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Analysts believe new bra could provide a boost to holiday sales

Victoria's Secret is hoping a new push-up bra intended to boost women's busts as much as two sizes also will enhance its bottom line this holiday season.

The lingerie chain, owned by Limited Brands Inc. (LTD-N) , will begin promoting its “Miraculous Bra” this week; it sells for $48 (U.S.) in solid colours and $52 in leopard print.

“What the customer told us is ‘We love push up,”' Victoria's Secret CEO Sharen Turney said in a meeting with investors last week. “And we said, ‘OK, we have the new Miraculous Bra.”'

Ms. Turney said the latest push-up's debut this fall has been positive.

“We cater to a young customer, and they would come into the store and start texting their friends, ‘Oh my God, you have to come in here and try this bra on.”'

Analysts also say the bra could be a big seller.

“We believe this could be a significant launch on early testing,” said BMO Capital Markets analyst John Morris.

Seeing consumers hunt for bargains during the recession, Victoria's Secret is offering more matching panty-and-bra sets and sleep sets for the holidays, as well as lower-priced gift sets, including a $15 beauty pack. And it plans to launch new items nearly every week, including new fragrances.

Retail analyst Jennifer Black applauded the approach.

“Victoria's Secret stores look the best we have seen since we began covering the company nearly 17 years ago,” she wrote in a note to investors.

Victoria's Secret is preparing to open its first stores in Canada in 2010, and another of its sister chains, Victoria's Secret Pink, already is launching outlets here this fall.

Victoria's Secret will broadcast its ever-popular fashion show, this year from New York, on Dec. 1 on CBS.

COMMENTARY:  Yup.  Me thinks the Miracle Bra will boost Christmas sales at least a couple of sizes.  No pun intended.

Courtesy of an article dated November 5, 2009 appearing in the Globe and Mail News

Facebook is getting old. No, people aren't getting tired of it, it's actually getting old, as in its population is aging. In May of 2008, the median age for Facebook was 26. Today, it's 33, a good seven years older. That's an interesting turn of events for a site once built for the exclusive use of college students. So where are today's college students hanging out now? Well, to some extent, they're still on Facebook, despite having to share the space with moms, dads, grandparents, and bosses. Surprisingly though, they're also headed to another network you may have heard of: Twitter.

As it turns out, Gen Y likes Twitter...Well, maybe not, but they are using it

Eager and enthusiastic entrepreneur with a dynamite concept seeks like-minded investor to provide funding for a mutually rewarding long-term working relationship.

You can laugh at this "personal" ad, but let's be honest: Finding funding for your business can be a little like romance. You have to put your best face--ahem--ideas forward in order to woo potential investors. Indeed, websites such as Go4Funding.com are online portals that function as global matchmakers for entrepreneurs, investors and business experts. Entrepreneurs and business owners can post their company's capital requirements in the Funding Needed section or scour the profiles under the "Looking To Invest" section.

Other sites, such as RetireAt21.com provide a forum for young entrepreneurs to ask questions, get critiques for their websites and ideas, and make connections that may lead to a deal with potential investors.

Even seeking financing through social media is a bit like signing up for online dating: substitute your bio for your business goals and personal interests for your product or service focus. But experts say that, just like in dating, being your authentic self is critical throughout the getting-acquainted phase. It's all about building the trust required to persuade an investor to enter into a long-term relationship with your company.

Show Your True Colors
"In today's digital world, striking deals without meeting in person is the norm," says Lolita Carrico, an internet entrepreneur and founder of ModernMom.com and MyGLOSS.com, who estimates that about 90 percent of the people she's worked with over the past few years are those she's met online or through social media. "I've met very few of them in person, unless we happen to be at a conference together," she says.

Carrico suggests being clear, professional and friendly, just as you would in person. "Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook also let those whom you work with get a glimpse of your personality. So I always keep my Twitter and Facebook streams professional, but also friendly and helpful," she says.

To give her followers and potential investors a good virtual image of herself, Carrico has it down to a formula: "30 percent personal information, updates about my day, my children, fun stuff; 40 percent business updates; 30 percent sharing links to relevant news that I think my followers will be interested in that also show them that I'm on top of my industry's news."

It is a process that's brought Carrico through some lucrative deals and how she was able to launch MyGLOSS.com so quickly.

