire essential skills, with a focus on accelerating performance and innovation through leading learning strategies and practices.
The Housing Bubble Gets Ready To Burst: Homeowner Tips To Survive The Real Estate Burst
The question regarding a national real estate bubble, and or a hard or soft landing according to the President of The National Mortgage Complaint Center/Homeowners Consumer Center "is about to get answered." Mr. Thomas Martin the President of this group has indicated that the "bubble is going to be more like a nuclear detonation with consequences getting progressively worse, with no quick fix." He calls it "the Hurricane Katrina of real estate, because everyone knew it was coming and no one prepared for what it would, or could do."
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