To refine your search through our archives use our Advanced Search
Even companies as large as Coca-Cola know that effective marketing begins with a clear definition of their target customer. Ask yourself this: When was the last time you had a Coke? Not the caffeinefree, diet, cherry, vanilla or whatever variety, but Coke-real, regular Coke. For some, the answer is today; for others, it might be last week, a few months ago, or so long ago they don’t remember. I know I have not had a Coke since 1982, and more…
Indiana Business College will launch a Chef’s Academy downtown next month, offering an 18-month program intended to produce trained “culinarians.” Ivy Tech Community College, meanwhile, is looking for space to expand its two-year culinary arts program, which has seen explosive growth.
Mention a career in motorsports to most youngsters and they imagine whizzing around the track like NASCAR’s Tony Stewart or Sam Hornish Jr., points leader of the Indianapolis Racing League. But a partnership between Indianapolisbased Panther Racing LLC and Decatur Township Schools wants to introduce students to more practical professions within the sport by providing the resources in a hands-on learning environment. The result is the Panther Education Center, set to open next fall near the racing team’s headquarters at…
Rival developers are dusting off plans for the former Market Square Arena site now that the partnership the city chose for the project appears on the verge of missing the Aug. 31 deadline to buy the land.
Soaring crime rates. Declining school performance. Litter. It’s easy to find things to complain about. And I do my fair share. Since my son started kindergarten at an Indianapolis Public Schools magnet last year, I have lamented the lack of parental involvement. “It’s a shame that some kids don’t have anyone to help with their homework,” I say to myself. “It’s a shame that some moms and dads don’t make it to parent-teacher conferences. It’s a shame that some of…
25A-32A All in the family Good relationships key to living and working together The family that plays together stays together, as the old adage goes. But what about the family that works together? Many-if not most-of the estimated 450,000 small businesses in Indiana employ more than one family member, local smallbusiness experts say. In some cases, family involvement might be limited to a spouse who helps out with the books part-time or a child who comes into the office occasionally…
Bruce Hetrick is on vacation this week. In his absence, this column, which appeared on Sept. 1, 2003, is being reprinted. The Labor Days of my memory are happy-sad affairs. The weather is muggy. The family’s gathered at some park or pond, river or lake. Burgers sizzle on the grill. Frisbees fly through the air. And after supper, there’s touch football with dads and brothers, kids and cousins, until dusk drops her shadowy curtain on yet another summer. In my…
When Emmis Communications Corp. Chief Financial Officer Walter Berger bolted in January for the same post at CBS Radio in New York, the Indianapolis company said little publicly. But it’s now apparent Emmis officials were more than a little peeved. In recent weeks, they’ve filed an arbitration case against Berger in hopes of recouping some of his compensation, and they’ve sued CBS alleging tortuous interference with his contract. “I think this case is very clear-cut,” said David Barrett, vice president…
Based on an analysis of biographical accounts, both Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison appear to have been challenged by dyslexia, a reading and comprehension developmental disorder that can be severe. Few today would question the astonishing contributions these individuals made to humanity. Despite the severity of the challenges that some of these children face, many adapt and conquer, entering the Indianapolis community as successful working adults. There are many stories of achievement about children exceeding expectations, from a teenager with…
Jim Prieur makes a great choice for Conseco Inc. CEO, analysts say. But whether his hiring bodes well for the company’s Carmel headquarters is a different question. Conseco Chairman Glenn Hilliard said last week that Prieur will live in Chicago when he joins the company next month.
WellPoint Inc. is helping to launch Blue Health Intelligence, a resource it bills as the largest private database of health care information. The Indianapolis-based insurer is providing data culled from 14 insurance units-including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana-to a claims database of 79 million people. That database then will provide “the most detailed view available of health care trends, best practices and comparative costs,” according to a statement from the company. The data collection, which will contain…
To succeed, small businesses must attract and retain a growing base of satisfied customers. This activity is called marketing. There are two overriding principles: Company policies should be directed toward satisfying customer needs. And profitable sales volume is more important than maximum sales volume. To best use these principles, smallbusiness owners should: Determine the needs of their customers through market research. Analyze the company’s competitive advantages to develop a market strategy. Select specific markets to serve by targeted marketing. Determine…
Locked in a court battle with its Bloomington affiliate, the company that runs Pizza Express stores locally is renaming them and expanding into Fishers. Indianapolis-based Pizza Head LLC has renamed Pizza Express stores downtown and in Broad Ripple as Hot Box Pizza. Menu boards and store interiors have been revamped. Meanwhile, Pizza Head is negotiating a lease for a Fishers location, said Gabe Connell, one of three partners in the firm. Exterior sign changes at existing stores were almost complete….
Lauth Property Group is working to complete the purchase of 550 acres it has under contract at the northeast corner of Interstate 70 and State Road 39, one interchange west of Plainfield. Lauth plans to build 7.5-million-square-foot industrial park, dubbed Westpoint Business Park.
Twenty years ago, the only thing coming out of Red Gold Inc.’s small Orestes plant was diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato puree. The processor now makes products that sell in all 50 states and 16 countries under its brand or private labels.
An Ohio program launched in 2003 to urge development of extremely earlystage companies has already spurred investments worth $239 million in 68 Buckeye startups. Venture capitalists would like to duplicate the program here. But their proposal has been languishing at the Indiana Economic Development Corp. for a month. “We have the application. We haven’t done anything with it,” said IEDC Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Bruce Kidd. “This is a classic steeple chase. You’ve got lots of hurdles to…
Our family’s license plate renewal tags have always arrived by the deadline date each year, but this year the end of the month rolled around and our five cars still carried last year’s stickers. It dawned on us that we’d all be driving illegally. Our son drove to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles office nearest his home to see if he could get his two tags. My husband and I both had client appointments to which we had to drive….
PROFILE FIRST JURY INC. Practice makes perfect Local trial consultants aim to help lawyers prepare for litigation Blame the name. Attorneys could be forgiven if they thought hiring Indianapolis-based First Jury Inc. would get them advice on choosing a jury sympathetic to their clients’ cause. But its staff won’t tell them to avoid the woman with her arms crossed or the man who won’t make eye contact. Instead, they’ll assemble a jury of their own and stage a mock trial,…
Two doors opened for Pam Evans on Aug. 5-one to her own clothing store and the other to her independence. The Cherry Shop represents both to Evans, who lost most of her sight over the course of a weekend in 1998 to a genetic eye disease called angioid streaks. Left with only her peripheral vision, she also lost her career in real estate and corporate sales. After a period of depression, Evans decided she wouldn’t lose it all. “I felt…
The Indiana General Assembly’s decision in 2001 to hand Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson the keys to the city’s new charter schools initiative marked the first time in the nation that a municipal leader had been given the authority to grant charters. The unusual approach to improve educational opportunities here has earned the city several accolades, including last month’s prestigious Harvard University Innovations in American Government Award. Now the mayor wants to expand upon the program’s success and launch a not-for-profit…