"We launched almost two months earlier than originally planned because of a partner who wanted to do a campaign with GLOSS." Carrico admits that she had never met anyone from that company face-to-face but was undeterred. Referring specifically to the space limits on micro-blogging site Twitter, Carrico observes, "I think 140 characters are perfect for people to get an understanding of me and my business. It's actually quite efficient."

Taking the Relationship to the Next Level--Offline
Adrian Dayton, an attorney and founder of Comrad Esq, is no stranger to striking a deal online. However, the author of Social Media for Lawyers  recommends continuing offline, by telephone if you can't get together in person. "Only 8 percent of communication is in the words; 37 percent is tone and inflection; and 55 percent is the visual/body language," he says. "With a phone call you don't quite get the full effect, but it sure beats the 140-character limit imposed by Twitter."

Dayton says he's frequently asked whether people make spending decisions through social media. "Of course not, but I have numerous examples of individuals getting exposure to well-connected individuals through social media that are able to move those conversations offline," he says. He added that he advises owners of large and small businesses to use social media to make the connections and convert them as quickly as possible into your normal sales process. "People you meet [virtually] are still just people."

Present a Well-Groomed Business Plan
Sooner or later those people are going to want to see more than just a status update. They'll want to evaluate your business plan. Rhonda Abrams, author of The Successful Business Plan and founder/CEO of The Planning Shop says that if you haven't met your potential investor face-to-face, your business plan is more important than ever. "They are judging how well you've done your homework by what you are putting on paper or in a presentation," Abrams says.

She also likens the process to dating. To ensure your potential partner will see your company in its best light, treat your plan with respect. Don't just dump the whole thing into an e-mail and cross your fingers.

"You may want to send them an executive summary first," suggests Abrams. If you can't meet in person, she adds, a free web-based application such as ZoHo can be used to walk an investor through a follow-up presentation highlighting the size of your market, profitability and other key points.

Check Up on Them
Just because you're the one looking for funds doesn't mean your potential partner should remain shrouded in mystery. Abrams warns, "If you take someone's money you are going to be partners, so make sure you can live with them."

Lena West, founder and CEO of xynoMedia, believes the best way for entrepreneurs see whether they are compatible with potential investors is to dig. "Don't just rely on references; visit their social profiles and see what they write about. Ask questions about a person or a business. Based on what you find, determine if this person will mesh well with you or not, and then make an educated and informed decision," West says.

Bottom Line
West recently signed a book deal with an agent and a publisher based on a recommendation from a trusted social media acquaintance. "This is where we get into the real value of social media," she says. While "people can get away with a little slickness" in person, virtual communications need "authenticity grease" in order to thrive.

West points out that while it helped to know that both her agent and publisher are from large, well-known firms, she maintains that if business owners mean what they say, say what they mean and are who they say they are, they can't go wrong striking a deal online.

"The only thing that can happen is that you and a potential investor or partner won't get along and--guess what?--that would have happened in person, too. But by using social media, you saved everyone time in the security line at the airport," West says.

COMMENTARY:  I have never been one to hold back, but angel investors and VC firms are not looking for romance or even a long-term relationship with an entrepreneur. 

Investors are in the business of making investments, albeit risky investments, and expect returns of 25% to 30% within five years, if not sooner. 

Very few investor's want to repeat the mistakes of the past, and not looking for a spontaneous fling in the sack with a new startup, preferring to court more mature lovemates, like 2nd and 3rd rounds.  Investments in young chickaboos (startups) are practicaly non-existant and you can forget about seed investments.

VC's have been hit hard by the tight credit situation, and many of them are having problems replenishing their funds, and limiting their activities to keeping their portfolio's afloat.  

I am not saying that that there is not room for a real romance between the investor and the companies they choose to invest in, but relationships have tended to wane, and many relationships, which were exciting before have begun to sour.  The lack of a quick exit, means VC's have had to stick with their partners longer, prolonging the divorce.  No pun intended, of course.

Courtesy of an article dated November 3, 2009 appearing in Entrepreneur Magazine

(Nov. 5, 2009) Third-quarter earnings results continued to showcase both bottom-line improvements driven by cost cutting, as well as stalled sales driven by consumers’ reluctance to start spending.

Wendy’s and Arby’s followed quick-service players McDonald’s and Burger King into the realms of reduced sales growth, which each operation plans to combat with more value items. Arby’s, for example, is expanding its test of a $1 value menu and will continue to promote its $5.01 combo meals.

Higher-end concepts, like Morton’s and McCormick & Schmick's, continue to feel the pressure of reduced business expenses, which have typically driven large business lunches and private parties.

