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High-speed rail still on slow track in state: Economic study, innovative financing explored

The effort to put high-speed trains into service in Indiana and eight other Midwestern states sometimes seems as fanciful as the first manned flight to Mars. There have been years of talk and countless meetings. And it will be many more years before a vehicle is fueled-and-ready, if ever. In the 13 years since the Indiana High Speed Rail Association was formed in Highland, the closest thing to high-speed rail Hoosiers have seen is an occasional speedy European locomotive brought…

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Be vigilant of cyber risks to protect your company

Remember when securing an enterprise meant investing in an alarm system to protect your inventory and a fireproof cabinet to keep your documents safe? In today’s expanding cyber world, threats to security extend far beyond walls and paper trails. With facilities, employees and customers all over the world, companies offer unprecedented access-but behind that convenience lurks vulnerability. Unless, of course, the corporation has truly managed to secure the confidential information stored online and throughout file-sharing networks. Unfortunately a lot of…

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Reforms could create barriers to homeownership

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe it is because no one wants me to help cook, or perhaps it’s due to the stream of college football. Mostly I think I like it because it is such an unhurried, fun, shared day. This year, many of us gathered for Thanksgiving at family homes and we gave thanks for the many gifts life brings us in this nation. What many of us didn’t conscientiously dwell on is how important the simple act…

New seminar, gallery space opening in the Stutz: Move will create gathering place, could help artists teaching classes hang onto more of tuition

The sprawling Stutz Business Center downtown already is a haven of sorts for the 72 artists who have studios there. Beginning in January, it also will have a space they can use to teach, mingle and show their work. It’s the brainchild of Stutz Artists Association President Jerry Points, who envisioned a first-floor gathering place for the diverse group of painters, sculptors, photographers and others who toil within the labyrinthine building. “Most [artists] will go to their studio, close the…

Vets serve country, customers: Franchises offer breaks to would-be entrepreneurs leaving the military

On Veterans Day this year, retired U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Robert Flores didn’t attend parades or reminisce with friends. Instead, he worked from open to close at his Little Caesars Pizza store at 11530 Westfield Blvd. “I’ve been here every day since we opened,” Flores said, who debuted the Carmel shop Oct. 31 after receiving assistance from a Little Caesars program created to help veterans become franchise owners. As part of the program, Flores, 45, received a discount of…

EYE ON THE PIE: An open letter to new mayors

It’s strange, but we don’t know who will be the mayors of our Indiana cities for the next four years. Ah, yes, you and I read results in the newspapers and saw jubilant winners on TV congratulated by humbled losers. But how do we know for sure until the state tells us? I didn’t find the latest results on the secretary of state’s Web site. It does have the May 7 primary election results, which provide fascinating information for those…

Virtual connections: Business networking Web sites are all the rage, but there’s a learning curve to using them effectively

Business networking Web sites are all the rage, but there’s a learning curve to using them effectively What’s the best way to introduce a colleague to a potentially valuable business contact? Where should you place a name tag for the most optimal viewing by others? Which one is the salad fork? Such burning questions have plagued many a professional seeking to stand out in the business world. And while reaching for the incorrect utensil at an important dinner with clients…

RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Do you know enough about your Web traffic?

Regular readers know I’m rabid about numbers. It dates back to my childhood, actually. Although I was math-phobic, I was numerically minded, if that makes any sense. I’m still enchanted with business numbers. I’m convinced that Lean and Six Sigma are sweeping across American organizations for a good reason. And I say unto you that if you’re not quantifying what’s going on in your Web site, you’re losing what could be your most valuable business data. Today’s Web analytics are…

MANAGEMENT: Peers can teach you things you didn’t know you didn’t know

A friend and Q: bu s i n e s s owner has suggested I join a peer group or get a business coach. Given that my company is growing and making money, I’m not sure it makes sense. Your thoughts? B u s i n e s s A:coaches and peer groups are not just for those company owners who are experiencing problems. Some of the most accomplished and successful business owners believe their peergroup membership gives them a…

STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Politicos set framework for debate over property taxes

Lawmakers returned from their respective districts across the state for Organization Day activities Nov. 20, with many already weary of having their ears bent by constituents frustrated over property taxes. Instead of finding some respite in Indianapolis, they were greeted at the Statehouse by protests from both citizen activists and organized interest groups-such as the Indiana Farm Bureau-seeking substantive property tax reform and not simply another round of short-term property tax relief. The Libertarian Party of Indiana even bought Indianapolis…

MARKETING: What happens when customers get angry? Don’t find out

A recent newspaper article reported on an unhappy customer of a cable company who stormed into its office with a claw hammer and beat on a computer monitor, keyboard and a telephone, expressing her anger at unresponsiveness and lack of service. How often have you felt the urge to behave in exactly that manner? That story got me thinking about the anger apparent in our contemporary society: Incidents of road rage. The recent uprising by dissatisfied voters who unseated incumbents….

NOTIONS: Surefire CPR for the high cost of government

Last Saturday, my wife Cherí and awoke to a beautiful fall day. Having no o b l i g a t i o n s , w decided to take spontaneous trip to Orange County, to see the restored West Baden Springs Hotel Despite the rash of stoplights on State Road 37 and a flurry of pre-game traffic for the Old Oaken Bucket clash, the drive was a breeze. Cherí had never been to West Baden Springs. So the beautifully…

Full incubator widens reach: Tech center to help non-tenants

The “no vacancy” sign hanging at an Indiana University business incubator has prompted officials to launch a program in which startup companies can gain access to support services without renting space. IU’s Emerging Technologies Center, on West 10th Street near the Central Canal, houses 25 companies in about 44,000 square feet of space. The center has been operating at full capacity the past two years and has a waiting list of four companies. For those who can’t get into the…

Once-ballyhooed buyout becomes legal slugfest:

No wonder investors are fleeing both Finish Line Inc. and Genesco Inc., the Tennesseebased company that, until recently, Finish Line desperately wanted to buy. Finish Line agreed in June to acquire the fellow mall retailer for $1.5 billion in cash, or $54.50 a share. Now, though, Finish Line is so determined to get out of the highly leveraged deal that it suggests in a new court filing that the purchase would trigger its own financial ruin. The Indianapolis company says…

Dog walker throws leash around new career

Amanda Briggs weaves in and out of the bustling lunch crowd in downtown Indianapolis, keeping a close eye on her canine clients
Griffen and Isabella. Briggs, 25, continues her walk through the busy streets, heading to the American Legion Mall and some
much-needed grass. Such is the life of a professional dog walker and pet sitter.

A&E: Shakespeare gets Kaleidoscoped

Not to give too much credit to the venue-it’s the Dance Kaleidoscope company and choreographer David Hochoy who deserve the credit-but the upper stage at the Indiana Repertory Theatre provided an ideal place to bask in DK’s “Ashland Dances” (Nov. 15-18). With seating on three sides, the company connected not just to the material-pieces first staged as part of the company’s now-ended 10-year gig with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival-but to its enthusiastic audience as well. There’s something wonderful about seeing…

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Technology, life sciences creating new Hoosier jobs

While other states strive to find their places in today’s international economy, the Hoosier state has made a reputation for itself in the life sciences arena. It’s an important effort, especially when you consider that our state’s past successes were in the field of manufacturing. Con sidering that the 2007 Indiana Manufacturers Directory reports Indiana lost more than 17,000 manufacturing jobs in the past year, this new economic model built upon technology and life sciences is important, if not essential,…

‘BUILD YOUR BUSINESS by investing in it’:

Creative Street Media Group has come a long way-literally and figuratively-from its humble beginnings 23 years ago. The small video production company has become a corporate conglomerate, with 67 employees in five facilities who handle everything from promotional materials to interactive education. Oh yeah, and they also crank out some award-winning TV shows-like the Emmy Award-winning “Vietnam Nurses with Dana Delany.” For all its progress, Creative Street is not done growing. Any day now, the company will expand its reach…