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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…
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…
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…
In an unlucky turn for area ad agencies, Hoosier Lottery officials rebuffed all six bidders for the creative portion of its
advertising account. The rejection of all bidders is an unusual occurrence in the ad industry and it has never before happened
with the lottery account, one of the most lucrative, high-profile jobs in the state.
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…
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…
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….
Last Saturday, my wife Cherà 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. Cherà had never been to West Baden Springs. So the beautifully…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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,…
The Indianapolis Indians are rewarding stockholders in the franchise following a season in which revenue and profit grew,
thanks to significant increases in ticket, concession and merchandise sales. The higher profit fueled a 75-percent dividend
increase this year and an increase of more than $6,500 in the franchise’s standing offer to repurchase shares.
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…
I was recently in a grocery store and had an enlightening experience about customer service. While I was waiting in line to check out, the clerk, who did her job with competence and precision, asked the elderly gentleman in front of me whether there was anything in his cart he needed help lifting. He said “no” and the transaction continued. The young man who was bagging the groceries asked the elderly customer the same question. Again, the man declined, but…
Leaders at White River State Park are winnowing down a field of 18 candidates who want to lead the downtown attraction’s public relations and marketing efforts the next two to three years. Park Executive Director Bob Whitt said a winner has not yet been chosen and declined to comment on the selection process, but industry sources identified three finalists: locally based firms Borshoff and Hirons & Co., and Bandy Carroll Hellige of Louisville. When park officials put out the call…
The Indianapolis-based parent of the Ritter’s Frozen Custard brand has been stuck in a cold streak lately, facing scores of
new ice-cream competitors and a dwindling lineup of franchisees. But RFC Franchising LLC is planning big changes designed
to firm up the home-grown chain, which now has 48 stores in nine states, down from more than 60 locations in 2005.
For a preview of how Indiana’s 2008 gubernatorial election will play out, look no further than the emerging tussle over entrepreneur
Scott Jones’ $4 million in awards from the state’s 21st Century Research & Technology Fund.
Merck & Co. Inc. turned to Roche Diagnostics, which has its North American headquarters in Indianapolis, to help it win regulatory approval in October for its new HIV drug, Isentress. New Jersey-based Merck tested patients during clinical trials with Roche Diagnostics’ viral-load test, called COBAS HIV-1 AMPLICOR. Roche’s HIV-1 viral-load test has been the predominant choice in HIV anti-retroviral clinical drug trials since 1996. Merck’s new drug is an integrase inhibitor, which prevents replication of HIV by blocking insertion of…