Some companies, like Papa John’s International Inc. and Starbucks Corp. provided a silver lining to restaurant industry results by increasing their annual earnings guidance on better-than-expected results. Additional bright spots throughout the industry included reduced food costs and some outlooks that October sales trends have improved slightly.

A selection of third-quarter financial results reported this week:

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. posted third-quarter net income of $14.7 million, or 3 cents a share, on revenue of $903.2 million. The company's results included pre-tax charges totaling $20.6 million related to last September's merger of Arby's parent Triarc Cos. Inc. and Wendy's International Inc. as well as impairment expenses. Wendy's North American same-store sales dipped 0.1 percent in the quarter, which the company attributed to 300 fewer restaurants serving breakfast, which the chain has shelved as it re-evaluates menu offerings. Sales trends were considerably worse at sister chain Arby's, where North American same-store sales fell 9 percent. The company said it would look to drive sales at Arby's by promoting value offerings, including expansion of the chain's $1 menu to additional markets. It will also continue marketing its $5.01 meal deals. At the end of the quarter, Wendy’s/Arby’s operated or franchised 6,608 Wendy's units and 3,739 Arby's locations.

Starbucks Corp.'s turnaround appears to be taking hold as fourth-quarter profit rose on costs savings and improved sales. Fourth-quarter net income totaled $150 million, or 20 cents a share, up from profit of $5.4 million, or 1 cent a share, in the same year-ago quarter. Revenue fell 3.7 percent to $2.4 billion, which the company blamed on currency conversions and fewer stores in operation. Fourth-quarter same-store sales fell 1 percent, which compares to a 5-percent drop in the fourth quarter of last year. For fiscal 2009, Starbucks earned $390.8 million, or 52 cents a share, compared with earnings of $315.5 million, or 43 cents a share, last year. Full-year revenue fell 6 percent to $9.8 billion. Same-store sales for the year decreased 6 percent. The parent of 16,635 coffeehouses worldwide said it had achieved full-year cost savings of about $580 million, which it said exceeded goals by about $30 million.

California Pizza Kitchen Inc. cited operating efficiencies for a 16.8-percent jump in third-quarter profit. Its sales continued to fall. Net income for the quarter totaled $5.8 million, or 24 cents per share, compared with $5 million, or 20 cents per share, a year ago. Latest-quarter revenue fell 5.3 percent to $164.8 million. Same-store sales at the company's full-service restaurants dropped 8 percent. The company said it is planning several traffic-building initiatives in the current fourth quarter, including the recently announced wine menu revamp, as well as new menu items, a sales productivity report, a takeout call center and expanded catering. California Pizza Kitchen ended the fourth quarter with 255 restaurants, including the namesake brand, the limited-menu ASAP variant, and two LA Food Show locations.

Morton’s Restaurant Group reported that revenues in the third quarter fell 12.2 percent to $64.1 million. Same-store sales dropped 16.8 percent. The company’s net loss of $3.3 million, or 21 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $63.7 million, or $4.02 per share. The year-ago quarter included an impairment charge of $66.2 million.

Papa John’s International Inc. raised its 2009 earnings outlook after booking third-quarter profit of $11.7 million, or 42 cents per share. That compares with net income of $7.7 million, or 28 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago. Latest-quarter revenue totaled $263.9 million, a 5.7-percent decrease from a year earlier. Papa John’s domestic systemwide same-store sales remained flat, reflecting a 0.6-percent decline at corporate units and a 0.2-percent increase at franchised locations. It said positive traffic trends have continued in October, the first month of the current fourth quarter. Full story

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc. reported third-quarter net income of $60.9 million, or $3.65 per share, versus $4.5 million, or 28 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago. The company said that net income improvement was tied to a deferred tax benefit of $56.8 million, among other factors. Revenues decreased 0.9 percent to about $100.0 million. Same-store sales fell 3.1 percent at company-operated restaurants and dipped 2.7 percent systemwide. Einstein Noah operates approximately 500 locations, most under the Einstein Bros. Bagels and Noah's New York Bagels brands, and licenses about 100 locations to others, primarily as Manhattan Bagel outlets.

Rubio's Restaurants Inc., parent of the 195-unit fast-casual Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill chain, blamed higher costs and charges for store closures for a 38-percent drop in third-quarter profit. Net income for the quarter totaled $487,000, or 5 cents per share, compared with earnings of $789,000, or 8 cents per share, in the same year-ago quarter. Latest-quarter revenue rose 3 percent to $48.4 million. Same-store sales fell 2.7 percent. Full story

Caribou Coffee Co. Inc., parent of the nation’s second-largest coffeehouse chain, swung to a third quarter profit from a year-ago loss, as cost savings and higher commercial coffee sales offset sluggish sales trends. Caribou’s net income totaled $700,000, or 3 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $8.8 million, or 45 cents a share, in the year-earlier third quarter. Revenue rose 3 percent to $62.7 million, reflecting sales of $54.5 million at company-owned coffeehouses, where same-store sales dipped 0.5 percent. Caribou’s commercial sales of coffee, which company officials said would be a major focus for expansion, rose 46.8 percent to $6.6 million in the third quarter. Caribou has 525 coffeehouses, included 112 franchised or licensed branches.

Carrols Restaurant Group Inc., one the largest Burger King franchisees and parent to the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana fast-casual brands, reported third-quarter net income of $5.6 million, or 26 cents per share, up from net income of $3.7 million, or 17 cents per share, a year ago. Latest-quarter revenue fell 3.8 percent to $201.2 million Same-store sales fell 6.1 percent at its Burger King units and decreased 4.3 percent at Taco Cabana and 0.1 percent at Pollo Tropical. Full story

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. saw third-quarter net income fall 7.6 percent to $5.7 million, or 37 cents per share, compared with $6.2 million, or 40 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. The Greenwood Village, Colo.-based casual-dining specialist said latest-quarter revenue fell 10.4 percent to $186.9 million, and noted that same-store sales at company-operated restaurants fell 14.9 percent. Sales trends reflected a 13.8-percent fall off in guest counts, the company said. Same-store sales at franchised restaurants fell 14.4 percent in the U.S. and 0.2 percent in Canada. Red Robin ended the quarter with 304 company-operated namesake restaurants, while franchisees operated 132 branches. The company noted that restaurant-level operating profit decreased by 20.1 percent reflecting, in large part, a 1.6-percent increase in labor costs and 1-percent higher occupancy expenses.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants Inc. reported a 3.6-percent drop in net income to about $1.3 million, or 9 cents per share, for its third quarter, which is roughly flat to the earnings per share for the same quarter in 2008. Revenue decreased 13.6 percent to $86.3 million, the Portland, Ore.-based operator of casual-dining restaurants said. It reported an 18.8-percent decrease in same-store sales, resulting from a 14.2-percent fall off in guest traffic coupled with a 4.6-percent dip in net pricing and product mix. At the end of the quarter, McCormick & Schmick’s operated 93 restaurants in the United States and Canada, compared with 89 a year earlier.

COMMENTARY:  Like it's cousin, the retail industry, restaurants have been hit very hard by the recession, with restaurant closures, layoffs, discount and menu changes at the top of the list.  Some restaurant industry prognosticators were predicting that several restaurant chains might go out of business entirely. 

We've been seeing this sort of thing beginning in 2008 and it just got worse during 2009, with negative or slow growth especially among foodservice chains like Starbucks, Jamba Juice and the high-end restaurants.  There were some notable exceptions to this including Chipotles, Panera Bread and McDonalds which saw sales increases, some of them in double digits and store openings instead of closings.

There appears to be a silver lining to all of this, as some optimistic, sharp and willing entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the economic situation by acquiring individual restaurant units that were closed down or put on the sales block by their owners, and being able to hire restaurant staff at lower rates of pay. 

The holiday season may be a saving grace to many restaurants, particularly those that benefit from Christmas parties and year-end corporate celebrations.  Obviously, restaurants located in those areas hit hardest by the recession, have suffered the most, and will be the last to see an upkick in sales, and this may not happen until late 2010 or 2011.      

Courtesy of an article dated November 5, 2009 appearing in Nations Restaurant News     

IVY LEAGUE 2.0: Richard Ludlow is modeling his startup on Hulu. | Photograph by Robyn Twomey

Free online courses, Wiki universities, Facebook-style tutoring networks -- American higher education is changing.

THE PROFESSOR: Free online content, says David Wiley, "is just the first step". 

 

 

HACKING HARVARD: Neeru Paharia is behind Peer2Peer University. 

Is a college education really like a string quartet? Back in 1966, that was the assertion of economists William Bowen, later president of Princeton, and William Baumol. In a seminal study, Bowen and Baumol used the analogy to show why universities can't easily improve efficiency.

If you want to perform a proper string quartet, they noted, you can't cut out the cellist nor can you squeeze in more performances by playing the music faster. But that was then -- before MP3s and iPods proved just how freely music could flow. Before Google scanned and digitized 7 million books and Wikipedia users created the world's largest encyclopedia. Before YouTube Edu and iTunes U made video and audio lectures by the best professors in the country available for free, and before college students built Facebook into the world's largest social network, changing the way we all share information. Suddenly, it is possible to imagine a new model of education using online resources to serve more students, more cheaply than ever before.

"The Internet disrupts any industry whose core product can be reduced to ones and zeros," says Jose Ferreira, founder and CEO of education startup Knewton. Education, he says, "is the biggest virgin forest out there." Ferreira is among a loose-knit band of education 2.0 architects sharpening their saws for that forest. Their first foray was at MIT in 2001, when the school agreed to put coursework online for free. Today, you can find the full syllabi, lecture notes, class exercises, tests, and some video and audio for every course MIT offers, from physics to art history. This trove has been accessed by 56 million current and prospective students, alumni, professors, and armchair enthusiasts around the world. "The advent of the Web brings the ability to disseminate high-quality materials at almost no cost, leveling the playing field," says Cathy Casserly, a senior partner at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, who in her former role at the Hewlett Foundation provided seed funding for MIT's project. "We're changing the culture of how we think about knowledge and how it should be shared and who are the owners of knowledge."

But higher education remains, on the whole, a string quartet. MIT's courseware may be free, yet an MIT degree still costs upward of $189,000. College tuition has gone up more than any other good or service since 1990, and our nation's students and graduates hold a staggering $714 billion in outstanding student-loan debt. Once the world's most educated country, the United States today ranks 10th globally in the percentage of young people with postsecondary degrees. "Colleges have become outrageously expensive, yet there remains a general refusal to acknowledge the implications of new technologies," says Jim Groom, an "instructional technologist" at Virginia's University of Mary Washington and a prominent voice in the blogosphere for blowing up college as we know it. Groom, a chain-smoker with an ever-present five days' growth of beard, coined the term "edupunk" to describe the growing movement toward high-tech do-it-yourself education. "Edupunk," he tells me in the opening notes of his first email, "is about the utter irresponsibility and lethargy of educational institutions and the means by which they are financially cannibalizing their own mission."

The edupunks are on the march. From VC-funded startups to the ivied walls of Harvard, new experiments and business models are springing up from entrepreneurs, professors, and students alike. Want a class that's structured like a role-playing game? An accredited bachelor's degree for a few thousand dollars? A free, peer-to-peer Wiki university? These all exist today, the overture to a complete educational remix.

The architects of education 2.0 predict that traditional universities that cling to the string-quartet model will find themselves on the wrong side of history, alongside newspaper chains and record stores. "If universities can't find the will to innovate and adapt to changes in the world around them," professor David Wiley of Brigham Young University has written, "universities will be irrelevant by 2020."

Wiley doesn't come off immediately as a bomb thrower. He is a 37-year-old member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with five kids. He has close-cropped gray hair, glasses, and speaks softly in a West Virginia accent. But he employs his niceness strategically, as a general in the intellectual vanguard of the transformation of higher education. The challenge is not to bring technology into the classroom, he points out. The millennials, with their Facebook and their cell phones, have done that. The challenge is to capture the potential of technology to lower costs and improve learning for all.

NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

COMMENTARY:   I have consulted for several clients marketing web-based education and training courses, so the technology is quite advanced, and web-based training and education is a huge industry.

I use web-based training from webinars (video and audio) to video teleconferencing to conduct meetings with clients, including groups.  I really find the technology quite fascinating.

Until I read this article I didn't know that online open courseware was was so prevalent, with close to 100 colleges and universities using for general education or specific courses such as science & technology, health care, sales and marketing, IT training and many other uses.    

Although I agree that online open courseware is going to be big, I don't necessarily subscribe to David Wiley's contention that universities will be obsolete by 2020.  It is difficult, if not impossible, to replicate the total experience that being a student on an actual campus offers. You cannot replace the commaraderie, customs and traditions and lifelong relationships that students will experience going to a regular college or university.

Colleges tuitions and student fees have increased dramatically due to the recession and tight state budgets, and how this has affected the number courses offered and driven students to junior colleges. 

I can see the value of online open couseware, but only as a supplement to classroom learning.  It is a great way for busy and over-extended teachers and professors to extend their reach, increase their curriculum offerings and serve their students.  Allowing students to view a classroom lecture from their iPhone, laptop or home computer reinforces the learning experiences and increases retention.

Online open courseware is still in its infancy, and the quality is hit and miss. I was online earlier today and watched MIT Sloan''s professor Eric Von Hippel's lecture "Creating Breakthrough Products and Services - The Sources of Innovation".  The quality of the content was quite poor and on my wireless connection, which is unreliable at times, had me re-watching the same material several times, before I was able to view the entire lecture.

I think there is a great opportunity for improving the quality of online open courseware content (video and audio lectures and lecture notes).  I think improving the quality and depth of the courseware can create added-value and could lead to the development of a subscription-based, paid content model.

If students are willing to pay for downloading music, video, games, iPhone apps and other digital content, I don't see why online open courseware cannot become a viable and profitable business.  It is certainly a lot more valuable, because the knowledge gained stays with and benefits the student for years to come.

A list of the top online open courseware available on the Internet can accessed HERE      

Courtesy of an article dated September 1, 2009 appearing in Fast Company 

I'm an iPhone user and not ashamed of that fact. What I am ashamed about is that a study done about iPhone users' characteristics pretty much deems us a rotten, undatable bunch. And some of the results struck a chord.

A company called Retrevo did what they call a "Gadgetology study" to gather up information about the typical iPhone user. While it's not exactly a flattering snapshot and the methodology behind the surveying process is a mystery, I'll be damned if some of the details don't hit home:

• One in three iPhone owners has texted or emailed their significant other to break up.

Yes, I'm a horrible person and have done this. I was even oh-so-sensitive and wrote "Let's make like a city in Croatia and Split." Suffice to say, it didn't go over too well.

• One in four iPhone users has broken up with their partner because that person spent too much time on their mobile device.

While I can't say that I've done this yet, it's actually a persistent fear that it'll happen to me because I'm the one who spends too much time with my phone.

• One in three iPhone owners say that, if their partner had out-of-date gadgets, it would be a turnoff.

At first I shook my head about this statistic, but then I recalled pleading with an ex that he accept a shiny, new phone as a gift because his was "so old that no one even makes apps for it." Geez, this survey is making me feel horrid. So horrid that I think I'll refrain from commenting about this last statistic, except to suggest that some of the "adult material" might come in the form of MMS messages or email attachments, but I, ahem, I wouldn't know:

• One in five iPhone owners admits to frequently watching "adult material" on their iPhones. (Twice as many as BlackBerry owners).

The rest of the results are over on the Retrevo site, take a look and then let's talk about what horrible, undatable people we are (or how you're a far better person than I). [Retrevo via TUAW]

COMMENTARY:  I had read this sort of thing before, but I don't think that iPhone owners are the only ones who use their phones for insentive and malicious evil-doing.  Breaking off a relation using a text message are quite prevalent. 

iPhone users do spend an exhorbitant amount of time surfing the web, watching videos and other content, playing online games and so forth.  The numbers bear this out.  Click-through rates are supposedly higher among iPhone owners.  iPhone owners are also more likely to click on a link or display ad than desktop computer users. 

Marketers have taken note and targeting their customers through mobile devices.

Anyway, I am sure there will be more of this nonsense appearing online. Which by way, I will say emphatically, there is just too much nonsense and useless information posted online.  Twitter is a good example of this.  Like this Tweet: "I just dined on French goose liver frau-gras with sesame crackers and a bottle of two buck chucks from Trader Joe's. Yummy!!"  or some such comment.

Courtesy of an article appearing in GIZMODO

Tom Johnson is no engineer. But that didn't stop him from creating software that helps him market his wedding-video business. Johnson crafted an application, downloadable to the Apple iPhone, that plays a sample video, connects users to a blog, and lets would-be clients call his company, Alliance Video Products, by pushing a single button. Best of all for a non-engineer like Johnson, he did it in a single day, without writing a single line of code.

To create the app, Johnson relied on a company called Swebapps.com, one of a new crop of services that help clients order up their own smartphone apps—often in less time and for less money than it would take to develop an app from scratch. Like Alliance Video Products, churches, museums, schools, and other small businesses of every stripe can now get into the app-making game—creating downloadable games, travel guides, quizzes, and blog feeds—thanks to sites like AppBreeder.com, GameSalad.com, and MyAppBuilder.com. Often all it takes is plugging specs into online templates.

As it gets easier for non-techies to make them, the already swiftly expanding market for these downloadable apps is likely to grow at a faster pace. That means even fuller shelves at online shops such as the Apple App Store, Google's Android Market, Research In Motion's BlackBerry App World, and Microsoft's Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The number of apps downloaded through these kinds of stores may surge to 18.7 billion in 2014, from about 491 million at the end of 2008, according to consultant Ovum. That may result in sales of $5.7 billion in 2014, up from $367 million last year, Ovum says.

very affordable

Small businesses view DIY apps as a low-cost way to market their wares. Johnson paid $300 up front, plus a $30 monthly fee. Since its September debut, Alliance Video's Video Pro has generated 10 leads and two sales, making it a more effective marketing vehicle than placing an ad in a bridal magazine, Johnson says. "We deal with a lot of young brides and grooms, and they love the iPhone," he says.

Some sites charge nothing up front, while others invoice as little as $99 a year or $20 a month for users to create an app. That's substantially less than the $2,000 to $10,000 professional programmers typically charge per project. Nontechnical users are guided through menus where they can input information and select logos, colors, and buttons. "It's way less expensive," says Dan Simons, a principal at Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group, which used Swebapps to create an iPhone app for a restaurant it manages. The app lets users make reservations and see the menu and wine list. "They've done all the brain surgery on the back end," Simons says. "Yet what you end up with is a fairly custom application" costing, in his case, about $1,000.

Since its Aug. 18 debut, Swebapps has signed up about 800 customers. About 30 of their apps have gotten approval from Apple to be sold at the App Store. The company expects to put out 60 applications a month by 2010, quadruple current volume, says Swebapps CEO Magaly Chocano. "Our market is like what Web sites were 10 years ago," she says. "Now you can't do without one." Since launching its templates in July, AppBreeder.com has gained 1,300 members and is adding about 100 new users a week, more than double the number it added in August. It says members plan to submit more than 700 apps to the App Store in November.

deluxe models

While most templates are fairly simple, several do-it-yourself Web sites also offer advanced functions. AppBreeder.com, for instance, can tap into iPhone location information. So a Realtor can offer different house and condo listings to people in different towns. And a grocery can send mobile coupons to iPhone users when they're inside a store. And Swebapps lets customers update content in real time. That means restaurants can change specials several times a day, and real estate agents can remove listings of houses that have sold.

Some sites, such as Gendai Games's GameSalad.com, charge annual subscriptions plus fees for additional services. Its basic service costs $99 a year, while one with features such as customer support cost $2,000 a year. Many sites also charge monthly hosting fees.

In some cases, app-making sites charge little, if anything, up front and instead take a portion of sales. Book-app maker eBookApp.com charges nothing to create apps that help authors and publishers promote books through the App Store but receives 50% of sales of books sold through the apps. MEDL Mobile's AppIncubator.com solicits ideas and then does the legwork designing and coding apps in exchange for a portion of the sales generated by the software.

Some analysts believe professional programmers may still be the way to go for many small companies. With do-it-yourself apps, "there could be quality issues, there could be distribution and security issues," says Sean Ryan, an analyst at consultant IDC.

DIY sites, though, are working hard to prove him wrong.

COMMENTARY:  A client of mine, eliminates writing code altogether, if you can believe tha.  Okay, not completely, but apps using their Linux open source application development platform will run the same application on either Linux, MacOS and Windows, and retain the native look.

There are already a lot of applications out there that allow individuals with programming experience to develop working applications.  I developed my website using Frontpage, an application for developing websites without writing any code.  Frontpage automatically developes the HTML code for you, and the finished website can be uploaded and runs just like it was developed by a web programmer.  

Sooner or later someone was going to develop an application development platform for developing applications for the do-it-yourselfer (DIY) and given the popularity of Apple iPhone apps, I think it is a great idea if you want to develop your own apps instead of buyng them through the Apple Store. 

Courtesy of an article dated November 1, 2009 appearing in BusinessWeek

Local Players and Global Brands Compete for Top Spots across Markets

Singapore City, Singapore, November 4, 2009 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its latest report on search activity in the Asia-Pacific region based on data from its qSearch service. The study found that 38.6 billion searches were conducted in the region in September 2009, with searchers averaging nearly 88 queries per person during the month. Google Sites ranked as the top search destination in Asia Pacific, commanding more than 44 percent share of searches performed in the region.

Google Sites Captures Largest Share of Search in Asia Pacific

In September 2009, Internet users in Asia Pacific conducted 38.6 billion search queries, an increase of 33 percent from the previous year. Google Sites was the top search destination with nearly 17 billion searches performed on its sites during the month, accounting for 44.1 percent share of all searches in the region. Baidu.com Inc. followed with 8.2 billion searches (21.3 percent share), while Yahoo! Sites grabbed the #3 position with 5.3 billion searches (13.8 percent share).

Searchers in the region averaged nearly 88 searches per person during September. South Korea’s NHN Corporation, which owns search engine Naver.com, saw the most prolific search intensity among the top 10 destinations with an average of 81 searches per searcher. Searchers on Google Sites averaged 59 searches per person, while searchers on Lycos Sites averaged 51 queries.

*Excludes visitation from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.

Local Players and Global Brands Compete for Searcher Loyalty Across Markets

An analysis of top search destinations across the 10 individual markets in the Asia-Pacific region currently reported by comScore revealed various search brand preferences across markets. Google Sites was the search market share leader in six of the markets including Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. Yahoo! Sites captured the majority share of searches in Hong Kong (58.9 percent) and Taiwan (65.4 percent).

Although multinational search brands led many of the markets in the region, the popularity of local brands was evident in both China and South Korea. Baidu.com Inc. led as China’s top search destination with 63 percent share of searches performed, while NHN Corporation captured 49.3 percent of queries in Korea, leading the market as the top destination.

*Excludes visitation from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.

“The competition between local and global brands to capture search market share around the world continues to be an ongoing battle,” said Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region. “As multinational brands continue to expand across borders, understanding the online behaviors and preferences of local audiences will be a central component to implementing successful digital marketing strategies that capitalize on this lucrative and growing market.”

COMMENTARY:  Amazing the anemic share of total searches generated by Facebook.  Looks like Baidu.com is giving Google a run for their money.  Let the Asian Pacific search wars begin.

Courtesy of an article dated November 4, 2009 appearing in comScore

This week's question for Ask the Coach:

What can I do to build my confidence in my capabilities as a leader?

You won't get to the top without self-confidence; to build it, you have to believe in yourself. Don't worry about being perfect — put up a brave front and do the best you can. That's it in a nutshell. Here's a little more background for you.

Last year, as I often do, I taught a seminar for MBA students at the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. A second-year student approached me and told me he'd read my book What Got You Here Won't Get You There. "In the book you talk about classic challenges faced by your clients," he said. "I noticed that you never discuss self-confidence problems. How do you deal with your client's self-confidence problems?"

This question really made me think. I rarely encounter self-confidence problems in my work with CEOs and potential CEOs. It is almost impossible to make it to the top level in a multibillion-dollar corporation if you do not believe in yourself. On the other hand, I am frequently asked to speak at business schools, and I have noticed that students in my seminars often want to talk about it.

This is such an important topic. I thought I would share a few suggestions about how you can build your self-confidence. I also hope you, my readers, will offer your own suggestions.

1. Don't worry about being perfect. There are never right or wrong answers to complex business decisions. The best that you can do as a leader is to gather all of the information that you can (in a timely manner), do a cost-benefit analysis of potential options, use your best judgment — and then go for it.

2. Learn to live with failure. Great salespeople are the ones who get rejected the most often. They just ask for the order more than the other salespeople. You are going to make mistakes. You are human. Learn from these mistakes and move on.

3. After you make the final decision — commit! Don't continually second-guess yourself. Great leaders communicate with a sense of belief in what they are doing and with positive expectations toward the achievement of their vision.

4. Show courage on the outside — even if you don't always feel it on the inside. Everyone is afraid sometimes. If you are a leader, your direct reports will read your every expression. If you show a lack of courage, you will begin to damage your direct reports' self-confidence.

5. Find happiness and contentment in your work. Life is short. My extensive research indicates that we are all going to die anyway. Do your best. Follow your heart. When you win, celebrate. When you lose, just start over the next day.

COMMENTARY: Marshall Goldsmith makes some excellent points.  Personally, I am of the opinion that leaders are made not born.  All you have to do is look at Anthony Robbins and what he has been able to accomplish with his self-improvement books and videos.  Attending an Anthony Robbins event is contageous and electrifying, everybody thumps their chests and ready to conquer the world after Anthony Robbins speaks. 

Courtesy of an article dated October 30, 2009 appearing in the Harvard Publishing Blog

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